Breckenridge celebrates opening with comedy festival

If you’re all smiles today with Breckenridge, Keystone and Copper mountains opening for the season, the good vibe continues into the night and weekend with the first Laughs and Lifts Comedy Festival in Breck.

A year after High Country Comedy organizer JonScott McClung began the monthly stand-up event at the Park Avenue Pub, he brings a festival of the funny stuff to Summit County.

Festival host Chuck Roy said McClung identified favorite acts over the year to bring back, as well as using the bigger event to bring in more acts.

“Of all the hot things going on in Denver, JonScott just about pegged them all,” Roy said of the events planned for the weekend.

At the Ten Mile Room in the Village at Breckenridge tonight, the collective comedy of Wrist Deep Productions is a returning favorite at 9:30 p.m., performing after the Mile High Sci Fi presents “The Terminator” at 7 p.m. Mile High Sci Fi is similar to Mystery Science Theater with three live comedians playing off the movie in the background.

The Friday after-party is at Park Avenue Pub with live music from two Denver indie bands — Hot IQs and openers Ideal Fathers, along with Vegas-based DJ Klaw.

Saturday will include seminars throughout the day, free and rated PG, on topics including the comedy industry, magic and skiing for the first time.

At 7 p.m. Saturday, the HypnotiComic, Rusty Z will use hypnosis to illicit laughs. Rusty Z, aka, James Zingleman, said under hypnosis on stage, participants do “everything from speaking fluent Martian language to seeing things that are not there and hearing things that are not there.”

At 9:30 p.m. that day, the “Renewable Energy Comedy Show,” brainchild of festival host Chuck Roy, will have a live taping for the web featuring Comedy Central’s Eddie Gossling. The final event of the weekend follows with a mix of the attending comics entertaining.

Tickets to the entire weekend are $50 and are available at www.laughsandlifts.com or individual event tickets, ranging from $10-30, will be sold at the door.

Leslie Brefeld can be reached at (970) 668-4626 or lbrefeld@summitdaily.com.

FRIDAY

• Après’ Ski Party with Mac McDonald, 3-6 p.m. in the Park Avenue Pub at the Village at Breckenridge hotel. Show is free and rated PG-13.

Local favorite, Mac McDonald brings his musical comedy show to Breckenridge for a special early-season appearance. After making your first turns on the mountain, join us for the official start of the weekend party with a pre-show meal with your friends.

• Mile High Sci Fi Presents ‘The Terminator’

7 p.m. in the Ten Mile Room at the Village at Breckenridge. Included in VIP and Headliner passes or $15 at the door. Rated R.

Voted best way to watch a bad movie by Denver’s alt-weekly, Westword, Mile High Sci Fi is a live comedy show with a movie as the backdrop. For the Laughs and Lifts Festival, the comics have chosen the sci fi icon, “The Terminator” as the brunt of their jokes.

• Wrist Deep Productions Showcase

9:30 p.m. in the Ten Mile Room at the Village at Breckenridge. Included in VIP and Headliner passes or $15 at the door. Rated R.

Denver’s hottest underground comedy collective showcases their edgy material in a multi-media performance written especially for opening weekend. Wrist Deep is the type of production company that believes comedy is best served with cheap beer and lots of friends.

• DJ and the Bear’s After-Party with ‘Hot IQs’ and ‘Ideal Fathers’

11:30 p.m. in the Park Avenue Pub at the Village at Breckenridge. Included in VIP Pass or $10 at the door. Must be 21 and older.

Catch Denver’s hottest indie bands for the opening day celebration. Musical guests include Hot IQs, named Best Indie Pop Band in Colorado 2007 & 2008, will make you “dance through an avalanche” (SPIN Magazine) with opening act Ideal Fathers out of Denver.



SATURDAY

• Seminars of the Laughs and Lifts Festival

Blue River Room at the Village at Breckenridge. Admission is free. Rated PG.

1:30-2:30 p.m. — Industry Roundtable — The Business of Comedy

3-4 p.m. — Easy Magic for the Family with Eugene the Nerd

4:30-5:30 p.m. — Confident Skiing/Riding through Hypnosis with Rusty Z

• Après’ Ski Party with Mac McDonald

3-6 p.m., Park Avenue Pub in the Village at Breckenridge. Free show. Rated PG-13.

Local favorite, Mac McDonald brings his musical comedy show to Breckenridge for a special early season appearance. Join us for a a pre-show meal with your friends.

• Family Friendly Magic and Hypnosis show featuring Eugene the Nerd, Rusty Z and The HypnotiComic

7 p.m., Ten Mile Room at the Village at Breckenridge. Included in VIP and Headliner passes or $15 at the door. Rated PG-13.

Under the alias Rusty Z, James Zingleman has been putting volunteers to sleep and bringing out their hidden talents on stages across the United States. The show opens with a magic show presented by Eugene the Nerd. Combining technology, magic, audience participation, and comedy, his family friendly show will keep you laughing.



• Live Taping of the ‘Renewable Energy Comedy Show’ featuring Eddie Gossling (from Comedy Central)

9:30 p.m. in the Ten Mile Room at the Village at Breckenridge. Included in VIP and Headliner passes or $30 at the door. Rated R.

Chuck Roy hosts a live taping of the Renewable Energy Comedy Show featuring Eddie Gossling.

• Laughs and Lifts Late Night Blue Show

11:30 p.m. in the Park Avenue Pub at the Village at Breckenridge. Included in VIP Pass or $10 at the door. Must be 21 and older.

The weekend’s final party and the comics will be primed to let loose. The cast of the Laughs and Lifts Festival come together for a final showcase of their dirtiest material. Hosted by Greg Baumhauer.

WEDNESDAY

• High Country Comedy’s First Anniversary Party with Chuck Roy.

8:30 p.m. in the Park Avenue Pub at the Village at Breckenridge. Included in VIP and Headliner passes or $10 at the door. Rated R.

Chuck Roy headlined the High Country Comedy’s opening night in 2007 and he’s welcomed back for the one-year anniversary show. Hosted by JonScott McClung.