April 22
Especially on Earth Day, the Lookout Mountain Nature Center, 910 Colorow Row, Golden, is an exhibit in itself. The building, which opened late in 1997, is constructed entirely of earth-sustaining materials, from the recycled boxcar planks used for its shiny hardwood floors to the bathroom tiles made from used windshields. Go take a look--through this weekend, visitors are invited to hike the center's nature trails, have a picnic and even play a game of "Sustainable Design Bingo." But it doesn't have to end there: The center is open year-round, offering ongoing nature programs, exhibits and activities for all ages. Call 303-526-0594.
Fans of Antiques Road Show are in for an experiential field day this weekend when the annual Denver Art Museum Antiques Show and Sale, an event featuring only the toniest guest lecturers, appraisers, dealers and merchandise, gets under way at the Hellenic Community Center, 4610 E. Alameda Ave. It begins tonight with a "Preview Party" from 6:30 to 9:30; admission is $125. The three-day show and sale continues through the weekend, spiked with such special presentations as Archduke Geza von Habsburg's talk on Faberge jewels (9:30 a.m. tomorrow at the nearby Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., $40); the free slide show "Antiques for the Picky and Penurious" (2 p.m. tomorrow and 1 p.m. Saturday); and an afternoon of informal "Appraisal Chats," 1:30 to 3:30 Sunday, $5 for one item or $10 for three items). Sale hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; three-day admission is $7 to $10 and benefits museum educational programs. Call 303-640-3896.
To some folks, musicians from Boulder do seem to be from another planet, but in truth, Women From Mars is just a loose conglomerate of musical women with a mission, named after a Boulder wine bar. The women, who include such local luminaries as Wendy Woo, Maggie Simpson, Hannah Alkire and Sally Taylor (the not-yet-famous, real-life daughter of James Taylor and Carly Simon), first banded together because they were all fans of each other--but because of conflicting schedules, they never got to hear each other play. Now, at the urging of producer Yoshi Aono, the eleven women are releasing a composite CD, the proceeds of which will benefit the American Cancer Society and National Multiple Sclerosis Society. They'll throw a CD-release party tonight at 8:30 at the Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder; for tickets, $5.25, call 303-443-3399 or 303-830-TIXS.
More Boulder women will team up beginning tonight at 7:30 for Music in Motion, an intriguing collaboration between all-woman a cappella ensemble Sound Circle and modern-dance troupe Haan Dances, led by choreographer Mary Wohl Haan. In this production, even the location of the performances--the renovated former St. Gertrude's Academy for Girls chapel, now simply called the Academy--plays a role, affording the groups an intimate setting surrounded on three sides by the audience. Performances continue at 3 and 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and 3 p.m. Sunday; the Academy is at 970 Aurora Ave., Boulder. Admission is $10 to $15; call 303-473-4525.
Friday
April 23
We've all grown up with Jane Goodall and the Tanzanian chimpanzees she's tirelessly studied and championed for more than forty years. It's ironic to think that when she first went to work for Dr. Louis Leakey in Africa in 1957, critics didn't think she'd last three weeks. The rest is history, of course, the details of which Goodall herself will discuss at several area venues this weekend. Events kick off with a talk, book signing and reception at noon in the DU Law School's Davis Auditorium, Lowell Thomas Law Building, 1900 Olive St. Call 303-546-6584. A more public event, Roots and Shoots, will draw attention to Goodall's international environmental and humanitarian youth program and takes place tomorrow at 3 at the Boulder Theater, 2030 14th St., Boulder, in a party-like atmosphere featuring live music, video and a question-and-answer session for students; admission is $9.75. The weekend concludes Sunday with a slide lecture that gives updates and insights on Goodall's research. The 7:30 p.m. lecture will be held at Macky Auditorium on the CU-Boulder campus; general-admission seating ranges from $14.75 to $17 (reserved seating available for $45). For information or tickets to either Boulder event, call 303-786-7030 or log on to www.mavenproductions.com.
