Insider's Tips to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival

Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CSF) turns 50 this year and it looks fabulous.

Since last year's debut of Phillip Sneed as Artistic Director, CSF has added new seats*, a musical ("Woody Guthrie"- and it's really good), a new caterer, and free pre-show talks at every performance. 

Currently, Sneed himself is receiving fantastic reviews for his work onstage as Macbeth.  History is in the making as Julian López-Morillas completes the canon (i.e., will have performed in every Shakespearean play) with his compelling portrayal of Cardinal Woolsey in "Henry VIII".  Plus this year I'm in a show there.  C'mon.

Whether you've never been or one of the thousands who make CSF part of their regular summer routine, there's some new stuff happening at the fest this year worth checking out.  In addition to those things mentioned above

 


it doesn't get much better than a summer night in Boulder.  Take advantage of the gorgeous weather, mountain vistas, and free entertainment with a picnic on the Green in front of the theatre.

Falstaff's offers gourmet picnics to be picked up at the theatre. Order ahead of time, or even when you get to the show.  BYOB--or a non-alcoholic drink is included with the meal.

Fight director (and damned fine actor) Geoffrey Kent introduced me to happy hour at Hapa on The Hill.  Time it right, and you can grab a couple of maki to go for $5.50.

My understudy, Lisa "Lee" Morse, earned her PhD from CU's theatre department- a short walk from the university's Museum of Natural History.  "It's nice and cool," Lee points out... a feature you might really appreciate if attending a weekend matinee performance. Suggested donation of $3 adults/$1 youth.

Nearly everyone I queried recommended happy hour tapas at The Med on Walnut Street, a 15 minute walk from the theatre.  CSF's dialect coach Sara Phillips praised the bacon-wrapped dates, white sangria, and fried artichoke hearts. "Sounds like a heart attack, but these are the faves!"

Swooning at the sound of the menu, I grabbed some gals (GerRee Hinshaw, host of Freak Train; and Dee Covington, director of Curious New Voices) and headed to the Med to do a little fact-checking prior to attending "Macbeth".  There was a 45-minute wait for a table... though The Attack of the Drunken White Men was served up without delay.

We fled to Centro for mojitos, some amazing sea bass in chipotle sauce, grilled shrimp tacos, and "avocado salad" (apparently they don't serve "guacamole").  The food and service was perfect.  Our bill, however, was probably 3x what it would have been if we'd suffered the wait at The Med.

Sean Tarrant (whose Henry VIII is as sexy and compelling as Jonathan Rhys Meyer's) also suggested the seafood and infused vodka at Jax. 

Sounds like another field trip is in order.  Who's with me?

Speaking of which:

Noel Johnson (the most darlingest Griffith in "Henry VIII") has, um, graciously offered the following:

 

Topics: theatre , theater , plays , Denver , audience , Dee Covington , Colorado , free , comedy , Freak Train , GerRee Hinshaw