From the archive: this article was originally published on September 12, 2023 MJ is coming to the Buell Theatre this April. Michael Jackson influenced a variety of genres of music and musicians of all ages. We’re fortunate to have Black musicians, based here in Colorado, who have been influential and entertaining, creating their own impact […]
A sense of real belonging at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts is created through spaces that are shaped with the unique needs of diverse communities in mind. The work of creating spaces and implementing practices that support equity, diversity, inclusion, and access is fundamental to a thriving theatre community and to the DCPA’s […]
The Denver Center stages are no stranger to iconic setlists. The tunes of many famous singers have graced the Arts Complex, including performances from some celebrities themselves. In 2023 and 2024 alone, the music of five different Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees will play on the DCPA stages. RUTH BROWN Inducted to the […]
The Hip Hop Nutcracker was created in 2013 by director/choreographer Jennifer Weber and writer Mike Fitelson. Mike adapted the original (George) Balanchine ballet to a contemporary New York City setting. At the time, Jennifer was working on a dance piece set to Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” and was talking to Mike who ran the United […]
Dig Ruth Brown’s hairstyle in Miss Rhythm — The Legend of Ruth Brown, Tina’s changing styles in TINA — The Tina Turner Musical or namesake of the diner in Clyde’s? Check out these local Black and African-American-owned salons and barbershops and turn that on-stage inspiration into your own masterpiece. THE HAIR & IMAGE STUDIO (T.H.I.S.) […]
The prolific novelist, Toni Morrison, wrote in her book Beloved, “Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” Though Morrison was writing about enslaved people escaping from a plantation, her words aptly describe rock ’n’ roll legend Tina Turner’s life journey. During her life, Tina never shied away from sharing […]
Before her death on May 24, 2023, Tina Turner lived an extraordinary life as a performer with music that still strikes chords with fans new and old around the world. Here are 14 unique facts about the legendary queen of rock and roll. 1. Inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Twice Turner […]
This season like many others, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts offers a rich sampling of productions written by or starring black artists, including Miss Rhythm – The Legend of Ruth Brown, TINA — The Tina Turner Musical, Clyde’s, Hip Hop Nutcracker and MJ. To celebrate local Black entrepreneurs and creators, here are 11 […]
Jamil Jude is the Artistic Director of True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta, GA. He returns to the DCPA Theatre Company to direct the 2023 production of Clyde’s following the tremendous success of Choir Boy last season. DCPA: Tell us about how you came to this play at the Denver Center. JAMIL JUDE: When Chris […]
Although not eligible to enlist in the Union army prior to President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Black soldiers numbered around 185,000 — about 10% of Union forces — by the time the Confederates were defeated in April, 1865. Their duties were largely separate but not equal: White soldiers were paid almost twice as much per month […]