“Parks and Recreation” star Nick Offerman will bring his stand-up routine to the Binghamton University Events Center on Oct. 11, continuing the Student Association’s tradition of booking a comedian for Family Weekend.
Last year, the SA Programming Board brought Demetri Martin to perform during Family Weekend, following Lewis Black the year before. Stephanie Zagreda, vice president for programming of the SA, says the tradition of bringing comedians to campus for Family Weekend is good for both families and for students whose families don’t attend.
“Having the comedy show at the end of the day brings everything together to an end,” Zagreda said. “A lot of parents don’t come up, but it still gives the students the opportunity to partake in [Family] Weekend and do something that is still enjoyable and exciting.”
Offerman is most famous for his role as Ron Swanson, the deadpan, hunting-loving and bacon-eating character in the sitcom “Parks and Recreation.” He’s also played minor roles in comedy films, including the “Jump Street” movies, “We’re The Millers” and “The Lego Movie.” Offerman is currently in the middle of his “Full Bush” comedy tour. His previous routine, “American Ham,” was praised for its humorous advice and sharp jabs at politics and religion. It was made into a stand-up concert movie, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The comedian has also been touring for his book, “Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man’s Fundamentals for Delicious Living,” published last year and released in paperback earlier this month.
“I’m a huge ‘Parks and Rec’ fan, so the second I found out we could snag him, I was definitely on top of that,” Zagreda said. “For parents, he’s able to do that PG-13 standup act and for students, there’s that facial recognition from ‘Parks and Rec.’ Students know his face. Students know his legacy as Ron Swanson.”
The Family Weekend show will begin at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Friday, Sept. 19. For students, it will cost $10 for general admission and $20 for floor seats. For the public, it will cost $25 for general admission and $30 for floor seats. Zagreda has not yet confirmed an opening act, and also said that contract confidentially prevented her from saying how much it costs to book Offerman.