Chris Rockis in good spirits as he prepares for his Wednesday stand-up show, occurring just days afterWill Smithhit him onstage atthe Oscars.The 57-year-old star is set to kick off a comedy tourat The Wilbur in Bostonon Wednesday night, and the venue’s owner Bill Blumenreich tells PEOPLE that Rock is “in a great mood” as he rehearses.“What happened [atthe Oscars], he handled it so well. He took the high road,” he says.Blumenreich says Rock has been “all business"since arriving in townahead of the comedy show: “It’s a big, big tour, over 100 shows, and he’s taking it very seriously. He’s probably the funniest guy I’ve ever met. We were talking last night, he was saying, ‘How long have I known you?’ Since he started onSNL! I’ve been working with him since 1991.“For more on the Will Smith-Chris Rock incident at the Oscars, listen below to our daily podcast on PEOPLE Every Day.“He’s one of the nicest, funniest people you could ever meet in your life,” he adds.Chris Rock.Neilson Barnard/GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Secondary ticket sellerTickPicktweeted Monday that the company saw an increase in sales to see Rock perform following the incident.During the 94th annual Academy Awards on Sunday night, Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s appearance, which prompted Will, 53, to walk onstage and strike him in front of millions of viewers. Rock appeared stunned afterward before quickly making light of the confrontation and moving along. He declined to press charges.In his apology on Monday, Will directly apologized to Rock, admitting he was “out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.“On Wednesday’sepisodeofTheEllen DeGeneresShow, Wanda Sykes, who co-hostedthe Oscarsalong with Regina Hall and Amy Schumer, said she “feltso awful for my friend Chris” and shared what he told her later that night.“I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this, but I saw Chris at [Guy Oseary’s after party] and as soon as I walked up to him, the first thing he said is, ‘I’m so sorry.’ I was like, ‘Why areyouapologizing?’ He was like, ‘It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy and Regina were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry this is now gonna be about this.’ Because that’s who Chris is.”
Chris Rockis in good spirits as he prepares for his Wednesday stand-up show, occurring just days afterWill Smithhit him onstage atthe Oscars.
The 57-year-old star is set to kick off a comedy tourat The Wilbur in Bostonon Wednesday night, and the venue’s owner Bill Blumenreich tells PEOPLE that Rock is “in a great mood” as he rehearses.
“What happened [atthe Oscars], he handled it so well. He took the high road,” he says.
Blumenreich says Rock has been “all business"since arriving in townahead of the comedy show: “It’s a big, big tour, over 100 shows, and he’s taking it very seriously. He’s probably the funniest guy I’ve ever met. We were talking last night, he was saying, ‘How long have I known you?’ Since he started onSNL! I’ve been working with him since 1991.”
For more on the Will Smith-Chris Rock incident at the Oscars, listen below to our daily podcast on PEOPLE Every Day.
“He’s one of the nicest, funniest people you could ever meet in your life,” he adds.
Chris Rock.Neilson Barnard/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Secondary ticket sellerTickPicktweeted Monday that the company saw an increase in sales to see Rock perform following the incident.
During the 94th annual Academy Awards on Sunday night, Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s appearance, which prompted Will, 53, to walk onstage and strike him in front of millions of viewers. Rock appeared stunned afterward before quickly making light of the confrontation and moving along. He declined to press charges.
In his apology on Monday, Will directly apologized to Rock, admitting he was “out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
On Wednesday’sepisodeofTheEllen DeGeneresShow, Wanda Sykes, who co-hostedthe Oscarsalong with Regina Hall and Amy Schumer, said she “feltso awful for my friend Chris” and shared what he told her later that night.
“I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this, but I saw Chris at [Guy Oseary’s after party] and as soon as I walked up to him, the first thing he said is, ‘I’m so sorry.’ I was like, ‘Why areyouapologizing?’ He was like, ‘It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy and Regina were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry this is now gonna be about this.’ Because that’s who Chris is.”
source: people.com
