Performing Arts

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Gad Elmaleh on Seinfeld, Telling Jokes in English and the Big Blue Bear

By Byron GrahamJanuary 16, 2017

One of Europe’s most famous working comedians, Gad Elmaleh recently relocated to New York to make his mark on the American entertainment industry, the last frontier of stardom. Born in Morocco, the multilingual Elmaleh has been performing one-man shows in Paris since the ’90s, and he wrote, directed and starred in Coco, a European box-office smash. Stateside, Elmaleh is probably best known as a character actor who stole scenes in films like Midnight in Paris, The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn and Crisis in Six Scenes; since moving here, he’s appeared on Conan, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. In anticipation of his Sexpot Comedy-sponsored headlining showcase on Thursday, January 19, at the Gothic Theatre, Westword caught up with Elmaleh to discuss translating his act into English, his friendship with mentor Jerry Seinfeld, and his fascination with the Big Blue Bear, aka Lawrence Argent’s “I See What You Mean.”

Dana Gould on Podcasting, Stan Against Evil and Peak TV

By Byron GrahamJanuary 9, 2017

Very few comedians have amassed television résumés as impressive as Dana Gould’s — and almost none have made it as far without a starring role on their own eponymous sitcom. Yet with an HBO special, two one-hour Showtime specials and guest appearances on The Late Show With David Letterman, Conan, Maron and Real Time with Bill Maher all under his belt, Gould has hours of material waiting to delight the newly initiated; he has also had prominent guest roles on shows like Anger Management, Seinfeld and in the dirty-joke-etymology documentary The Aristocrats. Westword caught up with Gould before his visit to Denver this week for headlining engagements at The Dairy Arts Center and Comedy Works Downtown to discuss failed projects, his new show and the concept of “peak TV.”

Too Much Fun Says Farewell This Week, at Sixth-Anniversary Show

By Byron GrahamJanuary 3, 2017

For six years, Too Much Fun united Denver’s comedy and DIY communities with an anarchic celebration of laughter, hedonism and the bonds of friendship. Unfortunately for local comedy fans, the sixth-anniversary showcase — at the Deer Pile on January 4 — will be its last. The focus of a Westword…

Reviewed: Two Shows Closing This Week, While God Goes On

By Juliet WittmanDecember 27, 2016

Theater companies are packing up the tinsel and fake snow for another season, but there are still a few more options on local stages. Keep reading for capsule reviews of productions around town, including one stunner that closes this weekend: The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.

Review: Edge Theater Takes a Fresh Look at A View From the Bridge

By Juliet WittmanDecember 20, 2016

The Edge Theater’s production of Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge doesn’t go for electrifying drama or make a point of foreshadowing the play’s incipient violence in the naturalistic early scenes. But this in no way diminishes the involving nature of the experience, the shock of the climax or…

Wonderbound’s Garrett Ammon Creates a New Holiday Tradition With Snow

By Erica PratherDecember 12, 2016

A gargantuan juniper tree twists its way from the floor to the ceiling of Junction Box, Wonderbound’s studio and rehearsal space; dancers rehearse combinations underneath leaves constructed from umbrellas.  Anyone stumbling across this scene might feel that they’ve walked into a fairy tale, or maybe a scene from James and…

Tig Notaro on Twitter, One Mississippi, Motherhood and Returning to Denver

By Byron GrahamDecember 7, 2016

Despite enduring a lifetime’s worth of adversity in a few short months, Tig Notaro has remained indefatigably prolific and unfailingly hilarious throughout her struggles with health, heartbreak and loss. Since releasing the instant-classic album Live, Notaro has worked ceaselessly; she was the focus of the heart-wrenching documentary Tig, performed shirtless…

The Ten Best Comedy Events in Denver in December

By Byron GrahamDecember 2, 2016

In these uncertain times, the programatic cheeriness of the holiday season can become oppressive. Fortunately for local sad sacks, nothing cuts through the happy humbuggery better than standup comedy. In addition to fine selections at clubs and theaters across the state, Coloradans can enjoy a bevy of brewery shows, gut-busting…