The Omaha Newspapers

August 2010 Articles:

The Midnight Swinger

Vegas Comes to Omaha

By: Jeremy Lafrentz

Omaha is in for a big treat February 18 - 21, as The Midnight Swinger brings his hilarious act to The Funny Bone. His act consists of a Las Vegas style routine combined with all sorts of dancing, singing, and comedy. Midnight Swinger will do more than just tell a few jokes to entertain the crowd; he really interacts with the crowd and will get them into the show just as much as he is. One thing is for sure, wherever The Midnight Swinger goes he is sure to be wearing his sharpest threads and telling the crowd how he looks good. He believes self-confidence is one of the key ways to live a happy and healthy life.

Midnight Swinger will be performing at The Funny Bone in Village Pointe starting Thursday, February 18, and going through the weekend with his last show on Sunday night February 21. Since this will be a big Vegas-like event I got a chance to speak with The Midnight Swinger to get his thoughts about coming to Omaha and in his words, what his show will be like for the audience.

Q: Now Midnight Swinger, you have been to Omaha before how do you like coming here and how does The Funny Bone compare to other comedy clubs in the country?

A: I am looking forward to coming back; it is about my third time there now. The first time I came through the Omaha area I was not sure how the crowd would react. My show is a different style show, more Vegas-like, but the crowds were great and they could not have treated me better. I always look forward to seeing Omaha on my schedule now. The Funny Bone is top notch from top to bottom. I play a lot of clubs and The Funny Bone is easily one of the best clubs in the country, no doubt about it.

Q: How long have you been entertaining people and how did you get your start with comedy?

A: I have been The Midnight Swinger since 1999 but started doing comedy professionally in 1993. I have been in the business since I was five. My dad was a Broadway performer, and I was born in New York. The first time I was onstage was when I was five and it has been my life since then. The only time I took a break was during my college years so I could graduate but then I got right back into entertaining.

Q: Who was one of your biggest inspirations growing up that made you do what you do today?

A: Steve Martin was one of my biggest inspirations in the comedy world. I got a chance to see him when I was 13-years-old and I was blown away. To this day I have never seen anybody look like they were having more fun onstage then the people that were having fun watching. I have really modeled a lot of my show from when I first saw Steve Martin.

Q: How would you describe your show to people who have not seen you before and what can they expect?

A: Well it is very simple; it is a real Vegas style show with singing and dancing along with comedy. There is a lot of high energy with the glitz and glam of Las Vegas. I have come up with things called "The World's Most Dangerous Bit in Comedy," I put on a 15 minute rock concert where I sing 14 songs in 15 minutes with costume changes. I am not going to talk about taxes, Obama, marriage, dating, or current political situations. That is not what my show is about. It is almost like a live-action cartoon show.

Be sure to check out The Midnight Swinger when he comes to The Funny Bone February 18 - 21. You will be sure to enjoy his exciting and entertaining show as Vegas will be coming to Omaha. For more information about The Funny Bone and upcoming events visit their website: www.funnyboneomaha.com.