Three years after Stephen Colbert came to campus, the man who replaced him on The Daily Show is following suit.
Daily Show correspondent Dan Bakkedahl will host the Ninth Annual Mask and Wig Intercollegiate Comedy Festival on April 9 and 10, officials from The Mask & Wig Club and the Social Planning and Events Committee said.
Known as ComFest, the two-day event will also feature comedy groups from three other colleges - Yale University, Boston College and University of Maryland - and will conclude with an improvisational comedy show.
Bakkedahl is best known as a wisecracking correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, reporting on political issues with a comedic flair.
He has worked extensively with numerous improv groups and has written and performed in the "Doors Open on the Right" show while working with The Second City, a Chicago-based comedy troupe.
For the host, Mask and Wig was "looking at another person from The Daily Show because Stephen Colbert had been such a success," ComFest codirector and Wharton senior Ben Kream said.
"After going over a lot of anchors, Dan Bakkedahl seemed the most enthusiastic to work with us, and he's also an up-and-coming star," Kream said.
Based on student feedback, it seems like Bakkedahl is a great choice.
College freshman Stephen Krewson said he was excited about the choice of Bakkedahl.
"I watch The Daily Show pretty much every night, and he's a great correspondent," Krewson said.
"I've never seen him do stand-up or anything other than The Daily Show, but I'm sure he'd be a great host," he said. "It'll definitely be worth going to."
College freshman Nina Rostrup is likewise excited.
"Mask and Wig shows are always hilarious, and it would be really interesting to see how the other schools' groups compare with Mask and Wig," she said.
The event's past comedian hosts include Bob Saget and Gilbert Gottfried.
$5 tickets for the event will be available at CollegeComFest.com or by calling (215) 500-8271.
