The Los Angeles Times describes him as “a remarkably skilled storyteller and savvy essayist.” The Guardian calls him “the best living humorist in America.” David Sedaris, however, writes of himself as being “a smart-ass, born and raised. This had been my curse and would continue to be so.”
Smart-ass or not, Sedaris’ curse has served him well since his humble beginnings as a Chicago radio show contributor. His debut on National Public Radio in 1992 with his essay “SantaLand Diaries” launched Sedaris into fame, and since then, he has written multiple essay collections that have earned a coveted spot on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Along with his prolific writing career, Sedaris has been a frequent contributor to NPR and The New Yorker and has gained recognition for his honest, sardonic and comedic social critiques. It’s no surprise that his most recent book, “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls,” has taken Sedaris on a national tour, including a stop at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Thursday.
“David Sedaris is one of the most popular comic writers around, and his live, ‘spoken-word’ shows are always in demand,” said Craig Sumberg, executive director of the Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation. “When given the chance to add David Sedaris, we jumped at it.”
“Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls” is exactly what one would expect from Sedaris. The essay collection explores everything from his first colonoscopy to swimming with sea turtles in Hawaii, all with the wit and candor Sedaris graciously gives his audience. Beyond his crafty storytelling, however, it’s Sedaris’ comedy that keeps audiences coming back for more.
“Sedaris, like all great comics and comic writers, takes the most mundane aspects of his life and creates stories out of them that will have audiences rolling in the aisles,” Sumberg said. “Sedaris’ comedy speaks to almost everyone, from 18 to 80 — and probably even beyond that.”
“An Evening with David Sedaris” will give audience members a chance to hear Sedaris read from “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls,” as well as hear unpublished stories and readings from his diary. If you’re unconvinced of how Sedaris’ written works will translate from page to stage, his Grammy Award nominations for Best Spoken Word Album and Best Comedy Album should put worries aside.
His tour has already sold out dates in other cities, has been well-reviewed and promises to deliver the same Sedaris charm to Tucson.
“He opened himself up to the audience with personal stories delivered with conversational ease,” writes Andrea Kszystyniak in the Omaha World-Herald. “Even if there were some in the audience who had never read a single Sedaris story, the author’s performance had them laughing until their stomachs hurt.”
For fans or newcomers to Sedaris, there are still about 100 seats open for “An Evening with David Sedaris” on Thursday, and tickets can be purchased the night of, according to Sumberg. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. with Sedaris as the single star of the show. His readings will be followed by a Q&A session as well as a book signing, so audience members will have a chance to meet the author himself.
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