The Uncle Louie Variety Show has been making audiences laugh for years with its hilarious and unique take on growing up as an Italian-American. The show is composed of two dynamic comedians, Carlo Russo and Lou Greco, who have gained international popularity with the comedic celebration of their Italian heritage. Many viewers were introduced to The Uncle Louie Variety Show on YouTube via the ornery, yet loveable, character “Uncle Louie” and the “Broken English Italian Word of the Day”. Today, “Uncle Louie” is joined by the beloved characters “Pasqualino”, “Zia Maria”, and “Zia Rosa” who are always getting themselves into trouble with their hilarious antics. Russo and Greco have gained almost a half a million followers on YouTube and Facebook, along with hundreds of millions of views of their weekly videos.
In 2018, Russo and Greco had the opportunity to bring their characters to life live, on stage, to sold-out venues with their first-ever comedy tour in Australia. Today, The Uncle Louie Variety Show is still performing to sold-out crowds up and down the eastern coast of the United States, the midwest, and eastern Canada.
Even though the pair draw inspiration from their Italian heritage, Russo and Greco say there is something to be found in The Uncle Louie Variety Show for people of all cultural backgrounds. Russo reflects, “People of all ages and cultures come to our shows and tell us how they see their father, their mother, their aunts, uncles, and cousins in our characters. It means the world to us that our audiences can laugh – and even cry tears of joy – because of the memories our performances bring back for them.”
“Our show is about honoring the love, laughter and cherished memories of growing up in an ‘old school’ family with ‘old school’ traditions,” says Greco. Once The Uncle Louie Variety Show begins, audience members are taken on a trip down memory lane with live original music, sketch comedy, stand-up and improv. Their videos are nothing compared to seeing a live performance. Russo and Greco take their hilarious vignettes and bring an energy to them that’s palpable when they’re on stage together.