Photos: My night at Germinal’s ‘Spoon River Anthology’

Actor Jim Miller made spoons adorned with individual faces as opening-night gifts for every cast and crewmember working on the Germinal Stage-Denver’s “Spoon River Anthology.”   By John Moore Feb. 15, 2013 Opening No. 27, Feb. 10: Germinal Stage-Denver’s final season in its longtime northwest Denver home continues with its third staging of “Spoon River… Continue reading Photos: My night at Germinal’s ‘Spoon River Anthology’

Breaking news: Heritage Square Music Hall will close at end of year

Annie Dwyer and T.J. Mullin in "Who Done In Belle Star?" in 2004.

  Bonus coverage: See my full photo gallery from my night at Heritage Square Music Hall’s “One Enchanted Evening,” part of my ongoing photo series, “It’s Opening Night in Colorado 2013.” By John Moore Feb. 14, 2013 There’s a reason the venerable Heritage Square Music Hall will finish the year with the poignantly titled, “Merry… Continue reading Breaking news: Heritage Square Music Hall will close at end of year

Photos: My night at Performance Now’s ‘Once Upon a Mattress’

Laura Kimberlin brings beauty down to her fingertips to the orchestra pit at the Lakewood Cultural Center. She plays woodwinds as part of a seven-piece live orchestra for “Once Upon a Mattress.”   By John Moore Feb. 11, 2013 “Once Upon a Mattress” is the classic musical retelling of “The Princess and the Pea,” in… Continue reading Photos: My night at Performance Now’s ‘Once Upon a Mattress’

Shelly Bordas supporters raise $10,000 in 24 hours

Shelly Bordas with her then infant son, Nathan. He's now 3 1/2.

UPDATE: As of 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, Shelly Bordas’ online fundraising page has raised $12,635 from 251 backers. By John Moore Feb. 13, 2013 Just 24 hours after the launch of an online fundraising page, friends and strangers have contributed more than $10,400 to help send Denver actor and teacher Shelly Bordas on a… Continue reading Shelly Bordas supporters raise $10,000 in 24 hours

Photos: My night at Dangerous Theatre’s ‘Dark Wood’

  By John Moore Feb. 11, 2013 The sign as you enter the Dangerous Theatre, above, means it: “Seriously! Lots of nudity. Not a quick peek. Full frontal nudity for the ENTIRE SHOW.” And it’s not just for titillation. Peter McGarry’s “Dark Wood” is a legitimate, serio-comic play that finds three apes together in a… Continue reading Photos: My night at Dangerous Theatre’s ‘Dark Wood’

David Sedaris: When your heroes (don’t) disappoint

David Sedaris

By John Moore Feb. 13, 2013 In January, Denverites were given the rare opportunity to see David Sedaris in process. Perhaps the nation’s foremost comic novelist came to the intimate Galleria Theatre to test out select readings that may (or may not) be included in his forthcoming book, “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls,” due for… Continue reading David Sedaris: When your heroes (don’t) disappoint

Photos: My night with ‘The Seafarer’ at the Aurora Fox

Booze: Beer, whiskey, poteen, you name it — is everywhere to be found on the set of “The Seafarer.”   By John Moore Feb. 12, 2013 Here are bonus images from my brief visit backstage at Ashton Entertainment’s “The Seafarer” on Feb. 8 at the Aurora Fox. It was a long road bringing Conor McPherson’s… Continue reading Photos: My night with ‘The Seafarer’ at the Aurora Fox

Shelly Bordas: A story that’s just beginning

Shelly Bordas, with choreographer Kelly Kates, told her "9 to 5" castmates yesterday that she would no longer be able to continue with the show. Photo by John Moore for CultureWest.Org

  UPDATE: It’s here … an electronic means for helping Shelly Bordas with a donation. There also will be a “pay-what-you-can” performance of “9 to 5” on March 4, with all proceeds going to Shelly. Call 303-794-2787.   By John Moore Feb. 10, 2013 For the past month, I have been following the very funny… Continue reading Shelly Bordas: A story that’s just beginning

Photos: My night at “Red” and “Prelude to a Kiss” in Colorado Springs

  By John Moore Feb. 6, 2013 Here are bonus images from my night visiting the casts of Colorado Springs TheatreWorks’ “Red” and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center’s “Prelude to a Kiss.” John Logan’s celebrated “Red” is a charged dialogue between the manic – and egomaniacal – abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, and his young… Continue reading Photos: My night at “Red” and “Prelude to a Kiss” in Colorado Springs

Photos: My night at Boulder Ensemble’s ‘Ghost-Writer’

  By John Moore Feb. 6, 2013 Here are bonus images from my night visiting the cast before the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company’s performance of “Ghost-Writer” on Feb. 2 at the Dairy Center for the Arts. In the play, a mystery set in 1919, Jim Hunt plays deceased novelist Franklin Woolsey, who may (or may… Continue reading Photos: My night at Boulder Ensemble’s ‘Ghost-Writer’

The Lumineers’ Colorado theater connection

Neyla Pekarek of the Grammy nominated group The Lumineers performed in the University of Northern Colorado's theater production of "The Tomato Plant Girl." Photo by David Grapes.

