Knocking on the door of recording his fifth hour special, this is far from Tom Papa’s first rodeo. But when the stars aligned to have it happen in Boston of all places, there’s a significant level of nostalgia and excitement that makes it that much more of a special moment for the comedy vet.
Returning to The Wilbur on Saturday (October 1), Papa is bringing with him the same upbeat demeanor that has allowed him to deliver both genuinely positive perspectives and deviously veiled sarcasm just as he has to audiences all over the world for nearly 30 years. But while his warm glow, beaming smile and infectious laugh are as evergreen as they come, the subject matter embedded within his latest hour, dubbed What A Day! is as timely and well-placed as ever, given the circumstances.
With a focus on the chaotic nature of everyday life and the sheer volume of stuff we deal with on a daily basis, Papa still maintains a positive and often times snarky viewpoint in this new batch of work, as he draws inspiration from the entirely possible double meaning of the phrase “what a day” which, as he points out, can change drastically depending on the time of day you’re saying it.
“I feel like that’s kind of where we all are right now, where everyone is trying their best and trying to make the best of what we’re going through. We’ve all been through some real challenges these past few years, and now we’re seeing the strange bits of the pandemic’s aftermath where we’re trying to figure out work, and the economy, and how to talk to each other again,” Papa tells Vanyaland. “It’s definitely challenging times, but I think that’s when hope is the most important, when things are down. When you have challenges, that’s when hope is valuable. When things are up, hope is a pleasantry, but when things are trying and difficult, hope is a very strong philosophy that I really believe in.”
Where his last special, You’re Doing Great and it’s corresponding book sought to be a pep talk of sorts, in the most Tom Papa way possible, the New Jersey native is finding that this new hour is doing a similar service in its own evolved way. It’s evident in his past work that his connection to the crowd is palpable, given just how intense everything is right now, Papa is feeling that same connection again, but more fiercely than before.
“The comedian is the one up there talking, but we really are in this together, and it is a reflection,” says Papa. “That’s why I think comedy is very much ‘of the moment.’ Even the funniest guys, you don’t really watch their stuff twenty years later. You do it for different reasons, sure, but for it to really resonate, it’s because we are really in this moment together, and communicating with each other.”
Beyond the cameras rolling, the agents and executives peppered amongst the crowd, and the crew making the technical side of the special unfold seamlessly, Papa is focused on keeping things as normal as they possibly can be when he comes to Boston. Because even though he’s done four specials and an album in years prior, the older he gets, the more he’s seeing each special as a sort of “mile marker” for a new creative phase of his career, and to have the next marker plant itself in Boston means more to Papa than you might be aware of.
For an artist as road-tested as Papa, he’s come to know the character, and characters, embedded in the fibers of many different cities. But when it comes to Boston, his admiration for the naturally comedic disposition of the city’s natives is at a completely different level.
Not to mention, Papa’s comedy roots hold plenty of ground in Boston. Just as he doesn’t need the aid of a Google search to remember that Jacob Wirth was the restaurant he sat in down the street from his very first road gig all those years and miles ago, his recollection of that night shows that not only is he being completely genuine when he gushes for Boston’s legendary export of comedy, but that night was truly a “mile marker” all on its own that set in motion a titanic career that is still growing and evolving bit by bit.
“My very first road gig was in Boston, with Dewars Scotch to host this scotch event at the Wang, and before it started, I went into Jacob Wirth, sat down and realized for the first time that I was a real comedian,” says Papa. “I was in a new city, and I was getting paid on the road for the first time, and I was sitting in this place that I had never been before. That’s why it’s been so on my mind. Not only does it mean something to me, but I’m also going to be shooting this special in that same area, and I’m going to be walking across that same alley to get there. It’s pretty unbelievable to me to think that after all these years, I get to shoot a special in the same area where I first really felt like I had pulled it off.”
TOM PAPA: WHAT A DAY! :: Saturday, October 1 at The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St. in Boston, MA :: 7 p.m. (sold out) and 9:45 p.m. :: $25 to $39 :: Advance tickets