Tomorrow night, Old Cabell Hall will welcome stand-up comedians Greg Giraldo and Mike Birbiglia to its stage for what is promised to be an evening of maniacal laughter.
Okay, maybe not maniacal, as those seats can cramp your style and your legs. Stretching space aside, hilarity should ensue. The show is billed as "Medium Man on Campus," and fans of stand-up comedy should be excited to attend. After all, who doesn't enjoy a few good belly laughs before they party?
If you watch Comedy Central with any regularity, chances are you've seen Giraldo. He has appeared in his own Comedy Central Presents special, Colin Quinn's now-cancelled "Tough Crowd" and multiple celebrity roasts. He currently appears weekly on the channel as the host of "Friday Night with Greg Giraldo."
Mike Birbiglia is a rising star on the national comedy scene. He has made multiple appearances on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and his stand-up special was voted into the top ten of Comedy Central's Stand-Up Showdown last month. His new special premieres on Comedy Central March 3.
Both men have found success with comedic songs; Birbiglia's song "The Guitar Guy at the Party" spoofs those Dave Matthews wannabes with whom we're so familiar, while Giraldo's "Underwear Goes Inside the Pants" was the most downloaded song in iTunes' "Electronic" category.
J. J. Coury, chair of University Program Council's Comedy and Variety committee, talked to tableau about the process of putting the show together.
"We decided on Greg Giraldo and had booked him singularly, but then an agent called and presented an opportunity to add Mike Birbiglia to the bill," Coury said. "[Birbiglia] is touring under the Comedy Central LIVE name, and once we reviewed his material and saw how funny he is, we were really excited to bring the Comedy Central brand to U.Va."
In the past year, UPC has invited such notable comedians as Pablo Francisco and Jim Gaffigan but was excited by the prospect of a double bill.
"Bringing more than one comedian makes it into an event, like Tourgasm [April 2005], which was really successful," Coury said.
When asked to describe the comedians' styles, Coury said, "Mike Birbiglia is witty, not vulgar, and uses word play, while Greg Giraldo is definitely more risqué and focuses on more political issues."
True to the sponsoring committee's name, "Medium Man on Campus" pairs comedy and variety.
"The committee thought their different styles would bring balance to the show," Coury said.
"Medium Man on Campus" is sponsored by UPC and Comedy Central LIVE. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 for U.Va. students and $17 for the general public and are available at Newcomb Hall Box Office, Old Cabell Box Office or online at www.uvaupc.music-today.com.
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