Listen to Alex Miller and Toni Tresca announce the winners of the third annual OnStage Colorado Awards for Theatrical Excellence! This year features a new three-tiered award system (1) Outstanding, 2) Excellent and 3) Notable) across 20+ categories celebrating Colorado’s vibrant theatre community. Check out all of the 2025 nominees by clicking here.

In this episode of the OnStage Colorado Podcast, hosts Toni Tresca and Alex Miller take a look at some recent shows they’ve seen, look at a bit of theatre news and run down the  Top 10 Colorado Headliners. This week’s list:

• The Choir of Man, Denver Center Buell Theatre, Jan. 16-17
• The Mousetrap, OpenStage, Fort Collins Lincoln Center, Jan. 10-Feb. 7
• Spamalot, Town Hall Arts Center, Littleton, Jan. 23-Feb. 22
• Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again., Moot Point Project at Su Teatro, Denver, Jan. 21-25
• The Rembrandt Room, Buntport, Denver, Jan. 23-25
• The Bluebird, Theatre SilCo, Silverthrone, Jan. 15-25
• Exit, Pursued By a Bear, Shifted Lens Theatre Company at The People’s Building, Aurora, Jan. 16-Feb. 1 
• Gin & Gothic: A Brontë Rocktale, Band of Toughs at the Altona Grange Hall, Boulder County, Jan. 17-24
• Shrek The Musical, PACE Center, Parker, Jan. 16-Feb. 8
• Cowboys and East Indians, DCPA Theatre Company, Denver, previews are Jan. 16-22 and show runs Jan. 23-March 1

Podcast: The 2025 OSCA nominees are in!

We run down the list of all the theatres and theatre artists being recognized this year, plus an interview with ‘Bad Books’ playwright Sharyn Rothstein along with National New Play Network Executive Director Nan Barnett

The Denver Gazette’s senior arts writer on this year’s True West Awards recognizing Colorado theatre artists.

 Introduction & Recent Shows (00:00-06:30) Alex and Toni welcome John Moore from the Denver Gazette to discuss the final year of his True West Awards. The hosts share their recent theater experiences, including Frozen at the Arvada Center, where they were impressed by the technical execution and performances from Anne Terze-Swarz and Jennasea Pearce. John mentions seeing Matt Zambrano in the BETC production of Every Brilliant Thing, Frozen, and his final visit to Rattlebrain's Santa's Big Red Sack after 23 years of watching it evolve.

Holiday Productions & New Companies (06:30-25:00) Toni reviews Wonderbound's ambitious Holidays at the Hideaway Hotel set to Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom, praising its complex storytelling. He also discusses What If Theater's What the Dickens, an improvised take on A Christmas Carol that showed promise but suffered from performers not following improv fundamentals. The group discusses Ballet Ariel's unusual pairing of a condensed Nutcracker with Little Women. 

Season Announcements & Industry News (25:00-32:00) Two Cent Lion announces new leadership under Olivia Buntaine with a 2026 season featuring three productions focused on queer narratives and gender exploration. The hosts pause to honor Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle following their tragic deaths, reflecting on Reiner's theatrical roots and iconic films like The Princess Bride and A Few Good Men.

True West Awards Discussion (32:00-50:00) John explains this is the final year of his 25-year tradition of the True West Awards—30 daily stories celebrating Colorado theatre achievements throughout December. He discusses the personal cost of the intensive writing project and his desire to spend more time with family. Key awards mentioned include recognizing Rattlebrain Theatre, Matt Zambrano's banner year, Phillips Sneed's retirement from the Arvada Center, DU tech students building professional sets, and emerging writers like Olivia Buntaine and Emy McGuire.

Creative Couples & Standout Performers (50:00-57:00) John highlights the trend of married couples being cast as romantic partners in 2025, specifically Marco and Adriane Robinson appearing together in three major productions. He praises costume designer Nicole Harrison's prolific output of 18 designed shows with involvement in 60 total productions. The discussion emphasizes how directors are leveraging real-life chemistry to compensate for shortened rehearsal periods.

Denver Actors Fund Update (57:00-1:00:00) John provides an update on the Denver Actors Fund, which has distributed $238,000 in 2025 alone (totaling $1.8 million since 2014) to help Colorado theatre artists with medical, dental, veterinary and mental health expenses. He announces new webinars in partnership with Connect for Health Colorado to help artists navigate healthcare subsidy changes. The fund has never turned anyone away and continues to operate entirely through volunteer efforts and community donations.

OnStage Colorado Updates & Wrap-Up (1:00:00-1:05:30) Alex announces the upcoming third annual OnStage Colorado Awards (OSCAs) scheduled for January, noting they'll recognize excellence from approximately 165 reviewed productions this year. He shares plans to potentially transition OnStage Colorado to nonprofit status in 2026 to access grants and expand coverage. The hosts encourage theatres to submit events directly through their website form. They thank listeners for a successful 2025 featuring 45 podcasts, 165 reviews, and 50 newsletters, signing off until January.

In this episode of the OnStage Colorado podcast, hosts Alex Miller and Toni Tresca reflect on the year in Colorado theatre, discussing recent performances, notable shows, and the impact of national politics on local arts funding. They highlight various productions, including It's a Wonderful Life, Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol and Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum, while also addressing leadership changes within theatre organizations. 

