Next month brings strong season openers, world premieres and other performances across the state

By the Thirst Team

Here are some of the best events across Colorado for the next few weeks. For more happenings, check out our events calendar.

This week, we are focusing on performing arts across Colorado. Here are our top picks in Colorado theater, dance and classical music.

Curious season opener in Denver through Sept. 20

Curious Theatre Company opens its new season with “Topdog/Underdog,” running from Aug. 29 to Sept. 20. The darkly funny Pulitzer Prize winner by Suzan-Lori Parks is about brothers Lincoln and Booth and the “lifetime they can’t outrun.” This year’s shows are at the beautiful new Cleo Parker Robinson Dance building on Park Avenue, while Curious renovates its Acoma Street space.

Colorado Symphony opens season Sept. 4

The Colorado Symphony Cello Ensemble opens the orchestra’s season on Sept. 4 at Boettcher Concert Hall. This month also brings collaborations with Gregory Alan Isakov (at Red Rocks) on Sept. 6 and 7, and Lawrence on Sept. 18. There also will be a Broadway showcase on Sept. 5, and performances of Latin music, a Rachmaninoff concerto and Beethoven’s 9th.

Rocky Mountain Rep’s 70s tribute opens Sept. 4

“Never Can Say Goodbye: The 70s Beehive Musical” runs Sept. 4 to Oct. 3 at the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre in Grand Lake. The show is a sequel to a 60s “Beehive” musical, and celebrates female voices of the 70s rock, pop and disco eras, including “Heart of Glass,” “I Will Survive,” “I am Woman” and other 70s classics.

“Outsiders” and “Destiny of Desire” in Denver starting Sept. 8

Two hit shows make their local debuts at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in September. “The Outsiders,” based on S.E. Hinton’s classic novel, won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical. The touring show comes to Denver Sept. 8 to 27 at the Buell Theatre.

Over in the Wolf Theatre, “Destiny of Desire: A Telenovela Play with Music” celebrates Mexican soap operas with melodrama and humor.

This month also brings back “Hold On to Your Butts,” a three-person, shot-by-shot parody of “Jurassic Park.”

“Sweeney Todd” opens in Colorado Springs Sept. 9

The Ent Center for the Arts in Colorado Springs will stage “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” Sept. 9 to Oct. 4. The show is set on the nasty side of Victorian London, where a new barber opened shop “and from the look of things, he’s going to make a killing.” Stephen Sondheim’s macabre masterpiece has been reimagined for the Theatreworks stage by Michael Lluberes.

Free arts showcase in Denver Sept. 12

Some of Colorado’s most acclaimed arts groups will stage a free season preview starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. First Act includes short performances from the Colorado Ballet, the Colorado Symphony, DCPA’s theaters, Dazzle and Opera Colorado; as well as a dance class and interactive activities.

Denver Concert Band’s 1920s celebration Sept. 13

The Denver Concert Band opens its 2026-27 season with a tribute to “The Roaring 20’s” on Sunday, Sept. 13 at the Lone Tree Arts Center. The show spotlights award-winning northern Colorado vocalist Hannah Rodriguez and brings together classical, jazz, Broadway show tunes and marches.

John Denver tribute opens in Littleton Sept. 18

The Town Hall Arts Center celebrates Colorado’s favorite adopted musical son with “Almost Heaven – The Songs of John Denver.” The Littleton theater’s season opener runs Sept. 18 to Oct. 24. The nostalgia-fueled revue travels to the 1960s and 1970s with performances of 29 John Denver hits.

Jazz orchestra’s “Sass, Swing and Standards” Sept. 18 and 27

DownBeat Award-winning jazz vocalist Marion Powers joins the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra Sextet on Friday, Sept. 18, at the Schoolhouse in Parker, and Sunday, Sept. 27, at Dazzle Denver.

The group promises an evening of classic standards from the Great American Songbook, including swing-era classics and jazz favorites. They will also preview their upcoming fifth album.

Boulder Ballet season opener Sept. 19

Boulder Ballet's 2026-27 season opens Saturday, Sept. 19, with “[In]Human,” billed as “a bold exploration of what it means to be deeply, unmistakably human.”

The show includes choreography by Jorma Elo, Ben Needham-Wood and Natasha Adorlee. The dances are set to music by Andrew Bird, Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Philip Glass.

Cleo Parker Robinson’s Caribbean show Sept. 19 and 20

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, opens its 56th season with Caribe on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20, at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The show includes two world premieres in “a vibrant celebration bridging the spirit of the Caribbean with the heart of Colorado.” The show also features guest artists from the National Dance Company of the Bahamas.

Boulder Philharmonic and Stratøs Sept. 30

Boulder composer and performer Stratøs will debut new compositions from his upcoming third album with the Boulder Phil at eTown on Sept. 30. Stratøs is an assistant professor at CU Boulder, and a multitalented artist. This year, he performed with Blood Orange at Coachella. His new “Challenger Deep” is a ten-movement symphony written for electronic chamber orchestra.

As always, please send us your events and announcements. We’re happy to share them. If they don’t fit in the performing arts preview, we will add them to our events calendar.