Nick Swardson, a stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his role as Terry Bernadino in Reno 911!, will be coming to campus on April 20 as the 2013 Spring Speaker, A&O Productions announced Thursday.
"He's talented in a lot of different areas," said Communication senior Eliza Helm, the Director of A&O Speakers Committee, noting that Swardson has had his own show on Comedy Central and appeared on shows like Chelsea Lately. "He can reach out to a lot of different areas of campus, we think, and also he's just a really solid comedian."
The stand-up chops were an important factor in choosing Swardson, said Weinberg junior Rosalind Mowitt, one of the co-directors of A&O Marketing & Media Committee.
"Our feedback has generally been that stand-up is the way to go in terms of what the students are after, and he's really, really funny," Mowitt said. "The experience of the show is really important to us."
Swardson will kick off the first weekend of A&O Spring. This year, all four of A&O's spring events (Spring Spreaker, Ball, DM Benefit Concert and Philfest) will take place across four consecutive weekends.
"Normally our programming's a little more spread out in terms of early April, late May or whatever," Weinberg senior and A&O Chairman Logan Koepke said. "But the way everything worked out and what we're really excited about this year is having four weekends in a row where we have an event."
Helm noted that the annoucnement of who will be playing A&O Ball will be made at Swardson's show, which will be held at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the show will start at 8 p.m. Northwestern students Mary Gulino, Alex Heller and Alec Khan will perform as opening acts. Tickets are $10 and go on sale Monday, April 15 at 10:30 a.m.