Dude, i just got the bill to renew the domain + privacy protection for this website and spent almost a G. I need to start blogging more, or I'll hate myself. Lately, I've been watching a lot of standup shows, mainly on the internet, and occasionally, in real life (sorta like how ppl live now, eh?). Today, i had dim sum with the #aaiff2015 crew at my mom's bakery, and since i didn't plan anything for lazy Sunday, i decided to go to Cherry Lane Theatre to buy a ticket to watch Colin Quinn on stage. On my way to the box office, boom, i saw Hasan Minhaj's solo show poster. I heard about the show a few days ago on Instagram and saw an NPR tweet on it, so i was like, i should watch it! As i got to the box office, boom, a stack of tickets at the price of a movie ticket, caught my eyes. And guess what? It was Hasan Minhaj's show!! It was fate. Of course I asked for the tickets in front of my eyes, but low and behold, the box office ticketer said it was a promo that expired. I did snag $20 tickets though. Score!
I decided to Instagram the show poster and tweet about it. I didn't know what to expect from the show, given that I didn't know much about this dude, except that he works with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show, and that he is a standup comedian. I was jammin' to the hip hop walk-in music, sat where my ticket allowed me to sit, and the usher asked if i wanted to sit in the front. I was like hell to the fuckin yes!
The show blew my mind. From beginning 'til the end. He did it stand-up style and i followed him throughout the show. That swag was real!! If you've ever been an outsider, you will feel his story. He talked a lot about love, family, expectations, and that sense of belonging every kid of color wanted/thought about (maybe I shouldn't speak for everyone--cuz maybe some people fit in just fine). His stories about assimilation in suburbia made me ball like crazy. Even though I didn't grow up in the suburbs, i was always the fat kid trying to fit in, so i get it. All that family talk was so real, I couldn't stop laughing. I laughed until I cried, and then cried a little for real towards the end of the show. I only had one piece of tissue in my pocket, and i didn't have enough to wipe my tears. Oh man.
This coming of age tale was touching. He threw in a lot of cultural references from his Muslim background. I mean, I'm Chinese, but i found myself saying yes, or mmhmm so many times. I can relate to it on so many levels.
If you're in NYC, love going out to watch films, standup, theatre, or just good storytelling in general, this show is for you. Walk, no, run there now!! Or as i tweeted earlier, AHORA!!
I guess since I'm an actor and writer, i felt every ounce of his show. This truly motivated me to keep on writing that second draft. I'm this 👌🏻 (if it ain't showing, it is an okay emoji with a gap) close to finishing the second draft. Time to get to it!!
Gotta keep that hustle flow alive.