Review: Comedy Night at Sergio's

The lights were low, the room smelled of garlic and everyone was digesting  a delicious Italian meal from Sergio’s  on Merrick road, getting ready for some laughs.

Friday was Comedy Night, as about 30 people ate a prix fixe dinner and took in a free comedy show. Alan Streisfeld, the head of the Wilshire Comedy Group, which performs at the restaurant several times a year, entered the room and announced our master of ceremonies for the evening, Eric Haft.  

Haft, from East Northport opened awkwardly as he began making fun of Italian restaurant owners while Michael, the owner of Sergio’s, happened to be in the room. But as soon as Michael left the audience breathed a sight of relief and started to respond to his comedic portrayal.  

“If there’s a heart next to your dish that just means call your cardiologist,” he joked about the heart-healthy logos on the menus.  

He went on to do a number of impressions of famous actors doing Shakespeare. He did a great Marlon Brando but his Robert DeNiro didn't sound like the actor. He bounced back with  his impression of Sammy Davis Jr. which  was the highlight of the night.  

Haft then introduced the second comic of the evening, Les Degen. The short and zany comic from Seaford was hit and miss with a couple of his jokes. He banked a lot of Jewish comedy which worked for Jewish audience members, but appeared to go over the heads of others in the crowd.  

“My parents were so Jewish I wasn’t allowed to play Lacrosse, I had to play La Star of David,” he jested.  

But he won the audience over with hilarious parodies such as "The Flintsteins", his alternative version of "The Flintstones." His take on Diana Ross as a traffic cop, and Frank Sinatra singing the lyrics of a Jay-Z song, which closed his act, also scored.  

Haft then gave way to ex-Law and Order actor, John Shea. Also hailing from Seaford, Shea opened with a bang.  

“I just got back from the coast to coast tour, Oyster Bay to Seaford,”  he told the local crowd.

 The rest of his act is mostly visual, though amusing. Some jokes were predictable but still worked.  He struck gold with his assessment on the current state of The Beach Boys.  

“The Beach Boys used to sing about the little old lady from Pasadena, now they are dating her,” he said.  

The audience had a great time dining and burning off the calories by laughing themselves silly.  The Wilshire Comedy Group should consider it a successful night.