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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 27, 2001)
Preparing to defy the ‘Norm’ ■ Norm MacDonald’s stand-up performance is expected to draw a crowd of more than 4,000 By Lisa Toth Oregon Daily Emerald Television viewers know him for his creative spins as anchor of the “Weekend Update” — the “fake news” on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” He’s also known for his rendi tions on SNL of Bob Dole during the 1996 campaign, and for his role as a former professional hockey player on the ABC sitcom “Norm.” He has played parts in films such as “Dirty Work,” “Billy Madison” and “Man on the Moon.” But tonight at 8, comedian Norm MacDonald will bring his stand-up form of humor to McArthur Court. Writer and comedian Stevie Ray Fromstein will also be joining Mac Donald on stage. The two longtime friends started out in comedy togeth er in 1986, Fromstein said, when they met at a stand-up club called Yuck Yucks in Ottawa. A few years later, both MacDonald and Fromstein moved out to Los Angeles. “I love working with Norm,” Fromstein said. “He makes me laugh more than anyone.” Even offstage, Fromstein said, MacDonald is unpredictable and unique, not to mention clever and dirty. “Comedy has to have the element of surprise — a twisted angle,” Fromstein said. “The thing about Norm is he sees things for what they are, exposing everyday paradoxes.” Fromstein, the co-executive pro ducer of the ABC sitcom “Two Guys and a Girl,” has appeared on both “The Late Show with David Letter man” and the “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” And tonight, he said, he is plan ning to focus on himself, relation ships and observational humor. The ASUO Cultural Forum is bringing MacDonald to campus, and Ian dayman, performing arts coordinator for the group, said the reason is purely for entertainment, dayman said he hopes that because MacDonald is a “large-name come dian,” he will appeal to a wide range of students. “We wanted to reach a demograph ic we haven’t reached before,” Clay man said, adding that he expects a crowd of more than 4,000 people. Clavman said people are attract ed to MacDonald because his sense of humor is sarcastic and non-tradi tional. He warned viewers that Mac Donald’s show will be “blue in na ture,” and they should be wary of MacDonald’s use of adult language, dayman, who has worked with the Cultural Forum for two years, has been responsible for bringing other famous names to campus, such as Bob Dylan, David Spade, the Harlem Globetrotters and Dr. Drew Pinsky. Junior economics major Heather Soczek said she enjoys MacDonald on "Norm” because he makes fun of people’s everyday worries. She said MacDonald’s hu mor brings people laughter. “Happiness is the most important thing in the world, and people can find it in comedy,” she said. “It makes it easier for us to accept our own faults.” Nathan Jones, a sophomore edu cational studies major, decided to buy tickets for his girlfriend so they could see MacDonald in person. Jones said some of MacDonald’s best moments were on SNL’s “Weekend Update.” Jones added that he’s hoping MacDonald will be a little more daring in his jokes when addressing a primarily col lege-aged audience. “I’ve never seen a stand-up come dian before in my life,” Jones said. “And I just really like his comedy style. He has a dry sense of humor and makes fun of the stupid things people do.” <35 Mw m Calendar Friday, April 27 Humanities Work-in-Progress Talk: Wendy Larson, East Asian Languages and Literature, discusses“Recalling the Future: jtang Wen's‘lr» the Heat of the Sun/” Noon-1 p.m. Room 159, Prince Lucien Campbell Hall. Free. For information, call 346-3934. Cultural Forum Film: Ed and Doug’s Short Film Festival: “Where Happy Short Films Gather." 8 p.m. Room 177, Lawrence Hall, 1190 Franklin Blvd. Free. For information, call 346-4373. ir All Ways Travel "J 1200 High St. |338-4199 (Student Travel Experts Hot off the Press and into your hands Oregon Daily Emerald Circulating 10,000 papers daily Hlli New & Used CDfc U9U0 HffiBffgfl Travel ^ America’s Leader in Student Trave New y'ork -to London — Portland 'to London — fTl^C Por-tland "to Pav-is -f073 Portland "to /Ws-tevdar* —fe°\0 Fares are ROUND TRIP and subject to change. Taxes are extra and restrictions apply. 877 >2 East 13th Street 344-2263 coun, ciltravel.com ^gfUO Cultural y Forum presents in collaboration with kezi/kzwb as part of the Eugene weekly Concert Series Friday, April 27th 8 pm • Mac Court Mac Donald Tickets on $ale Friday, April 6th. student: $12.50, CP: $17.50 (plus service charges). ' Available at the UO ticket Office, all Fastixx locations, or charge by phone 5464365, or (800) 992-TIXX
