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Nationally-recognized comedian and Fredonia resident Pete Correale is set for another breakout performance.
Correale has landed a one-hour special on Showtime, which will premiere on Friday, Nov. 13, at 11 p.m.
“Pete Correale: Let Me Tell Ya” will explore the absurdities of life, love and marriage in his comedy special where he gives his homegrown New Yorker take on everything from the joy of ice cream to the pain of political correctness, according to Showtime’s website.
The special was filmed at The Vic Theater in Chicago in late May with much of the material inspired from his life experiences of moving from a big city to his humble Chautauqua County surroundings.
Correale is a Long Island native and graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1992 with a degree in communication. When asked what got him into the stand-up business, he said he initially took an acting class at Fredonia because he needed the credit hours.
That decision has paid dividends as Correale has already appeared on “Conan,” as well as other late-night shows with Jay Leno, David Letterman and Carson Daily.
“When I graduated, I thought I had the acting bug, and I went back to New York (City) and I was going to try and act,” he explained to the Dunkirk Observer in 2014. “I didn’t do anything about it, I didn’t take an acting class or anything, but a bunch of improv guys said I could be a part of their group.
“We did shows at like 5 o’clock at night at comedy clubs in front of 10 people, so one night, I asked the club owner if I could stick around and watch the comedy show. I was about 22 then. He said, ‘Yeah, you can stick around,’ and my jaw dropped. I just fell in love with it right away. I mean, I loved stand-up as a kid; I just never thought I could do it.”
From there, Correale mopped floors at the New York Comedy Club in exchange for stage time late in the night to hone his act. He said that after five years, he was able to do what he loved for a living.
Correale didn’t have to mop floors to get the Showtime special, but he did find himself yet again having to prove himself.
“I sent in a tape of me doing an hour at a comedy club and they liked what they saw, but they wanted to see more and they wanted to see it live,” Correale said. “So I had to fly out to Los Angeles and do one show live in front of all the head executives and the president of Showtime. They said they’d say yes or no at the end of the show and the set went great.”
Having an hour special on Showtime is a major stepping stone for any comedian. Not only is it further confirmation of one’s abilities to perform, it also gives the comedian exposure on a level that they may not have had previously.
Correale previously did an hour special on Comedy Central, but as he explained, it only aired once with maybe another late-night airing at some point. The major benefit of his Showtime special is the repeated run dates and the fact that anyone can watch it at any time through Showtime’s on-demand feature.
While many will get to see Correale on their TV screen or live on stage, what isn’t seen is his support system that allows him to follow his passion for comedy. As he explained, none of it would be possible without the support of his wife, Jackie.
“She’s a Dunkirk gal; they raise them right in Dunkirk,” he said. “I couldn’t do what I do without my wife’s support. I just couldn’t. I don’t want to be alone. Some comics don’t want to have a family and want to travel around alone. I very much love my wife and having a family.
“It takes a certain type of woman to support you to do that. She’s home without me far too much. It means a lot. I’ve been very lucky. But if there is one negative about dating and marrying a woman from Dunkirk it’s that whenever it’s pizza night she wants to go Mary’s and I want to go P-Dubz,” he said in reference to the area’s pizzerias.
In addition to the Nov. 13 premier, Correale’s special will air throughout November on Showtime, Showtime 2, Showtime Showcase and Showtime On Demand. Check your local listings and sho.com for dates and times.
To learn more about Correale, visit his website petecorreale.com or check out his Facebook page.