FRIDAY-SUNDAY

Belle will fall in love with a beast this weekend during Academy of Community Theatre’s (ACT II) production of “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” a shorter version of the Tony Award-winning musical. Adapted from Disney’s Academy Award-winning 1991 animated film, the show features popular songs like “Be Our Guest,” “If I Can’t Love Her” and “Human Again.” Showtimes are 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave., $20-$34.75; 719-255-8181, actcolorado.net, entcenterforthearts.org.

FRIDAY

For those who can’t sit through a three-hour Martin Scorsese film, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film’s Shorts Night is for you. The evening of award-winning shorts is the nonprofit’s primary fundraising event for the year. Its annual Women’s Film Festival is in October. Head to Stargazers Theatre & Event Center at 7 p.m. Friday for films and free popcorn and candy, $45-$60; 719-476-2200, rmwfilm.org/shorts-night, stargazerstheatre.com.

SATURDAY

The free Touch a Truck event is just what it sounds like — kids and families are invited to climb in and on large vehicles and press all the buttons. Explore all sorts of heavy machinery, including police cars, firetrucks and construction and military equipment from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. There’s also a no-horn hour from 9-10 a.m. for those who are sensitive to noise, Norris Penrose Event Center, 1045 Lower Gold Camp Road; norrispenrose.com/events/touch-a-truck-free-family-event

SATURDAY

Three dance collectives — Connexus Dance Collective, Colorado Youth Ballet and Colorado Ballet Society’s Pre-Professional Division — will perform “Sleeping Beauty” and “Valley of Detachment,” a two-act show. The abstract work “Valley of Detachment” is set to music by Angèle David-Guillou and explores the architectural concept of valleys and the use of angles and intersecting planes. “Sleeping Beauty” tells the fairy tale of a cursed sleeping princess brought to life by a prince. Shows are at 1:30 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Falcon High School, 10255 Lambert Road, Falcon, $18-$23; 719-272-7078, danceinthesprings.com/tickets.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

Don’t wait until October to celebrate scary movies. This weekend’s Six Feet Under Horror Film Fest Presents: Hooked on Horror, co-founded and co-hosted by El Paso County Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly, will feature four celebrity actors known for their horror movie stardom and three of their films. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday you can meet and mingle with Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer and Patty Mullen as well as other horror vendors and artists for free. A ticketed after party with the actors is 6-9 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday hunker in for “Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers,” “Frankenhooker” and “Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama,” along with six short films and horror trivia, Roadhouse Cinemas, 3030 N. Nevada Ave., $50-$200; sixfeetunderhorrorfest.ticketleap.com/hooked/details.

THROUGH APRIL 28

Michael Jackson’s music lives on in the Tony Award-winning jukebox musical “MJ,” which means the show features well-known popular songs. It opened on Broadway in 2022 and chronicles the making of Jackson’s 1992 “Dangerous World Tour.” The setlist includes more than 25 of his songs, including “Billie Jean,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Human Nature,” “Man in the Mirror” and “Thriller.” It runs through April 28 in the Buell Theatre at Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1350 Curtis St., Denver, $49-$199; 303-893-4100, denvercenter.org.