Sheryl Underwood
Raleigh Improv
Raleigh, N.C.
March 2, 2024
Laughter, cheers, and applause boomed from the Raleigh Improv Saturday night as Sheryl Underwood and quick-witted comedians stole the stage. Fans filled the comedy club located in the Parkside Town Commons shopping center in Cary, North Carolina, eager to see the storytellers, commentators, and critics, doused in humor.
The line outside the building stretched far beyond its walls. After a 30-minute wait, check in and security check, employees guided guests into the packed club. The dim blue lights provided a cool ambiance and a low hum of chatter buzzed throughout the building as R&B music played in the background. Guests were seated at tables that were lined in rows, with booths at the end and bar seating thereafter. Previews for upcoming comedy shows began to play, and not long after, “Fire” by the Ohio Players blared on the speakers and Sheryl Underwood graced the stage.
“I just want y’all to know, this is not going to be anything like the show ‘The Talk’ on CBS,” Underwood announced.
And it truly was not. She was uncut and honest about her views on politics, to sex and abortion, race, and everything in between.
One of her main themes was encouraging people to vote. “We are one of the most important voting blocs in the country. They wouldn’t be trying to restrict access if our votes didn’t matter,” she said.
Underwood’s other goal? To improve people’s bedroom experiences. She offered sex advice, making for a dirty, but entertaining talk. Then somehow managed to combine the two topics.
Underwood’s jokes spanned specific eras of U.S. history. “During slavery, I would have been working in the fields, but I would have been a double agent. I would be sleeping with the master, and then organizing rebellions and escapes. ‘Oh, the master’s going to be knocked out for a while after the work I put on him,’” she quipped.
Underwood then spoke about former President Donald Trump selling gold sneakers, in the hope that it would help secure votes from Black Americans. Many agreed that it was not a shoe they’d be wearing. Underwood shared that although she herself is a registered Republican, she stressed the importance of voting smart and joked about what that means given the state of reproductive rights in the U.S. Underwood then promptly called South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, Trump’s potential pick for a running mate, a black ninja turtle.
Three comedians followed Underwood. Kyle Erby joked about his time as a teacher and life as a father, and highlighted some of the mistakes he and his sons have made. Erby once managed to steal a teacher’s copy of a biology book while in school. He said he wasn’t very good at science, so he just copied the answers directly from the book during a test. But Erby got caught. Turns out, he copied the answers so exact, he even included the line, “student answers may vary.”
Mike Washington, a Washington, D.C. native, crafted relatable anecdotes like one about the first time he had a prostate exam. He was shocked when he found out how a doctor checks a person’s prostate, as he was told to bend over and rest his forearms on the table. Washington also shared his first time getting a colonoscopy and getting fitted for glasses; both were pretty disastrous.
Ron Baker Jr. was the last comedian to perform. He did impressions of pastor TD Jakes and Steve Harvey, who now hosts the popular game show Family Feud. He then took the crowd to church, by noting the increase in activity for choir directors. Baker first showed the signs he saw growing up, making sure to mention to the crowd, “white people, these aren’t gang signs — they’re real symbols.” He then finished out with an entire routine in which he thrust his arms, pointed, threw up signs, and moved rhythmically to the gospel music.
The show ended on two high notes, first with free shots for everyone in the audience who was celebrating or recently celebrating a birthday. The other was celebrating some of the men in the audience who volunteered to go on stage. They each picked an R&B song, then showed out. Some danced, others posed or pointed out their ladies sitting in the audience, prompting praise from everyone in the building.
Sheryl Underwood’s tour returns to the U.S. in April, for shows in New York and California. Tickets start at $35.
