The Casino File
Although Mike Tyson’s performance last Friday of his one-man show, “Return of The Mike” at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, did not quite meet the expectations of this audience member, it was nonetheless a compelling and entertaining affair that proved the former boxing champ is a legitimate show business heavyweight.
For reasons I cannot begin to understand, much less explain, I had never seen “Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth,” the Spike Lee-directed performance film that debuted on HBO in 2013. So, the night before his Hard Rock gig, I decided to stream it. It turned out to be as astounding as it was impressive.
In the 87-minute presentation, the now-59-year-old Tyson put under the microscope his extraordinary life, from his horrific early childhood in the ghettos of Brooklyn to his ascension to being the most successful professional boxer on the planet to his spectacular, multi-faceted fall from grace that included drug addiction and incarceration for a sexual assault conviction, to his so-far-successful personal and professional redemption.
But the revelation was how he told his tale that literally made this viewer laugh and cry. Rather than perform a monologue, Tyson took a different route and, when appropriate, assumed the personas of the people he quoted in his anecdotes. More to the point, he did it with an astonishing degree of theatricality that showcased a wholly unexpected wide and deep acting range. His was also quite a physical performance as he used his body to punctuate his material and give it three-dimensional contours.
So, it was easy to see where my expectations were parked last Friday night as I entered the Rock’s cavernous Etess Arena. The bad news was those expectations were not met. The good news was, it was still an awfully entertaining way to spend 65 minutes or so.
While Tyson donned the actor’s mantle for “Undisputed Truth,” this time he assumed the identity of a standup comedian. Instead of regular segments of dialogue (with Tyson assuming both roles), there was a monologue. And while the previous show was 100-percent documentary in nature, “Return of The Mike” — which was written and directed by his wife, Lakiha “Kiki” Tyson — found Tyson still mining his you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up life story, but often using his biographical riffs as jumping-off points for commentary about life — and the contemporary world — in general.
It is to Tyson’s credit that neither of his programs have been about self-aggrandizement. To the contrary, he may be the most unabashedly self-critical celebrity who ever existed. That certainly seemed the case at Hard Rock as time and again he delved into episodes of his life — most with video documentation displayed on the hall’s huge screens — that showed him at his worst: drugged up, threateningly bellicose and altogether unhinged. It takes a person of extraordinarily high self-confidence and self-awareness to acknowledge such embarrassing missteps, let alone acknowledge them to thousands of strangers. And to do so in such a humorous and engaging way is truly something special.
If nothing else, this strategy successfully humanized a man who so often in the past was characterized far and wide as borderline inhuman.
While there was much to laugh at throughout the proceedings, most of it was context-based; sharing lines that were quite funny when Tyson uttered them would likely not seem amusing at all when read here. Also, so much of the material’s success was borne on Tyson’s stellar delivery; watching him work, you’d think he’d spent years honing his craft and developing his excellent timing in the nation’s comedy clubs.
Not surprisingly, Tyson wasn’t nearly as hyperkinetic as he was in “Undisputed Truth.” After all, even “Iron Mike” isn’t immune to the laws of nature. And he certainly isn’t the only person who at almost 60 years old can’t do what he did in his forties.
As strong as the overall performance was, not every bit was, well, a knockout. Tyson spent altogether too much time discussing his gastrointestinal issues in explicit detail which, suffice it to say, was kind of hard to stomach. And he didn’t hesitate to repeatedly use the N-word, although it didn’t seem to be quite as ubiquitous as it was in “Undisputed Truth.”
But most of all, “Return of The Mike” reinforced the opinion here that Tyson is a legitimately gifted entertainer. As such, his next foray into the performing arts is eagerly awaited. Here’s hoping that whatever he does, he does it in Atlantic City.
Back in action
We’re thrilled to inform you that one of our favorite people — and a true local hospitality-industry icon — is back in the game.
Betty McHugh, who spent decades as the “hostess with the mostest” running restaurants at Caesars Atlantic City (where she was the public face of the now-gone Nero’s Steakhouse) and Hard Rock has been named general manager of LaScala’s Fire, the casual Italian eatery inside Ocean Casino Resort.
We wish her the best and know that just by hiring her, the restaurant has upped its game.
Resorts does the right thing
A few weeks ago, this column offered some unsolicited suggestions that we thought might help the local gaming industry improve its bottom line. Among them was to quit gouging the public with ridiculous parking fees.
Well, we claim no credit (we’re sure this was in the works well before the column appeared), but we were delighted nonetheless to receive an advisory from Resorts Casino-Hotel that free parking is now available there through March.
The offer applies to self-parking (surface lot and garage) only; there is still a charge for valet parking (note the surface lot is only open from Friday afternoon through 6 a.m. Monday). Best of all, there are no minimum-play requirements to qualify for free parking.
The one catch is that you can only take advantage of the freebie by swiping a Resorts “Star Card” players card, which is available (for free) at the casino (legal identification required).
Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.
