Holiday Performing Arts
This holiday season in the Mile High City, you and your family will be treated to a an unbelievable variety of performing arts events, from beloved ballets like The Nutcracker to seasonal singalongs to timeless favorites like A Christmas Carol. Find out all about the Holiday festivities here.
A Christmas Carol
Nov. 28-Dec. 27
Stage Theatre
Speer Blvd. and Arapahoe St., Denver
www.denvercenter.org
The heart-warming holiday classic returns! Original songs, ghostly chills, laughter and warmth deck the halls, as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is haunted by the spirits of his past, present and likely future. This evergreen tale of generosity, kindness, and true Christmas spirit comes to joyous life with splendid period sets and costumes. A very special family event. No children under six.
A Wonderful Life
Nov. 25-Dec. 28
Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada
www.arvadacenter.org
Based on the classic holiday movie starring Jimmy Stewart, A Wonderful Life is a joyful musical adaptation of this sentimental favorite. George Bailey, a small town banker, tired from the struggles of life and at his lowest of lows, is rescued on Christmas Eve by Clarence, his guardian angel. A Wonderful Life is the perfect holiday reminder of just how important our loved ones are-and how important we are to them.
The Nutcracker
Nov. 29-Dec. 27
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Speer Blvd. and Arapahoe St., Denver
www.coloradoballet.org
Get in the seasonal spirit with The Nutcracker. When a ballet has been performed for over 100 years and still gives audiences of all ages goosebumps, you know that it’s worth seeing – whether it’s your first time or 20th time. Captivating costumes and scenery, unforgettable characters, and Tchaikovsky's treasured music make Colorado Ballet's rendition of The Nutcracker the ultimate holiday event.
Handel's Messiah
Dec. 5-7 (Fri. & Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2:30 p.m.)
Boettcher Concert Hall
14th and Curtis, Denver
www.coloradosymphony.org
Under the direction of conductor Bernard Labadie, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra Chorus performs this stirring seasonal classic.
Christmas Pops
Dec. 5
South Suburban Christian Church
7275 S. Broadway Ave., Littleton
www.southsuburban.com
The Arapahoe Philharmonic, conducted by Vincent C. LaGuardia Jr., presents a stirring program of holiday favorites both secular and spiritual.
Christmas with the Children’s Chorale
Dec. 6-7
Boettcher Concert Hall
14th and Curtis, Denver
www.childrenschorale.org
The snow is falling, the lights are twinkling, and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care - but it isn't really Christmas without Christmas with the Children's Chorale. This performance is the biggest caroling party in town, with 400 singers on stage and 2,000 more in the audience joining together to "repeat the sounding joy" of the holiday season.
Turtle Island Quartet’s Solstice Celebration
Dec. 6
Newman Center for the Performing Arts
2344 East Iliff Ave., Denver
www.du.edu/newmancenter
The Turtle Island Quartet takes you on a joyous voyage through world holiday music, ranging from English carols and 16th century Scottish reels, to Jewish and Hindu songs of Chanukah and India’s Dewali. This Grammy® Award-winning ensemble gloriously fuses the classical string quartet with the adventurous spirit of jazz.
Swallow Hill Choir Holiday Concert
Dec. 10
Swallow Hill Music Association
71 E. Yale Ave., Denver
www.swallowhillmusic.org
Join the singers at Swallow Hill for a fun evening performance by the Swallow Hill Choir, led by Kelly Contreras. Musical numbers will vary from Christmas/seasonal pieces to fun, original compositions.
Jersey Boys
Dec. 11-Jan. 3
Buell Theatre
14th and Curtis, Denver
www.denvercenter.org
JERSEY BOYS, the 2006 Tony Award®-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons come to the Denver Center! This is the story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were 30. Get your tickets now for this inspiring musical before they’re all gone!
A Colorado Christmas
Dec. 12-14
Boettcher Concert Hall
14th and Curtis, Denver
www.coloradosymphony.org
The all new A Colorado Christmas features the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the Colorado Children’s Chorale led by Richard Kaufman, with guest artist Gavin MacLeod in a special reading of A Night Before Christmas. There will be five performances of A Colorado Christmas including the Saturday evening live broadcast on CBS4.
