Andrew Kennedy
New York, New York, United States
Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
In case you missed the giant sign in the HUB-Robeson Center's lobby, comedian Andrew Kennedy is coming to Penn State this fall.
The Student Programming Association (SPA) is responsible for that giant sign, as well as for booking Kennedy, SPA Entertainment Chairwoman Katy Tufts (junior-marketing and public relations) said.
At 8 p.m. Sept. 13, Kennedy will perform his material at University Park, and he said he likes performing for students.
"I don't have to bend my material for college students," Kennedy said. "I know they're intelligent and I can be real with them."
Kennedy describes his comedy as just telling stories.
"I talk a lot about not judging people by the way they look," he said. "I talk about life and people and things I think are awkward."
He draws on his own personal experience -- being half-Hispanic and fluent in Spanish but not looking it, he said. He said he often surprises people with his heritage.
He said he also does impressions, including Christopher Walken, Gene Wilder and politicians.
Kennedy went on to say that his performance isn't "some kind of act."
"I'm real onstage," he said.
Tufts said Kennedy has a wide range of jokes.
"You don't have to like a certain kind of comedy," she said. "He's got a lot of the bases covered."
And others in SPA said they think everyone will enjoy the show.
"He's a really good comedian, he's really entertaining, and it's a free event," said Stephanie Pollitt, SPA marketing chairwoman.
"I'm confident that the auditorium is going to fill up on the night of the show."
Pollitt (senior-advertising and psychology) and SPA have been marketing the Kennedy show for some time.
But Kennedy was not always a comedian. After college, he started a lawn chair business, he said.
His road into comedy involved trying out for a production of "Grease." While in the show, he developed a crush on a dancer. To impress her, he went to an open mic night and enjoyed it, he said.
He kept doing comedy, though it took eight years to start making good money.
Pollitt said SPA has tweeted and made Facebook events and related statuses, among other marketing plans.
She said there appears to be a good response to the show, especially from freshmen. Pollitt said SPA has put fliers up in East Halls.
- The Daily Collegian
A Colombian woman, English gentleman, various presidents and the governor of California all took the stage in the body of one comedian Monday night.
Andrew Kennedy, who is known for his "Top Twenty" show on Comedy Central, performed for free in the HUB Auditorium, sponsored by the Student Programming Association (SPA).
Kennedy opened the show by playing to his University Park audience, mentioning his performances at other Penn State campuses "the size of this room."
The comedian drew some of his material from stories about his family and heritage. His English father met his Colombian mother when he traveled to the South American country to sell Encyclopedia Britannica sets. Kennedy, who has blond hair and blue eyes, grew up bilingual and constantly deals with people being surprised he speaks fluent Spanish.
He also told stories about his three young children and commented on George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
A vast majority of Kennedy's show involved various impressions, which included everyone from his English father and Colombian mother to Christoph Waltz from "Inglourious Basterds" and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
John Williams, who attended the event because he has seen parts of Kennedy's Comedy Central show and his television pilot for CBS, said the impressions were the highlight of the night.
"Christopher Walken was my favorite," Williams (freshman-communications) said.
Kennedy mentioned in the show that he's heard Walken is writing a memoir. He doesn't want to read the book himself, but would rather hear Walken read it to him.
Caitlyn Dibble and Tyler Simays also agreed that Kennedy's impressions were their favorite part of the show.
Dibble (sophomore-psychology) said the Willy Wonka spoof was her favorite, while Simays (junior-marketing) liked Kennedy's impressions of his father.
After the show, Kennedy talked with students and sold signed DVDs that featured his CBS pilot and some of his other comedic performances for $10.
- The Daily Collegian Online
FILM & TELEVISION:
RELATED BY MARRIAGE (pilot) Star Sony/ CBS
(Based on his stand-up comedy)
THE COLOMBIAN Sofrito Hal Rifkin Productions
LOVE AND CHAOS Sonny Maguee Dewolf Films
BURNING ANGEL Stephen John Macomb
BOMB SHELTER Alan Joanna Longo
SUMMER OF MY DREAMS Robertico Laura Blanco
HOOLIGANS HOLIDAY Guitar Man John DiLoretto
Comedy Festivals:
Just For Laughs Comedy Festival 2006 Montreal Canada (Gala)
Kilkenny Comedy Festival 2006 Kilkenny Ireland
The Comedy Factory Festival 2004 Rotterdam Holland
Just For Laughs Comedy Festival 2003 Montreal Canada
Latino Laugh Festival 1999 San Antonio TX
THEATRE:
GREASE Kenickie Norwalk Community College
BEYOND THERAPY Bob Curtain Call Productions
A CHRISTMAS CAROL Scrooge International Community Theater
STAND-UP TELEVISION:
COMEDY CENTRAL PRESENTS: ANDREW KENNEDY Comedy Central
THE WORLD STANDS UP (London) Comedy Central
PREMIUM BLEND Comedy Central
RAYMANN IS LAAT Dutch TV
NEW JOKE CITY Metro Channel
¡QUE LÓCO! Galavision
COMEDY PICANTE Galavision
THE VERY FUNNY SHOW TBS
VOICE-OVER:
HBO EN ESPAÑOL National Promotion Radio Commercial
HBO EN ESPAÑOL National Promotion Television Commercials
- Sophie K. Entertainment
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Andrew Kennedy was born in Bogota, Colombia, has lived in Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Hong Kong, United States and is completely fluent in Spanish. After being invited to perform as a "Master" at the Montreal Comedy Festival, he made a deal with CBS television to develop, produce and star in his own sitcom called Related by Marriage which was shot at the Sony Studios, Los Angeles and based on his comedy. He is a storyteller who weaves the characters from his life throughout his entire performance. Each performance is electric, inspiring and unique, with his material growing and evolving as does his life. His half-hour special is currently airing on Comedy Central and was voted in the top twenty by viewers for two years in a row!! He has begun performing completely in Spanish in the New York City area and the reaction has been amazing. A true Hispanic performer, Andrew's greatest accomplishments are yet to come.
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