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WHEELER OPERA HOUSE ANNOUNCES ANOTHER WAVE OF SHOWS AS PART OF THE WHEELER PRESENTS 2023-24 SEASON

Holiday shows for the family, more comedy, and more adventure are headed to Aspen!

The Wheeler Opera House announces more performances as part of the Wheeler Presents 2023-24 Season line-up, including holiday shows to enjoy with friends and family, magic, comedy, and more. The full lineup of new shows is listed below. Highlights include the following: new this season, the Wheeler is partnering with the Changemaker Speaker Series to bring acclaimed adventurers to the Wheeler stage, including Andy Mann, The Helmsman with Songs & Stories from the 7 Seas in December and Aspen favorite Pete McBride and Kevin Fedarko with Into the Canyon in March. Due to popular demand, we’ll be adding a second late-night performance of Aspen’s favorite comedian, Becky Robinson,  to keep you giggling straight into the new year! Looking for a little more music to liven up your holidays? Come on down to the Wheeler for some retro rockabilly when Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats will be spinning and rocking his giant upright bass. Finally, we had such a great response last year with our family programming on New Year’s Eve, we’re announcing another family-friendly early show,  welcoming magician Michael Carbonaro with his Lies on Stage show. We promise you’ll be out in time to enjoy the fireworks! 

More Wheeler Presents shows for the 2023-24 season will continue to be announced in upcoming weeks. The affordability of Wheeler Opera House tickets is made possible through the support of the City of Aspen Real Estate Transfer Tax, ensuring accessible entertainment for all.

The Polar Express
With a special performance by the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra
Sunday, December 10, 2023 at 4:00 PM
Tickets: FREE*

Aspen Film and the Wheeler are partnering to give back in December by presenting a screening of the modern holiday favorite THE POLAR EXPRESS. Admission to the film is free. In the spirit of the holidays, attendees are asked to bring either a food or a toy donation for admittance. Paradise Bakery will provide free refreshments at the event.

As an extra special treat, the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra will open the event with a festive prelude of holiday tunes, featuring seasonal classics from a variety of cultures and traditions. These talented young musicians may invite you to sing along for a tune or three as we fill the Wheeler with holiday spirit. 

The Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra, now in its 13th year as a local independent nonprofit in youth music education, brings together young musicians from throughout the region to learn to play and perform together and aims to eliminate the barriers to musical study by offering scholarships for private lessons and tuition and loaning instruments to students free of charge. 

*Tickets are required and will be available on November 28. 

Changemaker Speaker Series
The Helmsman: Songs & Stories from the 7 Seas
Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 7:30 PM

In a dynamic evening of adventure, exploration, imagery, and music, award-winning National Geographic photographer Andy Mann shares a behind-the-scenes look at some of the wildest places on our planet. As a founding member of SeaLegacy, Andy sails the seven seas to tell the stories of our natural world, in a quest to protect it. Aspen audiences will have the privilege of experiencing a brand-new version of Andy’s compelling presentations, as Andy adds a live music touch to the evening, featuring Andy and a dynamic band onstage. Drawing on classic folk troubadour traditions, the quartet weaves in a delightfully warped, salty sense of storytelling to original musical arrangements and stunning images from above and below the surface of the ocean. Joining Andy on stage is a renowned string band of multi-instrumentalists, featuring Eli West, Patrick M’Gonigle & Forest Marowitz.

Andy Mann is a renowned photographer, filmmaker, Emmy-nominated, and 12-time Telly Award winner driven by a deep passion for documenting and protecting the world’s marine environments. He has logged thousands of hours, off all seven continents, exploring the depths of our ocean to capture stunning visuals and raise awareness about the fragility of nature.

Becky Robinson The “She Gone” Tour
Tuesday, December 26, 2023 at 9:30 PM – 2nd Show Added!

She’s baaack, and “She Gone!” And that’s right, we’ve added a second show of Becky Robinson, Entitled Housewife and more creative characters return to the Wheeler stage. Get your divots and your giggle quotas filled by witnessing the most action-packed, one-woman show in existence. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Becky Robinson is an LGBTQ+ LA-based comedian, writer, actor, and voice-over star. You may also know her for the “Entitled Housewife,” the outspoken viral golf character Becky created. Becky’s explosively unique character antics and viral videos have racked up millions of views and fans across social media. In addition to touring internationally as a stand-up comedian, Becky was named a Just For Laughs Montreal New Face of Comedy where her stand-out multi-character performance landed her a sketch show development deal and many voiceover jobs with DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, and Netflix.

Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats
Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 7:30 PM

Fresh from the Cats’ ‘40th Anniversary Reunion Tour’ of the multi-platinum Rock band and the release of the first new Stray Cats album in 10 years….comes Grammy-nominated Stray Cats founder and upright slap bassist Lee Rocker, who has also toured/performed with George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Levon Helm, Keith Richards, John Fogerty and many more. Together with his own band featuring piano/harmonica, guitar, and drums, Lee Rocker will rock the Wheeler stage performing Stray Cats hits and the songs from his extensive catalog performing with other music legends.

New Year’s Eve at the Wheeler with Carbonaro: Lies on Stage
Sunday, December 31, 2023 at 6:00 PM

Best known as the star and executive producer of the immensely popular series, The Carbonaro Effect on truTV, Michael Carbonaro has also made notable television appearances in well-loved shows like Happily Divorced, 30 Rock, Grey’s Anatomy, and CSI Miami. A performing magician since his youth, Carbonaro went on to study experimental theater at New York University with aspirations of entertaining audiences through a variety of theatrical mediums, including hidden-camera magic, which he later showcased frequently on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Following his numerous late-night appearances, Michael introduced his hit comedy series, The Carbonaro Effect, which has exceeded 100 episodes on truTV and currently airs on Max and in syndication worldwide. In this series, Michael astounds unsuspecting members of the public with innovative tricks, all while they remain blissfully unaware of his magical prowess. Whether he’s making a car vanish from under a security guard’s nose or turning alien crabs into kittens in a science lab, Carbonaro’s illusions, combined with his humorous and matter-of-fact explanations, consistently bewilder real people and leave families at home in fits of laughter.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve at the Wheeler with this special early show.  This family-friendly performance gets you back out on the town to enjoy the fireworks on Aspen mountain. 

Changemaker Speaker Series
Into the Canyon: Between River and Rim
With Pete McBride and Kevin Fedarko
Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 7:30 PM

Join photographer/filmmaker Pete McBride and adventure writer Kevin Fedarko on an epic quest, on foot, through the entire length of the Grand Canyon—not “rim to rim” as has been tackled by many—but 750 miles “end to end.” More people have walked on the moon than have completed this treacherous journey! Hiking over 100 days, Pete and Kevin traversed mostly along the goat trail, through slot canyons, blinding sun, and snow. Part sufferfest, part glorious trek, their expedition sheds light on the health and future of this national treasure and invites us to contemplate the value of wild spaces.