There’s not much difference between teaching and performing as far as United Federation of Teachers member Gaspare Randazzo is concerned. “Stand in front of a classroom, stand in front of a stage, same thing to me,” said Randazzo, a history teacher at Susan Wagner High School on Staten Island for the past 13 years.
He would know. When not in the classroom, Randazzo’s a successful standup comedian who travels the country performing. His material centers on his experiences as a classroom teacher and funny interactions with students. He also appeared on the first season of the Netflix reality gameshow “The Trust: A Game of Greed,” co-hosts “The Social Studies Podcast” and is active on social media.
“It’s wild to me sometimes, I’ll be in a place like California or Oklahoma … and I’m like, how do they even know who I am? I was literally just talking about Alexander the Great in my classroom,” said Randazzo, who calls the experience super cool and humbling. “In my mind I still view myself as a teacher.”
Randazzo got into comedy as a stress reliever seven years ago after his son was born three months prematurely. “I wanted to do something fun, and I’d always thought about doing comedy,” he said. “I did an open mic and someone in the audience wanted to put me on a show and one show led to another show. It’s nice to get up in front of people and make them laugh.”
Randazzo's comedy act draws from his experiences as an educator and touches on some hot-button issues with his trademark high-energy positivity. Whether it's the constant threat of school funding cuts or dealing with ongoing staff shortages, his routine makes lighthearted jabs at some of the biggest issues all educators and schools face.
Despite his success, leaving the classroom isn’t in the cards. “Teaching keeps me grounded,” he said. “Also, if I did comedy full time I’d be away and I don’t want to be away from my kids, they’re young.
“So, if the comedy boat sails and I’m not on it, because I’ve spent more time with my family, I don’t think I’d ever look back and regret it,” said Randazzo. “Plus, every single day I go to work is more material — I’ll never run out of material as long as I keep teaching!”
Visit gasparerandazzo.com for show dates and information.