Arts and Entertainment in Colorado

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts houses several different venues and sizes of performance space.

The largest is Buell Theater where the headline shows like “Wicked,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Hamlet,” and “Rock of Ages” and this year, “Miss Saigon” are performed, The Helen Bonfils Theater normally houses smaller offerings with the Garner Galleria hosting small cast shows with an intimate dinner theater setting. The Ellie Caulkins is somewhere in between. Drinks and snack or sold at the theater and are allowed inside.  For the best seating options, we suggest becoming a subscriber. You can pay in monthly installments so it’s affordable and you get first chances at shows that sell out immediately. You can explore the various packages here. We can truly say we’ve never had a bad time at any production put on by the DCPA. The onsite parking is reasonable at $15 and is right next to the theaters. For a fun weekend check out “The Curtis” hotel, our favorite and visit Sam’s #3 for a Comfort Food Breakfast, lunch and dinner and check out our list of favorite brunch spots for the morning after.

DCPA 2019 / 2020  Broadway Shows

Next season’s varied lineup spans Miss Saigon to SUMMER to SpongeBob and culminates with highly anticipated 2019 Best Musical The Band’s Visit

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts today announced its 2019-20 season subscription shows and added attractions. The eight-show slate begins on September 10 with Miss Saigon and ends with the Grammy Award and Tony Award-winning Best Musical The Band’s Visit in July 2020.

In between, subscribers will be treated to Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville, SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical, The SpongeBob Musical, Mean Girls and My Fair Lady, along with the return of the popular The Improvised Shakespeare Company® in the cabaret-style Garner Galleria Theatre.

As previously announced, Hamilton will return to Denver as an added attraction in August of 2020. We now know that additional non-subscription offerings will bring a number of returning favorites back to Denver, including Disney’s The Lion King and The Book of Mormon, both of which launched their first national tours at the Denver Center. Other added attractions will include Blue Man Group, The Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis and RENT 20th Anniversary Tour in the Buell Theatre. The Second City’s It’s Not You, It’s Me; and Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End will be performed in the Garner Galleria Theatre.

While audiences have a bit of a wait to see The Band’s Visit, they have until March 10 to watch Tony Award-winning book writer Itamar Moses’ work on a Denver Center stage. Moses is the author of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s world-premiere play The Whistleblower, the story of a Hollywood screenwriter who goes on a quest to tell his loved ones nothing but the truth.

Moses describes The Band’s Visit, based on the film of the same name, as the true story of an Egyptian police orchestra that goes to Israel to give a concert. But because of a miscommunication at the bus station, they end up in this tiny town in the middle of the desert and are stranded overnight. So the local Israeli townspeople take them in for the night.

“The story is just about the little connections and interactions that happened between these Egyptian musicians and these Israeli townspeople over the course of the one night they spent together,” Moses told the DCPA NewsCenter. “The Band’s Visit is a deceptively simple and spare story, but something sort of enormous happens without anybody noticing over the course of this night that shifts all of their lives and perspectives in these tiny but important ways. “It’s a story about people who are stuck and who, through this unexpected encounter with one another, become a little bit less stuck.”

Current 2018-19 DCPA Broadway subscribers have until April 7 to renew. DCPA 2019-20 subscribers will have priority access to purchase tickets to other added attractions, excluding Hamilton, on March 18. New subscriptions are not available at this time. To sign up for the Broadway subscription waiting list, please go to denvercenter.org/broadway. A single ticket on-sale will be announced at a later date.

