Berkshire Theatre Group to Welcome Ralphie May, 4/25

Berkshire Theatre Group welcomes Last Comic Standing acclaimed comedian, Ralphie May on Saturday, April 25 at 8pm at The Colonial Theatre.

Tickets for Ralphie May are on sale for $35 and $45. For tickets, contact the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield by calling 413-997-4444, or purchase online at www.berkshiretheatregroup.org. The Ticket Office is open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am- 2pm or on any performance day from 10am until curtain.

For 25 years, Ralphie May has appeared at the biggest venues, slayed every late-night audience multiple times, recorded a special for every comedy-loving network on television, traveled the world for the USO and reached the level of popularity few standup comedians have attained.

Yet, little compares to the amount of exposure May will receive on Feb. 27 when Netflix exclusively launches his new comedy special Unruly at the same time it releases the new season of House of Cards.

"That's the biggest launch in Netflix history," May said. "The wave for House of Cards is a tsunami and I'm the fat guy trying to body surf. What's up? It's going to be incredible. These guys are taking me to the middle of the country. They're taking me into people's homes. I'm the luckiest guy in America."

You could make the argument May already was among the luckiest, with a charmed career that's equal parts sweat equity and choking the life out of every opportunity that came along. He fell in love with comedy after performing at a church conference at age 13, and winning unexpected rewards. He turned professional at 17 when he opened for Sam Kinison after winning a contest as a student at the University of Arkansas.

"He told me to move to Houston," May said, "so I didn't wait till graduation. I just left: 'I'm going to Houston to do standup.' And that was 25 years ago. It's crazy."

Houston was a comedy Mecca at the time with seven clubs and a thriving, competitive scene. May could work all the time, and he did, also landing a radio gig that helped expand his reputation. He eventually earned a spot on the first season of Last Comic Standing, and though he finished second, he might as well have won with the way fans fell in love with his over-the-top persona. May doesn't shy away from touchy topics, nor does he bite his tongue when society suggests-he believes that as long as what he's saying is true, people need to hear it.

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