"We had you checked out."
That's what a guy named Vinnie with a New York accent told comedian Chuck Androsky on the telephone.
The caller was representing Da' Brooklyn Comedy Tour, featuring a trio of actors, two from the HBO mafia-oriented television show "The Sopranos." Frank Santorelli, Tommy Savitt and Jimmy Della Valle each have a list of major national credits.
Vinnie told Androsky he appeared to know what he was doing as a comedy promoter and asked him to find the group a nice place and a room full of people and he could keep 10 percent of the cut.
"Things don't work out too good, well, we're going to leave with 10 percent of you," Vinnie told Androsky.
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"It scared the hell out of me," Androsky said. "... I can't afford to lose 10 percent of me."
"I promised that yes, I would do a very good job for them," he said.
It's going down at 8 p.m. Friday at the Norshor Theater.
Whether it's actually fear for his life or not, Androsky says he's excited about the show.
"These guys, they're hilarious," he said. "They are just a stitch to work with. But they are men of questionable background."
On the television show, the "Sopranos" actors actually have mafia people as technical advisers. It's an all-ages show, he said, but some of the comedy is based on that life. "A lot of it is being a wise guy, the mafia, what it was like," Androsky said.
But there is more to these wise guys.
Santorelli plays "Georgie," Bada Bing's bartender on "The Sopranos." He was also on "Last Comic Standing 2," "Las Vegas" and "Providence" on NBC as well as "Spin City" and "The Job" on ABC. He also appeared in the hit film "Meet the Parents" and has been in nationally-televised commercials for McDonald's and Olive Garden, in addition to a 20-year career in comedy clubs.
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Savitt has headlined Carnegie Recital Hall and tours nationally and internationally and has appeared in dozens of national commercials. He has been a finalist for several major comedy awards and has entertained the U.S. military overseas.
Della Valle is another "Sopranos" actor. His other TV credits include appearances on Comedy Central, HBO's "Oz," and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." He appeared in the movies "The Big Apple" and "Down to Earth" and headlines top comedy clubs around the country.
The Da' Brooklyn Comedy Tour promotions bill them as "amazing hitmen of comedy."
"This is a huge, huge show," Androsky said. "It really is."
He also said it's a good time to check out the Norshor Theater, because the new management is doing good things. "I was really impressed with how hard the Norshor's been working to make shows real comfortable out there," he said.
Tickets are available at Video Vision outlets, Electric Fetus and the Norshor and cost $15 in advance, $20 the day of the show.
Androsky said he's been seeking out a show like this to promote, and that's how Vinnie found him. "I was looking for something a little different to bring, and this sure is it," Androsky said.
He hopes it will work out enough that he can bring more "different" programming to the Northland. And Vinnie might also leave town with 100 percent of Androsky intact.
