The student body insisted on less comedy and Carolina Productions got serious and delivered. After rounding out its $78,650 of entertainment for the semester, we notice a decidedly more diverse selection of performers on CP’s schedule.
We’ve got Eric Dittelman, a mind reader featured on America’s Got Talent, to kick off the semester on Jan. 16. Traditionally, CP has gone with a magician or hypnotist to satisfy USC’s desire for mysticism, but we like their decision to opt into something a little more psychoanalytical. An event that begs the attention of students, and even indulges it with some audience participation, is bound to fill up seats in the ballroom. We’re positive CP is just as satisfied now as we will be then, considering Dittelman’s value at a reasonable $3,000 price tag.
It doesn’t end there, of course. CP is far more dedicated to catering to a broader range of student interest than simply hiring one out of the ordinary entertainer. Another performer of great value is Alysia Harris, a master of spoken word who is known for her emotional delivery and incredibly creative poetry.
Benjamin Jealous, outgoing president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will also be visiting campus. A man of his civic caliber most definitely has insights that none of us can afford to miss out on. He’ll be in town on Feb. 19, which is a Wednesday.
It gets better. RJ Mitte of “Breaking Bad” fame will be here too. Whether you always knew him as Walter Jr., or played along during his Flynn phase, RJ Mitte’s bound to have some great stories to share from his years on Breaking Bad’s set. Not to mention his own personal story of living with cerebral palsy. CP was keen when they got a star from a recently ended TV show while the afterglow’s appeal was still there. Better yet, RJ Mitte only costs a cool $8,500, which is a surprising price. Very surprising …
OK, we know you all wanted a little less comedy, but what would CP be without the great comedians they manage to get every semester? Last semester they spoiled us with the rapidly rising Hannibal Buress of stand-up fame, and this time around they landed Jay Pharoah and Steve Rannazzisi.
For the uninformed, Jay Pharoah is a master impersonator on Saturday Night Live, best known for his impressions of President Barack Obama, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, and rapper Jay-Z. He’s an absolute riot on SNL, and seeing him live and in person is a treat that none of us should take for granted. Furthermore, Steve Rannazzisi, who stars in FX’s “The League”, is a funnyman just as good as his co-stars, if not better (looking at you, Nick Kroll). CP will probably be laughing hardest of all, considering how affordable he was despite his hilariousness.
Taking a look at that lineup, we’ve got to say we’re impressed. CP listened to what the student body had to say, and they delivered with a list of guests guaranteed to enjoy a thunderous applause. For that, Carolina Productions deserves a bravo of their own: they’ve certainly set the bar high for future semesters.