comedy

Drawing from both sides of Genesee County, GO Art! host/comedian Chris Hasenauer of Rochester, center, relaxes before Friday's show with fellow comedians Sarah Benderson, left, of Rochester, Ryan Garcia of Rochester, and, far right, Alex Brady of Buffalo. Hasenauer would like to offer more comedy nights through winter, he said, at the East Main Street site. 

GO Art! Executive Director Gregory Hallock said that the facility creates, sponsors and presents all forms of art, "including, but not limited to, fine, performing, literary, culinary, design, tech, horticultural, folk and media." Now Comedy Nights are a new venture for the downtown Batavia nonprofit.

"When they happen, they are on Friday nights." he said.

Ryan Garcia of Rochester talks about his children, first dates, work situations, personal hygiene, homophobia and being Dominican during Friday's Comedy Night at GO Art! in Batavia. It is an adult show with some expletives. 

Sharing laughts before their performances, Sarah Benderson, Ryan Garcia, Chris Hasenauer and Alex Brady get to know each other through a comedian's perspective.

Chris Hasenauer played dual roles of host and comedian during Friday's Comedy Night at GO Art!

Rochester comedian Sarah Benderson, in a voice resembling a female cartoon character, picks out a couple for her questions about dating.

Photos by Joanne Beck.

 

 

Press release:

Most Western New Yorkers are sad to see the summer ending -- but the fall season brings comedian Samuel J. Comroe, finalist on NBC's hit show America's Got Talent, to the Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. for a performance of his "I got 99 problems...but a twitch ain't one" tour!

Comroe's comedy, which is for mature audiences only, is based on the trials and tribulations of living with Tourette Syndrome. A native of Los Angeles, he performs widely each year from Las Vegas to San Francisco, at colleges and universities across the country. He also has more than 40,000 subscribers to his YouTube Channel.

Seating is limited and tickets are available now at boxoffice@genesee.edu or (585) 345-6814.

In October, GCC's Forum Players will perform their biggest show of the season -- Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Picture Show! On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, Oct. 17, 18 and 19, the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. and the final performance will be a matinee Sunday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. All four of these performances, which are for mature audiences only, will take full advantage of all the high-tech sound and lighting equipment at the state-of-the-art Stuart Steiner Theatre.

The full scene and costume shops will offer dynamic sets, costumes and the outlandish regalia that Rocky Horror fans look for. The talented and enthusiastic Theater Department is already busily preparing for this performance. For a little extra fun, specially prepared Prop Bags will be available for use during the show for just $5 -- while supplies last -- and can be pre-ordered from the box office. No other props will be allowed in the theater.

Tickets to see Samuel J. Comroe or The Rocky Horror Show at GCC's Stuart Steiner Theatre are $8 for adults, and $5 for seniors (55+) and students (16+) and GCC faculty/ staff. GCC students with ID are $3, and GCC alumni with ID will receive a $2 discount on an adult ticket.

To reserve seats, contact the GCC box office at boxoffice@genesee.edu or (585) 345-6814.

Genesee Center for the Arts offers something to appeal to the art lover in everyone and the Fall Season is no exception. The Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery will host the following exhibits to distract and inform your mind, appeal to your senses and evoke a variety of emotional responses.

Artist: Bruce Adams

On display until Sept. 21

"Untitled" -- Adams is best known as a conceptually based figurative painter who references various painting styles. In exploring the act of painting, Adams peels back the layers of meaning inherent in art making and viewing.

Artist: Nigel Maister

On display Oct. 1 - 31

Artist Talk: Oct. 10 at 12:30 p.m. with receptions at 1 and 5 p.m.

"tight. word. lit." -- Through the pairing of unrelated photographic images, Maister creates a narrative both implied and explicit and manifested in emotional, formal, aesthetic, intuitive and intellectual expression, and an evocation of action.

Artist: Heather Jones

On display: Nov. 12 - Dec. 12

Artist Talk: Nov. 14 at 12:30 p.m. with receptions at 1 and 5 p.m.

