Chippewa comic coming home for one-night performance
'Some of the best comedians ever, and some of the best entertainers ever, are Jewish. And I'd love to continue that tradition.'
Comedian Dan Rosenberg is bringing old jokes back to Beaver County. The Blackhawk High School alum, who was bar mitzvahed at Beaver Valley United Jewish Community Center, is headlining a one-night show at The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center on April 13.
Rosenberg’s set will include “a lot of older material that’s been revamped” with some ad-libbing on stage, he said by phone from his home in Bainbridge Island, Washington.
Placing old jokes alongside impromptu insights has been a steady tactic for Rosenberg. For nearly 30 years, he’s entertained audiences through stand-up, writing and directing.
The comic got his start, decades ago, at an open mic night at the Funny Bone in Station Square.
“It was amazing,” Rosenberg said of the experience at the now-shuttered club.
After moving to Los Angeles to pursue a comedy career, Rosenberg returned home following the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
With at least 57 fatalities, thousands injured, $20 billion in damage costs and more than $40 billion in economic loss, the Northridge earthquake is the costliest earthquake disaster in U.S. history, according to the California Department of Conservation.
Rosenberg spent years weaving together comedy, basketball coaching and radio hosting. He has worked with National Lampoon Radio on SiriusXM and CBS Radio in Los Angeles and Seattle. He hosts CarYada, a podcast with Raffi Minasian, covering all things automotive.
The April 13 set, he said, is a chance to return to a beloved area and test out material for an upcoming special.
Rosenberg’s last special, “Dan Rosenberg: Overexposed,” was filmed — also at The Lindsay Theater — shortly before the pandemic. Available on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, “Overexposed” offers a glimpse of Rosenberg’s style: Bits are largely based on anecdotes and observations.
“They’re just stories that are true stories, most of the time — they’re embellished a little bit because they have to be for humor, but a lot of them are 95-100% true,” he said. “They’re things that actually happened to me, so it’s not material that can be stolen from me or material I can be accused of stealing because they’re pretty much true stories.”
In his special, on stage or during other work, Rosenberg doesn’t shy away from his Jewishness.
“I’ve always embraced it. I’m not a super-religious person, but I also don’t hide from being Jewish. I’m not one of these people that changed my name to Justin Daniels. I’ve always kept my stage name my birth name,” he said. “I think some of the best comedians ever, and some of the best entertainers ever, are Jewish. And I’d love to continue that tradition.”
Among the greatest, Rosenberg said, are “Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Paul Reiser, Groucho Marx, The Three Stooges and Moses.”
Rosenberg, a former Chippewa resident who remains involved in the Bainbridge Jewish community, said he’s eager to venture back to Sewickley for a one-night performance.
Joining Rosenberg will be Augie Cook, a comedian who has appeared on ABC and A&E and worked with national talents including Howie Mandel, Drew Carey and Chris Rock.
Rosenberg said the evening will include mostly clean humor. He also wants readers to know that “good Jewish boys from Pittsburgh can come home, and always want to come home.”
There’s a fondness in his heart for Pittsburgh; though he doesn’t miss winters here, Rosenberg always appreciates the opportunity to return.
“I love flying into Pittsburgh. I love being from Pittsburgh,” he said. “I love the fact that everyone I meet from Pittsburgh, out and about, we immediately bond.”
“That’s a huge Pittsburgh thing,” he continued. “I know a lot of other cities try to say they have that. But when you combine Judaism and Pittsburgh, I think there’s a bond there that is very strong.” PJC
Tickets for the 90-minute show are available at thelindsaytheater.org.
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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