Last Saturday, the famous comedian and sketch comedy performer, Charlie Berens, returned to the Rozsa Center for two comedy shows. Charlie had two successful shows at MTU in November of 2023 and was welcomed back this year, the 25th anniversary of the Rozsa Center, with a sold-out crowd.
Tickets went on sale at the beginning of August and were sold out publicly about two weeks later. For anyone who missed the ticket sales this time, the Rozsa held seats specifically for students who missed their chance through the Student Rush tickets.
Berens, while also being a musician and journalist, is largely known for his relatable commentary on life and relationships around the Midwest, which hits particularly close to home for many students at MTU. Being from Wisconsin, the authentic flair and charm of the show displayed the quirks and absurdity of the relatively mundane.
The show began with an opening set by actor and comedian Sohrab Forouzesh, who, keeping with the Midwestern theme, grew up in Michigan and made sure to mention how comfortable he is around hillbillies. Forouzesh’s set included lots of crowd work and personalized jokes about the region.
Aptly dubbed the “Working It All Out” show, Berens debuted and tested out new material on the crowd. The jokes ranged from classic sports quips and references to the U.P. culture, to finding the perfect obnoxious gift for your sibling’s children, and a spiral of his inner thoughts as he describes his brain while having ADD.
After the show, as smiling crowds funneled out of the building, one MTU student named Rebecca Veenstra had this to say about the event: “I’ve never been to a stand-up show before and it was a lot of fun! Charlie was really a great introduction into live comedy for me. He and his opener Sohrab really knew how to light up an audience!”
The audience wasn’t the only ones who had a good time. When asked about the process of having Berensback, Justin Plichta, the marketing manager for the Rozsa Center, said, “We knew we wanted to have Charlie back, especially for this 25th anniversary year. But before we could even ask him, his people reached out to see if we were available for another show this season because they had so much fun last time.”
When asked about the future plans for celebrities at the Rozsa, Plichta went on to say, “Comedians like Charlie Berens and Zarna Garg, who will be here this Winter Carnival, are nationally renowned and we hope to continue to invite that level of celebrity to our theatre. We encourage audiences to complete the after-show surveys so we can get to know what acts you’d like to see up here. Or, think about becoming a donor.”
