Best Denver Comedy in November 2019 | Westword
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Laugh It Up at Denver's Ten Best Comedy Shows in November

The Grawlix, Jordan Doll and Trae Crowder perform in Denver this month.
Anjelah Johnson brings the "Technically Not Stalking" tour to the Paramount Theatre on November 29 and 30.
Anjelah Johnson brings the "Technically Not Stalking" tour to the Paramount Theatre on November 29 and 30. Courtesy of Comedy Works Entertainment
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Chuckles, cackles, chortles and even guffaws are what are in store for Denver in the month ahead. November offers a cornucopia of comedy shows, ranging from popular standups and political commentary to short-form improv and professional wrestling. Read onward for ten suggestions that'll cheer your spirits and warm your bellies as winter sets in.


Kathleen Madigan
Saturday, November 2, 6 and 9:30 p.m.
Paramount Theatre
$39.50 to $59.50

Kathleen Madigan is woefully underrated. That may seem like an odd thing to say about a comedian who consistently sells out huge theaters, but consider Madigan's unparalleled ability to appeal to comedy nerds and Jeff Foxworthy fans in equal measure over the course of her three-decade career. On the road more than 250 nights a year, Madigan has delivered over forty stellar late-night appearances, and her tradition of excellence continues through to her latest standup special, Bothering Jesus. Don't miss out on a pair of performances from one of the funniest comedians working today when the Hot Dogs and Angels tour rolls through the Paramount Theatre. Visit Altitude Tickets to find seats, $39.50 to $59.50, and learn more.


Whose Live Anyway?
Friday, November 8, 7 p.m.
Pikes Peak Center
$29.50 to $79.50

A British import that became a deathless televisual franchise once it arrived stateside, Whose Line Is It Anyway? introduced millions of viewers to the inspired silliness of short-form improvisational comedy. Colorado Springsteens can experience all the good-natured chaos of the show in-person and in-the-moment when Whose Line veteran Joel Murray, Greg Proops and Jeff B. Davis join The Kids in the Hall's Dave Foley for an evening of made up rules and points that don't matter when the Whose Live Anyway? tour hits the stage at Pikes Peak Center on Friday, November 8. Visit the Pikes Peak Center box-office page to buy tickets, $29.50 to $79.50, and find out more.


Eric Andre
Tuesday, November 12, 7:30 p.m.
Paramount Theatre
$35 to $49.50

While many are eagerly awaiting the fifth season of The Eric Andre Show, they can take solace in a brief benediction from Blarf himself. Alighting upon Denver to bend your brains with the "Legalize Everything" world tour, Andre is here to subvert the conventions of standup with his own warped sensibilities; transforming the medium much like he transformed the role of a talk-show host on his eponymous Adult Swim show. In addition to appearing in 2 Broke Girls, Man Seeking Woman, and — in animated voiceover form — the Lion King remake, Andre is a skilled double bassist with a degree from the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Don't be the fool stuck outside shouting, "Let me in": Hurry over to Altitude Tickets to buy tickets, $35 to $49.50, and get more information.


DeRay Davis
November 15 to 17, showtimes vary
Denver Improv
$30 to $40

Equally at home in broad comedies (Semi-Pro, 21 Jump Street, Meet the Blacks) and dramas like Empire and Snowfall, comedian DeRay Davis commands the screen every bit as capably as he commands the stage. Raised in Chicago, Davis burst into the comedy world with a strong debut half-hour on Comedy Central's Premium Blend, and has subsequently developed a prolific on-screen career as the host of shows like Mind of a Man, Joking Off, and Hip Hop Squares. Join the crowd for an evening of Davis-station, when DeRay Davis returns to the Denver Improv for a mid-month weekend full of raucous performances. Find tickets, $30 to $40, and further details on the Denver Improv box-office page.


Cristela Alonzo
Wednesday, November 17, 7:30 p.m.
Comedy Works South
$25 to $53.95

Working quadruple duty as a comedian, actor, writer and activist, Cristela Alonzo has hustled harder and achieved more than most performers of her generation. Creator of the acclaimed yet short-lived sitcom Cristela â€” which she also executive-produced — Alonzo began her standup career by managing the Improv Comedy Club in Addison, Texas, before taking to the stage and discovering how she could alchemize her personal grief into laughter. After releasing the Netflix comedy special Lower Classy and penning her first book, Music to My Years: A Mixtape-Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up, Alonzo is hitting the road with the My Affordable Care Act tour, a vital new hour that finds the hilarity in health scares. Appearing at Comedy Works South for one night only to perform and sign copies of her book, Alonzo is a comedic revelation who is simply not to be missed. Check out the Comedy Works box-office page for tickets, $25 to $53.95, and more information.


