Arts & Entertainment

Kathryn Eastburn, longtime editor of the Colorado Springs Independent, appreciates a good read. And she’s given one to book fans across the Rocky Mountains with the Rocky Mountain Reader, her online publication devoted to “a community of Colorado readers, writers and book lovers.” She sends out new editions weekly, covering new and re-released books by a fascinating mix of Colorado authors, as well as volumes about Colorado or set in this state; she also includes local literary news. Finding a new edition of the Rocky Mountain Reader in your inbox is as exciting as cracking open that book you’ve been meaning to read all year. Entirely donor-supported, it’s even free! Write on!

Jeff Lee and Ann Martin are the gift that keeps on giving. While they were working at Tattered Cover for decades, they collected tens of thousands of books on Colorado and the Rocky Mountains, which ultimately overflowed their Capitol Hill home and found a permanent place with the creation of the Rocky Mountain Land Library. With that project well underway in Park County, they’ve now planted the seed for the Habitat Library, which is creating field trips, book clubs and other events dedicated to nature…and the people who write about it. You grow, guys!

Who said print is dead? Not Paul French, who had the crazy idea to create a new print quarterly dedicated to Denver culture. Since Denverse debuted last year, it’s served up a refreshing blend of local writers, comics and more, in a handsome publication distributed around the city…for free! (You can also subscribe if you want to guarantee getting one at your home or office.) It also bills itself as “the first magazine in history to launch with an AI-Free Guarantee,” but one look at the quality, creative content and you know there’s nothing artificial about Denverse.

Colorado author Bianca Schulze has been writing books in her Dragon series for years, and her latest, A New Friend for Dragon, is the best so far. Gorgeously, vividly illustrated by Schulze’s longtime collaborator, Samara Hardy, this new installment sees the titular character try to befriend a knight who just moved to town, despite the fact that everyone expects them to be enemies simply because of the identities they’ve been assigned. It’s a sweet, funny, heartstring-pulling tale of forging bonds and navigating stereotypes that any kid would be well-served to absorb. And probably most adults, to be honest.

Denver’s Sue Seserman wasn’t diagnosed with epilepsy until she was fifty, and the dramatic revelation upended her life. Counseling other people with epilepsy helped, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and she had to find another way to share her experiences and insights with those undergoing similar journeys. Enter Epilectra, a female superhero with epilepsy who refuses to be stigmatized or disempowered because of it. The ensuing graphic novel, drawn by former Disney illustrator Jayme Brown, is a fun, colorful adventure that makes for a marvelous message: Strength and heroism aren’t always packaged in shiny ideals or standards, and sometimes the greatest superpower of all is survival.

Ashley Cornelius currently holds the title of Pikes Peak Region Poet Laureate, and it’s easy to see why she received that honor when you read Translations From the Soul, the debut poetry collection by the Colorado Springs-based writer. An activist at heart and in practice, Cornelius distills her love of social justice, community organization, queer identity and poetic therapy into crystallized moments and images that reveal more profound depths with each reading. Lush, lyrical and wise, these poems don’t just reveal Cornelius’s soul; they also open a window into a bigger picture of life as it intersects the reality we desire and deserve.

If you’re going to write a novel that uses Denver as its setting, here’s how you do it. In Cynthia Swanson‘s latest novel, Anyone but Her, the best-selling, award-winning Colorado author takes familiar landmarks like historic, infamous East Colfax Avenue and threads them through a gripping thriller that spans the 1970s through the 2000s. Not only is it a treat to turn these pages on the merits of their own suspenseful mystery, it’s also a blast to feel the atmosphere of old Denver drift out of each scene. Swanson’s work is loved on a national level, so it’s great to see her give a nod to her hometown’s rich, weird vibe.

School violence, from bullying to shootings, has taken on such monstrous proportions that it’s easy to lose perspective on the intimate, immediate impact it has on kids and parents. Ryan LaMantia’s The E.T. Fort dials that back in – hauntingly and poignantly. Set in a fictional Denver high school, the novel is loosely based on his and his daughter’s own experiences and fears, and it also grapples with the huge question that looms behind school violence: What’s at its psychological root? Along the way, it’s also a heartfelt story about a dad and his kid trying to navigate a world that seems increasingly oblivious to the well-being of the vulnerable.