Also in this episode a look at the Top 10 Colorado Headliners — upcoming shows worth checking out:

• Santa’s Big Red Sack: The Final Season, The People’s Building, Aurora, Dec. 4-24
• Grandma’s Last Hayride, Golden Outpost, Dec. 4-20
• Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, Breckenridge Backstage Theatre, Dec. 10-31
• Three Leaches New Play Festival (Weekend 2), Three Leaches Theater, Lakewood, Dec. 11-13
• Little Women & The Nutcracker, Ballet Ariel in Lakewood and Northglenn, Dec. 12-28
• The Notebook: The Musical, Denver Center Buell Theatre, Dec. 16-28
• Ben Roy’s Ha-Ha Holiday Comedy Show, Denver Comedy Undergroun, Dec. 26-27
• New Year’s Eve with Eddit Ifft, Comedy Works South, Dec. 31
• New Year’s Eve with Emo Philips, Comedy Works Downtown, Dec. 31
• NYE Comedy Showcase, Denver Comedy Lounge, Dec. 31

Plus an interview with Jo McIver Lee and Em Perez from Unleashed Theater about their Hallmark-movie-meets-slasher-flick play opening this weekend. 

In this episode of the OnStage Colorado Podcast, hosts Alex Miller and Toni Tresca follow up on last week’s show featuring holiday shows around the state to call out some of the non-holiday offerings available. From the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men at Boulder’s Upstart Crow Theatre to Theatreworks’ production of The Importance of Being Earnest in Colorado Springs, there are more than a few un-tinseled shows to see this month.

Along with a bit of theatre news touching on Colorado Gives Day and Giving Tuesday, we also get into John Moore’s annual True West Awards — which he says are the last ever this year. Later in the episode, Alex interviews Em Perez and Jo McIver Lee from Unleashed Theatre about their upcoming show Christmas Movie, The Play, The Beginning - described as “Hallmark Christmas meets 80s slasher.”

Alex and Toni celebrate Thanksgiving week with a packed episode featuring reviews of Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, Camp Christmas 2025, Batman Live, Mary Poppins at Colorado Springs FAC, and the disappointing Wicked: For Good. They discuss major news including Hamilton's licensing availability for community theaters, Candlelight's 2026 season announcement, Frozen breaking box office records at Arvada Center, and capital campaign milestones for Arts Hub Lafayette and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. The hosts share their top holiday theater picks across Colorado, then Alex interviews Meghan Frank (Theater Artibus) and Amber Blais (Starry Night Productions) about their circus cabaret collaboration Moonlight Elves, a playful show pitting North Pole elves against South Pole elves at the Savoy featuring 20+ Colorado performers. Plus, they preview next week's conversation about Unleashed Theater's Christmas Movie, The Play, The Beginning - described as "Hallmark meets 80s slasher."

Plus the latest shows and an interview with Debut Theatre Founder and Artistic Director Lee Kaplan

In this episode of the OnStage Colorado Podcast, hosts Toni Tresca and Alex Miller dive into the latest shows they’ve seen and take a look at theatre programs. How do people feel about no program, or a “light” program with just one page and a QR code link? Also, what’s up with the decision for NY theatres to dispense with the casts-change slip in the program?

Later in the episode, Alex catches up with Lee Kaplan, the founder and artistic director at Fort Collins’ Debut Theatre. With more than three decades of teaching youth everything from acting to set design, lighting and more, the theatre is poised to get its own space finally in an old AMC theatre.

In this episode of the OnStage Colorado Podcast, hosts Toni Tresca and Alex Miller jump into what they’ve seen lately on stage, run through some arts news from around the state and discuss the week’s Top 10 Colorado Headliners. This week’s list:

• Job, Curious Theatre, Denver, through Dec. 7
• Jerry’s Girls, Veritas Productions/Mizel Center Denver, Nov. 13-23
• Daisy Violet the Bitch Beast King, Feather Fall/Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, Nov. 13-30
• Drag Queen Magic, Local Theater Company/e-Town in Boulder, Nov. 18
• Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, Candlelight, Johnstown, Nov. 20-Jan. 11
• Murder on the Orient Express, Viva Theater, Boulder Dairy Arts Center through Nov. 23
• The Elixir of Love, Boulder Opera at Dairy Arts Center, Nov. 15-16
• Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous, Vintage Theatre, Aurora, through Nov. 23
• Sherlock Holmes & the Greek Chorus, Theater Company of Lafayette, through Nov. 23
• A Doll’s House, Millibo Art Theatre, Colorado Springs, Nov. 13-23

In this episode of the OnStage Colorado Podcast, hosts Alex Miller and Toni Tresca look at some recent A&E news — including the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s season announcement and a chat with Ballyhoo Table & Stage founder Julia Tobey on the new venue’s grand opening this Saturday.

Later in the podcast, Alex chats with Scot Merchant, creator of the new musical Ichabod, which has its world premiere at Denver’s Mizel Center Oct. 30.

Also in this episode, the Top 10 Colorado Headliners — upcoming shows from around Colorado that may be worth checking out. Here’s the list in no particular order:

• Ghostlight, Oct. 29, Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 12, at various venues in the Denver metro area
• Edgar Allan Poe Is Dead and So Is My Cat, Oct. 31-Nov. 16, Buntport Theater, Denver
• La Traviata, Nov. 1-9, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch - remount, Nov. 6-23, Ballyhoo, Denver
• R.U.R., Nov. 6-23, Spring Ensemble Theatre, Colorado Springs, 
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Schoolhouse Theater, Parker, through Nov. 16
• Dracula, Main St. Live, Trinidad, through Nov. 2
• Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Denver Center Garner Galleria, through May 10
• Misery, OpenStage at Fort Collins Lincoln Center, Oct. 31-Nov. 29
• Alibis & Other Lies, What If Theatre, Lakewood, through Nov. 1