Arts news: Makeover for Boulder Theater; Ice Cube is coming; and are you ready to (Last) Waltz?

The Denver Botanic Gardens has named Donna McGinnis as its next CEO, effective Feb. 2.

McGinnis, CEO of the Naples Botanical Garden in Collier County, Fla., since 2017, succeeds Brian Vogt, who passed away after 18 years as CEO in March.

DBG Board Chair Mary Lee Chin cited McGinnis for her “dynamic character and thoughtful leadership at a time when public gardens have never been more essential.” Under her leadership, Naples more than doubled its budget, visitation, membership and staff, according to the DBG announcement. McGinnis also led a successful $20 million capital campaign.

“I have a passion for making gardens a place for all, removing barriers that may prevent some from visiting,” McGinnis said, “I believe that a meaningful approach to community and positive change requires genuine, vulnerable relationship-building – and I am dedicated to doing so.”

The Denver Botanic Gardens’ latest records show a mixed but recovering financial picture, with revenues and expenses both increasing. In 2024, total revenue was about $41.6 million and expenses were about $54.1 million, resulting in a net loss. But the organization’s overall financial health seems strong thanks to metrics like a low liabilities-to-assets ratio and a slowly recovering endowment fund.

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance milestone

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance has announced both a major funding milestone in its capital campaign ($25 million) and a date (Jan. 17) for the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of its new addition. A week-long celebration is being planned around Denver’s annual Martin Luther King activities.

The legendary dance company will be christening its new 25,000-square-foot wing, situated adjacent to the current, century-old headquarters at 119 Park Avenue West in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood.

This also means the company’s upcoming 34th seasonal presentation of the holiday classic “Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum” will be its last in its “historic” headquarters. Info at cleoparkerdance.org

May I have this (Last) Waltz?

For 21 years, musicians have gathered in Denver and elsewhere to celebrate The Band’s historic farewell performance in 1976, immortalized on film as “The Last Waltz.” This year’s 49th anniversary will offer area Band-Aiders two options for how to mark the occasion. The largest ongoing gathering will showcase members of Polytoxic together with more than 60  musicians from across Colorado on Nov. 26 at the Fillmore Auditorium. Tickets at ticketmaster.com. …

But, wait: Just a couple miles down Broadway at the hi-dive, members of more than a dozen local bands will come together at the same time to celebrate the occasion with a first-of-its-kind holiday benefit show. Gillian Pasley of the band Caspar Milquetoast and Dave Knodle of Horse Bitch are organizing their own “Waltz” party at the iconic Hi-Dive, with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to a non-profit called the Kaizen Food Rescue in Englewood.

Performers from local bands including Tomato Soup, Fresh Fruit, Alana Mars, Plain Faraday, Dream of Time and many more will appear at what organizers hope will become its own annual Thanksgiving-week tradition.

Adding to the fun: Local songwriter Barry Osborne of Swallow Hill Music will perform as Arlo Guthrie and Gion Davis of the local band Clementine Was Right will appear as poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Tickets at hi-dive.com. Can the world take that much “Waltzing?” We’re about to find out.

Boulder Theater face-lift

Boulder Theater has completed six months of cleanup and upgrades, including plaster repair and color restoration. The work was done to address long-term water damage that had caused the building’s exterior to crack and crumble. The stucco surface was repainted in “a soft cream tone” to match its 1936 design.

Gov. Jared Polis joined Historic Boulder in celebrating the completion of the project with a ribbon-cutting event Nov. 6 in front of the theater that will essentially become the nerve center when the Sundance Film Festival takes over Boulder in 2027.

Polis called Boulder Theater “an iconic institution that has long been a gathering place and a stage for creativity, conversation and community.”

Not so fast, Westley

In August, we told you that movie star Cary Elwes would be returning to the Paramount Theatre to do his thing talking “The Princess Bride” at two screenings on Dec. 27. Inconceivable! (Literally.) It was just announced that “due to unforeseen circumstances,” the screenings have been moved to 1 and 7 p.m. on March 28. (Tickets are still available.)

And, newly announced at the Parmount: A second night with Jim Gaffigan (now Jan. 23-24) and “Nick Offerman: Big Woodchuck” (Feb. 12). Go to paramountdenver.com.

Music news

Were you among the 60,000 who attended The Weeknd’s historic June 21 show at Empower Field? It set the records for both most shows and highest attendance by a Black male artist at what I will call till my death Mile High Stadium. Now comes word that “After Hours Til Dawn” is the biggest-selling tour by a male solo artist in history.

Including tickets sold for the upcoming European leg, The Weeknd (aka Grammy-winning Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Abel Makkonen Tesfaye) has now sold more than 7.5 million tickets and grossed more than $1 billion across 153 shows. (Of that, $8.5 million has been donated to humanitarian charities.)

Hot tickets newly on sale:  Meghan Trainor with Icona Pop on Aug. 1 at Ball Arena; Alejandro Fernández with Camila Fernández on May 7 at Red Rocks; Rod Stewart with Richard Marx at Red Rocks (second show added June 15). All at livenation.com. Coming up this week: Bryan Adams with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo on Monday (Nov. 24) at Ball Arena.

On sale at 10 a.m. Friday at axs.com: Ice Cube with Big Boi (of Outkast) and others on April 20 at Red Rocks … And the newly announced show that I most want to see: Mt. Joy will be playing Red Rocks on Aug. 13-14 and then move down to Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre on Aug. 15. That kind of thing never used to happen. Tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at axs.com.

Award for Ratio Beerworks …

Ratio Beerworks, an independent cultural anchor in Denver’s River North Art District since 2015, is the recipient of the RiNo Art District’s inaugural Creative Business Award. The brewery has donated at least 3% of its annual beer production for the last decade to nonprofits supporting the arts, creatives, artists, musicians and venues. “We know that supporting and collaborating with local musicians and artists helps to make Denver a place we love to spend time in,” said Ratio co-founder Jason zumBrunnen.