Comedy, Baby Boomer-Style in East Hampton
The accelerating dotage of the ’60s generation is surely a fountainhead of comedic material, and as such, a triple dose of laughs should be in store next Thursday when comedy legends from the last 30 years of stand-up take the stage at Guild Hall.
Carol Siskind, Jake Johanssen, and Dom Irrera, who were up-and-comers in the ’80s before becoming venue-packing headliners and regular fixtures on the late-night television talk show circuit, will reunite for the second leg of the Boomer Comedy Unlimited Tour.
“We grew up together, and then we stopped working together,” said Ms. Siskind, who, together with the longtime producer and manager Pat Buckles, conceived the idea for a boomer comedy reunion after years of performing and writing for TV and film. “I wanted to get back to performing in theaters, where I most love to be, and I wanted to get the gang back.” The uniqueness of the shows, she explained, is the chance to catch three or four headliners in one night.
The tour will feature the best comedians from the baby boomer generation, including pioneers of the original comedy boom 35 years ago whose creative influences inspired and shaped today’s biggest funnyfolks.
In addition to the Guild Hall trio, other legendary performers on the tour include Judy Tenuta, Lenny Clarke, Mark Schiff, Ken Rogerson, John Caponera, Cathy Ladman, Bobby Slayton, and Rocky LaPorte, with more names being added for additional shows.
Among them, Ms. Siskind, Mr. Johanssen, and Mr. Irrera boast 100 credits on late-night shows, HBO, Showtime, and Netflix specials. Mr. Johanssen holds a record for having appeared 46 times on David Letterman’s show. “It’s only because David was a quitter that I didn’t make it to 50,” he said during a phone interview.
Mr. Johanssen, who lives in Santa Monica, Calif., said that appearing onstage at Guild Hall “with Carol and Dom on the same night, is a big deal for me‚ A-plus. I haven’t been to the Hamptons in a very long time. So, it’s a win-win all around.”
Mr. Irrera has made guest appearances on “Seinfeld,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and “King of Queens.” He has performed on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” “The Late Show With David Letterman,” “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson,” “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” “The View,” and made several appearances on “Oprah.” He currently stars in the Showtime hit “I’m Dyin’ Up Here.”
For Ms. Siskind, who said she grew up in “a very funny family” and realized at age 5 that she could make people laugh, the Boomer Comedy Unlimited Tour is a return to the basics of her craft: performing in front of an audience. Recalling a moment from her years of television performances, she said she had sat down once with a producer of “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson” to have all her jokes cleared. She suggested removing one joke in particular because she had noticed that when performed only half the audience found it funny. The producer said, “No, leave it in. Johnny will love it.” A few hours later, Ms. Siskind delivered her joke on air. Mr. Carson was the only one who laughed.
The Boomer Comedy Unlimited Tour will take the Guild Hall stage next Thursday at 8 p.m. Tickets, $25 to $75, can be purchased online at guildhall.org or from the box office: 631-324-4050.