A 30,000-foot arena quickly shrunk to an intimate, 5-foot living room when veteran comedian Bill Cosby took center stage Sunday at the Baton Rouge River Center.
The 75-year-old comedian strolled to his on-stage living space, comprised of a chair, trashcan and table, causing a packed house to erupt in collective howls and applause. The diverse crowd represented all demographics, from the elderly to the youthful.
While most of Cosby’s performance was done from his seat, none of his signature enthusiasm was missing. His captivating energy and conversational tone poured through the audience, engrossing each member for a seemingly swift two-hour set.
“Keep in mind, I know how you guys won that game,” Cosby said, in reference to the University’s win against South Carolina on Saturday.
The claim confused many at first, but the monologist cleared the air with a clever story about addicting Louisiana cuisine and how it was the real cause of South Carolina’s demise in Tiger Stadium.
Even in the short of time of confusion, Cosby’s poignant delivery and manic facial movements managed to keep listeners entertained. This slow-but-expressive form of storytelling persisted throughout the show.
Cosby easily transitioned to his next routine, which was not as palatable as the first but immeasurably funny. The master storyteller remixed the age-old tale of Adam and Eve, remedying editing errors he said the Bible had made.
“There are pages missing,” he exclaimed, nearly jumping from his seat.
According to Cosby, the origin of the word woman stems from Adam’s reaction upon seeing his naked helper – “Woooo! Man.” And the snake is only one of three animals to cross the Almighty one since God left baboons to suffer an incurable case of backside inflamation and penguins to wobble without knees.
Coming from the sensible Dr. Huxtable, the stories seemed strangely believable.
The funniest quip of the set came when Cosby decided to showcase his talents as an impersonator and channel the Holy one.
“Didn’t-est I-est tell-est you-est to-est not-est eat-est the fruit-est?” Cosby said.
Adam’s trembled response, “Yes-est-est-est” sent the audience into a frenzy, causing Cosby to raise his hand in triumph. At this point, every face was glued to center stage, hanging on every word uttered by the comedian.
Cosby then shifted toward his trademarked bit on unruly children and the chaos they often bring. After a quick poll of mothers in the crowd, he began telling the story of his firstborn’s temper tantrum.
Just as every other prepubescent child, Cosby’s daughter finally gathered the courage to tell her mother that she didn’t want to be born. Being long immersed in the language of sassy children, Cosby said he almost chimed in.
“About nine months ago, I released about 60 million men,” Cosby said. “The idea was the one that makes it to the egg first lives.”
While Cosby couldn’t bring himself to tell this to his child, the slightly suggestive joke was a delightful surprise and put the audience over the edge.
As the act went on, Cosby began to delve deeper into details of his own upbringing. He used his words to paint images of his childhood memories, each universal in theme.
The story of growing up “broke” and sharing “nothing” with two brothers resonated with the crowd. Cosby has a knack for creating characters and relaying details of his life to reach a variety of people. Every story seemed to transcend age, gender and culture.
The more Cosby talked, the more people felt the engagement. The crazier the expression of his face, the louder the laughs.
After years of performing, Cosby hasn’t lost his comedic touch. He exited the stage Sunday to a standing ovation, leaving a pleased audience wanting more.
