Comedy Show Review: Gabriel Iglesias Celebrates 20 Years of Standup with “Beyond the Fluffy World Tour”
Disclosure: I was invited to see Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias’s comedy show in exchange for this post. All opinions here are my own.
It was Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias’s 20th year of doing stand-up comedy, and celebrations were in order. And what better way to celebrate than by performing at a sold out show in Hard Rock Event Center at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino?
Iglesias did a brief salsa move onstage to a Marc Anthony song, kicking off the show with a bang. Showing his love for the casino and its South Florida location, he cracked jokes about how bipolar the weather is, being hyped off of cafecito for a Telemundo segment, and its diversity. “‘Have you ever met an Albanian?’” Iglesias said in a thick accent, telling the story of an Albanian man he met in Hollywood, FL. In his regular voice: “‘No, but I’ve seen Taken.’”
Iglesias raved about his two pet chihuahuas, explaining that whether he leaves the room for one hour or one minute, they still run towards him. One of them, in fact, gets so excited he urinates on the floor. “That’s how you know someone really loves you: they can’t control their own bodily functions when they see you…The mother of my son always said, ‘Why don’t you say hi to me first?’ I said, ‘I don’t see a puddle.’” The audience roared with laughter, especially when he added that the tiny dogs sleeping with his large frame was “risky”.
Iglesias kept the energy of the night alive with his many vocal imitations, particularly high pitched females. One of his most memorable voices was reminiscent of a smooth, pimp-like tone when he talked about his interactions with Netflix. He also kept the show relatively family friendly, seeming like a fun, chill guy you want to eat dinner with. The man isn’t without his triggers, though: he hates when people point in his face and invade his privacy. Regarding the latter of the two, he explained that someone stuck their phone under a bathroom stall and took a picture of him. Other than that, Iglesias said he’s open to fan encounters, exhibiting that he’s a genuinely nice guy.
His consideration really showed for a distressed audience member in the middle of his set. After a few attendees yelled for a medic, the comedian stopped the show and asked for the lights to be turned on. Adding that he hoped the attendee was ok, he resumed when a fireman gave him a nod of approval.
Iglesias performed with an enormous amount of heart and talent, giving the audience what they paid for and more. Holding up the timer, the comedian showed that the show went over its time by about 52 minutes. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I guess I’ll find out when I get to my dressing room,” he said, laughing.
Catch Gabriel Iglesias’s new show Mr. Iglesias on Netflix June 21.
