Performing Arts

Cartoons & Comedy, is one of Denver’s most purely fun shows for crowds and performers alike, a rare glimpse into childhood from the safely ironic distance of years past. The show offers a way to bond over shared memories and laugh at the absurdity we used to innocently accept at face value, all leavened by cheap beer and sugary cereal. Keeping a comedy show going for two years, particularly one that requires such elaborate pre-planning is impressive feat. In its two short years, Cartoons & Comedy has changed time slots, venues and formats, while retaining its childlike bonhomie and essential spirit. Along the way, they’ve enjoyed the nimble riffs of Denver’s funniest locals and drop-ins from comedy nerd heroes like Ron Funches and Rory Scovel. At the helm of this monthly endeavor is Chris Baker, who hustles his cherubic ass off cutting together a video package of old cartoons, wrestling videos and 80s toy commercials and booking a lineup of quick-witted comics every month. Westword caught up with Baker at Fifty Two 80s, a local retail outlet and archivist of half-forgotten treasures from childhood to discuss reaching the two-year milestone, the enduring appeal of nostalgia and coked out wrestlers.

Steve Rannazzisi is best known to fans for his role as the long-suffering Kevin MacArthur on FXX’s The League, but he’s also a prolific standup comedian. Touring the country regularly, Rannazzisi’s career has progressed from his humble beginnings working the door at the infamous Comedy Store in Los Angeles to performing on Conan, @Mindnight, and the Comedy Central Roast of James Franco. Westword caught up with Rannazzisi ahead of his upcoming headlining engagement at Comedy Works to discuss fantasy football fans, putting a new hour together, and why people’s passion for the ridiculous is a recipe for comedy.

Charles Ives Take Me Home. There are only three characters in Charles Ives Take Me Home, now receiving its regional premiere at Curious Theatre Company, but you hear more than three voices. And while the plot can be explained in a few words, there are many levels of meaning within…

Everything in this world is alive. Nature lays a path from birth to death, one that’s impossible to predict. And now the final part of Patrick Mueller’s series, Salon Romantik: CREATION (re-creation), will bring his project full circle from its previous four performances, “exploring the romantic philosophy and ramifications into…

Podcasts are in tune with the democratized spirit of Internet media; anyone with a microphone and a computer can offer their listeners unlimited hours of recordings, usually for free. Limited only by their imaginations, podcasters have a freedom of expression unrestricted by commerce, censorship or geography. Several great podcasts have blossomed in Denver’s flourishing arts community; here to celebrate them is Podcast Profiles, a new series documenting the efforts of local podcasters and spotlighting the peculiar personalities behind them.

Whiskey & Cigarettes is a podcast about podcasts, and much funnier than that glib description would advertise. Hosted by the local brain trust behind the Comics Against Civility comedy game show, Jake Becker, Zac Maas and Jake Browne. The podcast has evolved over the years. What began as an unfocused yet booze-soaked marathon of podcast clips and quips has sharpened into a more purposeful format boasting funnier episodes and attracting some high-profile guests. Be sure to join Browne and Maas at Spruce Tap House for the fan favorites round of Comics Against Civility, this Saturday, January 24th at 7:00pm.Westword caught up with the Whiskey & Cigarettes crew to discuss how the show has changed and their favorite guests.

“It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. It’s joyous, a little outrageous.” Edith Weiss is talking about 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, the play she’s directing that will open Friday January 23 at the Avenue Theater — and she knows all about funny: She made her living as…

To the untrained eye, Ari Shaffir would look like an overnight success. Hot off the heels of his latest 1 hour special Paid Regular, which aired January 16th on Comedy Central, Shaffir also has a new series, This Is Not Happening premiering on the 22nd. The taste-making network will also be distributing and showing reruns of Shaffir’s first hour Passive Aggressive. Despite the confluence of successes, Shaffir has been quietly plugging away at his act for years, generating web content like his video series “The Amazing Racist” and steadfastly recording the popular podcast The Skeptic Tank week after week in spite of his busy schedule. Shaffir is town this month to headline Comedy Works from the 28th-31st and starting off 2015 on a high note. Westword caught up with Shaffir to discuss his new special, offending audiences and his love of psilocybin mushrooms.