Gregory SETH Harris has been “waging art,” as he puts it, for decades in Denver – and that includes everything from spoken-word poetry to performance art to organizing. Given his multimedia-oriented mind, it was inevitable that some of his pursuits would overlap, and that gave birth to A Black Odyssey. It’s a new audiobook version of his 2012 poetry collection, and in addition to the author’s own resonant recitation of his powerful work, it features accompaniment by a host of local musicians drifting in and out of just about every genre imaginable – just as SETH does himself.

What business do Paul McCartney, Philip K. Dick, Charles Manson, David Byrne and Charles Bukowski all have being in the same book together? All is made clear in the pages of Zack Kopp’s 2025 book Rare but Serious. The author has been kicking around the local literary landscape for decades now, and he seems to have accumulated so much weirdness and wisdom that he felt compelled to impart it all to readers in this tome of maddeningly insightful essays, reviews, interviews and pop-culture conspiracy theories. It practically bursts at the binding with oddball, compulsively readable revelations.

Combining plant-based cuisine with uproarious laughter, comedian and producer Ryan Ergo has turned the Corner Beet into an essential stop for comedy fans. With his monthly A Very Kuhl Showcase, Ergo transforms the intimate vegan venue into one of the most laid-back stages in town. Drawing top national acts – including recent Denver transplant Rory Scovel – and standout locals, the show exemplifies Ergo’s sharp eye for talent and commitment to creating intimate comedy experiences. (He also brings his indie-comedy ethos to his biweekly Ubisububi Underworld showcase at the Thin Man.) No beef? No problem: This Beet packs plenty of laughs.

In a scene rich with comedic talent, Eeland Stribling and Hannah Jones stand out. Stribling, a two-time Comedy Works New Faces contest winner, combines laid-back charisma and razor-sharp wit with hometown charm, delivering jokes that range from clever reflections on Denver’s quirks to universally relatable absurdities. Hannah Jones, who broke onto the scene after growing up in a conservative, homeschooled environment, captivates audiences with frank humor about dating, gender norms and sobriety, delivering punchlines with impeccable timing. Both regularly perform at Denver’s best comedy venues and tour across the country, so there are plenty of opportunities to see these local performers.

Denver comedy’s wildest monthly tradition, Freak Train at the Bug Theatre, has thrived for nearly 25 years thanks largely to the infectious energy and commitment of host GerRee Hinshaw and her stalwart “guy in the booth,” Alex Weimer. Every last Monday, a dozen brave performers each get five uncensored minutes to share anything – and we mean anything – they choose, from slam poetry to insect lectures to eccentric monologues. GerRee keeps the evening moving with warmth and wit, while Alex expertly wrangles the technical chaos behind the scenes. Together they’ve created a welcoming stage where spontaneity and creative courage reign supreme, and everyone (minus glitter users) is invited.

Denver comedian Korey David nearly canceled his taping of Interrogation: True Crime Stories in Houston when sewage backups and mysterious siren sounds threatened the production. Turns out the ominous drone came from a siren mistakenly activated in David’s prop bag. Crisis averted, the taping delivered laughs and true-crime storytelling from a stellar comedic lineup, including Jesse James, Lisa Curry and Colton Dowling. The special, which debuted on YouTube in March 2024, has since garnered thousands of views, cementing David’s unique approach to comedy: blending humor with stories of criminal misadventures. David is one of Denver’s funniest additions to the scene, demonstrating that crime does pay (at least in laughs).

Denver comics Sammy Anzer and Ed Bell joked for years about recording a comedy album together for the “residual income.” Their vision became reality in Residual Income, recorded at Hotel Boulderado’s Comic Cents Comedy Club and released by Burn This Records on March 1, 2024. Highlighting Anzer’s New York charm and Bell’s sharp Midwestern wit, the album is a testament to the innovative spirit of Denver’s collaborative comedy scene. Reflecting their years of local friendship and creative partnership, the set is fresh, funny and full of Denver’s distinct comedic voice. A milestone for local comedy, Residual Income briefly hit number one on the iTunes comedy charts – proving that Denver comics can compete anywhere.

