Best Musical — Local 2008 | Ragtime Boulder's Dinner Theatre | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Musical — Local

Ragtime Boulder's Dinner Theatre

With Ragtime, it felt as if Boulder's Dinner Theatre had opened the doors and let in a great whoosh of invigorating air. This is one hell of a musical to stage, one based on an important book that marries a meaningful plot with a smart, perceptive script and terrific songs. To create a cast, artistic director Michael J. Duran teamed up with Jeffrey Nickelson of Denver's Shadow Theatre Company, and Nickelson himself played the enigmatic angel-devil Coalhouse Walker. The energy and discovery created by this fusion of talents from the two companies was palpable, and the production was a joy, buoyed by strong performances, filled with memorable moments and crammed with musical numbers that ranged from meltingly lovely to funny to wildly exhilarating.

Best Musical — Touring

The Light in the Piazza
Denver Center Attractions

Luscious and lyrical, a feast for the eyes, ears and mind, The Light in the Piazza reminded you of just how romantic a musical can be. Every performance was a gem. Katie Rose Clarke was a luminous Clara; David Burnham, too, sang like an angel. And at any point, if you happened to get bored watching superb actors carry an absorbing plot or listening to varied and heart-stirring music, you could study the exquisite architectural contours of Michael Yeargan's set, admire the vibrant colors of Catherine Zuber's costumes or take in the shifting play of light created by Christopher Akerlind. This play left you dizzy with pleasure.

Best New Band

Widowers

The current lineup of Widowers looks an awful lot like the now-in-limbo Constellations, with two-thirds of the same people, but Mike Marchant's tight songwriting — with just the right blend of pop smarts and psychedelic swirls — and Cory Brown's melodic drumming signal that this outfit is up to something very different. In just over a year of live shows, the act's sound has evolved into a sticky, infectious garage-pop hybrid that's accessible enough to draw a crowd, but just unique enough to stand out in that crowd. Guitarist Davey Hart flails and wails hypnotically at the edge of the stage while Marchant — all doe eyes and Julian Casablancas come-ons — purrs his abstruse lyrics and twists his guitar into new and interesting shapes. Meanwhile, Mark Shusterman's fractured, flickering Rhodes adds just the right amount of sparkle. Driven home by subtle, insistent and undeniably sexy rhythms, Widowers melodies linger long after the last string stops vibrating.

Best New Bar

Continental Club

Every once in a while, a bar opens that just feels like home — if your home had cheap drinks (we're talking dollar PBRs all the time) and a damn fine jukebox stocked with everything from old-school punk to classic country to jazz and everything in between. The Continental Club is a simple, unpretentious joint — a little on the small side, but it works. And it's a welcome addition not just to the Santa Fe arts district, but to all of Denver — particularly since it augments that jukebox by bringing in live bands like Whiskey Throttle and Lyin' Bitch & the Restraining Orders.

Best New Bar From a Musician

Crown Hill Taphouse

Tyson Murray knows a few things about bars — and music. The Railbenders bassist was one of the original owners of Bender's Tavern, and last summer he took over the former Wheat Ridge Bar & Grill, turning it into a damn cool spot. While the Taphouse may be only a fraction of the size of his former joint, Murray has it stocked with seventeen beers on tap, including Boddingtons, Kronenbourg, Hoegaarden, Beamish Irish Stout and a few local microbrews. And he keeps the rest of the place jumping, too, especially on Mondays, when the lovely and talented Angie Stevens holds court at the weekly open stage. And on Saturdays, there's a steady stream of live blues and alt-country bands on, uh, tap.

Best New Club

Below

Nearly two years after opening the basement-level Slim 7, Bill Ward expanded his subterranean empire to the other side of Larimer Square, taking over the 6,000-square-foot space that formerly housed the Champion Brewing Company and transforming it into two clubs, Pie Hole and Below. They're about as yin and yang as it gets: Pie Hole is the brightly lit, sparsely finished late-night pizza joint, while Below is a dark, candle-filled gothic lair pulled out of the pages of an Anne Rice novel. Nosferatu would foam at the mouth at the sight of this killer den — but to make sure the place stays lively, Ward has brought in nationally known DJs, as well as Lipgloss DJ Michael Trundle, who helms the club's weekly Recession Wednesdays.

Best New Production/Promotion Company

Uddermadness

The name may be ridiculous, but Uddermadness is deadly serious about bringing innovative, exciting dance-music talent to Denver. Founded less than two years ago, Uddermadness quickly built a reputation as promoters with an ear for what's hot and a knack for booking artists for their first Colorado appearances. From the pulsing, jazz-infused techno of Cobblestone Jazz to the infectious, irresistible sound of Booka Shade, this crew has been responsible for some of the most exciting dance-music events in the region. And with a number of top-notch productions lined up for the near future, Uddermadness has demonstrated that there's always room for one more promoter on the scene — provided said promoter kicks this kind of ass.

Best New Public Art

"Mustang," by Luis Jimenez
Denver International Airport

Even though it's been widely ridiculed — and hated — it's hard to deny the power of Luis Jimenez's "Mustang" on the approach to Jeppesen Terminal at DIA. The 32-foot-high outdoor piece is a perfect example of the artist's sensibility, bridging the gap between the high art of classic Western imagery and the low brow of the carnival's garishly painted fiberglass ornaments. The gigantic rearing stallion, with its luridly blue coat, bulging black veins and glowing reddish-orange eyes, is pointedly disturbing, and the story of its creation matches that mood. Thirteen years overdue when it was delivered in February, "Mustang" was also over budget and the subject of lawsuits between Denver and Jimenez. And in June 2006, a piece of the sculpture fell on the artist and killed him. Nonetheless, Jimenez's final work may have been his best.

Best New Public Art — South

"Continuum," by William Burgess
Colorado Springs

Like many cities, Colorado Springs has a vacated railyard next to its downtown. Since it's small and in Monument Creek's floodplain, however, the city decided to turn it into America the Beautiful Park instead of developing it and to anchor the park with the stunning modernist sculpture "Continuum — the Julie Penrose Fountain," by renowned sculptor William Burgess. Set in an elaborate group of pools designed by architect David Barber, the open loop of steel lined with hundreds of water jets is about four stories tall. And if the cascading water and gigantic size aren't enough to inspire notice, the sculpture is on a rotating turntable. In good weather, the place teems with kids; surely, it's one of the best ways to spend an afternoon in the Springs.

Best New Public Art — Suburbs

"Ghost Trolley," by Lawrence Argent
Aurora

Old downtown Aurora has seen better days, and the city's leaders have attempted to turn that fact around in any number of ways, one of which is the installation of public art in the area. Among the several commissions completed in the last year or so is "Ghost Trolley," by Lawrence Argent, which sits in the center island across from the Martin Luther King Library. The sculpture, executed in translucent plastic, is a flattened, three-dimensional image of a trolley appropriated from a historic photo taken when these quaint streetcars ran up and down Colfax Avenue. The context combines the best of the past and present.

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