If you were born with half a funny bone, odds are that you’ve asked this question more than a few times over the past nine years: What’s it gonna take to get Chris Rock to finally halt his self-imposed stand-up sabbatical, grab a microphone and use it to unleash one of his uproarious, thought-provoking verbal assaults on society?
As we waited, we wondered. Has Rock lost his stand-up fastball? His desire? Both?
Rock answered the former question with an emphatic “Hell, no!” when he brought the house down as host of the 2016 Academy Awards. Several months later, he answered the second question via a Facebook Live video in which the comedic legend told his fans what they’d been longing to hear: He would be returning to stand-up in 2017.
Rock’s Total Blackout tour debuted Feb. 14 and, as always, rather than go the greatest-hits route, the award-winning actor, writer and stand-up performer hit the road with all-new material. Given what’s occurred to and around him over the past nine years, it’s safe to assume Rock didn’t have to drill too deep to strike comedy oil. For instance, the last time Rock stood alone under a spotlight, he was married and President Obama was still candidate Obama. Today, he’s single following a contentious divorce from his wife of 18 years, and Donald Trump is the leader of the free world.
You can be sure both topics will be targets of the same razor-sharp wit Rock previously used to spin serious events such as Tupac Shakur’s death, Bill Clinton’s impeachment and gun control into bits of comedy gold. Then again, when Chris Rock has a microphone in his hand and a captive audience before him, no subject is off limits.
It’s why his fans have loved him for so long—and why they’ve missed him so much.
Park Theater at Monte Carlo, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., June 10, starting at $50 plus tax and fee. 844.600.7275
