Wheeler Opera House Announces 2023 Aspen Laugh Festival Lineup

After a two-year hiatus, the festival returns February 21-25, 2023.

Aspen, CO: Aspen Laugh Festival is back! After a two-year hiatus due to, well, life not being a barrel of laughs, the Wheeler is bringing funny back to Aspen February 21-25. With five days of the best and brightest comics on the mainstage, patrons can enjoy side-splitting, belly aching laughs in person in the beautiful, historic opera house. There’s no better way to see these comedians than in the dynamic atmosphere and small theatre setting the Wheeler provides.

“I’m excited to help re-launch Aspen Laugh Festival, an Aspen tradition that we know so many have missed,” stated Lisa Rigsby Peterson, executive director of the Wheeler Opera House. “This year we’re bringing it all back to the Wheeler where the intimacy and history of our theatre make for unforgettable performances for audiences and artists alike. I’m looking forward to welcoming a great, diverse group of comedians to Aspen for a week of non-stop laughter.”

Tickets and passes to the festival go on sale Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at Noon at the Wheeler Opera House Box Office (970.920.5770/ aspenshowtix.com). The Wheeler Opera House is located at 320 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen, CO. A full festival pass is $195 (20% savings) with single tickets ranging from $38-$65.

New this year, the Wheeler is offering Season Subscriptions which are still available. A Wheeler Season Subscription 3+ saves 10% off Premium and Standard ticket prices when you select 3 or 4 performances. A Season Subscription 5+ saves 15% off Premium and Standard ticket prices when you select 5 or more performances.

2023 Aspen Laugh Festival Lineup:
 

ZAINAB JOHNSON

Tuesday, February 21, 2023 | 7:30 PM
Zainab Johnson is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer from Harlem, NY, who was recently hailed by Variety as being a “Top 10 Comic To Watch.” Zainab’s comedy is based on her unique point-of-view, which was shaped growing up as one of thirteen siblings in a Muslim family. Zainab can currently be seen playing the role of Aleesha on the Greg Daniels Amazon series UPLOAD and hosting Netflix’s 100 Humans, a social experiment where 100 individuals take part in interactive experiments exploring sex, happiness, torture and all the other aspects of being human. Zainab is a regular at the Comedy Cellar in NY as well as the Comedy Store and Improv in LA. She's made appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers, HBO's All Def Comedy, MTV's Acting Out, and NBC's Last Comic Standing. She had a breakout performance at The Melbourne Comedy Festival and regularly returns to the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal. 

THE SECOND CITY - SWIPES RIGHT: AN INCOMPLETE GUIDE TO THE
ULTIMATE DATE NIGHT

Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | 7:30 PM
It’s love at first laugh with The Second City! Bring your partner, lover, significant other, spouse, friend with benefits, friend with EXTRA benefits, platonic BFF, or your spectacularly single self to The Second City Swipes Right: An Incomplete Guide to The Ultimate Date Night, the brand-new experience you've been aching for. Spend a naughty 90 minutes with our caliente cast of comedians as they (consensually) annihilate everything that turns us on—and off—about love, dating, relationships, and everything else in-between the sheets!

PETE LEE

Thursday, February 23, 2023 | 7:30 PM
The first standup comedian to get a standing ovation on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, after Jimmy attended one of Pete’s live shows in NYC and immediately invited him on the show. Pete’s joyful humor comes from his Midwestern roots. Raised in Janesville, WI, by divorced parents and a 19-inch television, he was destined to pursue a career in entertainment. In 2008 Pete shot his own Comedy Central half hour special, which earned him a cult following at comedy clubs, and the opportunity to perform over the next ten years at 500 colleges across the country. Currently, Pete is a cast member of TruTV’s Greatest Ever and he hosts his own segment on Nickelodeon’s Nick Toons, in coordination with the NFL, called NFL Rush. He’s also a regular on TruTV’s Comedy Knockout and Comedy Central’s Roast Battle. And he starred in a documentary titled I Need You to Kill that is now available on iTunes and Amazon. If you haven’t heard of Pete Lee yet, prepare to tell other people.

Double the Laughs with IVAN DECKER and RYAN HAMILTON

Friday, February 24, 2023 | 7:30 PM
Originally from Vancouver, now based in Los Angeles, Ivan Decker is a writer, standup comic and actor, known for his sharp, polished, and multi-layered observational comedy. With numerous television performances filmed at the Just for Laughs Montreal festival, the Winnipeg and Halifax Comedy festivals for CBC Television, Ivan can be heard across North America on Sirius XM radio. He can also be seen and heard on the popular CBC radio program The Debaters. Most recently, Ivan was named a “Comic To Watch” by TBS at the New York Comedy Festival, and subsequently made his American television debut on Conan. Ivan’s debut comedy album "I Wanted to be a Dinosaur" was the recipient of the 2018 JUNO award for “Comedy Album of the Year” which can be heard on all major streaming platforms, including iTunes. His half hour comedy special for Netflix was filmed at the 2018 Montreal Just for Laughs Festival. 

Ryan Hamilton’s one-hour Netflix stand-up special, Happy Face, has been reviewed as “the special you can’t watch enough times.” This has been followed by a wealth of television appearances and a nonstop headlining tour. Armed with the unique perspective of growing up in rural Idaho to become a favorite in the New York stand-up comedy scene, he’s one-of-a-kind. He’s been named one of Rolling Stone’s “Five Comics to Watch;” and his recent appearances include The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Conan, as well as opening spots for Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Gaffigan.

RON FUNCHES

Saturday, February 25, 2023 | 7:30 PM

Triple threat, Ron Funches is an excellent stand-up comedian, actor and writer. You may know Ron from his many memorable television roles on The Goldbergs, Black•ish, New Girl, Transparent, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Powerless, Undateable or from films like Get Hard alongside Will Farrell, Lexi, Noelle and 6 Underground. Lover of animated television and film, Ron has leant his voice to many projects like Dreamworks’ Trolls, Disney's Ivan The Great, Bob's Burgers, Adventure Time, Final Space and so many more. Some of his personal appearances include Conan, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Match Game, To Tell The Truth, Chopped, Cupcake Wars and Nailed It. Ron’s writing credits include The Eric Andre Show, Kroll Show and several television pilots. Ron is also a pretty solid dad, husband, and friend. He lives in Southern California with his wife and son.

For more information about upcoming events and happenings at the Wheeler, visit www.wheeleroperahouse.com.