By Victoria Gladstone
Editor-in-Chief
Former Impractical Joker Joe Gatto came to campus on March 26 to deliver a hilariously relatable comedy show, along with opener and comedian Chris Johnston.
Hosted by the College Union Board, the event started at 8:30 p.m. and filled every seat in Kendall Hall. Many students who were waiting in line were turned away after the auditorium reached maximum capacity.
Freshman finance major Ivanna Viznovych said she waited in the STEM building’s café in the early afternoon to see when students started lining up for the show. She ended up waiting around four and a half hours in line until the doors opened at 7:30 p.m.
“CUB has not seen a turn out like this for this type of event for a couple of years now,” said junior communications major Jennifer Kelly, one of the lead coordinators of the event. “We are overwhelmed with joy to have had so much student support.”
Prior to the event, CUB held a scavenger hunt to give away free front row tickets to the lucky winners. Freshman early childhood education and sociology major Emma Williams was one of the few who won the tickets through the scavenger hunt and sat in the second row for the show. During Gatto’s performance, Williams was able to interact with the comedian after he asked the crowd who the school’s mascot was.
“I think [I yelled] a lion and [held] up my hands as if they were paws. He then proceeded to laugh, and then I asked if he wanted to see a picture of Roscoe,” said Williams, who then gave her phone to Gatto to see a picture of Roscoe the lion.
Gatto’s comedy show consisted of many retellings of funny memories shared with his co-stars from “Impractical Jokers.” Some of these stories include the time Gatto and James “Murr” Murray snuck into a party during Comic Con and when Gatto tricked Sal Vulcano into getting a very questionable massage. In addition, he also spoke candidly to the student audience about living life to the fullest in college and Gatto’s love of making others feel uplifted.
“This is a really good time in your life right now,” said Gatto as he was making his final sentiments. “And I heard from a lot of you guys through Instagram messages or whenever I meet you guys about how I’ve been there for you through tough times. That’s why I do what I do.”
After the show, members of CUB’s live board were able to spend time with Gatto, including Kelly.
“He was a genuinely kind person who went out of his way to interact with us. He still made us smile off stage, as he is just as funny in everyday life,” said Kelly. “He even applauded the CUB members who starred in our Impractical Jokers-styled TikTok.”
Gatto’s comedy special was one of the large scale shows CUB puts on each semester, with Swae Lee being last semester’s performance. For those who wish to keep with the organization’s upcoming events, follow their instagram @tcnjcub.
