Gerry Dee returning to stand up comedy roots

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

Gerry Dee is stepping out of the classroom and onto the stage of Oshawa’s Tribute Communities Centre.

The star of CBC’s Mr. D is returning to his stand up roots with a nationwide tour throughout April and May.

Before his current television role, Dee made a name for himself in the Canadian comedy club circuit.

“It’s where it all started for me,” he tells The Oshawa Express, stating he always enjoys getting back out on the road.

For him, stand up provides an avenue to connect more personally with his fans.

“There’s no other art form like stand up comedy,” he says

For those who have yet to see Dee’s act, he describes himself as “a pretty clean comic.”

“There is no bedroom or bathroom humour. I don’t say anything that a high school student hasn’t heard,” he explains.

As society has changed over the years since Dee entered comedy, the parameters of stand up have as well.

“There are certainly things that you wouldn’t say now,” he acknowledges. However, for Dee, stand up comedy has always been based on people finding and seeking humour in perhaps taboo or uncomfortable topics.

Joining him in Oshawa will be Mayce Galoni, a Hamilton-based comedian.

Speaking on Galoni, who is in his early 20s, Dee says it’s rare to see a comedian reach such a level at such a young age.

“It’s amazing what he’s accomplished,” Dee says.

Years before he played an educator on television, Dee was both a substitute and full-time teacher.

Although this experience was a huge influence on Mr. D., the show has evolved significantly from that original concept, becoming a success with both critics and audiences.

And in Dee’s view, the show has only gotten better as time has gone on.

Dee is also well known for his ‘Gerry Dee – Sports Reporter’ segment, which aired on The Score – now known as SportsNet 360 – in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

An accomplished hockey and golf player in his postsecondary days, Dee created the character as way to lampoon sports reporters often asking athletes the same mundane and clichéd questions.

“It was to catch athletes off guard. I thought it would be funny to throw them curveballs,” he says.

The character quickly gained popularity with both viewers and athletes, which Dee says allowed him to gain one-on-one interviews with sports figures that may not have been available to other media.
Dee says the character remains a favourite of his fans and he has considered bringing it back in the future.

The Scarborough-native is scheduled for the Tribute Communities Centre on Friday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at tributecommunitiescentre.com, by phone at 1-877-436-8811 and in person at the ticket office, 99 Athol Street East. The show is for audiences 14-years-old and up.