Robin Williams was perhaps the greatest stand-up comic ever. His material might seem modest on paper, but he transformed it with his manic energy, his knack for impressions, and most of all, his brilliant free-associative digressions and embellishments. One laughs, but one also watches in awe at his mind working.
Robin Williams: A Night at the Met, which edits together a pair of performances at New York's Metropolitan Opera House, is a marvelous showcase for his genius. He glides from extended takes on alcoholism and drug addiction to ones on sex and fatherhood, with tangents on international affairs and domestic politics. On the first viewing, one never knows what it is coming. Williams has one laughing every moment. On subsequent viewings, his delivery keeps everything fresh. The film originally aired on Home Box Office. It has been marketed under various titles, including
Robin Williams: An Evening at the Met and
Robin Williams Live!. An audio-only version won the 1988 Grammy for Best Comedy Recording. The credited director is Bruce Gowers.
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