The Star Malaysia - Star2

It pays to be funny

- By ZACHARY JOHN

KEVIN Hart may be short in statboth ure but he has taken his stand-up and cinematic careers to great heights.

Having played pivotal roles in multiple Hollywood blockbuste­r films (from Scary Movie to The Secret Life Of Pets), secured a lucra-endorsemen­t tive deal with Nike, and hosted various globally recognised ceremonies, Hart has gained worldwide stardom – and not just for being funny. His mastery at commanding a crowd was evident on Saturday night (Dec 15) when he easily racked up almost 6,000 fans from across the nation at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, for his Irresponsi­ble tour.

The live comedy show, presentLOL ed by Live Nation and events, was Hart’s first-ever show in Malaysia and was the last stop on a very long list of internatio­nal shows on the 2018 Irresponsi­ble tour line-up.

There were many great things about the show.

The crowd, mostly aged 20 to 40, were suitably entertaine­d throughout the hour-long show, for which opening act Plastic Cup Boyz had revved them up.

The stadium was a choice venue, because almost all ticket-holders had a good view of things from wherever they were seated. The two giant screens that projected Hart’s entire performanc­e helped, too.

And then of course there was Hart, with his unique style, and no extra frills onstage. For those who don’t know, Hart is extremely funny.

He is the most highly paid comedian on the planet, and it showed from the second he started speaking. The 39-year-old talked about anything and everything – from his feeble attempt to distinguis­h between baby poo and dog poo, to his Monopoly sessions with his wife and friends, which contained ludicrous rules about parking fines, and his inability to appease his wife. He also included numerous tales about his trip to Japan, speaking about panicking on roller-coaster rides and his struggle to order chicken in the country due to the language barrier.

At his show, it didn’t take Hart long to win over the hearts of his Malaysian fans with his charismati­c and exuberant personalit­y throughout.

Hart also joked about his encounter with fellow celebrity Seal during a holiday trip with his family at the Aspen ski slopes, which didn’t end very well for him. He hilariousl­y rambled on about how Seal had stolen the spotlight by saving his son from a skiing incident, thereby enticing the interest of his wife and fellow onlookers with his heroic act.

Hart is definitely no stranger to making a fool of himself. He gave a complete powerhouse performanc­e that die-hard fans had hoped for. Though some may feel watching him on Netflix is charming enough, watching him perform live would surely have been a dream come true for fans.

Hart was rip-roaringly hilarious through and through, and put on a show unlike any other. For those of you who missed it, fret not, as the funnyman assured his audience that he would return to our shores in the near future.

 ?? — Handout ?? Stand-up comedian Kevin Hart on his Irresponsi­ble tour 2018, which included a stop in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 15.
— Handout Stand-up comedian Kevin Hart on his Irresponsi­ble tour 2018, which included a stop in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 15.
 ??  ?? (From left) Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson star in Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle.
(From left) Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson star in Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle.

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