Comedian Ben Miller stands in front of a lava flow at Kilauea. Miller will perform Jan. 7 in Kihei. Courtesy photo

When comedian Ben Miller applied to become an artist-in-residence at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, he was shocked when he was picked.

The program provides funding and housing for artists to create work inspired by the park’s unique volcanic landscapes and culture. In February 2023, he became the first stand-up comedian selected. Miller will perform Jan. 7 at the ProArts Playhouse with an aptly titled “Volcano” comedy show.

“Randomly online I saw these national park arts residencies,” Miller explained. “They said it was open to any form of art, and I was like there’s no way they’re stupid enough to let a stand-up comedian come in. But luckily, they were immensely generous. They were kind of taking a risk on me. Normally they have painters or musicians or people with actual talent being artists in residence.”

Furnished with housing and a stipend, Miller spent a month at the park.

“It was amazing, incredibly eye-opening,” he recalled. “I’d never seen an active volcano before. Kilauea was active the entire month that I was there. I got to meet with a bunch of park rangers, people at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, and I learned so much about the volcano and Hawaii, the science, the culture, the history. It was an immensely enriching experience.”

As part of his residence, he had to come up with a stand-up routine based on volcanoes.

“Every artist at the end of your one month you’re supposed to put on a one-hour show,” he explained.

The poster for his show in Kihei has Miller standing in front of a lava flow. It’s not photoshopped. “That is me on the rim of Kilauea with a suit that I got from the Goodwill in Kona that afternoon,” he said. “You can tell by how immensely ill-fitting it was. It looks like I’m borrowing my dad’s suit.”

“Volcano” is Miller’s second full-length science-comedy show. A scientist-turned-comedian, Miller has been making people laugh for nine years, performing at various venues including the New York Comedy Festival, Boston Comedy Festival and Ithaca Comedy Festival. In 2022, he presented his “Stand-Up Science” show, touring more than 50 cities.

With a degree in materials science and engineering from Columbia University, he had worked in labs experimenting with lasers and making humidity-responsive biopolymers. Needing more fun in his life, he decided to have a go at stand-up, fusing passions for science and comedy.

“It just always seemed like a really cool thing to do,” he said. “Growing up, I was a big fan of ‘Seinfeld,’ Chris Rock and people like George Carlin, and then after a very bad internship at a lab in New York, I decided to try stand-up comedy.”

And he added, “actually it’s a little industry secret, but you can’t become a stand-up comedian unless you have a degree in science. Everyone you see on stage are full Ph.D.s absolutely.”

He has even managed to impress folks at Scotland’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with a sold-out 23-show run.

Returning to Maui, he is looking forward to exploring the volcano here.

“The last time I got to see Haleakala, but I didn’t have time to hike down into the rim. So, I’d like to spend a little more time,” he said.

“Ben Miller: Volcano” will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 7 at the ProArts Playhouse. Tickets are $16 at proartsmaui.org.