Winter Theater Roundup: The Good, the Evil, and the Very, Very Funny

It's prime indoor activity season, and Denver area theaters clearly understood the assignment. Around town this winter, you'll find toe-tapping musical comedies, riveting character studies and age-old struggles between good and evil — all in the comfort of the best intimate theater spaces the city has to offer.

So let's get to it, shall we?

Alma
Curious Theatre Company, 1080 Acoma Street
7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; through February 18
Tickets start at $32
In this regional premiere, Alma, an undocumented Mexican immigrant, and her seventeen-year-old American daughter, Angel, grapple with hope, uncertainty and what it means to be an American today. It's a funny, heartwarming and thought-provoking story, and if you find yourself wanting more, be sure to come back for one of the post-show conversations, or attend Curious's mid-season kickoff event after the premiere on Saturday, January 14, where you'll get to meet the playwright and the director.

The Sound of Music
Parker Arts, Culture & Events Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through February 4
Tickets start at $34
Guaranteed to warm the heart of even the most curmudgeonly theater-goer, this inspirational musical, set in an increasingly fraught Austria on the brink of World War II, tells the story of the imperious Captain von Trapp, his seven children, and the governess who changed all of their lives. If you liked the movie, you'll love this stage version.

The Roommate
Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton Street, Aurora
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday; through February 19
Tickets start at $20
Sharon didn't expect things to change so much when she got a roommate. After all, she was just a fifty-something, recently-divorced housewife looking for someone to share her large home. How was she supposed to know that Robyn, with all her secrets, would upend Sharon's life completely? This dark comedy takes a look at what it's like to make big life changes — for better and for worse.

Say My Name
The People's Building, 9995 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; January 20 through January 22
Tickets start at $20
Presented by Insight Colab Theatre (formerly Theatre Esprit Asia), this new musical follows the story of Seung-Min, a Korean immigrant on the final steps of her American citizenship journey. Along the way, she is visited by the ghosts of Asian women from years past, and realizes that this journey isn't hers alone to take. After two unexpected postponements in 2022, the cast and crew are excited to finally bring this story to life.

In The Trenches
Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 Main Street, Littleton
7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; January 20 through January 29
Tickets start at $30
If you enjoy shows like I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (also coming to Town Hall Arts Center this season) or Avenue Q, try out this new parenting musical comedy. Exploring the hilarity and craziness of parenting young children, this production follows three couples through a series of musical vignettes.

acts of faith
The Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora
7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; January 20 through February 5
Tickets start at $20
When a young girl, Faith, is mistaken for a prophet, it alters the entire trajectory of her life. Grappling with this "gift," she starts using it to mete out justice. This story about belief, disillusionment and the struggle between good and evil showcases stars theater artist Betty Hart in the title role and takes audiences from the African Copperbelt to the backwoods of Ontario.

Clue
Stagedoor Theatre, 25797 Conifer Road, Conifer
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; January 27 through February 19
Tickets start at $19
It all started with a board game, which became a movie, which was turned into a production that's become one of the most-produced plays across the country. Head to the foothills to see Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum and the rest of the crew in this murder-mystery farce.

Laughs in Spanish
Singleton Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts
7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; January 27 through March 12
Tickets start at $35
When the DCPA calls its new play hilarious and uproarious and promises that "you won't stop laughing — or dancing — in your seat," it's probably true. Start the year off right with Mariana, Juan, Estella and Carolina in this crime-comedy/telenovela that explores Latinx representation and exclusion.

The Great American Trailer Park Musical
Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Avenue, Golden
7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; January 27 through March 5
Tickets start at $25
It's a toe-tapping, rip-roaring good time at Armadillo Acres, Florida's most exclusive trailer park, but everything gets turned upside down when Pippi, a stripper on the run, moves in. Come for the ’80s nostalgia, stay for the spray cheese, roadkill and kleptomania — and that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt 2B
Butterfly Effect Theatre of Colorado, 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder
7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; February 2 through February 25
Tickets start at $35 ($25 on preview nights)
It's worth a trip to Boulder for this one. Playwright Kate Hamill, perhaps best known for her hilarious Jane Austen adaptations, puts a fresh, irreverent spin on Sherlock Holmes with this present-day female reboot. It's the odd couple duo you never knew you needed.

A Moon for the Misbegotten
Cherry Creek Theatre, 350 South Dahlia Street
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; February 3 through February 26
Tickets start at $26
It's 1923, and times are tough for Josie Hogan and her father, Phil, who live on a tenant farm in Connecticut. Then things go from bad to worse when they find out their landlord might be plotting to take away what little they have left. This deeply emotional classic centers on grief, loneliness and other truths of the human condition.