Thanks to local comedy producers Katie Congrove and Connor Schuck, sketch comedy in Denver now has a festival of its very own. The first-ever Denver Sketch Festival, held at RISE Comedy in October, provided three days of boundary-breaking hilarity, with everything from outrageous clowns and quirky solo shows to workshops designed to nurture sketch comedians. Congrove and Schuck aimed beyond familiar formulas to show that sketch comedy isn’t just Saturday Night Live knock-offs. Drawing performers from across North America, the new festival promises to keep the city’s comedy scene on the national map – one sketch at a time.

Denver’s delightfully irreverent Buntport Theater joined forces with Emily K. Harrison and Square Product Theatre to hilariously commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the infamous Dave Matthews Band bus sewage incident in Eyes Up, Mouth Agape. While the production playfully tackled this bizarre chapter of pop-culture history through comedic documentary-style interviews, the standout achievements were undeniably its brilliantly inventive costume design and an unforgettable musical number dedicated entirely to, yes, shit. The costumes – anthropomorphic versions of the bridge, boat and bus – combined whimsical absurdity with clever craftsmanship, making each inanimate object instantly memorable. But the pinnacle was the troupe’s over-the-top musical tribute to “Poopgate,” which was a riotous, gleefully vulgar spectacle. Through these creative flourishes, Buntport turned a shitty situation into a hilarious triumph of costuming and musical comedy.

A Jukebox for the Algonquin is a poignant celebration of aging, friendship and rebellion that made its regional premiere at Miners Alley Playhouse last March. Written by Paul Stroili and directed by Len Matheo, the warm, witty play featured a pitch-perfect ensemble, with powerful performances from Dwayne Carrington, Edith Weiss, Chris Kendall, Abby Apple Boes, Arlene Hicks, John Hauser and Stroili himself. It’s set in the overlooked Algonquin Room of Placid Pines Senior Care Center, where the residents unite in their quest for a jukebox, a symbol of life. With humor, heart and gentle defiance, this unforgettable troupe joyously celebrated life’s golden years.

In alone: un/tethered, HOLDTIGHT artistic director Gwendolyn Gussman transforms solitude from a daunting isolation into an empowering experience of interconnectedness. Performed solo in near-total darkness with mesmerizing live-looped vocals at the Newman Center last December, the piece evolves from introspective choreography to gentle audience interaction, exploring the delicate balance between solitude, loneliness and human connection. Enhanced by Nicholas Caputo’s immersive, womb-like soundscape and Maki Teshima’s metaphorical set design, the show encouraged reflection, guiding audiences toward communal catharsis via a series of dance pieces. This thoughtful installment in HOLDTIGHT’s ambitious un/tethered trilogy challenged and comforted, proving that sometimes the best antidote to loneliness is a collective embrace.

Phamaly Theatre Company‘s 35-year dream came true this year with a groundbreaking, disability-affirmative production of the iconic musical A Chorus Line. Director Ben Raanan assembled a diverse cast of 28 disabled actors whose moving performances prioritized heart and humanity over uniformity and precision, resulting in a powerful redefinition of perfection at the DCPA in August. Bold adaptations – including tap dancing performed from a wheelchair – proved that disability isn’t a limitation, but an invitation for innovation. Celebrating the passion and individuality of performers long marginalized by traditional theater, Phamaly’s triumphant production challenged expectations, celebrated diversity and proved that after 35 years, the company remains a transformative force in theater.

Immersive theater reached new surrealist heights with Impossible Things last May, an imaginative collaboration of Boulder’s Catamounts theater company, visual artist Lonnie Hanzon and the Museum of Outdoor Arts. Set in Marjorie Park around Hanzon’s whimsical art installation Cabinet of Curiosities and Impossibilities, the performance invited audiences to the graduation party of Alex, a nonbinary teen facing key life decisions. Guests moved among fantastical characters offering dreamlike guidance, while director Amanda Berg Wilson and playwright Jessica Austgen crafted a playful yet profound exploration of identity, uncertainty and coming of age. By reimagining Hanzon’s celebrated exhibit as the backdrop for a theatrical wonderland, Impossible Things reaffirmed Denver’s leadership in immersive storytelling.

