John Moore joins our final 2025 podcast episode

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

After 25 years of chronicling Colorado’s theater scene with his annual True West Awards (formerly the Ovation Awards at the Denver Post), the Denver Gazette‘s John Moore joins us to discuss this milestone final year of the December tradition. We cover recent standout productions including Frozen at the Arvada Center and BETC’s Every Brilliant Thing, pause to remember Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle following their tragic deaths, and explore 2025 trends like the growing number of real-life couples being cast as romantic partners. John shares insights on emerging companies, celebrates prolific artists like costume designer Nicole Harrison and writers Olivia Buntaine and Emy McGuire, and provides an update on the Denver Actors Fund’s remarkable $238,000 in distributions this year alone—bringing their total support for Colorado theater artists to $1.8 million since 2014.

Chapter Summary

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. Toni mentioned Denver Immersive Repertory Theater’s upcoming production of Midnight’s Dream, an immersive Midsummer Night’s Dream experience.

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.