2019-20 Broadway subscription season at a glance:

• Miss Saigon, Buell Theatre, September 10-22, 2019
• The Improvised Shakespeare Company®, Garner Galleria Theatre, Oct 15, 2019-March 22, 2020
• Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville, Buell Theatre December 23, 2019-January 5, 2020
• SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical, Buell Theatre, January 28-Feb 9, 2020
• The SpongeBob Musical, Buell Theatre, March 10-22, 2020
• Mean Girls, Buell Theatre, March 25-April 12, 2020
• My Fair Lady, Buell Theatre, July 15-26, 2020
• The Band’s Visit, Buell Theatre, July 29-Aug 9, 2020

Additional non-subscription offerings:

• It’s Not You, It’s Me – The Second City, Garner Galleria Theatre, July 31-August 25, 2019
• Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End, Garner Galleria Theatre, September 4-22, 2019
• Blue Man Group, Buell Theatre, October 22-27, 2019
• The Phantom of the Opera, Buell Theatre, November 6-17, 2019
• Jesus Christ Superstar, Buell Theatre, November 26-December 1, 2019
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, Buell Theatre, December 3-8, 2019
• Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis, Buell Theatre December 14-15, 2019
• RENT 20th Anniversary Tour, Buell Theatre, February 28-March 1, 2020
• Disney’s The Lion King, Buell Theatre, May 13-June 14, 2020
• The Book of Mormon, The Ellie, June 9-28, 2020
• Hamilton, Buell Theatre, August 12-October 4, 2020

Please be advised that the Denver Center for the Performing Arts – denvercenter.org – is the ONLY authorized ticket provider for these productions in Denver. As with all productions produced and/or presented by the DCPA, ticket buyers who purchase tickets from a ticket broker or any third party run the risk of overpaying or purchasing illegitimate tickets. Patrons should be aware that the DCPA is unable to reprint or replace lost or stolen tickets and is unable to contact patrons with information regarding time changes or other pertinent updates regarding the performance. Patrons found in violation of the DCPA Ticket Purchase and Sale Terms and Policies  may have all of their tickets canceled.

Save the date for the 2019-20 Denver Center Theatre Company season announcement and subscription package on-sale on March 25.

About the shows:

(In alphabetical order; descriptions, photos and art provided by each production)

BLUE MAN GROUP

• Oct 22-27, 2019
• Buell Theatre

The global smash hit Blue Man Group returns to Denver. At Blue Man Group, you’ll rock, laugh and party. As three bald and blue men explore our world, together we’ll discover music, comedy and surprises at every turn. By the end of this spectacular journey, you’ll be saying, “I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT JUST HAPPENED BUT I LOOOVED IT.”  Thirty-five million people of all ages and cultures know what Blue Man Group is really about. Now it’s your turn.

Read more: Company Manager calls Blue Man Group ‘exuberance incarnate’

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Gerald Ramsey as Mufasa in ‘The Lion King.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy.

DISNEY’S THE LION KING

• May 13-June 14, 2020
• Buell Theatre

Giraffes strut. Birds swoop. Gazelles leap. The entire Serengeti comes to life as never before. And as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist. This is Disney’s The Lion King, making its triumphant return to Denver! More than 95 million people around the world have experienced the awe-inspiring visual artistry, the unforgettable music, and the uniquely theatrical storytelling of this Broadway spectacular – one of the most breathtaking and beloved productions ever to grace the stage. Winner of six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, The Lion King brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway. Tony Award®-winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of stunning visuals. The Lion King also features the extraordinary work of Tony Award®-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and some of Broadway’s most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award®-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice. There is simply nothing else like The Lion King.

Read more: For South Africans, Pride Lands are land of opportunity

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DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL

• December 3-8, 2019
• Buell Theatre

Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical returns to Denver to steal Christmas after a blockbuster debut in 2014. More than 2.5 million theatre-goers across America have been delighted by this heart-warming holiday musical, featuring the hit songs “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas” from the original animated TV special. Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small,” decides to steal Christmas away from the Holiday loving Whos. Magnificent sets and costumes inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original illustrations help transport audiences to the whimsical world of Whoville and helps remind us of the true meaning of the holiday season. Don’t miss what The New York Times calls “an extraordinary performance 100 times better than any bedtime story.”

