Garden of Laughs on sale: With Bill Burr, Jim Gaffigan, Jon Stewart; Steve Schirripa hosts
Steve Schirripa has somewhere to be.
On this snowy Tuesday, he’s due on the set of “Blue Bloods,” the police drama that kicks off its 14th season on CBS Friday night. He has played Detective Anthony Abetemarco for 130 episodes over the past nine seasons, nearly triple the 53 episodes in which he played Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri over five seasons on “The Sopranos.”
Friday also happens to be when tickets go on sale for another place Schirripa has to be.
On March 27, he’ll be at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, his fourth time hosting the Garden of Laughs, an all-star comedy fundraiser that fuels the Garden of Dreams Foundation. The foundation provides college scholarships, gives grants to nonprofits, and offers one-of-a-kind experiences to children who are from underserved communities or who are hospitalized.
(The foundation funded a basketball court at Children's Village in Dobbs Ferry, and has been a longtime partner with Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, two Westchester fixtures.)
“We're happy to be back. We need to replenish some of the dough for the kids, and we have a great lineup,” Schirripa said. “I'll get up, do my little schtick, and then I'll bring on the real comics. If you want to laugh, it's a great night.”
On the bill for Garden of Laughs
"The real comics"? Make that comedy heavyweights, many of whom could sell out the much larger Madison Square Garden without blinking an eye but are donating their time for the cause. (The Theater at Madison Square Garden seats 5,500; Billy Joel sells 19,000 seats at The Garden.).
On the bill: Bill Burr, Michael Che, Chris Distefano, Jim Gaffigan, Heather McMahan, Sam Morril and Jon Stewart.
The star list doesn't stop there, Schirripa said. There's also a deep bench of yet-to-be-announced presenters. In years past, they've included Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”), Deborah Messing (“Will & Grace”), Whoopi Goldberg, Spike Lee and retired boxer Gerry Cooney.
“You got a whole lot of celebrities around,” Schirripa said. “It's a night of seeing a lot of your favorite people.”
The actor, who is on the Garden of Dreams Foundation's advisory board, downplays the part he'll play on March 27, which also happens to be his wife's birthday.
“I like to say my job is the role of the bran muffin,” he quips in a well-rehearsed line. “I keep things moving.”
And move things he must. As host, Schirripa will introduce those celebrity presenters who will then introduce the comics.
A full calendar
The Garden of Laughs is just one night on the foundation's calendar. There's a host of other events:
Hospital visits by Knicks and Rangers and Rockettes;
Inspire scholarships of $15,000 a year for students to attend colleges, universities or trade schools;
The Garden of Dreams Talent Show at Radio City Music Hall, where kids perform on the World's Greatest Stage;
The Garden of Dreams Prom, held in the lobby of the Theater at MSG.
And "Moments of Joy," an exercise in once-in-a-lifetime wish fulfillment, everything from meeting a favorite athlete to training with a Rockette.
Schirripa recalled attending one of the first talent shows where about 100 people attended.
"Now, thousands of people show up and kids are working on their routines. This is stuff that they're going to remember forever. Meeting one of their heroes, whether it was a Knick or a Ranger or a Rockette. This could change the course of people's lives. Seriously. I'm not being overdramatic."
$6 million raised
All those things cost money, and the Garden of Laughs has been responsible for raising $6 million for the foundation.
Schirripa gives credit to MSG owner James Dolan for making sure that "every dollar goes where it's supposed to."
"Jim Dolan, this is what people don't hear about him, he's a very generous, kind man, when it comes to this," he said. "He shells out a lot of money and he does things, but nobody wants to write about that, of course."
Seeing the smiles on the faces of the kids whose lives are affected by the foundation "would bring tears to your eyes," the actor said.
The power of having people step up for those in need is not lost on the 66-year-old Schirripa, who grew up poor in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Now, as a recognizable actor, he's asked to participate in charity events.
"I can't do them all, but there are some that are closer to my heart. This is certainly one of them," he said. "Because I know how it could change a kid's life, and what it means to them. I grew up a poor kid. We used to go, they would give you $10 to shop at Macy's. They closed the store for us. I remember that to this day. I was probably 8 years old."
Tux shopping with King Henrik
Tricia Hiller, director of Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, said help from the Garden of Dreams Foundation is just a phone call away. And sometimes, no call is required.
Rangers greats Adam Graves and Chris Kreider, Hiller said, are frequent visitors, popping in to check on families. No entourage. No press. Just guys who care, who engage with kids in the hospital.
Hiller said the impact is enormous, and not only for the child who's a patient at Maria Fareri. Often, the child won't know who the athlete or star making an appearance is. But their parents, who are enduring their child's extended hospital stay, are touched by the gesture.
"We can't thank them enough for all that they do. We work so closely with them and they truly understand the gift that they can bring," Hiller said.
Then there's the Garden of Dreams prom.
"The prom is done to give kids who wouldn't have had the opportunity because of whatever issue, whether it's a medical issue, if it's one of the kids from Children's Village or one of the other agencies that they work with. They throw a prom. They get them outfits and the girls get the hair done."
The athletes want to make an impact, Hiller said. They know how fortunate they are.
"They try and find some of the things that to some people are little, but to sick kids or kids from disadvantaged areas are huge," Hiller said. "Who goes shopping for a tux with (Rangers great) Henrik Lundqvist? Not many people."
But that happened, thanks to the foundation and Lundqvist.
Garden of Laughs
What: Garden of Laughs all-star comedy show to benefit the Garden of Dreams Foundation
When: 8 p.m., March 27.
Where: Theater at Madison Square Garden
Who: Bill Burr, Michael Che, Chris Distefano, Jim Gaffigan, Heather McMahan, Sam Morril and Jon Stewart. (Lineup subject to change.) Hosted by Steve Schirripa.
Tickets: Start at $90.55 (including fees).
On Sale: 10 a.m., Feb. 16 at www.ticketmaster.com. Then Feb. 17 at MSG, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre box offices.
Quotable
Steve Schirripa and Michael Imperioli's podcast, "Talking Sopranos," was an episode-by-episode conversation about the ground-breaking HBO series, with behind-the-scenes memories and their unique perspective on the entertainment industry. It ended, Schirripa said, because: "We went through all the episodes. There was nothing else to talk about."
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Steve Schirripa hosts Garden of Laughs: Stewart, Burr, Gaffigan on tap
