Dana Carvey found himself in a familiar role Saturday night as he entertained a sold-out Colonials Weekend crowd of more than 4,600 students, parents and alumni.
During his hour-long comedy routine at the Smith Center, the “Saturday Night Live” alumnus performed his famous impressions of George H.W. Bush, Ross Perot, “the Church Lady” and Garth from “Wayne’s World.” He also joked about the upcoming election and the challenges of parenting.
After being introduced by University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Carvey made the crowd explode in laughter as he took time to emphasize the power and gusto of a name like Trachtenberg.
Carvey also struck a chord with parents in the audience by continually referring to GW as $48,500, a take-off on the school’s steep tuition, which hovers around $34,000.
“When I went to San Francisco State, our tuition was 95 dollars a year … and we rioted!” Carvey said.
Among other memorable moments from the show was Carvey’s incessant play with the person translating the show into American Sign Language. Carvey forced the translator to say awkward things like, “I want him” or “I’m rubbing lotion on my buttocks.”
Amazed by the duality of mascots at GW, Carvey inquired, “How do you go from Colonials to a hippo?” Carvey was convinced that an inebriated member of the student government must have imagined that “a hippo would kick ass.”
Event organizers said they were pleased with the outcome of the show.
“It was an overwhelming success, perfect from beginning to end,” Program Board Executive Chair Eric Wiegand said.
But not everyone was impressed with Carvey’s act.
“The opening part of the act was great and then he ran out of material and it got kind of crude,” freshman Jesse Comart said. Comart also said that a package offering dinner at the University Club and reserved seating at the show was a flop. “We had some of the worst seats in the house,” he said.
Carvey ended the show with a joke most audience members seemed to appreciate.
He said, “Georgetown rightfully sucks compared to you guys.”
