Rich Guzzi

WHAT: Comedy Hypnotist Halloween Show
WHERE: Comedy Zone
WHEN: Oct 28th – Nov 1st, 8:30pm & 10:30pm
Tickets: Tues, Wed, Thurs: $10-12 / Fri & Sat: $12-$14
INFO: www.comedyzone.com, (904) 292-4242

At first thought, a comedy club may seem like an odd place for someone to be performing hypnosis, a serious psychoanalytic tool that was often implemented by Sigmund Freud and other respected psychiatrists in the ancient history of psychological therapy. However, if you really think about the relaxation it takes to achieve hypnosis, is there a better place to release your anxiety than while watching stand-up?

“Yeah, exactly,” says Rich Guzzi, “I think it’s easier for me personally in the comedy club setting, because it’s non-threatening. We’re all there to have fun. It’s you and your friends. I think it’s way better this way.” Guzzi was a stand-up comic for 15 years before venturing into the world of hypnosis, but he still refers to himself very sternly as “a comedian first, a hypnotist second.” This sort of transformation is akin to a major league pitcher learning how to master a knuckleball 15 years into his career. While hypnotherapy can be used as a tool to achieve personal goals of well-being, such as smoking cessation or weight loss (Guzzi is also a motivational speaker), Guzzi’s main goal when he performs these shows on stage is to have fun with it. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing the big, burly biker dude spin like a ballerina under hypnotic control? Such things are par for the course during an evening with Guzzi.

From October 28th through November 1st, Guzzi will bring his multiple talents to the Comedy Zone for special Hypnotic Halloween shows at 8:30 and 10:30 pm. So what’s the difference between these ghoulish incarnations and one of his “normal” affairs? “With the Halloween show people come dressed up as different characters or whatever,” explains Guzzi, “So what I’ll do is I’ll tailor the show depending on who voluntarily comes on stage in various costumes so each show is different. You know, one night you might have Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, and another night you might have a Sasquatch and Little Red Riding Hood.”

But let’s get down to brass tacks–this is really all about seeing hot people dressed in seductive attire do raunchy things under hypnosis, right? The 10:30 showing is called the XXXtreme Hypnotic Halloween, where they get a little more naughty, and you are likely to see a “Catholic schoolgirl and a guy dressed up as a banana” scenario or two. Those who are easily offended are encouraged to attend the 8:30pm shows instead. “It’s great entertainment. It’s the world’s greatest Halloween party,” proclaims Guzzi.

OTHER LAUGHS
Patrick Keane 10/2 – 10/4
Claude Stuart 10/9 – 10/11
Andy Pitz 10/16 – 10/18
Florida’s Funniest Comedian Competition 10/23
Andy Woodhull 10/24 – 10/25
Dean Napolitano 10/30 – 11/1

Comedy Club of Jacksonville 11000 Beach Blvd,
(904)646-4277
[email protected] www.jacksonvillecomedy.com