Comedian Tom Morello trades for donations
Published on August 21st, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - When most people think of stand-up comedians, it conjures up images of spots on The Tonight Show, or half-hour specials showcasing Carrot Top pulling props out of a box for a series of ham-fisted punchlines or Gallagher wielding the sledge hammer and plastic ponchos and waylays a watermelon. The truth is there are an army of Tom Morellos for every Tom Arnold, Dick Doherty or Harry Anderson.
Morello, a 28 year-old Stoneham native and 1992 graduate of Stoneham High School, has been on the stand-up comedy circuit in Boston for three years. He has practiced his craft through crowds both pleasant and hostile in the hub scene, and continues a style described as “intellectually bombastic.”
“Making people laugh is one of the most underrated and difficult performance arts out there,” said Morello. “Every-one has a sense of humor, and to make people laugh on a mass scale is one of the toughest things to do in the world.”
During his tenure as a Boston comic, Morello has tried to cull knowledge from headliners and grizzled veteran comics, and has forged a mentor/student relationship with renowned Boston comic Tim “The Reverend” McIntyre.
“He is a very hard worker when it comes to comedy, and I’ve really watched him grow up in the world of comedy,” said McIntyre. “When he puts his mind to something, he can sometimes come on a bit strong...and I’ve had to guide him back onto the path of righteousness a few times.”
Morello is attempting to combine his penchant for garnering laughs with a desire to better other’s lives. Morello has organized and will appear in a special benefit show at the Comedy Studio in Harvard Square on Thursday Aug. 22 entitled “Tools of the Tirade 2: Laughter against Alzheimer’s.”
The brash jokester turns a bit serious at the cause for the benefit, as Morello’s 82 year-old grandfather, Luis Rico, was stricken with the brain deteriorating disease in his 70’s.
“He was suffering from it for the last 10 or 15 years of his life, and he was a guy who never had any health problems before that,” said Morello. “His last year was extremely painful and tough for him, and it was hard being so close to it.”
“The one good thing about it was that he had the entire family to lean on and support him,” added Morello. “The more research I did about Alzheimer’s and speaking with the Alzheimer’s Association, I realized that people going through it alone is a huge, huge problem.”
All of the proceeds from the show benefit the Alzheimer’s Association which aids in both the care for those afflicted with the neurological disease, and the research to improve treatment and one day cure the disease altogether.
“It was such a good show last year and it’s for such a great cause, I asked Tom if I could be involved in it again,” said McIntyre, who will host the evening of comedy. “We’ve got a number of talented people performing, and I guarantee that you won’t see a better comedy line-up in Boston this year.
Morello attributes his comedic aspirations to a childhood filled with late night talkshows and ignored curfews. As a youngster, he would turn his television on and watch comedians doing their thing on late night television.
“Back when I was about 8 years-old, I would beg my mom to let me stay up and watch Bill Cosby “Himself” late at night on Cinemax,” said Morello. “That was the turning point. I was in awe of the ability of one person and a microphone to hold the attention of an audience for over an hour.”
“You couldn’t have done much better than growing up watching comedians in the 1980’s,” said Morello. “I got into Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, and watched a ton of Johnny Carson and David Letterman. I was a hip kid.”
Morello used to fill with wonder and excitement at every new comic that would debut on Late Night with Johnny Carson on his television set.
A writer at heart, Morello has spent his comic years perfecting a stage presence, and allowing himself to feel comfortable in the sometimes unforgiving world of stand-up comedy. The sometimes harsh scrutiny has forced him to find a formula that works, and stick to it.
“I really enjoy the process sometimes,” said Morello. “I like to write something, refine it, and seeing what works in front of an audience.”
“I get more satisfaction out of the long involved bits that really come from the heart,” added Morello. ‘Let’s face it, you can’t spend a 15 minute comedy set talking about Miss Cleo.”
The aspiring comic acknowledges that developing a routine in Boston can be both a blessing and a curse. Boston audiences at comedy clubs have no qualms telling you just how unfunny you are, according to Morello, but a successful Boston comic can have a blindingly bright future.
“If you can make people laugh in Boston,” said Morello, who describes himself as an intellectual wiseguy with a hint of charm. “Then you make people laugh anywhere in the country.”
Morello also cited his hometown as an influence on his comedy, and his need for personal expression.
“Growing up in Stoneham, I grew up around an awful lot of creative people, and my pitiful little band of friends were a good group to learn from and joke around with,” said the former Carnival Ball emcee. “As a half-Hispanic kid growing up in a mostly white town, I also experienced a bit of racism and intolerance.”
Morello tells childhood stories of befriending classmates, telling them that his mother was Cuban, and then not understanding when the kids would sometimes stop talking to him.
Morello considers his training in Boston as comedy grad school, and aspires to one day graduate to an entertainment career in New York or Los Angelos.
“I’m nowhere near where I want to be developmentally,” said Morello. “It takes a long time to mature as a comedian...Tim McIntyre told me that it takes 5 years to be any kind of good, and that’s when you can start thinking about making a geographic move.”
If producing a successful comedy show is any kind of barometer for success, then Morello is well on his way to the big time.
Tools of the Tirade 2: Laughter against Alzheimer’s will take place on Thursday Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Comedy Studio above the Hong Kong restaurant in Harvard Square. A $20 cover charge will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association, and for any further details call 617-661-6507.
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