In a city increasingly defined by luxury apartments and trendy cafes, the Bug Theatre defiantly holds its ground as one of the last vestiges of Denver’s avant-garde arts scene. Founded thirty years ago in an old movie house on Navajo Street – once home to experimental galleries and underground artists – the Bug survives as a fiercely independent venue celebrating unapologetically weird theater, comedy and film. Executive artistic director Alex Weimer continues to nurture offbeat, innovative programming like the monthly Freak Train, standing proudly against encroaching development. A neighborhood fixture that refuses to sell out, the Bug remains a stubbornly creative beacon in a rapidly gentrifying city.

Su Teatro, Denver’s longstanding Chicano theater company, founded in 1972, has marked a powerful new milestone with its recent expansion into the “Blue Building” at 659 Santa Fe Drive. While many local theaters struggle or downsize, Su Teatro continues to thrive, reinforcing its mission of cultural independence and the preservation of Chicano heritage through arts and education. Under the visionary leadership of executive artistic director Tony Garcia and his daughter, Mica Garcia de Benavidez, this significant acquisition ensures that Su Teatro can expand its award-winning youth programs, educational initiatives and community engagement. The new space symbolizes a renewed commitment to fostering cultural pride, creativity and resilience, securing the legacy of Su Teatro for generations to come.

What makes an $8 soda feel just a little less shameful? Being able to customize it to a frankly ridiculous degree, of course. AMC movie theaters around Denver have your sugary sinful desires covered with Coca-Cola Freestyle. Craving an orange-flavored Coke? A sugar-free grape-strawberry Fanta? You got it, champ! What about a peach-cherry-vanilla Mello Yello with a dash of root beer and a topper of pop rocks? Sure, kid, sure. Go nuts. And if it tastes terrible? Pour that sucker out and start again, as long as there’s no one waiting for their turn to be a mad soda scientist.

Alamo Drafthouse‘s at-your-seat service is a big part of the experience. And while it’s great to enjoy a hot dog that still has some bite to it instead of one that’s been limply spinning on a heated spindle in the lobby for God knows how long, the big winner here is still the hot buttered popcorn. It’s served in real bowls rather than greasy wax cardboard tubs and comes with unlimited refills, to boot. And the butter will take you back to a time you probably never lived in: one in which all ingredients were fresh, all seats were good, and all movies were above average.

As the 16th Street Mall has crumbled under endless construction, the Regal UA Denver Pavilions has remained a diamond in the rough. You can’t ask for more from a movie theater, with its comfortable reclining seats, full-service bar and free underground parking. Daily showings range from Hollywood blockbusters to special screenings of the Metropolitan Opera and ’90s anime movies, offered in standard digital, RPX and even 4DX. While neighboring businesses have closed their doors, Regal UA holds strong. And with fewer people visiting the mall, you don’t have to worry about rushing to get the best seat or waiting in line for popcorn.

Jessica L’Whor is always up to something, and more often than not, that something is geared toward uplifting the drag and LGBTQ+ communities. In 2024, she organized Colorado’s Next Drag Superstar, a series in which ten-plus local drag queens and kings competed for the title and a bundle of sweet prizes at X Bar every weekend through August and September. It’s a non-elimination-based competition, meaning competitors can rack up points each week, giving everyone a truly fair shot (as well as prizes). The inaugural crown was won by Khrys’taaal, who dazzled the audience week after week. The series underscored the immense talent of the state’s drag scene, and we can’t wait for this year’s rollout.

Don’t let the name fool you: This is a cult only in the most entertaining of senses. It’s really a community gathering that comes together every so often to celebrate queer-community film, with a little drag show here and a little cosplay and sing-along there, plus glitter and glam galore. On April 13 and 14 (Palm Sunday, no less!), Rainbow Cult will bring the Rocky Horror Picture Show to Meow Wolf, with a theme of Resurrection. “THEY/THEM ARE RISEN!” says Meow Wolf’s website, promising “rapturous performances, wild costumes, and audience participation as we celebrate this cult classic with an Easter twist!” All this and a Hunky Jesus competition? Sign us up, and amen.

