Holiday magic in song
Friday and Sunday. Denver Gay Men’s Chorus always has some holiday magic up its sleeve, this year taking the form of “My Favorite Queens.” Kicking off DGMC’s 44th season, it’s “a playful nod to ‘My Favorite Things,’ and promises to be joyful, campy, heartfelt, with just the right amount of reflection, tradition, and drag-queen sparkle,” organizers wrote.
The program includes movie classics and stage favorites, they added, “as well as heartwarming carols … .” If you missed the first couple of performances last weekend, you can still catch it at Unity of Boulder Spiritual Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14. General admission tickets are $25.60-$32. Visit dgmc.org/tickets for more.
A John Waters Christmas
Sunday. Ever-gleeful Pope of Trash and legendary director John Waters (“Hairspray,” “Sweet and Lowdown”) is back in Colorado with his naughty holiday show, “A John Waters Christmas,” the poster for which is a hint of the tone (a deranged-looking Waters feasting on a holiday icon, and we’ll leave it at that).
Waters’ hilarious stage presence and storytelling skills would make him entertaining in any context, but as someone obsessed with the kitsch and absurdity of the holidays, a Christmas show fits him like a tailored, blinking suit. It’s technically an all-ages performance, but if you bring a kid you’re going to have some thorny questions to address on the ride home.
Waters’ show comes to the Boulder Theater at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, with tickets running $66.20-$78.05. Located at 2032 14th St. in Boulder. tix.axs.com
Flower in Englewood
Friday. Former Denverite and Swallow Hill Music veteran Mary Flower is bringing her latest live set to the Front Range to remind us why she was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. The award-winning blues guitarist and singer, known also for her intricate takes on ragtime, folk and other traditional genres, is a lap-slide master and acoustic educator who’s collaborating at this concert with the nimble clarinetist Leon Cotter of The California Honeydrops.
“This is my old haunt where I taught and performed for many years,” Flower said on her website. “Will be great to see old friends!” Flower plays Swallow Hill’s Daniels Hall at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, at 71 E. Yale Ave. in Denver. Tickets are $37.04, or $42.19 the day of the show. Call 303-777-1003 or visit swallowhillmusic.org for more details.
RiNo’s Swirly, Twirly market
Through Dec. 22. The River North Art District’s Denver Bazaar is this year themed as a Swirly, Twirly Market for the holidays, courtesy Gum Pop Presents. At the market, which takes place Fridays through Sundays through Dec. 22, visitors will find a rotating list of 120 local vendors, “with everything from jewelry guaranteed to land you on the naughty list from Lux & Luca to Drizzle & Crunch’s TikTok-trendy Dubai-style chocolate treats,” Browne said in a statement. Plus: syrup shots!
Admission is free, and there are activities such as a children’s snowflake-making station, Denver’s Best Cup of Coffee Station, karaoke, a dance party (set to “Whoop There It Is” playing on repeat), an elf-sized shower, and other cheeky offerings.
It takes place 4-9 p.m. Fridays; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays; and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 22 at 2620 Walnut St. in Denver. (Entry through the “Lincoln Tunnel” themed-gate is off of Graffiti Alley in RiNo). All ages, and dog-friendly. Nearby $6 parking at Coors Field Lot C. denverbazaar.com/holiday/rino or gumpoppresents.com