Here’s a video I shot  of The Lumineers performing their encore from the balcony of the Bluebird Theatre in May 2012. By John Moore Feb. 6, 2013 It’s great to see all the love coming The Lumineers’ way, most recently today’s fine piece by the New York Times’ Jon Parales on the ever-blossoming Denver music… Continue reading The Lumineers’ Colorado theater connection

Who’s who at the 2013 Colorado New Play Summit

Ryan Wuestewald recently starred in a Catherine Trieschmann drama in Boulder, but at the Summit he will appear in an adaptation of Helen Thorpe's "Just Like Us."

  By John Moore Feb. 5, 2013 The Denver Center Theatre Company’s eighth annual Colorado New Play Summit is taking shape for this weekend (Feb. 8-10). The company will present five staged readings, a few of which will surely end up being chosen for full productions during the company’s 2013-14 season. With dozens of cast and… Continue reading Who’s who at the 2013 Colorado New Play Summit

Sudden death of singer Angela Johnson has Northern Colorado reeling

The Johnson family. Photo courtesy of Neal Johnson.

Mikeal Macbeth has created this this video montage of Angela Johnson performances. Used by permission.   By John Moore Feb. 4, 2013 Though she was just a young woman, Angela Johnson was known as “the queen of community theater” in Northern Colorado. She was a classically trained vocalist who accepted any role given to her… Continue reading Sudden death of singer Angela Johnson has Northern Colorado reeling

Bonus photos: My day with Constantine Maroulis, Deborah Cox and ‘Jekyll & Hyde’

  By John Moore Feb. 2, 2013 Here are bonus images from my night visiting the cast of the Broadway-bound musical “Jekyll & Hyde,” featuring Constantine Maroulis (last seen here in “Rock of Ages”) and R&B star Deborah Cox, backstage at Denver’s Buell Theatre. This re-imagined production, which opens on Broadway on April 18,  fits… Continue reading Bonus photos: My day with Constantine Maroulis, Deborah Cox and ‘Jekyll & Hyde’

Bonus photos: My night at Buntport Theater’s ‘Wake’

  By John Moore Jan. 31, 2013 Here are some bonus images from my night visiting the cast of Buntport Theater’s ambitious original play, “Wake.” It’s a Beckett-like reimagining of “The Tempest,” in which the storm and subsequent shipwreck that drive Shakespeare’s love story never come. Featuring Erik Edborg, Erin Rollman, Brian Colonna and Adam… Continue reading Bonus photos: My night at Buntport Theater’s ‘Wake’

Bonus photos: My night at Longmont Theatre Company’s ‘Over the Tavern’

From left: Beau Wilcox, Marian Bennett and Peter Cabrera after the opening curtain call.   By John Moore Jan. 30, 2013 Here are some bonus images from my night visiting the cast of the Longmont Theatre Company’s “Over the Tavern,” a bittersweet family story about growing up poor and Catholic in 1959 Buffalo. Featuring Peter Cabrera,… Continue reading Bonus photos: My night at Longmont Theatre Company’s ‘Over the Tavern’

Arvada-bound Philip Sneed: The entrance/exit interview

Philip Sneed says he was not looking for a new job. "If it hadn’t worked out (at the Arvada Center," he said, "I would have kept up the good fight at CSF." Photo by John Moore for www.CultureWest.Org.

  By John Moore Jan. 27, 2013 Philip Sneed loves the symmetry of it all: His first two professional jobs were with the Arvada Center and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Fast-forward more than 30 years, and now his two most recent jobs are with the Arvada Center and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Although his professional… Continue reading Arvada-bound Philip Sneed: The entrance/exit interview

Bonus photos: My night at the Denver Center’s “Grace, Or the Art of Climbing”

  By John Moore Jan. 26, 2013 Here are some bonus images from my night visiting the cast of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s world-premiere staging of “Grace, or the Art of Climbing” on Jan. 24. In the story by Lauren Feldman, rock climbing serves as both metaphor and call-to-action for a reluctant young athlete… Continue reading Bonus photos: My night at the Denver Center’s “Grace, Or the Art of Climbing”

Bonus photos: My night with the Arvada Center’s ‘Blithe Spirit’

Actor Mark Rubald emerges from backstage following the opening performance of the Arvada Center’s “Blithe Spirit” on Jan. 22.   By John Moore Jan. 24, 2013 Here are some bonus images from my night visiting the cast of the Arvada Center’s “Blithe Spirit,” the classic Noel Coward comedy playing  at 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. The cast… Continue reading Bonus photos: My night with the Arvada Center’s ‘Blithe Spirit’

Bonus photos: My night with Phamaly’s “The Foreigner”

Director Edith Weiss, who had to miss the opening performance of Phamaly’s “The Foreigner” on Jan. 19 because of illness, texted her final words of encouragement to her cast via actor Jeremy Palmer’s cell phone. Photo by John Moore.   By John Moore Jan. 20, 2013 Here are some bonus images from my night visiting… Continue reading Bonus photos: My night with Phamaly’s “The Foreigner”

Phamaly mourns death of actor Ray Angel

Ray Angel, left, joined fellow blind actors Linda Wirth, Julie Melton and Henry Reyes in "Urinetown" in 2007. File photo by Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post.

