Following a sold-out Las Vegas debut last summer, the legendary Mel Brooks returns to the Strip for two evenings of exclusive up close and personal performances, April 27-28, in the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas.
During his one-man show, An Evening with Mel Brooks, the esteemed actor, comedian, composer, director, producer and writer — who some consider the greatest comedic mind of our time — will take audiences on an incredible journey of personal anecdotes, stand-up comedy and film footage from some of his most memorable, exceptional works.
The legendary Mel Brooks presents an evening of personal anecdotes, stand-up comedy and film clips during his show at Wynn Las Vegas. (Courtesy: Wynn Las Vegas)
Brooks started working in the 1940s as a stand-up comic at a resort nightclub, along with some summer stock acting and radio work. But he soon discovered more rewarding work as a TV comedy writer — a passion he’s held throughout his more than six-decade-long career — and by the mid-’60s, he’d co-created the popular sitcom series “Get Smart,” which ran from September 1965 to May 1970.
Don Adams and Barbara Feldon starred as CONTROL Agent 86 Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 battling KAOS on the TV sitcom “Get Smart.”
From the 1970s to ’90s, Brooks wrote and directed a number of successful films; among his most popular are Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
A maverick of parody, Brooks has garnered an incredible amount of recognition for his work over the years in the form of multiple Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards, an Oscar and many others.
Plus, he’s garnered more than two dozen industry award nominations, among them nine Emmys and a half-dozen Golden Globes. He also was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received a motion pictures star on Hollywood Boulevard in 2010.
A publicity movie still from Young Frankenstein features director and co-writer Mel Brooks with writing partner Gene Wilder and other cast members from the 1974 blockbuster.
And as if the awards aren’t enough to prove his merit, the iconic Brooks himself has stated it quite frankly: “I have always been a huge admirer of my own work. I’m one of the funniest and most entertaining writers I know,” he’s been quoted as saying.
Although he’s worked in film, theater and television, one constant has stood out throughout all his entertainment pursuits. By wisely incorporating his zany, offbeat sense of humor, Brooks showcases his satiric genius in a manner that not only strikes a chord across multigenerational audiences, but descends upon them like a full-on, exuberant marching band.
The comedic icon flashes one of his signature smiles.
According to Brooks, “If you’re quiet, you’re not living. You’ve got to be noisy and colorful and lively.” And that’s how he’s approached his amazing career and the extraordinary works he’s created. He’s never been afraid to stand apart and be heard, albeit, through his own devices of making people laugh and, at the same time, think.
“Bad taste is simply saying the truth before it should be said,” Brooks has said regarding his penchant for taking risks to successfully expose the idiosyncrasies of society. “But I have bad taste with a deep fount of intellectuality.”
And, indeed, he’s repeatedly proven he has.
For an evening of nonstop laughter and a once-in-a-lifetime VIP meet and greet experience with the legend himself, or to take in a dinner at one of the Wynn or Encore restaurants along with the show, click here.
