Perhaps it’s laying it on too thick to say Jimmy Cash is the king of Worcester. But at least for this upcoming holiday weekend, he could very well be seen as the city’s patron saint of hilarity as he gets ready for the biggest hometown shows of his continuously blooming comedy career.
Setting up shop for a full weekend of shows at Worcester’s Tuckerman Hall starting Friday (March 15), the proud Wormtown native, celebrated comedian, and acclaimed master of the custodial arts is over the moon about having the opportunity to return to the stage in his home city for the first time in a few years. Of course, his network of friends, fans and family who follow and support his progress as one of the biggest names coming out of the Massachusetts comedy scene right now will pack the venue for all three shows and make for a truly special occasion, but that’s not the only reason he’s truly amped up for latest marquee moment in his lifelong stomping grounds.
“This one is special to me because I haven’t headlined in Worcester in maybe three years, because there hasn’t been a club. Shaun Connolly and Bryan O’Donnell have done amazing things in keeping comedy alive in Worcester, but the Comedy Attic and WooHaha have been gone for awhile now,” Cash tells Vanyaland. “I’ve been hitting it pretty hard all over New England for a long time, but I have a lot of friends, fans and family in Worcester who have been asking when I’m going to give them a show, so I figured if I’m going to do it, I’m gonna try to do something special, and that’s when I started looking at bigger venues.”
Upon starting the search for a bigger venue around town, Cash felt that maybe it was a bit too lofty of a goal to try and fill the 2,300 seat-capacity Hanover Theatre or the expansive grounds of Mechanics Hall. That’s when Tuckerman Hall, an off-the-beaten-path spot that isn’t known for hosting comedy shows, came into play, and Cash was all over it.
“It’s a unique place, especially if you’re from Worcester or have any interest in anything to do with the city at all,” says Cash. “Most people I know who are from here are like ‘holy shit, I’ve always wondered what that place was,’ so it’ll be a pretty unique experience for people who have always wanted to go and see something there.”
Although he knows his community has his back at all times, Cash admits that booking the first show at Tuckerman Hall had him a bit nervous at first. Then the show sold out in four days. So they added a second show, and then that one sold out quickly too. The third show, convening on St. Patrick’s Day hasn’t reached full capacity yet, but it’s well on its way to securing a fully sold-out weekend for Cash, so the nerves – at least in that regard – are pretty much subdued at this point as he looks ahead to the largest headlining gigs of his career.
“Sometimes, when I think about these shows, I’m like ‘what have I done?’ and then I know it’s going to be awesome and fun,” says Cash. “It’s hard to wrap my head around all of it, because I’ve done big theaters when I’ve opened for other comics, and I’ve headlined small theaters, but this will be the biggest headlining set I’ve ever had, at least in terms of the amount of people.”
The full-circle effect is already nearing an all-time high for Cash, just in terms of these shows and what it represents for him and his community. But to add to the surrealism of the moment, Cash will be joined by Boston comedy legend Mike Donovan, who headlined the first comedy show Cash ever saw nearly 20 years ago at Worcester’s Crown Plaza Hotel. Even without knowing who he was at the time, Donovan’s work left a mark on Cash immediately, and the rest is history.
“At that point, I hadn’t realized there was really any local comedy, but years later I was able to work with [Mike] a few times, and he put a blurb about me into his stand-up comedy book, and I just couldn’t believe it,” says Cash. “I wasn’t even sure he would be willing to do these shows, but I am so honored that he was. It puts the pressure on me because I have to follow a legend who has been doing this for forty years, and that makes me very nervous inside.”
Of course, he’s found ways to control those nerves over the years, but he still gets that fluttery feeling before shows. With this show representing a homecoming of this magnitude, Cash knows the stakes are a bit higher than normal, and quite simply, just wants to deliver.
“I’m excited to show Worcester my creative growth,” says Cash. “As comics, we’re always hard on ourselves and super critical, but putting it into perspective, I think about the last time I headlined in Worcester and how much more comfortable I’ve gotten on stage, and how much more I’ve written, and really how I’ve improved in all areas. We’re all hard on ourselves though, so we still have a long way to go too.”
With his ever-growing following coming from a number of different avenues, whether it be stand-up, TikTok, or those NESN commercials he’s done with Bruins Defenseman Hampus Lindholm, Cash is hoping that the focus of that following continues to be on his stand-up, and he hopes that he can use his stand-up to bring more people along for the ride.
As for the 1,500 people who are making their way out to see him this weekend, Cash is just happy to have this cool little milestone along the journey, and to give the people what they’ve wanted for so long.
“I’m looking forward to having people who have followed me for a long time and have waited patiently to see me in my hometown stop pestering me about coming back,” Cash says with a laugh. “Honestly though, I’m just looking forward to giving those people the chance to see me do what I do, because I almost feel like I was blowing off my own hometown for so long, and it’s just going to be cool to be able to give them the show they’ve been waiting for.”
JIMMY CASH :: Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 17 at Tuckerman Hall, 10 Tuckerman St. in Worcester, MA :: Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 6 p.m., $30 :: Advance tickets