‘The SpongeBob Musical’ comes to Denver from March 10-22. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.

In Boulder, BDT Stage revisits its triumphant staging of Ragtime

Is it just us, or does every month in Colorado theatre always seem just a little more exciting than the one before? March not only features two of the most fun Broadway national tours going in The SpongeBob Musical and Mean Girls, it brings us new plays, vibrant new takes on Shakespeare and Homer, and at least two essential Latino social-justice history plays. And a few comedies. (Check out Lake Dillon Theatre Company’s The Roommate for laughs from Emma Messenger and Lauri Carter Rose.) Here are just 10 of the most intriguing openings this month, followed by a complete list of all your March theatregoing options throughout Colorado:

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  Tracy Warren, Charles Ray King Jr. and Wayne Kennedy in ‘Ragtime.’ Photo by John Seaberry,

  Ragtime. BDT Stage revisits the most significant undertaking in its history when it brings Ragtime back to the stage where 13 years ago it partnered with the late Shadow Theatre Company to present the first-ever local production of one of the truly great musicals of all time. Ragtime follows a Harlem musician, a WASP matriarch and a Jewish immigrant father in 1904 New York while weaving in historic figures such as Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington and Henry Ford. Based on E.L. Doctorow’s novel, Ragtime is a sweeping and volatile tale of love in an intolerant time. Returning to his award-winning role as Tateh (both in Boulder and later at the Arvada Center) is Wayne Kennedy. This production is dedicated to Jeffrey Nickelson, who died two years after starring in the 2007 production. This time around, Coalhouse Walker is being played by Charles Ray King Jr. The director is again Michael J. Duran. March 7 through May 30 at 5501 Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder,303-449-6000 or bdtstage.com READ THE 2007 REVIEW

• Cabaret De Profundis, or How to Sing While Ugly Crying. The remarkable Buntport Theater ensemble is closing in on its 50th original production with No. 49 – a comedy about grief based loosely on the real life Artemisia II of Caria. The play is is a cabaret-style evening featuring Hannah Duggan with local composer and pianist Nathan Hall. You’ll learn about Artemisia, including her commissioning the creation of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and her penchant for mourning her husband’s loss by drinking his ashes in her wine. March 13 through April 4 at 717 Lipan St., 720-946-1388 or buntport.com
• War of the Flowers: The Kitayama Carnation Strike. Su Teatro Artistic Director Anthony Garcia and his enduring Chicano theatre company have been on a roll of late telling socially relevant Latino stories from past and present. War of the Flowers retells the true story of five Chicana women who chained themselves to the front gates of the Kitayama Carnation plant in Weld County, launching a 10-month labor strike in 1969 and enduring both escalating violence and point-blank tear gas along the way. Written and directed by Garcia, who mixes in original music and protest songs. Lupe Briseño, the leader of the strike, will be inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame March 18 for her contributions to social justice. March 12-29 at 721 Santa Fe Drive, 303-296-0219 or suteatro.org
• Local Lab 2020. Local Theater Company hosts Boulder’s premier annual new-play festival, with featured staged readings this year of Sandra Delgado’s citizenship drama Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars (directed by Laurie Woolery); Josh Koenigsberg’s the car-dealer comedy Vroom Vroom (directed by Betty Hart) and Jessica Huang‘s family journey Mother of Exiles (directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh). Also: A program of student plays. March 13-15 at The Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 720-379-4470 or localtheatercompany.org
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  Misfits Theater’s ‘Macbeth,’ starring Heather Lacy.

  Macbeth. Misfits Theater, a company formed for those who feel on the fringe, is staging a site-specific, all-female and non-binary version of Shakespeare’s tragedy at Deviant Spirits Distillery in Boulder. What’s to be gained by watching the most ambitious and bloodthirsty power couple in literary history without men? Grab a whiskey and find out. Directed by Debe Hultgren. Starring Heather Lacy and Emily Tuckman, while featuring Miranda Byers, Lilia Vassileva-Eheart, Madelyn Smith, Rhianna DeVries, Elizabeth Kirchmeier, Tara Spires and Kenzie Kilroy. March 8 through 24 at 2480 49th St. E., brownpapertickets.com

• Take the High Road. For more than 30 years, Magic Moments (pictured above) has presented an annual all-comers pop-music revue that integrates disabled and able-bodied cast members of all abilities, ages and experience. Each year’s revue is fashioned into an original story. This year it’s set in Nederland, Colorado, where the town’s leading preservationist faces off against an aggressive New York real estate developer. Oh, and they’re in love. Directed as always by 2019 True West Award winner K.Q. March 26 through 29 at Colorado’s Finest High School of Choice, 300 W. Chenango Ave., Englewood, 303-575-1005 or magicmomentsinc.org READ MORE
• 

