Brad Williams at the Adler Theatre -- October 27.
Sunday, October 27, 7 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
Lauded by the New York Times, which said that "No one is doing stand-up comedy more hilariously," Brad Williams brings his headlining tour to Davenport's Adler Theatre on October 27, the funnyman famed for his frequent television appearances and being the first stand-up comedian to headline a Cirque de Soleil show in the organization's 30-year history.
The 40-year-olf Williams was born with achondroplasia, a type of dwarfism, and got his start at age 19 by attending a Carlos Mencia comedy show. While the teen was in the crowd, Mencia made jokes about dwarves, leaving those sitting close to Williams afraid to laugh. Mencia noticed this, then noticed Williams, and asked him to join him on stage. After cracking a few jokes and impressing the comedian, Mencia asked Williams to give stand-up a try and be his opening act on the road. Williams has consequently been Mencia's opening act for multiple tours, opening up shows on both the "Mind of Mencia" and equally popular "Punisher" tours.
Williams has parlayed his live performances into a multitude of stand-up television appearances, including on The Tonight Show, Dave Attell’s Comedy Underground, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! His first one-hour special, 2015's Brad Williams: Fun Size, was the highest-rated special on Showtime, and a year later, he followed that up with his second recorded concert Daddy Issues. His last groundbreaking special on Netflix, The Degenerates, garnered more huge ratings and rave reviews. Also an accomplished actor, Williams has appeared on numerous TV shows and feature films, including FX’s Legit, Sam & Cat, Mind of Mencia, Pitboss, a recurring role on the Hulu original show Deadbeat, and memorable roles in a plethora of movies, including Little Evil, the Christopher Guest comedy Mascots, and Reno 911: It’s A Wonderful Heist.
Recently, Williams became the first stand-up comedian to headline a Cirque de Soleil show in their 30-year history when he agreed to launch—and do a three month run of—their newest show Mad Apple, at the 1200-seat New York New York Theater in Las Vegas. Williams also co-created and co-hosted the podcast About Last Night with friend and fellow comic Adam Ray, a mainstay on the iTunes charts during its five-year run. Additionally, he is a regular contributor on several national radio and podcast platforms, including KROQ’s Kevin & Bean Show and The Adam Carolla Show. Williams’ humorous and inspiring observations on disability, relationships, sex, and race while on tour have routinely led to standing ovations, and the late Robin Williams once praised the comedian as “Prozac with a head.”
Brad Williams brings his national tour to Davenport on October 27, admission to the 7 p.m. performance is $29.50-49.50, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting DavenportLive.com/the-adler-theatre.
