Schenectady, NY- LAF Italiano features some of the hottest Italian American stand-up comics in one incredible night of comedy on the mainstage at Proctors on Saturday, May 3, at 8:00pm. It’s an all Italian version of Proctor's annual Laughter Arts Festival. All Italian jokes, all Italian comedians. Starring insult comic master Dom Irrera , Pat Cooper, Tammy Pescatelli and Rocky LaPorte.
DOM IRRERA was nominated six times for an American Comedy Award. His stand-up material was honed in a multi-generational Italian household in South Philadelphia with his mother, sister, grandmother, uncles and cousins, all under one very big roof. His great-grandmother even lived across the street. Together there were three floors and four generations of family. His first big break was his performance on Rodney Dangerfield's "Nothing Goes Right" comedy specials for HBO. In 1989 Irrera's own HBO "One Night Stand" earned him his first CableACE award for Best Stand-Up Comedy Special. In '95 he won a second CableACE for the Showtime stand-up series he hosted, "Full Frontal Comedy".
PAT COOPER, from his 1963 television appearance on "The Jackie Gleason Show" to his recent sold-out concert performances, Pasquale Caputo, aka Pat Cooper, continues to enthrall standing room only audiences with his lovable "comedic anger." For nearly four decades, Pat has appeared on many stages, from comedy clubs to major theaters, including the legendary Copacabana, Westbury Music Theater, Trump Castle, Caesar's Palace, the MGM Grand Hotel, and Trop World. Pat's impeccable timing, comedic genius and commanding stage presence will always leave his sold-out audiences roaring!
Since beating out thousands for the enviable spot as part of the Final Five on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing 2,” Tammy Pescatelli is jam-packed with headlining appearances at top comedy clubs, venues across the country, as well as adding her comedic observations to specials on VH1, E!, G4, CMT and TV Land. Tammy has appeared as a guest on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and “Dennis Miller” and has been a featured comic on “An Evening at the Improv”, PAX’s “Balderdash” National Lampoon’s “Funny Money” and Comedy Central’s “The World Stands Up.”
ROCKY LAPORTE, the former Chicago truck driver and dockworker, started his standup career in the windy city back in 1988. After winning some local comedy competitions, Rocky went on to win The Johnnie Walker National Comedy Competition beating out over 1100 contestants in 10 cities! He went on to do numerous Television shows like “Cheers,” “Pat Sajak ComicStrip, the C.B.S. Pilot titled "The Rocky Laporte Show" and his very own half hour speciall on Comedy Central.
Tickets for LAF Italiano on the Mainstage at Proctors on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at 8pm are $35, $30, $26 and $20 for Cloud Club Tickets. 17 & under price available, does not include Cloud Club price. Tickets are available at the Proctors Box Office (518) 346-6204 and on line at proctors.org. This performance is made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state Agency and is sponsored by Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.