A manic, definitive set from a comedian on the cusp of becoming a household name

Recorded during Williams’ transition from frenetic stand-up to household name, A Night at the Met captures the comedian at his peak: bracing, manic, foul-mouthed and surprisingly sentimental. Even at his most personal (a long, set-closing piece about parenting), he seems almost possessed, ranting about diapers one second and delivering hushed confessions about his fears the next—a testament not only to the control of his performance, but also to the emotional range that eventually made him a star.