Last night, Dave Chappelle kicked off an epic three-day set at the Hollywood Palladium for an upcoming Netflix special. But it was no small miracle that a show even happened given the climate of chaos in the days leading up to the big night.
Sources tell Page Six Hollywood that no one, including Chappelle’s longtime collaborator Stan Lathan, knew what material the comedy legend was going to perform, which was uncharacteristic of the director-star’s dynamic.
Adding to the frenzied atmosphere, producers scrambled to fly in Lauryn Hill for a surprise appearance at one of the shows. As of Friday morning, that remains a big “to-be-determined,” says one insider. But Erykah Badu is said to be locked in to perform at an after-show. The plan is for Badu, who boasts serious comedic chops from her days writing jokes for Steve Harvey, will do both stand-up and sing.
Last night, Dave Chappelle kicked off an epic three-day set at the Hollywood Palladium that didn’t disappoint Getty Images for Netflix
One source on hand during rehearsals says Chappelle has been “indefatigable” in the run-up to the shows, which are part of the Netflix is a Joke Comedy Festival 2026. This week, he performed two to three sets every night in preparation at the Laugh Factory, the Comedy Store and the new Comedy Chateau in North Hollywood. Last week, he tested his material at pop-ups in New York and, before that, in Chicago.
“He’s really proud of these specials, so he wants to get the stuff right,” says the source.
During a Sunday dry-run at the Comedy Store in West Hollywood, Chappelle brought Kanye West onstage, where the controversial rapper received a standing ovation. One insider was thrilled to see Chappelle go out on a limb for West, who has faced ostracization from the showbiz community after he praised Hitler in 2022. (Earlier this year, he apologized in a Wall Street Journal ad for his past rhetoric and was recently photographed exiting the Simon Wiesenthal Center.)
Heading into Thursday’s set, the producers were operating blindfolded. Sources say they were familiar with opening act Killer Mike’s set, but only had start times for Chappelle.
Then again, Chappelle had once before operated with a similar sense of cloak and dagger. When he hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 2022, he was just as tight-lipped about his monologue. The end product featured a lengthy discussion on West. Perhaps history is repeating itself.