WEST PALM BEACH – Initially, Luis Diaz’s mother sent condolences.
Over the phone minutes later Raquel Diaz scolded her son for lying.
Finally, Diaz and husband Luis Diaz Sr. screamed in jubilation.
Little time elapsed between Diaz learning he was one of five comics advancing from Wednesday’s Florida’s Funniest Comedian contest semifinals to the finals and him sending his father – among others – a text. It read, simply, “I’m into the finals.”
The lengthy text message he received in response from his father elicited bewildered laughter from the comic. It ended with, “Never give up on your dreams.”
A text from Raquel immediately followed.
It read: “God’s timing is not ours. You will make it.”
A laughing Diaz told others around him in the Palm Beach Improv lobby that apparently his father had incorrectly read the text, then passed the incorrect information to Raquel.
After pondering a suggestion that he consider letting them continue to think he had lost for a while, Diaz elected to call his mother to set her straight with the good news.
Her first response? She asked why he lied in the initial text.
“They speak English, bro,” Diaz said after finally convincing his parents that he was one of the night’s five winners. “It shouldn’t happen and it did.”
Nadeem Awad, Ricky Cruz, Danny Johnson and John Loveless advanced along with Diaz to the finals, scheduled for Dec. 28 at the Palm Beach Improv.
Wednesday’s competition provided a Space Mountain of emotions for Diaz. Terrible turnpike traffic on the drive north from Miami caused Diaz to arrive at the Palm Beach Improv late – about a half hour before his scheduled stage time. Had he been randomly selected as the first performer, rather than the eighth, he would have walked from the door straight to the stage.
“There was a point where the cars were stopped on the turnpike and I was like, maybe I should turn around and go home. I’m going to be so late. But then I was like, wait, I’m from Miami. They expect me to be late,” Diaz said.
Diaz passed some of the time during the drive by talking on the phone with Cruz, a fellow Miami-area comic stuck in the same traffic on his way to compete in the contest.
Like his former podcast partner Diaz, Cruz also ended the night with a smile. He, too, advanced.
“I hate contests,” Cruz said, “They are so fucking nerve-racking. You drive an hour-and-a-half to do five minutes. And you don’t know how it’s going to go. It was a really hot room tonight so it was tons of fun.”
Cruz employed a little hyperbole in his comment. The 12 competitors in Wednesday’s east coast semifinals actually had six minutes to impress the judges.
Danny Johnson, one of the two comics who advanced from the Fort Pierce semifinals, took the stage dead last. His was the first name announced as a winner.
The veteran Jacksonville-area comic powered through distractions such as the distribution of dinner checks and several audience members leaving early to deliver a set packed with punchlines.
“The waiting is the hardest part,” Johnson said. “Then nerves build and build and build. And I’m not comfortable until I get the first laugh. Sweating. Nervous. As soon as you get that first laugh it’s smooth sailing.”
The two other finalists, Awad and Loveless, were as much relieved as they were excited to advance. Neither comic particularly liked their semifinals performance.
A late inclusion in the Palm Beach first round, Loveless’ post-semifinals vibe proved decidedly different from the elation he felt advancing to that stage.
“I got nervous,” Loveless admitted. “I got in my own head. I was never worried about how other people did. When I came, it was like, if I do the best I can do I’ll make it. I didn’t feel like I did my best, which, you know what? People need to look out next round.”
Awad started slowly, with his new red wine bit only drawing a few chuckles. But when Awad launched into his Brightline bit, he started rolling and ultimately advanced to his second-consecutive finals.
“It took a little bit to connect with the audience,” Awad said. “Once I got out of my first bit, and then I connected with the Brightline bit – it has a lot of tags – that just saved me.”
The five winners from Wednesday will be joined by west coast winners Donald Evans, Wesley Johnson, Joe Latham, Jay Legend and Dewayne Williams in the finals. And there could be one or two more comics added should contest organizer elect to toss in a wildcard – which she’s done in the past.
