Let’s face it: There hasn’t been very much at which to laugh during the past 10 years or so in the world at large. But it turns out that time period coincides with the rise of Sebastian Maniscalco to stand-up-comedy-universe domination.
No other performer in Atlantic City’s legal-casino era — up to and including Frank Sinatra — has sold as many tickets as the Chicago-born funny man, who last Thursday night kicked off an eight-show mini-residency at Ovation Hall inside Ocean Casino Resort that continues tonight through Sunday.
Mathematically speaking, that means 40,000-plus show admissions will potentially have been purchased. And this comes after years of similar multi-show success at Ocean and at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa before that.
Rest assured that his value to the property goes well beyond the box office: The 1,860-room hotel tower was sold out — on a Thursday night in September! And such eateries as LaScala’s Fire, Villain & Saint and the ultra-luxe Amada did Saturday-night-in-July-level business. Multiply that by eight, and there’s no avoiding the conclusion that Maniscalco is what used to be called a “casino act.” He held up his end of the deal with a stellar set of observational comedy that was his strongest in several years.
After the screening of a brief hype video, the 53-year-old jokester, dressed all in black, hit the stage and launched what seemed to be an hour or so of primarily new material.
His opening gambit, which was customized for Atlantic City, was an extended bit aimed at delineating the difference between folks in newly formed relationships and more-established couples “trying to get away from the kids.” From there, he segued into riffing on contemporary grandparents who, among other things, he noted, are not faring well with digital scammers and are “wiring 30 grand to Sylvester Stallone.”
Following that, Maniscalco gleefully — and viciously — eviscerated numerous targets, including:
- Americans’ behavior in their hotel rooms (“The mattress is up against the wall; there’s a sock hangin’ from the smoke detector.”).
- The myriad stresses and annoyances of ostensibly relaxing summer vacations (“We always say, ‘It’s so good to be home.’ That’s what I said before we left!”).
- Millennial parents (“Kids today aren’t helping their fathers because their fathers don’t know how to do anything.”).
- Dentists (“Every time I get my teeth cleaned, I wind up needing root canal.”).
In the middle of the set, Maniscalco took a surprising — unprecedented? — turn into politics by spinning the kidnapping of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro into comedy gold. He then got his most vociferous response of the evening with a somewhat jingoistic line lauding the efforts of the nation’s military.
Of course, no one bats 1.000, and there were a few minor missteps. For instance, his routine about the trials and tribulations of the supermarket deli counter came off more as Seinfeld-like crankiness than a display of comic creativity. But it, like every other bit, was greeted with gales of laughter.
However, there are areas in which Maniscalco proved to be an absolute comedic master beyond the actual jokes. First was the way most of his material was instantly relatable to his audience. With virtually every setup and punchline, he made an obvious and immediate connection with his fans.
But his true brilliance was manifested in his delivery and stage presence.
While he’s not nearly as animated as he was when he first started headlining in AyCee, he is still a perpetual-motion machine, prowling the stage, making humorous faces and adding exaggerated syllables that propel his words and make genuinely funny material even funnier. At the very least, he inarguably has the most expressive hands in stand-up comedy.
And the way his material is exquisitely crafted — there are no wasted words — and paced makes him the Da Vinci of stand-up comedy.
For the first time in memory, Maniscalco’s local opening act wasn’t Pat McGann, but Mike Young.
Young’s 20-minute turn, which emphasized adult themes, primarily focused on his return to singlehood after years in a relationship. His performance contained more hits than misses and was well-received.
For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com.
A ‘Phishy’ booking
Kudos to Tropicana Atlantic City for its savvy booking of the revered jam band Disco Biscuits.
The unit is scheduled to play at the Trop Oct. 2 and 3. What makes the dates so cool — and smart — is that each of the two shows will begin at the unusual time of 11:59 p.m.
That’s because on both nights, the even-more-celebrated jam-banders Phish will have concluded their gigs at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, giving fans of the often-trippy subgenre of rock a chance to keep the party going.
For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com.
Sitar-riffic
As many of those who know me are well aware, Indian cuisine is at the very bottom of my list of culinary preferences. But that position must be reconsidered after a recent meal at Sitar, which opened a couple of months ago inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
During a recent dinner there with Mrs. Casino File and another couple, I discovered what Indian food can be, as opposed to the mushy, curry-drenched offerings that made up the bulk of my past experiences.
Both my Kolhapuri Sungta appetizer and Pastooni Lobster Masala entree were a symphony of flavors, both subtle and vivid.
The former consisted of three grilled prawns prepared with Kolhapuri chiles, lime, ginger, garlic and caramelized lemon. The latter was a 10-ounce lobster tail cooked in a creamy coconut and tomato reduction, with Chablis, methi and honey. For this melted-butter zealot, the dish was a true eye- and tastebud-opener.
And I couldn’t get enough of the garlic naan that is alone worth the trip.
Suffice it to say, my dining companions — all of whom are longtime Indian-food fans — raved about their Shatabadi Express Chicken Curry (long pepper, chiles, black pepper, whole spices and caramelized onions), Alleppey Fish Curry (Kerala-style fish curry slow-cooked with an onion-tomato reduction, curry leaves, shallots and coconut) and Paneer Tikka Masala (paneer cheese, creamy tomato sauce, fenugreek leaves and cashews).
Adding to this most pleasant experience was the room’s bright, modern interior and the knowledge and patience of our server, Bipin.
For more information, visit SitarAC.com.
