APRIL 11 • 2024 | 57
I
t’s just before Shabbat in Tel Aviv
when Michael Rapaport calls from
his hotel to talk all-things Jewish,
Israel and comedy. And while the
prolific actor, influencer and podcaster
will tell you that there’s absolutely
nothing funny about the war in Israel,
he hopes that his brand of edgy humor
will provide a little relief to Michigan
audiences when he performs four
standup comedy shows April 18-20 at
the Emagine Royal Oak.
“Audiences can expect a lot of
energy. I talk about my life, about
being married, about being a son and
about being a parent,” says Rapaport
who’s got the parenting thing down pat
as the dad in Netflix’s Atypical and as
Amy Schumer’s Jewish father in Life &
Beth on Hulu (Season 2 just dropped
in February). “I talk about everything
that’s going on in my world right now.
And what has gone on. I try to make
every show as personal as I possibly
can.”
And while Rapaport has given his
show a PG-13 rating, he’s quick to
point out that it’s geared more to an
18-plus audience because of his explicit
language and affinity for swearing.
“But it’s not offensive,” says
Rapaport, the self-proclaimed Mitzvah
Mike, Inflamed Ashkenazi and Jewish
Brad Pitt.
Go to any Instagram post or
interview and Rapaport’s no-holds-
barred repartee is frequently censored
out. Rapaport is raw and unfiltered on
his “I Am Rapaport Stereo Podcast”
and “Rapaport’s Reality” podcast that
he hosts with his wife, Kebe.
Born to Ashkenazi Jewish parents in
New York City, Rapaport celebrated his
low-key 54th birthday in Israel as well
as Purim in Tel Aviv.
“You know in Hollywood, the show
must go on. And in Israel, with the
Jewish people, the Purim must go on,”
said Rapaport who has visited Israel
three times since December 2023. “I’m
sure Purim wasn’t as wild as it was in
the past, but it was definitely good to
be there and fun to experience. You
know Jewish people love to live, and
we try to give as much light and bring
joy while we’re here.”
Wearing a pilot’s hat for his costume,
Rapaport spontaneously went as the
Minister of Gaza for Purim.
“To me, it’s such a joke, and I’m sure
your readers know that the Ministry of
Gaza is Hamas. So I was just making
fun of that. I could be — or anybody,
really — could be the minister or the
entire Ministry of Gaza because no one
knows. No one has seen this person
or this group. There’s no email; there’s
no phone number. There’s no website.
There’s no Instagram page. So I think
it’s such a joke that whatever they’re
saying is taken seriously. I was trying
to mock that, as I do, because unfor-
tunately there’s an actual war going
on. But there’s also, for the first time,
a social media war going on about the
real war — the actual more serious
war.”
Since Oct. 7, Rapaport’s become even
more outspoken about being Jewish.
“Being Jewish has always been a part
of my life. But now I’ve been really
pushing back as hard as I can about
any anti-Jewishness, antisemitism or
anti-Israel,” says Rapaport who wears
a Star of David and a Chai necklace
every day as well as a “#5” necklace
from kabbalah from time-to-time.
Rapaport also posts a weekly
Shabbat Shalom message on Instagram.
And he started putting on tefillin every
day, regardless of where he is in the
world.
“What happened on Oct. 7 was a
tremendous blow to us and a tragedy.
It ignited and provoked me in a way
that I’ve never felt before. So I’ve been
wrapping tefillin for a few months
now, and I love doing it. I would do
it on the streets in New York when I’d
run across the Chasidics. It’s medita-
tive and it’s a mitzvah,” Rapaport says.
He’s extremely grateful to Temple
Israel’s unofficial “Moms on a Mission”
group who were instrumental in
bringing him to the Emagine Royal
Oak.
“I’m excited to be coming to
Michigan,” Rapaport adds. “I think it’s
more important than ever for us, as
Jewish people, to stick with each other,
to be supportive of each other and to
be proud and loud.”
DETAILS
Michael Rapaport will perform at
7 p.m. Thursday, April 18, 7 p.m.
Friday, April 19, and at 7 p.m. and
9 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at
Emagine Royal Oak, 200 N. Main
St., Royal Oak. There is a meet-and-
greet one hour before the show
on April 18 and 19 and immediately
following the 9 p.m. show on April
20. Doors will open 30 minutes
before each performance. Meet-
and-greet tickets do not include
a ticket to the show. You must
purchase a ticket in addition to the
meet-and-greet.
Tickets available at www.
eventbrite.com/e/rapaport-in-the-d-
tickets-832702815537.
Michael
Rapaport