On Thursday, Urbana’s Rose Bowl Tavern hosted comedian Carmen Christopher for a night filled with drinks and laughter.
Inside the tavern was an environment of tranquility and lively chatter between couples and families.
Christopher is an LA-based comedian native to Chicago. He is also an actor and writer known for his work on “The Bear” and “Killing It,” the latter of which streams on Peacock.
The event began promptly at 8:30 p.m. when Kirsten Unakis opened the show. Unakis is a local comedian who titles herself “Mrs. Home Court Advantage.”
Unakis’ act primarily consisted of jokes based on her personal life and experiences. She brought in her relationship with her daughter and the obstacles teenagers face when it comes to love.
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These jokes received approval from the audience, as they responded with loud laughter and cheering.
At 9 p.m. Unakis welcomed Christopher, who entered by tossing dollar bills to an audience member named Mike who sat to the right of the stage. The comedian then went on to continuously single out Mike throughout the night.
Christopher began his jokes by taking a lighthearted spin on world events.
“Let’s lighten it up,” Christopher said.
His jokes mocked popular political opinions, such as current events in Gaza and mass shootings in the United States.
He ended the night with a skit by picking out two audience members to play roles on stage.
It was one of the two member’s birthdays, so celebrations took place by singing the traditional “Happy Birthday” song. The skit centered around jokes about Chicago sports teams.
“Da Cubs, Da Bears, Da Sox” cheered the trio onstage.
This event served as a new form of entertainment for some in the Urbana community.
Madelyn Witruk, an Urbana resident, attended the night in hopes of having fun.
“I had a really good time,” Witruk said. “It’s not comedy I’ve experienced here.”
Alex Carretto, another Urbana resident, said he brought Witruk in hopes of getting her more into comedy. Carretto said he is a fan of the comedy show “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.”
“I just love that stupid humor,” Carretto said. “I knew that was going to be right up my alley here. I just wanted to see more shows like this come to Urbana; it’s good for the community. It’s a lot of fun. We need to have more of these shows.”
Yael Beretta, a student at Parkland College, said she attends Rose Bowl events often.
“With new comedy in town, it’s fun to see a different kind of culture with a different sense of humor you won’t find in town,” Beretta said. “He was really animated and really surprising, with a lot of twists and turns in his comedy. I was completely enthralled by it.”
The night ended with loud music and Christopher clicking his tongue to the beat of the songs. He thanked the Rose Bowl workers who helped him entertain the night away.