"M is for Mindful" -- This exhibition highlights acrylic paintings by GCC Professor of Fine Arts, Jones, created as illustrations for the book "M is for Mindful." Including a playful narrative that guides children through an exploration of the themes that shape the way we think and live, "M is for Mindful" is a nature-based ABC/poetry picture book written by Robin L. Flanagan.

The Roz Steiner Art Gallery is open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is also open during special events as published here. Admission is free. For more information, contact Gallery coordinator Mary Jo Whitman at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6490, or via email: mjwhitman@genesee.edu.

From a flier sent in by Ricky Palermo:

The nonprofit Ricky Palermo Foundation presents a Comedy Show starring Moody McCarthy and Nick Marra at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 29, at Ascension Parish Hall.

Pat Mancuso is the show's master of ceremonies. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $50. VIP packages are available for $500 for a table of eight -- includes VIP seating, signage and table wine.

Proceeds will benefit Rochester Regional Health, Batavia YMCA, Strong Memorial Hospital Spine Center and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

Come and enjoy a night of laughs, heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar! Dibble Family Center is catering.

Register to attend by March 22.

Make checks payable to:

Spinal Injury Tournament C/O Ricky Palermo

5159 Sunset Terrace

Batavia, NY 14020

********

Questions? Contact Ricky Palermo at (585) 739-8522 or email  rickypalermo24@gmail.com

To find out more about the Ricky Palermo Foundation, click here.

About Moody McCarthy

He's a stand-up comic (writer and comic writer) who has performed on Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, and the Letterman Show. He was raised in Syracuse and now lives in New York City. He began doing comedy in the 1990s and before moving to the Big Apple, he was on Syracuse's top radio show covering sports.

Moody, the nickname his big Irish family gave him (born Matthew), has also been featured on "The Last Comic Standing," the 2003 reboot of "Star Search," and "America's Got Talent." He's performed at the world-famous Comedy Cellar and can be heard on SiriusXM radio.

His material is described as original but universal, smart without being trite. Couple that with a disarming stage presence and in-the-moment chops and you'll see why he's earned the admiration of his peers for his ability to "go up cold." From pubs to corporate outings, this versatile performer brightens any event.

About Nick Marra

He's been entertaining crowds with his down-to-earth comedy for more than 20 years. Drawing on his experiences from growing up in an Italian Catholic home, to his current family comprised on two sons in their 20s and a young daughter (born 16 years later), audiences easily relate to his quirky observations.

Nick performed live at the 2017 Red Carpet Live ESPY show on ESPN.

Producer Bill Bonnell of ABC/ESPN television networks said: "Nick Marra is a throwback. That's what I love about Nick. It's like he parachuted in from another time and place. To me, his style represents the glory days of stand-up comedy. It's good to know that there's still a comedian that represents those days gone by. He never disappoints!"

Frank Santorelli’s character on HBO's classic “The Sopranos” was a bartender at the Bada Bing who ended up getting on his boss’s every last nerve. He got beat for it, of course.

You may recall the episode in which that character, Georgie Santorelli (yes, the same last name), bought “Tone” a phone answering machine that featured a singing fish.

When a call came in, the fish flipped its tail, then swung its head around and “sang” the Talking Heads’ “Take Me to the River.”

At first, Tone is amused by “Big Mouth Billy Bass” -- a novelty bought at Rite Aid by his bartender.

But the modern don’s thoughts quickly turn dark and he instead hears mockery in the fake bucketmouth's tune. So he yanks it off the desk and stomps into the bar and beats Georgie savagely with it.

The actor Frank Santorelli is a rarity -- with bragging rights that the late actor James Gandolfini (AKA Tony Soprano) clocked him with a gag gift.

The native of Cleveland is also a gifted comedian and he will bring his act to Genesee County on Sunday, Oct. 8, in a special appearance at Capish! Brick Oven Pizza Ristorante in Le Roy. Doors open at 2 p.m., show starts at 3; tickets are $20 each, with a two-drink minimum and a limited menu available.

