Stand-up comedy: some love it, some hate it. Some have been told that it would be their perfect career. Luckily for folks in the Roaring Fork Valley, there are more opportunities than ever to break onto the scene. Two live performance spaces stand out for fostering events for comedians: TACAW and The Collective at Snowmass Base Village.
TACAW has famously been a comedy venue since its inception and has tried to program humor-driven shows monthly due to how well they are received by audiences. On Feb. 14, TACAW will host comedian couple Casey James Salengo and Courtney Maginnis, and on March 1, Liz Miele performs. Both acts have found national success. Additionally, the Valley’s own Consensual Improv will be back in April.
Speaking with TACAW Executive Director Ryan Honey and Director of Programming Kendall Smith, they expressed gratitude for hosting local and big-name acts.
“Now that we’re in this new space, we have a terrific room for comedy. People want to get together and laugh, and I think that is more important than ever,” Honey stated. “We also try to support the growing local comedy scene, so you’ll see everything from local showcases to major national comics hit our stage.”
Smith added that the Roaring Fork Valley is building a pleasant ecosystem for comedy with open mic events. He also shared that TACAW is committed to diversity, regardless of a comic’s notoriety.
“As far as booking in the future, I am committed to having diversity on our stage and having a wide variety of voices,” Smith said.
Expanding on opportunities for hopeful comics, Honey discussed Consensual Improv, which he is a member of, and how the troupe hosts workshops regularly. While he encourages folks to sign up for the newsletter and attend a workshop, he also suggests that aspiring comedians attend an open mic night.
“The best thing is to start going to the open mics around the Valley. It’s a pretty small scene, so we all know each other. If you go to those open mics, you’ll probably get asked to jump on stage and open for one of the ticketed shows around town,” Honey said.
One comic who has graced TACAW’s stage several times, and agrees that open mics are a good place to start, is Adam Cayton-Holland. He grew up in Denver and got his foot in the proverbial door by attending open mic nights there. Since then, he has appeared on Comedy Central and has been named one of Esquire Magazine’s “25 Comics to Watch.” Additionally, his newest comedy special, “Wallpaper,” premiered online at www.800poundgorillamedia.com on Jan.18.
“I tell aspiring comics to go to an open mic. You’ll see good comedy, but mostly, you’ll see really bad comedy. That kind of pierces the mystique,” Cayton-Holland stated.
Open mics can be found in Snowmass Village and have been on the rise since the inception of the Snowmass Live Comedy Series. The Collective is gearing up for its inaugural Comedy WKND! taking place over Presidents Day, featuring Jeff Wright of NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and rising comedian Joey Avery on Feb.16, Natasha Leggero and her husband, Moshe Kasher, on Feb. 17, and concluding with Drag Queen Bingo with Kendra Matic and DJ Romy Ancona.
The Collective Comedy Series, according to Sarah Sanders, director of plaza venue and events, all starts locally. She cited the Winter Comedy Competition hosted every season, where competitors from throughout the Valley and all over the state show off their knack for making people laugh.
“The top performers get to open for our headliner comedians,” Sanders explained. “We pair them with the headliners that would be the best fit for them. And, based on their style, we partner with local leaders in Snowmass to be on the judges’ panel for it.”
Remaining events for The Collective Comedy Series include an evening of comedy with Langston Kerman on March 6 and the Valley Comedy Showcase on March 13. Despite the 2023-24 season closely approaching its close, Sanders encourages those looking to break in to reach out to The Collective.
“Even if we don’t have anything going on, we can certainly point you in the right direction,” Sanders said.
For more information on how to get involved with comedy in the Valley, contact TACAW at programming@tacaw.org, info@tacaw.org or call 970-510-5365; for The Collective at Snowmass Base, email info@thecollectivesnowmass.com or call 970-924-6054.