There’s a poignant mundanity to Common American Crow, Denver filmmaker Sam Zalkin’s mini-portrait of Denver guitarist Doug Mioducki – a longtime employee of Wax Trax Records and a man who has an uncanny ability to attract wild crows. Seriously. The birds follow him around Denver and flock to him as he drinks his morning coffee, all of which is captured by Zalkin, along with offbeat interviews with the subject’s friends and co-workers, none of whom seem particularly surprised about this strange phenomenon. The film also features some of the last footage of beloved local musician Luke Fairchild – who was Mioducki’s bandmate in the noise-rock band Quits – filmed before his death on January 1, 2025.

This year will be a triumphant fifth for the Colorado Festival of Horror, a homegrown, bootstrappy success story that’s only scary in what it provides fans of the genre – and maybe in how fast it’s grown. When co-founder and organizer Bret Smith helped start the event back in 2020, it was sidelined by a very real horror show: COVID-19. But once it was safe to venture out again (and celebrate all the unsafe characters in some of our best pop-culture scare-fests), it established itself as a regional and eventually national draw. COFOH has grown to a pleasingly monstrous size, so it makes sense that the theme for this year’s fest, which takes place September 12-14, is “Here There Be Monsters.”

Like so many people, Anginet “Roxie” Anderson has been on a sometimes perilous, sometimes triumphant mental health journey during these strange times in which we find ourselves. We all cope in different ways, and she copes with puppets. Her puppet troupe, the Mental Felts, comprises a wide range of lovable, irascible characters that embody their creator’s many sides; Anderson combines live performances with a digital presence to bring her Muppet-like menagerie to life – and to bring humor and perspective to the everyday challenge of just staying yourself. Even if that self is spread among, say, a bunch of adorable puppets.

Local artist Joe Murray knows the power of the caboose…and we’re not talking about trains. No, Murray happens to draw very creative portraits of booties, from characters both fictional and real. As he puts it, “I’ve been drawing butts for a while, but now I’ll harness their power to spread joy and create opportunities for connection.” That all happens through the Keester Club, which he bases on the ’80s and ’90s fan-club model, with tiers to join (the annual membership – dubbed Booty Board Member – is $75) for members to receive exclusive, bootylicious merch. Plus, 10 percent of those fees go to a nonprofit that members get to vote on. Who says an ass man can’t be philanthropic?

When partners Fawn and Casey O’Breitzman opened the Sexploratorium in 2023, it seemed like one of those things Denver never had but was missing all along: a space that was openly pro-sex, and where all manner of events, classes and workshops could collide safely, smartly and sensuously. The Sexploratorium hosts everything from Kink Tasting parties, where patrons can get a sample of fetishes they may have never had a chance to encounter, to Queer Movie Nights and Nude Yoga. Education and eroticism abound, and that was even before the Sexploratorium added its annex, the Museum of Sex, a wonderland of sex-positive history.

Your worst Children of the Corn nightmares come true at Haunted Field of Screams…in the best way. Unlike at many Denver haunted houses, you won’t run through the cornfield in five minutes after waiting an hour in line. Attendees get a true bang for their buck, spending forty minutes walking through the corn and encountering multiple mini haunted houses along the way, not to mention the “gates of hell” hayride that kicks off the festivities. Plus, Haunted Field of Screams backs up to Riverdale Road, the subject of countless urban legends of hauntings. So who knows? You might just catch a glimpse of a real ghoul amid the costumed actors.

Located in a commercial/residential building in Lowry, this unexpected, friendly studio houses a startling display of Victorian-steampunk dolls made of repurposed parts. Assemblages have homemade glass eyes and are festooned with vintage trims and baubles. Westword once reported that artist Paul Moschell doubles as a sweet-hearted animal lover and an eccentric-about-town when he’s not painting whimsical characters on matchboxes or building disturbing pieces out of doll parts and other objects. His work is well-rounded: A decade ago, he won a Best of Denver award for Best Artistic Hats. “I am a novelty. I create luxuries,” Moschell writes in his Instagram bio. The studio is open by appointment only.

