Colorado Ballet visits Jazz Age
Friday-Feb. 5. As with the Colorado Symphony and Opera Colorado, performances by Colorado Ballet offer a fine-arts fix for those seeking respite from the chaos of the world. And this week is a great excuse to visit, as the nonprofit company will debut its take on “The Great Gatsby” on Friday, Jan. 30, and with various performances through Feb. 5.
This version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s enduring novel, which is often misinterpreted as a celebration of Roaring 1920s flapper-excess, arrives with choreography by JordenMorris and an original, jazz-infused score by legendary composer Carl Davis, performed live by the Colorado Ballet Orchestra, producers said. Think glamor, elaborate sets and period-accurate dancing — all with world-class showmanship and precision.
Tickets for the shows at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 1385 Curtis St. in Denver, are $40-$125. Ages 12 and up. Call 303-339-1637 or visit coloradoballet.org for tickets or more details.
Rustlin’ up a party
Friday-Saturday. After its first-ever showing at the National Western Stock Show, which ended Jan. 25, the Colorado Cowboy Gathering is headed to Golden for its 37th installment of Western songs, stories, poetry and humor, all inspired by the campfire culture of ranchers and cattle drives.
The festivities — from Friday, Jan. 30, to Saturday, Jan. 31 — include not just big-hat events but also family-friendly programming, themed sessions and an open-mic session, organizers said. Performances take place at the Buffalo Rose Event Center in Golden, 1119 Washington Ave. in Golden. Tickets for $30 are available for individual musical and storytelling shows from Colorado and national acts, via coloradocowboygathering.org.
Late night, fully lit
Saturday. Until fairly recently, Denver’s literary scene was confined to book stores, niche festivals and writing workshops. For the past couple of years, events such as Reading Den and pop-up poetry and fiction readings have brought younger, hipper audiences out for drinks and conviviality, creating a genuine social scene around the printed word.
The latest notable is the free Late Night Lit, which organizer Jessie de la Cruz described as a way of making “adult library culture feel less like a lecture and more like a night out, rooted in reading, creativity and connection,” she wrote. Her latest event, complete with a DJ-driven afterparty, arrives on Saturday, Jan. 31, at MCA Denver’s Holiday Theater, although it’s already at capacity. So why did we bring it up? Because now is the time to RSVP for future events, via denverlibrary.libcal.com/event, such as Silent Pages Society, Curiosity Collective and other innovative adult library programs. All fill up shortly after being announced, de la Cruz said.
It’s also a good time to plan for the next Reading Den, another hip-lit series, on Feb. 25 at Denver’s Fort Greene bar. Visit readingden.co for more.
On the road again
Through Saturday. This week’s thaw reminds us that spring and summer will be here before you know it, and that includes camping, national park visits and more outdoorsy fun that Coloradans crave. The Ultimate RV Show returns this weekend with plenty of ways to attack it.
Running through Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Colorado Convention Center, the free event is a window-shopping dream with more than 300 fully staged RVs “from compact, lightweight travel trailers to fifth wheels, toy haulers, motorhomes and more,” organizers wrote. The show also features a kids’ zone, balloon twisters, scavenger hunt, and on-site pet adoptions (for real). It’s all from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, at 700 14th St. in Denver. Visit shows.campingworld.com or denverconvention.com for more details.