Comedians Jermaine Fowler, Rory Scovel, and Nick Thune have opened for major comedy acts and appeared in blockbuster films, and this weekend, they will bring their funny business to Iowa City for a show full of laughs.
The University of Iowa Campus Activities Board will host Comedy Central on Campus in the IMU Main Lounge. Doors will open at 9:30 p.m. Friday; admission is $5.
Comedy Central on Campus brings rising stars to campuses across America.
"We chose Comedy Central for this show in particular because we thought it would be well-known throughout the student campus," said Kyle Allen, the Campus Activities Board comedy director. "We knew we would be able to market it really well."
Kenan Thompson of "Saturday Night Live" kick-started this year’s Campus Activities Board events, and the show was so popular it sold out.
"It was a free show, and we actually ended up having to turn people away because we were at capacity," said Kathleen Kuhar, the president of the Campus Activities Board. "Word about these shows seems to spread like wildfire on campus, and we have high hopes for this Comedy Central show."
Board members think the excitement about the Thompson show will set the tone for the following shows, Allen said.
"We’re trying to just go off that and bring in another big crowd for this event," he said.
The show will be set up with Scovel and Fowler performing for around 20 minutes before Thune takes the stage as the main act.
Scovel has opened for such comedians as Louis C.K., Daniel Tosh, and Nick Swardson. Audiences may remember Thune from his appearances in Unaccompanied Minors, Knocked Up, and License to Wed.
"This show is a lot different from what we normal do," said Campus Activities Board adviser Molly Golemo. "I think it was important for us to diversify and provide students with a different type of comedy."
In addition to the three performing at Iowa, other standup comedians featured on the Comedy Central on Campus tour include Rachel Feinstenin, Anthony Jeselnik, Mo Mandel, Joe DeRosa, Jessie Klein, Kyle Kinane, and Julian McCullough.
The Campus Activities Board produces around four big-name shows each semester. The remaining performers for this semester are Heather McDonald, best known from her appearances on Chelsea Lately, and Dave Coulier, best known from his role as Uncle Joey on "Full House."
The major shows for spring have yet to be booked, Allen said, but the organization expects to put on a multi-performer event similar to Comedy Central on Campus.
"You know how giddy the Pillsbury Doughboy is when he gets poked and giggles," Kuhar said. "Multiply that by 10, and that’s how pumped I am for this show."