In what seemed like a last-minute decision, the Arts Project of Cherry Grove picked July 10 for it’s annual stand-up comedy night, giving the enlisted comics a week and half to prepare their routines. Like professionals, the once-a-year comedians stepped up to the plate and hit hilarious homeruns.
“I’m not as nervous as I was two years ago,” said Tall Paul Jablonski backstage, “and I think I’m a little bit less nervous than last year.” When he eventually took the stage, you’d never have known he was nervous at all.
“It’s not all original material,” he said. “I’ve stolen from as many deviants as I possibly can.”
There was a light, relaxed mood backstage in the basement. Sal Piro and Philomena joked around while Amelia Migliaccio told a few stories, and the Freedner Twins practiced their shtick.
Before donning her drag, Philomena said, “Some people write things funny, I say things funny.” She candidly admitted that she doesn’t use her own material, but it didn’t matter. With comedy, it’s all about the delivery and timing, and Philomena is a true pro at that, and also at refitting the jokes for Cherry Grove. “A joke about an old lady might be funny, but the same joke about Billie Ann is hilarious!”
“Every story we tell is real,” said Susan Freedner in between rehearsing her lines. The two women inconspicuously use note cards on stage, something that has become a trademark of their routine. Amelia Migliaccio was unable to perform in last year’s comedy night, but she was ready this year. “I don’t make up anything,” she said. “Everything is real and truly happened.” Her stories came across naturally with funny, true-to-life punch lines.
With a full, packed house of Cherry Grovers, MC Panzi sashayed across the stage with her staple, height-defying white wig. Panzi is a natural on stage, as if she was born to do that voodoo that she does so well. In between sets she told sidesplitting jokes and related stories that Grove residents could most certainly appreciate.
The night of the show also happened to be Rose Levine’s 50th Anniversary of her first show in Cherry Grove. “This would have been her night,” Panzi said, “but it was postponed because she couldn’t memorize her words in time. She’s been practicing for 20 years.”
The first comedian was Sal Piro, who played a character that was lamenting a litany of things that wouldn’t normally happen in the Grove. “I went to see [postmistress] Jeanne Skinner and she didn’t read my mail,” he sighed. “I bought a restaurant here and nobody set it on fire.”
The Freedner Twins told a very funny story involving their mother who has dementia. “I called for brochures on dementia and Alzheimer’s,” Susan said. “I got a huge envelope, opened it up, and it was empty.”
Ruth concluded:“You can’t make this stuff up.”
Philomena was the last comedienne to grace the stage.“My boyfriend Michael thought that Yves St. Laurent was the night before St. Laurent.” In a hilarious bit, she wiggled her posterior to show her attempt to seduce the electronic eye in an airport bathroom to get the toilet to flush.
Just when the audience thought the show was over, Rose Levine suddenly burst through the back doors and exclaimed, “Am I at a church meeting or an Al-Anon meeting?!”
“Doesn’t Rose look lovely for 103?” Panzi quickly quipped.
Rose took the Panzi’s jokes with a great sense of humor, knowing that it was in the spirit of good fun. After performing two songs for a preview of her upcoming 50th Anniversary show, she jumped on the piano and began a third number until Panzi walked out and shouted, “Shut that microphone off!”
As the curtain fell in front of her, Rose’s legs continued to kick up and down while she sang. In an unintentional pratfall, Rose fell off the piano, her wig came off and she kept singing while trying to don the fallen hair. With grace and beauty she finished her song in triumph to rousing applause.
The funniest moments of the show came when the comedians shared their personal stories and experiences. The night was a chance to share in the complexities and humor that people can find in their everyday lives. As Susan Freedner said: “Truth is not only stranger than fiction, it’s funnier.”