SMALL TOWN STAGE, NATIONAL ACCLAIM Colorado is full of hidden performing arts venues and organizations with sterling reputations

Central City Opera

When Central City was a gold mining town known as “the richest square mile on earth,” the Welsh and English miners hired a prominent architect to build an opera house. The mines played out and the theater was shuttered for about 50 years, but since 1932, the 550-seat theater has hosted the nation’s second oldest summer opera company.

Legendary actress Lillian Gish opened the restored opera house with “Camille,” starting the first summer season in Central City. The opera house continues to attract acclaimed performers and nationwide patrons.

The 2023 season brings three musical adaptations of Shakespeare classics. Charles Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet” runs through Aug. 5. “Kiss Me, Kate,” based on “The Taming of the Shrew,” boasts a Cole Porter score and opens July 1. Finally, Gioachino Rossini’s “Othello” has a limited engagement of six performances between July 15 and Aug. 6.

CentralCityOpera.org

Creede Repertory Theatre

A renowned theater company in the southern Colorado town of Creede also dates to a mining boom. In 1966, young city leaders were seeking creative new sources of income after a silver mining bust, so they mailed aspiring theater students nationwide. The missive led to a visit from a dozen University of Kansas students, who staged the first season in the opera house that has survived fires and floods. creederep.org

The award-winning theater company continues the repertory tradition of rotating several shows weekly throughout the season, allowing visitors to see up to five different productions during a oneweek visit. This summer’s lineup includes: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella;” a stage adaptation of the cult classic film “Clue;” a play called “The Royale,” based on the life of boxer Jack Johnson; and “Dear Jack, Dear Louise,” a love story set during World War II.

The theater also hosts improv comedy, concerts, enchanted tea parties and more, through Sept. 16.

Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre

Grand Lake also boasts a repertory theater, with a similar season-long rotation of shows six nights a week — and a similar Kansas connection. The Rocky Mountain Rep dates back to the 1960s, when the Grand Lake Woman’s Club and the Thompson family launched the Troupe of American College Players in Grand

Lake. In 1976, the troupe moved to Colorado Springs, but the Grand County Theatre Association was launched to produce summer theater in collaboration with Kansas State University and Loretto Heights College.

After a stop-start history and years of performances in a community house, small theaters and even a tent, the Rep debuted a new and permanent home in 2011.

This year’s shows include “Beautiful,” a musical about Carole King; Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic “Pirates of Penzance;” the bawdy Shakespearean farce “Something Rotten!” and “Almost Heaven: Songs of John Denver.” rockymountainrep.com

Wheeler Opera House

Jerome Byron Wheeler, heir to the Macy’s department store fortune, sold it all to build the four-story Hotel Jerome and the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen in 1889. Like many storied Colorado buildings, the opera house survived fires and boom-and-bust cycles, but it has been maintained and improved by a dedicated real estate tax since 1980, and is a core part of Aspen’s culture and community.

The Aspen Music Festival and school runs through Aug. 20, with a variety of entertainment, including opera shows and vocal arts showcases at the Wheeler and other area venues. wheeleroperahouse.com

PERRY-MANSFIELD PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL

Steamboat Springs boasts the most acclaimed dance, theater, and arts camp west of the Mississippi (in probably the most beautiful setting). Actors Dustin Hoffman and Julie Harris, and choreographer Mandy Moore are all alumni of the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School.

It is also the oldest performing arts camp in the nation, with programs for all ages. The school aims to encourage experimentation and collaboration in the arts while also keeping students close to nature.

Perry-Mansfield also hosts summer performances each year. The students will stage the musical “Cabaret” in July, and a professional dance showcase is set for August. perry-mansfield.org

Opera Steamboat

The Julie Harris theater at Perry-Mansfield also hosts performances by Opera Steamboat this summer. Puccini’s classic “Gianni Schicchi” will be performed in August, as will “Proving Up.” The latter show has a score by Missy Mazzoli and is based on a Karen Russell short story about Western homesteaders.

Opera Steamboat has a mission of innovation, education and collaboration, and has made groundbreaking strides, such as staging a season led exclusively by female conductors.