One Man, One Mic, Zero Mercy
When Jeff Ross steps onto the stage at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati this June, it won’t be with a dais of celebrities flanking him or a podium loaded with punchlines. It will be something far more vulnerable, far more intimate, and—arguably—far more groundbreaking than any roast he’s ever delivered. It’s the dawn of something new, and if you’re lucky enough to be in Cincinnati on Saturday, June 28, you’ll witness one of America’s most iconic comics trade in the spitfire for soul.
Ross, internationally crowned the “Roastmaster General,” is launching his one-man theatrical show Take A Banana For The Ride with a nine-city tour of Hard Rock venues. Cincinnati is one of the first stops. After that, it’s Broadway.
Yes—Broadway. The same place that shaped the legends. The same place Ross first fell in love with show business, when his Aunt Bess took him to see Jackie Mason as a kid. That moment sparked a dream. And now, after decades of transforming public ridicule into an art form, Jeff Ross is turning the spotlight inward.
From Roast Battles to Raw Revelations
Jeff Ross has always known how to read a room—and burn it down. His roasts of Justin Bieber, Rob Lowe, Alec Baldwin, and even Tom Brady (The Greatest Roast of All Time, Netflix) didn’t just leave audiences laughing—they left the targets thanking him. That’s the magic of Ross: he skewers with surgical precision, but there’s always a wink, a hug, and a strange kind of healing underneath the sting.
So what happens when Ross points that roast inward? What happens when the jokes come wrapped in family trauma, Jewish immigrant roots, childhood loss, and the unrelenting pressure of keeping people laughing through it all?
You get Take A Banana For The Ride—a title borrowed from his grandfather’s travel advice and a perfect metaphor for this deeply personal ride through comedy, catharsis, and resilience.
A One-Man Show with Plenty of Firepower
Don’t let the therapy-adjacent premise fool you—Ross isn’t going soft. He’ll still be roasting brave audience volunteers live on stage. There will be music. Stories. Maybe a tear or two. And yes, laughter that leaves you gasping. But beneath the barbs is a man trying to answer one honest question: How did I get here?
This is Ross, unfiltered and unarmored. Still funny. Still ferocious. But also—finally—fragile.
As he puts it: “This new show is designed to be a cathartic experience shared with others. Bring friends that you care about, people going through tough times. I will shake them out of it with uncensored jokes, uplifting stories, songs, and even some live roasting.”
That line says it all. This isn’t just stand-up. It’s stand-up therapy, wrapped in satire and smoked in soul.
Why Cincinnati?
It’s no accident Ross chose Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati as one of the debut stops. The city is quietly carving out a reputation as a comedic testing ground, where acts aren’t just met with applause—they’re listened to. Cincinnati’s audiences are savvy. Smart. They want something real. Something raw. And with its state-of-the-art venue, the Hard Rock provides the perfect stage for a performance that defies the traditional boundaries of a comedy show.
“We are proud to welcome Jeff’s one-man show to the stage and allow our local comedy fans to be the first to see his terrific show this summer before he takes it to the Big Apple,” said Justin Wyborn, President at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati.
A Broadway-Caliber Production
This isn’t some self-produced, bare-bones experiment. The show is backed by theatrical heavyweights Eric Nederlander, Robert Nederlander Jr., Marc Cornstein, and Tony Eisenberg—a production team that knows how to craft stories that resonate on Broadway and beyond. The executive producers at ShowTown Productions and booking muscle from Live Nation only further legitimize the show’s ambitions.
Take A Banana For The Ride isn’t a side project. It’s Jeff Ross’s next act. And it’s built to last.
How to Get Tickets
Fans eager to catch the show before it hits Broadway can access presale tickets starting Wednesday, April 23 at 10 a.m., and general on-sale tickets will be available Friday, April 25 at 10 a.m., all local time.
Buy Tickets Here
Jeff Ross Tour Info
Why This Matters
Comedy is changing. We’ve seen it bend, break, and rebuild itself over the last few years. And in the middle of that evolution stands Jeff Ross—a man who’s always walked the tightrope between insult and intimacy. With Take A Banana For The Ride, he’s inviting us to walk that rope with him.
It’s a show about surviving, laughing through pain, and never forgetting to bring something sweet for the trip.
If you’ve ever been roasted, if you’ve ever been broken, or if you just need a night that’s equal parts hilarious and healing—don’t miss this.