Danielle SeeWalker had a major year in 2024. The local artist, who is Hunkpapa Lakota and a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in North Dakota, is committed to showcasing the history and culture of her people through visual art, whether it’s in murals around the city and country, or through paintings and multimedia work, which she’s shown in galleries and museums in Denver and beyond. In 2024, she curated an exhibition of Native art at the Colorado Capitol, and her own work was seen in a substantial exhibit at History Colorado. And since 2013, she’s brought Native stories to life through the Red Road Project, a photodocumentary exhibition she created with her best friend that had its first show in Italy and is now touring around the U.S.

At Access Gallery, in the heart of the Santa Fe arts district, special-needs artists hone their visual-arts skills with the help of established local artists, then display their work in the gallery, receiving a percentage of the sale price while the rest goes back into the organization. The artists are also available for graphic design work, custom murals and corporate commissions. Or buy a joyous and colorful original piece from a vintage cigarette-turned-art-vending machine. Access also has an inclusive studio where artists can explore and build their skill sets in different mediums.

Open year-round and free to the public, the ten-acre Benson Sculpture Garden comprises 178 permanent works by world-renowned artists. The garden was conceived in 1984 by five Loveland artists envisioning an outdoor sculpture exhibition; the result is a mostly bronze collection that features whimsical animals such as a Great Dane offering a high-five, kids dancing in a circle with an open spot for an observer to join in, and several water-themed structures in the small lake. Handicap-accessible sidewalks, easy parking, picnic areas and a public restroom make for a peaceful afternoon for all ages. The sculpture garden is open to the public, and the art is free to view.

When the weather outside is frightful, find refuge in the Denver Botanic Gardens Freyer-Newman Center, where you can stop at the coffee shop, relax in the plant and fungi herbaria, and take in an exhibit themed in areas such as the environment, natural fibers, water conservation or horticulture. Aspiring artists can attend classes at the School of Botanical Art & Illustration, while the Sturm Family Auditorium shows short films. The center’s galleries are included with DBG admission, as is the Helen Fowler Library, which houses a significant collection of botanical and horticultural materials about the Rocky Mountain region.

All visitors ages eighteen and under are admitted free at the Denver Art Museum, thanks to the Bellco Free for Kids Program; Sensory Friendly Mornings, offered quarterly on the second Sunday of the month, is another of the DAM’s no-cost family programs. Museums can get loud and overwhelming, and the Sensory Friendly program was designed with neurodiverse children or kids with sensory processing disorders in mind. The museum opens early and dims the lights for the program, which includes art projects, storytelling and maybe some visitors from McNicholas Miniatures Therapy Horses.

The Children’s Museum of Denver aims to “champion the wonder and joy of childhood,” according to its mission statement, and it absolutely succeeds with its rocket launching station. Part of the museum’s exhibit devoted to teaching kids about energy, the station lets visitors make paper airplanes of various forms before using compressed air to shoot the “rockets” into a solar system. The task is trickier than it seems, but somehow, there are paper creations stuck all the way up in the rafters. Try it, and your stress will melt away – at least until the nine-year-old next to you creates a rocket that completely outmatches yours.

Although it’s possible to spend hours delving into the life and art of abstract expressionist Clyfford Still, museum visitors who only have an hour to spare won’t feel like they’re missing anything after making a quick tour of the museum’s nine galleries. Still wanted all of his art to have a home together so that people could better understand his work as a whole, and when John Hickenlooper was mayor of Denver, he worked to win the collection and push construction of the museum. Situated adjacent to other cultural attractions, including the Denver Art Museum, the Still Museum is the perfect refuge for anyone who needs a quiet hour to immerse themselves in creativity.

The phrase “hidden gem” is like nails on a chalkboard to those who consider it overused, but its meaning is surprisingly maintained at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science with Chicky, a taxidermied prairie dog. Those in the know can find the little fella waving from inside a Brazilian amethyst geode in the Gems and Minerals exhibition, a mainstay on the first floor. The hidden gem is just one of many touches at the museum that makes it worth the $25.95 admission price for adults; kids and seniors can visit for less.