As if it wasn’t cold enough outside, Program Board had to book a show
titled “Come In From the Cold” Comedy Fest with headlining comedians
Mitch Hedberg and Gilbert Gottfried.

Before the show started, Lisa Sommer, Program Board public relations
spokeswoman, said the ticket sales sky-rocketed from 600 to 1,100.

“We really weren’t worried about the ticket sales, because they always pick up the day of the show,” she said.

Sommer said there were people waiting in the lobby before 6:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show at Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium.

Kicking off the night was emcee Jessica Kirson, who grabbed the
audience’s attention by making funny faces and poking fun at her weight.

She told stories of walking around New York City with people staring at her, making her wonder if she knew them from somewhere.

“I imagine they’re thinking, ‘What is that walking toward me?’ I don’t know, maybe it’s tube top and thong,” she said.

She then introduced Gilbert Gottfried, who came on stage covering his face, milking the audience for applause.

“I didn’t even know there was a show tonight,” he said. “They said, ‘Come to Michigan, you have a phone call.’”

Gottfried said he knows when people really hate others. It doesn’t involve violence, or people pointing fingers at others.

“You really hate someone when you point at them with your face,” he said. “So stop looking at me.”

Gottfried then said he didn’t even want to do the set and told the
crowd that he was going to tell the set ups to his jokes, but “you have
to decide where the joke goes from there.”

He did the usual jokes about Mount Pleasant, but this time, he offered more than just the one-joke punchline.

“It’s not even Mount Could Be Nice,” he said. “No, it’s just Mount Pleasant. I think they were pushing it right there.”

Next up was the headliner, Mitch Hedberg, who has appeared on Comedy Central and the late night talk show circuit.

He started out by talking about batteries, and how Duracell batteries are now giving out their credentials in commercials.

“You know,” he said, “I don’t need to know a battery’s résumé, especially if it’s better than mine.”

Hedberg, known for his quick-witted one-liners, said he is not athletic, but enjoys golf.

“I never got a hole in one,” he said,” but I did hit a guy in one. If you hit a guy in two, you’re an a– hole.”

Sturgis senior Travis Mikulenas said he attended the show to see Hedberg and also was surprised at how funny Gottfried was.

“(Hedberg’s) my all-time favorite,” he said.

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