After an affirming trip to Montreal, it’s safe to say Felipe Esparza is truly having one hell of a year. Now, as he continues his romp around the United States, he’s looking forward to using some new tools he’s learned along the way, and Boston is no exception to his demonstration.
Making his way to The Wilbur on Saturday (August 19), Esparza is feeling a lasting effect from his run of headlining and closing sets during Montreal’s most recent Just For Laughs festival. What was once shrouded in a certain level of uncertainty and anxiety for the stand-up vet has now become a much more confident and deliberate approach to the stage. Additionally, this isn’t his first rodeo in Boston, but it’s certainly feeling a bit different as he comes up in a triumphant return to the city, and he’s looking forward to opening a new chapter of his creative journey for his Boston fans.
“I feel no pressure this time around,” Esparza tells Vanyaland. “I was nervous the first two times at The Wilbur a long time ago, but now I’m coming through with new material, a whole new act, and I’m confident about it. I can’t wait to do it in Boston.”
His confidence may be newly refreshed, but in terms of where his comedy resides most of the time, Esparza is still very much susbscribing to the darker side of his art and creativity, albeit including a few elements and a palpable growth that has the familiar territory feeling a bit different. For instance, the dark humor is closer to the chest now, as he continues to dive into the tough subjects he’s faced personally, and he’s loving where it’s taken him and his audience.
“The dark jokes just come to my head and I write them down. The hard part is how long it takes for me to make them funny,” say Esparza. “When I write those jokes, they’re already dark, so I still have to sit and think to myself about how I can make these dark thoughts funny for everyone, and not just myself.”
Outside of his work on stage, Esparza also finished his first season as Eric Andre’s right hand man on Andre’s eponymous hit show earlier this year. While his career alongside Andre is just starting (not counting the rehearsal tape he sent to Hannibal Buress years before the show’s original co-host even left his post), Esparza is already feeling the effects of Andre’s spastic and spontaneous brand of comedy rub off on how he handles himself on stage.
“What I have learned most from working with Eric is a lot of improvisation. Like, I’m not even handed a script. I just get to say whatever comes to mind, and hopefully they’ll keep it,” says Esparza. “Doing the show has really helped to keep me on my toes, because I used to just do my act without really talking to the audience, but now I’m opening up more and talking to the audience more with every show.”
Whether it’s a small part in the brand new superhero movie Blue Beetle, his ever-bustling stand-up career, or his upcoming stints aboard both Bert Kreischer’s Fully Loaded at Sea cruise and The Impractical Jokers’ nautical jaunt, Esparza has a lot to look forward to, he has plenty to keep him occupied. But this weekend, he’s all focused on bringing it in Boston, and he’s ready to take in the city at a different level, while conquering The Wilbur in a whole new way.
“I can’t wait to get back to Boston and finally have a chance to check out the Green Monster,” says Esparza. “I’ve also got a few friends who really just want to have some beer, so it’s going to be a good time.”
FELIPE ESPARZA :: Saturday, August 19 at The Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St. in Boston, MA :: 6 p.m., $35 to $65 :: Advance Tickets