Many Quinnipiac students were in attendance at May Weekend during the Spring 2004 semester. Among the highlights was the comedic performance of Dane Cook. Undoubtedly students can recall some of his wacky antics and interesting stories, but was anyone paying attention to the opening acts? If you did, then you might realize that there is a familiar face on NBC’s summer smash series “Last Comic Standing.”
Gary Gulman came to Quinnipiac to open for Cook, perhaps in preparation for his television debut. When he came on stage, Gulman did not initially win over the crowd. There was booing and yelling, but he kept his cool. He managed to quiet down the rowdy audience by reminding them that he already had their money in his pocket so they could boo all they wanted to. That won them over and Gulman’s audience was all ears.
His set ranged through a variety of topics. Gulman spoke about his height of 6’6″, and how this often caused people to question his mother’s fidelity (his parents are both shorter than he). He mentioned his Jewish background and spoke about college life. Overall, Gulman received a warm reception from those who booed him just a short while earlier.
Not much was heard of Gulman after that performance. Most people were focused on Cook and gave no passing thoughts to the openers. However, just a few short months after Gulman proved that he had the comic chops to win over talent scouts.
This is the second year for NBC’s television series “Last Comic Standing.” After the success of the first season, comedian Jay Mohr and his host of talent scouts scoured the country to find the funniest comedians in stand-up today. When it came down to choosing the final ten, Gulman stood among the eclectic group of talented people who would live in a castle and compete through comic challenges and failed alliances.
Recently, Gulman has been in two head-to-head contests in which one contestant must leave the show. Those two comics perform their act before an audience who chooses a favorite and the loser walks away empty-handed. He came out on top both times, and is now one of the final five comics in the competition.
Surprisingly, Gulman is not the only comic on the show who has visited the QU campus. During the Spring 2003 semester, WQAQ held a Battle of the Bands competition for the school’s musicians. As their MC, the station hired comedian Jessica Kirson. While the QU crowd did not enjoy her act, the talent scouts at NBC did. Kirson made it to the first half of the Las Vegas finals (Episode 3), but was not chosen to advance to the castle as part of the top ten.
If you want to watch Gary Gulman and the other 5 remaining comics, tune in to NBC Tuesday nights at 9 and vote for your favorite. You can help NBC decide who will be the last comic standing.
Editor’s note: The information in this article was valid at the time of publication (July 15, 2004). At the show’s finale, Gulman came in third place behind Alonzo Bodden and winner John Heffron. Look for Gulman and all of your favorite Last Comic contestants from seasons one and two in the upcoming third season (premiering on August 30).
