Was 2018 a year of disillusionment for comedy fans, or simply one in which certain male comics’ train-length indiscretions finally smashed into their economic engines?
Itap a question worth asking, as now-disgraced stand-ups such as (and ) felt the fallout of their #MeToo meltdowns — and, in C.K.’s case, responded with even more anti-politically correct material that further enraged their critics.
Regardless of one’s thoughts on PC culture, plenty of comics can make people laugh without spraying bile on marginalized groups. As Conan O’Brien sidekick Andy Richter wrote this week on his : “It is a challenging time to be making jokes. You either accept the challenge or retreat into a past that was easier for you.”
The year 2019 offers a chance to underscore that on metro area stages, with visits from Adam Sandler (Feb. 5 at Bellco Theatre), Jackie Kashian (Feb. 6-9 at Comedy Works South), Ansari (Feb. 16-17 at the Buell Theatre), Sebastian Maniscalco (March 22 and 24 at the Paramount Theatre), the wildly popular “My Favorite Murder” podcast (April 6 at Bellco), Dane Cook (April 13 at Bellco), Paula Poundstone (May 3 at the Paramount) and many more.
Another bonus: Denver’s beloved, monthly stand-up showcase The Grawlix is returning to the Bug Theatre the last Saturday of every month starting in March, just a couple months after Season 3 of its creators’ sitcom, (at 10 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 14). While we wait to see what Adam Cayton-Holland, Andrew Orvedahl and Ben Roy have in store, here’s the best of the best in the metro area this month.
50 First Jokes
A relatively recent but vaunted tradition in the Colorado comedy scene, the fifth annual “50 First Jokes” collects more than two dozen comics to tell their newest material, rapid-fire style, to kick off the new year. “All jokes must be written after the ball drops, and can’t be read until they’re on stage at The Bug,” the venue’s website reads. Given that stand-up can only really be honed in front of audiences, you’re in for an agreeably unpredictable evening of workshopping and scene camaraderie. Proceeds of this Dual Brain-produced show benefit the Denver Rescue Mission. Hosted by Timmi Lasley.
8 p.m. Jan. 5 at the Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St. Sold out.
Jenny Slate
Even when portraying cartoonishly vapid, self-obsessed wrecks such as Mona Lisa Saperstein (on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation”) or Liz B. (on the lacerating “Kroll Show” sketch “PubLizity”), this former “Saturday Night Live” cast member and go-to voiceover artist projects a sweetness no amount of grotesque characterization can hide. Itap unclear what the balance of character work and stand-up will be at Slate’s Denver run next weekend, but the fact that these shows sold out shortly after they were announced speaks to the goodwill the 36-year-old has cultivated in her impressive array of creative projects.
7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Jan. 11-12 at Comedy Works, 1226 15th St. Sold out.
Middleditch & Schwartz
As a nebbish pitchman for Verizon, Thomas Middleditch has begun seeping into the pop-culture consciousness in a way his “Silicon Valley” character could never hope to match. But Middleditch’s improv background with buddy Ben Schwartz (best known as Jean Ralphio Saperstein on “Parks and Recreation,” but also from “House of Lies” and other shows) will see its full flowering as the pair perform two-person, long-form improv in Denver. If “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”-style improv feels safe or shallow to you, there’s a good chance this pair’s surreal, absurd premises and idiosyncratic senses of humor will push your laugh buttons.
7 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place. Tickets: $29.50-$39.50,
Julia Sweeney
Former “SNL” cast member and author Sweeney’s 90-minute show, “Older and Wider,” premiered to favorable reviews at Chicago’s Second City in May. But don’t be surprised if this 59-year-old continues tinkering with it on its way to a Feb. 5-10 run at the in Los Angeles, given the liquid nature of these things. Sweeney has evolved into an insightful monologist in recent years, and “Wider” promises to be as funny as it is entertainingly autobiographical.
7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Place in Greenwood Village. Tickets: $20.
D.L. Hughley
Hughley’s regular visits to the Denver Improv continue with this five-show run, which comes amid criticism Hughley received last month after referring to a transgender woman in a derogatory way (who himself lost his Oscars-hosting gig after now-deleted, anti-gay Twitter comments). Whether or not that social media tempest follows Hughley on stage remains to be seen, but as a veteran stand-up, radio host and Hollywood player, there’s a good chance the 55-year-old’s loyal audience won’t care.
Various shows Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at the Denver Improv, 8246 Northfield Blvd. Unite 1400 in Stapleton. Tickets: $35-$65,
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