Jamie Foxx is returning to the East Bay theater that launched his career for two live comedy tapings set to stream on Hulu.
The Grammy- and Academy Award-winning entertainer is scheduled to perform two stand-up shows at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts’ Calvin Simmons Theatre in Oakland on Thursday-Friday, April 16-17, to record a Hulu special. The local stop will mark a full-circle moment for Foxx, who competed in the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition in the same 1,350-seat venue more than three decades ago, a moment he credits with helping him break through in the creative arts.
“This Hulu special taping isn’t a milestone. It’s alignment. Timing, experience, and location locking in all at once,” the show’s description reads. “Oakland isn’t just hosting the night, it’s stealing it.”
Tickets are available to purchase online now.
In celebration of the forthcoming shows, Foxx shared a simple image that reads “Oakland California” to his Instagram account on Friday, April 10.
“Let’s run it… hella,” he captioned the post. “#backonmyfunnys-.”
The Oakland shows are part of Foxx’s ongoing “Back On My Funny” tour, which began last year and officially marked his return to comedy.
More Information
Jamie Foxx: 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, April 16-17. Tickets start at $128. Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, 10 10th St., Oakland. hjkarts.org
Over the past few years, Foxx has spent time focusing more heavily on his acting career, with projects like “They Cloned Tyrone” (2023), “Not Another Church Movie” (2024) and “Back in Action” (2025).
He did, however, release a standup special titled “What Had Happened Was …” in 2024, which addressed his near-fatal 2023 medical emergency that resulted in a stroke.
The 58-year-old actor and comedian is slowly easing back into the public eye after the incident, and recently drew attention for praising Michael B. Jordan’s best actor Academy Award win for his roles in Oakland native Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.”
“I can barely breathe right now… you were absolutely incredible in this film,” Foxx wrote on social media, noting that Jordan “deserve(s) two Oscars” for his role as twins Smoke and Stack.
Jordan previously won best actor at the Academy Awards for his portrayal of Ray Charles in “Ray” (2004).
This article originally published at Academy Award-winner to film new comedy special in Oakland.