By Doug Deutsch
“The Diceman,” the anything goes shock comic himself, Andrew Clay Silverstein (stage name: Andrew Dice Clay), returned to Atlantic City last weekend, performing in The Grand Ballroom at Golden Nugget Casino to a packed house of older fans all too familiar with his oft X-rated verbal shtick.
Even in an era where virtually nothing is shocking anymore, Clay still has the ability to make almost any adult shake their head and grin with his over-the-top brand of humor.
Looking very much like he has since he began performing in the 1980s – sleeveless black leather motorcycle jacket, sunglasses, ever-present cigarette dangling from his hand (except it’s 2023, and he couldn’t actually light and smoke the cigarette) – The Diceman performed 90 minutes worth of rapid-fire humor, including, of course, his hilarious X-rated nursery rhymes which he has been reciting by popular demand since he started doing standup.
One poor soul, a friend of ours no less, learned what it’s like to be in the line of fire during a Dice Clay performance. The comic roasted the fellow twice from the stage. Diceman is from Brooklyn. On stage he takes no prisoners.
Andrew Dice Clay, now 66 and by all indications, in pretty good shape, has moved beyond stage comedy in recent years, building up quite an acting resume, including roles in “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane,” starring in his own television show, “Dice,” for two years on Showtime, and a critically-lauded role in the 2013 Woody Allen film, “Blue Jasmine,” among others.
While his humor is definitely over the top and may not be for everyone, in today’s era of cancel culture and extreme political correctness, it’s somewhat refreshing to see someone still willing to bend all the rules of comedy and refused to be censored.
Eleanor Kerrigan opened for Dice Clay. The South Philadelphia-based comedian impressed as a female version of The Diceman, cussin’ and insulting her way through a rapid, funny, 20-minute opening set.