Christmas Carols with Christy Wessler
Dec. 12
Swallow Hill Music Association
71 E. Yale Ave., Denver
www.swallowhillmusic.org
The fabulous Christy Wessler hosts the sixth annual Holiday Concert Sing-A-Long in the Tuft Theater. Treat yourself to a night of singing traditional holiday songs and Christmas carols as well as listening to this Swallow Hill Diva perform some of her personal favorites. Bring along your friends and family (and a plate of your favorite holiday cookies to share, if you like) for a night of fun! Lyric sheets will be provided.
Holidays for Winds with Carter Pann
Dec. 13
Littleton United Methodist Church
5894 S. Datura St., Littleton
http://www.coloradowindensemble.org/
The Colorado Wind Ensemble presents holiday favorites, from traditional Christmas tunes to Buckaroo Holiday by Copland. The CWE is also honored to perform the premiere of Hold This Boy and Listen, a new work by commissioned composer and Grammy nominee Carter Pann.
Sound of the Rockies: Midwinter Song - Christmas Around the World
Dec. 13
Newman Center for the Performing Arts
2344 East Iliff Ave., Denver
www.du.edu/newmancenter
The international medalist chorus, Sound of the Rockies, presents a heartfelt selection of Christmas carols from around the globe. Some of the song performed will be I Saw Three Ships, Calypso Clapping Carol and Silent Night.
TubaChristmas
Dec. 14
Skyline Park (located at 16th & Arapahoe Streets)
www.downtowndenver.com/Events/TubaChristmas.htm
Tap your toes to your favorite holiday tunes at the 33rd Annual TubaChristmas Concert at Skyline Park. Featuring 300 tuba players from all over the region, the TubaChristmas Concert is one of the most celebrated and longest-running holiday festivities in Colorado! Skyline Park from the 16th Street Mall to 17th Street will be decorated in its finest holiday décor and is a perfect setting for this traditional event, taking place between 1 and 2 p.m.
Making Merry
Dec. 14
Stage Theatre
Speer Blvd. and Arapahoe St., Denver
www.denvercenter.org
New stories and old favorites to light the holiday season! Jamie Horton reads Duel in the Snow by Jean Shepherd, Adriana Gaviria reads A Very Special Pet by Nicholasa Mohr, Gabriella Cavallero reads A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote, and the entire cast of Making Merry reads culturally inspired versions of The Night before Christmas.
Jim Brickman Christmas
Dec. 16
Boettcher Concert Hall
14th and Curtis, Denver
www.coloradosymphony.org
Well-known for his number one hit “Valentine,” and highly acclaimed for his many Holiday albums, GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Jim Brickman brightens the season in this special Holiday concert with the CSO.
Boulder Philharmonic Chamber Players: Yuletide Brass
Dec. 19
Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
6901 Wadsworth Blvd. Arvada
www.arvadacenter.org
Enjoy a "classic" Christmas with friends, family and the Boulder Philharmonic Brass Quintet in an evening of holiday favorites, featuring a very special rendition of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," in the intimate setting of the Arvada Center's Lower Gallery.
Too Hot To Handel
Dec. 19
Boettcher Concert Hall
14th and Curtis, Denver
www.coloradosymphony.org
Marin Alsop, with colleagues Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson have redefined Handel's Messiah. Too Hot To Handel is captivating and delightful in breaking new 'classical' ground of the 21st century! Too Hot To Handel captures the essential core of Handel's famous piece and reinterprets it with chords of R&B, jazz, and gospel. The end result is a dynamic and uplifting celebration that must be experienced to be appreciated.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Dec. 23
Boettcher Concert Hall
14th and Curtis, Denver
www.denvercenter.org
Charlie Brown – and the beloved piano music of Vince Guaraldi – comes to Boettcher Concert Hall in the Christmas classic A Charlie Brown Christmas, with the David Benoit Quartet.
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Find out about more Holiday events at www.Denver365.com!