Anyone who followed Revere High sports in the 1990s will remember the name Misci.
Matt Misci was a captain of the 1994 Revere High School ice hockey team and also vice president of his class. His sister, Marla, was an RHS cheerleader who went on be the captain of the Division 1 Boston College football cheerleading team.
Their cousin, Bryan Misci, was an RHS baseball standout during the mid-1990s golden era and went on to excel at Stonehill College. Bryan succeeded David Lightbody behind home plate for Al Blasi’s then-mighty Patriots.
Revere sports fans and residents will now have the opportunity to see Matt Misci perform next Friday at another local venue.
He will not be wearing the skates of his starry Patriots’ days at Cronin Rink, but he will have his trademark scally cap on when he takes the stage for a show at Casa Lucia in Revere.
Matt, 42, is a newly minted professional comedian who will be opening the Chris Flahive-produced “DeMaino’s Comedy Series†show that will also feature Paul D’Angelo, Frank Santorelli, and Sal Votano. Vocalist Joey Canzano will showcase his musical talent at the evening of food and fun.
The son of Thomas and Gail Misci of Revere, Matt entered the standup comedy scene a year ago.
He has performed at Salvatore’s in Lawrence and the Cape Cod Comedy Festival and for Mad World Entertainment in Middleton.
It was his lifelong friend, Chris Flahive, who inspired Matt to bring his sense of humor in to a wider spotlight.
“Matt posted some videos of his stuff and I knew growing up with his family that he was always so charismatic and quick witted,†said Flahive. “So after a few months of seeing him do the open mic’s (microphones), I reached out to Matt to see if he thought he was ready for the big stage. “He brought the Revere crew up to the Merrimack Valley and did a great job.â€
Matt said he is grateful to Flahive for his support, encouragement – and excellent bookings.
“Chris had me open for Lenny Clarke and Kevin Farley (brother of the late SNL star Chris Farley),†said Matt. “And all of this is possible because of Chris (Flahive) and his CPF Productions.â€
Solid roots in Revere
Growing up in Revere, Matt Misci attended K-8 at the AC Whelan School, just a stone’s throw from where he will be performing his comedy act.
He distinguished himself in the Revere Youth Hockey program and played four years of varsity hockey for Jim Palumbo’s teams.
Following his graduation from Fitchburg State University, Matt returned to Revere High School and took a position as a ninth-grade science teacher. He was a supervisor at Home Depot (“I got a lot of my comedy material there,†he says) before deciding to attend barber school. He became an instructor at New England Hair Academy and is now a barber at Dante’s Barber Shop in Malden.
Large hometown
crowd expected
The Friday night show at Casa Lucia is a near sellout at this point. Flahive has assembled an outstanding show while DeMaino’s, a landmark local restaurant, will cater the event with a buffet dinner and dessert.
D’Angelo, a former assistant district attorney and star of a Showtime TV series, and Santorelli, who appeared regularly on the HBO hit, “The Sopranos,†are among the most popular comedians in New England. Votano is a rising comedian from next door in Lynn.
“Chris is very popular with the local, elite comedians,†credited Matt. “He’s not only a promoter but he’s actually friends with these comedians. And that makes it a tight circle and I feel like I’ve been welcomed in. It’s been nothing but fun.â€
Matt is looking forward his first appearance in Revere.
“I’m very excited to be performing in Revere,†said Matt. “I think it’s a good way to kick off the summer and let the guys from DeMaino’s Restaurant know that we can do this a lot and keep the entertainment in Revere.â€
What are his goals in the profession?
“I just want to keep making people laugh and having fun,†said Matt. “I’ve just built up confidence and I’m going to keep doing it, keep performing.â€
