Summer promises a little something for everyone throughout arts venues in Jefferson County. In Lakewood, Arvada and Golden, a host of theater events and concerts are on tap for the hot days and long nights of summer.
The Arvada Center
“Das Barbecü,” a musical comedy set in Texas, plays June 29 to July 25. It stars two sets of incompatible lovers and a long line of quarreling families, all on a search for a much-desired ring. Five actors play more than 30 roles, including dwarves and heroic cowboys.
The songs are Texas-flavored Broadway, jazz and western swing tunes with fun titles like “Hog-Tie Your Man,” “Rodeo Romeo,” and “Makin’ Guacamole,” a song and dance tribute to the joys of guacamole.
Playing in the outdoor amphitheater from June 15 to July 29 is “The Monster Under the Bed,” a children’s show narrating the many episodes that can take place while cleaning under the bed. Items such as a dirty sock, a doll and a racecar must find their way out while dodging the dangers of the monster under the bed.
The main event in the outdoor theater is the summer concert series, featuring 12 outdoor concerts with music ranging from Cajun to jazz to bluegrass. The shows are on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m., and tickets range from $10 to $32,
First up is the “Celtic Revelries,” an evening of Irish folksongs June 11 by the Arvada Center Chorale and Colcannon that helps celebrate the city’s 100th birthday.
Grammy nominee Pete Wernick’s Live Five plays with Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams on June 12. Wernick leads his crew through a mix of high-energy bluegrass and traditional jazz. Wofford’s band plays original honky-tonk and western swing.
Rio native Claudia Villela brings the rich, cultural roots of Brazil to the Center on June 19 through her five-octave range. Her music includes samba, free-form jazz and European classical.
On June 26, acoustic singer-songwriter Al Stewart takes his audience back in time to 1960s London with his Scottish-influenced musical tales.
Southern Exposure, featuring special guests Gretchen Peters and Byron Berline, combines comedy and bluegrass in traditional and contemporary styles during a July 10 show.
Eclectic singer-songwriter and musician Michelle Shocked entertains on July 17 with flavors of Southern funk, country folk, rock and blues.
Queen Ida and Her Zydeco Band keeps an energetic beat with accordions, bass and rhythm guitars, washboards and drums. The band’s music is a blend of rhythm and blues, rock, reggae, Caribbean and country western. She performs July 24.
Seven-time Irish fiddle champion Eileen Ivers, best-known as the violinist from “Riverdance,” employs tones from Spain, Africa, the West Indies and Cuba to create a distinctive Celtic sound. She will perform July 31.
Hot Club of Cowtown, a popular swing trio, will perform Aug. 6. Liz Masterson and the Olde Town Swing Band open the show, reverting to the 1930s and ’40s with lively, improv jazz beats.
Blending piano, keyboards and ballads, Marcia Ball will combine characteristics of New Orleans and Texas to produce a soulful version of blues on Aug. 7.
A Tribute to the Rat Pack relives and celebrates the days of some of Las Vegas’ most memorable performers, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., during an Aug. 14 show.
On Aug. 21, nine-time Grammy winner Asleep at the Wheel combines big band swing with country blues, honky-tonk and Cajun tones.
For information and tickets, call 720-898-7200 or visit www.ArvadaCenter.org.
Lakewood Cultural Center
Wednesday evenings at Lakewood City Commons Civic Center Plaza bring the Lakewood Cultural Center’s Sounds Exciting! 2004 outdoor summer concert series. The shows are on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m., with gates opening at 6 p.m.
The series opens with blues queen Hazel Miller on June 23, followed by Dixieland jazz Queen City Jazz Band on June 30, and Western songwriter and cowboy poet Jon Chandler and the Wichitones on July 7.
On July 14, Chris Daniels and the Kings swing into the cultural center. Local vocal band Face plays July 21, Dotsero plays jazz on July 28, and Lannie Garrett and the Gypsy Swing Revue close the series Aug. 4.
Inside the center are a series of other theatrical and musical events through the summer. On June 6, the Colorado Chorale presents “On Stage,” featuring highlights from Meredith Wilson’s “Music Man” and George Gershwin’s “Girl Crazy.”
Murphy Repertory Co. presents “Dance Diversified,” a creative ensemble of modern, jazz, ballet, tap, hip-hop and stomp, on June 13.
“Resurgence,” presented by Kim Robards Dance, features modern dance works showcasing the original choreography of professional company members, on June 18.
June 20 brings Colorado cowboy singer-songwriters, including Bill Barwick and the Sons of the Tumbleweed, Jon Chandler, Liz Masterson and Sean Blackburn, to perform original songs, comedy and rope tricks in “Colorado Cowboy Class.”
On June 25, the cultural center hosts a tributes to songs and dances from legendary Hollywood movies such as “Casablanca,” “Moulin Rouge” and “Goldfinger” in “Here’s to Hollywood.”
James Olguin presents “Festival Folklorico,” featuring Ballet Folkorico Semblanzas de Mexico and the Hispanic Mexican Ballet Inc. of San Diego on July 10.
The Ovation Players presents the classic musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” a comedic spin on 1950s sci-fi movies, opening July 23.
For information and tickets for all Lakewood Cultural Center shows, call 303-987-7845 or visit www.recreation-lakewood.org/tickets.
Miners Alley Playhouse
A 15-year tradition of children’s theater in Morrison and Golden continues this summer at Miners Alley Playhouse in downtown Golden with “A Summer of Children’s Theatre.”
The season starts with Dennis McCarthy’s adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland,” opening June 9, followed by “Hansel and Gretel,” based on the well-known Grimm Brothers story, which opens July 12.
For more information and tickets, call 303-935-3044 or visit www.MinersAlley.com.
Colorado Mills
The Colorado Mills mall is getting into the beat this summer with “Hot Summer Nights on The Street,” a free outdoor summer concert series starting June 25 with Denver funk-rock band Opie Gone Bad. Also coming through July are the bluesy Groove Hawgs, Dotsero, famed Colorado classic rock band Firefall and the voices of classic rock, featuring Jimi Jamison from Survivor, Alex Lingertwood from Santana and Mike Reno from Loverboy. Promoters promise a well-known mystery band on July 30.
For more information on the free concerts, call 303-384-3084 or visit www.coloradomills.com.