The official website of Mark J. Thomas, Comedy Mercenary.
Announcing the Aspen Summer Comedy Series by Comedy Mercenary:  ...the Mountain Chalet, to be specific. Next Show: August 11th. The Comic Lineup: Mark Thomas, Don Chaney, Beth Brandon, Alexa Fitzpatrick, April Clark(e), Bob Richmond, Brooks Werner, Todd Hartley and Glenn Smith. The drinks are cheap ($3 domestics, $4 imports, $5 half-liters, $20 bottled wine), the food is healthy (thanks to Parallel 15), and the comedy is right-on. (*Adult content likely, over 16 advised.) It's $12 Comedy at the Mountain Chalet in Aspen on Durant Ave., overlooking Wagner Park, in front of the St. Regis. Tickets at the door, or online at Markthomascomedy.com. Details...
FEWER COMIC -- LONGER SETS
In the interest of making it interesting for all involved, we made the decision to use fewer performers each night and allow the talent to really dig in and bring it with longer sets of up to 15 minutes in length. Hey - if it's working, then work it! The performance space is more intimate than the winter venue - a fantastic room with a bar on the top floor of the Mountain Chalet, with 360-degree views of Aspen and all its surrounding beauty, opulence and decadence. Two decks offer breathing space, and maybe even the opportunity for the occasional cookout, so we're already dreaming up some creative additions to the evening. That's it for now. Oh - one more thing! We have a few Aspen Recreation Center 5-day Punch Passes valued at $75 on sale for $55 in the store. (Bless you ARC for being our first official summer sponsor!), so if you want to use the facilities and save $20 on the pass, do us both a favor and check it out. I live in Colorado - one of the square states. Wyoming is the other - definitely not as funny. (Alleged VP dick cheney lives there sometimes - go figure.) The residents of western Colorado are refreshingly supportive of stand-up comedy. And there's plenty to laugh at here. (Stay with me.) There's the weather (it can snow any month of the year - indoors or out). It has quaint traffic jams (up to FOUR LANES at a time -- pickups and Subarus, mostly). There's uncaged wildlife (bears at the garbage, elk by the highway, furs in the produce sections). We survive on construction and tourists ("guests", as we're instructed to call them). And there's just enough oxygen to keep the heart pumping and help squeeze out a few glorious laughs from appreciative, local audiences. On a good night. Comedy fans know that the Aspen Comedy Festival (an HBO thing) was building up quite a reputation here for 13 years ('94-'07). Big names: Williams (Robin & Katt), Python, SNL, Carlin, Chappelle, Silverman (adult link!), Black, Colbert, (bonus link: Washington Correspondent's Dinner video!) Wright...). But they decided to close the doors on the event. And word was it was moving to...Santa Barbara. Hilarious, comedy-ground-breaking Santa Freakin' Barbara. Well, that rumor has been squashed, so TBS is picking up the ball. Where it lands...we'll see. In the meantime, the locals have fully embraced the effort by relatively inexperienced locals (like myself) to pick up the ball and bring fresh, live, local stand-up to stages in the Aspen area. The Bio page has some background on me, for you aspiring stalkers. There are a few photos. I'm making stuff to sell, like the bumper sticker.  And that's it for now. Stay tuned. Write if you have a question or comment. And keep smiling. It keeps the crushing depression of everyday reality at bay, for awhile, anyway. Cheers ~ |
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