2008 Woodie Awards
Cosby delivers laughs to URI
Caity Cudworth
Issue date: 11/6/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
|
Despite the pouring rain, families poured into the Ryan Center to see "America's Dad" deliver some good old-fashioned, family-friendly comedy.
To loud applause, Cosby walked on stage clad in a URI sweat suit - his signature wacky sweaters nowhere to be seen - after being introduced by Student Entertainment Committee President Jennifer Baker.
But Cosby didn't wait for the introduction to finish before cracking his first joke. Noting that Baker appeared well dressed, Cosby asked why. When the senior responded she dressed for him, Cosby turned to the audience.
"Why didn't the rest of you dress up?" he asked in a slightly hurt voice.
The crowd full of students and their siblings sandwiched between parents and grandparents roared with laughter.
Playing on his "America's Dad" persona, Cosby sat back in his chair, delivering a set of comedy that turned out to be more "sit-down" than stand-up. And, accompanied only by a nightstand, a box of tissues, and a wastebasket, Cosby settled into a little good-natured griping.
His 90-minute performance, fittingly, revolved mostly around family, with Cosby playing the role of exasperated father and husband to his sometimes-underachieving children and controlling wife.
Though the subject matter was comfortably hokey, Cosby shone in his delivery, coming out with an array of exaggerated impressions ranging from a mistreated dog, to a droning headmaster, to a few angry renditions of his wife. His routine was funny in a feel-good sort of way, delivering whimsical insights.
"Old people didn't just come out of a box!" Cosby, 70, told the audience, later adding, "I also used to be a child … They had children back then."
In keeping with his theme, Cosby made an admission of a childhood secret.
"My favorite place to urinate was a flower pot," he acknowledged.
Halfway through the show, Cosby found an audience member, Joe Ianni, who attended his same high school and brought him on stage.
Cosby and Ianni preformed a rousing rendition of their high school fight song and Cosby gave Ianni a sweatshirt, chiding him, "you're gonna have to lose some weight."
After Ianni and his son, Chris, exited the stage, Cosby returned to his chair for some more jokes.
"Our mailman came, and we call him the Lord because He giveth and He taketh away," Cosby joked.
At the end of the show Cosby switched gears to talk about the dentist profession, a favorite routine of his.
"Don't you hate it when dentists try to talk to you while they're drilling your teeth?" he asked.
After a few other comments directed at dentists, Cosby left the stage to a standing ovation. And as he left he stole one glance over his shoulder, appearing, if only for one moment, to take in the praise.