Comedian Dave Reilly will perform at the Gaslight Theater in Sistersville on Feb. 12 with special guests Joey Scarpelli and Sean Ryan.

If laughter is the best medicine, area residents can brace themselves for a cure-all on Feb. 12 as the Gaslight Theater in Sistersville plays host to Comedian Dave Reilly with special guest comics Joey Scarpelli and Sean Ryan.

Reilly, the headlining act, is a powerful stand-up comedian who tours nationwide on a mission to make his audience “laugh with passion.” He comes to Sistersville armed to the hilt with an arsenal of comedic material that is a mix of off-the-cuff improv and real life situational components involving his family, his job and his relationship woes – topics to which most audiences can relate. Reilly remarked, “The names may be different, but the situations are the same. You will sear I’ve been following you around!”

Not into comedians? Reilly urges people to come to his show regardless, noting that stereotypes do not apply to his performance. “My show is for people who don’t normally like stand-up, because I am not your average stand-up comedian.”

Being mentored by numerous comedy greats throughout the years has afforded Reilly the opportunity to hone his skills and material. This material and improv now stands on its own as one of the longest non-stop-hilarious stand-up comedy shows currently on tour in the United States.

Reilly hasn’t always been centerstage, however. Once a businessman, Reilly stumbled into his current profession quite by accident. “As a kid, everyone was always telling me to get a real job. Well, I never wanted a real job,” he explained.

In fact, when Reilly was a teenager all he really wanted was a loud stereo. One day he went to a local electronics store to look around. When none of the floor models were able to produce the noise he was looking for, a savvy store clerk herded Reilly to the back room where he unveiled concert quality sound equipment and an amplifier once owned by AC/DC. For Reilly, it was love at first sight.

Reilly purchased the equipment and set it up in his bedroom, much to the chagrin of his mother. When his friends came over to visit, he would entertain them with an uninterrupted mix of music. “One of my friends said I was like a DJ,” said Reilly. “I never thought of it that way, though. I was just listening to loud music.”

Then one evening, out of the blue, another friend called Reilly to see if he could bring his equipment to a party. He was a hit. More engagements stemmed from the party and soon, Reilly established his first business at the age of 16. By the time he was 25-years old, he had employees working under him. He would later purchase night clubs in two states, as well as a comedy club.

“I was doing something that I loved, so it didn’t seem like work to me,” said Reilly.

He was his own boss, but his career would soon take an abrupt turn. “I was at my comedy club one night and a comedian I hired didn’t show up,” he explained. “So I went up on stage to warm up the crowd. I told a few jokes but there was this wise guy who wouldn’t be quiet, so I went at him.”Though Reilly wasn’t looking for a laugh, that was what he got – along with the approval of the audience. “I thought to myself, if this is comedy, I can do this!”

Since his epic debut as a comedian nearly 20 years ago, Reilly has been the headlining act on stages from coast to coast and has been featured on numerous television and radio shows.

But don’t expect Reilly to take to the Gaslight’s stage astride a single barstool as he sips a glass of water in “prima donna” fashion. Instead, he will light up the room with state-of-the-art stage equipment, props and backdrops that all play second fiddle to this three-hour show. “If the crowd is

with me, I can go all night,” Reilly commented. “It’s not my magic that makes this work, it’s an agreement between me and the audience.”

Reilly will share the stage with two of his friends.

Seasoned comedy veteran Joey Scarpelli will be on hand to stir up a few laughs. Scarpelli has been entertaining crowds with his zany comedy stories for the past 20 years.His comedy will take the audience through his childhood to the present day problems that just seem to follow him wherever he goes.

He performs his comedy show coast to coast and is a top feature comedian.He has performed at The Improv, Caroline’s, and The New York Comedy Club as well as featured performances at The Venetian in Las Vegas.

Ryan, a newcomer to the comedy arena, will serve as emcee for the evening and will also offer a few jokes to set the mood.

Prepare to let loose on Feb. 12, as Reilly, Scarpelli, and Ryan ignite a fury of laughter in downtown Sistersville. Doors will open at 7 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. performance. Tickets are currently available for $15 each.

To sweeten the deal, The Wells Inn will offer a dinner and show package for $35 per person. Dinner will be served in the hotel’s Red Rose Tea Room beginning at 5:30 p.m.

For more information on the theater, hotel, or the performance, call 304-652-1312.