In Living Color alum Tommy Davidson brings stand-up act to Hoover
By REBECCA WALDEN
In keeping with its tradition of showcasing A-list comedic talent, Hoover’s own Comedy Club Stardome will welcome Tommy Davidson for a four-night engagement June 5-8.
Davidson is a familiar face to many, given his role as one of the original cast members of the 1990s television show, In Living Color. Since then, he’s gained notoriety for his roles in scores of major motion pictures and television shows. Davidson’s comedic timing and spot-on impersonations, the very elements that helped launch his stand-up career, have also found the actor success in voiceover work, most recently as Oscar Proud in the animated television series, The Proud Family.
In a recent conversation with the actor, Davidson told the Hoover Sun that his fan-favorite hallmark impersonations — Sammy Davis Jr. and Sylvester Stallone, among others — will be part of the act he brings to Hoover in early June, along with new material.
Post-tour, Davidson said he’s looking forward to nurturing several special projects he has in the works, including documentary work and even writing his own book. Even so, Davidson admitted he can’t stay away from the stand-up stage very long.
“If I am not on stage working, there will come a time when I must go on stage,” he said. “It’s just a part of me.”
His passion for the craft is evident and has been from the start. A friend nudged a 20-year-old Davidson, then working as an assistant chef at a Ramada Inn, to take a chance doing stand-up one evening at a D.C.-area club.
“This guy was a friend I’d grown up with, and he told me one day, ‘You are the funniest person I’ve ever met,’” said Davidson, who added he’d never before given his comedic talent much thought. “He said, ‘You really ought to be doing stand-up comedy,’ and then he followed through by setting up an opportunity for me at this club where his band worked on the weekends.”
Though Davidson said he did the routine cold, with virtually no preparation, the audience responded. And as fast as he’d been plucked from obscurity, Davidson found his star beginning to rise.
The performer’s sincerity has proved to be one of his most winning ingredients with fans.
“I just want to be the kind of person that people feel happy being around,” he said.
To that end, the actor has made multiple trips to perform his act for U.S. military troops serving in Afghanistan.
“These are the people doing the dirty work,” he said. “Their sacrifices help us have a safe place to live, provide solid educational opportunities for our children, and enjoy countless other freedoms. They give their lives for it. It’s a really deep notion to know that this is happening, but it’s even more important to acknowledge it through action. For me, going to these military installations and sharing a little bit of light and laughter is a natural outgrowth of what I’ve been wanting to become.”
People who attend Davidson’s shows can look forward to an opportunity to visit with him post-show. For Davidson, that offstage time with guests who relate to his brand of humor and his knack for finding levity in the unexpected, is one of his favorite parts of touring.
Tommy Davidson will appear live at the Comedy Club Stardome, June 5, 6, 7 and 8. The June 5 and June 6 shows start at 7:30 p.m. There are two shows on Saturday night, June 7, with the first at 6:30 p.m. and the second show at 8:45 p.m. The June 8 show starts at 6:30 p.m.
To learn more or purchase tickets for the show, visit stardome.com.