Jo Koy blasts into Tiffany Haddish’s Las Vegas Strip show
The title of this movie is, “He Arrived from Stage Left.”
Jo Koy shook up Tiffany Haddish’s already animated show at Encore Theater on Friday night. Koy strode out unbilled and unexpected (even by the headliner) near the end of Haddish’s set. Koy’s takeover went on for about 40 minutes.
Wynn Entertainment Director Rick Gray said Saturday he’s can’t remember a show at Encore Theater going over that long. Gray has worked at the hotel since its opening in 2005.
This was at the moment when Haddish related her days living out of her car in L.A., and she and Koy were working out material at the Laugh Factory on Sunset Boulevard.
Haddish recalled a hot dog cart across the street, selling bacon-wrapped hot dogs for $1.50 each. Koy showed up and asked if she wanted to grab something to eat. Haddish said she wanted those bacon-wrapped hot dogs.
“Two for $3!” Koy announced. “That’s all she wanted.” He added that none of Haddish’s fellow comics were aware she was living out of her car. Haddish was known to wear the same outfit every day of the week, a Friday outfit, a Saturday outfit, hoping nobody would notice.
“She was wearing her Tuesday outfit,” Koy said. “Her Wednesday outfit was in the car.”
Haddish laughed and waved Koy off. Their bond, obvious by their shared smiles, was unmistakable. the two had met in the early 2000s. Both were broke. Koy was more confident. Haddish attempted to grow into her voice, talking about her personal life, growing up in foster care and being separated from her siblings.
Koy has always encouraged Haddish to explore that part of her life, to balance her more raunchy material. Haddish has done that. She’s also plenty raunchy, telling Koy, “I was in foster care, and so was my (explicit body part)!”
Koy and Haddish addressed a gentleman named Fernando near the front of the stage, who had given Haddish a bouquet of flowers early in the show, along with hand-written letter. Koy, fueled by “a couple tequila shots before the show” and a long flight from Manila, took that note, typed in tiny typeface. ”What is this, 8-point font? I need readers for this!”
Haddish was making her first appearance as an Encore headliner, having also performed at the Laugh Factory at the Trop (pre-implosion, of course). Koy is a Vegas veteran and who attended UNLV and honed his act at Hundridge Theater and Catch a Rising Star at MGM Grand.
This was in the early 2000s. Both were broke. Koy was more confident, Haddish was trying to become comfortable in talking about her personal life, growing up in foster care and being separated from her siblings. Haddish has invoked those memories in her show.
Haddish was making her first appearance as an Encore headliner, having also performed at the Laugh Factory at the Trop (pre-implosion, of course). Koy is a Vegas veteran and who attended UNLV, and honed his act at Hundridge Theater and Catch a Rising Star at MGM Grand when he was a rising star.
The mutual trust was strong. Haddish used to baby-sit Koy’s son, Joseph, while the father did his act at the Laugh Factory. Haddish recalled the baby started to fuss during Koy’s set.
“I said, ‘You wanna finish up and get y ‘baby?’” said Haddish, who was at the back of the crowd.
Call it the director’s cut of a show that would be a hit as a Netflix concert special. We already have a name.
Haddish and Ms. Monet
Post-show, Haddish performed her own pop-up at Delilah. She’s a great singer, as proven with her duet with Vegas vocal standout Ms. Monet on “Proud Mary.” Haddish then joined a party that included her friend and “Beacher’s Madhouse” founder Jeff Beacher and ex-Nevada Athletic Commission Chairman Stephen Cloobeck, the former Vegas power player now running for governor of California.
The King, and you
Some Elvis news to impart: Westgate is offering public tours of the Imperial Villa Suite, aka the Elvis Suite, for $100. This is the first time the hotel has ever opened the 13,200-foot, top-floor suite to the public. The luxury villa was returned to its original name from the Elvis days, after being called Sky Villa for about 30 years.
And, a marathon Elvis film festival (which is either a party or a sentence, depending on your movie standards) is set for 10 p.m.-8 a.m. July 31 at International Theater. The event rolls out just after the two “1969 Live Concert: The King Returns” concerts in the venue. Pajamas, and jumpsuits, are optional.
From the other Elvis
Elvis Costello performed a crowd-pleasing but not sold-out show at Pearl at the Palms on Thursday. The weeknight booking helped tamp down the count. Costello was his irascible self, saying Timothée Chalamet did not win an Oscar for portraying Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown” because Chalamet “played the wrong folk singer,” a reference to himself.
Tease this …
Two massive Las Vegas sports figures shared a coffee recently. A summit, of sorts. Did they “Kumbaya?” Check back in a few …
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
