The Denver Center Theatre Company presents "Where Did We Sit on the Bus?", a one-person show that uses music and storytelling to follow a young Latina girl named Bee on her journey of self-discovery. The show explores identity, belonging, and the challenges faced by the children of immigrants with soundscapes that blend Latin rhythms, hip-hop, and spoken word poetry.
“Where Did We Sit on the Bus?" opens this weekend and runs through June 2 in the Singleton Theatre at the DCPA.
Opera enthusiasts have a chance to take the stage with Opera Colorado. The company holds chorus auditions next month for its upcoming 2024-25 season, inviting local singers to lend their voices to a trio of classic productions — Donizetti's comedic masterpiece "Daughter of the Regiment," Puccini's classic "La Bohème," and Verdi's powerful "Il Trovatore." Auditions for all voice types take place Wednesday, May 22 and Thursday, May 23 at the company’s Opera Center in Englewood. To audition, singers should prepare two contrasting selections from the art song or opera repertoire, with at least one in a foreign language, to be performed from memory.
“Cheyanne”, artist Cipriano Ortega’s first full-length play which has been in development since 2014, explores themes of gender, art, classism and race through the story of a couple navigating their artistic ambitions and caring for an aging father. Directed by Phil Luna, the all-Indigenous cast includes Iliana Lucero Barron, Angelo Mendez, Magally Luna and Ortega himself. The production includes projections by local duo Deep Space Drive-In.
“Cheyanne” presented by Control Group Productions, Friday, April 26, through May 5 at The People’s Building in Aurora.
Saturday, April 27
Día del Niño at BMoCA
The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art brings back its family-friendly festival celebrating Children's Day with art-making, live dance, and musical performances, including youth mariachi bands and a ballet folklorico performance. Programming is free and open to all ages.
BMoCA Día Del Niño 2024 runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Boulder Civic Area Bandshell at 13th and Canyon. In the event of rain, programming will move inside the BMoCA building across the street.
The Boulder Philharmonic "Spring Romance"
Spanish violinist Francisco Fullana takes center stage this Sunday with his performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 at the Boulder Philharmonic’s “Spring Romance” event. The concert also includes Boulanger’s “D'un Matin de Printemps” and Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5.”
Spring Romance with Francisco Fullana Saturday, April 27, at 7 p.m. at the Macky Auditorium in Boulder.
Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra Season Finale Concert
This concert includes the Western Colorado Chorale and CMU’s Vocal Arts Ensemble, along with New York-based soprano Amanda Batista who won the Young Artists competition in 2023. The evening’s program features works by Wagner, Strauss and Dvorak.
The GJSO Classics Concert #6, Bold Voices, Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, at Avalon Theatre in Grand Junction.
Sunday, April 28
The Museum of Outdoor Arts’ La Primavera Festival
This new festival, inspired by the pagan holiday Beltane, offers a pancake brunch, Celtic music, Maypole dancing, flower crown and basket making among the sculptures in Greenwood Village’s Marjorie Park. The festival is also a public unveiling for MOA’s new installation in the park, Lonnie Hanzon’s “Cabinet of Curiosities and Impossibilities.” This mainstay of MOA’s former location, packed with whimsical relics from fairy tales and nursery rhymes, has been reimagined in a new stand-alone building.
The Museum of Outdoor Arts’ La Primavera Festival, Sunday, April 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Marjorie Park at Fiddler’s Green in Greenwood Village.
All weekend
Seicento Baroque Ensemble
Boulder’s semi-professional Baroque ensemble presents “Prima Melodia: The Birth of the Italian Baroque.” This weekend-long concert series features the 36-voice Seicento choir with tenor Daniel Hutchings, theorbo virtuoso William Simms, and harpsichordist Webb Wiggins. The concerts represent the final performances by founding artistic director Evanne Browne, who will be retiring after this weekend.
For those who can’t make it in person, the Friday concert at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Denver will also be simulcast, available for a fee online. On Saturday the series moves to Mountain View United Methodist Church in Boulder before wrapping up Sunday at the United Church of Christ Longmont.
Prima Melodia: Birth of Baroque concert series runs Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27, and at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 28, at 3 p.m. at various venues.
The Beltane Fire Festival of North Colorado
This annual May Day festival celebrates the arrival of spring with folk music, workshops, crafts, vendors, food, and a bonfire. The Holistic/Metaphysical fair is a free event open to the public, while indoor concerts and meals require paid tickets.
Beltane Fire Festival of North Colorado runs Friday, April 26, through Sunday, April 28, at The Hall Event Center in Fort Morgan.
Boulder International Folk Dancers Annual Workshop
This multi-day workshop offers classes and a dance party to teach participants international folk dances. Roberto Bagnoli, a master teacher with specializations in traditional and modern Israeli dance and in ethnic dances of the Balkans, will lead the classes.
Boulder International Folk Dancers Annual Workshop Friday through Sunday, April 26 to 28, at the Avalon Ballroom in Boulder.
Other arts and culture events around Colorado
- Denverite Things to do in Denver this weekend
- KRCC community calendar for Southern Colorado
- CPR Classical concert calendar
- Indie 102.3 calendar
How we pick our events: CO Arts Spotlight highlights events around the state to give readers a sense of the breadth of Colorado’s arts and cultural happenings, it is not — and can not possibly be — a comprehensive list of all weekly events. Entries are not endorsements or reviews. Each week’s list is published on Thursday and is not updated. Some groups that appear on the list may also be financial sponsors of CPR, but have no input into our editorial choices.
Editor's Note: Some groups mentioned in the Spotlight may be financial supporters of CPR News. Financial supporters have no editorial influence.
