This week’s agenda: Feb. 21-27
Courtesy photo
Here’s a roundup of what’s going on this week in the arts and entertainment world.
JAS Cafe Winter Series — Toronzo Cannon
Toronzo Cannon performs two shows each night from 6:30-10 p.m. Feb. 21-22 at The Little Nell as part of the JAS Café Winter season. Tickets are $75 for the 6:30 p.m. show and $55 for the 8:45 p.m. show. jazzaspensnowmass.org
Colin Cloud: Mastermind
Prepare to be astonished as Colin Cloud, the world-renowned mentalist and master of deduction, brings his critically acclaimed show Mastermind to the Wheeler Opera House at 7 p.m. Feb. 21. Dubbed the “Real-Life Sherlock Holmes,” Colin Cloud has captivated audiences across the globe, from London’s West End and Broadway to his headlining residency on the Las Vegas Strip. Read all about him online at aspentimes.com. Tickets: $38. Wheeleroperahouse.com
Palm Tree Music Festival Aspen
The Palm Tree Music Festival in Aspen is sold out for Feb. 21-22, but you can join the waitlist at palmtreemusicfestival.com/festival/aspen-2025
The Lone Bellow at TACAW
At 8 p.m. Feb. 22, The Lone Bellow brings its blend of folk and Americana to TACAW. The formerly Brooklyn-based band is known for its transcendent harmonies, serious musicianship and raucous live performance. After the members released the 2015 “Then Came the Morning,” which was nominated for an Americana Music Award, they moved to Nashville and released five other albums. Tickets: $55 in advance, $50 for TACAW members, $65 day of show. Tacaw.org
Seth’s Broadway Concert Series starring Stephanie J. Block
SiriusXM Broadway host Seth Rudetsky and Tony Award winner Stephanie J. Block join up for an unforgettable evening of show-stopping performances and hilarious behind-the-scenes stories at 7:30 p.m. Feb 22 at Harris Concert Hall. See the full story at aspentimes.com. Tickets:$55-$95; VIP meet-and-greet: $125. theatreaspen.org
Adonis Puentes & The Voice of Cuba Orchestra at Wheeler Opera House
Transport yourself to the heart of Havana with Adonis Puentes & The Voice of Cuba Orchestra, performing at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at Wheeler Opera House. A globally celebrated sonero, Puentes is known for his rich, soulful vocals and dynamic fusion of traditional Cuban sounds with modern influences. His performances have graced world-renowned stages, including Lincoln Center and the Montreal Jazz Festival, and his music has been praised for its infectious energy and deep-rooted authenticity.
In a special dance-friendly setting, the Wheeler features a front-orchestra dance floor, inviting audiences to move to the vibrant rhythms of Puentes’ world-class band. As Latin Jazz Network describes it, “Rooted in tradition with superb international arrangements, Adonis Puentes delivers with a world-class band, intelligent lyrics, and the greatest power of all—love.” Tickets start at $45. wheeleroperahouse.com
Franc Moody at Belly Up
Franc Moody brings his signature contemporary funk, complete with salt shakers, mugs, dripping radiators and even fly-zipping to Belly Up Feb. 23. Bellyupaspen.com
Theater Masters Aspiring Playwrights Festival
Creativity and community meet at TACAW at 6 p.m. Feb. 25 for a free showcase of short plays written by Roaring Fork Valley high school students. Through partnerships with English and theater classes, student playwrights have worked alongside a professional director from New York City to develop and produce their plays. In its 26th year, the Aspiring Playwrights Festival invites students to write a 5- to 10-minute play, which receives professional feedback. Up to seven plays are selected for the staged performance, directed by a New York City professional and performed by local talent. RSVP requested. Tacaw.org
Visiting Critic Lecture: Jasmine Wahi
Jasmine Wahi, founder and co-director of Project for Empty Space, gives a free lecture from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Her multifaceted curatorial practice predominantly focuses on issues of femme empowerment, complicating binary structures within social discourses, and exploring multi-positional cultural identities through the lens of intersectional feminism. In 2023, Jasmine was honored by The Metropolitan Museum of Art for exemplary social impact work. Andersonranch.org
Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra Winter Concert
Enjoy the free performance of the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra, which features musicians from Aspen to Parachute, ages 5 to 18. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at TACAW. Tacaw.org
Physics talk; Quantum Phase Transitions: Hidden Patterns in Space & Time
Join Aspen Center for Physics for a free public physics talk titled “Quantum Phase Transitions: Hidden Patterns in Space and Time” at the Aspen Center for Physics at 5 p.m. Feb. 26. Meigan Aronson from the University of British Columbia speaks. She is an experimental condensed matter physicist whose research centers on the discovery and exploration of quantum materials.
Phase transitions are a familiar part of life, representing predictable paths by which solids turn to liquids, mixtures turn to solutions, and magnets become nonmagnetic. Temperature plays a central role in driving many phase transitions, however, there are others that don’t depend on temperature at all, such as instabilities in social networks, bird flocking, and even the process of visual recognition in humans. Phase transitions represent change that impacts all length scales from the tiniest to the global, becoming permanent on time scales from the shortest to the longest. Most enigmatic are phase transitions that happen only at zero temperature, driven by the intrinsic quantum mechanical nature of matter. How are these quantum phase transitions different from temperature-driven phase transitions? What are the different phases that can be explored by quantum systems at zero temperature? Living as we do at nonzero temperature, can we experience quantum phenomena that occur at zero temperature? Phase transitions and the ways in which they pattern space and time are at the heart of our developing understanding of quantum matter.
Tea and cookies are served at 5 p.m. before each talk at 5:30 p.m. There is limited free parking at the center, so please carpool, take the Downtowner, or RFTA Crosstown Shuttle. Though the talk is free, RSVPs are highly encouraged. aspenphys.org
Mental fitness: Charting a well-balanced year
Join Angilina Taylor, executive director of HeadQuarters, for a free and interactive exploration into the Four Quarters of Mental Fitness: social, emotional, physical, and financial well-being from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at The Collective Snowmass. These pillars, when left unaddressed, are often the root causes of stress that impact our overall health and quality of life. HeadQuarters is a local nonprofit organization that provides support through funding for therapeutic services, workshops, and peer support groups. They also offer personalized one-on-one coaching for life and health, guiding individuals toward the right resources at the right time. thecollectivesnowmass.com
Too $hort at Belly Up
Too $hort takes the stage at 9 p.m. Feb 26 at Belly Up. With six platinum and four gold certifications, in addition to collaborations with both Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G., Too $hort’s influence permeates modern rap. Bellyupaspen.com
Organ Recital with Brian du Fresne
Brian du Fresne, who holds dual master’s degrees in music and music education, performs a free recital from 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 27 at Aspen Community Church. aspencommunitychurch.org
Max Styler at Belly Up
California native Max Styler is a dynamic force in dance music, as he pushes boundaries and evolves with each new release. He describes his blend of house and distinctively dark European-inspired sound as Main Stage Indie Dance. He performs at 9 p.m. Feb. 27 at Belly Up. Bellyupasen.com
