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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Is it Me?

Sebastian Maniscalco

Netflix · 2022 · 68 min

Sebastian Maniscalco brings a tuxedo and retro swagger to Las Vegas.

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Sebastian Maniscalco attempts to bring a bygone era back to the Las Vegas Strip, stepping onto the stage in a tuxedo and expecting his audience to match the formal aesthetic. Filmed during his residency at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas, the hour trades some of his signature hyperactive pacing for a swagger reminiscent of the 1960s Rat Pack. He opens by checking the crowd’s attire, immediately targeting the outliers who ignored the dress code, before sliding into familiar domestic territory. Much of the material focuses on his wife’s quirky daily habits, such as taking her shoes off during a ten-minute car ride or organizing family logistics while walking to a restaurant table. He also contrasts his own 1980s upbringing with modern parenting, venting about preschool political correctness and a classmate of his daughter who claims to identify as a lion. The special, directed by Peter Segal, caught the comic at a transitional moment in his career; shortly after its December 2022 release, he announced a temporary hiatus from touring to focus on film projects, citing a temporary lack of new material. While the hour features his classic exaggerated facial expressions, the stylized presentation divided some long-term fans who noted a slower delivery and a few recycled jokes.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Weekly date night with his wife and her poor restaurant menu etiquette.

    Contrasts his urgency to pick a protein before waitstaff arrive against his wife observing crown molding and asking busboys questions they cannot answer.

  2. A kindergarten classmate identifying as a lion.

    Expresses bewilderment at modern parental indulgence, joking that if his own son came downstairs dressed as a panda bear, he would immediately make him put jeans on.

  3. A Greyhound dog interrupting his kid's soccer practice.

    Performs an exaggerated physical act-out of sprinting like the Greyhound with ears pinned back, confessing he thought he split his tuxedo pants.

  4. Playing the Italian-American childhood party game Gagootz.

    Demonstrates the ridiculousness of waddling with a zucchini clenched between his knees to pass it without using hands.

  5. Changes in everyday terminology and avoiding offending modern adults.

    Mocks the hypersensitivity around phrases like 'criss-cross applesauce' and jokes that one cannot say 'walk-in closet' anymore because not everybody walks.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, nostalgic, exasperated, and observational.
On stage
An old-school, tuxedo-clad Italian-American traditionalist exasperated by modern social norms, punctuated by animated facial expressions and full-body physical caricatures.
Pace
High-energy, lively, and physical tempo.
About
date night and marriage dynamics, modern parenting vs. old-school upbringing, restaurant etiquette, modern language sensitivities and cancel culture, pandemic behavior regarding masks and vaccines

What the critics said

Praised as a solid, dependable, and entertaining hour that revives old-school Vegas Rat Pack flair, though some critics and viewers noted his complaints about modern culture felt familiar or reflexive.

In the room: Enthusiastic and responsive, with several attendees honoring Maniscalco's request to dress up in vintage formal wear.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: bbfc.co.uk, deadline.com, decider.com, chicago.suntimes.com, rottentomatoes.com, en.wikipedia.org, thedailybeast.com.

Backstory

Filmed during his residency at Wynn Las Vegas, designed as a retro homage to the 1950s/1960s Rat Pack era with Maniscalco wearing a tuxedo on a gold showroom stage amidst his experiences as an older father raising young kids in post-pandemic culture.

Details

Released
Taped
Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas
Runtime
68 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Peter Segal
Topics
Before
Stay Hungry (2019)
After
It Ain't Right (2025)

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