Snob Reviews presents :

Snob Talk by Gianni Fiasche

The Comédie Lounge CLDV Comedy Lounge is back this month at the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre, and headlining the show is the brilliant and funny; Gino Durante. The local stand-up comedian has come a long way in six years of performing stand-up and he continues to strive to become better, funnier and to be a household name. I had the chance to speak with Durante who is beyond excited to perform at the Lounge next week, and here’s what he had to say:

GF: How did comedy start for you?

GD: For me comedy started at open mics at ComedyWorks. I would go in there to practice and then once in a while they’d have amateur contests for newcomers. The audience would pick the winner of the contest and the winner got to compete in another contest at the end of the month for a weekend spot, and weekend spots are really hard to get in clubs. That’s the only chance you get for the owner of the club to see you perform, and then I kept being asked to come back and perform at ComedyWorks and also at The Comedy Nest.

GF: What is it about Montreal audiences that make it so great to perform comedy in this city?

GD: I think a lot of it has to do with Montreal being so culturally diverse, there’s a different flavor to the crowds here. Another big thing is that this city has the festival (Just For Laughs) every year, and it’s world renowned. The crowds get to see so many different styles of comedy and that’s a huge reason as to why I think comedy works in Montreal.

GF: What kind of comic do you think you are?

GD: I have a very physical brand of comedy, I also do some observational stuff but I tend to touch more on personal things that have happened to me. I like to throw in cultural differences, because I grew up around different ethnicities. It’s a mix of all that stuff!

GF: Who would you cite as comedic influences?

GD: Growing up I would have to say Eddie Murphy. I was 7 or 8 years old when I first saw “Delirious” and that affected everyone, not only comedians. It was all about what he brought to the stage at 22 years old; he was a rock star. I’d also say that Jim Carrey and John Ritter were influences to me, and now I’d go with Sebastian Maniscalco, he’s just so great and so funny; I love watching him perform.

GF: What would you be doing if you weren’t a comedian?

GD: When I think about that question, honestly nothing else comes to mind. Comedy is my passion. If I had to give you an answer though, I’d say a professional trainer or something in health or fitness. You know what, I wanted to become a firefighter, and I did the training and when they put me in a room and they maxed the heat up, I said forget it. I couldn’t take it. *Laughs*

GF: What’s your favorite movie?

GD: Oh man, one movie? Ok, I’ll go with “Coming To America” because it was ground-breaking. It had Eddie Murphy playing all those different characters, it was a great story and it also brings up good memories from my childhood. I can watch it over and over again.

GF: What song would you have played at your funeral?

GD: Oh, that’s a good one! *Laughs* I think I’d have to go with something Michael Jackson, because growing up he was a major influence and I used to imitate him, and I’ve always got some MJ going on. He makes me feel happy and makes me want to move.

GF: What is your ultimate goal?

GD: The ultimate goal is to do better in comedy and keep growing. I want to do more shows and ultimately tour my own show and just keep doing more and more comedy. I’d also love to do some more acting and voice work with my theatre background, but the real goal is to continue performing comedy and to keep getting better at it.

Gino Durante headlines the Comédie Lounge CLDV Comedy Lounge, Friday, November 23rd, sharing the stage are comedians Emile Khoury, Adam Susser, Reginald St-Eloy and Jacob Ospian-Echeverria. The show is sold out. The next Comédie Lounge CLDV Comedy Lounge takes place Friday, February 8th, 2019. Tickets will go on sale in January 2019.