Making Spirits Bright

Best to check your religious beliefs (or lack thereof) before going to see BALLS! A Holiday Spectacular, which once again will offer wacky, non-denominational cheer to holiday crowds. From a comedy unicycle act to audience-wide sock-puppet sing-alongs, the variety show is a silly way to get into the holiday spirit…

Believe in Santa Claus

’Tis the season for department-store Santa Clauses – particularly the most infamous Father Christmas who ever worked at a Macy’s. And just in time for the holidays, the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities is staging Miracle on 34th Street, the Musical, based on the 1947 film and earlier…

How Sweet It Is

The holiday season is officially here when The Nutcracker hits the stage; seeing this classic ballet with a Christmas theme has become a tradition for many families. “Everybody loves the story of Clara and the Nutcracker coming to life and going to the land of the sweets and meeting the…

What’s in your bag? Biology notes, eyeliner and more!

While the weather continues to shift from sunny to gloomy during these late-fall nights, street fashion has seen some extreme highs and lows as well. Last week, for example, we spotted many people wearing their pajamas out and about. But this week, our street-style prayers were answered when we spotted…

Timmi Lasley talks about LadyFace’s An Office Christmas Party

Like her sketch-comedy counterparts in Denver troupe LadyFace, Timmi Lasley is a versatile performer. The sketch comedian has been doing stand-up for the last three years, after paying her dues as a stage actor and getting a degree in theater. The acting expertise came in especially handy this year, when…

Boedecker Theater brings classic-rock rarities to the big screen

The names you’ll recognize — the Doors, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, the Rolling Stones — and the titles of Boedecker Theater’s upcoming film series will be a treat for classic-rock fans who have already devoured big-budget docs like When You’re Strange or last month’s Crossfire Hurricane. “Both the Doors and…

New Year’s Eve: Where will you ring it in?

Want to get lucky as you ring in 2013? The Westword New Year’s Eve Guide will be inserted in our December 13 issue, and will include information on select December 31 entertainment options, to ensure that when the clock strikes twelve, you don’t strike out. If you know of any…

Experts agree: Made-in-Colorado snowboards are the best

We’ve been championing the local shred-stick economy as it has grown over the past few years, and not just out of sheer locavore pride. This year several national media outlets have taken notice, too: In “Gear of the Year,” Men’s Journal just proclaimed that the Odin by Venture Snowboards is…

Jingle bells and pizza tonight in Sunnyside

The gods couldn’t quite conjure up any snow to dash through, but tonight in Sunnyside, you can still go on a horse-drawn ride, bells a’jingling, and laughing all the way. Ernie’s Bar & Pizza will host the fourth annual Sunnyside Sleigh Ride from 5 to 8 p.m., inviting neighborhood families…

Getting stoned with Benjamin King Anders

Last month Colorado made history by becoming the first state where residents voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use. In honor of this momentous occasion — and while the specific legalities are being ironed out with the feds — Backbeat, our music blog, decided to catch up with various members…

Photos: The ten best scenes from Pop Art Drag Nation at Tracks

Friday night saw the combination of two worlds and four big names at Tracks as drag queens Nina Flowers and Ongina channeled the art of Louis Recchia and Zoa Ace through live performances. The results were fierce, to say the least, and we’re still reeling from our favorite scenes. Continue…

3 things to do for free this week, December 3-6, 2012

If paying your December 1 emptied your pockets, don’t despair: You can still have fun — for free! — this week. Among the options are watching a campy horror movie about a Franken-prostitute, catching a candle art show, and playing drag queen bingo. For a full listing of all events…