# Guy Fieri's stage extravaganza



## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

A friend called me a couple of days ago, saying she had a ticket to see Guy Fieri's stage show at a local theater. (GF is a successful restrateur in California who also has two shows on Food Network.) I accepted, mostly because I hadn't seen my good friend in some time, and we'd have time to chat over dinner.

The show was set for 8:00 PM. We arrived and awaited Guy's entrance. A warm-up act came on first. The chef who feeds stars who come to two of the large venues in Milwaukee. He narrated while another chef and a sous prepared a carrot-curry soup, salmon poached in olive oil, and a rice "tabbouleh" salad. The team worked very professionally, and the chef's narration was very good.

By then it was nearly 9:00. The next act was a bartender called Woody, who wound things up a bit by being rather crass and suggestive. He finshed around 9:30. 

Finally, Guy came on with several sous and some impish assistants thrown in for comedic relief. Guy started by introducing six culinary students who had won awards, and who had served the audience members who had paid $250 to sit on stage and be served the food and drinks prepared there. (My friend's husband and son were among them.) After that, things really got going. Guy revved up the audience more by tossing t-shirts and other items to the crowd. If we thought he'd cook and talk about that, with some amusing anecdotes thrown in, we were very mistaken. As time went on, he used more rough and suggestive language, prodded on by the DJ who had a booth onstage.

Guy had started a dish called Hong Kong chicken but he rarely spent time at the stove cooking or talking about cooking. The show deteriorated into a celebration of alcohol, with a scene of crew members pouring fifths of rum and tequila (you couldn't miss the name of the tequila maker- their logo was hard to miss). As more and more liquor was poured into an immense Margarita mixer, the scene resembled more of an Hieronymus Bosch painting than a cooking show (think "The Garden of Earthly Delights"). 

There were children in the audience and children called on stage to sing. We left before that, repelled by the show. 

I wasn't really a fan of Guy's, but had begun to enjoy his show, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives". Now I won't bother watching him, and my opinion of him has been destroyed.

Anthony Bourdain is coming in January. I'd seen him do a book talk when Kitchen Confidential came out. He was a great speaker, and I was very impressed by his tone and demeanor. Maybe I'll pay the $45 and go. It sure was wasted on Guy Fieri.


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

i HATE guy fieri. i have no idea how he has any show or any type of fan base... ive never had so much HATE towards a person i dont know personally but just the way he comes off on television makes me want to slap him.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Never liked Guy either, he's like a big frat boy.

I didn't know chefs did stage shows, I've never heard of that before. I'll be on the look out in NY.


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

exactly. we refer to those guys as 'bros'...


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

Guy is a local boy who done good.
As such, when he first burst on the scene I was a big fan, good to see someone from around here achieve fame.
Since then my opinion of him has gone steadily downhill.
I've not had the chance to dine at his restaurants, but have spoken with those who have, and haven't heard anything good.
I think they are very low on his priority list.
He's just a talking head now, and his quips get on my nerves.
And don't get me started on his sunglasses.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

After an audience member yelled, "Take off your glasses!", he said something about his mom saying it's rude to speak to people with your sunglasses on.

I won't ever go so far a to say I 'hate' anyone, but the show played to 'party people' rather than people who are interested in food and cooking. By the way, it'll have had a seven week run. It's so frenetic that the camera caught a quick shot of a piece of tape on the edge of the cooktop with the word "MILWAUKEE" printed prominently. I don't know who his local source was, but he kept touting Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. We're Miller drinkers here (well mostly).


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## kirstens (Jul 3, 2009)

You look at people like Guy and wonder, how do they have their own cooking show?? Nothing he makes looks appetizing. He has a big mouth, that's it. Did anyone see the ads for his road show? Tacky. Anthony B is coming to Chicago soon. I would like to see him. Reading Kitchen Confidential now.


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

I'm tired of watching him.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

_I didn't know chefs did stage shows,_

Apparently, Koukouvagia, going on tour like a rock star is something celebrity chefs, especially those from the Food Network, do. It's all part of the brand.

Bobby Flay was recently in Lexington, for instance. I declined to attend, however, when I found out that tickets were 75 bucks. Doesn't sound like much by New York standards. But here in Kentucky that's a lot of money for any kind of performance. Tickets to touring Broadway cast shows typically run about half that.

Personally, I also have a problem with the concept of sitting in a theater seat while a chef talks about his craft, and maybe demonstates. For that kind of money, I'd want something a little more hands-on.


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## chefhow (Oct 16, 2008)

A few years ago I was working as a Chef for a manufacturer that was working with TGIF. We were asked to go in and work with Guy to help in developing products that he came up with that would go into the TGIF chain, make them "manufacturable". After about 2 hours when he walked out of the kitchen in a hissy fit, I left my boss there with him and the rest of the group and went to the airport to go home. I refused to go back to work with him and I came very close to losing my job over the events that took place that day. *I WILL NEVER SUPPORT A COMPANY HE ENDORSES OR ANY OF THEIR PRODUCTS!!*


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Chefhow, I have to give you credit. Ego is not a pretty sight.

Yes, he's coming to Milwaukee- to the Riverside (same theater for Fieri's performance)- on Friday, January 22. Makes sense, as we're a short hop up I-94 from Chicago. Ticket prices range from $35.50 to $49.50. I'd bet they're a bit higher in Chicago.


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## chefhow (Oct 16, 2008)

Thanks, I knew that if I stayed it would have escalated and gotten ugly!!


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## kirstens (Jul 3, 2009)

They range anywhere from $43.00 - $78.00. The cheaper seats are the balcony but in the Chicago Theater, there's not a bad seat in the house. I haven't checked to see if it sold out but I'm assuming it won't, being Bourdain isn't *soooo well known among a lot of people,* not like how Kathy Griffin sold out, pushing her to add three more shows*.* I could be wrong, still deciding whether or not to go.


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

okay seriously... WTF~!?

Money! Guy Fieri Lands NBC Show -- Grub Street New York


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## jayme (Sep 5, 2006)

I live in Sacramento, where we have 2 of Guy's restuarants.... I have heard that he often shows up to Tex Wasabi's in a Hummer w his entourage. Haven't met him personally. Maybe it is a matter of too much fame...????
One of my friends was at Tex Wasabi's one day for lunch and Guy walks in and goes behind the counter and grabs himself a beer... my friend makes a joke to the guy sitting next to him "Look at this guy, acts like he owns the place..." Fieri laughed and went into the kitchen, but when my friend was at the cashier, he was asked if he would like to purchase a copy of Fieri's new "Diners.." book.. my friend said he buy a book if the hostess would take it into the kitchen and get Fieri to autograph it. She did, and he did..... so at least he still signs autographs.


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## steelybob (Dec 4, 2009)

i love bourdain. i gush over the guy, KC was the first semi-non-fiction "book" i'd read since fear and loathing that i actually enjoyed back then (now i'm huge into fiction, go figure).

but... why pay to see bourdain?!?


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

LMAO:
The Top 10 Cars for Douchebags | SPIKE

"The only person who would buy a vehicle that's exactly that same as a $40k Chevrolet Suburban 2500 but costs $15,000 more for body panels and weaker performance is the king of the douche bags."


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