With a name like The Greatest Comedy Show in the World, expectations are sky-high — and that's exactly the point. “The title was a little bit of a first idea, best idea kind of thing,” says core member and performer Angela Davila, laughing.
"Yeah, I looked it up, and I was just like, ‘Cool. I don't think there's any other show named this,' so we went with it," adds fellow founding member and performer Zach McHale. "The name, The Greatest Comedy Show in the World, really sets the tone and lets people know clearly what they're getting themselves into."
What audiences are getting into is a high-octane variety hour that merges Colorado’s top stand-up, improv and sketch comedy talents into a fast-moving showcase of unpredictable hilarity. Held every fourth Saturday at Rise Comedy in Denver, Greatest Comedy lives up to its name not by being polished or perfect — but by being bold, collaborative and constantly evolving.
"I'm really glad that we decided to make this a variety show," Davila says. "We’ve gotten to know some incredible local performers, and it keeps things fresh. In addition to standup comics, we've also had drag performances and clowns in the show. This show brings together all these art forms and allows us to play around with them."
Launched in January 2024, the show was McHale’s brainchild, sparked by a desire to reconnect with his love of sketch comedy and unite two of Denver’s often-siloed comedy communities.
“We knew so many funny people through the improv scene, and I also do standup, but those are both very different realms," McHale says. "I wanted to create a platform where we could combine those two groups to showcase some of the funniest stand-up comedians with some of the funniest improvisers, as well as make ridiculous sketches with some really good friends."
He pitched the concept to Rise Comedy co-owner Nick Armstrong, who offered Greatest Comedy a coveted slot on the fourth Saturday of the month to try out the idea. From there, McHale approached Davila and Skyler Brehm — friends from his very first improv class at Rise, whom he regularly performed alongside — and began building a team that now includes David Allison, Malcolm Teel and Jorge Soto, who write the show's original sketches.
The core format includes two guest acts per show, typically one local standup comic and one improv group, "but we play around with that," Davila says, with two to three original sketches created by the ensemble woven between them.
That commitment to variety has allowed Greatest Comedy to grow beyond a typical comedy night into a collaborative playground. Every month begins with a writer’s meeting where cast members pitch whatever oddball ideas have been rattling around in their heads.
“We’ve made it clear that we want you to bring whatever ideas you’ve been kicking around that might not fit in a different show,” Davila says. “So much organically grows from that because we all come from different comedy backgrounds.”
One of those early ideas? A hot dog eating contest gone emotionally off the rails.
“It started with this image I had in my head that I needed to see staged," Davila recalls. "I just thought it would be funny to see someone get really bad news right before they start the hot dog eating contest. Writing a sketch expanding off of that was really fun."
Other fan-favorite sketches have included a fantasy novelist whose characters revolt when they realize their creator is a creep and a Hulk Hogan-wigged janitor pitching unhinged April Fool’s pranks to a corporate marketing team.
“The sketches have gotten more ridiculous and more polished over time,” McHale says. “It’s been amazing to watch everyone grow — not just as performers, but as writers, too. As the show has progressed, we’ve discovered each other's strengths and been able to tailor our ideas to fit specific group members."
And while the Greatest Show members admit that "roughly 90 percent" of their rehearsal meetings are spent goofing off, the results onstage reflect a sharpened creative process and a deepening sense of ensemble.
“Outside of the show, we’re all good friends,” Davila says. “We all are just trying to make each other laugh, so we're bringing ideas that we all care about. That is honestly my favorite part of it and what leads to the most natural comedy.”
The lineup for its upcoming show on April 26 includes standup comedian Hannah Jones, recently named one of the best local comics, and Benign Nuisance, a crowd-favorite improv team that regularly performs at Rise. Three brand-new sketches will round out the night — part of the show’s ongoing commitment to fresh material.
“We pretty much do brand-new sketches every single month,” Davila says. “We did a Best Of show with our favorite sketches, but other than that, we’re always bringing something new.”
That Best Of 2024 show, held at Denver’s Bug Theatre in January, was a two-hour highlight reel of the team’s finest moments, and a key milestone in proving the show’s portability. “We had such a blast,” Davila says. “It was our first time bringing the show to a larger theater, and we’d love to keep expanding.”
The group has submitted to a few comedy festivals and are exploring possibilities for touring or bringing the show to more venues, while still maintaining their home base at Rise.
“It would be fun to take it on the road," McHale says. "But our primary goal is to continue refining the show by improving our sketches and bringing in better Colorado performers."
The work of putting together the show each month, Davila adds, never feels like a chore. “The fun thing about this show is that we are doing it with people we love being around,” she says. “It makes everything we put into it feel so rewarding.”
Even though show days are hectic— “somehow, every Saturday is a scramble, no matter how much we prepare,” McHale admits — the laughter that follows makes it all worthwhile. "It is so rewarding when the full show hits hard or a sketch you put together has people howling."
"Yeah, it definitely goes to our heads,” Davila laughs. "I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this."
