Comedian Kevin Hart Adds More Shows To Monmouth Park

OCEANPORT, NJ — Comedian Kevin Hart will be performing in at the Blu Grotto at Monmouth Park next week, and three new shows have just been added.

The Blu Grotto is an outdoor, open-air dining space at Monmouth Park, the horse racing track in Oceanport. The Blu Grotto, which is operated by the Count Basie theater in Red Bank, has hosted outdoor concerts there throughout the summer and throughout the pandemic, including when patrons sat in their cars to watch. But Hart is the biggest name to perform there in recent years.

There are 400 tickets available per show, and the Count Basie calls this "an intimate and historic run of performances."

Tables are positioned six feet apart, and the front row tables are twelve feet from the stage. Temperatures will also be taken at the door. All the Hart shows are phone-free, meaning guests should either not bring their phone or a recording device, or will have to hand it in at the door for the duration of the show.

Here is the latest schedule for Hart at the Blu Grotto (dates had to change due to unforeseen circumstances):

• Thursday, September 3’s 6:30 p.m. performance will now take place on Monday, September 7 (Labor Day) with a 7 p.m. showtime (Blu Grotto will not offer food or beverage service at this show)
• Thursday, September 3’s 9:30 p.m. performance will now take place on Monday, September 7 (Labor Day) with a 9:30 p.m. showtime (Blu Grotto will not offer food or beverage service at this show)
• Friday, September 4's 6:30 p.m. performance will now take place on Sunday, September 6 with a 6:30 p.m. showtime.
• Friday, September 4’s 9:30 p.m. performance will now take place on Sunday, September 6 with a 9:30 p.m. showtime.

If you already purchased tickets, they will be automatically be valid for the new date. And Hart just added three new shows at Monmouth Park:

Sunday, Sept. 6 – 3:30 p.m. showtime

Tuesday, September 8 – 7 p.m. showtime (Blu Grotto will not offer food or beverage service at this show)

Tuesday, September 8 – 9:30 p.m. showtime (Blu Grotto will not offer food or beverage service at this show)

Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster.com only. Tickets purchased from other outlets may not be honored.

Here's how performances work at Monmouth Park's Blu Grotto:

• Tables will be positioned 6 feet apart, with the front row of tables 12 feet from the performer.
• Tickets will be sold in “Table For Two,” “Table For Four” and “Table For Six” configurations only.
• Tickets include a dining reservation, with service and seating beginning two hours prior to showtime. Dinner and drinks are sold separately.
• For nights with two shows, entry for the second show will begin once the previous crowd is cleared and the venue is cleaned/sanitized.

• $20 minimum food/beverage spend required.
• Full dinner (early/solo show) and dessert menus (late shows) can be found here.
• Patrons must wear masks while entering the venue or leaving their table to use the restroom.
• Temperatures will be taken at the door by a Monmouth Park EMT. Patrons with a body temperature of 100.4 or higher will not be permitted to enter. A refund will be issued.

• Fans must remain seated at their purchased table. Dancing will not be permitted.
• Ticketmaster is the only authorized ticket seller for this event. Tickets purchased from other outlets may not be honored.

• Lawn chairs, blankets, pets, food or beverages are strictly prohibited.

• Smoking is prohibited, including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes or any other vaping devices.
• In the event of inclement weather, patrons will receive an email as early as possible with a show update.
• Free, onsite parking is available.

• Kevin Hart shows "will be a phone-free experience. Use of phones, smart watches and accessories, will not be permitted in the performance space. Upon arrival at the venue, all phones, smart watches and accessories will be secured in individual Yondr pouches that will be opened at the end of the event. Guests maintain possession of their devices at all times, and can access them throughout the event only in designated Phone Use Areas within the venue. All devices will be re-secured in Yondr pouches before returning to the performance space."

All pouches and equipment will be sanitized prior to individual use. The Yondr staff is trained and required to follow safety guidelines and hygiene protocols to practice social distancing, minimal contact and wear required personal protective equipment on site.

Anyone seen using a device (phone, smart watch or accessories) during the performance will be escorted out of the venue by security.