Liliana Arriaga, better known as “La Chupitos,” walks onto every stage with a whirlwind of chaos and charm—with messy hair, wearing baggy clothes, exaggerated makeup and a mischievous grin.
She’s been making Mexico laugh for 30 years, and Spokane is next.
“It’s my first time coming to Spokane, so I hope people will go so we can show the strength within the Latino community,” Arriaga said in Spanish.
Arriaga, a Mexican actress and comedian, is best known for appearances in “Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento,” Mexico’s version of “America’s Got Talent” and “La Casa de La Risa,” or in English “The House of Laughter,” a show full of comedians performing skits that range from clever to outrageous.
At 4 p.m. Saturday, Spokane audiences will get a taste of her signature humor at the Spokane Comedy Club.
Arriaga said after winning a TV contest for new comedians in 1995, her character, La Chupitos, went on to become instantly recognizable as an alcoholic who makes bold jokes about herself and Latino culture.
Arriaga said the persona was inspired by her uncle, who struggled with alcoholism.
“This persona is not encouraging anybody to drink,” she said. “If anything, it’s the opposite. If you keep drinking, that’s how you’re going to end up.”
Through laughter, Arriaga hopes to shine a light on addiction while honoring her uncle’s journey.
“I do it to honor my uncle who is the real ‘Chupitos.’ He is a wonderful man, always thankful. He’s still alive and I’m happy because he’s since stopped drinking,” Arriaga said.
Shawn Bo-Abrams, director of communications for the Spokane Comedy Club, said the club has hosted a few Spanish-language comedy sets, but not as many as he’d like. After Arriaga’s team reached out while looking to add fresh voices to the lineup, he said it just “clicked.”
He added that as soon as the show was announced, people started sharing and grabbing tickets.
“There’s a really fun buzz around this one,” Bo-Abrams said.
Arriaga said humor is especially important in times of heightened immigration crackdowns under the Trump administration.
Last month, she posted on social media about an incident in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she claimed an employee threatened to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement on her.
“We are truly living through a sad period in history,” Arriaga said. “It’s not fair that we have to continue to live with racist remarks and immigration threats. It’s not fair. That’s why it’s important we spend some time together and laugh for a little bit.”
“By the end of it, I will make sure that you have laughed so much you’ll be stress-free and wrinkle-free,” she joked.
