Tracy wins the 2023 Denver Lyric Opera Guild’s top award

Si nce 1984, members of the Denver Lyric Opera Guild have raised enough to give over a million in support money to help young (23-32) opera singers get started on their professional careers.

The top award of this year’s competition was given by the judges to operatic bass Gryffen Hagen Tracy, a Coloradan, who has been an apprentice with the Santa Fe Opera and is a graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, where he had a residency and received a Master of Music Degree.

He has been in Central City Opera Company’s training program and received his Bachelor of Music degree from Lamont School of Music at DU. He also has a Master of Music from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

It’s necessary for these young singers to travel to auditions in order to be cast in operatic performances and these awards help them with launching into a professional career. The group meets monthly at Columbine Country Club in Littleton and welcomes new members. Visit the website.

Kathy van Arsdale will be the next DLOG president.

Colorado Ballet

The Colorado Ballet has announced performances of “Sinfonetta,” originally planned for the 2019/2020 season and finally appearing. The work, choreographed by Jiri Kylian in 1976 and new to Denver audiences, is set to a score by Leos Janacek and blends clasic and contemporary techniques.

Elie Caulkins Opera

A horn fanfare is performed from the audience at the Elie Caulkins Opera House. Performances: April 14, 15, 21, 22 at 7:30 p.m. and April 15, 16 and 23 at 2 p.m. 303-8378888, ext. 2. Ballet Masterworks tickets start at $40. See ColoradoBallet.org.

Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center

Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center, one of History Colorado’s community museums, is among 15 nalists for the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. It is located in the San Luis Valley and shows visitors what a frontier fort looked like. It’s a great site for a family visit with kids who are learning about our state. Well organized to tell a story. e address is 29477 Hwy 159, Fort Garland, CO and is open every day from 9 a.. to 5 p.m.. Call 1-719-430-3512 for information. Or, try 303-HISTORY.

Mary Louise Lee Orchestra e Mary Louise Lee Orchestra will play a Tribute to Natalie Cole at 8 p.m. April 21 at Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree 720-509-1000. Tickets cost $31 to $45.

Colorado Gallery of Art e Colorado Gallery of Art at Arapahoe Community College Littleton Campus has an exhibit of work by invited students and alumni. Ooen Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Grapefruit Lab to perform

Grapefruit Lab performs “Strange Bird, Queer Bird” April 7 to 15 at Buntport eater, 717 Lipan St., Denver. Original music by Teacup Gorilla, choreography by Kate Spear and design by Colorado Shoe School. Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 15, additional matinee at 2 p.m. Name your price for tickets.

Parker Symphony Orchestra

Parker Symphony Orchestra will perform a Concert called “Arabian Nights” at 7:30 p.m. at the PACE Center, 20000 E. Mainstreet, Parker. 303-805-3289. Box o ce MondaySaturday noon to 5 p.m.

Denver Audubon e 2023 Birdathon will be held

May 1-31 by Denver Audubon. Form a team, pick one day in May for a team. Have team members collect donations for Audubon on one day in May and look for birds during that day in your yard, on a hike... Pledges might be for $1 a bird. A Birdathon Meet and Greet will be held at the Kingery Nature Center at Denver Audubon, 9303 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton. email info@denveraudubon.org, Can donate there as well. Donations will be used to add more educational programs and reach more schools year- round.

Arvada Center

“Damn Yankees” plays April 7 to May 7 at Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. , Arvada. Tickets start at $53. 720-898-7200, arvadacenter. org.

*Call for artists: CORE Art Space, 6501 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood. invites entries for “Flower Power” which will run May 12 to 28. Entries due by April 16 at CAFE, .callforentry.org. Juror Michael Paglia. Show runs may 12-28, with a reception May 12, 5 to 10 p.m.. Gallery open 12 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday* eater for kids: “Robin Hood” will play april 8-22 and May 27-June 24 at Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Ave, Golden,: Saturday at 1 p.m. and June 17 and 24 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. 303-935-3044.

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

An tiques might seem like a eld that’s struggling to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the local scene in Elizabeth — and elsewhere in Colorado — suggests a renaissance of sorts might be occurring in the industry.

Randy Wallace owns Randy’s Antiques and Art on Main Street in Elizabeth. e bustling scene in town — featuring e Prickly Pear Antiques, e Carriage Shoppes and 1897 House of Antiques, among others — breeds community, not competition, he said.

“ e more stores in town, the better,” Wallace said. “People love to come antique shopping when there are multiple stores. Each one of our shops has a di erent niche, each one has just a little bit di erent style; I think customers enjoy having a di erent variety when they come to Elizabeth.”

Wallace said that while his shop specializes in antique art and furniture, others cater to di erent interests, like the Prickly Pear’s tearoom.

Over in Littleton, owner Joe Crawford of Old Crow Antiques had the novel idea to add a root beer bar to his shop, with the eventual goal of making the soda section — which currently carries between 60-90 varieties of vintage soda pop at any given time — the largest root beer bar in the world.

Crawford said Old Crow — which he opened three years ago with his brother — is one of the “new kids on the block” in the local antiquing scene, but said they’ve been welcomed into the scene with open arms.

“I feel like we’re part of a larger community in the metro area,” Wallace said. “ ere are stores throughout the area, and we’ve gotten to know the people who own and work there — some have been here a long time.”

Nostalgia and good, old-fashioned, quality craftsmanship

Antique shops can often sprawl thousands of square feet — Old Crow’s showroom is over 45,000 square feet — packed with items from all eras and purposes. Shopkeepers say that a sense of longing for a di erent time helps people nd what they’re looking for out of the scores of inventories, in addition to the fact that many antiques have stood the test of time for a reason.

“In antique furniture, it’s already lasted 100 years, and — if you take care of it — it’ll last another 100 years,” Wallace said. “A lot of today’s stu is kind of throwaway.”

Julie McCoy, who runs own Unique Treasures Antiques and Collectibles in Wheat Ridge with her parents, echoed Wallace’s sentiment.

“(Antiques are) made so much better,” McCoy said. “ ey’re around 100 years later for a reason. It’s not like Ikea stu that you put together and throw away. It’s good quality stu that’s built to last. It builds a lot of memories with people.”

People also point to childhood nostalgia or family memories as reasons for antique shops’ sustained popularity.

“(People seek out) childhood memories,” McCoy said. “Stu that’ll last, people come in and say, ‘My mom had this,’ they need to have that again to relive their childhood.”

Crawford said his family got into the antiques business because of a love for history and historic items cultivated from time spent with grandparents as kids.

“We tell people it’s a walk down memory lane,” Crawford said. “You’ll see something that reminds you of another time, maybe a simpler time, or childhood. Something you haven’t thought of in maybe 50, 60 years.

“I’ll be reminded of my grandma, my family and that’s what it is for me, the stories and experiences of everything that’s here,” Crawford continued. “We say, ‘ ere are a lot of ghosts under this roof.’”