Brian Regan
February 7 to 8, 7:30 and 9 p.m.
Paramount Theatre
$49.75 to $75
An affable goof with cross-cultural and inter-generational appeal, Brian Regan is the rare comic's comic who can entertain grandparents and children alike. Specializing in self-deprecating jokes that speak directly to the hapless buffoon hidden inside us all, Regan sells his keenly crafted observational jokes with full-bodied physicality, embracing his own foolishness and bemusement with the intensity of a hearty bear hug. Currently appearing on the recovery-focused sitcom Loudermilk and Netflix's standup/sketch mashup Standup and Away With Brian Regan, the astoundingly prolific comedian is back on the road with a fresh hour-plus of new material to follow his latest special Nunchucks and Flamethrowers — which was filmed in Denver's own Paramount Theatre. Regan returns to the Paramount from February 7 to 8, part of a statewide smattering of appearances that include dates at Colorado Springs' Pikes Peak Center on February 6, Beaver Creek's Vilar Performing Arts Center on February 9, and Aspen's Belly Up on February 10. Visit Ticketmaster to reserve seats and find out more.
Tony Rock
February 7 to 9, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m.
Denver Improv
$17
Embarking on a career in standup comedy isn't easy. But forging your own career path when your older brother is one of the most universally acclaimed comics of all time is a unique challenge that Chris Rock's kid brother, Tony Rock, has surmounted with panache. After turning in a series of standout performances on shows like Live at the Apollo — a show he went on to host for B.E.T. — Comedy Central Presents and All Def Comedy, Rock landed a prominent role in the blockbuster film Think Like a Man and assumed emcee duties on The Game of Dating. He returns to Denver Improv for five raucous shows that prove talent does indeed run in the family.
Ratio Comedy Presents: Chris Fairbanks
Wednesday, February 12, 8 p.m.
Ratio Beerworks
Free
Celebrate five years of quaffs and laughs at the fifth anniversary of Ratio Beerworks, one of Denver comedy's most-supportive breweries. Launch into a long weekend of hops and hurrahs with a special Ratio Comedy presentation of Chris Fairbanks, a High Plains Comedy Festival favorite who has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Hosted by local mirth-mongers Matt Cobos and Patrick Richardson, the lineup includes all of Ratio Comedy's regular hosts, Andrew Bueno, Lizzy Wolfson, and Elliot Broder, along with headlining performances from Zach Reinert and Christie Buchele. As always, admission to Ratio Comedy shows is free, no reservations are required, and guests will be seated on a first-come-first-served basis. Check out Ratio Beerworks' Facebook events page for more information. Can't make it out on a Wednesday night? Fairbanks will also headline two Denver Comedy Underground shows at the Irish Snug on Saturday, February 15.
From the Hip Photo
Thursday, February 13, 8 p.m.
Oriental Theater
$16 to $20
If the programmatic flowers-and-fancy-dinners paradigm of Valentine's Day leaves you colder than a mid-February dawn, Mortified Live is your ideal source for holiday counter-programming. Producer David Blatt spearheads the Mile High edition of the nationwide live phenomenon and Netflix hit, wherein storytellers share the shameful handwritten detritus of their adolescent years. From erstwhile private journal entries to love letters and painfully earnest poetry, Mortified mines our shared pubescent fears for irony-addled adult catharsis. Featured on This American Life and The Today Show, Mortified unites speaker and spectator alike in gratitude that our most embarrassing years are blessedly — and hopefully — behind us. Comfortable daters and avowed singletons alike can kick off (or ignore) this high-pressure holiday, when Mortified Live returns on Thursday, February 13. Admission is $16 in advance and $20 day of the show; find tickets and further details at the Oriental Theater website.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live
Saturday, February 15, 7 p.m.
Buell Theatre
$39 to $79
Hark! Snark in the dark, courtesy of wise-cracking robots and their unwillingly space-bound human companion, is the often-imitated but never-duplicated métier of Mystery Science Theater 3000. A program that initially began as a lark on Minnesota public access television, MST3K — the abbreviation of choice for the show's fervent and early-adopting internet fan base — creator Joel Hodgson's movie-mocking brainchild became a formative early hit for Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi channel, an unfortunately cancelled Netflix reboot, and a Thanksgiving Day marathon mainstay. Join Hodgson, Crow and Tom Servo when the Satellite of Love touches down in Denver as part of “The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour,” a joke-filled jaunt through some of the most ridicule-worthy chapters in cinematic history. Visit the Denver Center box-office page to buy tickets, $39 to $79, and learn more.
