New Year's Eve Comedy: Jim Ruberti hosts Frank Santorelli, E.J. Murphy

The Cotuit Center for the Arts will close out 2026 with three fantastic New Year’s Eve Comedy shows on Thursday, December 31, at 5, 7, and 9 p.m.

Presented for the eighth year in a row by Scamps Comedy, the show is hosted by Cape Cod’s Favorite Comedian, Jim Ruberti, along with headliner Frank Santorelli, known to many as “Georgie the bartender” from HBO’s legendary The Sopranos. Vermont (and former Boston) comedy star E.J. Murphy rounds out the lineup.

“This is the best way I can think of to close out the year,” says comedian Ruberti, who has hosted the show at Cotuit Center for the Arts since 2019. “There is nothing like the Cotuit Center for the Arts on New Year’s Eve. Whether it’s the early show or the late show or the one in the middle, people come to the show in a great mood and leave feeling even better. It’s a great way to get ready for the new year, and I’m snuggled in at home well before midnight.”

The show is appropriate for adults (18-plus), and there will be a cash bar. Doors will open one hour before each show. Advance tickets are $40, and $35 for seniors or members, available online (ArtsontheCape.org, ScampsComedy.com/shows).

If seats are available, tickets at the door will be $45.

All seats are general admission.

A Centerville resident who performs on the comedy circuit in New England and around the East Coast, Ruberti enjoyed a banner 2026 that included his first headlining turn at Nick’s Comedy Stop, an iconic Boston club. He also hosted his second Cotuit Comedy Festival, and returned again to perform on Cape Cod Comedy Weekend in Hyannis. He performed in theaters around New England with the Ranting Parents Comedy Tour.

“It was a fun year for me, and this night will make it even better,” Ruberti said. “Even with three shows, we’re expecting three full houses. As comedians, there’s nothing we like more than making people laugh, and we love working with all of the people at the Cotuit Center for the Arts, too. These shows have always been a really enjoyable way to close out the year.”

While Frank Santorelli is best known for playing the recurring role of “Georgie the Bartender” in The Sopranos, Santorelli is also well known for standup sets on national TV, and a wide range of creative projects. He stars in a stand-up theater show featuring other Italian-American comedians called The Godfathers of Comedy and has acted in numerous movies, including No Reservations, Meet the Parents, and Crooked Lines. Nationally known in more countries than Slovakia, Santorelli has been a headliner at some of the world’s most famous comedy clubs, in venues such as Catch a Rising Star, The Improv, and Caroline’s on Broadway. In addition to The Sopranos, Santorelli has appeared on more than 21 television shows including every show in the Law & Order franchise and also done commercials for Olive Garden, Coor’s Beer, and McDonald’s.

Vermont's E.J. Murphy has played top clubs all over and has built a reputation as one of the Northeast's consistently funny comedy headliners. His comedy has appeared on MSN’s home page, Sirius XM, Audible’s Sounds Like America, and Rooftop Comedy's Daily 8. He has appeared in the semi-finals of The Boston Comedy Festival, The Oddball, Burbank, Asheville and Burbank Comedy festivals, The Comedy Central Laugh Riots, and has opened for Styx.

For more information, go to ScampsComedy.com or ArtsontheCape.org.