Summer: Time to Twirl

Local festivals satisfy all tastes

By Naomi Tepper

From the classic to the fringy, summer festivals across Boulder County delight fans with acrobatics, arias, acting, and almost everything in between. Outdoor venues pulse with bluegrass, rock and classical music, and funky art and film fests are not to be missed. Browse the eclectic collection of once-a-year events—every resident and visitor is sure to find the perfect fit. More listings appear in our Dance, Film, Music, Theater, Visual Arts and Local Events/Art Events sections.

Sample Boulder County's profusion of summer shows. Above: Folks Fest at Planet Bluegrass Ranch. Photo by Benko Photographics

Music Festivals

For music enthusiasts, Chautauqua Auditorium hosts the 32nd-annual Colorado Music Festival June 21-Aug 1. Music director Michael Christie presents an impressive season with more than 20 concerts, as well as first-chair musicians pouring in from around the country and the world. On June 22, opening night showcases 15-year-old musical prodigy Shannon Lee playing Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto. The crowd-pleaser of the festival may be the back-to-back “Beethoven Rocks!” series, featuring all nine Beethoven symphonies performed by the CMF Festival Orchestra July 6-13. Meanwhile, the festival showcases the Colorado premiere of Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio July 24-25. For those interested in traveling outside the traditional music box, CMF provides nonstop aural excursions with performers like the Brazilian Guitar Quartet; Tapage, a tap duo dancing to music created by Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas and Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla; and an electrifying performance by ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro. 303-449-1397; www.coloradomusicfest.org.

The Chautauqua Summer Series starts off sweetly with alternative rock band Cake in concert at Chautauqua Auditorium June 7. Other Flatirons-shaking performances are due from the Indigo Girls June 15, Marc Cohn and Aimee Mann July 9, Cowboy Junkies July 12, and Chris Isaak Aug. 8. That’s not all; 19 other musicians will fill the foothills with fiery notes through September. Chautauqua also features an exciting Silent Film Series starting at 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday June 4 through Sept. 17 in the auditorium; the films are always accompanied by live music—by Hank Troy on piano or the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. 303-440-7666; www.chautauqua.com.

The free seats at Chautauqua Auditorium. Photo by so Min Kang Photography.

For bluegrass lovers of all ages, Rocky Grass is the local must-attend event of the summer. The festival takes place at the Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons along the banks of the St. Vrain River. Attendees can bask in the rhythms of 22 headliners July 25-27, including Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster; “King of Newgrass” Sam Bush; Alaskan quintet Bearfoot; and longtime classic bluegrass musicians JD Crowe & The New South. 800-624-2422; www.bluegrass.com/rockygrass.

Return to the banks of the St. Vrain in Lyons, Aug. 15-17, for the 18th annual Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. The 2008 “Summit of the Song” unites folk musicians from around the world. Performers include singer/songwriter Amos Lee; vocalist Patty Griffin; The Wallflowers’ front man Jakob Dylan; Australia’s international stars The Waifs; and myriad others. The Folks Festival is also host to the Songwriter Showcase, a contest in which unsigned artists compete for an “in-the-round” performance slot at the Wildflower Pavilion during the event. Deadline for entries is July 13. 800-624-2422; www.bluegrass.com/folks.

“Epic” best describes the first-ever Mile High Music Festival, coming to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver July 19-20. More than 40 bands appear on five stages, including Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, The Black Crowes, The Roots, Leftover Salmon, and Colorado’s own Flobots. Wander away from the stages to taste delicious dishes from top restaurants, peruse art exhibits, and more. 866-461-6556; http://milehighmusicfestival.com.

Head to the hills for Nedfest Aug. 22-24. The independent, grassroots event is 10 years old and has matured into an experience that rivals lowland music festivals. Organizers have a new stage and sophisticated sound system, and this year’s bands offer a fusion of bluegrass, jazz and world-beat genres. Bands include Melvin Seals & JGB with Steve Kimock, The Motet, the Tony Furtado Band and many more. Perks include free tickets for kids 12 and under, free parking, free Indian Peaks spring water and free mountain air. www.nedfest.com.

Opera

There’s no need to learn Italian or French to enjoy the Central City Opera summer season June 6-Aug 10. CCO’s General/Artistic Director Pelham Pearce ushers in three productions this year, all 20th-century works in English, in honor of the coinciding National Performing Arts Convention in Denver. The season opens with Benjamin Britten’s British chamber opera The Rape of Lucretia. Conducted by Damian Iorio, it stars award-winning mezzo-soprano Phyllis Pancella as the dishonored wife Lucretia in ancient Rome.

Teller Opera House, Central City Opera. Photo by Mark Kiryluk

Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, the beloved modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, brings the unique American voice of music theater to the opera stage. It stars American tenor Gregory Turay as Tony and soprano Sarah Jane McMahon as Maria, conducted by John Baril and Christopher Zemliauskas.

Soprano Emily Pulley sings the title role in Carlisle Floyd’s American opera Susannah, which enjoyed stunning success in 1997 as the CCO’s first departure from European opera. The production is revived this year with an all-new cast, conductor Hal France and director Michael Ehrman. 303-292-6700; www.centralcityopera.org.

The Colorado Light Opera proves it’s not all about tears and tragedy July 10-Aug. 3. Two shows come to CU’s Music Theatre in the Imig Music Building: Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway classic A Little Night Music is a story of the ironies and comedy of love. Frank Loesser’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is described as “a satire of big business and all it holds sacred.” 303-492-8008; www.cuconcerts.org.

