Friday November 17, 2006 SGN.org |
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Volume 34 Issue 46 |
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Wednesday, Oct 15, 2008
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Bits & Bytes |
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| Denver hosts its first GLBT press tour - new art museum, Molly Brown house, Mozart's Magic Flute highlight visit | |
| Denver hosts its first GLBT press tour - new art museum, Molly Brown house, Mozart's Magic Flute highlight visit
by Milton W. Hamlin -
SGN A&E Writer DENVER -- Internationally known as The Mile High City, Denver, Colorado, hosted its first GLBT media tour last week. Recognizing the importance of Gay and Lesbian travelers to the tourism economy, the Denver Metro Convention And Visitor's Bureau invited six GLBT publications to send representatives for its first GLBT press junket. SGN was one of the six national publications selected-and Bits&Bytes got to represent SGN and The Emerald City. Said it before (and hope to say it again)-it's a hard job, but somebody has to do it. Highlights of the tour included a 45-minute meeting with Denver's just re-elected mayor, a visit to the brand new Denver Art Museum, Mozart's The Magic Flute at Denver's beautiful new opera house, a stop at the historic Molly Brown House Museum, several visits to Denver's historic and revitalized Larimer Square and outstanding meals at numerous five-star restaurants. (Denver's incredible restaurant scene caused one scribe to paraphrase the title of the cult film Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead and propose to refilm it as Things To Do In Denver When You're Fed.) Some highlights: DENVER'S BAR SCENE HOSTS 27 CHOICES -- DANCE TO LEATHER One indication of the importance of GLBT tourists to the hospitality industry arrived at a press reception in the Presidential Suite at the JW Marriott, Denver at Cherry Creek, Denver's high-end shopping mall. The hotel's general manager hosted a posh gathering of the six visiting GLBT journalists and a "meet and greet" mix of Denver's GLBT movers and shakers. The JW Marriott, a new top-of-the-line hotel offering in the popular national chain's lineup, publishes a Fun Under The Rainbow listing of "Bars and Clubs For Our Gay Friends." While 20 bars were listed, he told this scribe, "there are about seven others we don't recommend, but tourists love 'em." The choices ranged from Charlie's, celebrating its 25th anniversary, to an assortment of dance bars, "lace" (drag) bars and the inevitable leather/levi bars, including The Brig and The Denver Wrangler. The provocatively titled "B.J.'s" turned out to be B.J.'s Carousel, "Denver's premiere show bar and restaurant." One wonderful historic note: The popular Compound ("Good Times Are Back Again") occupies the spot where Max And Sam's Gay Inn was located, circa 1945. The Compound's ad in the Colorado Pride Guide is illustrated with an historic photo of stylish men and women standing in front of The Gay Inn, in a far more innocent time. "We have a long history of Gay hospitality," the Compound proudly notes. "We figure that once Gay and Lesbian visitors find one bar and pick up a Colorado Pride Guide or a copy of Outfront Denver (the city's version of SGN), they'll find whatever they want," the Marriott executive told Bits&Bytes. And he was right&. DENVER ART MUSEUM SOARS TO INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS A far-too-quick visit to the new, internationally acclaimed Denver Art Museum was an unquestioned highlight for the GLBT visitors. Opened in early October, the soaring design (based, we were told, on the architect's vision of the Rocky Mountains and its cliffs) has been hailed by art critics throughout the world-with a few exceptions. The building is truly impressive-as a building. As an art museum, some critics have noted that its cantilevered walls and strange angles and unusual room shapes make it less than ideal to display traditional art. On a first visit, Bits&Bytes loved it. A return visit-and several years of functioning displays--will tell the tale. Architect Daniel Libeskind famously sketched his first design on a cocktail napkin. It's his first building in the United States-it won't be his last. KIRKLAND MUSEUM - AN UNEXPECTED DELIGHT OF DECORATIVE ARTS The Kirkland Museum Of Fine & Decorative Arts-an intimate museum in a former art studio--was an unexpected highlight of the trip. Named after Colorado's Vance Kirkland, a "internationally respected and unique painter," the museum now boasts more than 3300 objects ·(from chairs and sofas to art