Audio By Carbonatix
FRI, 6/18
At the beginning of Say Goodnight Gracie, comedian George Burns is in limbo. Caught between this world and the next, Burns is unable to reunite with his partner in love and work, Gracie Allen, until he gives the performance of his lifetime to none other than God. The consummate professional, Burns launches into a retrospective of his life, and the one-man show takes off, deftly guiding audiences through a century of comedy.
Burns, as played by seasoned actor and leading Hollywood impressionist Frank Gorshin, narrates the events of his showbiz career, tracing it from the formation of his first professional entertainment group, the Pee Wee Quartet, to his and Gracie’s meeting and their meteoric rise through vaudeville, movies, radio and television. Occasionally, Gracie chimes in via recordings voiced by Didi Conn, best known as Frenchy in the film version of Grease.
Fresh off a sell-out Broadway run, with the 2004 National Broadway Theater Best Play award to its credit, Say Goodnight Gracie has been touted as a warm and funny tribute to two amazing performers and their equally incredible lives.
The show opens tonight at 8 p.m. and runs through August 15 at the Stage Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets; tickets, $45 to $60, are available at 303-893-4100, www.denvercenter.org and all TicketsWest locations. — Adam Cayton-Holland
Cool Fusion
Fest travels the globe
SAT, 6/19
Can’t afford to leave the country this summer? Not to worry: There are plenty of local opportunities to sample the wonders of the world, and today’s Lakewood FusionFest, hosted by the Lakewood Cultural Center, is one of them. An offshoot of the former Lakewood Heritage Powwow, FusionFest grew out of a decision by the center to incorporate more cultures into the annual celebration. “We have so many different cultures thriving in Lakewood that we wanted to be able to represent them all,” explains center spokeswoman Kim Kritz. To that end, Denver All Nations drummers and dancers will still provide the Native American arm of the event, but performers representing African, Aztec, Mexican, Polynesian, Irish, Japanese and Brazilian cultures will also join in, showing off a kaleidoscope of colorful world traditions, from capoeira to Taiko drumming. And the food vendors and artisan booths offer an even wider range of international goodies for the stomach and the home.
FusionFest takes place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the tree-lined grounds of the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, 1600 Pierce Street in Lakewood; admission is $2 to $4 (free for children under three). Call 303-987-7845 or log on to www.lakewood.org for information. — Susan Froyd
Night Moves
WED, 6/23
The talented guitarist Kaki King isn’t about to ride off into the sunset just yet. Instead, she’ll ride right into one — taking a whole audience along with her — when she kicks off the Swallow Hill Music Association’s new Americana Sunsets outdoor concert series tonight at 7 p.m. at Four Mile Historic Park, 715 South Forest Street. Swallow Hill director Jim Williams says the higher-profile Americana Sunsets lineup represents an upgrade of the organization’s old Wednesday-night summer series, a homey affair featuring lesser-known acts, and he thinks King, a high-energy, percussive fretboard innovator often compared to the late Michael Hedges, is the ideal artist to get things rolling. Concerts continue on Wednesdays through September 1, with a break in mid-August for the Swallow Hill Folk Festival. Featured guests include Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen (July 7), Tommy Emmanuel (July 28) and Jim Lauderdale (August 11). Ticket prices vary; for a complete schedule, call 303-777-1003 or visit www.swallowhill.com. — Susan Froyd
