Wayne Brady

Actor/Comedian/Singer fronts Houston Symphony

Comments (0) By Dusti Rhodes Thursday, Oct 9 2008

It's a little odd to think of Wayne Brady fronting the Houston Symphony. Sure, the actor/comedian/dancer/singer was a stand-out lyricist and vocalist on the hit series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, but our hipster department remembers him more fondly for his hilarious roles on the Emmy Award-winning sitcom 30 Rock and Chappelle's Show. A far cry from his earlier, more family-friendly projects, the latter featured a skit in which Brady spouted off lines like "Does Wayne Brady have to choke a bitch?"

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We're guessing Brady will stick closer to his G-rated efforts in the company of the symphony as he trades b- and f-bombs for Sam Cooke and Sammy Davis Jr. covers such as "Chain Gang" and "Mr. Bojangles." Brady will also flex his comic muscles with some audience-participation improv bits. We admit Whose Line had a high-cheese factor, but Brady was responsible for many of the show's more memorable moments. Fans of his later "I'm Wayne Brady, bitch" work might find his mix of musical genres, amazing pipes and on-the-spot comedy a pleasant surprise. In other words: Cool kids, if there was ever a time to expand your horizons, this is a good place to start. Brady and the symphony get things cooking (Get it? Sam Cooke - cooking? Never mind.) at 8 p.m. today and tomorrow, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana. For tickets and information, call 713-224-7575 or visit www.houstonsymphony.org. $29 to $114.
Oct. 10-12, 2008