The Majestic Theatre served as the platform for laughter, laughter and more laugher as Bill Bellamy and Sheryl Underwood descended on Dallas Saturday night for a live DVD taping and comedy show.
For starters, the MC of the night, a young, fastidious and charming brother with a mouth fit for five sailors, entertained the audience until Mr. Bellamy was ready. This porty, braided, “keeping it real” comedian who occasionally swung a towel around his head as if swatting away his own thoughts, came out saying, “Ya’ll (expletive)…act like you ain’t never seen a nigga on television before.”
Funny enough, I laughed because I hadn’t seen him before – ever. I don’t watch BET (one of us had to protest the lack of good programming), I felt out of the loop so I waited to see if he’d ever say his own name or if by osmosis, I’d just get it from being in the room, but no one around me seemed to know.
Note: If anyone was at the show and can tell me who this cat was, please email me.
Waving his towel and telling his jokes this up and coming comedian took on the night like a champ. At one point, the technical director came out, told him to open the show so he did and went backstage. Seconds later, he returned when the show didn’t start. “Ya’ll know this some n*gga sh*t,” he said to a windfall of laughter. His bits on cell phones, relationships, and being a big guy worked. I wasn’t impressed with how many times we got called niggas, but that was not the time for me to go Angela Davis because niggas wanted to laugh.
Whoever this cat was, he amused and served as the perfect host to the night. Granted, he had issues, like not following directions, taking advantage of his opportunity to introduce Mr. Bellamy, and being trifling with the crew, but hell, that’s the difference now a days between sinking and swimming. This young comedian made his mark on Dallasites and he was funny.
Next to the stage, was the man himself, Bill Bellamy, aging as graceful as his comedy. Always a well animated comedian, Bill came locked and loaded. The DVD footage was being taped in Big D because “Dallas,” Bellamy stated, “was the first city that called and booked him. It was the first city I performed in,” he informed.
Once the formalities were out of the way, it was off to a great night of pure comedy. Bellamy is more of a story-teller than just quick pun-and-go. His comedy is visual and startling in how Bellamy gives just enough without going overboard or dulling out. His attack on the R-Kelly scandal and how he (Bellamy) can’t listen to the Pied Piper’s songs now without being suspect . . . “My mind’s telling me no, but my body is telling me yes. I don’t want to hurt nobody, but there is something I must confess. I don’t see nothing wrong, with a little bump and grind.” Bellamy face went “what the ?” on us “Y’all know that ain’t right,” he said to the audience. After picking on R. Kelly, he moved to Chris Tucker who Bellamy admits to living down the street from in Los Angeles. With a perfect pitch and imitation, Bellamy told how Tucker never calls before he comes, doesn’t give a damned about white people , and instead of ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door, will stand in Bellamy’s yard and yell out his name.
However, the topper of the evening was Bellamy going old school and talking about his rearing by his parents who are still together and have been for over thirty years. “See, my parents are old school,” Bellamy lamented. “They know how to make marriage work, unlike our generation. We get engaged and by the reception we’re calling all bets off.” I’m paraphrasing so you’ll get the DVD.
Bill Bellamy was funny. Not just funny like okay funny, the man is righteously where he belongs in the world of comedy. The interesting thing about Bellamy is that his style is unique. He’s a storyteller like Bill Cosby, but with more panache. He’s developed his craft into a verbal art form: not out there making everything so black and white or having to cuss the audience to make us laugh. Billamy delivered intelligent comedy. I did want the former MTV host to deal with a few more current events – maybe deal with Ron Artest and his bi-polar behavior or even titillate us with a bit on the war. No suck luck. However, hearing the story of Bill and his sister, Niecy, on an outing with their mother and the Pool Table Story more than made up for it. Not to mention, there was still Sheryl Underwood to come.
Holding her own in a grand way was the queen of the night, Sheryl Underwood. Dressed in jeans, a satiny green spaghetti strap top, jacket and her signature purse-on-shoulder, this diva came, ‘strapped herself on to the audience’, and didn’t let the crowd go until every dry eye was wet with laughter. I wasn’t expecting to laugh but it was like a possession. This woman was delivering jokes like Santa Clause at Christmas. Sheryl Underwood is raunchy but real and her approach to telling it like it is - is nothing short of unbelievably outstanding. Was she funnier than Bellamy? By equal measure, each comedian held his and her own. They were both funny in ways that can’t be compared but rather, appreciated.
Headstrong and sure, it’s Underwood’s confidence in what she’s saying that makes her funny. Not to mention the bonafied, barefoot country accent by way of Arkansas where she is native.
Underwood is Moms Mabley with Marsha Warfield aggression on speed. She don’t give a damn and it’s that pure touch of hot sauce in her delivery that makes her southern fried comedy hard to ignore. She is vulgar in context, which is often abused or outright violated by comedians just trying to get a laugh.
In your face, Underwood came out talking about oral sex, sex and oral sex. That was just he warmer. Then, Underwood went over the top by getting social and political with it. Would she suck Clinton? Yes, and unlike Lewinsky, Underwood would be professional with it by not messing up the outfit.
In the written review form, it may sound like I was in the crust of hell laughing, but that’s why I’m a writer and not a comedian. It takes Sheryl Underwood to make you laugh about putting your lips on the former president. Unabashed and bold to the fold, Underwood’s highlight bit of talk was when she began to school sisters in the audience on the art of orally pleasing a man. It was a moment when before loud, cackling, and boisterous women in the audience suddenly became quiet and demure. But why not? What woman in her right mind is going to laugh and clap about giving head? Ahem.
What I can say about Sheryl Underwood is that she’s diverse. Her platform? Be a good ho if you ‘gon be a ho. Be professional. Be fair. Represent. At the same time, know what is going on in the world. Underwood did biting commentary on Bush/Kerry, Kobe Bryant, the war in Iraq, and she also made sure that women be made aware to look after women they don’t know when out at a club due to the high rate of women being taken advantage of. “I wish I would catch a man slipping me a mickey,” Underwood dared. “I’d flip the drinks on him, take him home, tie his hands with his own belt, strip him naked, strap on (use dirty imagination here) and give him something to think about.”
Yeah, party people. It was like that to the end. Underwood even joked about going to Hell instead of Heaven. “I may not go to Heaven, but God put me here for a reason and that reason is to tell the sisters to love themselves,” Underwood said before giving inspiration to the many facets of sister in the audience and exiting to a standing ovation. This sister may get into Heaven after all.
Overall, the night of comedy featuring Bill Bellamy, Sheryl Underwood, and the unknown comic that MC’d was disastrous to my serious side. Damn near killed it. I do recommend the DVD to anyone who missed the show. It will be worth the asking price. Between Bellamy’s animated theatrics and Underwoods in your face Sherylisms lauging never came so easy.
*The comedian who opened the show was a local from LA who goes by the name of “G Thang”