Before Martin Lawrence took the stage Friday, the raucous crowd at Mystic Lake Casino Friday was treated to 10 minutes of classic moments from the comic’s days on “Def Comedy Jam.” During his run as the show’s host in the 1990s, he exuded so much physical energy, you’d swear stand-up could qualify as an Olympic sport.
The footage was a mistake. When Lawrence, 60, finally appeared in the flesh, he looked like he could be the grandfather of the guy in those clips, way too old to be sporting a lime-green outfit made of rubber.
He paced across the stage so gingerly, it seemed at times that he might trip over his own shoes. His delivery was slightly slurred, just as it was when he reunited with his “Martin” cast during the 2024 Emmy Awards.
During his one-hour set, he wiped his brow with a black handkerchief a dozen times. He guzzled so much water, it was a wonder he didn’t take a bathroom break.
Lawrence dismissed rumors that he had suffered a stroke. But he acknowledged that he’s no longer a young man.
“People say they want the old Martin,” he said, after telling a story about waking up with a swollen knee. “Hey, I want the old Martin.”
But Lawrence still knows how to deliver laughs. Like an aging actor, he’s learned how to produce more with less.
Instead of running around like a kid with ADHD, he relied on subtle gestures and long pauses, devices you may not have expected from the guy who played over-caffeinated parts in “Big Momma’s House” and “Bad Boys.”
