School is out for summer, but Gaspare Randazzo is ready to give Philadelphians a lesson in laughter.
The teacher, podcaster and stand-up comedian will take center stage at Punch Line Philly on July 26 and Laughing Stock Comedy Club in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 12.
With a decade+ into his high school history teaching gig, the Staten Island, New York, native has ingested the life lessons that it takes to nobly mold and selflessly educate young minds, while being able to act the class clown on stages across the United States, and on his weekly podcast, Social Studies, with fellow comic Joe Dombrowski.
Randazzo and Metro spoke while the teacher-stand-up was on the road for his current summer break comedy tour.
What came first — teaching or stand-up comedy? And what was the moment of realization for each?
I became a teacher in 2012 and loved it. I also always had a passion for entertaining people, but I didn’t know how to go into that world. I was an extra in a movie in 2017, making people laugh on-set, and one of the actors asked if I ever did stand-up comedy. I always wanted to try it so I said I would give it a shot and I finally did it. I performed for the first time in front of about 10 people and I loved it. The shows started rolling in after that.
Were you both funny AND educational to others as a kid?
I don’t think I was ever particularly educational to others as a kid. I wasn’t even smart as a kid, and I am not too sure how I ended up as a teacher. I always was a good time, though, and enjoyed making people laugh, whether it was jokes or telling stories. I never stopped talking as a kid, for better or worse, and I think I carried that with me into my adult life.
How would you say that both teaching and stand-up comedy is a calling? Do you believe both skill-sets intersect or do you compartmentalize?
Stand-up comedy and teaching are very similar. In both worlds, you are in front of an audience of tough critics who want to be engaged with. You need to constantly keep people entertained and make sure everyone is paying attention and having a good time. In teaching, life starts off really hard and stressful but as you go on in your career, it does get easier for sure. Same thing with stand-up comedy. When you first start, doing a few minutes on a stage is so scary. The more you do it, the more comfortable you feel.
Teaching can be a pretty vicious game, just like stand-up. When it comes to how intolerable or inattentive students can be — how do you deal with it?
The way I deal with students is the same way I deal with an audience member who is giving me a hard time. My many years of teaching have taught me how to deal with basically any situation that could possibly come up in life. I have learned how to dish it out, and with that, I get a lot of my material from my students.
Without giving away your act, what is the central discourse of your sets when it comes to teaching skills? Personal life lessons? Issues in the classroom?
The majority of my set is just stories from the classroom. When something crazy is happening in my classroom, I deal with the issues and then I quickly take out a piece of paper and write it all down.
Do you have children of your own? Do they, or your students, think you’re funny?
I have two kids ages 6 and 3. They think I am funny, but more so as a child would think their parent is funny. They don’t fully understand my jokes, but I also don’t usually practice my stuff on them. My students. on the other hand. just think I am crazy because I dress up as random people from history and show up at work.
What is something that has nothing to do with your students, but might make your act?
The fact that at any given moment, I can be sitting there and saying or thinking about something, and then, within 7 minutes, I will receive an advertisement on my phone for that said thought. Today I was barbecuing and my grill stopped working with all the food sitting on it. I had to transfer all the food onto my stove and fry it. It was a mess. 5 minutes later, I open my phone to an ad saying, “No Grill, No problem.” and it was an advertisement for a food delivery app.
Would you give up either gig — comedy or teaching — for the other?
I love being a teacher and I love doing comedy. Luckily, I am able to currently do both because most clubs don’t want me performing in them between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. while I am in my classroom. I guess only time will tell.
Gaspare Randazzo will perform at Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel Street, on Wednesday, July 26, at 8 p.m. For tickets, visit punchlinephilly.