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ERMA BOMBECK: AT WIT’S END

• September 4-22, 2019
• Garner Galleria Theatre

Erma Bombeck, one of our country’s most beloved humorists, captured the frustrations of her generation by asking, “If life is a bowl of cherries, what am I doing in the pits?” Starring “Suburban Outlaw” and columnist Pam Sherman, this is the story behind America’s favorite average housewife who championed the lives of women with an incomparable wit that sprang from the most unexpected place of all — the truth. Pam Sherman returns as Erma Bombeck in this one-woman tour-de-force. She is a nationally-syndicated columnist, actor, recovering lawyer and leadership consultant who was profiled in People Magazine about her career transition from attorney to actor. Pam began her career as an attorney in Washington, D.C. practicing securities and employment litigation. Upon becoming an actor she appeared in numerous productions in D.C. at Horizons Theatre, Theatre J, and Arena Stage among others. Most notably Pam performed in To Kill a Mockingbird at Ford’s Theatre and as Mrs. Shubert in the long-running show, Shear Madness, at the Kennedy Center.  Her film and television appearances include “Homicide” and “Unsolved Mysteries” and her favorite, the “Shocked Mom” in The Replacements – a part she now plays in real life. Her own one-woman show, Pumping Josey: Life and Death in Suburbia, co-written with award-winning playwright Caleen Sinette Jennings, premiered at Horizons Theatre and played to great acclaim to audiences around the country.

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Chaundre Hall Broomfield, Ruben J. Carbajal, Bryson Bruce and Auston Scott in the national tour of ‘Hamilton.’ Photo by Joan Marcus.

HAMILTON

• August 12-October 4, 2020
• Buell Theatre

Hamilton is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton is the story of America then, as told by America now. With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

Read more: For one day in Denver, Hamilton made students the stars

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Photo by Tim Schmidt.

IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME – THE SECOND CITY

• July 31-August 25, 2019
• Garner Galleria Theatre

The Second City has been laughing at love and its infinite scroll of side effects for decades. In the world-famous comedy company’s latest laughter-inducing undertaking, It’s Not You, It’s Me, The Second City takes shots at heartbreak, missed connections and the mire of human relationships. Your friends, your parents, even your blind date will find something achingly familiar to laugh at, thanks to comedy’s newest generation of writers and performers…who all fit squarely into the “it’s complicated” category!

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Photo by Evan Zimmerman, MurphyMade.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

• November 26-December 1, 2019
• Buell Theatre

“A gorgeous, thrilling, heavenly musical.” – The Guardian

Jesus Christ Superstar is an iconic musical phenomenon with a world-wide fan base. In celebration of its 50^th anniversary, a new mesmerizing production comes to North America. Originally staged by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and helmed by the acclaimed director Timothy Sheader (Crazy for You, Into the Woods) and award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie (King Kong, Strictly Ballroom), this production won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival garnering unprecedented reviews and accolades. Appealing to both theatre audiences and concert music fans, this production pays tribute to the historic 1971 Billboard Album of the Year while creating a modern, theatrical world that is uniquely fresh and inspiring. With music and lyrics by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winners Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane” and “Superstar.”

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JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE

• December 23, 2019-January 5, 2020
• Buell Theatre

Welcome to Margaritaville, where people come to get away from it all—and stay to find something they never expected. With a book by Emmy Award® winner Greg Garcia (“My Name is Earl,” “Raising Hope”) and Emmy Award® nominee Mike O’Malley (“Survivors Remorse,” “Shameless”) Escape To Margaritaville is the musical comedy featuring both original songs and your most-loved Jimmy Buffett classics, including “Fins,” “Volcano,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and many more. USA Today calls it “A little slice of paradise!” and Entertainment Weekly raves, “It will knock your flip-flops off!” So don’t let the party start without you.

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Matt Christine Photography.

