This season, no fewer than 16 productions on Denver Center stages are based on or inspired by literature. From children’s books and memoirs to Greek myths and fantasy, here is your reading companion to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ 2025/26 season alphabetized by show title.

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (playing Oct 3-Nov 2, 2025)
If Tennessee Willliams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play had been a book, it would have been a sure-fire best-seller. Instead, it was inspired by his 1952 short story, Three Players of a Summer Game.

• Reading Recommendation: Three Players of a Summer Game
• Author: by Tennessee Williams
• Publication Date: 1952
• Summary: Set in a sultry Mississippi summer, this lyrical short story centers on a croquet game played by a woman, a man, and a young girl. Through vivid imagery and symbolic detail, Williams explores themes of emotional repression, domestic tension, and fleeting freedom. The woman’s energetic movements and laughter contrast with the underlying strain in her marriage, revealing a deeper psychological drama beneath the surface of a seemingly innocent summer pastime.
• Where to Read: One Limited

 
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (playing Nov 21-Dec 28, 2025)
In the winter of 1843, a novella appeared that captivated London readers. The first book run of 6,000 copies sold out quickly. A century later, two million copies had been published. And today it is hard to imagine the holiday season without A Christmas Carol.

• Reading Recommendation: A Christmas Carol
• Author: by Charles Dickens
• Publication Date: 1843
• Summary: Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted miser, despises Christmas and compassion. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley, and three spirits — the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Through these supernatural journeys, Scrooge confronts his selfishness and the impact of his actions. Transformed by the experience, he awakens with a renewed spirit of generosity, embracing kindness, family, and the true meaning of Christmas.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library

COWBOYS AND EAST INDIANS (playing Jan 16-Mar 1, 2026)
Adapted by Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler from her collection of short stories, Cowboys and East Indians was a standout at the 2024 Colorado New Play Summit and makes its world premiere in Denver.

• Reading Recommendation: Cowboys and East Indians
• Author: by Nina McConigley
• Publication Date: 2015
• Summary: Set between Wyoming and India, Cowboys and East Indians is a short story collection that explores the immigrant experience in the rural American West. Through characters like Indian motel owners, oil-rig workers, and a sari-wearing cowboy, McConigley examines identity, displacement, and cultural collision. The stories reveal the loneliness, resilience, and contradictions of outsiders navigating unfamiliar landscapes, where survival often demands both vulnerability and defiance. It’s a poignant, often humorous look at belonging and place.
• Where to Read: Amazon

DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS (playing Nov 8, 2025-May 10, 2026)
Inspired by the classic gothic tale by Bram Stoker, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is a laugh-until-scream (or is it scream-until-you-laugh?) romp through the Transylvanian countryside on the hunt for a blood thirsty count.

• Reading Recommendation: Dracula
• Author: by Bram Stoker
• Publication Date: 1897
• Summary: Jonathan Harker journeys to Transylvania to assist the mysterious Count Dracula with a property purchase in England, only to discover Dracula is a vampire. After escaping the castle, Harker returns to England, where Dracula begins preying on Lucy Westenra, leading to her death. Professor Van Helsing and a group of allies — including Harker and his fiancée, Mina — unite to stop Dracula’s growing influence. As Mina falls under the vampire’s spell, the group races against time to save her. Their pursuit leads them back to Transylvania, where they confront and destroy Dracula, ending his reign of terror and freeing Mina from his curse.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library

GOODNIGHT MOON (playing Oct 24, 2025-Jan 25, 2026)
For nearly 80 years, this treasured children’s book has delighted generation after generation. Now the beloved story comes to the DCPA stage as part of our Theatre for Young Audiences program to introduce PreK through third graders to live theatre.

• Reading Recommendation: Goodnight Moon
• Author: by Margaret Wise Brown with illustrations by Clement Hurd
• Publication Date: 1947
• Summary: Goodnight Moon is a gentle bedtime story that follows a young bunny as he says goodnight to everything around him. In a quiet green room, he bids goodnight to familiar objects — like the moon, a red balloon, kittens, mittens, and even the air. With soothing rhymes and vivid illustrations, the book creates a calming ritual that helps children wind down for sleep. It’s a timeless classic cherished for its warmth and simplicity.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library

HADESTOWN (playing May 5-10, 2026)
While the Broadway tour of Hadestown is not based on a published novel, it is inspired by the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, which dates back to the 5^th century BCE.

