Students crowded the John Cranford Adams Playhouse to attend a comedy show by “Impractical Jokers” star Sal Vulcano. // Photo courtesy of the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement.
Hofstra University welcomed “Impractical Jokers” star and comedian Sal Vulcano to Hempstead, New York, on Wednesday, March 27. The Office of Student Leadership and Engagement (OSLE) organized the event, which took place at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse.
Because Vulcano is a fixture and household name in New York and New Jersey, it was an almost immediate sellout of the event.
Samantha Diamond, a sophomore television and business major, was thrilled when she discovered she could see Vulcano perform for a second time.
“I was like, I can’t wait to see him again; this is going to be so good,” Diamond said.
Vulcano opened hot, giving the packed theater a chance to vent to him about everything wrong with Hofstra’s dorms. While it started as a funny opening segment for the comedian to get his feet wet with the crowd, some believed the horror stories told by the students dragged on a bit too long.
“I loved it, I love Sal, but I wish we didn’t spend half of his set complaining about the school,” said Craig Mannino, a sophomore English and writing studies major.
Eventually, Vulcano moved on from the impromptu Q&A and began telling hilarious stories that garnered thunderous response from the audience. He told stories about how he doesn’t like to go out anymore, drunken messages he’s sent to Uber, helping his landlord with a potential home invasion and his childhood encounter with the Tooth Fairy.
“I thought Sal was really funny,” said Emma Eitel, a sophomore video/television major. “It was a really nice break from my rigorous class and extracurricular schedule to just go out and get a good laugh.”
“The show was amazing,” Diamond said. “I even got the opportunity to meet Sal after the show. He was so welcoming and nice.”
With recent successful comedy shows featuring Colin Jost and now Vulcano, students are already sharing their thoughts on who they’d like to see come to campus next.
“I would love to see someone like John Mulaney,” Mannino said. “I think that would be awesome, but that’s pretty far-fetched. Maybe someone like David Cross?”
“It probably could never happen, but I’d say Bo Burnham would be an ideal comedian to come to Hofstra,” Eitel said.
