Comedian Lewis Black coming to the Ford Center

Published 6:00 am Sunday, July 31, 2016

The Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts will host its first comedian this month, and there’s still time to buy tickets.

Lewis Black will take the stage Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m. to perform The Emperor’s New Clothes: The Naked Truth Tour.

Kate Meacham, marketing director for the Ford Center, said they believe the performer will attract a large audience.

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Meacham said the idea of bringing a comedian to the Ford Center was discussed in the past, but “it never seemed to be the right person at the right time.”

Known as the king of the rant, Black “uses a trademark style of comedic yelling and animated finger-pointing to skewer anything and anyone that gets under his skin,” according to his bio.

“It’s before the election,” Meacham said. “He talks a lot about politics and about current events in general.”

“His comedic brilliance lies in his ability to make people laugh at the absurdities of life, with topics that include current events, social media, politics and anything else that exposes the hypocrisy and madness he sees in the world,” a Ford Center news release read.

Born in Washington D.C. on Aug. 30, 1948, Black was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland.

He has performed for audiences throughout Europe, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

Black has appeared on “The Daily Show,” “Larry King Live,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” and “Late Night with Conan O’ Brian.”

He notably voiced the character “Anger” in the Academy Award-winning film from Pixar, “Inside Out.”

Black earned degrees from the University of North Carolina and Yale Drama School.

He has penned more than 40 plays and written three best-selling books: “Nothing’s Sacred” (Simon and Schuster, 2005), “Me of Little Faith” (Riverhead Books, 2008) and “I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas” (Riverhead Books, 2010).

Black resides in both Manhattan and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The show contains adult content.

Tickets are $40-$50. Student discount tickets are $20.

About LaReeca Rucker

LaReeca Rucker is a writer, reporter and adjunct journalism instructor at the University of Mississippi's Meek School of Journalism and New Media.

A veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience, she spent a decade at the Gannett-owned Clarion-Ledger - Mississippi's largest daily newspaper - covering stories about crime, city government, civil rights, social justice, religion, art, culture and entertainment for the paper's print and web editions. She was also a USA Today contributor.

This year, she received a first place award from the Mississippi Press Association for “Best In-Depth Investigative Reporting.” The story written in 2014 for The Oxford Eagle chronicles the life of a young mother with two sons who have epilepsy, and details how she is patiently hoping legalized cannabis oil experimentation will lead to a cure for their disorder.

Her website is www.lareecarucker.com.

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