HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen this year didn’t seem to have the snap of previous outings. Yes, the “Def Comedy Jam” award and late-night session were classics, and so was Dave Chappelle. The “Swingers” reunion was fun (Jennifer Aniston in town with Vince Vaughn). Goldie Hawn was honored, but heck, she lives a few miles down the road.
The fest just didn’t have that “wow” factor – like when Jerry Seinfeld came to town, or the cast of “The Simpsons,” or the Monty Python reunion.
In November, HBO presented its first comedy fest in Las Vegas, and brought in a roster that included Seinfeld, Larry David, George Lopez, Dennis Miller, Bill Maher, Gilbert Gottfried, Sarah Silverman, Dane Cook, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Chappelle, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and others. People couldn’t help but wonder if Las Vegas would snuff out Aspen.
Festival CEO Bob Crestani still believes in the festival. “It’s a great mixture of talent,” he told me. “And we have a very strong industry turnout this year.”
As for the Vegas factor? “This is a very different kind of festival than what we’re doing in Las Vegas. This is more personal, it’s about discovery. You would never do a ‘Swingers’ reunion in Las Vegas.”
So is the fest back in Aspen next year? Or is 2006 the last laugh? “Every year, after the festival, we evaluate it, we see if HBO will continue to pay for it,” Crestani said. “I have no idea if we’re coming back. We’ll have a meeting and make that decision. But I am supporting us coming back next year, yes.”
Roasted Bruce
Republican bigwig and 1994 gubernatorial candidate Bruce Benson gets roasted April 5 at the Colorado “I Have a Dream” Foundation’s annual dinner. The roaster roster includes Gov. Bill Owens, Mayor John Hickenlooper, Marcy Benson, Mary Elliman, Elaine Gantz Berman, Bill Mosher and toastmaster Don Elliman.
All that jazz
Jazz Aspen Snowmass has a new title sponsor: Out goes Janus, in comes Calamos Investments out of Chicago. John Calamos, who heads the firm, has a house in Aspen.
Meanwhile, JAS returns to the Sonoma Jazz + Festival May 25-29 with the Steve Miller Band, John Handy, B.B. King, Dianne Reeves and Natalie Cole.
City spirit
Occasions by Sandy’s Sandy Tenenbaum played the Buell on Saturday night – at Bill Cosby’s 5 p.m. early show. She piped up from the second row with some advice on how to cook sweet potatoes – and he ended up riffing with her for about 10 minutes … The Avs Better Halves Annual Charity Brunch and Fashion Show is set for April 2 at the new Hyatt Regency at the Convention Center. One of the year’s great events, $250 a head, call 303-405-1104 … Edward James Olmos comes to the Paramount Theatre 7 p.m. Thursday for the Denver premiere of “Walkout.” It’s the story of the Chicano student uprising in East Los Angeles in 1968, when high school walkouts were mounted to protest academic prejudice and school conditions. Dedicated to the late Cesar Chavez and Denver’s own Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzalez, it’s free and open to the public; call 303-964-8993 … Sez who: “Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.” T.S. Eliot
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Husted also appears Tuesdays and Fridays on “Good Day Colorado” on Fox 31. You can reach him at 303-820-1486 or at bhusted@denverpost.com.
