The Student Association Programming Board (SAPB) presented a stand-up comedy show featuring a lineup of both Binghamton University students and professional comedians this past Friday night in Lecture Hall 1.
Moshe Kasher, the show’s headliner, has been featured on shows like E!’s “Chelsea Lately,” NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Last Call with Carson Daly.” Kasher performed a set that explored his childhood and his current and past relationships.
Audience participation also played a key role in Kasher’s routine. He called on members of the audience to answer questions, asked students about their majors and career prospects and heckled anyone who dared to get out of their seat or walk outside during the set.
“I liked the audience interaction,” said Daniel Devlin, an undeclared freshman. “Sometimes it can be a little awkward, but I like the way he played off the awkwardness.”
Kasher made it clear from the start of his routine that vulgarity was a key component in his comedy. While some of his jokes may have been controversial, Max Maurice, the SA vice president for programming and a senior majoring in electrical engineering, was happy that students seemed to respond positively to Kasher’s sense of humor.
“There were a couple moments I thought, ‘Oh God, how is the audience going to take this one,’ but everyone in the audience seemed uber-entertained at all the jokes that night,” Maurice said.
Kasher was preceded by four opening acts, two of which were members of the University’s stand-up comedy club, Bing Stand Up.
The night began with a well-received set from Jonathan Gelernter, a junior majoring in English. Gelernter’s routine explored the topics of sex, masturbation and his Jewish heritage.
Christian Macaluso, a senior majoring in English, followed him up by touching on provocative topics such as ISIL, President-elect Donald Trump and Benito Mussolini. Macaluso got an enthusiastic response from the audience after likening himself to the cartoon character Shrek.
“All this talk about draining swamps is making me feel unsafe,” he said.
Molly Ruben-Long, a Brooklyn-based professional comedian who also performed on Friday, recounted personal stories about her membership at a Louisiana gym and an awkward situation at a Chinese airport.
Ruben-Long was followed by internationally headlining comedian Louis Katz. Katz has appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” HBO’s “Down and Dirty with Jim Norton” and Comedy Central’s “Comedy Underground with Dave Attell.” His set included jokes about time travel, relationships and ‘the C-word.’
Overall, Lyla Cerulli, the variety chair for the SAPB and a senior double-majoring in psychology and classical and Near Eastern studies, said she heard positive feedback about the event.
“Kasher is amazing at crowd work and I felt he really connected with the audience,” Cerulli said. “Everyone who I spoke to after the show said they really enjoyed it and wanted to know who we’re going to bring next semester.”