This April, Mr. Universe, Fat Albert and an NBC regular will star in Ohio University’s first-ever Convo Comedy Night.
Jim Gaffigan, Kenan Thompson and Whitney Cummings have all accepted offers to perform at OU on April 18 at 7:30 p.m. in The Convo.
Tickets will go on sale for students Thursday for $5 at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium ticket office. Tickets for the general public will go on sale next Monday for $20 and will be available online in addition to at the ticket office.
Gaffigan will receive $65,000 for his performance. Cummings is guaranteed $42,000, and Thompson’s pay totals $35,000.
“I think it’s a pretty solid lineup. It’s a nice, eclectic blend of comedians,” said Student Senate President Zach George, who proposed the Convo Comedy Night. “People are excited about Gaffigan, people know Kenan, we grew up watching Kenan and Kel, and then (Cummings), I think she’s an up-and-coming person, and I think people will enjoy her.”
The show will be headlined by Gaffigan, a comedian who recently published a book called Dad Is Fat while promoting his latest stand-up special, Mr. Universe. See an example of his comedy here.
Currently starring on NBC’s Whitney, Cummings got her start on Punk’d and has done numerous stand-up specials. Her stand-up can be seen here.
Thompson, who currently stars on Saturday Night Live on NBC, is known for his roles in Fat Albert, Good Burger and Kenan and Kel. His work can be seen here.
“I’ve heard a great deal of excitement from students about the comedy event,” Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi said in an email. “It seems like a good blend of comedy that should resonate with many. I’m looking forward to the event and hope it is a great success for students.”
The $150,000 set aside to fund the show comes from the $800,000 in General Fee dollars formerly allocated to the multipurpose center.
The trio joins the ranks of Bob Saget, Jeff Garlin, Nick Kroll, Seth Meyers and Aziz Ansari, all comedians who have performed at OU since 2011. This spring’s show, though, marks the first in which the school will play host to a set of multiple back-to-back stand-up performances.
George has said the senate is still working to have a student comedian open the show.
“(It is) unknown at this time (if a student can open the show),” said Andrew Holzaepfel, associate director of the Campus Involvement Center, in an email. “We have put in a request (with the artists’ management), but it requires artist approval.”
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