Cocoa Brown
November 22 to 24, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m.
Denver Improv
$15

Cocoa Brown rolls through Denver's Improv Comedy Club on a near-annual basis, earning more and more goodwill from local fans with each visit. Appearing in shows like Tyler Perry's for Better or Worse, 9-1-1, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story and films such as Lakeview Terrace, Ted 2 and The Single Mom's Club, Brown lends the same lived-in authenticity to her acting performances that she does to her standup routine. Settle in and get your funny bone thoroughly tickled as Brown lays it down at five shows. Buy tickets, $15, and learn more on the Denver Improv box-office page.


Trae Crowder: The Liberal Redneck
November 22 to 23, 8 p.m.
The Oriental Theater
$30 to $55

Many people who hail from the American Southeast are ill-served by the politicians who represent them in both legislative and cultural ways. Trae Crowder, aka the Liberal Redneck, aims to reframe the sociological narratives of the South with well-reasoned arguments, sharp jokes and heaping helpings of innate Tennessean charm, and he's largely succeeding — one viral video and blockbusting standup tour at a time. Hitting the road with his similarly stereotype-defying wellRED Comedy cohorts Drew Morgan and Corey Ryan Forrester, Crowder pulls up to Denver's Oriental Theater for a pair of shows on November 22 and 23 that prove why left-wing discourse somehow sounds better in a Southern accent. For ticket links, $30 to $55, and further details, head to the Oriental Theater's events calendar.
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CM Rice Photography
Lucha Libre & Laughs: The Return of Blackout Wednesday
Wednesday, November 27, 8 p.m.
The Oriental Theater
$12 to $100

For Denver comedy nerds who like a little bloodsport with their dick jokes, the past few months have served up a rare treat: an abundance of Lucha Libre & Laughs. Though monthly editions of the typically bi-monthly mashup of professional wrestling and standup comedy have been taxing for showrunner Nick Gossert, fans have been consistently delighted by one of the Queen City's finest locally produced spectacles. Give thanks for the final show of the year when Lucha Libre & Laughs steps back into the ring with the Return of Blackout Wednesday. Spend your Turkey Day Eve watching a thrilling tag-team match pitting Anaya and Allie Gato against Heather Monroe and Royce Isaacs. The comedians include host Kyle Pogue, headliner John Novosad, and color commentators Ben Roy and Mitch Jones. Get tickets, $12 to $100, and further details from the Oriental Theater box-office page, and make haste; Lucha Libre & Laughs won't return until 2020.


Anjelah Johnson
November 29 to 30, 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Paramount Theatre
$39.50 to $49.50

Bow before Bon Qui Qui! MadTV alumnus, erstwhile NFL cheerleader, and standup superstar Anjelah Johnson. She's descending upon Denver for a trio of shows to close out a fine month of comedy in the Centennial State. Though she's popped up in a smattering of onscreen roles in titles like Marmaduke, Ugly Betty, The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, and more, Johnson shines brightest on stage. After smashing into the streaming media world with her Netflix special Not Fancy, Johnson is back on the road with a fresh hour and plenty of panache with the Technically Not Stalking tour. Tickets are selling quickly. To get yours, $39.50 to $49.50, and find out more, go to Altitude Tickets.

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Jordan Doll emerges from the bushes and onto the stage at the Bug Theatre on Saturday, November 30, for the Grawlix Return.
Andrew Bray
The Grawlix Return
Saturday, November 30, 8 p.m.
Bug Theatre
$12

Make room in your hearts and your tummies, Denver comedy fans; though you may have scarcely finished your Thanksgiving leftovers, the Grawlix three have returned with another serving of gut-busting glee. Andrew Orvedahl, Adam Cayton-Holland and Ben Roy are back at the Bug Theatre with another edition of the Mile High's favorite comedy show revival, and November's lineup presents an early gift to all the day-ones of the local laugh scene. With prodigal Denverites Jordan Doll and Troy Walker coming home from Los Angeles for the holidays, the mood of the evening would be especially festive even without the ebullient presence of newly
minted Colorado favorite Sarah Benson. Head over to Nightout to buy tickets, $12, and find out more.

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