BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT.
The Greek Food Festival isn't until next month, but Saturday, September 6th, you'll get a little taste of what's to come, wrapped up in comedy. The seasoning? Basile the Comedian. That's Basil with an 'E'. A stand-up comic and voice-over actor, Basile makes his first trip to Kern County. I spoke to him recently to find out what it was like "Growing up Greek in America"!
My name, Basil Katsikis, Vasili Katsikis, literally translates to Billy Goat. I'm not proud of it does not. I swear to God. You're talking to a man who's been named after food, OK? Basil, my mother, Rosemary, my father, Herb had a tremendous sense of humor.
The shows, you know, I would say about 5 to 10% in Greek, but I have a really sneaky way of literally going ahead and repeating the punch lines in English, which still makes it sound really great and funny. So it's really, um, it's kid-friendly, PG slash PG 13.
Being from New York originally, it's, you know, you guys, how are you doing? You know, oh my God, we had a piss of a time, you know, and you know, you're talking to a man who sweats olive oil, extra virgin olive oil? Well, naturally, it's the ugliest grapes you can find. It wasn't grapes, olives, I'm sorry.
Have you ever run out to Bakersfield? I've never been to Bakersfield, and, you know, I looked at my resume and I said, It is not complete until I play Bakersfield. Uh, I don't know if they told you too much about some of the stuff. I do the voice of Bullwinkle for Universal Studios.
(Singing) "You belong to me, Thanks, Rock". I would do the voice of Bullwinkle as a little boy, and I would sit there and literally go, and my mom would sit there and lose it.
What is your one Greek food delicacy, you know, there are so many that I love, but I will tell you I truly love moussaka. Bullwinkle would say moussaka. You may want to forget your insulin when you go to the Greek food festival. I love the Greek pastries, and usually people go, I had a gyro, and every time I hear gyro, the hairs at the back of my neck, you know, go, you know, and I'm like, oh my God, it's gyro. You gotta be Greek gyro. My job is not to separate audiences. My job is to bring all audiences together. When Greeks get together,i t's always gonna be a party, and that's the one thing that I truly love when I get together for these functions. It's all about family, and it doesn't matter what faith or what nationality background you are or what race, it's all about family. And the closer you keep your family and your friends, the better quality of life you're gonna have.
The show is Saturday at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in the Hellenic Center. No-host bar, appetizers, and Greek pastries at 6 pm, with showtime set for 7:30 pm. Scan the QR code or call the numbers on the flyer for tickets. The annual Greek Food Festival is October 10th - 12th.
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