pottery and kitchen ware) from every art movement of the 20th and 21st centuries. Art Noveau, Arts & Crafts, Art Deco, Modern and Pop Art-and dozens of others--share the crammed and charming space. It's a must for decorative arts fans-and major design magazines are starting to recognize its unique role in the museum world. (Bits&Bytes, a longtime Fiesta Pottery collector, was delighted with the museum's small, but impressive collection on display-like most museums, 90 per cent of the objects are in storage). This scribe could have spent four hours at the Kirkland---we had about 35 minutes. "Things to do when you return to Denver&." Check with the Kirkland at (303) 832-8576 for hours and directions. Hugh Grant ·no, not that Hugh Grant) is the colorful and often flamboyant director and curator and proved to be a delightful and oh-so knowledgeable guide. MOZART'S MAGIC FLUTE HIGHLIGHTS VISIT TO NEW DENVER OPERA HOUSE One highlight of the GLBT Denver press trip for this scribe was attending opening night of Mozart's The Magic Flute by Opera Colorado at the new Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The new $80 million facility, just opening its second year, is a beautiful remodel of an historic civic auditorium-style building. With an elegant interior, built in the classic European horseshoe style, and perfect acoustics, the handsome new opera house is the pride of Denver's art community. The 11-theatre Denver Center For The Performing Arts complex hosts spaces for the Denver symphony, the ballet, the opera, touring musicals (The Lion King ended it second sold out Denver visit last Saturday) and numerous other theater spaces. Chicago's Second City comedy troupe soon finishes its second year in a sit-down Denver stay. Disney's new stage version of The Little Mermaid opens its pre-Broadway tour in the Ellie Caulkins next summer. Seattle's upcoming White Christmas, a 5th Avenue Musical Theatre production, transfers to Denver's arts complex for a post-Christmas visit. Opera Colorado's The Magic Flute, with sets and costumes by Maurice Sendak, continues with performances through this Sunday. (Seattle arts fans will recall that Sendak, one of the most popular children's book illustrators in the world today, designed the Nutcracker for Pacific Northwest Ballet decades ago-it remains one of the Emerald City's most beloved productions.) The Magic Flute, with solid direction from Kevin Newbury and conductor Dean Williamson, sports a topnotch cast of rotating leads, allowing Opera Colorado to offer performances every day of the two weekend run. Several of the singers and staging staff have strong Northwest ties-Mel Ulrich, singing Papageno, is a University of Washington graduate, and director Newbury has mounted works for Portland Opera. Conductor Williamson had conducted with Seattle Opera and Spokane Opera. He returns to the Emerald City for Seattle Opera's upcoming Falstaff. Opera Colorado continues its season with Donizetti's The Elixir Of Love, Feb. 9-18, 2007, and Verdi's A Masked Ball, April 26-May 8. MOLLY BROWN MUSEUM ANCHORS HISTORIC DENVER -- & BRINGS BACK MEMORIES A personal highlight of the Denver trip for this scribe was a return to the historic Molly Brown House Museum on Denver's once aristocratic Pennsylvania Avenue. Bits&Bytes first visited Denver is 1965 on a trip back from the New York World's Fair with a college friend. The Molly Brown House was not yet a museum although the popular Broadway play and Hollywood film, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, had made the Titanic survivor (thus, unsinkable) an internationally known figure. The historic home was so little known in Denver that this journalist used his press contacts at the Denver Post to locate its address. At that time, the house was privately owned. It was a rooming house and not open to the public. Fortunately, there was a "room for rent" sign posted and the two Seattle visitors posed as college students looking for housing. The landlady, who lived on the home's ornate first floor, was openly hostile that two men wanted to look at one room. "I don't rent to two men in one bed," she repeated over and over. Touring the ornate entry way and the very plain upper floors, we departed, thanking her for her courtesy. Probably unknowingly homophobic, she made her stand clear. But we got to see much of the house. The building soon became "a home for wayward girls"-which it had been in the 1930s during The Great Depression. (Bits&Bytes has always wondered why there were no homes "for wayward boys"-but that's another topic for another day.) Historic Denver was founded in the mid-1970s