REVIEW: ‘The Last Laugh’ comedy show gave students comic relief before finals

“The Last Laugh” comedy show at the Bayou Theater was the first time I had ever seen stand-up comedy in person, and it definitely did not disappoint. I think I laughed more during the show than I have during most comedy movies.

I gained a lot of respect for what stand-up comedians do and how much preparation it takes to come up with a routine and be able to remember it on the spot in front of a crowd.

Standing and telling jokes in front of strangers is definitely not something for everyone. I was impressed by the way these comedians, especially the more experienced ones, made us feel like they were having a conversation with us, as opposed to presenting a set of rehearsed jokes.

Albert Deleon, a featured comics, said the hardest thing about stand-up is being uncertain of how the crowd will react.

“Even if you’re watching other comics do well in front of what we call a ‘hot crowd,’ there is still no guarantee at all that you will get the same reaction,” Deleon said.

The first comic to perform was Grady Pruitt, who jokingly poked fun at his job as a sandwich maker and other things he hated about his life. He had a dead-pan delivery when telling his punchlines. I have always liked the dead-pan style in comedy because the non-enthusiastic delivery seems to make the joke stand out even more.

The real star of the show was 67-year-old headliner Andy Huggins, who has been well known in the Texas comedy scene for more than 30 years.

When I first saw Huggins walk onto the stage, my first thought was that I would not really be able to understand or connect with his sense of humor due to his age. His age, however, was an integral part of why his jokes were so great.

From Huggins’ first joke to his last one, the roar of laughter from the crowd never died down.

Huggins’ comedic style was based around a shameless “old-timer” shtick in which he made light of the difficulties and benefits of his sex life as a senior, his many drunken escapades and the slowing down of his mind and body as he ages. He credited “the thrill of creativity” as the reason why he still enjoys doing stand-up comedy even at his age.

Overall, the show had me laughing almost the entire time and I would definitely love to see many of these comedians perform again. I hope that the Bayou Theater hosts more stand-up comedy in the future.