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April Fools to fill the GLC

What: Fools of April Comedy Tour Where: Garibaldi Lift Co.

What: Fools of April Comedy Tour

Where: Garibaldi Lift Co.

When: Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1 & 2

Jokes and April Fools Day go hand in hand so it’s only fitting really to bring one of Whistler’s favourite comedians back to town, Hollywood’s own Charlie Viracola. The Las Vegas regular and TV comedy show veteran always jumps at the chance to pretend he’s a ski bum, usually bringing a just-as-funny colleague of the comedy circuit with him.

Long term residents might remember his previous sell-out show, The Raging Ice Weazils, in ’99. Every year since then he’s come back with a couple of buddies. He said: "The Whistler crowd has always been so good to us, which is great considering we’re American."

The April Fools Day tour is just the break Viracola said he needs right now. Apart from all the political craziness we won’t speak of here, he’s been busy in Hell-Ay with the "pilot season," industry speak for attending auditions for new TV shows. The actor said it’s a stranger world than stand-up comedy.

"I’ve been reading at all the big studios, which is fun but frustrating. You get a call from your agent, a script is e-mailed to you, you learn it overnight and turn up to read. Sometimes they’ll take one look at you and say ‘you’re not what we want’ and other times you’ll read and have to go back again and again while they whittle away their list of what they’re looking for."

Viracola is bringing a whole new shtick to the GLC this season and if you’ve seen him on HBO or Comedy Central you’ll know what that is. In direct response to the world at play, Viracola has formed his own world, which he likes to call Planet Charlie.

"Everybody has their idea about how they would run the world but I just talk about mine on stage," he explained.

Here’s what you can expect when you land on Planet Charlie.

"Because the words don't always come out right, all George Bush speeches will have closed captioning so you can read what the hell he means versus what is said.

"Every member of a boy band would have to include one ugly pudgy guy who actually had musical talent.

"People who talk on cell phones in public would have to wear a phone booth on their head so we don’t have to listen to their boring conversations.

"Oprah will be required to actually read the crappy books she recommends."

Along for the Whistler ride for the first time is fellow comedian Lance Montalto. An old friend of Viracola’s and also an actor in his spare time. While he’s never been to Whistler, Montalto’s had some pretty good gigs around the world in his time. He gets flown once a week by Carnival Cruises anywhere they need him.

"Every Sunday I get flown to a ship that could be berthed in Mexico, Miami or even Jamaica. I do a few shows and get flown home again. I love being at the office," he laughed.

Despite the dream job, the A&E, Star Search and Comedy Central staple worked hard to get where he is. Winning over foreign crowds is one of his greatest achievements.

"I’ve done several shows in Canada at the Yuk Yuk Club which went down well but my toughest crowds would have to be in London. They can be ruthless. The first time I went to England I had no idea everyone hated Americans. Lucky for me, two days before my first show, I sat in the audience at the club. I was horrified when I saw how they lynched every American comic that went on stage. From then on, I realized it was going to be a tough road to win non-Americans over, but when they see that I rip on my kind too, I win them over."

Tickets to the shows are available now from the GLC.