Patton Oswalt says he’ll share deep heartache at Chicago shows

Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt has posted a very personal note, revealing more information about his upcoming June 2 shows at the Athenaeum Theatre.

Writing on his Facebook page Sunday, Oswalt explained that at the 7 and 10 p.m. shows, he’ll share his feelings about “the most horrific 12 months I’ve had to wade through in my 48 years on the planet,” clearly referring to the death last April, at age 46, of his wife, crime writer Michelle McNamara — caused by a combination of prescription medicine and an artery blockage.

The concerts will be filmed for a Netflix special that “will probably air in the fall.”

Oswalt wrote that the deeply intense material he expects to discuss in his shows will mean, “I don’t think I’ll be able to just do [it] again on the road for yuks and money.”

The end result: People at the two Chicago shows will be the “last LIVE audiences to see any of this material performed in person, ever. The special will be out in the fall, but, starting June 3 [the day after his Chicago appearances], I’m going to disappear from any paid stages for awhile. … I’ll start touring again in late 2018, but this new hour? And committing it to film? That’s going to take a LOT out of me. And I’ll need to move on when it’s done but…

“Well, it’s just going to be awhile, after I’m on the other side of it, to when I can just hop back up onstage and gripe about my collapsing body or the latest pop culture outrage. It’ll be awhile, but I’ll do it.”