Cosby to perform at Auditorium Friday

Legendary comedian Bill Cosby will take over the IU Auditorium stage Friday night with back-to-back performances in shows organizers hope speak to all generations about the importance of family.

The auditorium looked at many possibilities for shows to kick off Freshman Family Weekend, and Bill Cosby was the best fit, said Doug Booher, IU Auditorium director. Tickets are still available.

His comedy is universal, Booher said, adding he is an icon for American comedy and a mentor of many young comics such as Chris Rock.

Cosby’s comedy mostly focuses on family. His subject matter is right on the money, Booher said. The families that are going through the transition of their child going to college can relate to his own personal stories about growing up, Booher said.

“People connect to the stories,” Cosby said in an interview with the Indiana Daily Student, adding that it’s his job as the entertainer.

Cosby’s rise to fame
Cosby started studying comedy at age 6, without realizing it. It was not something he thought of as a career, but as something that made people laugh, Cosby said.

It was something he just loved to do. Although he enjoyed athletics and aspired to have a career in sports, he found himself gravitating toward comedy.

In his third year in college, he worked in a bar and told jokes to his customers. He then began exploring his own ideas in comedy and writing his own material. It worked so well he began to get paid for it, earning $60 a week for six nights of stand-up. The show did not make a lot of money but helped him launch his career as a comedian, Cosby said.

Since he became famous, Cosby has received awards for his comedic performances, including five Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards. He sold enough comedy albums to earn eight Gold records and five Platinum records. He has starred in the hit family sitcom “The Cosby Show” and has written several best-selling books.  

Performance preparations
Auditorium faculty and volunteers spent a lot of time preparing for Cosby’s performance. So far, about 2,300 tickets have been sold for each performance, said Brandon Cavaness, assistant house manager. Tickets can still be purchased at the box office or online at the time of the show, but Cavaness hopes both shows will sell out.

The auditorium has the largest volunteer group on campus, Cavaness said, so the managers’ biggest challenge was to get everyone trained. Volunteers had to be trained in everything from ticket reading to seating, Cavaness said.

The show is marketable to all viewers, Cavaness said. Students, community members and faculty can all enjoy the comedic idol and his clean comedy.

“He is a legend,” Caveness said. “I can’t wait to hear what he has to say.”
Friday’s performances will be at 6 p.m. and the second at 9:30 p.m.

His performance gives families a great opportunity to come together and experience his comedy, Booher said.

Families will receive exactly what they expect when they bought the ticket, Cosby said.

“The word is family,” he said. “We’re going to have some entertainment.”