SU hosts Friday night live with Sarah Sherman, Emil Wakim
SNL’s Sarah Sherman, Emil Wakim shower ‘Cuse with comedy
Review: University Union’s comedy night brings two big TV comedians in a night full of home runs and misses.
For one night and one night only, Sarah Sherman and Emil Wakim made the drive to Upstate New York for University Union’s comedy night. Sherman has been a part of the Saturday Night Live cast ever since season 47, while Wakim is a new addition to the crew this season. With their chemistry, you would think they’ve been working together for ages as they seamlessly play off each other.
Wakim came onstage first to warm the crowd up. While his lack of research on the Syracuse area was evident with his many questions about college life at SU, his relatability with hometown experiences from a small town in Indiana garnered a few chuckles. He had an impressive knack at playing off of other people, namely the sign language interpreter who he asked to sign egregious words and phrases — just to see if they would do it and what it would look like.
His form of comedy depended on his relatability with the audience, not quite catching the attention of the whole room, but those who did relate had the loudest laughs of the night.
Sherman followed his act and drove the train off the rails, her energy and chaos perfectly matching the vibrant colors of her outfit (to which she credited Ms. Frizzle as inspiration). From bringing Otto onstage to roasting a student for being too high, her fast-paced bits landed with everyone in the crowd.
Her crowd work was fantastic. One standout segment involved her asking audience members their majors and then predicting their future based on their responses. Sherman told a film major to “have fun directing on OnlyFans” and an esports major to “get laid.”
The most laughs came from her physical comedy, where she would distort her face and put on a new persona to imitate characters she made up on the spot. She completely commanded the stage with her presence, especially while playing distinctive roles like a shaman or an obsessive nerd. You could tell she was comfortable with how she reworked the feng shui of the stage (literally, she rearranged some preset objects around).
Both comedians embraced the crowd in Goldstein Auditorium, which proved to be too big of a venue, as nearly half of the floor seats were empty. Sherman called it “performing for the ghosts of ‘Cuse” and hilariously blamed Wakim for farting and driving people away.
The question and answer segment was a great addition to the night, as it showed us how human these celebrities are. It felt like being a fly on the wall for a live podcast with how effortlessly Sherman and Wakim bantered, playfully roasting each other — especially about their age. For instance, Wakim had asked Sherman if she remembered watching Charlie Chaplin, to which she said no, but “I loved Harry Houdini.” They were also candid with the audience, calling out those who were leaving, letting them know they’ll “remember that.”
Just like Sherman’s quick-paced wit, the night went by all too fast in an hour. For those who couldn’t get enough, Sherman is going on tour this summer and her dates are available on her website or you can catch her live from New York on Saturday Night Live.