ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Multi-talented Hollywood funnyman Adam Sandler has been making audiences laugh out loud for nearly 30 years. His movies have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide and include memorable box office blockbusters such as “Grown Ups,” “Happy Gilmore,” “Big Daddy” and “The Wedding Singer.” On his current standup comedy tour, Sandler has wisely reteamed with his longtime friend Rob Schneider, a fellow Saturday Night Live alumnus and frequent film co-star. Schneider is no slouch in the hit movie department either, delivering raunchy yet entertaining hits like “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo” and “The Hot Chick” as well as writing, directing and starring in his own Netflix series called “Real Rob.”
The double bill of Sandler and Schneider consisted of two back-to-back nights inside the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in downtown Newark, and their first show on the evening of April 26 was a standing-room-only affair. Schneider got things rolling with a brisk yet funny 15-minute set, wringing big laughs out of topical stories ripped from today’s headlines. Whether it was riffing on the lurid ongoing President Trump/Stormy Daniels debacle or shredding our nation’s flawed immigration policies, he was not afraid to tackle “touchy” subjects that other comedians might consider too polarizing.
“I love immigrants,” Schneider proudly declared. “Immigrants are what made this country great! He paused, adding wryly, “Well, not the new ones.”
The diminutive comedian proceeded to recount his own embarrassing #metoo movement experience in graphic detail in which he fell victim to during his early casting call days as well as re-enacting how the late astrophysicist Stephen Hawking — in full voice box and wheelchair mode — callously dumps his first wife. In poor taste? A packed house of fans inside NJPAC who are now laughing uncontrollably would beg to differ.
Schneider then turned the evening over to Sandler, who entered amid a flurry of lights, sounds and smoke. The stage design resembled something more reminiscent of a rock ‘n’ roll concert than a comedy club, with Sandler flanked by his pianist/backing vocalist Danny to his right and a rack of guitars to his left. Dressed casually in sneakers, jeans and a generic baseball jacket, he appeared every bit the regular Joe he typically portrays in many of his most popular movies.
“New York, New York. It’s a hell of a town!” he loudly exclaimed. Then switching to a meeker voice: “Newark? Newark? It’s a town. It’s nice.”
Sandler wasted no time in giving his fans what they have come to expect from him: that quirky mix of goofy, ill-tempered manchild musings peppered with silly songs. Lots of silly songs. Announcing that his beloved grandmother had just turned 101, the audience responded with a lengthy, “Awwww.” In which he replied, “So I gave her 101 punches to the shoulder.”
Since his initial days as a breakout star on SNL during the early 1990s, music has played a significant part in Sandler’s comedy arsenal. Many of his most endearing characters, such as the cheesy Opera Man or his spot-on imitation of mumble-mouthed rocker Eddie Vedder, were elevated by his passion for song. When it comes to composing, his works will never be confused with the Great American Songbook but clever little ditties about getting diabetes or peeing in the shower or simply shaving his beard kept the audience chuckling. Perhaps it was the unavoidable and intrusive army of giant cameras, production crew members and security staff involved with filming him for an upcoming Netflix special, but Sandler’s opening 30 minutes were undeniably a bit sluggish. Successful standup comedy is a delicate balance of rhythm, confidence and timing and a few overly vocal fans obnoxiously blurting out their favorite Sandler movie quotes clearly had him rattled.
Fortune would soon smile on the comedy box-office champ in the form of a busty, over-zealous fan who rushed the stage for a big hug. He graciously obliged her unscripted request then watched in horror as she tumbled backwards into the first row of the shocked crowd. After making sure she was not injured, Sandler was a new man. The awkward encounter was exactly what he needed to break the ice and let the funny business begin.
The guy who has made a fortune from behaving like an unruly little boy reminded the audience that he is now 51 years old, happily married for over 20 years and is the proud father of two young daughters. The common problems and daily grind of married life were summed up within the insightful lyrics of “Walking On Egg Shells;” the song’s point being that marriage is difficult but humor can be distilled from our everyday existence. Contrasting the over-parenting style afflicting many of today’s millennial families, Sandler recalled his own father’s “hands off” approach to child rearing.
“My dad only came to visit me one time at school when I was in the eighth grade,” he recounted. “He stuck his head in my classroom and yelled at me, ‘Where’s the rake? It’s not on the nail in the garage!’”
The second half of his nearly two-hour set was pure gold, with the humorous anecdotes taking a backseat to his penchant for musical showmanship. New wave-styled songs like “My Uber Driver Smells Bad” and “UFC Ears” were random and ridiculous and near perfect. Brandishing a harmonica, thick Irish brogue and a high-powered flashlight, he focused the beam of light on several unsuspecting fans and basically insulted them with verse after verse of “The Funnyman.” Those insulted were no doubt thrilled by the dubious distinction of now possibly being immortalized in his upcoming Netflix show.
Adam Sandler solo is a wonderful thing. But toss nutty Rob Schneider into the equation and their chemistry ignites and becomes combustible. The loudest laughs came as Sandler stood center stage, crooning forlornly about two male astronauts engaged in an illicit outer space love affair. Sounds dopey and childish, right? But dopey and childish is where these two guys sparkle. Halfway through the aptly-titled “Space Station 69” the NJPAC audience looks upward to see something descending from high above the stage. It’s Schneider as Uri the gay cosmonaut, garbed in a bright orange spacesuit suspended in midair by invisible cables. Singing of his undying love all the while somersaulting midair in slow motion, Schneider eventually arrives upside down and red-faced at Sandler’s feet. The two comedians are laughing so hard that they can barely finish their duet.
Beyond the juvenile locker room humor and fart jokes that imbue much of Sandler’s best work is a proudly pounding, generous heart. A sense of wistful innocence and sentimentality has permeated many of his most successful projects. Backed by a large screen showcasing hilarious yet heartbreaking photos and videos of his dearly departed SNL castmate, Chris Farley, Sandler sang the praises of his fallen friend all the while handling both rhythm and lead guitar parts in an effortless Springsteen-esque fashion. Moved by the emotional rawness and sheer brilliance of his performance, the audience roared in approval. It’s that other softer side of Sandler, an intangible depth, that many of his detractors don’t seem to recognize or appreciate.
After a brief departure, Sandler returned to the stage for a quick encore, asking his delighted fans, “Are you ready for the dumbness?”
But the little boy from Brooklyn who has grown up to be a global comedy juggernaut already knows the answer. Sandler and Schneider may like to play dumb, but they both know full well that the class clowns are often the smartest kids in the room. And to paraphrase the oft-mimicked catch phrase from “The Waterboy”:
“They can do it!”
David VanDeventer is a frequent entertainment content contributor to Worrall Media who can be contacted at pics@thelocalsource.com.
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