Since 1975, “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) has helped launch the careers of some of the most talented comedians in history. From old favorites like John Belushi, Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner to new faces like Will Forte, Bill Hader and Amy Poehler — the show has become a goldmine that rapidly produces successful careers.
One of the more recent stars riding the SNL wave is 35-year-old comedian Seth Meyers, who has been a regular cast member for eight seasons. Meyers will be performing in the Vandament Arena on Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. The event, titled “An Evening with Seth Meyers,” is sponsored by Northern Arts and Entertainment (NAE).
Dave Bonsall, faculty advisor for NAE, said Meyers was an obvious act to choose because of the great reviews he’s received from other performances on college campuses.
“I basically tell the students (in NAE) to consider popularity,” Bonsall said. “(Comedian) Stephen Lynch sold out, and Seth is very similar but more current. I’ve heard he’s very easy to work with and puts on a good show.”
Whitney Tapani, senior biology major and student president of NAE, said the organization wanted a name that was big but still affordable.
“His name is popular on SNL, but he is still kind of up-and-coming,” she said, “We wanted a name that students would know.”
Meyers is best known for his role as co-anchor on the SNL skit “Weekend Update” alongside cast member Amy Poehler. He’s also played a recurring role in numerous sketches, including uncanny impressions of actors Russell Crowe and Tobey McGuire, presidential candidate John Kerry and news caster Brian Williams.
These days, while many great comedians on the show have left and the act of keeping it on air has become challenging, Tapani said that Meyers is seen as one of the few who still appeals to young viewers.
“I even read somewhere in the media that they are saying he is one of the only funny people left on SNL,” she said.
Besides acting, Meyers is currently in his third year as co-head writer on the show. His credits include overseeing the writing team who penned new material for the now infamous “Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash ’08.”
Before joining the cast of SNL in 2001, the New Hampshire native studied and performed at ImprovOlympic, a theatre in Chicago that teaches improvisational comedy. He went on to the Boom Chicago theatre in Amsterdam.
While at Boom, Meyers penned a two-person comedy show with partner Jill Benjamin titled “Pick-ups and Hiccups.” The duo toured Europe, and the show eventually sparked the interests of people at SNL.
Meyers has also taken on big screen roles, appearing in director Paul Weitz’s movie “American Dreamz,” in 2006 and Eric Brevig’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth” in 2008. Most recently, he wrote a script for an upcoming film on Lorne Michael’s Broadway Video Motion Pictures titled “Key Party.”
When he’s not doing stand-up, writing comedy sketches or acting in films, Meyers is an avid Boston Red Sox Fan, keeping his New England pride strong, and also plays poker. He won the third season of Bravo’s “Celebrity Poker Showdown,” and donated all of his earnings to cancer research.
While his experience on SNL should contribute greatly to his upcoming performance at Northern, Tapani said the event will be very different than his normal routine on the show.
“It is going to be more stand-up style comedy, not the ‘Weekend Update’ type thing,” she said, “Overall it’s going to be a good night for laughs.”
Adam Tobey, agent from Concert Ideas, the college talent agency NAE books through, said he has been very popular among younger audiences mainly because of his age. He said there is a huge difference between going to see a comic in their 50s versus seeing someone in their 30s.
“I hate to sound cliché but he’s kind of just like one of your peers,” Tobey said, “He’s turned out to be very popular with the college crowd. He interacts well with the students.”
Comedians are always a hard act to predict, Bonsall added, because they are always improvising and trying out new material while performing. Students can look forward to an hour of straight stand-up comedy from Meyers, but he is known to keep going well past his allotted time slot, Bonsall said.
Tobey said that Meyers material is always changing, which works to his advantage. His comedic style is always different but is always, in one word, hilarious.
“He’s really fricken’ funny . he changes his act to go along with the target demographic, makes it into something they can relate to,” he said. “His humor is going to make you think . days later you’ll still be chuckling to yourself.”
Tapani said the event will be the perfect way to unwind after a stressful first few weeks back at school.
“It will be a time to get a good laugh and get a break from classes,” she said.
