By Susan Lin
For holiday shows, Smith chooses comedians who tend to poke fun at themselves rather than other people, who don't liberally use profanity in their routines, and who aren't edgy.
In other words, "I want comedians who are smiling all the time for this kind of show," said Smith, whose New Year's Eve show and party sells out completely each year.
"On New Year's you get a lot of people in the audience who aren't regulars to the comedy-club scene so you want to make sure they see a happy, smiley, up-tempo show," Smith said.
For the 2002 celebration on Monday, Dec. 31, Smith will feature four stand-up comics, headliners Greg Vaccariello and Joe Moffa, along with Steve Lazarus and host Rich Walker.
Vaccariello, 38, who said he resembles Bull from the 80s TV show "Night Court," will be performing his first New Year's Eve show for the Brokerage this year. One of the things Vaccariello plans to discuss is growing up with Mom and Dad.
"My mom's Irish and my dad's Italian, so the big meal in my house was potato parmesan," Vaccariello quipped. (He actually never ate such a dish.)
What the comic won't say much about, though, is his experiences growing up with four sisters. "It was evil. It wasn't fair. But if I say anything else, I'll be in trouble. They'll kill me," said Vaccariello, who currently lives in Hauppauge and also works as a substitute teacher.
Although Vaccariello enjoys talking about his family in his routines throughout the year, he believes the subject is perfectly applicable to New Year's, when many families spend time together. "I'll make it seem as if I just came up with it for the holiday," he said.
Vaccariello has been a stand-up comic for the past ten years. One of his credits is opening a show for David Copperfield. The audience was 2,500 people. "I'll admit that was a little intimidating," Vaccariello said.
After that, performing for the 200 people that usually attend the New Year's Eve show at the Brokerage "doesn't bother me at all," said Vaccariello.
Besides stand-up, Vaccariello has acted for television. In the NBC show "Ed" this season, he played an unnamed customer in a bowling alley and did a scene with John Goodman. Vaccariello also appeared in a recent Pizza Hut commercial. "I was eating pizza and pretending it was the best pizza I'd ever tasted," he said.
The host for the 2002 New Year's Eve show at the Brokerage is Rich Walker, 37, from Deer Park. During the year, Walker also serves as a host at the Brokerage, emceeing a comedian showcase every Thursday called the "Fun Factory."
Walker understands why Smith chose himself and the other comedians for the New Year's Eve event.
"Some people get offended by what comics say, but all of us are very light-hearted. We all make a connection with the audience. [Smith] just wants a fun show where everybody could just cut back and relax," said Walker.
Walker believes the public just wants to go out and have a bit of fun, because they have been dealing with emotionally heavy events following the Trade Center attacks.
"It's just going to be a goofy, fun show, like when Steve Martin came into the scene in the seventies after the Vietnam War," said Walker. Steve Martin's overwhelming success following the long war suggests that in stressful times people often favor light-hearted goofy fun.
"New Year's Eve is going to be a night where everybody's in on it. Everyone's having fun together, and after the show, we [the comics] are all at the bar and talking to everybody," said Walker.
During the New Year's Eve show and party, Walker, Lazarus and Vaccariello will start performing in that order starting at 10:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the audience is enjoying the two drinks that come with admission.
About five minutes to midnight, the comics will jump on stage together and do a count down to New Year's Day. Visitors can also watch the ball fall down at Times Square from the televisions at the Brokerage.
At midnight, the Guy Lombardo holiday music goes on, balloons fly around the room, the noisemakers go off, and the comedians will host a champagne toast.
Moffa will then start off 2002 with a 45-minute performance, while the audience can enjoy coffee and cake that the Brokerage brings out.
"It'll be festive," said Smith.
At a Glance
New Year's Eve 2002
comedy show & party
10:30 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Monday, Dec. 31
Doors open at 9:30 p.m.
The Brokerage
2797 Bellmore Ave.
Bellmore, (516) 785-8655
includes 2 drinks,
champagne toast,
coffee & cake,
hats, noisemakers
$50; $47 in advance.
