March 2, 1997

Warren Durso, a self-described "Italian from New York who looks like a Jew," curtained for headliners D.T., a recent UCF grad, and Mike Reynolds, a stand-up from L.A., at Bonkerz Comedy Club this weekend. The comics' targets ranged from Italians, Jewish folks and women to gay men, rednecks, Bob Dole and, of course, O.J.

D.T. added a bit of local flavor to the show with rants about UCF and his recent graduation. Reynolds got an immediate laugh as he took the stage and described his rough week. "I got my penis caught in a cabbage patch doll." While the routines were typical of stand-up--some jokes were funny; some weren't--the venue itself was unique. Maximum capacity at Bonkerz, located inside Dennis Scott's 3-D From Downtown, is about 150; there isn't a bad seat in the long, narrow room. There isn't a safe seat either. The adamant reaction of the two neatly dressed men Durso kept labeling "the two gay guys" was the highlight of my night.

The comics also seemed to enjoy the club's snug proportions. Reynold's called it a mini-fronton and then went on to connect Jai Alai to real life. It's just a bunch of "Jews paying Spanish people to run around and look busy." Durso compared the room to a walk-in closet in an up-north home.

Most seats were filled, and although only three comics performed on stage, I found myself equally entertained by some audience members. The tight quarters afforded a close-up view of their antics.

Anna Sheldon I'm a transplanted Detroiter who's slowly (and, I admit, a bit reluctantly) growing fond of Central Florida. I miss the Great Lakes, apple orchards, snow and six months of bug-free living, but I'm really getting used to the daily (almost) sunshine, the lack of slush and salt, pothole-free tourist-funded roads and not paying any state income tax. The thing that makes me feel most like a Central Florida native: In the two years I've lived here, despite the outrageous number of "visitors" I've had, I've managed to avoid going to the Magic Kingdom. Other Articles I've Written