Eddie Izzard is no joke.
His style of comedy takes fortitude. But he kept his audience with him Tuesday night, even if he had to talk and walk backwards in different languages Tuesday night at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas.
One can't imagine how tired he will be when this three-night gig is done, or even the Force Majeure international tour that started in March 2013 — and this is only Part 1. From human sacrifice to the Tea Party to Lord of the Rings, Izzard walked the crowd through every reference. Because your mind doesn't work the way his does.
This group, raucous by Dallas standards, was primed from the start. "Dallas has been consistently amazing," Izzard said, promising to spread the word. It's "far more groovy than what people think it is ..."
Comedians regularly have a devoted following, and Izzard's people are the ones who know they're smart. He gets them, feeding their need to learn and validating that knowledge of the obscure.
Izzard's curiosity, especially with history, has led him to some unnatural conclusions, ones that led to applause:
As King John was signing away France, he also agreed to be the villain in every Robin Hood movie.
Monotheism is just the result of someone selling debt consolidation.
The Lord of the Rings film franchise would have been much different if they had smoked cigarettes instead of pipes.
He packed so much in, laughter tumbled over his words that were trying to stay above the laughter. The acoustics were almost too good in the Majestic for such. You're hanging on every word, but there's a giggle fest behind and to the right.
Always self-aware, Izzard, 52, even poked fun at his longevity. Apparently, he started "performing on the streets in the 1840s."
But he looked good. (His following also tends to care about such things.) Izzard wore a black suit, white shirt and a gleaming, blood-red pocket square. His nails shouted the same color, all the way to the back of the room.
"I didn't choose this. I was just given this and I ran with it," he said of being an "actual transvestite who knows action movies and makeup commercials."
The Majestic stage, host to him in the late '80s, was all dressed up, too. There was a light show that announced his comings and goings. (Expect an intermission about an hour in; "I'll be back in 15 minutes" stretched into almost 30.)
The show ended with a Q-and-A in the lobby, where his ready-and-waiting flock hung on his every meandering answer.
More than two hours of Izzard's references can be tiring, yet rewarding. He would be the first to tell you to check Wikipedia before the show; it's best to come prepared, lest you be lost.
On Twitter: @DawnBurkes.
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