A moment after comedian Colin Quinn finished his opening set at Lehman Center on Oct. 11, Jerry Seinfeld sprinted onto the stage.
“Oh my God. Lehman College in the Bronx!” he said. “Oh the pride of the definite article in front of the name. Not Brooklyn. Not Long Island. Not Staten Island. The Bronx. The. It’s not that different. It’s just a different area, but it is The Bronx. I’m pretty impressed. I’m pretty impressed,” he said.
Mr. Seinfeld — one of America’s most renowned stand-up comedians — decided to return to his New York City stand-up roots with a five-show tour of his hometown, hitting every borough with a Thursday night show, the same night Seinfeld ran until its last episode in May 1998.
Mr. Seinfeld, the television super star whose grandparents were born in the Bronx, mentioned how unusual it was for him to perform here.
“People didn’t believe I’m coming here. ‘There’s no way that he’s really showing up. You text me if he shows up, because there’s no reason for him to come to Lehman. I would not come here if I were him. I would be in Vegas if I were him,’” he said, eliciting laughs and a few jeers from the crowd.
Mr. Seinfeld had the Lehman crowd roaring (some to the point of tears) during his hour-long set, which was followed by a short question and answer session. Since Seinfeld concluded, the man for which the show is named got married and has kept a relatively low profile. He has appeared in a few films and has been a guest on a number of television shows. The show at Manhattan’s Beacon Theater on Oct. 4, was the first time he had performed in New York City since 1998.
At 58, he hasn’t lost a step. He was his usual energetic self at Lehman. After he finished his set, he sprinted off the stage to a standing ovation.
He returned for a Q and A and got thrown a softball.
What about a Seinfeld reunion?
“I think a Seinfeld reunion is a possibility, but you have to wait until all four careers to be completely in the toilet. That’s a prerequisite for the offers to go out on a show like that, and we are working on that as we speak,” he said.
The sold-out show bodes well for entertainment in the Bronx.
