Comedy troupe Sooshi Mango. Photo Credit: Phillip Putrusino.
Joe Salanitri, Andrew Manfre and Carlo Salanitri of the comedy troupe Sooshi Mango sat down and chatted with this journalist prior to their headlining show at The Town Hall in New York.
The Town Hall performance
On headlining The Town Hall in the Big Apple, Carlo said, “It feels amazing. This is amazing. It has been our dream to play New York. We are just so excited, and we can’t wait. It’s a dream come true for all of us.”
Meeting Nia Vardalos
They noted that they were thrilled to meet Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” fame) in-person at their Los Angeles show. “It was great to meet her. She has always been a great inspiration to us, and she is a really nice person. Nia is really nice and lovely,” they said.
Origin of the comedy troupe’s name
On the origin of the comedy troupe’s name Sooshi Mango, Joe said, “My son made it up. He was three years old at the time and he was saying ‘Sooshi Mango’ while on the toilet, even though we didn’t know where that came from, but we thought that was a good idea for a name, so that was it.”
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Carlo said, “It feels good. It’s not as easy as people may think it is because there are so many people that are doing this that it is so oversaturated, so you need to be good in order to break through. You need to have something special.”.
“Back in the day, there were only a few comedians doing stand-up comedy. Now, anybody with a phone can be a comedian,” Carlo said. “In order to break through you really need to stand out and be something unique and special.”
“What a great time for anybody to have a platform these days,” Andrew said. “These days, you don’t need to go through traditional routes. Just post and off you go, and if you are any good, they will let you know really quick, and if you are pretty bad, they will let you know too.”
“We definitely think that the playfield is leveled these days,” they concurred.
Future plans
Their future plans include “writing a movie, planning a brand new show, and perhaps TV.”
“We will be doing a whole myriad of things,” Carlo said. “We will be going on a national tour in Australia later in the year, which will be a brand new show, and possibly we will be doing something with a streaming service.”
“We also hope to come back to New York next year,” they added.
Career-defining moments
On their career-defining moments, Andrew said, “I think the beginning, where it all came together was a defining moment. That’s when it all started for us back in 2015. Things just too off once we discovered that we all had chemistry together and we just clicked.”
“Playing arenas back at home with the boys was yet another defining moment,” Andrew added.
Stage of their lives
On the title of the current chapter of their lives, they revealed, “Planting the seed internationally.” “We are planting a mustard seed for global domination,” they said with a sweet laugh.
Superpowers of choice
Their superpowers of choice would be “invisibility, flying, and mind-reading.”
Favorite motto to live by
They acknowledged that their favorite motto to live by: “It’s nice to be important but more important to be nice.”
Patty and Patty
Andrew Manfre of the trio praised comedians Patty and Patty, who were present at their Town Hall show. “Patty and Patty are like the New York version of Mario and Luigi. They are loud and proud… just like my aunties back at home,” Andrew said.
“Patty and Patty are great and so infectious to be around. I feel like they are my long-lost zias from New York,” Carlo exclaimed.
“It was lovely meeting Patty and Patty,” Joe said. “They were hilarious! They are so much fun and we can’t wait to do something with them one day!”
Success
Carlo defined the word success simply as “reaching your goals and setting new ones.” “To me, success is fulfillment,” Andrew expressed.
Message for their fans and supporters
For their fans and supporters, the comedy trio said, “Thank you for allowing us to live our dreams and thanks for changing our lives.”
“They fans are so good, loyal, and it is so great to see joy on their faces. There are no words to describe being able to do a show for the fans in New York, in the center of the universe,” they concluded.
For more information on Sooshi Magno, check out their official website, and follow them on Instagram.