Stay Bold

“I can’t change,” exasperatedly says Tracy Jordan, Tracy Morgan’s self-parody character on 30 Rock. “I’m like a chameleon — always a lizard.” Such gonzo self-awareness and unexpected, but irrefutable, logic are trademarks of Morgan’s comedic style on and off the screen. On stage, he’s come under fire for speaking his mind and telling jokes dubbed officially unfunny. But it’s because his own life and experiences are so rife with unfunny material that he can mine them for (potentially) hilarious jokes. Essentially: It takes crazy to play crazy, and Morgan knows that better than anyone.

But, no matter how much controversy he creates, the comedian and Saturday Night Live alum proves his self-proclaimed chameleon abilities, not in the way he plays a caricature of himself, but in (almost) always making us laugh.

Fri., Aug. 17, 8 p.m., 2012