ROCHELLE — Internationally-known standup comic Andy Beningo will perform at the Lincoln Arts Center at 108 S. Main St. in Rochelle on Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m.

Beningo has performed in all 50 states and has over 3,500 career performances worldwide under his belt. He is known for his clean and “every man” style and has performed for Fortune 500 companies, on cruise lines, and in some of the top comedy clubs in the country. Beningo has been named one of the 40 Best Up and Coming Comedians in the country, as well as "Best Comedian" by both the Detroit Metro Times and Detroit Hour magazine.

Tickets are $25 and are available online at vcctrochelle.org or at the door. An “Afterglow” option for the night will also be offered for $5 extra for up to 30 people where attendees can meet Beningo and enjoy a hot cocoa bar and cookies. 

Beningo, a Michigan native, has friends and family in Illinois that he wanted to go out to see. He found the Lincoln Arts Center when reaching out to venues to perform at. 

“It was actually kind of random,” Beningo said. “I came across the site and spoke with them and they seemed like great people. I fell in love with the venue after looking at it online. I talked to them about potentially doing a fundraiser or something and it fit in perfectly with what they were looking to do. With my show being a cleaner one, it was a good fit. We're really looking forward to the show.”

The Lincoln Arts Center is the renovated former home of Lincoln Elementary School, and is known to the community now as the home of the Vince Carney Community Theater. VCCT is one of the groups that rents the space, and the LAC has formed a committee of volunteers dedicated to bringing a variety of entertainment to Rochelle and maintaining and improving the facility. The LAC has a number of spaces for the community to rent, including the theater, a meeting room, or the lobby. 

LAC Committee Member Jessica Morris said she’s excited for a performer of Beningo’s caliber to come to the venue.

“Having someone like Andy come to town really sets the tone for the opportunities that the community can look forward to at the Lincoln Arts Center,” Morris said. “It's Friday night, you deserve a night out without traveling out of town. Grab dinner at your favorite local restaurant, then hop on over to the Lincoln Arts Center for some belly laughs!”

As a child, Beningo was always a fan of standup comedy, most notably comics like Steve Martin and Robin Williams. He overcame his shyness and an apprehension towards speaking in front of people and started doing open mics when he was in college. During that time he met other comics that took him on the road for performances. 

“It's kind of snowballed over the last 20 years,” Beningo said. “I’ve gotten to do some TV things. One of the things I'm most proud of is the fact that I've performed in all 50 states, which was sort of a bucket list thing. Any time you can make people laugh and make them forget about their problems, I want to do it. I think that's such a fun thing, to give people a nice night out. I've really been enjoying my job as a comedian.”

Beningo’s act centers around his wife and kids and his time as a middle school teacher. His “clean” style caters to all ages and doesn’t include any sexual or political content. Beningo’s style is rooted in the comedians he enjoyed growing up that employ universal humor.

“I loved Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano and Jim Gaffigan,” Beningo said. “It wasn't really a conscious choice to write clean or censor myself. The things I talk about are kind of universal or just things that I think are funny. You talk about your wife or kids, I feel like people can relate to it. To me, there's nothing better than getting a laugh and having people point to each other because they've seen a similar situation in their own lives. I think if you can get that element of relatability, it helps you connect with the audience even more.”

Beningo called 2024 “the perfect time” to be a comedian due to the availability of a wide array of mediums, and comedy clubs filling up again with people looking for a night out after the COVID-19 pandemic took place in recent years. He’s enjoyed seeing more comedy shows pop up across the country with so many different comedians with different perspectives and voices.

Beningo grew up in a small town, and back then, being a comedian seemed like a pipe dream to him. In Michigan, he took comedy classes from and opened for Bert "Chili" Challis, who was a writer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Challis helped him develop ideas and what to talk about on stage, and took him on the road. Andy called Challis “instrumental” in his start in comedy, and also thanked well-known comedian, actor and TV personality Frank Caliendo for his encouragement and help with his career. Beningo toured with Caliendo for 10 years. 

Performing at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City is one of Beningo’s most memorable career moments.

“Coming from a small town, it was pretty intimidating going to New York and on top of that trying to entertain New Yorkers,” Beningo said. “Getting to do that was incredible. I perform on a lot of cruise ships, which is kind of cool. I've gotten to bounce around Europe a little bit in England, Ireland and France. I've gotten to not only see the U.S., but other parts of the world. It's been crazy. I consider myself very lucky. I've worked really hard, but it's been really nice to get these opportunities.”