According to a notice on Comedy Works’ website, mega-comedian Dave Chappelle will perform a half-dozen last-minute concerts at the 300-seat downtown venue from April 5-7.
Chappelle, who has previously sold-out Red Rocks Amphitheatre for his birthday shows, comes to Denver regularly to perform surprise shows at Comedy Works, which also sell out quickly.
He grew up playing in the about 300-seat club and claims to have a friendship with owner Wende Curtis. Like major performers who frequent New York’s Comedy Cellar, he prefers to work out new material in such a small space in comparison to his audience.
Ticket costs are consistent with Chapelle’s status: $156 each, with Comedy Works subscribers getting first dibs. According to comedyworks.com, they went on sale at 10:30 a.m. Monday and sold out in less than an hour.
Chappelle is requesting audience members to leave their cell phones at home, as he has in the past. He was a key figure in developing the Yondr technology, which locks guests’ phones in magnetically sealed bags until the show is over.
Other comedians, including Chris Rock, have used it at considerably larger Denver stand-up events, including at the Bellco Theatre.
“Please leave your phones in your cars or at home,” Comedy Works officials wrote. “Everyone is subject to a pat-down. Anyone caught with a cell phone inside the venue will be immediately ejected and no refund given.”
In recent years, Chappelle’s gags have created controversy as he has frequently pounded home his criticisms of the trans community, criticizing the basic premise that gender is flexible.
Employees at Netflix, which airs his new specials regularly, staged a walkout in October in protest of his views. Chappelle revealed in February that “Chappelle’s Show,” his famous sketch show, would return to Netflix after Comedy Central paid him for the rights. Netflix then announced that Chappelle would executive produce and host four upcoming comedy specials this year.
Last month, Chappelle made headlines for allegedly attempting to sabotage an affordable housing project in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he’s become a local celebrity and investor.
In a statement sent through his spokeswoman, he reportedly pushed back against this, claiming that “Chappelle didn’t demolish affordable housing. A half-baked plan that never genuinely offered affordable housing was ‘killed’ by concerned neighbors and a reacting Village Council.”
The coronavirus outbreak may be finished, but the seriousness and contemplation that defined our way of thinking over the last two years are beginning to manifest in the region’s art galleries.
Identity, self-reflection, deep concentration, and social consciousness are threads that run through these displays. They all promise quality while forcing gallery visitors to rethink their perspectives on life.
Now that it’s spring, we’re getting serious about our art.
David Khari Webber Chappelle is a stand-up comedian and actor from the United States. He is well known for his satirical sketch comedy show, Chappelle’s Show. The show, which Chappelle co-wrote with Neal Brennan, ran until Chappelle left in the middle of the third season’s production.