- Comedy Works
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Comedy Works is a stand-up comedy club with two locations in the Denver, CO area. The downtown club is located in historic Larimer Square at 1226 15th Street. The south club is part of The Landmark development in Greenwood Village at 5345 Landmark Place.
Roseanne Barr started her stand-up career at a Comedy Works open-mic night. Other top comedians who have worked the clubs include Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Joan Rivers, Tim Allen, Ellen DeGeneres, Dennis Miller, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Craig Ferguson, George Lopez, and Lewis Black.
Originally known as the Comedy Shoppe, owners George McKelvey (remembered as the 'godfather' of Denver's comedy community[1]), Doug Olson, and Edd Nichols renamed the venue Comedy Works in 1981 and moved it to a basement space in the Granite/Graham-Clayton building.[2]
Current owner Wende Curtis started as a cocktail waitress at a now-defunct Fort Collins, CO Comedy Works location.[3] She later managed a Tampa, FL Comedy Works and turned around that club in the process. Curtis returned to Denver in 1998 to run the Larimer Square location. In 2003 she bought out her partners and became one of the few female comedy club owners in the country.
Several high-profile comedians have recorded CDs at the Larimer Square club including Kathleen Madigan ("Shallow Happy Thoughts for the Soul" 2002) and Dave Attell ("Skanks for the Memories" 2003.)[4]
Comedy Works South at The Landmark opened in September 2008. In addition to a 500 seat showroom, it includes Lucy Restaurant, Lila B. Lounge, the Curtis Ballroom, and smaller rooms for hosting business functions and private events.
Comedy Works Entertainment is the booking arm of the business. Under the leadership of Mike Raftery, the company produces comedy concerts in larger venues around Denver and the state of Colorado. It also serves in a management capacity, guiding the careers of several local and national comedians including Last Comic Standing season 4 winner Josh Blue.
References
- ^ http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/10/local/me-passings10.S1
- ^ http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_16879585
- ^ http://www.denvermagazine.com/October-2008/Comedy-in-the-Works/
- ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/cultural_attache/2010/09/your_laughs_at_comedy_works_could_wind_up_on_a_cd.html
External links
Categories:- Comedy clubs in the United States
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