It’s been a few years since Donnell Rawlings has been back to Boston, but much like not being able to forget how the Giants beat the shit out of the Patriots in the Super Bowl, the longtime comedic force can’t forget the love he has for the city.
Making his Wilbur debut on Friday (April 14), Rawlings is looking forward to getting back in front of a Boston crowd, and seeing just how different a theater audience responds to his long-respected brand of comedy. And with the exception of a couple of ex-girlfriends who are not included on the guest list, the Washington D.C. native is pumped to see his loyal fanbase show their strength in numbers to mark such a milestone occasion.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve been to Boston, and the last time I was there, it was in a club, so I’m excited to see how people turn out for a theater gig,” Rawlings tells Vanyaland. “I’ve got a lot of great fans in the Boston area, and that Cape Verdean crew comes out strong, so I’m just excited to be getting back to rip the stage.”
After 30 years in the game, it’s hard to believe that Rawlings is still checking boxes on new firsts that come his way, with this show representing one of them, but the Chappelle’s Show alum isn’t reading into it too much. It’s never been a goal of his to rack up the accolades or screen credits, but with the years of hard work he’s put into perfecting his craft, those opportunities have come naturally.
Still, he finds himself content with where he is in his career, as long as he’s able to put his name up in lights, make a living, and bring people together to laugh and experience his perspective.
“Sometimes we get so excited about wanting to be a movie star or to have our own TV show, but when I first started out, I didn’t want any of those things. I wanted to be good first, and I felt that if I was good, then all those other things would come along,” says Rawlings. “I’m really happy with where I am in my career, and as a stand-up comic, the one thing you want to do is to be able to put your name on a marquee and make an honest dollar, and I’ve achieved that. Anything else I get is extra.”
Those “extra” offerings haven’t come in heavy waves, but Rawlings feels beyond lucky, when he does get the chance to execute an on-screen role for a movie of TV show, to be a part of legendary and award-winning teams like that of Kevin Smith, Randy Huggins and Rodney Barnes, the cast and crew of The Wire, the Oscar-winning team behind Pixar’s Soul, and of course, that iconic sketch show on Comedy Central.
That level of grind has not only been great for his list of credits, but Rawlings has also been able to bridge generations of fans, between his work with Chappelle and his contributions to MTV’s Guy Code. Sure, the younger crowd tries to make him feel old with names like “Unc”, “OG,” and “Legend,” but Rawlings takes it stride because he doesn’t actually being an old head.
“The only time I start to feel a little older is when I have grown ass men coming up to me with full beards and receding hairlines telling me they grew up on my stuff, or that I got them suspended or kicked out of class,” says Rawlings. “People can say what they want, but it’s one thing to be hot for a short period of time and be big for a couple years, but being able to have a 30-year career and to have fans of so many different ages, that’s one of the best compliments I could ask for.”
Over the course of his career, it’s never been a question of whether Rawlings planned to get up on stage and shred the room, but even after thirty years and a laundry list of accomplishments, he still isn’t phoning it in. In fact, the amount of topics he’s already covered only drives him harder to find a new viewpoint.
“I always dig deeper to find something else that I can tweak, that can separate me from the rest and bring me to the next level. Even over these last couple of years, with the way I present myself on stage and the way I dress,” says Rawlings. “I always want to be funny, but what if I go from ashy to classy and drop a suit on the crowd every once in a while or wear pants that show my ankles? I remember the first time I took my ankles out, it changed my life. From that point on, I really focused on my grooming habits, because you can’t be out there with ashy ankles.”
While he never sets out to be overly “blue” with his comedy, Rawlings refuses to water anything down. Staying true to the approach he’s kept after all these years, what you’re getting is a genuine set that shows all aspects of what makes Rawlings tick as he explores topical issues, observations and the details of his own life that have shaped his unfiltered and honest perspective.
What it really comes down to for Rawlings is, following the advice of his good friend and longtime collaborator in Chappelle, it’s his job as a comedian to poke fun at the things troubling the world. So, if he can help soothe whatever burn you’re experiencing at any given moment, he’s here to offer a remedy that begins and ends with the healing power of laughter.
“There are two types of people that need laughter the most, and that’s someone who needs to laugh and someone who wants to laugh,” says Rawlings. “When people come up to me after a show and tell me they lost their grandpa a few weeks ago and they weren’t really feeling up to coming out, but I helped to take them away from that hurt for 45 minutes, that’s when I know I really picked the right profession to be in.”
DONNELL RAWLINGS :: Friday, April 14 at The Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St., Boston, MA :: 6 p.m., $30 to $35 :: Event Page :: Advance Tickets