Review: Charlie Sheen's Violent Torpedoes of Truth at Radio City Music Hall

Charlie Sheen, he of the “Tiger DNA” and “Adonis Blood,” returned to Radio City Music Hall Sunday night as part of his Violent Torpedoes of Truth tour that has garnered endless media fascination. Unlike his first show at the venue on Friday night, which apparently resulted in widespread booing and walk-outs, the evening was a relatively successful affair that seemed to please the bad boy actor’s diehard fans.

 

Sheen seems to be making the show up as he goes along, which he pretty much admitted in the course of the brief (90 minutes) evening which consisted of mild banter with an onstage interviewer; several film clips, including a comic mash-up of his infamous 20/20 television interview; interactions with various audience members and enough ranting about “winning” to make him seem like a motivational speaker from hell.

 

The most surprising aspect of the show was Sheen’s apparently newfound contriteness. He apologized to Two and a Half Men co-star Jon Cryer for having called him a “troll,” instead declaring him to be a “rock star.” He begrudgingly gave credit to the show’s creator Chuck Lorre for his comedic writing skills and promised to apologize if it would result in his getting back on the show from which he admitted to having been fired.  

 

“I’ll go back if they rehire me,” he said. “I will get back on that fucking show.”  

 

He also implored the audience to aid him in his campaign. “If you want to see me back on Two and a Half Men, shout it out to Warner Brothers,” urged the actor. “You guys can’t watch it without me, can you?” 

 

At the urging of his onstage prompter, he also discussed some of his past indiscretions, including an incident in which he hired a gaggle of hookers to dress up as USC cheerleaders.

 

“I wound up in the hospital right afterwards, so I guess that’s winning…to a degree,” he commented.

 

He made much effort to interact with the crowd, venturing into the aisles and even making a brief appearance in the cavernous venue’s balcony. He solicited audience suggestions as to how to frame his apology to the suits, and also introduced such celebrity attendees as former baseball star Daryl Strawberry and Inside the Actor’s Studio host James Lipton, the latter obligingly asking Sheen about his favorite curse word.

 

“It’s either fuck, or Denise,” the actor responded to big laughs, in a reference to his ex-wife, actress Denise Richards.

 

When a female fan volunteered herself to become a third “goddess” in Sheen’s notorious harem, she was brought up onstage to be inspected by the actor and his two current goddesses. She apparently didn’t make the cut.