Not to Offend

Louis Szekely chose to use a helpful pronunciation of his actual surname as his stage name, performing his top-tier stand-up across the country as Louis C.K. After spending his early career writing for the cream of late-night talk shows, The Late Show With David Letterman and Late Night With Conan O’Brien, he moved on to the short-lived Dana Carvey Show and to the Chris Rock Show, where his work yielded an Emmy nomination and a partnership with Rock that endures to this day. All that, plus his short-run but beloved HBO sitcom, Lucky Louie, which made him a bête noire of old Barbara Walters, make up much of the man’s curriculum vitae. As his practicum, he applies a wit, by turns sharp and blunt, to topics of fatherhood and marriage and to George Carlinlike analyses of how we use language. Catch him at the Midland (1228 Main, 816-931-3330) tonight at 8. The show, unlikely to be G-rated, is all-ages. Tickets start at $30.

Fri., Feb. 27, 2009