Memphis is the next stop on comedian Gianmarco Soresi’s “Looking for the Next Variant” tour, but unlike the other cities he’s visited or will visit, this stop has a bit more stakes. “I’m there to meet my girlfriend’s parents,” he says.
Regardless of how the meeting will go, you’ll probably hear a bit about it at his show. “I really dig into my own life,” Soresi says of his style of comedy. “I find that when you’re really honest about yourself, you connect to other people’s truths because we all are very similar in the ways we can be selfish, the ways we can be fools.”
Before he started doing stand-up, Soresi was a theater kid. “I was planning on being a song-and-dance man,” he says, having gone to college for musical theater. “I was doing all the acting, the singing, and the dancing in New York City and booked some stuff here and there. I was the spokesman for General Electric and Baby Bottle Pop — I used to get recognized on the playground when I was out jogging.”
These days, Soresi’s work is less likely to get recognized on the playground. “I can be loud and singy-songy, but I have a dark edge, so if you want some dark humor, some jokes you probably can’t repeat to your parents or grandparents, I’m your guy,” he says. “My favorite comics are Anthony Jeselnik and John Mulaney. If you like either, I think you’ll enjoy me and find me much more affordable. Even if you hate comedy, just come, help a guy out. My girlfriend’s family is going to be there, and I’d really like to impress them by selling this out.”
Gianmarco Soresi, Chuckles Comedy House, Saturday, April 9th, 5 p.m., $12.50 | Lamplighter Lounge, Sunday, April 10th, 8 p.m., $10.