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS BY CHIP DAVIS

• December 14 and 15, 2019
• Buell Theatre

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis has been America’s favorite holiday tradition for more than 30 years. Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics along with a selection of compositions from his groundbreaking Fresh Aire series, which introduced the distinctive Mannheim sound to all of America. The program celebrates the group’s recent anniversary of 30 years since the first Christmas album and 40 years since the first Fresh Aire album and includes dazzling multimedia effects performed in an intimate setting. Experience the magic as the spirit of the season comes alive with the signature sound of Mannheim Steamroller. Their holiday CDs have become synonymous with Christmas and continue to occupy top spots on Billboard’s Seasonal Charts every year.

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Erika Henningsen, Ashley Park, Taylor Louderman and Kate Rockwell. Photo by Joan Marcus.

MEAN GIRLS

• March 25-April 12, 2020
• Buell Theatre

Direct from Broadway, Mean Girls is the hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), composer Jeff Richmond (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and director Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. New York Magazine cheers,“Mean Girls delivers with immense energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery.” USA Today says, “We’ll let you in on a little secret, because we’re such good friends: Get your tickets now!”

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Emily Bautista and Anthony Festa as Kim and Chris in the North American Tour of ‘Miss Saigon.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy.

MISS SAIGON

• September 10-22, 2019
• Buell Theatre

Experience the acclaimed new production of the legendary musical Miss Saigon, from the creators of Les Misérables. This is the story of a young Vietnamese woman named Kim who is orphaned by war and forced to work in a bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American G.I. named Chris, but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For three years, Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he’s fathered a son. Featuring stunning spectacle and a sensational cast of 42 performing the soaring score, including Broadway hits such as “The Heat is On in Saigon,” “The Movie in My Mind,” “Last Night of the World” and “American Dream,” this is a theatrical event you will never forget. The New Yorker calls it “a dynamite Broadway revival.”

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The original Broadwaty cast of Lincoln Center Theater’s ‘My Fair Lady.’ Photo by Joan Marcus.

MY FAIR LADY

• July 15-26, 2020
• Buell Theatre

From Lincoln Center Theater that brought you The King & I and South Pacific, comes “a sumptuous new production of the most perfect musical of all time” (Entertainment Weekly), Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady. Director Bartlett Sher’s glowing production is “thrilling, glorious and better than it ever was” (The New York Times). “Every so often a revival comes along that reminds you how indispensable great theater can be” (NY1). Boasting such classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “On the Street Where You Live,” My Fair Lady tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” But who is really being transformed?

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The Company of the RENT 20th Anniversary Tour. Photo by Carol Rosegg.

RENT 20th Anniversary Tour

• February 28-March 1, 2020
• Buell Theatre

In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway…and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson’s RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning masterpiece returns to the stage in a vibrant 20th anniversary touring production. A re-imagining of Puccini’s La Bohème, RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters: Love.

Read more: Two decades later, RENT still comes in on time

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Photo by Matthew Murphy.

SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL

• January 28-February 9, 2020
• Buell Theatre

She was a girl from Boston with a voice from heaven, who shot through the stars from gospel choir to dance floor diva. But what the world didn’t know was how Donna Summer risked it all to break through barriers, becoming the icon of an era and the inspiration for every music diva who followed. With a score featuring more than 20 of Summer’s classic hits including “Love to Love You Baby,” “Bad Girls” and “Hot Stuff,” this electric experience is a moving tribute to the voice of a generation.

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Photo by Matthew Murphy.

THE BAND’S VISIT

• July 29-August 9, 2020
• Buell Theatre
• Winner of 10 Tony Awards® including Best Musical
• 2019 Grammy Award Winner for Best Musical Theatre Album

Spend an evening in the company of unforgettable strangers at The Band’s Visit—now one of the most celebrated musicals ever. It rejoices in the way music brings us to life, brings us to laughter, brings us to tears, and ultimately, brings us together. In an Israeli desert town where every day feels the same, something different is suddenly in the air. Dina, the local café owner, had long resigned her desires for romance to daydreaming about exotic films and music from her youth. When a band of Egyptian musicians shows up lost at her café, she and her fellow locals take them in for the night. Under the spell of the night sky, their lives intertwine in unexpected ways, and this once sleepy town begins to wake up. The Band’s Visit features music and lyrics by Grammy, Tony Award and Drama Desk Award winner David Yazbek, and a book by Tony, NY Drama Critics Circle, Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Awards winner Itamar Moses. It is based on the screenplay by Eran Kolirin, and is directed by Tony, Drama Desk, Lortel and Obie Award winner David Cromer. The New York Times calls The Band’s Visit “one of the most ravishing musicals you will ever be seduced by.”

