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