On The Daily Show, Jon Stewart is alternately suave, probing, witty, childish, controlled and charming.

On stage, he is just side-splittingly hilarious.

Stewart, brought to Penn State by the University Concert Committee, touched on drugs, gay rights, pets, religion and medical examinations, making an instant connection with a crowd brought up on a diet of Comedy Central.

Dressed in khakis and a sweatshirt, Stewart strolled onto stage 10 minutes late armed only with a water bottle. The local touch was present as soon as Stewart opened his act. "As I drove down here from New York, I just got this incredible urge to milk something. I guess that's why Joe Paterno wears such thick glasses," he said, his hands making rapid up-and-down milking motions in the air.

Although many of the joke routines were recycled from other stand-up performances, a refreshingly casual style allowed him to improvise and adapt to the moods of the audience. Responses of "60 Minutes" and "porn" from the audience to a rhetorical "What shall we talk about next?" were incorporated seamlessly into the monologue.

It only needed a single reference to alcohol to elicit an enthusiastic response from the audience, a reaction that had even Stewart shaking his head with a wry grin. He then proceeded to tailor his act further for the student community.

"The humor was very college-based," said Paul Lundholm (sophomore-history). "It worked well for the student body."

Stewart could not resist taking a few digs at George W. Bush, something The Daily Show perfected to an art form during and after the 2000 elections. He also ranted briefly about technology and the research into cloning. "Billions of dollars are being spent to clone sheep, so that they have a sheep that looks exactly like another. Isn't that the point of sheep? Why else would we count them to get to sleep?" he said.

More improvisation ended the show as Stewart took questions from the audience, talking about his upcoming movies and sharing his experiences of working with Bob Dole during the elections.