Comedy Night Kicks off Student Series

Comedy headliner Steve Rannazzisi of FX’s hit show “The League” will kick off a spring semester event series for Arizona State University students at the Downtown Phoenix campus. The Discover Phoenix series starts Sunday, Jan. 22, with Rannazzisi’s show at downtown’s newest comedy club, Stand Up Live. Prior to joining “The League,” Rannazzisi appeared on MTV’s “Punk’d.” He also has guest-starred on “Kitchen Confidential,” “Sex and the City” and “Third Watch” and has had roles in movies including “Mall Cop” and “Imagine That.” Now in its second semester, Discover Phoenix is designed to introduce students to all there is to do in the thriving urban community that surrounds the campus. Other events in the series include a community dinner at Fair Trade Café, a late-night show at Space 55 theater and a karaoke competition in the vintage-style boxing ring at downtown restaurant The Duce. “This year’s events take students out of the campus environment and into the surrounding community,” said Elizabeth Smith, outreach director for the university vice provost’s office, which pioneered and coordinates the series. “Each outing celebrates local culture in a different, and experiential, way.” The Downtown Phoenix campus is home to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, the College of Public Programs and the School of Letters and Sciences. Discover Phoenix events are open to all ASU students. Tickets are free but limited, and RSVP is required for some events. There is a two-soda minimum at Stand Up Live, and USGD will sponsor this cost for the first 100 students to RSVP. Spring Discover Phoenix events are: *Sunday, Jan. 22, 7 p.m.: Comedy Night at Stand Up Live *Sunday, Feb. 19, 6 p.m.: Community Dinner at Fair Trade Café *Saturday, March 3, 10:30 p.m.: Late-night Show and Open House at Space 55 Wednesday, April 18, 6 p.m.: Karaoke Smackdown at The Duce *RSVP required to mary.cook@asu.edu.