By John Moore Jan. 22, 2013 Ray Angel, blind since birth, joined Denver’s handicapped Phamaly Theatre Company for one reason: “My wife and I were so darn shy, and we thought Phamaly would help us get over it,” Angel told me in a 2007 interview. “And it did.” Angel has passed away, it was announced… Continue reading Phamaly mourns death of actor Ray Angel

Bonus photos: My night with “Motherhood Out Loud”

By John Moore Jan. 20, 2013 Here are some bonus images from my night visiting the cast of The Avenue Theater’s “Motherhood Out Loud,” a series of comic and poignant vignettes authored by 14 writers from the fields of journalism, fiction, TV and theater. Starring Mehry Eslaminia, Megan Heffernan, Jane Shirley, Cindy Laudadio-Hill, LuAnn Buckstein… Continue reading Bonus photos: My night with “Motherhood Out Loud”

Bonus photos: My night backstage with Lake Dillon’s ‘Sleuth’

  By John Moore Jan. 20, 2013 Here are some bonus images from my night visiting the cast of the Lake Dillon Theatre Company’s “Sleuth” on Jan 17. Starring Joel Rainwater and Tom Borrillo. Directed by Alan Osburn. Through Feb. 10 at 176 Lake Dillon Dr., about 70 miles west of Denver. Call 970-513-9386 or… Continue reading Bonus photos: My night backstage with Lake Dillon’s ‘Sleuth’

Breaking news: Phil Sneed leaving Colorado Shakes for Arvada Center

Karen Slack and Philip Sneed in the Colorado Shakespeare Festival's 2008 "Macbeth."

By John Moore Jan. 14, 2013 Colorado Shakespeare Festival producing artistic director Philip Sneed announced today he is leaving the nation’s second-oldest Shakespeare festival after seven years to succeed Gene Sobczak as executive director of the Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities. That’s the money job. Rod Lansberry remains the Arvada Center’s artistic director. But… Continue reading Breaking news: Phil Sneed leaving Colorado Shakes for Arvada Center

Live theater ranks among 10 worst industries for 2013

By John Moore Jan. 9, 2013 As Stephen Sondheim might say, “Isn’t it rich?” When it comes to a life in the arts, no. When it comes to irony, well, very much so. A pair of independent and anachronistic new studies similarly point out just how tough a life in the arts continues to be.… Continue reading Live theater ranks among 10 worst industries for 2013

Audience plants: The scourge of the American theater

Overeager hand-clappers make me want to kill. Not clap.

  By John Moore Jan. 8, 2013 It’s been a year since I’ve been on the record with a critical theater review, and I am (perhaps ill-advisedly) celebrating my anniversary of not having to go on the record saying something that might unilaterally anger the entire local  theater community … by going on the record… Continue reading Audience plants: The scourge of the American theater

Presenting: ‘The Autobiography of Scott the Parrot, a Psychological Triller,’ as penned by 26 odd birds

It all began many miles away, when something crawled to the surface of a dark Scottish Loch. Illustrations nd photos by Galen Shoe, Mitch Slevic and Jessica Robblee.

  By John Moore Jan. 2, 2013 For the past eight years, a giant Scottish parrot psychologist named Scott has joined in with a band of endearing young superheroes whose crime-fighting escapades have been lovingly chronicled in “Trunks,” Buntport Theater’s award-winning, bi-weekly live comic-book serial for all ages. Through more than 100 episodes, audiences have become as… Continue reading Presenting: ‘The Autobiography of Scott the Parrot, a Psychological Triller,’ as penned by 26 odd birds

My 2012 journo year in review: Highlights from a year on the cheap, er, brink

By John Moore Jan. 1, 2013 A professional and personal look back at the year just past. (The unemployed year, that is):   Favorite writings: 1. Eden Lane: The first transgender journalist on mainstream TV opens up about her life and challenges (see bonus extract below) 2. Personal blog: My stoma: To Die and Live… Continue reading My 2012 journo year in review: Highlights from a year on the cheap, er, brink

Breaking news: Germinal Stage’s theater to close, but company will play on

Ed Baierlein moved his company to northwest Denver in 1987. The building will shutter in August. Photo by John Moore.

  By John Moore Dec. 30, 2012 The definition of the word germinal is “embryonic,” and even at age 39, Denver’s venerable Germinal Stage-Denver theater company is about to take on a whole new life form. Ed Baierlein on Friday completed the sale of his theater property at 44th Avenue and Alcott Street to Denver… Continue reading Breaking news: Germinal Stage’s theater to close, but company will play on