Funny Business

It’s not difficult to trace the humor roots of David Brenner and Dom Irrera. Both veteran standup comics are Philly-flavored. Each spins yarns in a very familiar manner. Brenner and Irrera drop names, use demonstrative gestures and are just plain hilarious.

The humorists that already share so much will share a bill tomorrow and Saturday at the Tropicana in Atlantic City.

As he prepares to play for the hometown crowd, Brenner is reflecting on how the neighborhood shaped him.

"Where it started for me was South Fourth St.," the comic says on a phone interview from his Las Vegas home. "South Philadelphia is a very funny and real place and so is West Philly, which is where I moved when I was 7.

Brenner, 59 (his purported age, a matter of eternal debate), left the City of Brotherly Love nearly 40 years ago. But no matter where the lanky, well-preserved performer has called home — New York, Aspen or Los Angeles — he’s still very Philly.

"I was born and raised there, so I can’t escape it," he says. "I had to leave Philadelphia in order to achieve certain things, but I still feel like I’m a part of things there."

The affable entertainer has achieved a great deal in the industry. Brenner hosted The Tonight Show 75 times during the Johnny Carson era. He also penned Soft Pretzels with Mustard and other amusing tomes over the last 20 years. The comedian hosted his own talk show during the late ’80s and has been a popular standup act throughout his career.

"I have nothing to be ashamed of," Brenner says. "I’ve had a great time doing what I’ve done. During the early ’70s, I hit the mother lode on The Tonight Show and I’ve been very fortunate since then."

However, making a sitcom has proven his one elusive project. During the mid-’70s, Brenner shot a few episodes of Snip, which featured the funnyman as a stylist at a salon. Previews for the show ran; however, NBC cut Snip three days before the program was to air.

"That stuff never happens," Brenner says. "No one ever gets canceled a day or two before you’re set to go on, but it happened to us. The network was uneasy because we had a gay character in a hair salon. Can you imagine that? We were just too gay before our time.

"It’s funny. We weren’t allowed to air because we had a gay character on our show. Now you can’t get on the air without a gay character."

Brenner has made a career out of observational humor. Jerry Seinfeld is cut from the same cloth — an amusing Jewish comedian who pokes and prods at what he sees day to day.

"I like Jerry very much," Brenner says. "As a matter of fact [during the ’80s], I wrote a sitcom with him in mind but he said he wasn’t interested because he wanted to stay on the road.

"During a performance in front of 1,500 people, this woman yells out, ‘Jerry Seinfeld knows you’re the original!’ Fifteen-hundred people applauded. I responded by telling them that when I met Jerry Seinfeld, he was a short, fat, black man. But I’m not bitter about Jerry’s success. Seinfeld was a great show."

Since Brenner is approaching his twilight years, he isn’t expecting a shot at another sitcom.

"When you’re over 50, it’s tough in television," he says. "But I always have standup. I love the fact I’m doing shows with Dom. I think he’s great. He’s so Philadelphia."

Indeed. Irrera’s signature line, "Badda Boom Badda Bing," as well as such monikers as Joey Bag o’ Donuts, Fruitfly and Weasel, were lifted from his South Philadelphia roots.

"I grew up in a very funny place," says Irrera, who attended St. Nicholas of Tolentine, Ninth and Pierce, and even did a teaching stint in a West Philly Catholic grade school. "Everything in my act is based on real people and places."

The 51-year-old has a reputation as an Italian-American comedian, but he’s certainly not one-dimensional.

"You have to appeal to more than one group," says Irrera, who still has family living in the area. "I can’t be just doing [ethnic] stuff if I want to please myself. I need to say what’s on my mind and there’s more on there than stuff from the old neighborhood."

Irrera has appeared on Seinfeld, The King of Queens and Everybody Loves Raymond. The charismatic entertainer enjoys his television work, but his heart is in standup.

"It’s so great to be up there on a stage and do what you want," Irrera says. "In TV, for the most part, the funny people aren’t making the decisions. Usually the executives have no idea about comedy and that makes it so frustrating. A show like Seinfeld was the exception … I loved doing it because [executive producer] Larry [David] brought me in and didn’t make me audition.

"I appreciated the fact that I didn’t have to dance for a part. But you usually have to jump through hoops to get a part and that’s such a drag. I’m so thankful there’s standup. I absolutely love it."

Irrera has no problem with the mega-popular HBO series The Sopranos calling the strip club on the show Badda Bing.

"Let them have it," Irrera says. "It’s not my [intellectual property]. I got it from the streets. Besides I don’t want to be the Badda Bing guy and sell Badda Bing T-shirts. I just want to be the guy onstage doing my thing."

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David Brenner and Dom Irrera appear tomorrow and Saturday at the Tropicana in Atlantic City. Tickets are $40, $60 and $75. Show times are 9 p.m. tomorrow and 8 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 800-THE TROP (800-843-8767).