to save the Molly Brown House after several major Denver homes and mansions were flattened in the name of progress. The house is now beautifully restored and open to the public. The ornate rooms on the main floor are lovingly replicated and/or recreated-using many of the home's original furnishings. The Brown family has donated many personal items to the house museum---including a spectacular silver punch bowl in the dining room. As a punch bowl, the piece is stunning. With its cranberry glass insert removed and replaced with a white porcelain liner, it does double duty as a soup tureen. The Molly Brown House Museum offers guided tours every 30 minutes. It's a good idea to call ahead for times-(303) 832-4092. Our overly zealous guide was "enthusiastic," which might be a euphemism for something else. Well intentioned and basically correct in her narration and guide duties, she will be remembered. And so will the House. ROCKMOUNT RANCH WEAR -- BROKEBACK MOUNTIAN SHIRTS AND PAPA JACK WEIL AT 105 An emotional highlight of the Gay Denver visit for the six GLBT tourism writers was a quick visit to Rockmount Ranch Wear, the historic company that designed the shirts Jack and Ennis wore in the Gay-themed film classic, Brokeback Mountain. Chosen from the company's regular inventory by the Hollywood costume designers, the two shirts were later auctioned for AIDS fundraising and sold for more than $100,000-making the two shirts the most expensive costumes in movie history. The company's founder, "Papa" Jack Weil, was on hand to greet the press visitors and tell a little about the company's colorful history. At 105 year of age, Papa Jack is the oldest working CEO in America and in American history. His shirts were worn in Hollywood films by Elvis Presley, Clark Gable, John Wayne and a host of other stars, mainly in western classics. One of the few companies which still make their shirts in the United States, Rockmount is living history. Weil's grandson delighted the group with tales of a recent last-minute visit to London to take assorted Rockmount shirts to Eric Clapton for a rock show. Living history indeed&. Check with Rockmount for store hours-(303) 629-7777 or (800) 7-ROCKMO. BUM FUCK EGYPT -- A CHRISTMAS SHOW-- OPENS FOR HOLIDAYS As a four-night visitor to Denver, this writer was struck by the incredible diversity of the city. As the press group finished our Saturday brunch at The Bump And Grind Café and posed on the sidewalk for pictures with "Gregg," our "lovely lady" waitress of the morning, streams of children and their parents wandered by, most of them ignoring the "very colorful" Gregg and the six journalists having far too much fun. (To be honest, some children stopped to stare at the group centered around the 6'4" drag queen in towering heels.) Being inquisitive, Bits&Bytes wandered down the street to The Avenue Theatre to see what lured the family audiences to this somewhat unsavory part of town only to find out that Destination Dinosaurs, a smash hit children's show, was offering a sold out noon matinee. (The show continues Saturday matinees through Dec. 23.) The Avenue Theatre also hosts a strong series of Gay and Lesbian theater offerings. Opening tonight, the theater offers BFE-The Town That Christmas Forgot, an original musical comedy, a co-production with "the ever popular" Rattlebrain Theatre. "BFE?" I wondered. "BFE"&where had I heard the term? Not being shy, this scribe asked the box office manager, who cheerfully explained, "Bum Fuck Egypt" and went back to selling tickets to the children's play. Only in Denver&. BFE---The Town That Christmas Forgot continues through Dec. 23. Information at (303) 321-5925. DENVER'S BOOBAPALOOZA! BREASTEST SHOW ON EARTH! SAVED FOR NEXT VISIT On every press visit, there's always one or two "must see" events that are missed-too many things to do in too few days. One of these for Bits&Bytes is the intriguingly named La Boheme Gentleman's Cabaret where Boobapalooza! The Breastest Show On Earth sponsors a regular floorshow. The "Best Breasts In The West" Contest last Thursday offered a $100 first place prize and was open to "anyone." Friday and Saturday's "Big Boob Extravaganza" featured four stunning performers--Maxie Mounds (who is the Guinness World Record Holder-with 156MMM as her measurement), Colt 45, Kayla Kupcakes and Crystal Gunns. (Someone suggested these names were pseudonyms but Bits&Bytes doubts it---Denver is a very honest city&.) Complete information on La Boheme is available at (303) 320-3212. And, sure, go ahead and tell 'em Bits&Bytes told you to call. |
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