Storming into Town

Dena Blizzard brings her multi-generation standup to The Levoy this Friday evening.

by William Sokolic

Dena Blizzard is not a new flavor at Dairy Queen. It’s Dena Querubin’s married name. She is no longer married to Mr. Blizzard but kept his name for her career as a comedienne. Catch her act February 23 at the Levoy Theatre.

Wait a minute, you’ll catch more than Dena’s act. Her son, Dean, and her mother, Diana are part of her touring entourage, and on that score, Dena is probably unique among comics. The 3Ds, they could be called. Give out those strange glasses…never mind.

There’s more to the story than discovering your kid and your mom are just as funny as you, if not funnier.

Dena, a South Jersey native, toured when she could during the pandemic, but went through some difficult times.

“I lost my dad, got divorced and my kids all left for college and beyond,” she said. “I realized that while I was struggling, so were my kids and mom and all of us were trying our best to get through it with laughter.

“When my son and daughter started doing stand-up it seemed natural to have one of them join me on tour. But my mom is the real star of the family, so she comes out at the end of the show for five minutes to headline…and she kills!”

Dean opens the show, does 15 minutes and gives way to Dena.

“I think the great part of the show is that you’re getting the perspectives of three different generations…and we do love each other, but we also want to get away from each other,” she said.

Thus, the name “I Love You, Get Away From Me.”

In 1995, Dena Querubin became Miss New Jersey, part of a quest for Miss America. And while some people—maybe most people—make fun of those who say they’re in it for scholarships, Dena can attest it’s for real. But the real prize, which came with the minor scholarship money for grad school, was the year-long reign as Miss New Jersey, making public appearances.

“I really do credit the time I spent touring the state as the beginning of my stand-up. I was telling stories and meeting people all the time and I had a list of stories I would tell at events. I think it was also the beginning of my learning how to use a ‘set list.’ But it would take 10 years and two kids for me to get the courage to try stand-up. I finally started when I turned 30.”

It took a while longer to involve the family.

“It’s taken years for my kids to admit I’m funny,” Dena said, “but I think they are starting to come around. I think we collaborate on the act, but I’m sure they say it’s a dictatorship. I do think if you come to the show, you get their unique perspective. We also have a part of the show called ‘Battle of the Ages’ where we grab members of the audience to be a part of the show on either the young team or the old team.”

In the meantime, Dena wrote a new show, and she’s currently working on more new material.

“I’m also in the midst of writing a book on my experiences the last few years. I had so many changes occurring at the same time…divorce, death, empty nesting, menopause, turning 50 and starting to date again. If you can’t make that funny…are you even from Jersey?”