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Randy Weeks
DENVER - Randy Weeks, 59, of Denver, Colorado, formerly from Durham, NH, died suddenly on Thursday, October 9 while on business in London, England, while attending the Independent Producers Network conference.
He was born June 21, 1955 in Laconia, NH. His father is David S. Weeks; he is predeceased by his mother, Joan Watson Weeks. A 1973 graduate of Oyster River High School in Durham, he was active in the drama club and a star athlete, competing in soccer, skiing and track.
He was the President of Colorado's Denver Center for the Performing Arts,(DCPA) and Executive Director of DCPA Broadway. Randy's relationship with the DCPA began in 1978 when he started working in the Box Office while earning his Bachelor's Degree in Business from the University of Colorado.
He worked at the DCPA for several years and then returned to New Hampshire to work with his father David Weeks at Weeks Family Restaurant in Dover, NH.
Randy's first love was the theatre and he left Dover to work in Washington DC as Theatre Operations Manager at the Kennedy Center. Denver Broadway presenter Bob Garner tapped Randy to take the helm of Denver Center Attractions in 1989.
He was a member of the Broadway League, a group of 700+ theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters and general managers who bring Broadway to more than 30 million people in New York and more than 200 cities across North America. He was a giant among giants.
At the DCPA, Randy presented more than 400 shows - including ten national touring premieres (The Book of Mormon, Pippin, Peter and the Starcatcher, Disney's The Lion King, Sunset Boulevard, and the revival of A Chorus Line among others) and the pre-Broadway engagement of Disney's The Little Mermaid. Collectively, he entertained more than 11.6 million guests throughout Colorado and well beyond.
During his tenure, he opened the Garner Galleria Theatre in 1992 with the smash hit Forever Plaid. The addition of the cabaret model into the DCPA's programming proved to be a wild success, treating audiences to such long-running shows as Always...Patsy Cline and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.
He also was an early adopter of new theatre, including the national tour of Traces, cementing Denver's place as a launch pad of exciting works destined for national prominence.
Randy's dedication to the DCPA came in many forms. He was one of the founding members of the Women's Voices Fund - a foundation established to foster the work of women in theatre - making gifts to honor his mother and aunt. He represented the DCPA in its ongoing relationship with the City of Denver's Arts and Venues division and the not-for-profit Denver Theatre District.
Randy's theatre involvement extended far beyond the DCPA, including participation in the Denver School of the Arts Board, Independent Presenter's Network, The Broadway League, and Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Randy spearheaded the creation of The Bobby G Awards in 2013, the Colorado regional awards program for The National High School Musical Theater Awards, which recognizes and fosters the talent of aspiring youth in the local community.
He was especially proud of his ongoing commitment to the Kappa Sigma Fraternity at CU-Boulder, hosting many of the young men at the theatre. Randy also served as a Director of the University of Colorado Foundation.
His mother, Joan Weeks, precedes him in death. His father, David Weeks of St. Helena, California; his sister, Pamela Weeks of Durham, New Hampshire; his brother, Joel Weeks and husband Jim Hutchison of Marina del Ray, California; his sister, Stephanie Gamble and her husband Jim Gamble of St. Helena, California survive him. He also leaves behind niece Sarah Gamble of St. Helena, nephew Ben Worthen and wife Jessica of Los Angeles, and nephews David and Jonathan Gamble, also of St. Helena. In addition, he leaves behind many cherished aunts, uncles, cousins and his theatre family.
Memorial gifts can be made to The Randy Weeks Memorial Fund for the Bobby G Awards, which supports the advancement of musical theatre for Colorado high school students. Please make checks payable to Denver Center for the Performing Arts and mail to: DCPA Development Office, 1101 13th Street, Denver, CO 80204.
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