Comedian Ariel Elias makes stops in Vail, Avon

Vail Comedy Show is flying in New York City-based comedian Ariel Elias this week. On Wednesday, Feb. 5, she will be at the Lookout Bar at the Westin in Avon and on Thursday, Feb. 6, she will be at Sarah’s Lounge inside the Christiania Lodge At Vail. Both shows will feature Jim Barnes from Southern California and be hosted by Mark Masters.

We caught up with Elias in advance of her visit.

Have you ever performed in the Vail Valley?

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I have not! Not in the valley, not on the mountain top. My entire experience of Vail consists of performing in Aspen last summer and learning when I got there that I was not in Vail. 

Do you have a favorite Colorado comedy memory? 

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Years ago, there was a comedy festival in Denver called Cromfest. The last night, after the shows, and after the after party, some local comics took us to this building that from the outside looked like nothing. But inside was an actual speakeasy. They weren’t allowed to sell alcohol so you’d just tip $5 – $10 on every drink. We stayed there until the sun rose, then found a diner for breakfast. Those moments, more than shows or audiences, are what defines a comedy community. No notes. 

You are well known for an incident at a comedy club, can you tell us about it and what it did for your career?

If you’re reading this and haven’t watched the video, go ahead and do that. Long story short, a heckler threw a beer at me while I was on stage, so I picked it up and drank the rest of it. The video went viral and helped me do all the things in comedy I’d been trying to do (tour nationally, perform on TV, have a story everyone asks me to tell). 

What do you know about Vail Comedy Show?

Literally nothing, except that it’s in Vail, and it’s a comedy show. I’m sorry I have done no research. I hope it’s a mix of locals who can barely afford to live there year-round with a great sense of humor and wealthy people who ski and use “winter” as a verb and buy all my merch. 

Any major events coming up?

I taped a special that will hopefully come out in the next few months, so keep an eye out for that. I’m also doing this project on social media that I love but also hate where I write one joke every day for a year. I post the joke and explain how I thought of it and if I would use it on stage. Today is day 169. 

You live in New York City but tour nationally, how does Colorado compare to other markets?

This is my first time really doing shows in Colorado, so I can’t really speak to that other than to say the flights are very reasonably priced. 

How would you describe your comedy?

My comedy is very much me, if that makes sense. It’s a mix of personal stories and wry observations, many of which center around growing up Jewish in Kentucky. It’s not 100% clean, but it’s never dirty for the sake of being dirty. Minimal crowd work because I think comedy shows should be for introverts, too. My goal is to let you forget about what’s going on outside of the show, and even if you don’t agree with my worldview, at least you can laugh with me about it. 

What is next for Ariel Elias?

Lots of touring. Lots of panicking about writing a joke every day. The release of my special. And my friend Liz Magee and I created a game show based on Venn Diagrams that I just remembered I need to work on today. 

Vail Comedy Show has shows all ski season long including pop up shows at El Sabor in Lionshead. Buy Tickets and get more information at VailComedyShow.com.