Get ready for the circus. Michael Ian Black is adopting a bold new performance style complete with fire breathers, stilt walkers and lion tamers for his “Black is White” comedy tour.

Or is he?

Black may have promised what sounds like good ol’ family fun in an interview with The Badger Herald, but anyone familiar with his deadpan sense of humor knows better than to take his words at face value.

You might recognize Black from his witty commentary on all things pop culture from the VH1 “I Love the…” series or from the Comedy Central shows “Stella” and “Michael and Michael Have Issues.” He has also played a character on the NBC show “Ed” and co-wrote the 2007 comedy “Run, Fatboy, Run.” Black has even entered the market of children’s books with titles like “Chicken Cheeks,” “The Purple Kangaroo” and “A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea.”

Black says his new tour, which stops at the Majestic Theatre in Madison tonight, will be “very dissimilar” from his recent Comedy Central special, “Very Famous.” When asked how it will be different, he wryly repeats, “Well, there’s the sword swallowing.”

He dodges some questions with such quick-witted, sarcastic comments that would seem rehearsed if he weren’t so clearly a natural comedian. Other times he gives dry, succinct responses leaving no room for confusion or follow-up questions.

Of the tour name he says “My name is Black, but my race is white.”

‘Nuff said.

Despite the jugglers he will supposedly share the stage with, you can bet his comedy will be anything but wholesome or kitschy. On the contrary, his stand-up will likely include biting sarcasm, moments of vulgarity and most certainly, hilarity.

In fact, his stand-up might not even be suitable for his own family.

“Will I be talking about my kids? Maybe. Talking favorably about my kids? Probably not.”

He is not apologetic about it, nor does he worry about shielding his two elementary-school-age children from his racier content, citing their subpar intelligence as evidence that they would not be able to find him on the internet.

Instead, he offers blunt jokes at their expense.

“I’m sure at some point they will learn more about what I do professionally and at that point, if they’re upset, fuck ’em. They eat don’t they? Somebody’s feeding them, so they can just shut the fuck up about it.”

Black’s understated tone and heavy sarcasm make him perfect for college students. When asked what he knows of UW-Madison students, he says “Only that you guys know how to party! You guys party harder than anybody in … other places.” He says this in a tone that hints he says the same thing to all college kids, partly to win their affection and partly for his own self-amusement.

Surprisingly, he follows this comment with what is perhaps the only non-smart-alecky comment of the whole interview.

“In my experience, Wisconsinites are pleasant people. They’re just a little too interested in football.”

Moments later, Black reactivates his sarcasm switch when he tries his hand at forming a shout-out fit for print in any Wednesday edition of The Badger Herald:

“Shout out to Bologna. I haven’t seen you around in a long time. I miss you. Let’s get together soon.”

By the time the interview wraps, Black has given little detail about the actual contents of his show, unless you count his insistence that his act will feature Ringling Brothers-esque entertainment.

However, Black does not need to give explicit details of what his stand-up will include. From the interview and his repertoire of prior works, one thing is clear – Michael Ian Black is one funny dude, and he will deliver at the Majestic, provided his fans can get there.

“Just know the directions to the place, because otherwise you’ll get lost,” he says.