Casino Player July 2022

VINNIE FAVORITO BRINGS HIS “JUST KIDDING” COMEDY TO OCEAN CASINO RESORT

S tand-up comedianVinnie Favorito returns to Ocean Casino Resort inAtlantic City,performing at HQ2 Nightclub every Saturday night through Sept.3.Receiving accolades fromMilton Berle and George Carlin is high praise but with a comic like Favorito, it’s more than well-de served. Known for his unique comedy style,where each member of the audience becomes the subject of their own celebrity roast,Favorito’s ap proach is at times ruthless, offensive and crass. Recently, Ocean Casino Resort chatted with Vinnie as he prepared to bring his show back to property, touching on his Boston comedy be ginnings, the current state of the world, and how his roast-style comedy continues to resonate with fans. Live comedy is returning all over the country, and you will be performing at HQ2 Nightclub at Ocean Casino Resort every Saturday this summer. Are you excited to come back to the East Coast? Vinnie Favorito: I am.I was inVegas for all of those years and came home to the East Coast. I used to doAtlantic City years ago, so it’s really great to be back. Would you say that your comedy has an East Coast sensibility? Oh, absolutely. It’s definitely in my wheelhouse, although I do loveVegas and have fans across the country. You are known for your roast-style comedy and crowd interaction, but that is probably what people absolutely love seeing you do, is that fair? I think it is very fair. Listen, I know that the world has changed, but there is still a following for what I do. I stand my ground as far as being politi cally correct,but I do it with likability.Believe it or not, I win over crowds from every walk of life that attend my shows.They realize that I am not just making fun of them, I am making fun of everyone and we are all laughing together.There are plenty of disclaimers before the crowd gets there—I even tell them that if they’re easily offended, now is their time to bail.They stick around and realize that the world is a little bit screwed up and this is a pretty cool escape. I am equal opportunity and I mess with everybody and anybody from every walk of life. If I can mess with myself, I mess with everyone else. I do some jokes up front and then I go into the audience and say, “What’s your name, where you from?” and take it from there.

night in Hollywood after which Milton Berle called over all of the pho tographers after I got off the stage and had me sit with him and his wife. He said, “This guy’s new name is ‘Rickles with venom .’” It was perfect. George Carlin was a big fan of mine, when we both worked in Vegas at the same time. He is quoted as telling me, “You walk [the line] without crossing over it.” He said he has never seen anyone dig a hole and get out of it like I could and that I am a “rose sticking out of the cement.” You have had so many rare experiences that many of today’s comics would not have been privileged to have. Is some of your success steeped in your Boston comedy roots? I come from a great comedy town.When I came up,comedy was on every corner.We used to do shows at Nick’s Comedy Shop in Boston,six shows a night.There are just so many great comics out there right now, like Bill Burr who was a student of mine when I taught comedy. Basically, the comics today have stadium shows,God bless them,but I am just so happy with a 200-seat, intimate crowd where I show as much attention as I can to each of them. I was known for the most repeat business, and people have come up and said, “This is my twelfth time you still haven’t done me.” I just tell them, “You’ll have to buy another ticket then” [laughs]. I have hours of material I haven’t touched because I just don’t think I will be as funny as the crowd work can be. Doing a show at HQ2 is a new experience for so many and completely unique to Ocean. What is it like to perform in a room like that? We chose HQ2 because it is soVinnie Favorito.With the couches and the pub tables on the dance floor; the whole setting of the room—it’s such a special room.You want a feel of a real club and that is in HQ2; I think it’s gorgeous. Once the show begins and it’s contagious, people don’t even like to get up to go to the restroom, they’re afraid that they’ll miss some thing [laughs]. When Covid hit, it took the ability to perform on a stage away from live performers. Were you able to pick right up where you left off?

I picked up right where I left off. My fans are loving it because they thought maybe I would change because of the pressure of what is going on in the world, and I won’t. I don’t talk about politics or religion or anything that splits a room; I’m too smart for that. In my room everyone feels equal in the show, and that is the key to what I do. It’s magical. ´

So many comedians are influenced by the ones that came before them. Who are some of the comedians that truly have influenced you? I’ve always been compared to Don

Rickles. Milton Berle actu ally made me an hon orary member and I would always do the roasts at the Friars Clubs. I did a show one

For tickets and information on Vinnie Favorito - “Just Kidding,” visit www.theoceanac.com .

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