Theater and Dance

All the world’s a stage during the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, June 20-Aug. 16. True fans of the literary legend can catch Macbeth and Love’s Labour’s Lost at CU’s outdoor Mary Rippon Theatre, while Henry the Eighth lights up the indoor University Theatre Main Stage.

For those not versed in 16th-century English, an adaptation of The Three Musketeers (based on Alexandre Dumas, père’s, swashbuckling 1844 novel) is playing too, along with the more contemporary 1989 musical Woody Guthrie’s American Song. This is an especially exciting year, for Aug. 2 marks the 50th anniversary of CSF’s first show and the high point of its golden jubilee. Check the website for performance dates of this reportory season. 303-492-0554; www.coloradoshakes.org.

Love’s Labour’s Lost at Colorado Shakespeare Festival, 1998. Photo by Terry Asker.

Learn to fly at the Aerial Dance Festival. For two weeks, Aug. 3-16, the nonprofit group Frequent Flyers offers immersion courses in aerial dancing for everyone from beginners to experts. Fearless students learn the arts of fabric choreography, trapeze swinging, stilt walking, bungee dancing, aerial hoops and aerial yoga from master aerialists. For those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground, the festival presents recitals Aug. 8-10; a special 10th-anniversary performance Aug. 15; and a student repertory show on Aug. 16—all at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St. 303-245-8272; www.frequentflyers.org.

Fred Deb' at Aerial Dance Festival. Photo by David Andrews.

The fourth annual Boulder International Fringe Festival Aug. 14-25 is a celebration of independent performing, visual and cinematic arts. The 12-day festival takes place at 14 venues all over downtown Boulder, including coffee shops, theaters, rooftops, churches and street corners. Seventy Fringe exhibitors are selected from a top hat during the annual lottery drawing. Performers come from around the world to showcase their art at the increasingly popular festival, but many of the artists are rooted in Boulder County’s own vibrant soil. Local exhibitors include the Schiff Dance Collective, The Free Range String Quartet, and Theatre13. Delight your eye with visions of the Waking Circus Productions fire dancers, laugh and be amazed by the Comedy Magic of Aaron Black, and be inspired by Kath Burlinson’s award winning solo show “The Mother’s Bones.” 720-563-9950; www.boulderfringe.com.

Free Tunes

Escape to small-town Niwot for Rhythm on the Rails. This concert series won the Governor’s Award for Excellence for Best Small Promotional Event last year. Presented by Boulder Creek Events and the Niwot Business Association, the concerts take place at 5 p.m. every Thursday June 14-Sept. 20. Live, free music includes such notable acts as Hazel Miller Band, Face, Deja Blu, Lionel Young, Rebecca Folsom, Girls On Top, and Pete Wernick. Located at Whistle Stop Park, just off the Diagonal (Highway 119) at First Avenue and Murray Street, the scene offers an unobstructed view of the sunset over the Rockies. There’s food, drink and places for kids to play. 303-449-3137; www.bouldercreekevents.com/rorhome.html.

“Hic + Nunc” at the 2007 Boulder International Fringe Festival. Photo by Jodee Spalding.

Wear your dancing shoes on Wednesdays, when Bands on the Bricks returns to the block in front of the Boulder County Court House, 1300 Pearl St. Ten musicians are showcased, including local favorites like Wendy Woo, Chris Daniels, and the Erica Brown Band. Music kicks off at 7 p.m. every Wednesday June 18-Aug. 20. www.boulderdowntown.com.

Another free weekly concert series blooms at the Millennium Harvest House’s Friday Afternoon Club Rockin’ The Garden. Through Sept. 19, local and national artists play all sorts of music at these family-friendly events, Fridays 5:30-9:30 pm. This summer’s lineup includes Mojomama’s funk and blues, country music with Walker Williams, and Ricardo Pe˜na’s hot Latin beats. The hotel is located at 1345 28th St. 303-443-3850; www.harvesthousefac.com.

On Saturdays, head to Twenty Ninth Street, where weekly outdoor concerts spill into the street (closed for the occasion). Twenty Ninth Street LIVE! hosts musicians 6-10 p.m. every Saturday June 21-Aug. 9, including legendary pianist Henry Butler July 5, and local legend Great American Taxi Aug. 9. Concerts are held on the south end of 29th Street, near Canyon Boulevard. www.twentyninthstreet.com/events.asp.

Film

The third annual Gaia Film Festival comes to the Boulder Theater and the Boulder Public Library June 20-22. “The goal of the Gaia Film Festival is to promote films which enrich the human soul,” explains the festival’s director, Una Morera. Films in three categories—feature, documentary and shorts—are screened. 303-786-7030; www.gaiafilmfest.com.

Billing itself as “the American Cannes,” the Moondance Film Festival, directed by Elizabeth English, features a plethora of indie films from around the world. In addition to the film screenings, the festival offers retrospectives, workshops and pitch panels in addition to a gala awards reception and ceremony. After two years in California, the festival returns to its Boulder origins Aug. 29-31 at the Community House at Chautauqua and in the community room at the Boulder Shambhala Meditation Center, 1345 Spruce St. 303-545-0202; www.moondancefilmfestival.com.

Naomi Tepper is a freelance writer and entrepreneur. Born and raised in Boulder, she currently owns two businesses, manages real estate, parents a pre-teen, and is editing an anthology of erotic short stories to be published in 2009 by National American Library, a division of the Penguin Group.