Comedian Ralphie May to Make Treasure Island Debut

"Unruly" comic Ralphie May kicks off another year of standup comedy at Treasure Island January 2 at 9 p.m.

Twenty-five years into a standup career that began at the age of 17 with a contest to open for Sam Kinson, Ralphie May has filmed five Comedy Central specials and toured extensively around the world with the USO. With his latest special releasing on Netflix the same day as the latest season of "House of Cards," May hopes the online streaming service will only grow his audience.

"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. 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."

The raw, uncensored hallmarks of mentor Kinison are evident in May's set, but he doesn't deal in simple outrage, building a routine that's rich, deep and fearless. He balances boyish charm, withering introspection and compassion for his fellow human being with observations both dirty and honest.

"When I was a kid, my grandmother taught me how to crochet and how to quilt, and that's kind of how I do an act," May said. "I have one-liners, I have dirty jokes, but I also have long stories that are 10 or 20 minutes long and the laughs come every eight seconds. It's a different set. And it's a different life than most people have led."

In his latest uncensored and unfiltered set, he riffs on pop culture, race, his own excesses, the dangers of meeting Anderson Cooper and the mesmerizing deliciousness of Chick-fil-A.

Tickets are available starting at $45.95, plus taxes and service charges, and can be purchased by calling 866-712-9308 or 702-894-7722, or visiting www.treasureisland.com.

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