Joaquín Liebert gave up on sex, drugs, and rock and roll (well, okay, he cut down anyway) to pursue his love of theater. After struggling for years and honing his chops in supporting roles, Joaquín may have landed his meatiest role yet. The Denver actor plays the part of Angel the talking dog in El Centro Su Teatro’s upcoming holiday production, (improbably titled) Joaquín’s Christmas.

For this native Westsider, coming home for Christmas takes on a special significance this year. The role brings Joaquín back to his Westside home and also back to Metro State College where he earned a theater degree a decade ago.

“My degree is actually in speech communications with an emphasis in theater,” he explained. “Metro didn’t offer a straight up theater degree when I was in school there.” Nor did Metro’s theater students yet perform in the King Center, which was under final construction during his tenure. “Cookie (Metro theater professor Marilyn Hetzel) says our class helped build the King Center,” said the actor. “It’s a real treat to finally get to perform there.”

When his early forays into the post-college Denver theater scene disappointed, Joaquín turned to his other great love (and vice): rock and roll. “My first band, The Redemptions, was sort of a ska/punk band with a little rock steady thrown in the mix,” explained the artist. “It was a ska band for people who don’t like ska.” During that time, he was also fronting a hardcore oi band, which he describes as a blend of street punk and hard soul.

Throughout the second half of the 90s, the bands cut their teeth at all the East Colfax and South Broadway venues like the High Dive, the Bluebird, the Lion’s Lair, Herman’s Hideaway (where they were ...