Students looking for a break from studying stopped by Goldstein Auditorium last night for a night filled with comedy.

Syracuse University welcomed “Saturday Night Live” cast members Kate McKinnon and Vanessa Bayer on Wednesday as part of University Union’s first performing arts event of the year. Chloe Quakenbush, UU’s performing arts director, said she was excited about the opportunity to host female comedians after bringing in Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Seth Meyers last year.

Students started lining up as early as 5:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show. By the time the doors opened, two circles of students wrapped around the Schine Student Center lobby.

“I got there at 7:45, and I thought I was early,” said Molly Joyce, a freshman social studies major. “It was mobbed.”

Opening for McKinnon and Bayer was Nick Vatterott, a comedian whose work has been featured on “Conan” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” Despite a shaky start, Vatterott told amusing anecdotes about Canadian money and accidentally walking into the wrong store.

Vatterott’s most well-received sequence came from sharing his experiences of living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a neighborhood known for its hipster culture. He made fun of restaurants in the area, saying, “All the little breakfast places have pretentious names, like ‘Spoon,’ or ‘Mmm.’” His oddball humor was unexpected but enjoyable, as he was able to soften up the crowd for the main performers.

McKinnon was the first of the women to perform, hilariously marching her way onstage to Britney Spears’ “Work B*tch.” Clearly undeterred by performing for a live audience, McKinnon made some well-humored jabs at the Syracuse community, saying, “When I told people I was performing in Syracuse, five people instantly told me that everyone who goes there is from Long Island.”

McKinnon looked back at her own college experience, joking that her nickname was “The Girl Who Goes to Indian Buffets by Herself.” She also shared her ideas for the worst senior theses. She announced each option with a mock melodramatic tone as she paraded around the stage. The crowd laughed especially loudly at “Gluten Allergies as a Socially Acceptable form of Whining,” and “Hare-Gy to Hearty Gay.”

McKinnon then moved to her more famous work, notably her impressions of Penelope Cruz. She recreated many of Cruz’s commercials with a flawless Spanish accent.

Shortly after, Bayer came onstage. Bayer, who is in the midst of her fourth season on “Saturday Night Live,” started her segment by talking about her college experiences. Though originally a biology major, Bayer said she knew she wanted to be on television one day, so she decided to pursue communications instead.

Much of the strength of Bayer’s performance came from her impressions, as she was able to really dive into the characters she was portraying, however specific. One of her first sets was imitating kids she counseled at sleep-away camp. Bayer perfectly captured the inflections and attitudes of one girl who was dying to be an actress, and delivered lines from “Peter Pan,” “Julius Caesar” and “A Few Good Men.”

Soon, Bayer delved into her now-famous Miley Cyrus impression, poking fun at both the singer and Syracuse, saying, “Your mascot’s a fruit, and that’s pretty trippy.” Unsurprisingly, this moment was a fan favorite.

The most in-depth portion of Bayer’s performance came when she dissected the characters of the classic sitcom “Friends,” and what it would be like to star as a guest girlfriend going on a date with Ross. Bayer won a massive amount of laughs for her impressions of Jennifer Aniston as Rachel, Courteney Cox as Monica and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe. The skit lasted about five minutes and had the still-eager crowd laughing throughout, as she finally asked the crowd, “How many lives have to be ruined so that Ross and Rachel can be together?”

For the final segment of the performance, McKinnon and Bayer teamed up to portray overbearing moms and asked for volunteers from the audience. Originally, they had asked for the two students to be a romantic couple, but ran with it when they realized the volunteers chosen were not. Even though they were thrown off of their game, asking each other if the skit would still work, McKinnon and Bayer’s chemistry onstage and ability to synchronize movements made up for their lack of a plan.

McKinnon’s stand-up approach was more energetic and in your face, while Bayer’s was more subtle and focused, but the contrasting styles complemented each other.

Despite the packed crowd and long wait to get seats, students had nothing but positive things to say about the show. Junior in the College of Arts and Sciences Jaylyn Noble, a longtime “Saturday Night Live” fan, was happy that McKinnon and Bayer’s work got more exposure.

“It’ll make me appreciate them even more,” Noble said. “I was dying laughing; I would most definitely see them again.”

Published on October 17, 2013 at 3:36 am

Contact Vincent: vtloncto@syr.edu