Award-winning comedian Bill Engvall will perform on Jan. 14 at Parx Casino’s all-new Xcite Center
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
Bill Engvall is quite the stand up guy…literally. A perfect blend of husband, father and entertainer, the comedian has been bringing laughter to audiences since he first stepped on stage in 1980. On Sunday, Jan. 14, Engvall will grace the all-new Xcite Center at Parx Casino in Bensalem for a relaxed evening of relatable humor, touching on everything from marriage to the cell phone addictions of the younger generation.
Engvall’s upcoming Parx show is part of a comedy tour that’s been ongoing for a whopping 30-plus years. That’s right — for nearly four decades the award-winning, Grammy-nominated comedian has been hitting clubs and venues across the country, though it’s not as crazy as it seems.
Comparing his life to that of a band, Engvall explained how he works hard January through March then takes it easy during the summer. Over the years, he’s found winter to be the perfect season to attract a crowd.
“Everybody’s getting a little cabin fever,” he told The Times.
So if that last bout of snow left you feeling a little Jack Torrance-y, this could be the perfect chance to get out of the house and enjoy some light-hearted comedy. According to Engvall, while adult subjects are covered in his show, they’re tackled in a tasteful way.
“It’s just a good, old-fashioned, clean comedy show,” he said. “I want to give people a show everybody can relate to.”
Unlike other high-profile comedians, Engvall strays away from the controversial topics of politics and religion. When audiences attend his show, he wants to transport them away from the problems of the world rather than bombard them further.
Instead, he talks about common-interest topics, pulling inspiration from his personal life. Attendees can expect hilarious yet accurate depictions of everything from the next generation’s cell phone addictions to tidbits about his own marriage. When Engvall sees a wife in the crowd elbow her husband whispering “that’s you,” he knows he did his job.
“I have this theory we all do the same things, just with different accents,” he said.
Overall, Engvall doesn’t describe the evening as a “comedy show” but rather a gathering of family and friends on the living room couch.
“It’s a 90-minute conversation,” he said. “It’s a relaxing night.”
Throughout his comedic career, Engvall’s material has evolved to match his various stages of life. While he now speaks about parenting and how he unconsciously turned into his own father, this wasn’t always the case, especially during his early, unprecedented stand-up days.
As a young adult growing up in Galveston, Texas, Engvall had every intention of leading a “normal” life, working an average 9–5 job. But one risk changed everything. It was ameteur comedy night at the local disco (what the kids used to call nightclubs back in the day). Engvall planned to watch the show with a friend from the comfort and safety of the audience. That is, until he gained some liquid encouragement.
With this newfound confidence, he took the stage to try stand-up for the first time in his life. To his astonishment, people were laughing, genuinely enjoying his spur-of-the-moment material. He had found his calling.
Soon after, Engvall moved to Los Angeles, signing up for as many improv nights as he could. Because he wasn’t an established comedian yet, he was forced to perform the unwanted 1:30 a.m. slots. At the same time, Engvall became a father. With a newborn at home, the graveyard shift was far from ideal. He told the club owner his situation and immediately landed an 8:30 p.m. slot. When his fellow up-and-coming comedians asked how he pulled it off, his answer was simple.
“I just asked,” he laughed.
It was that combination of a driven yet easy going personality that made Engvall a force to be reckoned with in both the comedy and entertainment worlds. He currently hosts the weekly podcast “My Two Cents with Bill Engvall” with PodcastOne and appeared in the crime-thriller The Neighbor and holiday movie Wish for Christmas.
Probably Engvall’s most recent claim to fame was his shocking fourth-place finish on season 17 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.
“Physically, it was the most demanding experience of my life,” he said.
Paired with young professional Emma Slater, Engvall held his own each week as he mastered the paso doble, jive and tango, though he’s the first to admit his dancing skills were far from perfect. But viewers enjoyed voting for the underdog, the family man who kissed his wife in the audience after each performance. Judge Julianne Hough once described him and Slater as a dad dancing with his daughter, which pulled on more heartstrings.
Despite the physical challenges of the competition, Engvall described those few weeks as “amazing.” He even made a friend for life in the form of Slater. In March, things will come full circle when Engvall, now an ordained minister, marries his former partner to fellow Dancing with the Stars pro, Sasha Farber. ••
If you go…
Engvall’s comedy show will take place at Parx Casino’s Xcite Center, 2999 Street Road in Bensalem, on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 9 p.m. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at parxcasino.com/xcitecenter#. Keep up with Engvall at billengvall.com.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at [email protected]
