Johnny T’s restaurant will host comedians Will Green and Bob Phillips for a night of stand-up March 28.
Green will open the show and serve as emcee, and Phillips will follow as the headliner. Doors will open at 8 p.m., and the show will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are available at Johnny T’s for $12 ahead of time and $15 at the door the day of.
Desiree Andrews, who owns Johnny T’s with her husband, said the restaurant has hosted 10 comedy nights since the couple bought the business in September 2024.
“My husband and I wanted to bring back comedy clubs because they used to do it back when it was Savarino’s,” Andrews said. “It gets people out and doing things during the winter months with the cold.”
Savarino’s became Johnny T’s when Rick Tropiano took over the restaurant in 2009.
Philips performs stand-up comedy at venues across the United States. He grew up in a large Irish-Catholic family and said he learned early on how to read a room and when to tell a joke.
“I’ve been at this for 25 years, and it’s the only thing I ever wanted to do,” Phillips said.
Phillips also has a connection to Hillsdale; his sister Amy Fitzpatrick graduated from Hillsdale College in 1991.
Phillips said he has several comedy sets that he draws material from.
“I have three albums that are on Sirius XM that I’ve done over the last 15 years. And so I have a lot of material, and I never do the same show twice,” Phillips said.
Each crowd reacts differently, according to Phillips.
“I have an idea in my head about what I’m going to start with, and how I’m going to test the crowd and see what they want, where they want to go. Then I gauge that and go into a certain set of material that feels right for that audience,” Phillips said. “Any stand-up comedian who’s been at it this long can tell you they know within two minutes what the audience is like and what they want and what they’ll accept.”
The first few minutes serve as a test to understand the audience.
“I have a couple of opening jokes that push the limits a little bit,” Phillips said. “It tells me pretty immediately if the crowd is not into it.”
Phillips said he pivots quickly depending on the crowd’s reaction.
“If they’re rejecting it, then I will go in a different direction. But if they like the first couple of jokes, then I know I have my crowd, and I give them the material that I most like to perform.”
Phillips explained that, ultimately, the audience needs to enjoy the show.
“But at the end of the day, you’re there to perform for a crowd and give them a fun evening,” Phillips said. “I’m an entertainer, so I have to entertain.”
