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"My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy" comes to Arlington

The long, long wait has been worth it. After 29 years of waiting on tables for his big break in show business in New York City, Brad Zimmerman decided that now is the time.

Zimmerman will tell his hilarious and sometimes poignant story when “My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy” at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Mass. from May 1-25, 2014.

Produced by the same group behind “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m In Therapy,” “RESPECT: A Musical Journey  of Women” and “A Jew Grows in Brooklyn,” Zimmerman’s one-man show combines his training as an actor with years on the standup comedy circuit.

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If you’ve ever longed for something; if you ever desired it with all your heart; if you were willing to wait tables for 29 years to pursue your dream, “My Son the Waiter” is for you.

This hybrid 90-minute show weaves a bittersweet tale of one man's lengthy - and we do mean lengthy – struggle in New York. His send-ups on his family, career, childhood and misbegotten love life are as warm and poignant as they are hysterical.

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The Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel called the show “hilarious.”

“What makes audiences connect with this story is that it’s true,” the 58-year-old Zimmerman says.  “I really had to struggle as a waiter until I was in my mid-50s. My life began to change when I wrote a play about my life staring in 2005.”

“My Son the Waiter” is a performance for anyone who aspires to get the most out of their talents and is willing to stay the course.

His career now includes opening for the late George Carlin and being Joan Rivers’ opening act going on eight years. “I’ve had three great opening acts in my lifetime: Billy Crystal, Garry Shandling and Brad Zimmerman,” Rivers says.

He’s also worked with Dennis Miller, Julio Iglesias and Brad Garrett, and he played Johnny Sack's lawyer in one of the best television shows of all time, "The Sopranos.”

Performances are scheduled at 2 and 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, 7 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Ticket prices are $47 on Wednesday and Thursday snd $57 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. All seats are reserved and can be purchased online at www.regenttheatre.com or at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington, or by calling 781-646-4849.

“My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy is produced by Philip Roger Roy and Dana Matthow.  For more information, visitwww.mysonthewaiter.com.

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