Comedy Review: Norm MacDonald Live at the Wilbur Theatre

Post contributed by Angie Frissore, Boston Comedy Scene Examiner.

Norm MacDonald fans certainly weren’t going to let a little bit of torrential rain damper their opportunity to see the comedy legend himself live last Saturday at the Wilbur Theatre. In fact, crowds of show-goers stood huddled in this weekend’s endless deluge to catch the Saturday Night Live alum in person.

Boston’s own Joe Wong kicked off the night, delighting the almost sell-out crowd. His work offered a preview of his set for the 66th Annual Radio and Television Correspondents' Dinner taking place at the White House on March 17, and he lovingly designated various audience members to serve as the targets of his jokes: Scott Brown, Joe Lieberman, Joe Biden (that's a lot of Joes). Wong, who recently appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, was chosen to be the entertainer for the RTCD—which, until recently, President Obama was due to attend (now it's just Biden).

MacDonald, clearly entertained by his Boston following, took to the stage amidst roaring applause and entertained the late-night crowd for well over an hour with the sarcastic hilarity we’ve come to expect from him. Perhaps it was the miserable weather—or dealing with a terminally ill family member—that added a sense of gloominess to MacDonald’s set, in which he touched up on everything from veganism (“I like meat,” is Norm’s chosen stance) to his uncle’s tragic bowel cancer. Norm even made sure to include his point of view on death:

“We shouldn’t be afraid of terrorist attacks,” MacDonald observes. “Did you know your own heart can attack you?”

Morbidity aside, MacDonald clearly reveled in his return to stand-up comedy, with his trademark brand of dry, satirical humor adequately in tow. Closing the show with a joke shared with him by a hospitalized child, MacDonald truly warmed the hearts of his water-logged Boston fans. And, apparently, stopped the rain. Eventually.