Sexpot Comedy honored the Mile High City’s funniest people at the 2014 Denver Comedy Awards at 3 Kings Tavern on January 17. The big winner? Former Westword staffer Adam Cayton-Holland, who was honored not just as the Comic of the Year, but for his podcast, his website, the comedy festival…

Sexpot Comedy founders Andy Juett and Kayvan Khalatbari know first-hand how hard the members of Denver’s close-knit comedy community work throughout the year, building their own careers and helping one another along the way. And the duo thinks that throwing the first annual Denver Comedy Awards is a great way…

Fiddler on the Roof.This production of Fiddler on the Roofdoes full justice to Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s brilliant songs, tells the evocative story with clarity and feeling, and also — uniquely — sounds the musical’s deeper, darker chords. The action is set in a rural Russian Jewish community whose…

You can’t say the local theater scene isn’t diverse: This week’s premieres include one of the world’s happiest musicals, the adventures of a toxic family reunion and a historical drama with a Colorado theme. Keep reading for details. See also: Edge Theater, The Motherfucker with the Hat…

Charles Ives Take Me Home Curious Theatre Company curioustheatre.org There are only three characters in Charles Ives Take Me Home, now receiving its regional premiere in a stunning production at Curious Theatre Company, but you hear more than three voices. And while the plot can be explained in a few…

One of the blessings of a career in standup is being a part of the small but fiercely loyal community of fellow comics sharing the same journey. When one of our own is down, the shock reverberates through the scene. Comedians, who generally lack essential skills and a sense of meaning in their lives, scramble to help out. Nearly every time, shepherding them through the efforts is Terri Barton Gregg, who organizes countless benefit shows and fundraisers through her company, Hold Please Productions. When Comedy Works’ New Talent coordinator and de facto mentor to Denver’s fledgling standups was diagnosed with cancer, comics and fans alike were eager to give anything back to the man who inspires us to try harder. Westword spoke with Gregg to discuss Deacon’s treatment, the benefit show lineup, and to define several Yiddish words.

Fiddler on the Roof. This production of Fiddler on the Roofdoes full justice to Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s brilliant songs, tells the evocative story with clarity and feeling, and also — uniquely — sounds the musical’s deeper, darker chords. The action is set in a rural Russian Jewish community…

Laura Norman is an actors’ actor who’s been on the theater scene for years, but hasn’t made much of a public splash. In his recent True West Awards, arts journalist John Moore called her “the best local actor you hardly ever get to see.” Perhaps that’s because she’s quietly self-effacing…

New year, new seasons: Local theater companies are kicking off 2015 with glittering reruns, romantic comedies and repertory fare, among other things. Here are four of the noteworthy openings this weekend. See also: Charles Ives Take Me Home…

Adam Stone, a 2014 Westword MasterMind who often works under the moniker of Screw Tooth, has less than one week left on his indiegogo campaign to raise money for 2015 projects. And he has a lot on his (lower) plate. See also: Buntport Theater Revives an Audience Favorite About Tommy…

For the first time since 1991, Elitch Gardens Theater will be showcasing live performances. For the weekend of August 20-22, six original works that will be performed by Denver theater professionals in the New Works Festival. “The goal of the festival is to discover strong stories and foster them from…

By popular demand, Buntport Theater Company is bringing back Tommy Lee Jones Goes to Opera Alone after two years off the stage. Like every Buntport production, this show was a collaborative creation by all six members of the company. The idea for the show was inspired by a sighting of…

2014 was a strange year for comedy, marred by scandal, controversy, and the tragic loss of legendary talents. New comics seized the spotlight, blossoming into full-fledged stardom on the strength of career-best showcases and others saw their acclaim diminish. Frankly, it made us shudder a bit to see the lead-in photo of Bill Cosby from last year’s list. Fittingly, Hannibal Buress, the comedian who launched a thousand think-pieces by refusing to remain silent about the accusations against Cosby, is having a banner year. Admittedly whittling down the ranks from ten to five necessarily omits some fine hours of comedy from the list. Specials like Patton Oswalt’s Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time and Jim Gaffigan’s Obsessed are worth seeking out, but lack the distinction of their finest work. Meanwhile, performers like Nick Offerman and Wyatt Cenac, whose American Ham and Brooklyn were released last year, seemed to merely coast off the goodwill of their TV careers, experimenting with interesting formats but mostly stumbling through laugh-free hours. Every comedian listed here, however, is at the top of their respective games, turning in their funniest work yet.

Fiddler on the Roof. This production of Fiddler on the Roofdoes full justice to Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s brilliant songs, tells the evocative story with clarity and feeling, and also — uniquely — sounds the musical’s deeper, darker chords. The action is set in a rural Russian Jewish community…

Forbidden Broadway Garner Galleria Theatre The Broadway musical is a big, bloated, conventional, endlessly copycatting phenomenon that cries out to be skewered, and Forbidden Broadway has been skewering it for more than three decades, ever since underemployed actor Gerard Alessandrini turned his hand to writing satire and staged the first…