Spring at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a time of energy and renewal. It invites us to pause and recognize the incredible community of supporters who have championed our mission for many years. Whether you joined us recently or have been part of the DCPA family for decades, your commitment fuels everything we do.
Each year, more than 150,000 students, teachers, and caregivers participate in our in-school programs and on-site classes and performances. This makes DCPA one of the most robust arts in education programs in the country. Your generosity helps spark imagination, confidence, and creativity in young people throughout Colorado. These are not small moments. They are experiences that can shape a lifetime.
Our Theatre Company productions continue to shine, and every costume, set piece, and prop is created right here in Denver by our remarkable team of artisans. In total, more than 990,000 theatre lovers pass through our doors, productions, and programs each year. Your support helps us ensure that world-class performances remain accessible across our region.
We have also announced both the new Broadway season and the upcoming Theatre Company season. I encourage you to grab your tickets early so you can enjoy the incredible slate of titles our teams have curated for the year ahead.
If reading this edition of The Supporter inspires you to see your gifts in action, I invite you to reach out to me or any member of our development team. We love taking supporters behind the scenes for private tours of our production facilities, theatres, and classrooms. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing firsthand the impact your generosity creates.
Thank you for all you make possible.
TOUR
(Orpheus) in Hadestown
Ethan Peterson, Aléna Watters, and Randy Guiaya.
Photo by Jamie Kraus
Photography.
Denver’s most glamorous night of the year
Join us for an evening where your generosity creates magic — on stage, in classrooms, and throughout the community.
Evening includes an elegant dinner, one-night-only performance by students and NYC-based artists, online auction, and an electric after-party.
GIVING SPOTLIGHT: MICHAEL GOSLINE AND DON WERNER
Don and I have been season ticket subscribers at the DCPA for over 25 years. We have always looked forward to each production as an opportunity to experience something new. When we found out about the Directors Society, we learned we had the opportunity to meet and connect with other theatre lovers in a fun way.
We had always been looking for a way to be more involved and that is what the Directors Society offered. And beyond that, the opportunity to sponsor shows has just added to our enjoyment of the whole theatre experience. For us, it’s not as much about the subject of the show as it is about the ability to be a small part of a production that will hopefully impact someone the way shows have impacted us over our years of attendance.
We consider the DCPA to be very important in our charitable giving plans and don’t expect that to change. We’ve gotten so much out of our theatre experiences over the years and enjoy giving something back.
Are you interested in sponsoring a show or a full season? Contact Caitie Maxwell at cmaxwell@dcpa.org or 303.446.4840.
Noelia Antweiler and Adam Hagenbuch in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Photo by Jamie Kraus Photography.
30 TITLES. 2 SEASONS. 1 UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE.
By Suzanne Yoe
Do you remember your first play? The moment on stage that resonated with you, creating a spark of interest, curiosity, and connection?
We’ve all had that experience. It’s why we’re here, and it’s what draws us together play after play, season after season. It’s why you have chosen not only to buy a ticket, but also to invest in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
With nearly 30 recently announced titles from which to choose, chances are good that you will reexperience that moment when a song, a scene, a glance will cause you to break into laughter, burst into tears, sit forward in your seat, and forget you are sitting in the dark with complete strangers. Because in that moment, you are part of the production. Your reaction is as crucial to the show’s success as the actor on the stage.
We invite you to visit denvercenter.org/subscriber to see our full season lineup, and to whet your appetite, here are four titles — explained “in their own words” — that have sparked our excitement for the season ahead.
The Denver Center Theatre Company’s season opens with Destiny of Desire, a telenovela play coproduced with L.A.’s Center Theatre Group. Written by Karen Zacarías (Just Like Us), Destiny of Desire begins “on a stormy night in Mexico when two baby girls are born one to outrageous wealth, one to abject poverty,” explains Artistic Director Chris Coleman. When a conniving ex-beauty queen swaps the babies, an incredible journey begins. “Romances bloom, villains are unmasked, and high drama ensues.” Destiny of Desire “is a wild rollercoaster ride that proves why the telenovela is the most popular form of entertainment on the planet.”
Denver Center Theatre Company presents Destiny of Desire • Sep 11-Oct 5
The Broadway company of Buena Vista Social Club™ .
