Iliza Shlesinger Is the First Woman Comedian to Headline Ball Arena

As comedian Iliza Shlesinger continues her Hard Feelings world tour, the performer's largest to date, with 35 stops in fourteen different countries, she's thankful that she enjoys being on the road.

"Other people are always a challenge, whether it's flying, logistics or just being tired and trying to get enough sleep, but this is the best job in the world," Shlesinger says. "I love getting to see my country — the small towns and the big cities — and think it's really special to have genuine exposure and working knowledge of your country. So many people don't ever leave their home state, but I feel very at home in a lot of cities because the fans are so incredible. Not just because they pay to see me, but because through my comedy, we all get to see that everyone's human, and that exchange on stage is so magical. The idea that people leave laughing and knowing each other a little better is the best feeling in the world. I've designed the perfect job, because I only have to work one hour a night and give it my all."

She kicked off the "biggest and best tour I've done" with a stop in Kahului, Hawaii, on July 27. "That was phenomenal, but I am so sad about the fires in Maui that happened about a week after I left," she says. "I've also included USO stops on the tour, which I do a lot of because I fully believe in supporting our troops and doing shows for them. I just kicked off stateside with shows in Chicago, Milwaukee and Grand Rapids. The crowds were sold out and electric, so I expect to keep that momentum going. I'm excited to bring that energy and a lot of fun surprises to the show in Denver; we're filling up an arena — not just with people, but with electricity and hopefully some pyrotechnics and a lot of incredible energy."

According to Comedy Works spokeswoman Michele "Mel" Gibson, Shlesinger's upcoming tour stop at Denver's Ball Arena on Saturday, September 30, is significant because she will be the first female comedian to headline the venue. With six Netflix specials under her belt, two books (Girl Logic: The Genius and the Absurdity and All Things Aside: Absolutely Correct Opinions), a popular advice podcast (AIA: Ask Iliza Anything), a long list of lauded film and television appearances and a host of other accomplishments, she's thrilled to be returning to Denver in her biggest venue yet.

Raised in Dallas, Shlesinger found inspiration in the colorful characters and distinct accents that surrounded her. "Southerners are always good for character work, and when you play the South or the Southwest, it's always good to know who you're talking about and who you're making fun of," she explains. "And that really goes for any state that I play, but Texas was great because it was filled with so many colorful characters. Growing up was like one big sketch comedy show."

She says her comedy was influenced by her environment and the television that she watched growing up, including classic sketch shows such as In Living Color, The State, Kids in the Hall and Monty Python. After high school, she briefly attended the University of Kansas before transferring to her alma mater, Emerson College. Known for its strong arts and communication programs, Emerson provided the perfect platform for Shlesinger to connect with like-minded individuals and explore her passion for creativity. But don't get it twisted: She did more than network in college.

"Any kid who vividly remembers their fine arts degree experience didn't do it right," Shlesinger jokes. "I was doing all the college kid things and partying, but most people who go to Emerson eventually move to New York, Los Angeles or somewhere else to work in show business. And I went to Emerson for that. I went there just to be creative and connect with other people, and I did. Moving to Los Angeles was always the plan. I figure you just moved to L.A., got a day job and then one day became famous. So I just kind of started doing standup when I got there, and it just worked for me."

When asked about her creative process, Shlesinger offers a refreshing perspective. She reveals that she doesn't dwell too much on the process itself. Instead, she maintains a continuous cycle of writing and refining her material.

"I get a lot of questions about the writing process, but I really don’t think too much about it," she admits. "I just go out and do a lot of local sets. So I guess I'm always writing, even though I don't physically write anything down, aside from jotting down a few key words. It mostly stays in my mind, which means the act is ever evolving. Whenever we happen to film a special, I'll get ready for that, but the next day the words begin to change, and I'll remove jokes and replace them with others. We take snapshots of it with specials, but the act just keeps growing and evolving."

Colorado holds a special place in Shlesinger's comedy career. She has performed here a number of times over the years and even recorded her 2015 Netflix special, Freezing Hot, at the Gothic Theatre in Englewood.

"Denver is one of those cities where I always had great experiences," Shlesinger says. "I started at Comedy Works and kept coming back to do multiple sold-out shows. I did the Bellco Theatre, and now we're playing the Ball Arena. I have a longstanding comedic history with Denver, just from their audiences treating me like a local and always showing up. I chose the area to film Freezing Hot because, at the time, it was one of the cities that I felt most comfortable in, and I still do, because the crowds there are just smart, excited and love to party. Usually, loving to party and being smart don't go hand in hand, but in Denver's case, they do."

While she loves performing in the city, Shlesinger admits that because she usually comes to town very close to her performance, she hasn't gotten to explore the city's vast array of dining options. "It's usually whatever meal I can fit in between my nap and showtime," she says. "So if anybody has awesome suggestions, send me a DM."

This call to fans is a fun inversion of what usually happens on Shlesinger's podcast, Ask Iliza Anything, where she offers advice on a wide variety of topics. She describes the podcast as a comfortable space for people to write in and request the type of advice they might not feel comfortable asking their friends about.

"I also love it because my audience is about 60 percent women and 40 percent men, when men write in," Shlesinger says. "I like that men feel safe with me and trust me. My act really is for everyone, and I never vilify anyone, so I like that guys might want a female perspective and come to me for that."

And for all the topics she can't fit into her podcast, standup or other work, Shlesinger has found that writing a book has allowed her to tackle more sensitive subjects without having to worry about having a punchline every few seconds.

"For All Things Aside, which comes out on paperback October 17, I just wanted to take a little bit more time to explore topics," she says. "I mentioned having a miscarriage in my last special, but I think it deserved more than just the few jokes I had about it in a special. You know, there's always more context, and there's always more to be mined from these personal situations-slash-tragedies that everybody lives through."

On her Hard Feelings tour, the comedian is covering slightly different material. "Without getting too specific, I talk about everything from strippers, the bare minimum women have to do, plastic surgery, Millennials versus Gen Z, being attracted to a hot guy you're not supposed to be attracted to, and height requirements for men," Shlesinger says.

As she reflects on her career, Shlesinger offers this advice to aspiring comedians hoping to play Ball Arena some day: "Be nice to everyone; even if you don't like them. Just do the work," she says. "If someone doesn't hire you and doesn't like you, it doesn't matter, because there are always other shows, other gigs and other comics to work with. Do the work, worry only about your work, and always put one foot in front of the other. Don't get bogged down, because at the end of the day, genuine talent and hard work 100 percent of the time pay off. Nobody you know who is actually funny and has worked hard doesn't have success."

Iliza Shlesinger: Hard Feelings Tour, Saturday, September 30, Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle. Tickets are available at iliza.com.