The Golden Triangle and Broadway Corridor gallery renaissance continues to thrive, and tonight it offers some excellent opportunities for checking out the adjacent areas. Creativity and Cancer: Healing Through the Visual Arts, a riveting examination of a harrowing yet curative relationship, opens tonight with a reception from 5 to 8 at the Women's Art Center & Gallery, 282 Delaware St. Featured is artwork by women affected by cancer, either as patient/survivors or as caregivers; further insight into such works will be offered at 2 p.m. Sunday, when participating artist Gail Kohler Opsahl gives a presentation. The show continues through May 30; call 303-836-ARTS. Nearby at the handsome new William Havu Gallery, 1040 Cherokee St., Felix & Felix features a lovely collection of recent works by the artful spouses, spotlighting Tracy's dreamy landscapes and Sushe's sculptural abstractions and clay figures. Felix & Felix opens with a reception tonight from 6 to 9 and continues through May 30; call 303-893-2360.
Saturday
April 24
Some of the best kicks are only available after midnight, and that includes the kicks of Chinese martial-arts star Jet Li, the object of the Mayan Theatre's current action-packed weekend midnight-movie series. See Li obliterate the bad guys tonight in My Father Is a Hero, the story of an anti-hero wanted by the police and the mob; the series continues Friday and Saturday nights through May 8. But that's not all: You can also get an oversized charge out of Mighty Peking Man, a modern-day Chinese King Kong first seen on the screen in 1977. Boasting epic scenes of destruction, really hokey special effects and Evelyn Kraft as the sexy, dressed-to-burst blonde bombshell, the ape-gone-awry flick also shows tonight at midnight at the Mayan, 110 Broadway, where it'll hang out weekends for an exclusive Denver engagement. For information and ticket prices, call 303-744-6796.
Sunday
April 25
A little belly-dancing never hurt anyone, so enjoy: Bridging the Mediterranean: From Cairo to Istanbul, a program featuring live traditional Middle Eastern music by Boulder band Sherefe and dance performances by a handful of the region's best, including Eva Cernik, Bev Pogreba and Titanya, could be the perfect place to develop an appreciation for the maligned art. The show, which takes place from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Mizel Museum of Judaica, 560 S. Monaco, will also feature breakdancing by Ricki & Friends and a visit from someone called Camel Man. Admission is $10 to $12, with food and drink available for an additional $8; call 303-333-4156 or 303-573-7610 for details.
Monday
April 26
Everyone needs an outlet for their pent-up weirdness. For Los Lobos musicians David Hidalgo and Louis Perez and producer/musicians Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, that outlet would be the Latin Playboys, a side trip for all that turned into two well-received, cult-favorite albums. The newest CD, Dose, is cause for their in-store appearance tonight at 7 at CD haven Twist & Shout, 300 E. Alameda Ave., where anything might happen. Call 303-722-1943. Then the full picture unravels tomorrow night at 8, when the Playboys take the stage at the Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder, for a full-blown concert. Tickets to that show, which also features another cult fave, Lisa Germano, as the opener, are $20; call 303-443-3399 or 303-830-TIXS.
Tuesday
April 27
The lady is a grease monkey and proud of it. Race-car driver and mechanic Pat Lazzaro, perhaps best known to the public as co-host of the cable car-care series Free Wheelin', is also straightforward, funny and acutely consumer-friendly when it comes to giving advice. Here's a chance to have your auto-mechanics questions addressed as such, during a pair of free clinics with Lazzaro at local Firestone Tire and Service Centers. Catch her tonight at 6960 W. Alameda Ave. or tomorrow at 18701 E. Hampden; for information, call 303-936-7391 or 303-693-7374.
Wednesday
April 28
Best-selling author David Guterson, who tweaked more than a few heartstrings with his Snow Falling on Cedars, is back with East of the Mountains, a new novel in the same vein. He reads tonight at 7:30 at the Tattered Cover LoDo, 1628 16th St.; free tickets for a seat and a place in the book-signing line will be given out beginning at 6:30. For details, call 303-436-1070.
