LIMA — No one wanted to talk to Joe Gatto on April Fool’s Day this year.
The one-time “Impractical Joker” laughed when he said he had no idea why.
Lima residents will get the chance to understand why in person when the comedian, a founding member of The Tenderloins Comedy Troupe, brings his Night of Comedy tour to Veterans Memorial Civic Center with two shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
“I’m very excited about it,” Gatto said. “Ohio has always been good to me. There are always the greatest fans out there, but I haven’t been to Lima, so I’m excited to check out the town and since there are two shows there it means people really wanted to come out so it should be a really good night.”
Gatto said that the audience can expect at least three to five laughs guaranteed as he tells stories about his life and experiences with the Impractical Jokers as part of his standup routine.
“I’ll talk about how I like to mess with people in my day-to-day life and then I’ll get into some personal stuff about being a father and my crazy Italian mother who was a huge influence in my upbringing,” he said. “It’s been an amazing run that I started a year ago and I’m really excited and proud of the hour that I’ve put together. And people have seemed to enjoy themselves.”
The comedian has been touring all year and spent April 1 performing in Raleigh, but he said he took it easy on the audience that night.
“It’s too obvious for me,” he said. “I spend the other 364 days doing pranks. That’s my day off.”
Gatto said that the show is for everyone, including people who are and are not familiar with the “Impractical Jokers” show and for the whole family.
“My favorite part is when people come out with their kids who are 23 or 24 years old and have been watching me on television for 10 years and have grown up with me,” he said. “That’s always a really cool experience as well. I would say if you want to laugh and have a good time, and who doesn’t, come out and I will guarantee that you will.”
He said it is all part of a plan to get the audience’s mind off of their lives for a night.
“I spend time talking about how life can get tough sometimes and it’s about staying strong and being kind to one another, but I think it’s really important to laugh,” he said. “So I do what I can to get up there and make everybody laugh and hopefully let them forget whatever troubles they may have in their life. I think the biggest thing I want people to walk away with is an hour of fun and I believe I’ve been able to deliver that for people and that’s the most important thing for me.”
Fans can keep up to date with Gatto, whose future projects include directing feature films and a kids’ book, or get familiar with his material ahead of the show by checking out his podcast “Two Cool Moms” and social media at “joe_gatto”.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Joe Gatto comedy show
WHEN: 7 and 9:30 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: Veterans Memorial Civic Center, 7 Town Square, Lima
Tickets start at $39.75 and are available at limaciviccenter.com.
Reach Jacob Espinosa 567-242-0399.
