by SUSAN LIN
If you frequent the local comedy clubs Governor's or The Brokerage, chances are you've seen Adam Ferrara on stage. He grew up in Huntington and though he tours all over the nation now, Ferrara somehow manages to do his shtick every few months in his hometown of Long Island.
The comedian dresses conservatively, in jeans and a button-down shirt, and bears a boy-next-door hair style. He doesn't use gimmicks in his routine, like his contemporaries who sport a bull horn or a life-sized female doll. Nor does his speech stand out by being extremely foul-mouthed, anti-PC or deadpan.
"I basically just live my life and talk about it," said Ferrara. He does, though, suddenly shout words out at points. Or he might burst into a riff about a subject should it pique his interest.
For example, Ferrara's girlfriend of three years had just moved in with him, he said. And that's exactly what the comic talked about in a recent show for Comedy Central. "It's kind of like being invaded. You're fighting for every piece of your belongings. Everything had to go through [Ferrara's shouting now] 'What is this?' 'It's a dialysis machine.' 'Oh, you don't need it. I need a place for my shoes,'" he said.
So how did a regular guy like Ferrara end up as a stand-up comedian? Perhaps he interned as one in the summer, or maybe in college he majored in comedy?
"I majored in finance, because accounting was full," he replied. Rather, this Long Islander "just tried it," he said. "When I got out of college, I told my parents, 'Well, we've done one of your things. Now I'm going to try one of mine.'"
He got the idea of being a stand-up comedian while going to high school in the '80s in Huntington. He was one of the class clowns, Ferrara said. Another one was classmate Anthony Cumia, who is now better known as part of the talk show "Opie & Anthony" of 102.7 WNEW. "I had some really funny friends," said Ferrara. "It was a coveted thing to have a sense of humor, and we just hung out together. We used to always just make each other laugh."
Other than his cronies, Chris Rush (not Rock) and Richard Pryor, he said, served as his early inspirations. "Those are the guys that really spoke to me," he said.
Now 35, Ferrara is touring the nation, and has a home in Hollywood and in New York. So far his toughest market he said he ever did was Birmingham, Ala.
"The audience was strange and stupid. When I first got there, the flight was late, and I was late for the show. My opening line was 'I apologize for being late. I bet Rosa Parks had an easier time getting around Alabama than me.' And they had no idea. They just kind of stared at me. So then, I had to take out all the big words."
Ferrara has better things to say about Long Island, though. "It's where I'm from. The audiences appreciate the fact that you know the area ... [and that] you have the same shared experiences at the same places. It's pretty cool," he said.
Other than performing nationwide, this Huntington guy has also reached the point in his career where he will co-star in a sitcom called "The Job," slated to air 9:30 p.m. March 14 on ABC. The show is a comedy and features two detectives, played by Ferrara and Dennis Leary.
With all comedy performances, and now acting, Ferrara commented, "There's not a lot of spare time." However, the comic will go to see the movie "Hannibal" when he can. "I couldn't work in a cubicle, I'd go nuts," said Ferrara.
... and back again
See Adam at
Governor