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Photo by Julieta Cervantes.

THE BOOK OF MORMON

• June 9-28, 2020
• The Ellie

Back by popular demand, The New York Times calls it “the best musical of the century.” The Washington Post says, “It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.” And Entertainment Weekly says, “Grade A: the funniest musical of all time.” Jimmy Fallon of “The Tonight Show” calls it “Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal.” It’s The Book of Mormon, the nine-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical. This outrageous musical comedy follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. Now with standing room only productions in London, on Broadway, and across North America The Book of Mormon has truly become an international sensation. Contains explicit language.

Read more: Turn it on! The Book of Mormon’s love affair with Colorado

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THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY®

• October 15, 2019-March 22, 2020
• Garner Galleria Theatre

Based on one audience suggestion (a title of a play that has never been written), The Improvised Shakespeare Company® creates a fully improvised Shakespearean masterpiece right before your eyes. Nothing has been planned out, rehearsed, or written. All of the dialogue is said for the first time, the characters are created as you watch, and if ever you’re wondering where the story is going…so are they! See the show TimeOut Chicago calls “Staggeringly Brilliant” and “Downright Hilarious!” You’ve never seen the Bard like this before!

Read more: Meet the smarty pantaloons behind Improvised Shakespeare

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Photo by Alastair Muir.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

• November 6-17, 2019
• Buell Theatre

Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera makes its triumphant return to Denver as part of its North American tour. Critics are raving that this breathtaking production is “bigger and better than ever before” and features a brilliant new scenic design by Paul Brown, Tony Award®-winning original costume design by Maria Björnson, lighting design by Tony Award®-winner Paule Constable, new choreography by Scott Ambler, and new staging by director Laurence Connor. The production, overseen by Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh, boasts many exciting special effects including the show’s legendary chandelier. The beloved story and thrilling score – with songs like “Music of the Night,” “All I Ask Of You,” and “Masquerade” – will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making thisPhantom one of the largest productions now on tour.

Read more: Phantom’s place in Buell Theatre history

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THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL

• March 10-22, 2020
• Buell Theatre

A legendary roster of Grammy® Award winners. A visionary director and a Tony Award®-winning design team. One of the world’s most beloved characters. Turn them loose on stage and what do you get? The bold, original musical The New York Times declares, “BRILLIANT!” “Wonders pour from the stage in a ravishing stream of color and invention” (Time Out New York) as Broadway’s best creative minds reimagine and bring to life the beloved Nickelodeon series with humor, heart and pure theatricality in a neon-sparkly “party for the eyes and ears” (Daily Beast). Be there when SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face catastrophe—until a most unexpected hero rises to take center stage. This “creative explosion” (Broadway.com) is “nothing short of genius” says Theatermania, so bring the entire family to celebrate friendship and cooperation, and learn the power of unity and inclusion. Get ready to enjoy the “Broadway Extravaganza” (The New Yorker) that New York Magazine calls “effervescent candy-for-the-spirit.” Explore the depths of theatrical innovation in Nickelodeon’s The SpongeBob Musical, 2018 Best Musical winner of the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, where the power of optimism really can save the world.

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About the Denver Center for the Performing Arts

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is one of the largest non-profit theatre organization’s in the nation, presenting Broadway tours and producing theatre, cabaret, musicals, and innovative, multimedia plays. Last season the DCPA engaged with more than 1 million visitors, generating a $193.4 million economic impact in ticket sales alone. Follow the DCPA on social media @DenverCenter and through the Denver Center for the Performing Arts NewsCenter. Denver Center for the Performing Arts is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).