The Greatest Comedy Show in the World, monthly on the fourth Saturday at Rise Comedy, 1260 22nd Street, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $17 online or $20 at the door. Learn more at risecomedy.com.
"Yeah, I looked it up, and I was just like, ‘Cool. I don't think there's any other show named this,' so we went with it," adds fellow founding member and performer Zach McHale. "The name, The Greatest Comedy Show in the World, really sets the tone and lets people know clearly what they're getting themselves into."
What audiences are getting into is a high-octane variety hour that merges Colorado’s top stand-up, improv and sketch comedy talents into a fast-moving showcase of unpredictable hilarity. Held every fourth Saturday at Rise Comedy in Denver, Greatest Comedy lives up to its name not by being polished or perfect — but by being bold, collaborative and constantly evolving.
"I'm really glad that we decided to make this a variety show," Davila says. "We’ve gotten to know some incredible local performers, and it keeps things fresh. In addition to standup comics, we've also had drag performances and clowns in the show. This show brings together all these art forms and allows us to play around with them."
Launched in January 2024, the show was McHale’s brainchild, sparked by a desire to reconnect with his love of sketch comedy and unite two of Denver’s often-siloed comedy communities.
“We knew so many funny people through the improv scene, and I also do standup, but those are both very different realms," McHale says. "I wanted to create a platform where we could combine those two groups to showcase some of the funniest stand-up comedians with some of the funniest improvisers, as well as make ridiculous sketches with some really good friends."
He pitched the concept to Rise Comedy co-owner Nick Armstrong, who offered Greatest Comedy a coveted slot on the fourth Saturday of the month to try out the idea. From there, McHale approached Davila and Skyler Brehm — friends from his very first improv class at Rise, whom he regularly performed alongside — and began building a team that now includes David Allison, Malcolm Teel and Jorge Soto, who write the show's original sketches.
The core format includes two guest acts per show, typically one local standup comic and one improv group, "but we play around with that," Davila says, with two to three original sketches created by the ensemble woven between them.
That commitment to variety has allowed Greatest Comedy to grow beyond a typical comedy night into a collaborative playground. Every month begins with a writer’s meeting where cast members pitch whatever oddball ideas have been rattling around in their heads.
“We’ve made it clear that we want you to bring whatever ideas you’ve been kicking around that might not fit in a different show,” Davila says. “So much organically grows from that because we all come from different comedy backgrounds.”
One of those early ideas? A hot dog eating contest gone emotionally off the rails.
“It started with this image I had in my head that I needed to see staged," Davila recalls. "I just thought it would be funny to see someone get really bad news right before they start the hot dog eating contest. Writing a sketch expanding off of that was really fun."
Other fan-favorite sketches have included a fantasy novelist whose characters revolt when they realize their creator is a creep and a Hulk Hogan-wigged janitor pitching unhinged April Fool’s pranks to a corporate marketing team.
“The sketches have gotten more ridiculous and more polished over time,” McHale says. “It’s been amazing to watch everyone grow — not just as performers, but as writers, too. As the show has progressed, we’ve discovered each other's strengths and been able to tailor our ideas to fit specific group members."
And while the Greatest Show members admit that "roughly 90 percent" of their rehearsal meetings are spent goofing off, the results onstage reflect a sharpened creative process and a deepening sense of ensemble.
“Outside of the show, we’re all good friends,” Davila says. “We all are just trying to make each other laugh, so we're bringing ideas that we all care about. That is honestly my favorite part of it and what leads to the most natural comedy.”
The lineup for its upcoming show on April 26 includes standup comedian Hannah Jones, recently named one of the best local comics, and Benign Nuisance, a crowd-favorite improv team that regularly performs at Rise. Three brand-new sketches will round out the night — part of the show’s ongoing commitment to fresh material.
“We pretty much do brand-new sketches every single month,” Davila says. “We did a Best Of show with our favorite sketches, but other than that, we’re always bringing something new.”
That Best Of 2024 show, held at Denver’s Bug Theatre in January, was a two-hour highlight reel of the team’s finest moments, and a key milestone in proving the show’s portability. “We had such a blast,” Davila says. “It was our first time bringing the show to a larger theater, and we’d love to keep expanding.”
The group has submitted to a few comedy festivals and are exploring possibilities for touring or bringing the show to more venues, while still maintaining their home base at Rise.
“It would be fun to take it on the road," McHale says. "But our primary goal is to continue refining the show by improving our sketches and bringing in better Colorado performers."
The work of putting together the show each month, Davila adds, never feels like a chore. “The fun thing about this show is that we are doing it with people we love being around,” she says. “It makes everything we put into it feel so rewarding.”
Even though show days are hectic— “somehow, every Saturday is a scramble, no matter how much we prepare,” McHale admits — the laughter that follows makes it all worthwhile. "It is so rewarding when the full show hits hard or a sketch you put together has people howling."
"Yeah, it definitely goes to our heads,” Davila laughs. "I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this."
The Greatest Comedy Show in the World, monthly on the fourth Saturday at Rise Comedy, 1260 22nd Street, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $17 online or $20 at the door. Learn more at risecomedy.com.
