Mike Tyson on Broadway? Nope, it’s not a joke.
The former heavyweight boxing champ is starring in his one-man confessional, “Undisputed Truth,” through Aug. 12.
Like his life, the show is entertaining, fascinating and messy. At the center of it all is a 46-year-old from Brooklyn with enough triumphs and tribulations to fuel a few memoirs.
Working from a script by his latest wife, Kiki, Tyson traces life from his rough childhood to his clean vegan living today in Las Vegas. “I wanted to call the show ‘Boxing, Bitches and Lawsuits,’” he says in the opening moments.
That would fit. Along the way, there are memories of robberies, juvie hall, whores, heavyweight boxing glories, cocaine, facial tattoos and the ear-chomping incident with fighter Evander Holyfield. Touching moments come when he speaks of his mother or children or his beloved mentor, Cus D’Amato.
Save for his cameo in “The Hangover,” Tyson is not an actor. He tends to race through lines, mumbles and tacks the word “Man” at the beginning of nearly every sentence for emphasis.
Kiki Tyson does him no favor by putting overly poetic words into his mouth — including ones about his “dark dreams.” It just rings false. On the other hand, it sounds exactly like the Baddest Man on the Planet when he says, “I’m sweating up here like a pimply ass ho.” The soaked-through pink dress shirt under his blue jacket proves he means it.
But Iron Mike is gifted with iron-clad charisma and can work an audience. He dances jigs and twists his high-pitched Baby Huey voice to mimic characters in his life who appear on a huge screen. “This is all about forgiveness,” he says several times.
Disputable, considering that a human punching bag pops up about every 10 minutes to get a pummeling. That happens to boxing promoter Don King and ex-wife actress Robin Givens, who gets a major whooping. Even Brad Pitt gets a beatdown.
Tyson laments blowing a $400 million fortune (helped by cheats working for him) and staunchly maintains his innocence on the rape conviction that landed him in prison. He deserved to go to jail for many things, he admits, “but not this.”
“Undisputed Truth” originated in Las Vegas in April. Since then, Spike Lee, in his Broadway debut, has come on as director. Lee has added topical projections, rap music and banners in the theater reading: “Da Republic of Brooklyn.”
That’s all window dressing for a two-hour show that rambles and really needs tightening. A long-winded but insignificant story about “Brady Bunch” star Florence Henderson visiting Tyson in jail is one that could easily be cut. And between them, the star, writer and director could have come up with a better ending than “I hope you leave knowing me better.” A copout, not a knockout.
At least the champ made good on an early vow: “You’ll all go home with two ears.”
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