“I seemed so different on ‘Sabrina,’” but even so, Caroline Rhea delivered on Monday night.
More commonly recognized as Aunt Hilda from the popular ‘90s show “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” and more recently as a judge on the weight loss show “The Biggest Loser,” Rhea performed a show that was both unexpected and excellent for the surprisingly (and unfortunately) less-than crowded Wool Ballrooms.
The show started later than expected, with a moderate snowstorm slowing Rhea’s travels. Opening was Andy Woodhall, a Saint Louis University graduate, who recently returned from Comedy Central’s Gotham Tour. A geology major at SLU, Woodhall described the changes to SLU since his graduation, including the addition of a florist.
“When I wanted to get something for my girlfriend, I would have had to give her some of my flex points,” he said.
The crowd also enjoyed a crack at the popular vampire romance series Twilight.
Rhea’s performance was created with less scripted material, and with more interaction and cracks on the audience.
Even the group who brought her to campus, Student Activities Board, was a target. Rhea saw the infamous yellow GIC/SAB shirts and created her own definitions of the first half.
“God is cool,” she said.
The audience was treated to more than several respectful, yet humorous, jokes based off of the school’s Jesuit affiliation.
Rhea teased SLU, as well; not only the campus and people, but the name itself. She wondered aloud whether we would call our teachers “S-L-U-Ts.”
Rhea also discussed her time in Saint Louis. She complimented The Arch, but lamented that it was essentially a giant advertisement for McDonald’s, and admitted that it even made her crave a Big Mac. She also was critical about the vacancy of downtown upon her arrival, and wondered if St. Louis could even be considered a city.
One of Rhea’s signature moves was offering a candy orange to three members of the audience. The first orange went to the woman whom Rhea deemed the bossiest. The second was given to the oldest member of the audience. The third was given to the student brave enough to go on stage and tell her own joke.
Senior Ashley Pitlyk, whose joke involved a psychiatrist and his patient, received the final orange, as well as the privilege of cracking the last joke of the night.
Rhea’s performance was a breath of fresh air for those who attended. Though somewhat unconventional, Rhea’s interaction with the audience was artful and her progression was cleverly scatterbrained.
Rhea, coupled with SLU graduate Andy Woodhall, gave the students who ventured out into the snow a smart and hilarious night of comedy.
For more information about the upcoming events that Student Activities Board has planned for the rest of the semester, visit the group’s official website at sab.slu.edu.
