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Upscale Performance

Dean Napolitano turns fine dining into fun dining during unique set at upscale Arturo's restaurant in posh Boca Raton.

by Chuck king
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BOCA RATON – Sunday night’s performance at upscale restaurant Arturo’s felt a little different to veteran comic Dean Napolitano.

It’s a feeling he can embrace.

“This is like dinner theater almost here because you are getting great food, so people are happy, and they are paying the ticket price and they are here to see a show so they are focused,” Napolitano said.

Experienced at performing everywhere from dive bars to outdoor parties to fancy theaters, Napolitano headlined a Sunday show that included local comics Nadeem Awad and David “Sadman” Sadaka.

Attendees dined on a a three-course meal from the renowned Boca Raton restaurant, with couples splitting a bottle of wine.

Napolitano enjoyed a browse through Arturo’s before taking the stage, spending extra time in a spot that is a true rarity in low-lying coastal South Florida.

“This is a really fancy restaurant. They’ve got a freakin’ wine cellar here,” Napolitano said.

A room packed with people born during the Ronald Reagan administration or earlier spent most of Napolitano’s 45 minute set laughing along with him as he told tales of his New York childhood, life with his aging father and the issues with raising children in modern times.

“It was great,” Arturo’s co-owner Rosaria Gismondi said. “People interacted and they related to whatever the comedians were saying. I think it was a success.”

Known for his crowd work, Napolitano effortlessly captured the tables close to the stage as well as those near the back of the room as he cleverly weaved is way through Sunday’s set.

“It’s actually perfect for comedy,” Napolitano said of Arturo’s. “You could fit probably 100 in here. The ceilings are perfect. The restaurant itself is gorgeous. And being Italian, I just felt right at home.”

Working the room for the first time, Awad felt free to dip into some of his older routines for a crowd mostly unfamiliar with his work.

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“I thought for the first show held there it was a home run,” Awad said.

Sadman opened and masterfully hosted the night.

The show marked the first at Arturo’s for Sadman Comedy Productions. The success of the night ensured there will be another. Sadman productions already announced a second date at Arturo’s, a Nov. 15 show with Jimmy Shubert headlining.

“There is always a time and place to laugh, especially now,” Gismondi said.

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