Comedian Stephen Colbert will make an appearance at the Ryan Center this Saturday at 8 p.m. for Family Weekend. PHOTO CREDIT: cbs.com
Live from the Ryan Center, it’s Stephen Colbert! — at least it will be this Saturday at 8 p.m.
Late night host, comedian, author, writer, actor and political commentator Stephen Colbert is coming to the University of Rhode Island for a special conversation with the community to celebrate Alumni and Family Weekend. The show starts at 8 p.m. in the Ryan Center.
Colbert, host of “The Late Show” on CBS, took over the gig in 2015 following David Letterman’s retirement. Previously, he was the host of the “Colbert Report” on Comedy Central which ran from 2005 to 2014.
He has published many books over the past two decades, including the satirical political commentary novel, “I am America (And So Can You!)” published in 2007. He has also made appearances on NBC’s “The Office,” “Saturday Night Live” (as both an actor and writer), “The Daily Show” and many other shows and movies over the years.
Colbert’s satirical humor usually pokes fun at the political news of the week, with many intriguing, and sometimes perplexing, stories brought to the forefront. He is different from many other late night comedians, as his show is focused mostly on political news and not simply celebrity news and popular culture.
The ever-changing and ever-intensifying nature of politics in America has given Colbert plenty to talk about in recent years, and his show is among the most popular in the late night category.
The URI Student Entertainment Committee (SEC) collaborated with Spectra Venue Mgmt. and the Ryan Center to organize this event.
“[Colbert] is so popular with the public, and especially with families,” said Sydney Klein, president of the SEC’s special events subcommittee. “We wanted a show that would be universally enjoyed.”
Klein also noted that it’s “incredible” that they were able to book him for “such an important event,” considering Colbert only visits a select few colleges per year and is one of the biggest names in comedy and political commentary.
Colbert is not an ordinary comic, so fans shouldn’t expect a performance akin to John Mulaney’s stand-up routine from his 2019 visit to the Ryan Center. His performance will be formatted as an informal moderated interview, with some signature satirical comments and sarcasm throughout.
“I’m not exactly sure what the show will look like, but I’m very excited to be a part of the audience,” Klein said.
This is also the first in-person event of this nature held at The Ryan Center in almost two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We didn’t even have parents weekend last year so it’ll be nice to have events again,” sophomore Matthew Madrid said.His special appearance at URI comes after an Emmy nomination for Variety Talk Series and a win for Outstanding Live Variety Special. Tickets are still available at theryancenter.com/events and at the Ryan Center Box office. Proof of vaccination is required for all guests over the age of 12 upon entry and masks are required at all times inside the venue. Students, family members and alumni can purchase tickets at reduced prices.