Comedian, podcaster John Poveromo hits Candlelight Theater Jan. 23

ARDENTOWN – National comedian and critically-acclaimed podcast host John Poveromo is returning to the historic Candlelight Theater on Thursday, Jan. 23rd.

Poveromo, who hosts “Dystopia Tonight…” and has been a comedian for 20 years, has performed in the First State a few times, including Candlelight in 2024. 

“Just connecting with the people there is great,” Poveromo, the New Jersey native, said. “The theater only does comedy there once a month, so it really is a special event.”

The comic has recently had icons like Jay Leno, Paul Reiser, and Tim Matheson on his show, and he’s interviewed more than 200 award winning actors, musicians, comedians, and authors.

“The people that come out to see comedy at the Candlelight are true comedy fans,” he said. 

He said it’s nice to see many of the same faces in the crowd every time he returns to Delaware.

Admitting it’s a tad cliché, he said he wanted to become a comic because he loves making people laugh and the joy that comes with it.

“But I really just have [stuff] to say, and it’s a great outlet if you believe you have a voice and want to connect with people on a different level,” he said.

Especially in today’s political climate, he said comedy is as essential as ever, and even if two people disagree about something, it’s beautiful to see them join together in laughter.

“You can find common ground through that,” he said. “It’s kind of a great way to explain myself too.”

He said comedians always feel like they’re the bastard children of Hollywood.

“We’ve got like one foot in the door, but that door could slam anytime,” he said, “so you always come back to the stage. You always go back to comedy, and it’s a great way to let people know who you are.”

Comedy shows are a release for an hour, he said, where people can just sit in a room with a group of strangers and listen to somebody tell jokes, and there’s nothing better than that. 

Comedy at Candlelight

Once a month since 2008, the Candlelight Theater presents the Candlelight Comedy Club, where nationally and internationally, touring comedians are featured.  

There are three comedians – a headliner, a feature, and an emcee – and the host, Jason Pollock, also books the talent. 

“The comedians love our audiences and our space, so we’re a favorite in the comedy community,” said Betsy Conner, a spokeswoman for the venue. “Jason is a comedian himself and is well-loved in the comedy community, so with that combination, it is not surprising when a feature is also a headliner, so our audience gets a doubleheader headliner.”

On Jan. 23, all three comedians appearing tour nationally as headliners. Joanne Filan and Belynda Cleare are also performing. 

In addition to comedy venues, Candlelight Theater comedians have appeared in casino showrooms, on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, SiriusXM Radio, Conan O’Brian, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, America’s Got Talent, Showtime, and Netflix.

“We are thrilled to welcome John and Joanne back to the Comedy Club,” Conner said. 

The Candlelight Theatre is a dinner theatre open year-round and typically produces five musicals and one comedy annually. 

It kicks off its 2025 season Jan. 18 with the musical comedy “Something Rotten” and other shows this year will be “Bright Star” with music by Steve Martin, Jimmy Buffet’s “Escape to Margaritaville,” “Ragtime,” and Candlelight’s own “Christmas by Candlelight.”

Poveromo’s growth as a comedian

Calling Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld the “best of the best,” Poveromo said Robin Williams was his guy when he started comedy. 

“He was my gateway drug into comedy,” he said, “because I didn’t even know what stand-up was until I got into him.”

Some others who he enjoys and have inspired him include Tim Allen, Brett Butler, Paul Reiser, Drew Carey, Richard Lewis, Jon Stewart, Lewis Black, and Drew Carey.

“All those guys were f-ing huge influences on me, just because they were so present,” he said. “Everything you watched entertainment-wise had a comedian involved. Those guys were always the best. They were my heroes.”

He praised comedians like Seinfeld, who are famous for their meticulous process of coming up with material, always carrying around a legal pad and reworking the same joke for hours.

However, Poveromo likes to be spontaneous and off the cuff, which is a skill that also takes a lot of work and time to master.

“People think a lot of comedians go up, and they improvise, and then that’s it,” he said, “but a lot of it for me is writing down notes in my notepad on my phone of s##t that happens, or stuff that I think of, or sometimes stuff that I say conversationally to friends or family that I wind up thinking is funny or could be something.”

He then goes back through all his notes days or weeks later and decides what he still thinks is funny, then tries it on stage. 

“A lot of my material is very conversational, so it involves me working my way through stuff, so I work out on stage most of the time,” he said. 

Most comedians never open with a new bit, but that’s not a rule Poveromo subscribes to. 

“I do like to open with the new, because to me, it’s fresh and exciting, and also leads me into different places, in my own set, in my own act, because I don’t want to be bored either,” he said. “I think the audience can tell if you’re bored, so it’s just the way I happen to work. It’s just the way my mind works, and it’s easier for me to perform in a way that’s kind of new each time.”

He said he likes to have a mix of crowd work and material, but his goal is to make sure people are left guessing.

“I think one of the things that I’m known for is I’ve had other peers and other comedians be like, ‘I don’t know if that was a bit or if you just came up with that on the spot,’ and that’s perfect,” he said. “You’re not supposed to know.”

He loves talking to the crowd but thinks crowdwork is overused because it’s what sells on social media and often goes viral, when a comedian is jawing at or having an exchange with a person in the audience. 

But, he said playing with the crowd is the best way to connect with them.

“I want them to have a unique experience when they see me, rather than feeling like they’re getting the same thing each show,” he said. 

As a big Bruce Springsteen fan, Poveromo said in his two decades of a career, one show that stands out to him is when he opened for Jake Clemons from the E Street Band in 2023 at the historic Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey – a venue that helped bring Springsteen to the national spotlight.

Opening for Jimmy Fallon in 2009, when Fallon replaced Conan O’Brien on Late Night, was a big highlight of his career that sprung opportunities for him to open for national headliners. 

For aspiring comics, Poveromo suggests just getting on stage as much as possible.

“But the times have changed a bit there,” he said. “Always have a camera with you. Record every set you can, because you never know when you’ll come up with something new. You never know when you’ll get that audience moment that will get posted and go viral on the internet.”

To buy tickets to Jan. 23’s event, click here, and to listen to Poveromo’s podcast, click here.