Michelle Wolf
February 18 to 22, showtimes vary
Comedy Works Downtown
$37
Earning national headlines for a divisive — or hilarious, depending on one's perspective — headlining set at the formerly prestigious White House Correspondents Dinner, Michelle Wolf spoke truth to the lackeys cowering in power (President Trump pointedly did not attend), delivering a set so scorching that the following year's ceremonies eschewed comedy altogether in favor of a keynote address from historian Ron Chernow. While Wolf's performance remains a rare example of bursting the partisan beltway bubble with razor-sharp jokes, the full scope of her triumphs stretches far beyond her breakout moment. A former Daily Show correspondent and host of the regrettably short-lived The Break With Michelle Wolf, she has delivered a pair of gut-busting one-hour specials, HBO's Nice Lady and Netflix's Joke Show, and she's currently hitting the road with a fresh new hour. Five out of Wolf's seven local shows have sold out as of press time; hurry over to the Comedy Works website for tickets, $37, and more information.
Tenth Annual Aspen Laugh Festival
February 18 to 22, showtimes vary
Wheeler Opera House and associated venues
$30 to $50
The tony ski town of Aspen has proved to be an unlikely springboard for comedy careers for decades, yet the Aspen Laugh Festival got off to a rocky start. Founded under the wackier (and hackier) mantle of the Aspen Laff Festival, the fest floundered in obscurity for its first few years before a decision to go local and embrace exciting new talents re-invigorated the annual gathering of goofs. Celebrate ten years of slopeside comedy when the festival marks its tenth anniversary with one of its greatest editions yet. While the marquee showcases from seasoned festival vets like Norm MacDonald and Trevor Noah sold out some time ago, major headliners are only a small component of the festival's charm. Delights abound on the margins of the festival as well, along with performances from Second City's venerable touring improv troupe, international superstar Vir Das, a triple bill with Taylor Tomlinson, Adam Ray and Dusty Slay, and a spotlight set for Colorado's own Nancy Norton – a local favorite who recently claimed national victories at the Seattle International Comedy Competition and the Boston Comedy Festival.
The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds
Friday, February 21
Newman Center for the Performing Arts
$37.50 to $75
Recounting history's most outlandish chapters one frenzied riff at a time, The Dollop podcast is a hilarious and often surprisingly informative listen. Co-created in 2014 by friends and fellow standups Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds, each episode focuses on a different chapter from the annals of history — usually tales of the "truth is stranger than fiction" variety, like wars against eggs, emus and squirrels — and attempt to make it as funny as possible. Indeed, the duo keep the quips flying even as history buff Anthony delivers concise yet detailed expositional information while the generally less-informed Reynolds chimes in with well-timed jokes and expressions of bemusement. The Dollop's format is also readily adaptable for the live stage, enabling Reynolds and Anthony to embark upon a series of far-flung and highly lucrative international tours. One lands in Denver at the end of the month. Find tickets, $37.50 to $75, and more information on the Newman Center for the Performing Arts website.
George Lopez
February 21 to 23, showtimes vary
Comedy Works South
$45
George Lopez may be Colorado's favorite comic — at least according to these data metrics — but the comedian, sitcom star, best-selling author and erstwhile talk-show host is firmly woven into the fabric of the nation. Winner of the Imagen Vision Award, the Latino Spirit Award for Excellence in Television and the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award, Lopez forged through the early years of his career as an outspoken pioneer of Latino representation in media, accomplishing a string of historic achievements and delighting audiences all over the world. From bonding with his televisual family on an eponymous sitcom to satirizing the follies of modern politics on his latest special The Wall, Lopez is a comic of multitudes who manages to be just as compelling when he's hosting a game show as when he's dismantling stereotypes through keenly observed jokes. Check out the Comedy Works South website to buy tickets, $45, and learn more.
Matteo Lane
February 27 to 29, showtimes vary
Comedy Works Downtown
$15 to $23
Matteo Lane may be side-splittingly funny and devilishly handsome, but the comedian's surfeit of talents don't end there. He also speaks six languages, paints, sings opera, models for Penguin Clothing Co. and consistently garnered acclaim for his cabaret act Streisand at the Bon Soir. Lane's latest special, included among Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup series, follows an accomplished career filled with standout late-night performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Late Night with Seth Meyers, along with recurring roles on shows like Crashing and Will & Grace. Currently in the midst of co-creating an animated comedy with Bob the Drag Queen and appearing in a ubiquitous commercial for Degree deodorant, Lane's career is on the rise. Don't miss your chance to behold this one-of-a-kind talent before he graduates from comedy clubs to theaters; visit the Comedy Works website to get tickets, $15 to $23, and find out more.
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