  Billie McBride

  For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday. One of Anne’s fondest and most formative memories is playing Peter Pan at her hometown children’s theater. Now, 50 years later, Neverland calls again, casting her back to this faraway dreamscape where the refusal to grow up confronts the inevitability of growing old. This wistful play by Sarah Ruhl is directed by Helen R. Murray and stars Colorado Theatre Guild Lifetime Achievement Award winner Billie McBride. March 13 through April 5 at 9900 E. Colfax Ave., 303-739-1970 or aurorafox.org

• Admissions. Joshua Harmon’s play has been called “a no-holds-barred look at privilege, power and the perils of whiteness.” Bill and Sherri are the progressive-and-proud headmaster and dean of admissions, respectively, of a New Hampshire boarding school. Over the past 15 years, they’ve worked to diversify the school’s mostly white population. But when their own high-achieving son’s Ivy League dreams are jeopardized, the family’s reaction blasts open a deep rift between their public values and private decisions. Curious Theatre’s new staging features Colin Covert, Tamara Meneghini, Martha Harmon Pardee, Sam Gregory and Kathryn Gray. March 14 through April 18 at 1080 Acoma St., 303-623-0524 or curioustheatre.org
• 

  Erik Sandvold

  An Iliad. One actor (Erik Sandvold) and one musician (Jane Chan) tell Homer’s timeless tale of fate and fury through vivid storytelling, live music and the audience’s imagination. This age-old narrative, reinvented for our modern era, takes you to the battlefield where gods, heroes and empires clash in a quest for vengeance and glory.  Adapted by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare. Directed by Max Shulman. March 12 through 29 at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs’ Cyber Security Building, 3650 N. Nevada Ave., 719-255-3232 or theatreworkscs.org

• Puerto Rican Nocturne. THEATREdART, Colorado Springs’ home for avant-garde works, presents a true-crime drama set in 1978 Puerto Rico. This dreamlike, episodic narrative follows a group of undercover police officers who ambush and murder two political activists, then cover it up by claiming their victims were terrorists. Written by Jonathan Marcantoni and directed by A.B. Lugo. March 13 through 29 at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 730 N. Tejon St., Colorado Springs. 719-357-8321 or theatredart.org

Colorado theatre companies are encouraged to submit listings and production photos at least two weeks in advance to the DCPA NewsCenter at jmoore@dcpa.org.

John Moore was named one of the 12 most influential theater critics in the U.S by American Theatre Magazine. He has since taken a groundbreaking position as the Denver Center’s Senior Arts Journalist.

MARCH THEATRE OPENINGS IN COLORADO:

March 5-22: Millibo Art Theatre’s The Notorious Nugget
1626 S. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, 719-465-6321, themat.org

March 6-April 5: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (for children)
30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, 719-634-5581 or fac.coloradocollege.edu

March 6-August 8: Iron Springs Chateau’s Honesty Always Wins, Or This Mine is Mine
444 Ruxton Ave., Manitou Springs, 719-685-5104 or ironspringschateau.com

March 7-May 30: BDT Stage’s Ragtime, The Musical
5501 Arapahoe Ave., 80303 303-449-6000 or bdtstage.com

March 7: Stories On Stage’s Wilder Women, stories of super-women read by Rhonda Lee Brown, Jada Suzanne Dixon and Allison Watrous 
At Nomad Playhouse, 1410 Quince Ave., Boulder, 303-494-0523 or storiesonstage.org

March 8-24: Misfits Theatre’s Macbeth
Deviant Spirits Distillery, 2480 49th St., Boulder, brownpapertickets.com

March 8: Stories On Stage’s Wilder Women, stories of super-women read by Rhonda Lee Brown, Jada Suzanne Dixon and Allison Watrous
At the Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive, 303-494-0523 or storiesonstage.org

March 10-22: National touring production of The SpongeBob Musical
Buell Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

March 10: Parker Arts’ Doktor Kaboom: Look Out! Science is Coming! (for children)
20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker, 303-805-6800 or parkerarts.org

March 12-29: Su Teatro’s War of the Flowers: The Kitayama Carnation Strike
At the Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive, 303-296-0219 or suteatro.org

