Celebrity Artist Series – Comedian Josh Blue Coming To BU!
On Saturday, Oct. 29, at 8:00 p.m. comedian Josh Blue will perform at the Haas Center for the Arts in Mitrani Hall as part of the 2011-2012 Celebrity Artist Series here at Bloomsburg University. Blue would be best known by BU students as being the 2006 winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Since then, he has been touring extensively, has recently released a one-hour special titled Comedy Central Presents: Josh Blue, and has otherwise made appearances on Comedy Central’s Mind of Mencia, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, Comics Unleashed, and performed at several festivals such as the famous HBO-Aspen Comedy Festival.
Yet Blue’s comedic charm and sharp-tongued wit might not be the first thing you notice about him – considering that he lives with Cerebral Palsy. You see, Blue is affected by a condition that can disrupt nearly every aspect of a person’s life, but he doesn’t let it keep him down – in fact he embraces it and still avoids using it as an excuse.
His comedy style is supremely unique; by incorporating and sometimes focusing on his disability, he is able to break down stereotypes. By poking a little fun at himself, people are able to see through the disability to see his intelligence and endearing personality. His jokes make you laugh, but they can also make you think.
Blue has been outspoken on and off the stage about his dedication to bettering the lives of people with disabilities. He competed in the 2004 Paralympic Games, the world’s second largest sporting event, and continues to maintain an active role on the U.S. Paralympic Soccer Team. Recently he performed at the Bergen Community College in Paramis, New Jersey as part of Disability Awareness Week.
Tickets to see Josh Blue at the Haas Center for the Arts on Oct. 29 are $34.50 for general admission, $19.50 for children under 12, and $14 for Bloomsburg University students with a valid ID. For more information and ticket sales, call the Performing Arts Box Office at (570) 389-4409, or visit them on the web at www.bloomu.edu/CAS.
On a related note, while at the show be sure to check out the Haas Gallery where mixed media works on paper by artist Eunkang Koh will be on exhibit from Oct. 28 to Nov. 30. Her prior exhibition submissions featured printmaking in styles like etching, aquatint, watercolors, and lithography.
[youtubewd]qMSrpZi_6WM[/youtubewd]
As you can see from the video above of Blue’s first appearance on national television on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, his improv skills and comedic timing are finely tuned – and the audience loves him for it!
