Leaders from across the Western Hemisphere are gathering in Denver this week for the inaugural Cities Summit of the Americas, which strives to gather government and community leaders to find local solutions to global problems.

And while the three-day summit ends Friday, the showcase public event – an “immersive cultural warehouse experience” collectively titled “Fábrica de Arte Américas” – will remain open to visitors through midnight Saturday at the Slate Hotel. That’s the former Emily Griffith Opportunity School at 1250 Welton St.

The packed nightly program features live musical acts, electric DJ sets, dance performances, fashion shows, visual arts, food trucks, libations and more. Some areas of the warehouse are free to explore while others require tickets. A full pass is $30 while daily passes are $10 at citiessummitoftheamericas.org.

The three-day Cities Summit of the Americas, announced by President Biden last June, has drawn leaders from all levels of governments as well as representatives of academia, youth, arts and culture, indigenous and other historically ignored groups. They are tackling topics including democracy, climate change, access to innovative technology, information integrity and stronger public health infrastructure.

Then, they dance.

The host organizations are the city of Denver, the state of Colorado, the U.S. State Department and the Biennial of the Americas.

“We welcome the Cities Summit of the Americas to Colorado and look forward to celebrating arts and culture at the Fábrica de Arte Américas,” Governor Jared Polis said in a statement. “The opportunity to strengthen partnerships, find new ways to support each other and our economic ties are critical to our future.”

DPS Shakespeare Festival returns Friday

One of the great downtown spectacles of every spring returns to the Denver Performing Arts Complex on Friday with the 39th annual Denver Public Schools Shakespeare Festival – the largest of its kind in the world. Officials expect a return to pre-pandemic participation levels, which would mean more than 5,000 students from 63 schools participating in the festivities. The free fun begins at 10 a.m. with a short parade from Skyline Park to Sculpture Park. Throughout the day and until 4 p.m., students – many speaking English as a second language – will perform short scenes they have prepared in tented stages spread throughout the grounds. This year’s featured play is “King Lear,” but you will see a little bit of everything. Information at shakespeare.dpsk12.org.

Phamaly leadership changes

Denver’s disability-affirmative Phamaly Theatre Company has announced two significant  leadership changes, notably the hiring of Corinne Denny as managing director. Denny, who comes from the opera world, replaces Sasha Hutchings, who left Phamaly in February after more than five years to become executive director of Jefferson County Communities That Care.

Additionally, Phamaly named AJ Watson to the newly created position of production accessibility manager.

Denny most recently served as executive director of the Arapahoe Philharmonic and executive artistic director of Denver Immersive Opera. Perhaps most notably for her role at Phamaly, she also has five years working in wealth management on her resume.

Watson, who has worked backstage at two recent Phamaly productions, holds a degree in cinematography from the University of Connecticut, is an alumnus of the Disney College Program and most recently worked at ESPN.

Before Ben Raanan was hired as artistic director in May 2021, Phamaly – a unique and essential part of the national theater ecology – operated under a co-leadership model with Regan Linton managing the artistic side and Hutchings overseeing the business side. Phamaly has not yet said whether Raanan and Denny will share leadership duties under a similar structure.

In a statement, Denny said she was eager to work alongside the “fabulous” Raanan. “Phamaly contributes so much to the disabled and arts community and truly moves the needle in the arts world through representation, accessibility and amazing productions,” she said.

Next up for Phamaly: Its long-awaited return to the Denver Performing Arts Complex with its first foray into Shakespeare. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” directed by Shelly Gaza, plays Aug. 17-Sept. 2 in the Kilstrom Theatre. Gaza is director of the University of Northern Colorado’s School of Theatre Arts and Dance.

Artists of Color in dialogue

True West Award-winning local arts figures Mary Louise Lee, Betty Hart and Alicia “Lisa” Young are among those participating in an important, two-hour panel conversation called “Artists of Color in Discussion” at 6:15 p.m. Monday at the Lone Tree Arts Center.

Panelists include Young, founder of the diversity advocacy group IDEA Stages; Malik Robinson, executive director of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance; Raul Murciano Jr. of Colorado Mambo Orchestra; and Kerrie Joy, self-described activist, educator and revolutionary. Hart, president of the Colorado Theatre Guild, is moderating. Lee is the organizer on behalf of the Colorado Symphony and Lone Tree Arts Center.

“In Conversation” is a continuing series of dialogues with arts leaders of color discussing representation, actionable steps towards systemic change and other issues. It’s free but advance registration is required at lonetreeartscenter.org.

Warm Cookies and conversation

Denver’s Warm Cookies of the Revolution is such a welcoming, original concept. It’s a “civics health club” – an ongoing workout to increase not your physical stamina but your participation as a citizen in your community.

From 7-9 p.m. Friday, the cookie bakers are hosting “Ask Me Three Questions” at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, 119 Park Ave West. Four panelists – Tiara Latrice Kelley, Michael Roberson, Shanae “Honestlynae” Adams and Frank Leon Roberts – will answer questions exploring how the Black Lives movement connects with the history of queer culture in the ballroom community and current efforts to decriminalize sex work. The moderator is Davry Ratcliffe. It’s free, but you are asked to register in advance at warmcookiesoftherevolution.org. The next night is the House of Lauren’s Miracle Ball – a queer ballroom dance party that goes from 7-9 p.m. Saturday at Rag + Bale, 1401 Zuni St.

Local Lab new play festival

Denver has long been fertile ground for the development of new American plays, and not just at the Denver Center. One of the rapidly emerging signature events of the theater year is the Local Lab, hosted, appropriately enough, by Boulder’s Local Theatre Company. Thursday through Saturday at the Dairy Arts Center, Local will present readings of four developing scripts it has discovered and is nurturing into potential fully produced stagings down the road. This year’s stories include the travails of a family-run funeral home in Queens, the challenges a Vietnamese immigrant faces living in Nebraska, and a comedy about an actor who finds steady work, but not on a stage – clients hire her to role-play people with whom they have unresolved conflict. Info at localtheaterco.org

The passing of a singing priest

When I performed in a 1980s production of “1776” at Denver’s now long-gone Original Scene, I’m fairly certain I didn’t know at the time that the very kind, angel-tenored Irish priest playing John Adams had performed four times on Broadway.

George D. Connolly, who died April 18 at age 80, was ordained in 1968 with a doctorate in Sacred Theology from Catholic University – the same year he made his Broadway debut in “The Happy Time” playing “a Singing Student of the St. Pierre Boys’ School.” He then appeared in Broadway productions of “Borstal Boy,” “The Last of Mrs. Lincoln” and “Scapino.” Training for a new job as an account executive with Southern Bell in Florida took him to Denver in 1981, where he met and the next year married fellow trainee Peg, with whom he had two children.

Connolly was a lifelong scholar, theologian, teacher and arm-chair philosopher who spoke American Sign Language fluently. “He is one of the few people ever to play Scrabble in Ancient Latin and Greek,” said his son, Greg. And he continued to perform occasionally at area theaters, with starring roles in “A Chorus Line” (as Bobby), “Man of La Mancha” and “Carousel.” Services were held last week.

Rob Riney life celebration

Denver actor Rob Riney, who died April 1 at age 36, will be remembered with an all-comers open house from 6-9 p.m. Monday, May 8, at the Clocktower Cabaret, 1601 Arapahoe St.

And, finally …

How could the Denver Nuggets have lost Game 5 of their opening-round playoff series after members of Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats sang the national anthem? They couldn’t, and they didn’t. The hometown rock stars return to Red Rocks for concerts on Aug.  22-23.