Photo by Matthew Murphy.
DCPA Cabaret presents What a Glorious Feeling • Nov 7-April 4
Warm up your winter with a show that will have you dancing in the aisles. “What a Glorious Feeling is a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry (and drama) that went into the creation of the iconic choreography of one of the most beloved movie musicals ever made — Singin’ in the Rain,” explained DCPA Broadway & Cabaret General Manager, Alicia Bruce. Audiences will have a front row seat as Gene Kelly, his longtime collaborator Stanley Donen, and Kelly’s trusted assistant Jeanne Coyne (and Donen’s recent ex-wife) navigate the delicate dance between artistic ambition, romantic tension, and the mounting pressure to create the next big MGM musical. “What a Glorious Feeling will showcase exhilarating choreography not previously seen in the Garner Galleria Theatre. You may even see a tap dance or two!”
Denver Center Theatre Company presents How to Conquer America: A Mostly True History of Yogurt • Feb 5-28
The world premiere by David Myers was read at the 2025 Colorado New Play Summit. In his words, his play “tells the story of the 1970s ad campaign that took this weird ethnic food and put it into every kitchen in America. In the play, the family goes through a generational shift, and the culture of the older generation is lost…. I hope that an audience feels that the new thing that grows to replace that loss is something that’s also beautiful.” After meticulous research into — of all things — yogurt, Myers deftly sheds light on an unlikely subject while inviting audiences to witness a family as they grapple to navigate cultural changes and identity in this heartfelt story.
DCPA Broadway presents Buena Vista Social Club™ • Apr 27-May 9, 2027
Tony- and Grammy-winning Buena Vista Social Club™ will light up the Buell Theatre in spring 2027. According to John Ekeberg, Executive Director of DCPA Broadway, the show is “a gorgeous and moving take on the story of the famed Cuban music ensemble of the same name.” Set in Havana across decades (1950’s-1990’s), the story of a once legendary singer who has a second chance in the spotlight is infused by energetic dance and the infectious sounds of Cuban jazz. “It is one of my favorite shows that I’ve seen in the last few years on Broadway, and I’m so excited that it’s coming to Denver in the first year of its tour. It’s a show like no other and should definitely not be missed.”
SEE THE FULL 2026/27 SEASON LINEUP
LEARN MORE
NIGHT OUT
Our Best of Broadway and Directors Societies take you “beyond the ticket” to a world of curated pre-show dinners, exclusive artistic insights, intermission hospitality, and postshow parties. Upgrade to a Premium Membership today — just a step away from center stage!
WAYS TO GIVE IT’S FUN TO SUPPORT THE DCPA!
INVEST IN INSPIRATION
Join more than 6,000 annual donors who help DCPA bring creativity and inspiration to nearly 990,000 patrons, including 150,000 students, each year.
Annual Fund Gifts
Spread the joy of theatre with a donation in any amount.
Become a Monthly Sustainer Give in any amount monthly to support live theatre year round!
Sponsor a Show
JOIN A PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP SOCIETY
Experience theatre like never before with nearly 300 other Premium Members
Best of Broadway Society
8 unforgettable dinners, Broadway shows in Golden Circle seats & pre/ post show artistic experiences!
($6,500/person*. Includes $4,000 donation)
Directors Society
Go behind the scenes, meet cast & creative team, enjoy Opening Night dinners and parties!
Women’s Voices Fund Membership
Celebrating 21 years of Women’s Voices Fund, which has supported 40 projects and 35 female playwrights since 2005.
Planned Giving
Safeguard the future of theatre with a bequest to the DCPA.
Encore Society
Make a legacy pledge and receive generational recognition and benefits.
CONTACT
Emily Kettlewell
Director of Development Operations
ekettlewell@dcpa.org
303.446.4812
7 incredible Theatre Company Opening Nights with pre-show dinners and post-show cast parties! ($2,500/person*. Includes $1,000 donation)
*Memberships may be prorated.