You can get a sense of his humor by watching one of his routines on You Tube. (Like this one here. (Warning: Not Work Safe; adult material.))

He tells about his horrific experience cross-country skiing one New Hampshire winter with Olympic athletes. Wasn't a good idea. He shows us how idiotic it is to try and appear menacing at a bar with a troublemaker when you no longer drink, so your beverage is served with a big crazy straw. Deadpanning "Don't mess with me pal," while trying to manage a long straw fails to menace. So does breaking out the Chapstick and then smacking your lips together after saying "Don't even think about it."

He pokes fun at everyday life, the aging process (he's born in 1957 -- "the Chinese calendar's "Year of the Cock"), New Yorkers, hirsute Italian women who taught all the men in his family how to shave, riding the subway, whatever. It's a crack up."Capisci?!"

Capish! Brick Oven Pizza Ristorante is located at 49 Main St. in the Village of Le Roy. Parking in front and out back. Phone is (585) 768-1000. To buy tickets in advance go online to www.BrownPaperTickets.com

UPDATE 12:38 p.m.: Due to illness, the Benny Baker comedy performance that was scheduled tonight at the Batavia Party House has been cancelled. Tickets will be refunded.

Like Johnny Cash's boy named Sue, Benny Baker's fate was determined when he was just a lad.

"I was ugly and my name was Benny Bobby Baker," he says. "I had to be either funny or tough."

Forty-something years later, it's obvious which path he chose.  The semi-retired comedian has been in the funny business for 25 years and has made quite a name for himself, having toured internationally and in 49 states, including a 3-year stint with Carrot Top. Apart from performing his own critically-acclaimed Las Vegas act, "Hellbent 4 Humor," Baker has also appeared on and written for TV and films and co-hosted a morning radio show in San Diego. This Saturday night, he will be returning to Batavia to perform one show.

"It's edgy, critical, and just more common sense," he says of his act. "I don't believe that kinder and gentler is always the answer. If you're tired of society being molded to satisfy the few square pegs that don't want to go into round holes while all the other round pegs suffer, then you'll like my show."

No topic is safe from this "common sense" with his routine touching on a wide range of subjects, from the Octo-Mom to his own family.

"After a while you develop a perception of life that you just can't take it too seriously," Baker says. "I guess I would say that your mind does immediately evaluate the humor in every situation no matter how tragic."

And what kind of humor does he find in his native Western New York?

"I grew up in this area as a kid," he explains. "It has its humor because it really still is small-town, and there are a lot of things that really are funny about being from a small town.  It does have that family elemnt that you don't find in other places. It has that blue-collar, small-town family charm in it, but there is always humor in that."

Although Baker was born in Batavia and attended Greece Arcadia High School, he moved to Florida soon after his graduation. 

"I had a job on the muck when I was a teenager," he explains. "I didn't really see any future in rotating crops, so I left."

Baker has recently taken up residence in Orleans County. Much of his family still lives in the area, and will be there supporting him at Saturday's show.

"I don't mind performing in front of family members," he says. "They enjoy it because I do talk about my family - the struggles, my brother being a big hunter, things like that.  It gives them a kick to be brought into the show and makes them laugh because a lot of it's true."

The act can be enjoyed by audience members of any age--Baker gives the example of an elderly couple who came to his show and needed an extra oxygen tank brought in because they were laughing so hard--but parents should know that the material is what could be described as "R-rated":

"I'd say the cutoff is 18, maybe 16 if you're sharp.  If you're 16 and walking around with your pants around your ankles and smoking 20 blunts a day, you're not going to like it or get the jokes. But if you're 16 and with it and carry a C average in high school, you'll be fine."

The show will be tonight at the Batavia Party House. Dinner starts at 6 pm and the show begins at 8 pm. Tickets for the prime rib buffet and show are $40 per person at the door. Show only tickets are $15 at the door.