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Comedian wins popular vote with impersonation
By John Benson
Making American comedy clubs funny again one joke at a time is what comic Bob DiBuono is promising audiences.
“I think what’s missing today in comedy clubs is the art of comedy,” said DiBuono, calling from New York City. “Unfortunately, these days I feel like people that end up getting in movies and on sitcoms, it’s not about how funny they are – it’s more about their look and casting. A lot of times people will go see a person because they were on a movie or sitcom, and the comedian sucks.
“They leave going, ‘We wasted our money.’ And that’s unfortunate. There’s a lot of bad comedy out there and a lot of great comedians you never hear about who are fantastic.”
There’s a good argument to be made that DiBuono was previously on top of the anonymous list. That is until last spring when his impression of Donald Trump on “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” which has since been canceled, provided national exposure.
“I’m gaining a lot of these new fans because, obviously, it’s the most popular impression, and I do a lot of impressions in my act,” DiBuono said. “This is like the most riveting because it’s such a conversation piece, so people really like it. People tell me they were actually getting angry watching me because I did it so well.”
Doing impressions is nothing new to DiBuono, who is known for impersonating Dr. Phil, Matt Dillon, Norm MacDonald, Tony Danza and Al Pacino. Over the years, his talents have led to appearances on television show “Gotham Live,” as well as radio programs “Opie and Anthony,” “Bob and Tom” and “The Jim Breuer Show.”
As for imitating the president-elect, DiBuono said it took roughly four months with the mannerisms coming quickly and his raspy voice being slightly difficult. The issue was while Trump is a New Yorker, the comedian said he’s articulate.
These days when it comes to Trump impersonations, Alec Baldwin is getting all of the attention on “Saturday Night Live.” So what does DiBuono think of the Emmy Award-winning actor’s portrayal?
“The makeup is great, but I actually think his impression is an impression of other guys doing an impression of Donald Trump,” DiBuono said. “A lot of comedians do Donald Trump in a similar way: over the top and kind of ridiculous. I try to do him very realistically and authentically.
“A really good impressionist is like watching a really good magician. You know that it’s not magic, but you’re willing to take the lie to go along with the fantasy. That’s what pulls you in. That’s what a good comedian is. It’s like if you do a voice really well, no matter what you say with that voice, people will take the lie and it’ll be funnier.”
DiBuono, who will be showing off his Trump impersonation when he comes to Austintown on Friday and Saturday for three shows at The Comedy Cellar at Mojo’s Pub and Grill, is hoping to find a television home for his president-elect portrayal.
Perhaps a bigger concern for DiBuono has to do with the getup. Considering the Trump impression often included wearing orange makeup, is he concerned his skin will be permanently tanned?
“That’s always a fear,” DiBuono said, laughing.