Paul Nardizzi’s act used to be about getting out of college, finding a job and drinking with friends. When he had his first kid, in 1997, everything about his humor changed.
“It’s just a wealth of material when you have kids,” said Nardizzi. Diaper changes. Visitors coming over to meet the child who won’t leave. As his kids grew up, the stories kept piling up, contributing to the backbone of his sets that fans kept coming back for.
Ranting Parents Comedy, featuring Boston comedians Paul Nardizzi, Dave Rattigan and Jim Ruberti, will be coming to Cary Hall on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. Nardizzi has appeared on NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Comedy Central; Rattigan was featured on SiriusXM and NESN; and Ruberti is now known as Cape Cod’s favorite comedian.
A year earlier, Cary Hall hosted Mother of a Comedy Show, featuring Christine Hurley, Kelly MacFarland, and Kerri Louise. Nardizzi said the show’s success inspired Nardizzi to bring his own version to the venue the following year.
After the pandemic hit, Nardizzi launched a soccer podcast with Ruberti and Rattigan. “People would come up to me after my show and say, ‘I relate to your acts so much because I have kids,’” said Nardizzi. After a year of talking sports, the trio pulled together their strongest material, spliced in a few extra features, and ran with it. Now, audiences across New England get to see what these three dads have to offer.
Starting small in local theatres, the show has built a following, growing to crowds of over 200 people through word of mouth and repeat visits to venues where they’ve already performed. For Ruberti, that growth points to something bigger.
“People without kids love it,” said Ruberti. “They’ve seen this at home when they were kids; it’s not just for parents.”
Even with an increasing audience, this is a show where you can expect an audience interaction ranging from quizzes to shared stories, with time for questions at the end. Each comedian brings a different angle to the stage, but viewers can expect all three to come together and play off each other in the second half of the 90-minute show.
“It’s far from your regular stand-up comedy show,” said Ruberti. “You’re gonna get your routines, but it’s gonna be even more interactive.”
Tickets for the show start at $43 and are available here. Groups purchasing 10 or more tickets can contact Isabel Nichols at inichols@spectaclelive.com or 617-531-1257 x3.