Being a teenager is tough. You’re dealing with puberty and hormones; pressure from school, peers and parents, plus self-consciousness exacerbated by social media. Now, consider being an LGBTQ+ teenager. All of the normal anxiety plus the risk of being marginalized, ostracized or outright unwelcome. Fortunately, there are amazing support opportunities right here in our community, […]
Even an infrequent patron of the theatre can’t help but notice that, in recent years, the array of options available has undergone a noticeable shift. The classics are still there – stories that reflect the white (mostly male) experience, some which we have seen repeatedly. The stories spring from the minds of (mostly) white, CIS, […]
The evolution of hot wings in the United States happened more recently than you might think. In 1965, Buffalo wings were a local delicacy in (you guessed it) Buffalo, New York. Their inception is debated, with the widely recognized origin story taking place at Anchor Bar in 1964. While the specifics aren’t clear, it’s believed […]
From the archives: this article was originally published on March 9, 2023 THE WIZ strikes a chord with Colorado’s musical roots. Fun fact: Denver once served as a mecca for Jazz musicians and singers, including Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday. Other trailblazing Black women performed in the Mile High City. Here’s a brief overview of […]
Katori Hall, the playwright behind the Denver Center Theatre Company’s The Hot Wing King, has a celebrated and extensive history with groundbreaking material. Denver audiences might be familiar with the fact that The Hot Wing King received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2021. However, a lesser-known fact is that Hall is one of the […]
I will be frank: the Denver Center Theatre Company production of Little Shop of Horrors has shaken my gardening confidence. If the story of Mushnik’s Flower Shop taught me one thing, it’s that plant care is a life-threatening and morally fraught enterprise. So, with spring and a sense of doom in the air, I made […]
Royalty comes in many forms. A proud and gleaming crown. A leader, whether head of the household, a proud parent, or the coach of a team. Or even the playful banter between lovers, endearments of “Queen!” that make another person feel warm and shining from the inside out, worthy of love and devotion. This potent […]
Alan Menken is perhaps best known for his work in musical film scoring, including but certainly not limited to The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Newsies, and Tangled. Theatre enthusiasts might recognize Menken’s stage productions, many of which are adaptations of his work in film and […]
From the moment we are born until the instant that we die, we hunger. This is our healthy natural instinct as living creatures. We hunger for what will sustain us — physically, emotionally, and in our souls. If our needs are even modestly met, our hungers will retain their modest proportions. But if our needs […]
Little Shop of Horrors, the 80s musical about a lowly flower shop clerk who makes a Faustian bargain with his man-eating plant, was an unexpected success that has now won the adoration of generations. The show has sci-fi roots in an early short story by H.G. Wells. “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid” about a […]