A&O Productions will be bringing comedian and actor Aziz Ansari to Northwestern on Friday, Jan. 28. A&O is collaborating with the South Asian Student Alliance and the Muslim-cultural Student Association to bring his critically acclaimed stand-up to the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall for $10. Tickets go on sale at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 21, and are limited to two per Northwestern student with a valid WildCARD.
“SASA and McSA collaborate every year,” said Pavan Patel, co-president of SASA. “This year we wanted to bring someone bigger, and Aziz definitely falls into that category. We reached out to A&O about bringing him here and they were very excited about the idea.”
Noreen Nasir, co-president of McSA, said it had been several years since A&O and McSA last collaborated.
“We thought this was a great way to bring student organizations together and put on an event that would get students from across campus together,” Nasir said. “It’s a way to bring different cultures and people together.”
Ansari is best known for his role as Tom Haverford on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, which returns to television this Thursday at 9 p.m. His stand-up is also hugely popular — his own Comedy Central Presents special, “Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening,” aired last year.
“We always try and take the A&O Poll into consideration, and Aziz is someone who, for the past few years, has done incredibly,” said Alex Leibowich of the A&O Speakers and Special Events committee. “When the opportunity arose, we jumped at it.”
Perhaps Ansari’s raunchy alter ego Raaaaaaaandy will also make an appearance during the Pick–Staiger. Originally developed as a role for Judd Apatow’s 2009 film Funny People, Raaaaaaaandy has popped up in Ansari’s stand-up routine and even a rap collaboration with TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek.