STORY BY NICOLE CALHAU
In the crowded Oakville Centre for the Performing arts, you could feel the excitement from the crowd preparing for a laughter-filled night with Howie Mandel.
When the lights slowly faded, the song “Oh Happy Day” began to play. The crowd began to sing and clap along – until the song kept playing for 10 minutes. Eventually, people began to realize it was a Rickroll – a trick on the audience.
Twenty minutes into the same song, the crowd began to chant Howie’s name in hope of having him perform. Finally, the first act came out.
John Mendoza’s adult humour – though crude at times – had many laughing so hard they cried. He even gave the sign language interpreter a difficult time, but it was all in good fun.
When Howie Mandel took over, his intimate style instantly won the audience. The veteran standup comic is so comfortable – it felt like he was performing before a group of friends.
Mandel’s October performance captured the true essence of his personality as he recounted stories of his New York adventures.
His adult-themed jokes included riffs on his wife buying their son a hamster – and on getting a colonoscopy. That’s not a fun procedure – but Mandel managed to make it hilarious.
At one point he canvassed the audience for a doctor to find out the weirdest thing someone has managed to get internally lodged. (Answer? A Coke bottle.)
Of course, Mandel didn’t forget references to the children’s show he created and voiced – Bobby’s World. He even let the audience in on a secret: The voice used in Bobby’s World was essentially the same voice used for Gizmo in the movie Gremlins.
The two-hour show was evenly split between Mandel and Mendoza – and the crowd loved it.
Some undoubtedly went on to continue enjoying Oakville’s nightlife. For a list of popular restaurants in Oakville’s downtown core, please explore the map.