Entertainment, Movies - Navy Times

Robin Williams hits road for stand-up tour

When the going gets tough, Robin Williams gets going.

This fall, the Oscar-winning actor and famously animated funnyman is hitting the road for his first stand-up comedy tour in six years.

“Weapons of Self-Destruction” kicks off Sept. 25, with stops in cities that include Chicago, Nashville, Tenn., and Baltimore. His last tour, in 2002, was filmed for HBO; the resulting program, “Robin Williams: Live on Broadway,” earned him two Emmy nominations.

Why go back out now?

“It’s an interesting time, as they say,” Williams says. “I’ll talk about everything that’s going on. The election. The choices. What are we going to do?”

Some of the comedy will reflect on Williams’ tough few years, which have included a stint in rehab and a split this year from his wife of 19 years, Marsha. When he takes the stage, Williams says, nothing is off-limits.

“Between the politics and things that have happened to me personally, it’s free range,” he says. “I’ll open up about that, yeah, as much as I can.”

Life, Williams says, is good. “I’m working and enjoying looking around. Going back on the road is therapeutic — and economically therapeutic,” he says.

Williams is filming the comedy “World’s Greatest Dad” in Seattle and already has “Old Dogs,” with John Travolta, in the can. Once he wraps, he’ll start drafting material for his tour. And while it’s tough to picture the often-manic Williams catatonic from nerves, he says he is just that right before going on stage.

“I get narcoleptic, almost. You just breathe and hope you don’t pass out. Colon, you’re empty? Let’s do this. Brain? Here we go,” he cracks. “You have to get ready. There’s that dead-man-walking thing where they walk you down the hallway. Show time!”

Tour dates

Sept. 25 Minneapolis

Sept. 26-27 Chicago

Sept. 28 Milwaukee

Oct. 2 West Lafayette, Ind.

Oct. 3 Detroit

Oct. 5 Columbus, Ohio

Oct. 10 Cleveland

Oct. 11 Cincinnati

Oct. 12 Nashville

Oct. 15 Greenville, S.C.

Oct. 16 Richmond, Va.

Oct. 23 Baltimore

For the complete list of confirmed tour dates, go to life.usatoday.com.