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.
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^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