ROARING FORK BROADCASTING COMPANY
“A festivus for the rest of us.” That is one of the most enduring quotes from the television sitcom “Seinfeld.”
On Thursday, the Wheeler Opera House announced its lineup for the winter season and revealed that the Aspen Laugh Festival will indeed be a festivus for the rest of us — Jerry Seinfeld is headlining the comedy festival, which takes place March 11-15.
Wheeler Opera House Executive Director Mike Harrington came to Aspen in September to replace outgoing Lisa Rigsby Peterson. Harrington entered a difficult situation as the Wheeler was closed while its rigging system was being updated, and it wasn’t clear how long the work would take to complete. As a result, few shows had been booked for the 2024-2025 season.
Harrington has been in the entertainment and theater space for almost two decades as both a performer and an administrator. He most notably served as executive director at the Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts Theater at New York University. He leveraged his contacts and booked roughly two dozen acts in quick order.
Harrington still wanted a big fish to anchor the winter line-up. He did his best Captain Ahab and landed the biggest comedy whale of all in Jerry Seinfeld, one of the genre’s most successful artists in the last 30 years.
“The very first call I made when I drove from New Jersey to Aspen was to Jerry Seinfeld’s people,” Harrington said (the Skirbal Center had a partnership with the New York Comedy Festival). “Comedy has been the centerpiece at the Wheeler for the last few decades and I really wanted someone of Jerry’s stature at the festival.”
Other comedians at the festival — which has been cracking up audiences since the ‘80s — include “Saturday Night Live’s” Chloe Troast, the off-Broadway hit “Sorry For Your Loss” by Michael Cruz Kayne, and a family show with Alex “The Zaniac” Zerbe. The main stage will feature Becky Robinson, the Sklar Brothers, Sofia Nino de Rivera and one more artist that will be announced at a later date.
As the “Zaniac,” Zerbe will be juggling, beatboxing and performing physical comedy. Known for slicing vegetables midair with playing cards and juggling flaming torches, Zerbe’s antics have resulted in his holding two Guinness World Records.
“We’re really pleased with the whole lineup,” Harrington said. “The festival is going to kick off with a local comics showcase featuring five local comics. We’re curating a partnership with The Collective at Snowmass. This highlights two important things to me, which are supporting local artists and forming partnerships with other local arts organizations. I think things are looking very, very, very good for us to have Jerry Seinfeld finish up the Aspen Laugh festival this year.”
The rest of the winter lineup includes comedy, music, dance, film, theater and family-friendly shows. Other newly announced musical events include: John Oates for two nights, bluegrass stalwarts Steep Canyon Rangers, AJ Lee & Blue Summit and The Fretliners, the Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain fronting an ensemble of percussionists, and renowned pianist Michael Feinstein.
Family fare includes two performances of “TheaterWorksUSA’s Dog Man: The Musical,” which comes to Aspen following sold-out runs from New York to Los Angeles and a night of mentalism and comedy with “the real-life Sherlock Holmes,” Colin Cloud, illusionist Leon Etienne and the acclaimed duo of pianist Conrad Tao and tap dancer Caled Teicher in “Counterpoint.”
On the local front, DanceAspen will perform “Ember Glow” featuring a world premiere commission inspired by the history of the Wheeler Opera House.
The Wheeler is also introducing the new Wheeler Insiders program, which is designed to offer local residents exclusive benefits, including pre-sale access, discounts and exclusive invitations to Insider events.
The big takeaway from Thursday’s line up unveiling is that Harrington is incredibly skilled as a programmer, particularly in light of the fact that he put the lineup together so quickly and with so little lead time. He said he expects to add shows throughout the winter. The future of the Wheeler as a vibrant artistic center and community hub is indeed bright.
“We are lucky to have Mike Harrington as our new executive director, not only is he a great fit with what he brings to the table, but I believe he will do great things for the Wheeler and the valley,” said Josh Behrman, president of Wheeler Associates, a nonprofit organization that works closely with the Wheeler Opera House.
For more information about upcoming events at the Wheeler, visit wheeleroperahouse.com or visit the box office at 320 E. Hyman Ave. The box office is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Tickets are on sale now to registered Wheeler Insiders. The general public can buy tickets starting at 10 a.m. Dec. 2. More ticket information is available by calling 970-920-5770 and at aspenshowtix.com.