Page 14 - ARUBA TODAY

A14 LOCAL
Friday 23 February 2018

Ray Ellin, comedian, host and producer:
‘It Feels Good’

By Linda Reijnders behind the laughs. a positive affirmation. You
“It feels good to make oth- know that you make other
ers feel good.” Ray Ellin is “I really think I became people feel good and that
a kind of half Aruban so to the number 1 ambassa- makes you feel good. There
speak. Well, he lives here dor for Aruba in the States. is just one big positive vibe
almost half the year and When I am on different TV in the room. Of course that
his nickname is Aruba Ray. shows like on NBC and Fox feeds your ego. It’s great
The American comedian, I always talk about Aruba. I energy.”
host and producer lives love it, it’s a part of my soul.”
the other half of the year in He wants people to know Big Names
New York. He just finished how much he loves the The comedians he brings
producing a new TV show island and does the best here are not just any names. Brian Scott McFadden, and is very outgoing and funny,
for Comedy Central, which he can to promote it. He They are very experienced, Dan Naturman will climb and a classical pianist, so I
will air in the fall. Here at also brings big name com- very talented performers, the stage. And of course, kind of picked stuff up from
One Happy Island he cre- ics here that are followed who have been on dozens the shows are hosted by her. It was positive and fun,
ated, produced, and hosts by many, many people. of TV shows and movies. Ray himself. These shows I loved it.” He told his dad
a very successful nightly He takes the comedians This run of shows will include have become the most that he wanted to be a co-
live stand-up comedy around to show them the Chuck Nice, Christine Hur- popular thing to do at night median, and of course he
show through his company Aruba outside the resort. ley, Lenny Marcus, Tony V, in Aruba. An almost guar- was not too wild about the
Aruba Ray, called Aruba Ray is happy here, during Pete Lee, Tony Woods, Joe antee to laugh your heart idea. “But I told him: this is
Ray’s Comedy, which is at the day enjoying his Aruba Vega, Mike Vecchione, out. what I want to do. It was
the Marriott Resort & Stel- and during his shows in the Ricky Velez, Yamaneika very clear to me. My first
laris Casino. Aruba Today evenings making people Saunders, Gregg Rogell, Little Ray performance was when
was curious about the man laugh. “It is a great feeling, Jessica Kirson, Jimmy Dunn, “When I was 11 years old, I was 11 years old, during
I used to watch Saturday 6th grade graduation, and
Night Live and also the it went well. After that I did
Tonight Show. When I was standup at summer camp
nine I vividly remember and school talent shows.”
watching SNL and thought: When he was 15 years old,
what is this, this is great.” Ray performed at night-
Little Ray made kids laugh clubs in Boston. He would
in school, as well as rela- take the train by himself to
tives when he was only 3 or downtown Boston to com-
4 years old. “I got that from edy clubs in pretty terrible
my mother, I would see her neighborhoods.
entertaining people in our
house when I was a kid. She Continued on Page 15