Comedian Alexandra McHale hails from Orange, Conn. and felt right at home on the UConn campus.

Connecticut's own, Alexandra McHale, humors at Hilltop

By: Diana Flynn

Posted: 9/8/03

"I was drunk for the first time in my life on this campus," laughed comedian Alexandra McHale Saturday night along with the dimly lit audience assembled in Putnam Refectory.
The sassy, curly-haired, Orange, native felt right at home on the makeshift dining hall stage.
"I'm so happy to be performing in my home state, said McHale after her show. "The Connecticut audiences are always great."
For two years running, Campus Activities Today Magazine has named McHale the "Female Entertainer of the Year," as voted by the students and her UConn performance showed why. Witty, energetic and timely, she knew her audience and played into their hands. With anecdotes from stops on her college tour, tragic but humorous tales of first dates gone bad and just enough references to the female anatomy to keep the male population focused, McHale created a 40 minute show that was very college appropriate, without being vulgar.
In between gags about the "tree people" of West Virginia and undercover nuns of Pennsylvania, McHale mocked the idea of "Nutrition Facts" on a box of cookies. "Drop and run, fatty. And pick up a jump rope," would be a much more appropriate message according to McHale, or how about, "This is sh*t, put it down!"
McHale also introduced the new favorite phrase she picked up from a Bostonian, "Scratch your ass with a broken bottle."
She sought the expertise of UConn students to further her research on cow-tipping, an infatuation McHale can't shake. This exchange with the audience was one of many throughout her performance.
Daily Variety says it best, "...her one liners are often original, and her funny session sets the tone for the show: sassy, off-color, but never crude."
While McHale may not have touched on the controversial topics of George Carlin, had the in-our-face sexual humor of Margaret Chow or side-stitching impressions of Jim Breuer, she was a great performer for SUBOG to open up this semester's comedic line-up with.
"I was really psyched about the turn-out," said Jackie Samson, SUBOG's comedy chair. "I'm looking forward to the rest of the year. The whole line-up is going to be great."
McHale herself commented on the number of chairs filled with students, a notably young crowd. "An amazing crowd for a Saturday night," McHale said.
McHale's performance is the first of five comedy shows planned by SUBOG this semester. Next to grace the Putnam stage will be Brad Lowery on Sept. 26. Lowery can be seen on FOX television's "Comedy Flava."