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SquidShow Poster You will find the best of the worst in SquidShow Theatre's latest greatest production, "Con," in which founder/director Sasha Cucciniello spills the beans about her grifter dad and his kind.

"Con," a play about liars, opens Thursday July 28 and runs through Monday, August 1, 8:30 p.m., at Telluride's Nugget Theatre.

"Con" was conceived by Sasha and her long time collaborator, New York City-based playwright, Sarah Gancher. Six years ago the two wrote the first draft of a play about Sasha’s infamous dad. After moving to Telluride, the work got left on the shelf. Fast forward to now: Sasha along with her Squid collaborators decided to take themes from that play to create a new production. She tapped Sarah once again, asking her to come to Telluride to write the new and improved version of "Con," created from scratch throughout the rehearsal process under the leadership of director Jen Wineman and designer Melissa Trn.

21 July, 2011 /
[click "Play", Susan speaks with Allen Toussaint]

 

Allen Toussaint
Photo credit: Michael Wilson

Treme, the neighborhood in New Orleans, and Telluride, a box canyon mountain town, do not, on the surface, have much in common, except "Treme," the latest knock-out series from HBO, keeps coming up in Telluride.

Steve Earle mentioned "Treme" during his performance at the 38th annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June. He appears as himself in the series. And now Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Allen Toussaint, another series regular (as himself), is headed our way for a momentous event: Toussaint performs on the Town Park Main Stage for the first time ever with none other than Delta Lady, Rita Coolidge. The event takes place Sunday night, August 7, at the 35th annual Telluride Jazz Celebration.

(Follow this link for a related post on Coolidge.)

20 July, 2011 /
[click "Play" to hear Susan's conversation with Steven Lee]

 

Talks are Wednesday in Norwood & Thursday in Mountain Village

Fireside Chats poster Noticed the weather lately? The Telluride Historical Museum is not taking any chances this year. (Last year, of the six Fireside Chats in the series, only one was able to take place around the Mountain Village fire pit in Heritage Plaza.)

The 7th season of the Museum's ever popular (and FREE) Fireside Chats opens this week – indoors– starting Wednesday, July 20, at Aces of Norwood, (in the Livery Building) and continuing Thursday, July 21, at the fire place in the Great Room at The Peaks Resort & Spa. Both opening programs begin at 5:30 p.m. and feature actor Steven Lee as "Otto Mears, Pathfinder of the San Juans."

Steven Lee is a professional story teller from Denver. His depiction of the man who brought the Rio Grande Southern to the San Juans routinely gets rave reviews such as this one from Tom "Dr. Colorado" Noel, Prof. of History & Director of Public History, Preservation & Colorado Studies, University of Colorado at Denver:

19 July, 2011 /

[click "Play" to hear Rita Coolidge speaking with Susan]

 

Rita_piano_colorized2 Just like Telluride Bluegrass regular, superstar Emmylou Harris, Rita Coolidge is ageless.

The last time Rita Coolidge showed her face in Telluride was in 2001. The legendary performer was, as always, larger than life – but on the silver screen. The film, "Christmas in the Clouds," which screened at Mountainfilm in Telluride that year, is a classic comedy of mistaken identity and romance set during the holiday season at a ski resort owned and operated by a Native American nation. "Christmas in the Clouds" featured Rita, a Cherokee by birth, in the role of the leading lady's mother. It also showcased her music.

18 July, 2011 /

 

A little stork is an avatar for Jeanne B. de Sainte Marie, one of 10 author/illustrators whose magical images will be on display at the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art starting July 28 in a show entitled "From Beasts to Babar: Ten Children's Illustrators."

La cigogne de Noël (The Christmas Stork, Editions du Bastberg, France 2000) is the tale of a stork that decides not to fly south with his peers. He wants to see snow. But how will he eat and stay warm? Through his trials and triumphs, Little Stork learns the rewards of following a dream.

Just like Jeanne.

18 July, 2011 /

 


also on the bill, Mountain Man

The indie rock group Blind Pilot returns after two years to Telluride's historic Sheridan Opera House for an encore concert on Monday, July 18, 8 p.m. (Doors and bar open at 7:30 p.m.)

Blind Pilot literally pedaled its way to success. The group now numbers six – Israel Nebeker (vocals, guitar), Ryan Dubrowski (drums),  Dave Jorgenson (keyboard, trumpet), Kati Claborn (dulcimer), Luke Ydstie (upright bass, vocals),banjo, vocals), Ian Krist (vibraphone), but it began as a duet between Israel and Ryan, two modern-day minstrels whose initial bike tour along the West Coast to perform was cut short when their wheels were stolen outside San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art.

15 July, 2011 /

by Tracy Shaffer Day 1. Began this morning with a table reading of my script "American in Hiding". I'm feeling a little vulnerable, having just finished this version on Sunday, I haven't even had a chance to read it. The cast is spot on. I...

14 July, 2011 /
[click "Play", William Missouri Downs and Susan talk about "Forgiving John Lennon"]

 

Nako and Jennie "Forgiving John Lennon" is the featured production at  the 5th annual Telluride Playwrights Festival, July 13 – July 17, at venues around town. "Forgiving John Lennon" takes place at the historic Sheridan Opera House, Thursday, July 14 – Saturday, July 16, 8 p.m.

The Telluride Playwrights Festival opens with a Play Slam Wednesday night, 9 p.m. at the Steaming Bean, where would-be actors and writers get to strut their stuff.

Three staged readings take place over the weekend. Saturday morning, July 16, 10 a.m., the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art presents "Mrs. Prescott and Mrs. Russell" by Judy GeBauerr. Sunday morning, July 17, 10 a.m., Gallery Room,  the historic Sheridan Opera House hosts "Float," by Gary Leon Hill. (Free pastry and coffee included.) The featured play reading takes place Sunday, July 17, Sheridan Opera House. "American In Hiding" is newest work of returning playwright Tracy Shaffer, whose "(W)hole," workshopped in Telluride at the Playwrights Festival then went to on a critically acclaimed Denver run.

13 July, 2011 /
[click "Play" to hear Will Thompson's conversation with Susan]

 

Illustrations by top 10 children's book luminaries featured

Sendak drawing
image courtesy of
Animazing Gallery

How do big-time art shows happen in a small town like Telluride? Start with a visionary.

In the winter of 1985, Telluride was beginning to percolate anew: entrepreneurs starting snapping up property; among them, Will Thompson, who bought the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art space the day after he and wife Hilary arrived in town to ski.

13 July, 2011 /

[click "Play" to listen to Susan's interview with Taylor Hicks]

 

Taylor Hicks You'll find the announcement on his website, big and bold: "Taylor Hicks will perform at the 35th Telluride Jazz Celebration in Colorado on August 6, at approximately 7 p.m.!"

In case you've been living under a rock, "American Idol" is the reality TV program that showcases emerging young singing talent, with each season's winner selected by viewers. Season 5, 2006, Taylor Hicks earned the title handily with over 63.4 million votes. And he did it by singing songs people can whistle, proving the legendary producer Simon Cowell wrong – probably for the first time ever in Cowell's storied career. Just ask him. (Cowell famously said Hicks would never make to the final round. Later he had to eat his words.)

10 July, 2011 /