ThePressofManorville&theMoriches

OnlineEdition

Friday,June8,2007

HelpingLongIslandlearntolaughagain

LeighannLordperformsduringastand-upcomedynightlastSaturdayatTheatreThreeinPortJefferson.WhenPaulAnthonybegantryinghishandatstand-upcomedysevenyearsago,hehadtotravelintoManhattantofindopenmikestoperformat.AgeneralsalesmanagerandresidentcomedianatWALKradio,thecomicquicklyfoundworkatcomedyclubsinNewYorkCityandNassauCounty,butnotedthatvenuesforcomedianswereallbutnon-existentinSuffolkCounty."Backinthe1990s,itwastheheydayofcomedyclubsonLongIsland,"the"40-something"Baysideresidentsaid."Therewere,like,10clubsbackthen,butit'sbasicallydowntotwoclubsnow,andthey'rebothinNassauCounty.Soyou'vegot120milesofLongIslandandtwocomedyclubsinNassau,whicharefiveminutesfromeachother."WhileworkinginvariousNewYorkCityclubs,hemetavarietyofothercomedians,whoalsonotedthatSuffolkCountywassorelylackingincomedyvenues.Desperatetogetitbackonthelaughtrack,Mr.AnthonyjoinedforceswithsomeofthosecomediansandlastyearcreatedthefirstLongIslandComedyFestival,whichwasheldatavarietyoftheatersandclubsthroughoutthecounty.Theeventwassosuccessfulitisreturningthisyear.Thefestivaloffersaneveningoflivestand-upcomedyattheatersandcomedyclubs,includingTheComedyClubatTheatreThreeinPortJefferson,theVail-LeavittMusicHallinRiverhead,andtheWesthamptonBeachPerformingArtsCenter.HavingstartedonJune2,theshowsrunsporadicallythroughSeptember1ateachofthevenues,andfeaturefivetop-notchcomediansateachspot.

Afullscheduleofperformancetimesanddatescanbefoundatwww.1icomedyfest.com.OneofthefeaturedperformersduringthefestivalisStevenGianturco,otherwiseknownas"StevieGB,"anicknamethatwasbestowedonhimbyfriendsafterthefamedNewYorkCityrockclub,CBGB.Mr.Gianturco,49,saidhealwayshadapenchantformakingpeoplelaugh,andwasliterallycoaxedintoperformingstand-upcomedy.Fourteenyearsago,theHolbrookaccountantsaidwasdaredbyacoworkertotakehishumoronstagebyenteringacomedyopenmikecontestatMcGuire'sComedyClubinBohemia.Themarriedfatherofoneacceptedthechallenge,andtheexperiencesparkedaferventyearningtocontinueperformingstand-upcomedy.Overthepastsevenyears,theBrooklynnativehasmadeanameforhimselfasoneofLongIsland'spremiercomedians.Toutinghimselfas"theWorld'sFunniestAccountant,"Mr.GianturcohasappearedinmajorclubsonLongIsland,aswellasinNewYorkCity,NewJerseyandPennsylvania.Hehasalsowritten,producedandperformedinsixplaysthathavebeenproducedinNewYorkCitysince2002.Hiscomedyisintelligent,friendlyandclean,andinvolvesthestressesofeverydaylife,includingworkingforaliving,voicemailmessages,HMOs,marriedlifeandowningahomeonLongIsland,hesaid."It'stheeverydaylittlethingsthatannoyusthatIbringtolight,"saidMr.Gianturco,whowastheAudienceChoicewinneratthe2006HuntingtonArtsCouncilLaff-Off."Italkaboutmywifeandmydaughter,andstuffwealllaughabout."Mr.Gianturco,andalltheothercomediansfeaturedintheComedyFestival,weresowellreceivedthatJeffreySanzel,artisticdirectorforTheatreThree,approachedMr.AnthonyaboutstartingupanongoingcomedyclubatthePortJeffersontheater'sSecondStage.Seatedbelowthemainstage,thecozycabaretisanaturallocationforacomedyclub.Usedtoshowcaseahostofsmallerproductionsandmusicalacts,theSecondStagecomescompletewithafullbar,intimatetablesettings,andtrademarkcomedyclubbrickwalls-mostofwhicharemadeofrealbrick.Nowafavoritelate-nighthauntforeasternLongIslandcomedylovers,TheComedyClubatTheatreThreewillbeopenmostSaturdaynightsallsummerlong.Eachperformancefeaturesthreecomediansandacomichost.Showsareapproximately90minuteslongandbeginat

p.m."Thecomedyclubisfillinganeedthatnooneelseisreallyproviding,"saidMr.Sanzel,"andwehaveabeautifulspaceforit."AmongthecomicsrecentlyfeaturedattheComedyClubatTheatreThreewasstand-upcomedienneLeighannLord,whoflooredtheaudiencewithhertakeonracialstereotypes,feminineproblemsandotheroffbeatsubjects.TheattractiveQueensnativeadmitsthatshehastakenonanindustrythathasbeenlargelydominatedbywhitemen."Youwalkintoacomedyclubandit'slikeaboysclub,soittakesthatlittleextrabitofstamina"forawoman,Ms.Lordsaid."ButIjusttaketheattitudethatIcandothis."Ms.Lordkeepsherroutinerelativelyclean,butalwayswithaninsightfuledge.OneofhergagsconcernsongoingreportsthatAmericahasoneofthelowest-rankedoveralleducationscoresintheworld.Taiwan,SouthKorea,andtheformerSovietUnionbringinthehighestscores.However,shepointedout,theUnitedStatesranksamongthetopcountriesindrugabuse.