Key to the Curtain

Good Afternoon Key Lovers!

Today we are presenting the play adaptation of Seven Keys to Baldpate at our Key-thedral. In the spirit of theatre, I thought we could look into the theatrical past of Colorado.

Any native to Colorado has visited Elitch Gardens in Denver for a day of roller coasters and cotton candy, but did you know that before Six Flags bought Elitch Gardens, it was a theatre? In the early 1900s Elitch Gardens was famous for its plays, zoological park, and cultural center. The theatre became internationally known for performing ten plays during the ten-week season and attracting stars of both the stage and screen. The theatre hosted talent such as Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, Vincent Price, Grace Kelly and Kitty Carlisle. Cecil B DeMille used to send yearly telegraphs wishing the company good luck for the season.

New members of the Elitch Garden Players had to go through initiation each summer. They were told that to open they had to find the key to the curtain. As many of you may know, curtains don't need keys. There was no actual key to the curtain, it was a wild goose chase. The props-master in 1929 created a real "Key to the Curtain," however, instead of letting the new members find it, they donated it to the Baldpate Inn. The key has the mask of comedy on the top to represent the trick that was played on newcomers while the bottom of the key is fashioned to look like a giant E which stands for Elitch Gardens. 

We hope to see you soon in the audience of our own reenactment of Seven Keys to Baldpate today at seven or tomorrow at three.

Until next time!

Natalie