Roamin' the Range entertainment update for Feb. 2016

There’s plenty of excellent entertainment going on close to home along the Front Range. Here are a few things that may be of special interest.

A new exhibit opening February 6 at the 1879 Avery House in Fort Collins showcases a remarkable collection of a century of fine womenswear, mid-1800s to mid-1900s. The Margaret Brown Collection is among the largest and most important donations of historic costume to Poudre Landmarks Foundation (PLF), which manages the Avery House. Visitors will see a beautiful, extensive range of fashion, from evening gowns to sportswear, outerwear to undergarments, hats to shoes. Margaret Brown’s lifelong love of vintage fashion resulted in an extensive collection that she used for charity fashion shows. Brown, who currently lives in Denver, had been on the lookout for a suitable place to donate her collection. After seeing the Rocky Mountain PBS Arts District feature on the Avery House’s 2013 costume exhibit, “Fashions of an Age: The Downton Abbey Era,” Brown contacted PLF about donating her collection. PLF is delighted and honored to share, through this exhibit, Margaret Brown’s legacy of fashion and friendship. Visitors can view the exhibit during regular Avery House tour hours, Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 p.m. The exhibit runs February 6 to July 10. Free admission; donations appreciated. For more information, email [email protected], call (970) 221-0533, or visit poudrelandmarks.org.

Bringing high quality, affordable live theatre to the Front Range, Colorado State University Theatre is honored to premiere the latest draft of Diana Son’s gender role comedy, Boy, Feb. 5 – Feb. 14, Fridays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. in the Studio Theatre at the University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St. No charge for CSU students and $18 for the public. Tickets are available at the University Center for the Arts (UCA) ticket office in the UCA lobby Monday through Friday, 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 60 minutes prior to performances, by phone at (970) 491-ARTS (2787), or online at www.CSUArtsTickets.com. All tickets are subject to a $1 ticket fee for both online and at-the-door purchases. Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended to avoid lines and further at-the-door fees. NOT APPROPRIATE FOR AUDIENCES UNDER 17. A parable about a society that values boys over girls, in this workshop-style production of Diana Son’s Boy, directed by CSU Theatre Professor Walt Jones, an “everyman” couple, who wishes to gain the respect of their community, conspires at the birth of their fourth daughter to announce that they finally have a son. In raising the baby as a boy, they even name her “Boy” and no one, not even Boy herself, knows her true gender untilshe falls in love with the girl next door. Originally written in 1996, Boy has been workshopped in the past, but remained unfinished until last year. After five years of pursuing Ms. Son through agents and representatives, Jones finally met with the author in N.Y. last March and was given permission for CSU Theatre to premiere her most recent draft of the play. There is sensitive content including nudity, essential to Boy’s self-discovery process. Younger people may benefit from attending this production but students under 17 will not be admitted without a parent or guardian. A director talk back will be offered after the Friday night show.

“China’s Imperial Treasures: Art & Artifacts” opening event at The Global Village Museum, 200 W. Mountain Ave. 6-9 p.m. on Feb. 5. This exhibition showcases art and artifacts from the Warring States period of 400-500 BC from a bronze cloak pin to contemporary porcelain vases. Capture the essence of Chinese culture with unforgettable treasures from the 5-foot jade boat to minuscule paintings on rice grains. See a broad array of treasures portrayed in jade, bronze, porcelain, silk, agate, silver, ivory and wood. Rich with traditional motifs, scenes from daily life and cultural symbolism, each treasure will provide an awe inspiring visit to China within Fort Collins. Adults $2.50 seniors/students $1.50, youth $.50. globalvillagemuseum.org/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibits/.

Opera Fort Collins is reviving its award-winning production of “Daughter of the Regiment,” Feb. 9 and 10 in a special adaptation of Gaetano Donizetti’s iconic comedy about the military vivandieres of the French 19th century reset in the American Civil War. Soprano Rose Sawvel reprises her role as Marie, the heroine reared from childhood by the men of 23rd Regiment, who considers herself just “one of the guys.” She cooks, does laundry and raises the spirits of her brothers in arms. All is well until the regimental darling falls in love with a solider across enemy lines. In 2014, OFC’s original production of “Daughter of the Regiment” won third-place in professional opera division of The American Prize. The 2016 production is shortened to 70 minutes for families and opera friends old and new. In English with easy-to-read supertitles and performed with string quartet and piano. Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 10, 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Lincoln Center Magnolia Theater, 417 W. Magnolia St., Fort Collins, Colorado. Tickets: $28 adult, $12 student.
lctix.com/Daughter-of-the-Regiment, 970-221-6730, or Lincoln Center Box Office.

Bas Bleu Theatre, 401 Pine St. in Fort Collins, has a variety of offerings for February. Making its world premiere at Bas Bleu, “Hide Sky” depicts how a mother’s passing brings an estranged sibling home to the Florida Panhandle. Upon her return she confronts matters of love, faith and reconnecting with the brother and sister she left behind. Experience a poetically realistic drama about coming through grief, the lies we tell each other in the name of family and religion and how we can all begin again. Presented by special arrangement with playwright Caridad Svich, winner of a 2012 OBIE Award for Lifetime Achievement. Her plays have been featured in stages across the U.S. and abroad including the Denver Center Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, and venues in Chile, Germany and the U.K. Directed by Sarah Zwick-Tapley. Runs through Feb. 28. On Feb. 7 catch the Comedy Brewers and their fast–paced, short-form improv at Bas Bleu, 7:30 p.m. See a local culture art show sponsored by KRFC in the Gallery Bleu through February. Readers’ Theatre presents The Quality of Life, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 and 22; 2:30 p.m. Feb. 27. Visit Bas Bleu at basbleu.org or call 970-498-8949.

The Fort Collins Museum of Art, 201 S. College Ave., announces “Natural Shift,” part of the Eastham Family Exhibition Series, open through March 20, 2016. Four contemporary artists from around the country who work with nature-inspired forms from steel to copper, wood and clay, illustrate how nature is full of adaptation and change. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m Wed.-Fri.; noon-5 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Members and children 6 and under free; $5 adults, $4 students and seniors. Info:www.fcma.org 970-482-2787.

Fort Collins Symphony’s Season of Legends and Legacies continues at 7 p.m. Feb. 6, with a concert featuring the legendary “Symphony No. 5,” by Dimitri Shostakovich, “Schelomo: A Hebraic Rhapsody,” by Ernest Bloch, and “Two Mountain Scenes,” by Kevin Puts. Under the direction of Maestro Wes Kenney, the symphony will perform a program of breathtaking music. Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich was fearless in his creation of extraordinary music in the face of enormous political pressure. His “Symphony No. 5” is an amazing attempt to find favor again. Ernest Bloch created “Schelomo: A Hebraic Rhapsody,” as a celebration of his Jewish heritage. Outstanding cellist Allison Eldredge will make her Fort Collins Symphony debut by performing the mesmerizing piece about the Rocky Mountains, “Two Mountain Scenes,” by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Kevin Puts. Eldredge has been described by The Chicago Tribune as “a musician of remarkable gifts” and a “cellist afraid of nothing.” She was awarded the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant and Musical America’s “Young Artist of the Year” Award in 1989. As a soloist, Eldredge has performed with the world’s premiere orchestras, including the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Royal Philharmonic, Moscow Virtuosi, and China National Symphony. Other distinctions include a critically-acclaimed sold-out debut as soloist at Carnegie Hall and an invitation to play at the White House. Eldredge lives in Boston and serves on the faculty of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. Tickets: 970-221-6730 or visit fcsymphony.org.