First show of the new year turns out to be a star studded event. Laugh Whore officially closed yesterday, but this final performance was a benefit for The Actor’s Fund. Unknowingly, we were to see this final show seated among Broadway celebs such as Donna Murphy, Richard Kind, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. It was cool.

The show was really great, horribly angry and offensive, just how I like my stand-up one man shows. It is indeed the season of the one man show (Billy Crystal, Whoopi, Eve Ensler, Dame Edna, etc). but I doubt any one of them are as raunchy and offensive as Mr. Cantone. His comedy is based on mocking his dysfunctional Italian family, complete with impressions of everyone. He also talks a lot about things that anger him. Strangely, he is funny when full of rage and anger. He also does impressions of every single famous show biz woman in the history of show biz. My favorite part if the show was the improv section at the end where he took celeb names from the audience and did their impression as if they were performing “The Vagina Monologues.” For example, Carrol Channing saying, “My vagina is lined with sandpaper,” Ellen Degeneris “My vagina likes other vaginas,” Paris Hilton “Fuck her!” Britney “My vagina has no talent,” Sarah Jessica Parker “My Vagina is a Gap (Gap commercials),” and on and on and on….he had a physical and vocal impression for almost every suggestion shouted from the audience. Impressive.

His impression of Jim Morrison singing christmas carols was equally fun.

And he’s really not a bad singer. He’s actually pretty good. His character in Assassins (Bick) had no solo singing at all, so its nice to see him belting out the high notes this time.

It made me happy to see someone pissed off, gay, angry, showtune-loving, and Italian, so beloved by this audience of fellow actors. It made me feel like I am not alone.

Except for the gay part.