By the time Gary Gulman saw Jay Leno for his 17th birthday at North Shore Music Theatre, he already knew he wanted to be a comedian. But as he prepares to take that stage in the round himself for the very first time, 34 years later, he can’t help but think of it as something of a full circle moment.
With his brand new hour dubbed Born on 3rd Base, which he brings to the stage in the round at the Beverly venue this Saturday (September 18), the Peabody native is looking forward to kicking his tour off not just at home in Massachusetts, but also in a place that holds so many memories outside of comedy for him.
Whether it was productions of Man Of La Mancha and Fiddler On The Roof or seeing Wayne Newton and sharing that moment of seeing Jay Leno with his late father as a young lad, the good times at North Shore Music Theatre abound for Gulman.
While he’s happy to conjure up good memories of the space, he’s also built up quite an arsenal of region-specific jokes that he hopes will help his audience do the same. On top of that, he’s ready to dish out the heavier takes on some topical stuff, but rest assured, his more than 25 years of creating humor out of heavier subjects will be in full swing.
“This show isn’t explicitly political, but I do talk a lot about the unfairnesses in the world, in a funny way that I’ve been able to develop over the years, where I can talk about things that are big, but bring them down to smaller things to make them funny,” Gulman tells Vanyaland. “I always like the idea of saying something that covers a lot of ground, but in a very specific, almost miniature perspective. There are things that aren’t on topic, but are related. The best way to make a special sound unfunny and boring is to talk about things with general themes, but I assure you it’s as funny as anything I’ve done, and probably the best work I’ve done so far.”
If he was trying to be funny, Gulman says his biggest excitement about getting back on the road would be the money, but that wouldn’t be the truth. What’s he’s really looking forward to is continuing his ability to unleash the new jokes he’s been hard at work editing, adding and subtracting, and hearing the response from fans. Having it happen at home only makes it all that much sweeter.
“I like that people appreciate, and are impressed by the fact that I bring new jokes every time I return to a certain place,” says Gulman. “It’s something that is challenging, but it’s a great reward, because I always remember how I felt when someone had new material the next time I saw them, and I was so grateful and impressed with their work ethic and their philosophy of comedy, which is to keep growing and expanding into a vast body of work, which is something I’m always working towards.”
GARY GULMAN: BORN ON 3RD BASE :: Saturday, September 18 at North Shore Music Theatre, 54 Dunham Rd. In Beverly :: 8 p.m., $36.50 :: Advance tickets :: Venue info