Entertainment

Broadway gets ‘Rocked’ as comedian Chris Rock makes debut

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Watch out, Broadway. Chris Rock, one of America’s most shocking comedians, made his Broadway debut on Monday night in a new play called “The Motherf**ker With the Hat.”

Rock plays an AA sponsor in the play, which centers around five New Yorkers’ lust and addiction, All Headline News reports.

The 46-year-old comedian has starred in over 35 films and hosted the Academy Awards, but he said he was excited to see how this experience would hone his acting skills.

“In a weird way, this is like the acting school I never got to go to,” said Rock, “And I’m very interested in seeing how this affects the rest of my work, ‘Cause in a weird way it feels like I knew nothing. It’s like, I almost wanna buy back all my movies. It’s like, ‘I’m sorry, America! I didn’t know what I was doing.'”

Critics, however, have not necessarily found Rock’s new ‘acting school’ very effective. The play has received mixed reviews, and while the New York Times calls Rock’s performance “a solid Broadway debut,” other reviews have been less positive.

A New York Magazine reviewer writes that Rock “delivers” where he is expected to — with flawless comedic timing and delivery — but reports, “he’s just not a natural,” and as a result his character is too difficult to understand. Critics in general agree that his inexperience shows, but the play itself has gotten decent reviews in spite of this.

“The Motherf**ker With the Hat” is set to run for 15 weeks at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.