• Reading Recommendation: A Song for the Underworld
• Author: by Adam Alexander Haviaras
  Publication Date: 2021
• Summary: In ancient Greece, Orpheus, son of a muse and raised by Zeus’s daughters, enchants all with his divine music. Guided by Apollo, he journeys beyond Olympus and discovers true love with the nymph Eurydice. When tragedy strikes and she is lost to the Underworld, Orpheus must brave the realm of the dead to reclaim her. A Song for the Underworld is an epic retelling of love, fate, and music from Greek mythology.
• Where to Read: Amazon

THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH (playing Sep 19-Nov 2, 2025)
In this one-man play, stage and screen veteran Kenneth Tigar, recounts the real-life story of Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku, whose memoir comes to life on stage.

• Reading Recommendation: The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor
• Author: by Eddie Jaku
• Publication Date: 2020
• Summary: In this moving memoir, Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku recounts his life from a joyful childhood in Germany to the horrors of Buchenwald and Auschwitz. Despite enduring unimaginable suffering, loss, and cruelty, Eddie chooses hope, kindness, and gratitude. After the war, he builds a new life in Australia, dedicating himself to spreading joy and compassion. His story is a powerful testament to resilience, the strength of the human spirit, and the belief that happiness is a choice.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD (playing May 30-June 27, 2026)
Inspired by the beloved J.K. Rowling series, the musical is an all-new odyssey into the wizarding world. When Harry Potter’s head-strong son Albus befriends the son of his fiercest rival, Draco Malfoy, it sparks an unbelievable new journey for them all.

• Reading Recommendation: Harry Potter seven-part series
• Author: by J.K. Rowling
• Publication Date: 1997-2007
• Summary: The Harry Potter series follows a young wizard, Harry, as he discovers his magical heritage and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alongside friends Ron and Hermione, he faces dark forces, uncovers secrets about his past, and battles the dark wizard Voldemort. Spanning seven years, the series explores themes of friendship, courage, love, and sacrifice. Harry’s journey from orphaned boy to hero culminates in a final battle between good and evil in the wizarding world.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL! (playing Dec 3-7, 2025)
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical is a festive stage adaptation of the beloved 1957 book. It follows the Grinch as he plots to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville, only to discover the true spirit of the holiday. The show features classic songs and vibrant performances.

• Reading Recommendation: How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
• Author: by Dr. Seuss
• Publication Date: 1957
• Summary: In the snowy town of Whoville, the grouchy, green Grinch who hates Christmas, plots to ruin the holiday by stealing all the Whos’ presents, decorations, and food. Disguised as Santa, he sneaks into homes on Christmas Eve. But when Christmas morning arrives, the Whos still celebrate joyfully. Realizing Christmas means more than material things, the Grinch’s heart grows, and he returns everything, joining the Whos in their celebration with newfound warmth and love.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library

DISNEY’S THE LION KING (playing Oct 23-Nov 16, 2025)
Disney’s The Lion King is widely considered to be inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In each, the king is murdered and his brother attempts to usurp the throne, sending the rightful heir into exile where he struggles with guilt, identity, and responsibility. Despite the latter being a tragedy and the former a celebration of life, order is ultimately restored in the end.

• Reading Recommendation: Hamlet
• Author: William Shakespeare
• Publication Date: 1603
• Summary: Prince Hamlet of Denmark is devastated by his father’s death and his mother’s swift remarriage to his uncle, Claudius—now king. When his father’s ghost reveals Claudius as the murderer, Hamlet vows revenge. Torn by doubt and consumed by grief, he feigns madness, confronts betrayal, and spirals into tragedy. The play explores themes of revenge, mortality, and the complexity of human emotion, culminating in a deadly climax that leaves the Danish royal family in ruins.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library

MARK TWAIN TONIGHT! (playing Jan 31, 2026)
Richard Thomas brings to life “the nation’s one true comic genius” (The New York Times) in Mark Twain Tonight! Join the millions who have cheered for the legendary one-man show, bursting with Twain’s “uproariously funny” and “pungently wise” (Time Magazine) humor.

