Darius Rucker showing off his comedy chops.
Merry Christmas from us here at Whiskey Riff. Hopefully you are having a wonderful time surrounded by friends and family.
There’s also a chance that you are surrounded by loved ones and need a brief escape from the hustle and bustle of the holidays. If that’s the case, feel free to take refuge in this story that is sure to provide a break and a laugh.
Earlier this month, Nate Bargatze’s Nashville Christmas aired on CBS. It was filmed all the way back on November 21st at the Grand Ole Opry, and featured cameos by Noah Kahan, Martina McBride, Mikey Day, Ashley Padilla, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker, the Tennessee Titans and Carrie Underwood. The comedian called upon all of his Music City connections – as well as a couple of Saturday Night Live cast members – to put together a variety show that featured singing, dancing, comedic sketches and most importantly… Christmas spirit.
Country music star Darius Rucker was a part of the live band throughout the night that helped fill time when necessary, and when he wasn’t performing, the “Come Back Song” singer was included in other parts of the show. My personal favorite moment was when Darius stepped in to play a Wise Man during a Nativity Scene sketch that Bargatze and the SNL cast members put on.
If you’ve happened to catch Bargatze’s recent hosting gigs on Saturday Night Live, you are probably familiar with the George Washington sketches that have become increasingly popular. The bit leans on Nate Bargatze’s patented dry delivery to explain things that we’ve all come to accept without asking any questions about it (in the Washington sketches, it revolves around things like America using the imperial system rather than the metric system).
In the sketch that’s linked below, the comedian plays an Angel that comes to Mary and Joseph shortly after the birth of Baby Jesus. He proceeds to tell everyone there about the true meaning of Christmas, and how it will be celebrated for centuries to come by doing non-Jesus-related things like putting up a pine tree in your house and singing about snow.
It’s honestly an incredibly funny premise, and the performances by everyone involved really allowed for the sketch to deliver laughs. Though Rucker has always been known to have respectable stage banter, this is one of the first times where he’s been thrown into a comedic role. Admittedly, he wasn’t asked to do all that much. That being said, he absolutely nailed every look, reaction and facial expression that was required of him.
Especially during the church joke that Nate Bargatze’s Angel character made.
Most of the sketch was carried by Bargatze and SNL cast members Mikey Day and Ashley Padilla. They nailed it as their respective characters – Angel, Joseph and Mary. And the same could be said for Darius Rucker as the Wise Man. The country singer won’t be nominated for any acting awards anytime soon, but he still showcased some decent comedic timing.
As you can see in the video below: