When Seth Myers left “Saturday Night Live,” he left a big chair to fill at the news desk of “Weekend Update.”
His inability to hide his reaction to the absurdity that was Stefan, Drunk Uncle or the The Girl You Wish You Never Started a Conversation With was always a highlight of the segment.
There was doubt anybody could come close to reporting the Weekend Update, with its mix of comedy and news, as well as Myers.
Then came Colin Jost.
With a cheeky attitude, sarcastic tone and the ability to deliver quick-witted jokes that simultaneously inform viewers, Jost slipped into Myers’ role with ease
and grace.
On Feb. 24, he will bring a similar performance to Elon University through the Student Union Board (SUB).
“We’re really excited to bring him to campus. He is so funny,” said sophomore Max Gould, member of the executive board for SUB.
In the past, SUB has brought other “Saturday Night Live” actors to perform comedy shows. Jost will be the fourth SNL cast member to visit Elon, after Jay Pharoah and Nasim Pedrad in 2013 and Kate McKinnon in 2014.
With the success of these three visitors, such as McKinnon’s memorable Ina Garten impersonation, Jost has big shoes to fill.
According to Gould, SUB uses a middle agent to find the acts. By giving him their budget and what they are looking for in terms of entertainment, the middle agent will give SUB a list of names and acts and work as the middle man between SUB and the talent agents.
“We try to find the best act that will fit in our budget,” Gould said.
Though the show is a few weeks away, hype has already begun. Sophomore Jenny Ball is excited to see Jost perform by himself.
“I love how authentic Colin’s humor is and how he’s put his own spin on the ‘Weekend Update’,” she said.
Jost was a writer for SNL in 2005 upon graduating from Harvard and has been a co-head writer for the show since 2012.
His recent take over as co-anchor with Michael Che at the “Weekend Update” has been quite successful.
His energy brings a fresh face to the desk and he is great at audience interaction. Often times he will look at the camera and conveying the same emotions viewers feel when interacting with Jebidiah Atkinson or Leslie Jones, which is usually some variation of “what is happening on this show right now?”
Jost breaks down the news in a digestible and witty way, leaving nothing but high hopes for his performance at Elon this month.
In addition to co-anchoring the desk, Jost has won three Writers Guild Awards and a Peabody Award, and hehas been nominated for several Emmy Awards for his SNL writing. He also wrote and starred in the Paramount & Netflix film “Staten Island Summer,” based on his days as a lifeguard growing up in New York.
Jost will be performing at Elon at 8 p.m. on Feb. 24 in McCrary Theatre. Tickets have been available since at 11 a.m. Feb. 15 in Moseley 207. The event is free for students with a valid ID.
Tickets have sold out, but students can come early and wait in standby for the possibility of an open seat.