By Bart Greenberg***Jeff Ross has established himself as a comedian of the insult category, specializing in roasting celebrities on television specials on Comedy Central and Netflix. He works loud and vulgar in the grand tradition of OG comedians Don Rickles and Jack E. Leonard. So it was 
logical to assume that his one-man Broadway show would be in the same tradition. And that is where you would be wrong.
For while Take a Banana for the Ride did indeed begin as expected, with a variety of video clips projected on multiple screens that provide the backdrop for the evening. Soon, Ross entered the stage with a roar and before long, after the characteristic brashness, took the audience on a tour of his life with a warmth and bittersweet memories that defied expectations. Ross’ tales were surprisingly filled with death, illness and disappointment, and even more surprisingly, much of this was delivered with dark humor and major compassion.
The unique title, Take a Banana for the Ride, comes from the advice his beloved grandfather, who had taken over parental duties when the actor lost both parents while still a teen. So every time he traveled back and forth 
between their shared home in New Jersey and his stand-up engagements in Manhattan, that banana would come in handy just in case he had a delay in his transportation or a low blood sugar attack. Ross’ deep relationship with his grandfather formed the heart of the show. Not that there was a lack of heart in the evening: Ross spoke of his parents with great compassion, even while acknowledging their flaws. And with the aid of family photographs and videos, and his vibrant words, he brought them, his sister and many other people in his world to vibrant life. Even his two German shepherd dogs were wonderfully evoked, albeit given the souls of Nazi officers reincarnated. That was funny.
Under the smooth guidance of director Stephen Kessler, Ross moved from segment to segment of the show quite smoothly. The major misstep was that after he had finished his story, the show didn’t end. Ross continued with an audience participation sequence as he wandered up and down the theater aisles, speaking to and chatting with attendees and handing out bananas, all documented by a nimble video team and projected on the screens. It’s a gambit that dates back
to the days of Steve Allen’s talk show in the 1960s and simply served to remind us of Ross’ television background. Very clever, yet this part of the show pulled us away from the emotionally satisfying center of the evening—an imbalance that caused a powerful memoir to be surrounded by brash, variety show content.
The design collaboration between the scenery by Beowolf Boritt and the projections devised by Stefania Bulbarella, with lighting by Adam Honore, were seamlessly employed. Credit also goes to the on stage musicians, Asher Denburg (keys) and Felix Herbst (violin), for fine back up, both for the dramatic moments and the comic.
Take a Banana for the Ride runs at the Nederlander Theatre, 208 W. 41St., NYC, through September 28, 2025. Tickets are available at jeffrossbroadway.com.
Photos by Emilio Madrid
