Politically adroit comedian Trevor Noah began his four-night residency at the Fillmore Miami Beach Monday evening with a live-audience taping of his Comedy Central hit “The Daily Show” that tried to balance good-hearted skewering of Florida tropes with more grave observations about President Trump and dispiriting news of the day.

The show is scheduled to air for a national audience at 11 p.m. Monday, the first of four installments being taped at the Fillmore through Thursday.

For the most part the evening was a showcase for Noah’s self-effacing humor told with charismatic warmth not in front of a desk but standing before a backdrop of palm trees and a simulated sunset of cotton-candy pinks and blues. As always, Noah was the epitome of suave stylishness in his signature black suit and tie.

The program included a break during which a prerecorded interview with Florida gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Gillum will be played for the national audience. It was unseen by the Fillmore crowd, but Gillum’s name elicited the expected applause.

“We invited [GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron] DeSantis to the show and he was, ‘Uh, no,’ the South Africa-born Noah told the audience. “I said, ‘I’m half white, DeSantis, come on!”

DeSantis’ name drew boos, as did that of Gov. Rick Scott. On the other side of the aisle, a video showed Sen. Bill Nelson speaking Spanish and achieving the impossible, Noah said, “to make Spanish sound unsexy.” U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson’s famed headwear was spoofed and rapper Flo Rida was hailed as “the only artist you can hear during a drive-by and a spin class.”

The mostly Gen X crowd ate it up, with standing ovations and Noah’s casual, between-take banter interrupted by cat calls and flirtatious whistles.

Bridget Hamilton of Delray Beach stood in line for more than three hours with her two sisters to get tickets to the show, which were free but handed out on a first-come, first-served basis.

“It’s just nice to hear somebody who has an educated, interesting perspective on what is going on and can put it in a way that I am not instantly repulsed or want to turn off the news,” Hamilton, 46, said in line outside the Fillmore before the show. “He brings up multiple points, and not just from one perspective. I think he has a way of making sad and hard things interesting, albeit funny. As difficult as it is, he does a good job with that.”

Noah told the crowd that he had planned to bring the show to Florida to focus on the midterm elections because the state is a “microcosm for everything that happens in America.” But the headlines had followed him, he said, citing the arrest in Plantation of a suspect in the pipe-bomb spree that rattled the country.

“We may not agree on gun control, but can we at least talk about van control?” he asked. “Nothing good could ever come from a van.”

Along with Gillum, other guest appearances during shows taped at the Fillmore this week will include Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter Tuesday night, CNN political commentator Ana Navarro on Wednesday and Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade on Thursday.

Noah is scheduled to bring his 28-city Loud and Clear Tour to the Hard Rock Event Center in Hollywood for two shows on March 15. For tickets, go to MyHRL.com, Ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000.

“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” airs at 11 p.m. weeknights on Comedy Central. The show will be taped before a live audience at the Fillmore Miami Beach through Thursday. Go to ComedyCentral.com.

bcrandell@sun-sentinel.com