• Reading Recommendation: James
• Author: Percival Everett
• Publication Date: 2024
• Summary: Because most individuals likely read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures Huckleberry Finn in grade school, we offer up instead the winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. James is a bold reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, told from the perspective of Jim, an enslaved man. Percival Everett gives voice to Jim’s intellect, resilience, and humanity as he flees bondage and journeys down the Mississippi River with Huck. Through sharp wit and emotional depth, the novel critiques historical narratives, explores racial identity, and reclaims a silenced perspective, offering a powerful meditation on freedom, family, and the enduring fight for dignity.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library

MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL! (playing Aug 5-16, 2025)
While the 1952 classic film, Moulin Rouge, was based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Pierre La Mure, Moulin Rouge! The Musical! is based on the 2001 jukebox film, which is inspired by none other than the Greek myth about Orpheus and Eurydice. Follow that? Just in case, we’ll recommend two books to cover all your bases.

• Reading Recommendation #1: A Song for the Underworld (see the recommendation for Hadestown)
• Reading Recommendation #2: Moulin Rouge
• Author: by Pierre La Mure
• Publication Date: 1950
• Summary: Pierre La Mure’s Moulin Rouge is a biographical novel chronicling the life of French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Born into aristocracy but plagued by physical disabilities, Henri finds purpose in art and immerses himself in the bohemian world of Montmartre. There, he captures the vibrant, often gritty life of Paris’s cabarets — especially the famed Moulin Rouge. The novel explores his struggles with love, health, and addiction, portraying a brilliant yet tragic figure of the Belle Époque.
• Where to Read: Amazon

MEREDITH WILLSON’S THE MUSIC MAN (playing Feb 27-31, 2026)
The Music Man is Meredith Willson’s first musical, which debuted in 1957. Inspired by his childhood in Mason City, Iowa, Willson first began to develop the show’s theme in his memoir, And There I Stood with My Piccolo.

• Reading Recommendation: And There I Stood with My Piccolo
• Author: by Meredith Willson
• Publication Date: 1948
• Summary: Meredith Willson’s 1948 memoir is a lively, humorous account of his early life and musical journey. From his childhood in Mason City, Iowa, to performing with John Philip Sousa’s band and the New York Philharmonic, Willson shares colorful stories of his rise in the music world. The memoir captures his transition into composing for radio and film, offering a charming glimpse into the experiences that would eventually inspire his Broadway hit, The Music Man.
• Where to Read: Amazon

THE NOTEBOOK (playing Dec 16-28, 2025)
Nicholas Sparks’ tender love story comes to the stage in deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love.

• Reading Recommendation: The Notebook
• Author: by Nicholas Sparks
• Publication Date: 1996
• Summary: The Notebook tells the enduring love story of Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson, who fall in love one summer in 1940s North Carolina. Despite being separated by social class and circumstance, their bond remains unbroken. Years later, they reunite, rekindling their deep connection. Framed by an elderly Noah reading their story to Allie, now suffering from Alzheimer’s, the novel explores themes of memory, devotion, and the timeless power of true love.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (playing March 18-April 5,2026)
Based on the novel of the same name, there have been several stage adaptations of the book, but none as enduring as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, which has been enjoyed by an estimated 160 million people around the world.

• Reading Recommendation: The Phantom of the Opera
• Author: by Gaston Leroux
• Publication Date: 1910
• Summary: Set in the Paris Opera House, The Phantom of the Opera follows Christine Daaé, a young soprano, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius known as the Phantom. Living beneath the opera house, he manipulates events to advance Christine’s career while terrorizing the opera staff. As Christine is torn between the Phantom and her childhood love, Raoul, the story unfolds as a gothic tale of passion, jealousy, and tragic love.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (playing Feb 11-22, 2026)
From best-selling novel to winner of the People’s Choice Award for Best Drama Movie comes the seven-time Tony-nominated musical staging of Water for Elephants.

• Reading Recommendation: Water for Elephants
• Author: by Sara Gruen
• Publication Date: 2006
• Summary: Water for Elephants follows Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student who joins a traveling circus during the Great Depression after a family tragedy. Amid the chaos of circus life, he falls in love with Marlena, a star performer trapped in an abusive marriage. As Jacob bonds with Rosie, an elephant thought to be untrainable, he uncovers strength, love, and resilience. The novel blends romance, hardship, and nostalgia through Jacob’s memories as an elderly man reflecting on his past.
• Where to Read: Amazon and Denver Public Library