Lewis Black and Jay Leno at the Mirage
Lewis Black
By Chuck Rounds
Read more reviews and all things Chuck at his top entertainment website www.igoshows.com
Lewis Black is playing intermittent dates in Las Vegas. Black’s next stop will be May 18,19 at the Terry Fator Theater located at the Mirage. Black has been dubbed “America’s Foremost Commentator on Everything,” and he is best known for his regular appearances on Comedy Central’s, “The Daily Show” delivering his “Back in Black” commentary segment, in which he ridicules recent trends and cultural phenomena. His stand-up routine is nothing short of brilliant with much of his commentary coming out of the daily newspapers.
On stage, Black appears to be a deeply frustrated angry man. He is a pissed off Will Rogers that looks at the events and news of the day, and gives us his perspective on the subject—which is oftentimes, incredibly insightful. He is a man who seems to be approaching his personal limits of sanity while dealing with the absurdities of life and politics. Sarcasm, strong language, shouting, and his trademark angry finger-shaking bring emphasis to his topics of discussion.
Black was born of Jewish descent in Washington, D.C. and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. He graduated from Springbrook High School in 1966 and was exposed to playwriting as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned a Masters in Fine Arts at the Yale School of Drama in 1977. Originally, his career was in the theater as a playwright. He has written over forty plays besides serving as the playwright in residence and associate artistic director of a Hell’s Kitchen theater bar and restaurant on 42nd Street in New York City from 1981 to 1989. Black’s stand-up comedy began as an opening act for the plays as he was also the master of ceremonies. After a management change at the theater, Black left and began working as a comedian as well as finding bit parts in television and films.
A good portion of Lewis’ political material is aimed at the notion that simply nothing makes sense. He is a man that is totally at a loss about the society swirling around him. He is just as critical of Republicans as he is about Democrats. There just seems to be disbelief at the combination of thick-headedness and attitude in authoritative figures. He is quoted as saying, “what is the difference between a Democrat and a Republican? A Democrat blows, and a Republican sucks.”
Terry Fator Theatre at The Mirage
May 18, 2012 – Friday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
May 19, 2012 – Saturday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
November 9, 2012 – Friday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
November 10, 2012 – Saturday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
For more information call 702-792-7777
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Jay Leno
Jay Leno follows in the footsteps of legendary NBC late-night hosts Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson is Jay Leno, host of the Emmy Award-winning and top-rated “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Celebrating his 11th anniversary in May 2003, Leno has created his own unique late-night style with a combination of humor, talk and entertainment each night at 11:35 p.m. ET — the wee hours when viewers want to wind down with a few laughs before drifting off to dreamland.
Leno’s “everyman” style and personality have helped him earn millions of fans worldwide, but primarily in the regions where people can relate to his personable style and work ethic. He has been touted as one of the nicest people in show business and the hardest-working — a winning tandem for the man who says “Anyone can have a life – careers are hard to come by!”
In addition to the 10-year milestone, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” has experienced numerous highlights during its reign, including winning two Emmy Awards – the first in 1995 for Outstanding Comedy, Variety or Music Series, and the second in 1996 for Outstanding Technical Direction. In 1999 and 2000, “The Tonight Show” took home the trophy for Favorite Late Night Show in the annual TV Guide Awards determined by voting viewers. Leno’s personal highlights include receiving a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and being the first person to drive the pace car of all major NASCAR events.
Prior to becoming host of “Tonight,” Leno had been the exclusive guest host on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” since September 1987. He first appeared as a guest on the show March 2, 1977, and he made numerous additional appearances on “Tonight” as well as NBC’s former program “Late Night with David Letterman.”
One of the country’s premier comedians, Leno has appeared in hundreds of comedy shows around the United States for the past 20 years. In 2001, he traveled to Bosnia, where he performed for military troops associated with the war in Afghanistan. Leno also traveled to Aviano, Italy in 1995 to entertain military troops associated with the peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia. He remains passionate about performing in front of live audiences and appears regularly in Las Vegas, on college campuses around the United States and in other venues.
Leno’s book, “Leading with My Chin” (from HarperCollins), hit the bookstores in 1998. He also has published four versions of “Headlines,” the compilation of books and desk calendars featuring his favorite funny newspaper headlines, and “Police Blotter,” a book with more humorous newspaper clips involving police stories (book proceeds go to various charities).
Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in Andover, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Mavis, live in Los Angeles. In his spare time, he enjoys working on his collection of classic cars and motorcycles.
Jay Leno will also be appearing at the Mirage in the Terry Fator Theater.
Terry Fator Theatre at The Mirage
March 16, 2012 – Friday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
April 13, 2012 – Friday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
April 14, 2012 – Saturday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
May 25, 2012 – Friday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
July 7, 2012 – Saturday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
August 31, 2012 – Friday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
October 12, 2012 – Friday
10pm Tickets $59.99, $69.99, $79.99 +tax & fee
For more information call 702-792-7777
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