Robin Williams: Live on Broadway (2002)

Sep 24th, 2008 by cm1

Download Robin Williams: Live on Broadway (2002)

For anyone that has seen any of Robin Williams stand up they will know exactly what to expect from this completely new show. Filmed in the summer of 2002 this was his return to the world of live comedy in his bid to reclaim his title as one of the best in the business. He is not without his critics, especially for a large chunk of his film career, and it is perhaps for this reason that he decided to go back to his roots with this 90 minute show.
The show kicks off well with William’s jumping around and making himself felt all over the stage. He does rely on his quick wittiness and lightning delivery and as a result his references will sometimes fly straight over your head. He swears (and sweats) his way through the first half hour without blinking and he will have you laughing out loud a few times. William’s is always at his best when he is talking about addiction. Be it drink, drugs or sex he manages to draw on his own experiences to carve a funny, yet accurate picture. After this first period the pace seems to slow down slightly and it gets a little less frenetic. Many political targets are preyed upon and this will be lost on the British audience. I found myself alienated on more than one occasion by this.
Overall this is classic William’s, yet a slightly under average set of material. The major funnies are when he relives past experiences or procrastinates on Sex, Drugs and Drink. We have seen much of it before (and not only done by William’s either) and there is just not enough fresh material (despite his lengthy stand up hiatus) to warrant a whole new live show. As a fan of Williams’ stand up it would have been nice if he could have put his film career on hold for a while longer and a bit more effort into the routine for the show. Still a good laugh though, especially when you compare it to other performers that don’t have half the energy or presence.