In second grade, Sebastian Maniscalco told his class he wanted to be a comedian. Now, he’s one of the highest-paid comics in his field, and he’s performing in Syracuse this Saturday.

Maniscalco will perform at the Landmark Theatre this weekend, capitalizing on his hit special “Why Would You Do That?,” which was declared Showtime’s most successful comedy/variety special premiere in 2016.

The performance will be part of his “Stay Hungry” tour, which will hit 15 North American cities over the course of five months.

The tour kicked off on Jan. 5 in Montreal, where Maniscalco was named “Stand-Up Comedian of the Year” at the Just For Laughs Festival in 2016. He’ll perform two shows at the Landmark — one at 7:00 p.m. and another at 9:30 p.m.

Maniscalco said this tour coincides with his book coming out Feb. 27, which is also called “Stay Hungry.” It chronicles the last 20 years of his life doing stand-up comedy. While the tour does not directly reflect what is in the book, it shares a similar context — his family, his upbringing and his new life as a dad, Maniscalco said. The show will contain a mix of old and new material, something Maniscalco called “the best of both worlds.”

Maniscalco set his ambitions at a young age — as a kid, he told his elementary school classmates that he wanted to be a stand-up comedian.

“I was basically a shy kid growing up back then,” he said. “I wasn’t really the class clown. I kind of observed things from the back of the room.”

But at the dinner table back home, it was a different story. That’s where Maniscalco unofficially started his comedy career. His family shared a sense of humor.

“At the house there is just a lot of laughter,” Maniscalco said. “I kind of grew up around a lot of storytelling and around the dinner table making people laugh, and it was kind of a natural thing for me. I always really kind of enjoyed getting up in front of a group of people and performing, wherever it be.”

The comedian, now 44, moved to Los Angeles in 1998 to pursue a career in comedy after graduating from Northern Illinois University with a degree in corporate organizational communications. Maniscalco then worked as a waiter at the Four Seasons Hotel from 1998 to 2005 before having a breakthrough in 2005 when Vince Vaughn picked him to be in his “Vince Vaughn Wild West Comedy Show.”

Last July, he was named one of the World’s Top-Earning Comedians by Forbes Magazine, raking in a cool $15 million to top off what some consider his breakout year. But the money isn’t his main motivation.

“I didn’t get into this business to make money or be famous,” Maniscalco said. “I got into it solely because I really, truly enjoy making people laugh and it was the only thing I was really, really talented at. And my goal from the get-go was just to make a living doing stand-up comedy. That’s all I wanted to do.”

In 2016, his 2011 stand-up show “What’s Wrong With People” and his 2014 show “Aren’t You Embarrassed” began streaming on Netflix, with the latter currently still available for streaming. His “Why Would You Do That?” tour, based on his Showtime special of the same name, was also named in Pollstar’s Top 200 North American Tours of 2017.

Aside from comedy, Maniscalco has dabbled in acting. He’s made appearances in “Cruise” and “The House” and voiced Johnny in “Nutty Job 2: Nutty by Nature.” He’s currently filming the drama “Green Book,” in which he plays Johnny.

Maniscalco also has a weekly podcast with fellow comedian Pete Correale on SiriusXM Radio, which he said they’re “definitely trying to grow.”

The last time Maniscalco performed in Syracuse was at The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater in November 2016, which was part of his “Why Would You Do That?” tour. Last October, due to popular demand, a second show was added to his Syracuse schedule.

Maniscalco said he enjoyed his last show in Syracuse, and wanted the city on his schedule this year.

“I like to give people a full kind of soups-and nuts-experience when they come to my shows,” he said. “They’ve kind of entered the world of Sebastian Maniscalco. So, I’m just looking forward to how people are reacting to it.”

Published on January 24, 2018 at 7:20 pm

Contact Jony: ktsampah@syr.edu