CONTACT
Marc Ravenhill
Director of Development, Donor Relations mravenhill@dcpa.org 303.572.4594
PARTY WITH A PURPOSE
Celebrate the transformative power of the arts in style
DCPA Gala: Saturday Night Alive JUNE 13, 2026
No long programs or endless speeches. Fun, entertainment, and dancing all supporting theatre and education programs.
CONTACT
Megan Stewart
Associate Director of Development, Special Events mstewart@dcpa.org
303.446.4821
TAX-WISE WAYS TO SUPPORT
Speak with your financial advisor about these tax-wise ways to support your favorite charities like DCPA
Gifts of Appreciated Stock
Transfer directly to DCPA and pay no capital gains
Qualified Charitable Distribution from IRA (up to $100,000 per year once you reach retirement RMDs)
Give through your Donor Advised Fund or Family Foundation
CONTACT
Donations are accepted online or by mail. Mail your contribution to: DCPA, Attn: Development Department, 1101 13th St., Denver, CO 80204
Julia Dunn
Development ManagerDonor Engagement and Legacy Giving jdunn@dcpa.org
303.893.6057
Stephanie Machado and Olivia Hebert in Laughs in Spanish .
Photo by Jamie Kraus Photography.
FROM THE BOBBY G AWARDS TO THE BARRICADE: THOMAS BEEKER’S JOURNEY
By Heidi Bosk
High School Musical Theatre Awards celebrates outstanding achievements in musical theatre throughout Colorado. Plus, winners for Outstanding Performance by a Performer in a Leading Role represent Colorado at The Jimmy Awards: National High School Musical Theatre Awards. Thomas was Denver’s first finalist at the Jimmys.
A Launchpad After The Jimmy Awards
Following the Jimmy Awards, Beeker took a gap year from college to audition full-time — a leap of faith that led to his first TV credit on “Chicago P.D.”
“It was really cool. They flew me out, put me in a trailer — it was a great experience.”
Beeker then enrolled in the Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts, a two-year program designed to get emerging performers in front of industry professionals. He connected with casting directors, signed with a new agency, and soon found himself auditioning for the Les Misérables tour
The process was extensive — one initial audition followed by three callbacks — so when he finally got the call,
in Calgary. “There’s a lot of pressure, but I’m glad my first role was in the ensemble. There’s a camaraderie there you don’t always get as a principal.”
While life on the road can be challenging, his parents have been with him every step of the way — having already seen the show seven times.
Why the Bobby G Awards Matter
Beeker credits the Bobby G Awards as a key foundation for his career. To him, the program does something essential — validates young performers. “You’re seeing the future. The energy is palpable. You feel the love between nominees, students, teachers, and families. I’m super grateful — I wouldn’t be here without the Bobby G’s.”
Modeled after the Tony Awards, the award ceremony (May 15) includes performances by Outstanding Overall Production and lead performer nominees. The Bobby G Awards also honor design, direction, choreography, stage management as well as special achievements. It is an electric night for any patron who loves seeing shows at the Buell. Tickets are currently on sale.
Cast of Les Misérables North American tour.
Photo by Matthew Murphy.
PLANNING YOUR LEGACY WITH YOUR IRA: A STORY OF IMPACT
By John H de Jong, CFP®, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones
At the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, every legacy begins with a story. And just like a great play, thoughtful planning ensures your story lives on long after the curtain falls.
In recent years, federal rules about inherited IRAs have changed. For many families, this means that loved ones who inherit an IRA now need to withdraw all the funds within 10 years — often during the busiest, highest-earning chapters of their lives. That can create unexpected tax burdens and reduce the impact of a gift meant to support the next generation.
But there are ways to turn this challenge into something meaningful.
Many donors have found that their IRAs can become powerful tools for supporting the causes they care about. By naming a charity as a beneficiary or by making Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) after age 70½, you can reduce taxes while helping the arts thrive. After age 73, you can even direct part of your Required Minimum Distribution to the organizations that inspire you — opening new possibilities for storytelling, education, and community connection.
Estate and tax planning can be complex, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Talk with your
financial advisor about how your IRA can help write the next act — not just for your family, but for the Denver Center and the audiences yet to come.
Important information:
Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult with your attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation. Content is intended as educational only and should not be interpreted as specific investment advice. Investors should make investment decisions based on their unique investment objectives and financial situation.
