Gabriel Iglesias ends series with big laughs

NEWPORT — The 12th annual Newport Summer Comedy Series ended Thursday night the way it began — with a full house at the Newport Yachting Center.

But it started with an old school veteran — 78-year-old Joan Rivers — and ended with 36-year-old Gabriel Iglesias. The differences are generational. Rivers dishes on celebrities and friends. Iglesias tells stories about iPhones and text messaging.

Iglesias has emerged as one of the best young talents in show business in the past few years. He is more a storyteller in Bill Cosby-style, complete with character voices, than a comic spitting out one-liners (“I don’t even know how to write a joke,” he said).

In his second Newport appearance, Iglesias performed mostly new material. He talked about how Newport is one of the most beautiful places he’s visited. He then launched into a gag about a Newport GPS that gives directions in a Bellevue Avenue accent.

He also imagined Siri, the iPhone voice, answering questions in tough neighborhoods.

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The likeable Iglesias is a presence even before he opens his mouth. He goes 300-plus pounds and favors Hawaiian shirts. “You wear a Hawaiian shirt, it tells people you’re a fun guy, you’re here to have fun,” he said. “You seldom see anyone getting into a fight while wearing a Hawaiian shirt.”

Known as Fluffy (“I’m not fat, I’m fluffy,” his T-shirts read), Iglesias is quick to poke fun at his own girth. He hit the stage and ran across it. “That was quite a run,” he said.

He told a story about encountering two massive men after a show, men he described as “bears,” the term used for beefy gay men. After initially worrying they would assault him, he ended up hugging them. He said he has no homophobia, no fear of hugging gays.

“I have no problem with gays, though I do not take partake in their activity,” he said. “Hey, I have friends who go to the gym, too. That’s fine, as long as you don’t try to drag me with you.”

Iglesias lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and teenage stepson. He said he is against hitting children in order to punish them. “I’m not worried he’ll call the cops,” he said. “I’m worried he’ll call TMZ.”

After a difficult stretch with his stepson, Iglesias said he decided on a more clever form of punishment. He set the boy’s alarm clock to make it seem as if here were late for school, then sped to school, dropped him off and left him — “on a Sunday.”

Appearing with Iglesias were five comics from his Stand-Up Revolution show. They were hit and miss. But Iglesias was spot on for more than an hour. Fifteen years ago, he quit his day job selling cell phones and entered show business.

The world of comedy is grateful.

Gillis@NewportRI.com

Gillis@NewportRI.com