YOUR AD HERE »

Comedian Frances Dilorinzo finds humor through frustration

A good belly laugh is a great way to follow up the screams and fun of Halloween and the Egyptian Theatre will facilitate such chuckles this weekend when it brings back Stand-Up at the Egyptian.

The show, emceed by Keith Barany, will feature Frances Dilorinzo and Mike Guido.
Dilorinzo, who became a YouTube sensation with “Homemade Implants” has appeared on “NickMom Night Out,” “Last Comic Standing” and “Comics Unleashed.”

She has also performed for U.S. troops around the world.

Guido has made several national TV appearances on Showtime, MTV, VH1, and A&E. His comedy CD, “Who Needs Sanity!!” can be heard regularly on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, iTunes, and Pandora.

The comedian has also shared the stage with some of comedy’s biggest stars such as Jay Leno, Robin Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, Larry Miller and Dana Carvey.

Park City audiences already had a dose of Dilorinzo’s comedy when she performed at Healthy Laughs, a fundraiser for the People’s Health Clinic.

“I’ve done that event a number of times,” the comedian said during a phone call from her home in California. “This will be the first time that I’ll be able to perform on my own and cut loose a little bit.”

Dilorinzo’s journey to comedy started when she was a quiet high school student.

“I had funny thoughts in my head, but I didn’t put them out there because I didn’t want to be judged by my peers for the next four years,” she said. “However when I got to college, I loved the fact that I was anonymous, and the instructor of my Speech class challenged the students to be funny.”

Dilorinzo took the risk and found she could be quite funny.

“Well, the class developed this expectation of me to be funny in the next speech and I was like, ‘You guys don’t understand. That was a total fluke,’” she said. “I didn’t think it was going to happen again, but sure enough, it did.”

Dilorinzo was not only recruited to the Speech Team, but she became a two-time gold medalist in the Speech to Entertain category in California.

“It was basically like a comedy routine with the elements of a speech,” she said.
With those awards under her belt and her friends cheering her one, Dilorinzo ventured into local comedy clubs.

“That’s when I found that people could get drunk and yell at you,” she said with a laugh. “I also discovered that I could be quick witted and hold my own against hecklers.”

It’s been more than 20 years since her first stand-up experience, but Dilorinzo still finds comedy an exciting ride. She has learned many things along the way.

“I think the magic to a great comedian is the connection with the crowd,” she said. “You have to make it sound like you’re chatting with the audience after meeting them at a party for the first time. To me, that’s what draws me into different comics.”

Dilorinzo’s creative process is spurred by frustration, because when Dilorinzo gets frustrated, her head fills with sarcasm.

“When that happens, I’ll say something and if I get a reaction from the people I’m talking to, I know it’s relatable,” she said. “Then I’ll try something relating to this on stage and then I’ll start building the bit.”

One bit came about when someone told Dilorinzo they thought their dogs were just like children.

“I wish my kids were like dogs because I could leave them home for four hours without costing me $20 for a babysitter,” she said. “You know, here’s some water. Here’s some food. Now, don’t [crap] in the house.

“That’s how I create my routine, but someone like Jerry Seinfeld will wake up and say, ‘I’m going to sit at my desk and write 10 jokes about traffic today,’” she said. “That’s not how I do it.”

Regardless of her creative process, Dilorinzo has found there is a world of people who relate to what happens in her life. She is, however, selective about the topics she will address.

“I know someone who is working with another older female comic and one of her routines has references to eyeing and fantasizing about junior high boys,” Dilorinzo said. “My friend said the audience gets really cold and uncomfortable and I said, ‘Good for them.’”

Dilorinzo also doesn’t take issue with people on personal levels.

“The thing is, I do like to get them to laugh at themselves,” she said. “I think laughing at yourself is a great way to live through life. However, if they are going through something painful or serious, or they are struggling with an addiction, it’s not funny to belittle those things.”

The Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St., presents stand-up comedians Frances Dilorinzo and Mike Guido at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4-5.  Friday tickets range from $15 to $25 and Saturday tickets range from $19 to $29. For more information, visit http://www.parkcityshows.com.

Entertainment


See more

Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Park City and Summit County make the Park Record's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.