March 12-29: TheatreWorks’ An Iliad
UCCS Cyber Security Building, 3650 N. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, 719-255-3232 or theatreworkscs.org

March 13-April 4: Buntport Theater’s Cabaret De Profundis, or How to Sing While Ugly Crying
717 Lipan St., 720-946-1388 or buntport.com

March 13-May 14: Arvada Center’s Small Mouth Sounds
6901 Wadsworth Blvd., 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org

March 13-April 5: Aurora Fox’s For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday
9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, 303-739-1970 or aurorafox.org

March 13-22: Lake Dillon Theatre Company’s The Roommate
460 Blue River Pkwy, Silverthorne, 80498, 970-513-9386 or lakedillontheatre.org

March 13-29: THEATREdART’s Puerto Rican Nocturne
All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 730 N. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, 719-357-8321 or theatredart.org

March 13-22: University of Colorado Boulder and Matheater’s Voyagers (original musical)
Fiske Planetarium, 2414 Regent Drive, Boulder, 303-492-5002 or colorado.edu/fiske

March 14-April 18: Curious Theatre’s Admissions
1080 Acoma St., 303-623-0524 or curioustheatre.org

March 14-April 25: Denver’s Dangerous Theatre’s That’s Not Ketchup: When Role Play Goes Wrong
2620 W. 2nd Ave, No. 1, Denver, 720-989-1764 or dangeroustheatre.com

Jake Mendes and Forrest McClendon at Local Lab 2019. Photo by John Moore.

March 13-15: Local Theatre Company’s Local Lab 2020
Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 720-379-4470 or localtheatercompany.org

March 16: Buntport Theater’s We Still Like You: A monthly guest performance
717 Lipan St., 720-946-1388 or buntport.com

March 17: Buntport Theater’s The Great Debate (monthly)
717 Lipan St., 720-946-1388 or buntport.com

March 18: Buntport Theater’s The Narrators’ 10th Anniversary Special
717 Lipan St., 720-946-1388 or buntport.com

March 18-May 23: BDT Stage’s Aesop-A-Rebop (for children)
5501 Arapahoe Ave., 80303 303-449-6000 or bdtstage.com

March 20-April 26: Miners Alley Playhouse’s Moon Over Buffalo
1224 Washington St., Golden, 80401, 303-935-3044 or minersalley.com

March 20-April 5: Performance Now’s The Drowsy Chaperone
Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, 303-987-7845 or performancenow.org

March 20: Broadway Princess Party featuring Laura Osnes, Susan Egan, Christy Altomare abd Adam J. Levy
10075 Commons St., just west of Interstate 25 and Lincoln Avenue, 720-509-1000 or lonetreeartscenter.org

March 26-29: Magic Moments’ Take the High Road
At Colorado’s Finest High School of Choice, 300 W. Chenango Ave., Englewood, 303-575-1005 or magicmomentsinc.org READ MORE

March 25-April 12: National touring production of Mean Girls
Buell Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org

March 20-May 3: DCPA Theatre Company’s Until the Flood (opens March 27)
Jones Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org DEEPER DIVE

Annie Barbour plays Puck in the Arvada Center’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ Amanda Tipton Photography.

March 27-April 11: Funky Little Theater Company’s The Waverley Gallery
1367 Pecan Street, Colorado Springs, 719-471-4462 or funkylittletheater.org

March 27-April 18: Equinox Theatre Company’s Monty Python’s Spamalot
At the Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St., 720-984-0781 or equinoxtheatredenver.com

March 27: Dangerous Theatre’s Dangerous Talk: Sex, Drugs and Comedy
2620 W. 2nd Ave, No. 1, Denver, 720-989-1764 or dangeroustheatre.com

March 28-April 25: OpenStage Theatre & Company’s Rumors
Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St., Fort Collins, 970-484-5237 or openstagetheatre.org

March 28-April 25: Firehouse Theater Company’s Ada and the Engine
John Hand Theatre, 7653 E. 1st Place, 303-562-3232 or firehousetheatercompany.com

March 28-April 25: Miners Alley Playhouse’s Rumpelstiltskin (for children)
1224 Washington St., Golden, 80401, 303-935-3044 or minersalley.com

March 30: The Bug’s Freak Train (every last Monday)
3654 Navajo St., 303-477-9984 or bugtheatre.info

April 1: Buntport Theater’s Magnets on the Fridge (monthly)
717 Lipan St., 720-946-1388 or buntport.com

CONTINUING THEATRE PRODUCTIONS IN COLORADO:

Through March 6: Dangerous Theatre’s Accidental Amnesia
2620 W. 2nd Ave, No. 1, Denver, 720-989-1764 or dangeroustheatre.com

Who is Shockheaded Peter? Photo by Michael Ensminger.

