Students, parents and comedy fans crowded Alumni Arena Saturday night for an evening of laughter with comedian Kevin James of the hit CBS Monday night sitcom, "King of Queens."
The show began at 8 p.m. with an introduction by Kiss 98.5 FM's Billy Vote and a performance by the UB Gospel Choir. The arena exploded into applause as Vote announced that UB students had raised over $7,000 in support of Red Cross relief funds.
Richie Minovini, James' friend and fellow comedian, opened the show as a special guest. He joked about topics the family crowd could relate to, including growing up in New York and having children. Parents doubled over in their chairs and broke into hysterics as Minovini described toy shopping for his five-year-old daughter. Just as the crowd was warming up, Minovini closed his performance by introducing headliner Kevin James.
Dressed in black from head to toe, James ran onto the stage with a burst of energy. Orange lights illuminated the stage and created an intimate atmosphere as James welcomed the audience.
"I had dinner at Duff's today because I heard that they were the number two place for wings in Buffalo. Now I know why they call it number two ... that's about all I did once I got back to the hotel room," James said, as applause rattled and laughter filled the arena. He continued to poke fun at Buffalo as he talked about the UB Bulls and the Buffalo Bills.
"The Bulls ... now that's a good name for a team. When I was in school at Cortland, we had the Red Dragons," James said, parading across the stage like a prissy red dragon.
James got his comedic start after attending SUNY Cortland. He began frequenting comedy clubs with his brother, Gary Valentine, until he got his "big break" at the 1996 Montreal Comedy Festival. After appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman, James was cast in a recurring role on "Everybody Loves Raymond."
James is best known for his role as Doug Heffernan on the sitcom, "King of Queens." Doug, a parcel deliveryman from Queens, N.Y., is a realistic character many can relate to, and most likely not much of a reach for James, whose down-to-earth personality and relatively wholesome humor is appealing to the young and old alike.
"I really liked his clean humor. He swore a little bit, but it wasn't offensive to the parents or students at all," said Anthony McIntyre, an insurance representative.
"He was really funny. He appeals to all ages and depicts the human quality in people," agreed Rosetta Rico, an administrator at D'Youville College.
Some students were surprised that UB was able to attract such a well-known comedian.
"It's great that we were able to get someone that big to come to UB," commented Erica Martin, a senior psychology major.
For James, the hardships of his newfound fame come at the most inopportune moments.
"I was at the urinal in the men's room the other day and this guy next to me looks over and says, 'Hey, aren't you the King of Queens?' I looked around and said, 'Not in here, I'm not!"
As James finished his routine, he received a standing ovation. It was truly a spectacular night for people of all ages, races, and ethnicities to come together in the name of laughter.
