Matteo Lane's Viral Comedy Success Isn't a Joke

Matteo Lane recently returned to the States after shooting a movie in England, but not in London, he says.

"I didn't say London," he says, laughing.

Back at home, the comedian is preparing to head out on the road again for his Can't Stop Talking Tour when New Times catches up with him.

While filming in Leeds, Lane enjoyed hanging out and speaking Italian with comedian Francesco de Carlo's brother. Lane is, in fact, a speaker of many languages besides Italian, a jack of many trades — trained in art and opera — and an advocate for the gay community. Most importantly, in this day and age, he dominates social media with his quick wit and clever quips.

Lane doesn't have to bring any of his other talents to his comedy, but it was his singing voice that led to the joke that solidified comedy as his full-time career. Fifteen years ago, at an open mic in Chicago 15, he came out singing "O mio babbino caro" ("Oh my dear Papa") in a falsetto.

"People were kind of confused, and they would all clap, and I'd say, 'That's a true story of how I came out to my dad.' and it got a huge applause," he recalls. Something clicked. "I've been doing comedy for 16 years, and not once do I feel like I made a wrong choice."

Comedy was still a bit of a boys club back then, and it was hard to find queer comics on stage. Lane first saw a man do stand-up comedy when he was 23. However, there were other voices that spoke to him, such as Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffin, and the late great Joan Rivers.

"A lot of times queer people and gay people listen to other voices on the fringe," he recalls first seeing Rivers' Bravo special Straight Talk in 2006, and being an older woman in comedy put her in that category. "Something about the way that she did stand-up was so different from anyone I'd seen before. She opened up a box I didn't know was available to me. It was something straight guys did, and the occasional woman did — and everyone else, you couldn't get in. Joan gave me the gift of curiosity. She had a rare talent of being able to be shitty toward people and have them laugh at it."
Thankfully, stand-up comedy has changed since those days. It's reflected in a lineup at the prestigious Comedy Cellar that Lane recalls. Besides himself, it included Jessica Kirson, Jaye McBride, Emma Willmann, and Sam Morril. "You're getting a trans woman, two lesbians, and a gay and a straight guy. It's really diversified," he observes. "Now that I'm a seasoned comic, I can watch all types of comedy and listen to their technique and joke writing and how they perform on stage. It's not so much who I identify with. But when people first get into comedy, that's kind of the first thing you do. Do I identify with this person?"

Now, you may not see the same level of diversity on big Netflix specials as in the comedy clubs. But Lane knows that most people are getting their comedy from social media. "Which is great because what other time would someone like myself have a chance of making it in this industry," he says.

On whether he's spent much time down in the southern tip of this Sunshine State, Lane asks, "You think I turned gay yesterday?"

When he first visited the Magic City 15 years ago, he says, he made all the mistakes, including staying at a "shitty hotel right on South Beach." But the next time, he visited with his Cuban and Miami-native friend. He enjoyed drinking cafecito with his friend's mom and speaking Spanish all over town. "And I absolutely fell in love with the city. Now, when I go to Miami, it's like a safe haven," he says. Since he's not a drinker, "It's more like, where am I going to eat? Who am I going to hang out with? Am I going to get tan?"

His history here onstage reflects his career as a whole. His first show in Miami was almost four years ago. He only sold 20 tickets, and they canceled the show. That's when he started posting online and building up a generous presence all over the internet. On his next visit, he had six sold-out shows at the Miami Improv. This time, he has two at the much larger Broward Center for the Performing Arts — one is sold out already.

Matteo Lane. 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, September 21, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; browardcenter.org. Tickets cost $39.50 to $110 via ticketmaster.com.