Mencia brings ‘New Territory’ to Fayetteville

FAYETTEVILLE — With laughter still reverberating off the walls of the UARK Bowl following the launch of its new Sunday Night Stand-Up Comedy Series, officials announced Tuesday they’ve booked their first household-name performer, comedian Carlos Mencia.

Mencia, well-known for his rants about race and social issues on his hit shows on Comedy Central, will perform at the UARK Bowl on March 11.

The Honduras-born comedian has become a kinder, gentler performer — though no less entertaining — since he shed 70 pounds and experienced a period of self-discovery with the help of therapy. Four seasons of confrontational banter on Comedy Central’s Mind of Mencia had worn thin on audiences and fellow comedians, Mencia, 44, said Tuesday. Since then, he’s reworked his material so that audiences understand the meaning behind all his railings. His latest Comedy Central special was appropriately named “Carlos Mencia: New Territory.”

“I didn’t want to be that angry guy anymore,” he said.

His nickname, “The Punisher,” no longer applies. Mencia has found a less aggressive way to get his point across.

“Everybody thinks they have problems,” explained Mencia. “We complain about potholes, but where I come from, we didn’t even have streets. We have The Food Network and there are some people who don’t have food. There’s got to be someone who can point that out in a comedic way.”

It’s been a decade or more since Mencia has performed in Fayetteville, and he said he’s looking forward to it.

“I feel like a kid again, back out doing comedy,” he added.

The UARK’s Sunday Night Stand-up Comedy Series, put together with the help of a national entertainment booking series, Funny Business, debuted last weekend with funny man A.J. Finney. Others scheduled to perform over the next several weeks include Kristin Key, Mike Baldwin, Claude Stuart, J. Chris Newberg, Luke Francis, Mike Smith and Alex Ortiz. There could be more to come, depending on the success of the current lineup, said Roger Haak, public events coordinator for the UARK Bowl.

Haak interned with the Walton Arts Center and TheatreSquared and said those arts organizations have “trained local audiences to accept comedy as a form of entertainment.” Within recent months, the Walton Arts Center has booked headliners such as Larry Miller, Brian Regan and Lewis Black.

A comedy store once located in a spot on North College Avenue now occupied by Mermaid’s restaurant was a hit in the 1990s, said Haak. Weekend nights were sold out, but success was not sustainable and it eventually folded, he said.

“The popularity of comedy on a local level seems to follow the national trend, and there’s a comedy boon going on right now,” said Haak.

The homegrown Phunbags improv comedy troupe is at home at the UARK, and touring standup comedians Paul Hooper and Rory Scovel have performed there since Haak took over bookings in June 2011. Shows like these help patrons make the connection between the venue and good comedy.

“You look at the space and it’s begging for comedy,” Haak said of the bowling alley-turned-event center. Many of the comedians booked for the Sunday night gig are nationally known and have appeared on Comedy Central, HBO, the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and/or the Conan Show. Doors open each Sunday at 7 p.m. with showtime at 7:30 p..m. Cost is $7 for general admission and $5 for students.

The cost for Mencia will be $25 and $20. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. and Mencia will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Haak expects a sell-out.

A key to booking the Sunday night lineup is the day — Sunday — when the artists are normally on break or en route to their next show. The cost to book performers on their “off” days is considerably less than their standard fee, adds Haak. He personally likes hosting the Sunday shows and sees them as a pleasant way to end the weekend.

“It’s a nice way to say, ‘Okay, it’s Sunday — time to squeeze a few laughs in before we start the grind again.”

Visit the UARK Bowl website or call (479) 283-5282 for more information.