Comedian Hal Sparks wasn’t sure “how the hell he found this place,” but the audience of students Saturday night in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Alumni Hall were glad he did.
Sparks, known for his role on “Queer as Folk” and various appearances on VH1, was brought to Penn State through the Student Programming Association for its April Fool’s Comedy Month.
The stand-up act began with Sparks describing his journey to State College, which took him “into the woods and hilly outback” of Pennsylvania. But because he grew up in the sticks of Kentucky “where serial killers are the only export,” he knows what small towns are like.
He joked about his own hometown of Peaks Mill, Ky., by sharing news stories straight out of Kentucky newspapers, even turning his iPhone toward audience members to prove he wasn’t making up the ridiculous headlines.
No topic was safe from Sparks, who shared his hilarious views on everything, from science and religion to cell phones and dinosaurs.
However, there was one thing he decided to let alone — the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case.
“There are a lot of things that could be said about Penn State in the past few months, but I’m going to go light on you guys,” Sparks said, choosing instead to rant about the Pennsylvania Dutch and elderly people.
The show ended with some impromptu audience interaction with Sparks, who decided they had nothing better to do on a Saturday night. He answered a few questions, called out some audience members and even took a request for his popular Sweet Tea skit, which received just as much laughter as the rest of the show.
Susan Shaffer thought there wasn’t a dull moment to be found in the act and said she appreciated his spontaneous interactions with the crowd.
“I’ve loved him ever since seeing him on VH1,” Shaffer (senior-supply chain and information systems) said. “I knew I needed to come here tonight.”
Katy Tufts, SPA executive director, has also been a fan of Sparks since his appearances on VH1.
“I found myself laughing throughout the entire performance,” Tufts (senior-marketing and public relations) said. “I think he was a perfect addition to [April Fool’s] Comedy Month.”