Through March 7: The Catamounts’ Shockheaded Peter
At the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-440-7826, 720-468-0487 or thecatamounts.org READ MORE

Through March 7: Longmont Theatre Company’s Exit Laughing
513 Main St., Longmont, 303-772-5200 or longmonttheatre.org

Through March 8: 5280 Artist Co-op’s Colorism: 1 Night 6 Plays
At the Aurora Cultural Arts District Building, 1400 Dallas St., 720-500-3352 or 5280ArtistCoop.com

Through March 8: Ovation West’s Lend Me a Tenor
Center Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen, 303-674-4002 or ovationwest.org

Through March 13: Arvada Center’s The Velveteen Rabbit (for children)
6901 Wadsworth Blvd., 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org

Through March 14: Firehouse Theater Company’s When We Were Young and Unafraid
John Hand Theatre, 7653 E. 1st Place, 303-562-3232 or firehousetheatercompany.com

Through March 14: Coal Creek Theatre of Louisville’s The Runner Stumbles
Louisville Center for the Arts, 801 Grant St., 303-665-0955 or cctlouisville.org

Through March 15: Aurora Fox’s Secrets of the Universe and Other Songs
9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, 303-739-1970 or aurorafox.org READ MORE

The cast of Vintage Theatre’s ‘The Scottsboro Boys.’ RDG Photography.

Through March 15: Vintage Theatre’s The Scottsboro Boys
1468 Dayton St., Aurora, 303-839-1361 or vintagetheatre.com READ MORE

Through March 21: OpenStage Theatre & Company’s Constellations
At the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, 408 Mason Court, Fort Collins, 970-484-5237 or openstagetheatre.org

Through March 22: DCPA Cabaret’s The Improvised Shakespeare Company®
Garner Galleria Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

‘Barefoot in the Park.’ RDG Photography.

Through March 22: Town Hall Arts Center’s Barefoot in the Park
2450 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-794-2787 or townhallartscenter.com

Through March 28: Glenwood Vaudeville Review’s Into the Woods
915 Grand Ave., Glenwood Springs, 970-945-9699 or gvrshow.com

Through March 28: Moss Performing Arts Center’s Fiddler on the Roof
1221 N. 12th St., Grand Junction, coloradomesa.edu

Through March 29: Candlelight Dinner Playhouse’s Jekyll & Hyde
4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown, 970-744-3747 or coloradocandlelight.com

Through March 29: Breckenridge Backstage Theatre’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane
121 S. Ridge St. 970-453-0199 or backstagetheatre.org

Through March 29: The BiTSY Stage presents The Merchant of Mumbai (adapted from The Merchant of Venice)
1137 S. Huron St., 720-328-5294 bitsystage.com (Admission is always free)

Through April 5: Vintage Theatre’s Marvin’s Room
1468 Dayton St., Aurora, 303-839-1361 or vintagetheatre.com

Through April 19: Jesters Dinner Theatre’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
224 Main St., Longmont, 303-682-9980 or jesterstheatre.com

Through May 16: Arvada Center’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
6901 Wadsworth Blvd., 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org

Through May 17: Arvada Center’s Murder on the Orient Express
6901 Wadsworth Blvd., 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org

Ongoing:

Adams Mystery Playhouse (interactive murder mystery comedy dinner theatre), 2406 Federal Blvd., Denver, 303-455-1848 or adams’ home page

The Dinner Detective (interactive murder mystery comedy dinner theatre) held most Saturday evenings in Denver, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs, 866-496-0535 or thedinnerdetective.com:

• Embassy Suites Denver Downtown, 1420 Stout St.
• Hilton Fort Collins, 425 W. Prospect Road
• Great Wolf Lodge, 9494 Federal Drive, Colorado Springs

More Colorado theatre coverage on the DCPA NewsCenter

Onstage Colorado: Your comprehensive online Colorado theatre calendar

Want to know what shows are performing on any specific date? We at the DCPA NewsCenter want to point you Alex Miller’s OnStage Colorado, which offers Colorado theatre news, reviews and a comprehensive, functional and searchable Colorado theatre calendar. You can look for shows by title, date or company. Continue to send your show listings to jmoore@dcpa.org and info@onstagecolorado.com.