Gerry Dee to bring comedic stylings to the Regent

By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express

Gerry Dee is making his way to Oshawa’s Regent Theatre to put on a show. Alone. On a stage.

Dee, who has made a name for himself as a Canadian comedian and actor, will be bringing his comedic stylings to the Regent Theatre on Feb. 20 and 22, at 8 p.m.

His latest Canadian tour is called Alone. On a Stage. and will start in St. Catharines on Friday, Jan. 17, and finish in Kitchener on Saturday, May 2.

“It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been in Oshawa, so it’s a bit of an updated version [of my show],” Dee told The Oshawa Express. “I’ll bring some of the new stuff I’m working on, and some of the stuff some people haven’t seen.”

He notes one of his shows is already almost sold out, and he always has a good turnout when he comes to Oshawa.

“It’s a great city for me,” he says.

Having hit the stage in Oshawa before, Dee feels the city is a great place.

“In my 20 years of stand up my largest show was [in Oshawa], so it says a lot right there,” he says.

Dee adds the best part of coming to Oshawa is how supportive the audiences have been.

The comedian is aware Oshawa has been dealing with its own trials and tribulations as production ended at the General Motors plant.

“It’s tragic. It’s such an important part of Oshawa, for Canadians, I mean, I drive a GM,” says Dee. “It’s just when you think of Oshawa you think of GM, and when you think of GM you think of Oshawa. I know that’s going to hit families, and it’s tough, but hopefully a night of laughs is something that can ease that a little bit.”

He adds his show won’t be able to solve any problems, but he hopes it will help to ease some stress.

Dee has also been named the host of Family Feud Canada, a role he just started on Dec. 16.

“It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve filmed probably 10 to 12 episodes already, and maybe more,” he says. “It’s not something I didn’t expect, but I just didn’t know how much fun I’d be having… it’s a blast.”

He explains he’s incorporating his own brand of humour into the show, but has also been watching American host Steve Harvey.

“It’s very helpful to watch him and see where he does it and when he does it, but obviously my humour’s different and I’ll have different things to respond off of, but we’ve had some really funny moments already,” says Dee.

He believe it’s a balancing act, but he’s learning more and more with each taping.

The former star of sitcom Mr. D explains he’s always working to keep his stand up fresh, and hone his craft because stand up is where it all started for him.

“I’ve never stopped, I love doing it, and I’ll never stop as long as I can do it,” he says.

Dee hopes the audiences in Oshawa will get a lot of laughs.

“I talk a lot about being a father, and a husband, a lot of things I think people can relate to,” he explains. “It’s not hard to follow my act, and I’d say I’m generally fairly clean, I don’t get really dirty on stage, so it’s pretty safe if you’re in high school or older to come.”

For those interested in getting tickets, they are $65.50 for a regular seat, and $85.50 for premium seat, and can be bought at regenttheatre.ca