Grand Ole Symphony?

Even the Marx Brothers would be at home in Denver's Boettcher Concert Hall come September, when the Colorado Symphony Orchestra's season starts. The audience often dresses in Levis and T-shirts. Lured by ads on country-music radio stations, concertgoers sip wine and beer with musicians beforehand. After, they flood the stage to chat and ask questions: Why, for example, does the French horn player put his hand into the instrument's bell? They clap between symphonic movements--a sign of boors--and wave at the players.

These days, the musicians are waving back. "We need patrons, but we're also interested in customers and fans," explains Lee D. Yeingst, a veteran violist and vice-chairman of the CSO's board. Most of all, Yeingst and his colleagues want a future in music, and now they have one. In four years, Denver has gone from a contentious, debt-ridden orchestra to a musical cooperative with a small surplus. Ticket sales are up 50%.