That lightning bolt of energy onstage is a licensed physician. Once, he was performing and a woman in the audience had a grand mal seizure. He stopped telling jokes and gave her medical treatment. Talk about a full-service show! Ken Jeong, 49, rose to fame from the exposure he received from his work in The Hangover, playing hyper-bad guy Mr. Chow. Jeong had already been finding success with guest starring roles on television shows like The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Entourage, along with his memorable turn as the oversensitive obstetrician in Knocked Up.
For anyone who had seen his stand-up comedy, none of this was a surprise. His sets on BET in the 1990s, where he was billed simply as Dr. Ken, were electric. Jeong’s ability to correlate his old day job as a doctor and his Korean upbringing with the wild life of a comedian brought waves of laughter to diverse crowds.
After a 10-year hiatus from performing, Jeong dropped a new stand-up special on Netflix on Valentine’s Day, You Complete Me, Ho, in honor of his wife, Tran Ho, who came up with the name. After the mega-success of Crazy Rich Asians in 2018, it would have been easy for Jeong to forget his stand-up roots. Luckily for audiences, he didn’t.
Treasure Island, 9 p.m. March 8, starting at $55.95 plus tax and fee. 702.894.7722
