A man in a blue leather jacket laughs with a woman in a pink jacket.

Need a Laugh? These Comedies Could Be the Ticket!

A man in a blue leather jacket laughs with a woman in a pink jacket.

Marco Alberto Robinson and Amelia Pedlow. Jamie Kraus Photography.

Research has confirmed what we all know: comedy is an essential part of life. Also, it’s best shared with others as laughter can be contagious in the best way possible.

The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, better known as SCFD, is the organization that manages a tax collected across Denver’s seven-county metro area to support over 300 institutions that bring audiences such delights as staged comedies.

Find your humor at one of these SCFD-funded arts establishments:

CENTRAL CITY OPERA

124 Eureka St., Central City

Central City Opera is staging The Pirates of Penzance, which it describes as a “comedic operetta” with “swashbuckling adventures and harmonious hijinks.” You had me at hijinks! This classic screwball comedy with miscommunications piling up against the backdrop of Cornwall, England, will go on through Aug. 4. Be sure to check the website for fun festival extras like behind-the-scenes tours.

MINERS ALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

1100 Miners Alley, Golden

If you have seen the movie, School of Rock, you know the premise of the live show. Get ready for an even sillier version at Golden’s Miners Alley Performing Arts Center. The hilarity starts when a rock star flop takes a turn at substitute teaching so he can pay the bills. This show, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is both heartwarming and funny as the main character learns from the kids about life and he teaches them about music — turning them into mini rock stars! This show runs from July 26 through Sept. 15, 2024. If the weather is nice, plan to arrive early and spend time walking around Golden, Colorado’s first capital city. 

PHAMALY THEATRE COMPANY

The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora

Add Phamaly Theatre Company to your regular theater going routine, and specifically its Funny As a Crutch show this fall. Described as “‘Saturday Night Live’ meets disability in a series of laugh-out-loud sketches,” this show is designed to keep the giggles going. For those new to Phamaly, it is a theatre company for individuals with disabilities with the goal of being disability affirming for both the actors and their audiences. This particular sketch comedy show brings wit to 10 short plays with a disability spin such as, “a disabled man who can’t understand why his prosthetic leg isn’t allowed in the army.” Note that Phamaly does not always perform at the same theater and this location is at The People’s Building in Aurora, with a run from Oct. 7-20, 2024.

EVERGREEN PLAYERS

27886, Unit B Meadow Dr., Evergreen

Sometimes you don’t need a story to make you laugh, just some improvisation that keeps spinning out and can quickly become hilarious. The Evergreen Players Improv Comedy (EPiC) troupe will put on a two-day show Aug. 23-24, 2024, which they do annually at the Evergreen Players studio. The fun of it is not knowing what the topics will be, so you can just be in the moment.

COLORADO CHAUTAUQUA

900 Baseline R., Boulder

Colorado Chautauqua in Boulder hosts many worthwhile events throughout the year, with an expanded calendar in the summer. Its silent film series has been a personal favorite for years where live music accompanies a movie as it was originally intended. In August, you can catch comedy legend Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid or prankmaster Buster Keaton The Navigator.

This is just a small sampling of late summer comedy shows being put on by some of the hundreds of SCFD-funded places around the state. Visit the SCFD website to learn about other types of performances and theaters.