A new golden age for the Wheeler | Arts & Entertainment

Mike Harrington recently celebrated one year as executive director of the Wheeler Opera House, having replaced the previous director last September.

Like many of the acts Harrington booked in his first year, his performance has earned solid reviews.

“Having Mike reignite the programming at the Wheeler has provided a much-needed burst of energy at the opera house,” said Kutcher Miller, a board member of Wheeler Associates, a local nonprofit that works closely with the Wheeler. “We love his programming and his partnerships in co-presenting shows at the Wheeler. 

“We are also impressed with his outreach into the community and the work he has done with other nonprofits in the valley. Be it a concert, stand-up comedian or the annual school play, under Mike’s leadership the Wheeler continues to provide a world-class venue for everyone from international touring artists to the local community.”

The Wheeler has become a busy venue under Harrington’s leadership. Between January and June, the Wheeler welcomed over 12,500 audience members, 82% of which have a local billing address. Harrington is projecting the total number of productions in 2025 to be right around 80.

Compare those numbers to 2023 — the last year the Wheeler hosted programming before a long renovation to the theater’s rigging system, when 32 productions at the opera house were attended by 9,383 patrons, 65% of whom were local. The Wheeler has already surpassed its 2023 numbers and is on pace to double them in terms of total productions and total attendees.

Harrington put his nearly 20 years of experience in the entertainment business as both a performer and an administrator into play to great effect.

He has booked A-list talent such as Jerry Seinfeld, iconic singer Michael Feinstein and a cabaret performance by Christopher Jackson who originated the role of George Washington in the Broadway production of “Hamilton.”

When asked to assess his first year at the Wheeler, Harrington said, “We really hit the ground running and got people’s attention which is half the battle. In a very active market, you have to start by just getting people’s attention and getting the Wheeler back on people’s radar as a place for world-class entertainment — that was our first big goal. We’ve learned a lot. We’ve identified areas where we need to improve and strengthen how we can best serve the community.”

Other Harrington initiatives included “Roaring Fork Rising,” a series designed to spotlight the local talent in the Roaring Fork Valley. “We want the Wheeler to be rooted locally and that starts with creating space in this building for artists to share their gifts with the community and fostering a thriving arts scene and celebrating the creative spirit that defines Aspen,” Harrington said.

In August, the Wheeler unveiled their 2025-26 Education and Outreach Season. In last year’s program, more than 1,684 students and educators from throughout the Roaring Fork Valley took part in performances and workshops designed to connect learning with the power of live performance. With the 2025-26 season offerings, Harrington expects to reach 3,000 students as the Education and Outreach programming responds to positive feedback and expands.

All student matinees and workshops are offered free of charge to participating schools, thanks to funding from the city of Aspen’s Real Estate Transfer Tax.

“We believe live performance is a powerful tool for sparking curiosity, celebrating diversity and nurturing a lifelong love of learning,” Harrington said of the program. 

Harrington also started a membership program called Wheeler Insiders, which is designed specifically for locals in the Roaring Fork Valley.

The program costs $20 and offers a range of benefits including priority access to show announcements and pre-sale windows, special ticket pricing for Wheeler Presents events, exchange privileges for ticket flexibility, invitations to exclusive Insider-only events and a free drink token with the first Insider ticket purchase. 

Membership is available to residents in select local zip codes (Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale, Redstone, Old Snowmass, Woody Creek). Information can be found at wheeleroperahouse.com/insiders.

Looking ahead

Harrington is kicking off his second year with a robust offering of performances for the fall which has traditionally been a slow time at the Wheeler.

“We’ve got more programming in October and November than we’ve ever had,” Harrington said. “We’re responding to the fact that not much is going on in the valley and we want to give people entertainment options.”

The programming kicks into high gear this weekend. The music of John Denver is the focus of two different shows: “Spirit: The Music of John Denver,” held Friday, and “An Evening of the Music of John Denver,” set for today. Chris Collins, with the band Boulder Canyon, will bring the excitement of a John Denver Concert to the Wheeler stage in “An Evening of the Music of John Denver” tonight.

The weekend wraps up on Sunday at 3 p.m. with Theatre Heroes of Austin, Texas, and their multimedia production of “Wind in the Willows,” a visually stunning adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s beloved children’s novel. This performance is designed for children ages 8 and up. The show blends classic storytelling with 180-degree projected illustrations, immersive soundscapes and a solo performance by award-winning actor Noel Gaulin, who brings all the characters to life.

Other offerings in October include two of the biggest names in the world of extreme ski films, Matchstick Productions and Teton Gravity Research, presenting their latest films “After the Snowfall” (Oct. 6), and “Pressure Drop” (Oct. 15).

Harrington said the “can’t-miss production of the fall” is “Humans 2.0,” the latest theatrical circus from Circa, the internationally acclaimed company from Australia. “Humans 2.0” is a tightly woven choreography of bodies, set to the music of composer Ori Lichtik. 

Circa was created by circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz. The magazine “La Pressa” called Humans 2.0 “a striking spectacle of beauty, a real ode to the graceful power of the human body.”

The Wheeler presents programming aimed at Spanish-speaking audiences with Mountainfilm on Tour’s “Cine de las Montanas Programa” (Oct. 16) and several programs will feature indigenous themes with the “Shining Mountains Film Festival” (Oct. 17-19) and “Legends of Native American Comedy” (Oct. 24).

We’ve got some great Spanish and indigenous programming,” Harrington said. “We’re trying to create space for the different communities in the valley.”

When asked if he could pick one word to describe the slate of programming for this second year and beyond, Harrington responded, “Expansive. We’ve got many genres with programs appealing to multiple generations. We’re doing our best to bring something for everyone. I love the range of the programming and the quality is very very high.

“My goal is to bring high-quality artists, create meaningful local partnerships and maybe even get into producing original content a little bit. I’d love for the Wheeler to be considered the Radio City of the Rockies. We’ve got a beautiful historic building in an incredible, culturally vibrant community. We’re bringing in the best of the best. I think people are excited about what’s happening.”