March 14
Eve of destruction: "While sketching a series of ideas for monoprints and reflecting on the dilemma of Eden," artist Connie Lehman says, "it occurred to me that no one has ever blamed the apple." Score one point for the women. Lehman decided to explore that discrepancy by reconfiguring the story of original sin for her print series, eve/snake, to reflect more kindly on Eve's role in the famous denouement. The results are on display at the Museum of Outdoor Arts' Madden Gallery, 7600 E. Orchard Road, Suite 160N, through April 26. If you're not familiar with MOA, you might want to schedule enough time not only to see Lehman's show but to roam the museum's extensive grounds scattered around a Greenwood Village office park; for museum hours or other information, call 741-3609.
Rebels without a cause: Some things never change. Suburban youths, bored out of their gourds, still run senselessly amok, generation after generation. These recurring issues of teen alienation are revived in subUrbia, a play by Eric Bogosian--the dynamic performance artist/playwright seen on stage and in the film Talk Radio and known for his machine-gun delivery of biting dialogue. Catch a final $10 preview performance at 7:30 tonight at the Theatre on Broadway, 13 S. Broadway; the play officially opens tomorrow and continues Thursdays through Saturdays, through April 20. Regular admission is $16; call 860-9360 for ticket reservations.
Friday
March 15
Oh, Calcutta!: When Calcutta-born filmmaker Satyajit Ray died in 1992, he left behind a remarkable legacy of work, revered by film champions and scholars for its artful cinematography and singular sensitivity for human concerns. But outside the occasional screening in revival houses, Ray's beautiful films are rarely seen. That may change, though, thanks to a project instigated by Merchant Ivory Productions and Sony Pictures Classics. Nine of Ray's masterworks, including the esteemed Apu Trilogy, have been restored to 35mm prints for distribution and will be screened weekly, in succession, at the Chez Artiste, 2800 S. Colorado Blvd., beginning tonight with the low-key Pather Panchali. The first leg of the trilogy and Ray's first major film, Panchali incorporates a hypnotic Ravi Shankar score and is said to have been inspired by Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief. The trilogy, which follows a Bengali boy from childhood to maturity, proceeds with Aparajito, opening March 22, and The World of Apu, opening March 29; the rest of the series runs through May 16. For showtimes call 757-7161.
Celts in action: There are more sophisticated ways to spend St. Paddy's weekend than drowning in green beer. You could instead opt for a good shot of culture with a kick. For instance, local historians Tom Noel and Dennis Gallagher will lead Denver's Irish Heritage Tour--a lively excursion sponsored by the Colorado Historical Society that covers both the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and Duffy's Shamrock Tavern--this afternoon from 1 to 4. For reservations call 866-4686. Or save yourself for evening entertainment by Reeltime, an Irish band whose gorgeous eclecticism vacillates unbridled between traditional airs and jigs--powered by the sparkling musicianship of accordionist Eilis Egan and fiddler Maureen Fahy--and more modern, exploratory flights into gypsy reveries, ragtime riffs, French jazz and Bob Wills swing. Reeltime, with help from comedian Kevin Fitzgerald and the Irish Step Dancers, performs at the Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax, tonight at 7:30. Tickets are $15; call 322-2308 or 830-TIXS.
Saturday
March 16
Standard tuning: Seven-string guitar smoothie Bucky Pizzarelli didn't hesitate to pass down his tricks when the kid picked up his own instrument. Son John Pizzarelli got all the talent his dad did and a bit more, not to mention an astonishing appreciation for the jazz standard, an unorthodox, yet perfectly suited vehicle for someone so young--and at the same time so sophisticatedly old. John Jr. works the fretboard with dizzying speed and precision, sandwiching the runs between some of the sweetest--and goofiest--vocals this side of the late Nat King Cole's repertoire. No surprise, then, that the youthful Pizzarelli's latest album, Dear Mr. Cole, admiringly celebrates Cole's sugarcoated body of work. He'll bring a trio and his loving selection of classic material, including--we hope--some Cole tunes, to the Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax, tonight at 8; for tickets, $15, call 322-2308.
Sunday
March 17
Take your cues: Today, every time you sink one in the corner pocket, Children's Hospital comes up a winner. And participants in the 9-Ball Billiard Challenge not only get a chance to chalk up with local sports and media celebrities, but also can vie for a new Saturn. It all takes place at Shakespeare's, 15th and Platte streets, where anyone can walk in anytime during March to take a qualifying shot at a three-ball break for ten bucks--up until today, that is, when final qualifying rounds take place from 3 to 7. Those dropping one or more balls into a pocket who donate $20 can then compete in the main event from 4 to 8 tonight. Also included in this evening's fun is a buffet for hungry pool sharks and live music; call 861-6377 for more information.
Miss opportunity: This touring musical's previous run in Denver raised more hoopla than a helicopter landing on stage: No wonder Miss Saigon--Broadway's acclaimed Vietnam-era Madame Butterfly update--is back. The same Cameron Mackintosh production that caused such a frenzy in 1993 will return to the Buell Theatre, 14th and Curtis in the Plex, beginning tonight with a preview performance at 8 and continuing daily, except Mondays, through April 21. Admission ranges from $15 to $65; for reservations and showtimes call 893-4100 or 830-TIXS.
Monday
March 18
Bloom Monday: An all-star team takes the stage on campus tonight as part of CU-Boulder's Artist Series at Macky Auditorium: Eminent, multitalented conductor and pianist Philippe Entremont will wield the baton to perform with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, one of the world's finest ensembles, as actress Claire Bloom joins the musicians to narrate their interpretation of Saint-Saëns's fanciful Carnival of the Animals. Also on the bill are works by Roussel and Mozart; for tickets, $10 to $35, to the 8 p.m. performance call 492-8008.
Tuesday
March 19
Goodbye, old paint: When art historian Michael J. Farrell checks in tonight at the Colorado History Museum's Frontier Firsts lecture series, 200 years will pass before your eyes. Farrell's slide-illustrated presentation, First Impressions: The Wild West Through the Eyes of Artists, will explore how American painters were influenced by the spirit of the West and, at the same time, creators of Western mythology. The talk begins at 7 at the museum, 1300 Broadway; for information and reservations call 866-4686.
Wednesday
March 20
Return of the native: Author and screenwriter Leslie Marmon Silko, who has explored Native American issues through her poetry and fiction, now turns to nonfiction writing for Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit: Essays on Native American Life Today, a perceptive, powerful, wide-ranging collection published by Simon & Schuster. Silko will read from and autograph copies of the book tonight at 7:30 at the Tattered Cover Book Store, 2955 E. 1st Ave. For details call 322-7727.
Easier Seder than done: Whether you're devout, lapsed or just plain curious, tonight's Passover University will answer everything you've always wanted to know about the Jewish holiday but (a) were afraid to ask, (b) didn't know how to ask or (c) thought you knew too much to ask. Do you know what the fourth would be? A prestigious roster of Denver-area rabbis will cover Passover-related subjects from history to tips on leading a seder to choosing a Haggadah to cooking the meal, tonight from 7 to 10 at the Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia St. Tuition is $5, with additional materials charges for selected courses; for information call 399-2660, ext. 118.
