The Joyful Return of Amber Ruffin
AFTER LAUNCHING a late-night show amid a pandemic last year, comedian Amber Ruffin welcomed her first live audience to Rockefeller Plaza’s Studio 8G in August. “It wasn’t really real until people were there,” says the host of The Amber Ruffin Show (streaming now on Peacock), just back from hiatus. “We were just kind of dicking around in private.” Sporting her signature bow tie and blazer, Ruffin opens each show with a monologue, then fills the rest of the half hour with skits, songs, puppets, and improv games — quirky humor she’s been thrilled to see fans embrace. “When you realize all those people got dressed to come here and have a look, that’s something. Because I’m not leaving the house for nothing.”