21 October 2013 (released)
22 October 2013
Rob Schneider graced our shores on Monday night, performing at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne. He started strong and kept the momentum going throughout the majority of the act. Although he hit a lull towards the end, he quickly turned it around and ended on a high note.
Schneider started writing jokes as a teenager and made his television debut in 1987 on “The David Letterman Show”. He excelled in the Deuce Bigelow movies, which he co-wrote and was able to demonstrate his reach as an entertainer.
Highlighting the performance was Schneider’s jokes about his wife and baby. His anecdotes about his personal life and the craziness of becoming a new parent lifted the show and Schneider had the crowd in stitches when he mimicked his wife’s Mexican accent.
The very fact that Schneider’s material is relatable to the masses makes him so hilarious. Schneider has come a long way from his “Saturday Night Live” days, which fetched him three Emmy nominations. The SNL alumni’s political humour got some laughs but the gears shifted when Schneider hysterically pointed out the generational gap between men in their 20’s and 40’s. Schneider, 49, laid claim that the latter just want to wear sweat pants and never leave the house.
Opening for Schneider was the very talented Australian comedian Monty Franklin. I’d never seen nor heard of Franklin prior to the evening but I was impressed and quickly became a fan. Franklin, an Australian living in Los Angeles, poked fun at the differences between the two countries and the various nuances. His material is fresh and engaging and he effortlessly managed to incorporate an audience member’s deafening sneeze into the act.
Both Franklin and Schneider had the audience in fits of laughter and the crowd got a glimpse of Schneider’s softer side when he asked his wife and daughter to come out on stage. Overall, an entertaining evening and well worth seeing.
