September 2017 - Fort Collins Lincoln Center

If you loved Mike Birbiglia’s stand-up in “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend” or “Thank God for Jokes,” his latest show, “The New One,” promises to be even better. The topics haven’t been revealed, but Birbiglia thinks the best audience experiences come about when the fans don’t have a clue what’s coming.

Known for his self-deprecating humor and silly stories about everyday encounters, Birbiglia is a firm believer that the only way to be unique is to be yourself — “It all comes down to your taste,” he says. “I personally love it when comedians are vulnerable.” This personal, narrative take is what gives his comedy depth and has made him popular and relatable for so many folks. “There are a lot of people who are clever, but there are not a lot of people who will give all of themselves to the audience.”

You may recognize him from his appearances in “Orange is the New Black” or “Trainwreck” — but the comedian/writer/director/actor has taken on a variety of projects — from his critically acclaimed book/film “Sleepwalk with Me” and “Don’t Think Twice,” to his several Netflix comedy specials.

Birbiglia will be performing “The New One” at The Lincoln Center on October 21. Tickets start at $20 and are available at LCtix.com

The second Yosvani Ramos hit the ground, he knew something horrible had happened. He could see his heel bone, but not the tendon.

“I was on the floor sobbing, thinking it was a bad nightmare that I wanted to wake up from,” the Colorado Ballet dancer remembered. “I could see what was there, and I thought, there is no way I am coming back from this.”

Ramos has been in love with ballet since he was young and started performing as a youth. He won the gold medal at the Paris International Ballet Competition in 1998, and then in 2015, he joined the Colorado Ballet. But at only 37, he lay on the ground during a “Nutcracker” rehearsal thinking it was the end.

Six days after the injury, Ramos underwent a minimally invasive procedure to fix his Achilles injury — a technique proven to decrease surgical risk and allow for quicker recovery — by Dr. Joshua Metzl at the UCHealth Steadman Hawkins Clinic-Denver.

“I have a very small scar and was in a cast for two weeks instead of the usual six,” Ramos said. “Then once I was in a boot, I was able to work that muscle so I didn’t get muscle atrophy, which was a big deal for my recovery. Then, I started rehab.”

And that’s where Ramos realized it wasn’t the end.

UCHealth Steadman Hawkins Clinic-Denver has a marker-less motion analysis known as Dynamic Athletics Research Institute. It’s essentially an avatar — a system that tracks the patient’s every joint — and by taking them through a battery of tests, evaluates their range of motion and strengths. This allows for a specifically tailored rehab program to bring the patient back to where they want to be.

“My recovery wasn’t about just being able to walk like a normal person,” Ramos said. “I needed to be back on stage.”

Ramos said he started small with little stuff and moved his way up to where he is today — back to rehearsing.

“I remember my first day and how scared I was as they forced me to move my foot,” he said. “But there was not one day that I felt I shouldn’t be doing this. It was such a logical process the way rehab rehabilitated me, and in a couple of months, I was doing jumps.

“I worked really hard and am very focused. But I didn’t do it alone,” he added. “And if this was going to happen anywhere, the place for it to happen was here in Denver, where they’re the best.”

Ramos started rehearsing for Colorado Ballet’s “Dracula” in early September — less than a year after his injury — and he’s expected to be back on stage when they open that show in October.

Brought to you by our season sponsor, UCHealth.