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How tequila can effect your reality: Comedian Pinette set to bring stand-up act to Calvin Theater

Ryan McAskill: Collegian Staff

Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: Arts & Living
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Stand-up comic John Pinette has been performing since the mid-1980s. A veteran of stage and screen, Pinette prefers to have a mic in his hand.
Media Credit: Courtesy johnpinette.com
Stand-up comic John Pinette has been performing since the mid-1980s. A veteran of stage and screen, Pinette prefers to have a mic in his hand.
Few people have a resume like John Pinette. He has appeared on television, in movies and was a leading lady in a hit Broadway production of Hairspray. Aside from that, he is one of the top stand-up comedians touring the country today. On Saturday, Nov. 10, Pinette is bringing his act to the Calvin Theater in Northampton at 8 p.m.

With a unique mix of rage, quirkiness, story-telling and fat jokes, Pinette shines on stage as a big, lovable ewok. While a majority of his material is based on personal life experiences, it tells it in a way that allows the whole audience to relate.

In a phone interview on Wednesday Pinette talked about his Boston comedy start, UMass ties, diverse career and the dangers of tequila.

Ryan McAskill: Now you're a local guy?

John Pinette: From Malden, just outside of Boston.

RM: And you're a product of the UMass system?

JP: Yes, UMass-Lowell. The UMass system is great. I was fortunate to go there and made a lot of great friends that I still have today.

RM: You graduated with a degree in accounting. Now accounting seems to be on the opposite side of the career scale from stand-up and acting, how did you get from one to the other?

JP: My time in accounting was about six months and three months of that was being bored and writing material. I knew right away that I had made a mistake. I gave my two-weeks notice, grabbed my coat and left.

RM: Is stand-up comedy something you always wanted to do?

JP: Yes. Boston was one of the hottest comedy scenes around in the '80s when I started and I was lucky to be in coming up during it.

RM: Who were your favorite comedians and performers?

JP: I liked a lot of the local Boston guys, Steve Sweeny and Don Gavin. As for national guys I liked all of the big names, [Bill] Cosby, [Richard] Pryor, [George] Carlin, [Buddy] Hackett. I looked up to Hackett and Cosby a lot because of their story-telling style, which is what my act is like.

RM: How do you describe your act?

JP: I basically talk about my life and hope the audience can relate. The biggest compliment a comedian can get is that they are funny. The second biggest is that they could relate to what I was talking about.
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