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Comedian Seth Meyers to perform at Miami in October

By Emily Williams, Assistant News Editor

Seth Meyers, former head writer for "Saturday Night Live" and host of "Late Night with Seth Meyers," will perform at Miami's Family Weekend this fall.

Miami's Performing Arts Series and Miami Activities and Programming (MAP) partner every year to bring in entertainment for Family Weekend.

Meyers was suggested for the slot by the Arts, Concerts and Entertainment (ACE) Board of MAP before being proposed to the Performing Arts Series Advisory Board, Impact Weekend Committee and the Chamber MBA Committee, all of whom approved the idea.

Julia Harrelson, who serves as the board's co-chair along with junior Mikayla McIntyre, said the idea of bringing Meyers to Miami was met with enthusiasm.

"Seth Meyers was a choice that was very popular and received much encouragement from everyone," Harrelson said.

The director of the Performing Arts Series, Patti Liberatore, noted that live standup shows from the "Late Night" host are rare.

"Getting to see Seth Meyers do a stand-up comedy show live will be a special treat for Miami families," Liberatore said.

Meyers will be the third comedian in a row to be the featured performer at Miami's Family Weekend after Jim Gaffigan's performance in 2013 and Aziz Ansari's this past fall.

"Comedians seem to be a great way to satisfy both parents and students," Liberatore said, "so we've tended to focus more on them in recent years."

The comedian got his start during college in Northwestern University's improv group, Mee-Ow. During a stint at the Chicago Improv Festival, he caught the interest of a "Saturday Night Live" casting director and was asked to come to New York for an audition.

In 2001, Meyers joined the "Saturday Night Live" cast, using his comedic chops to write for the show and perform impressions of celebrities such as 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry, actor Tom Cruise and news anchor Brian Williams.

After only five years, Meyers was promoted to be one of the show's head writers. That same year, when actress Tina Fey left "Saturday Night Live," Meyers took her spot at the Weekend Update desk, delivering real news with a satirical twist alongside cast member Amy Poehler.

Meyers continued to anchor the segment when Poehler left in 2008 with cast mate Cecily Strong joining him at the desk in 2013, making him the longest-running Weekend Update host in the show's history.

Meyers took over "Late Night" from its previous host, Jimmy Fallon, in February 2014 when Fallon took over Jay Leno's spot on the Tonight Show. He has led the late night ratings with an average of 1.5 million viewers for every show.

Last year, Meyers was named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People after taking on the "Late Night" spot. In the piece Poehler wrote about him for the issue of TIME, she describes Meyers as "a sharp performer and superior writer."

First-year Kyle Oosterhouse said he is excited to see the television star perform live.

"I love Seth Meyers," Oosterhouse said. "He was my favorite cast member on SNL."

According to Liberatore, they expect tickets to sell quickly during First Year Orientations this June.

Tickets to see Meyers will go on sale starting at 10 a.m. on June 1. All tickets will be $43, plus any applicable fees, and can be purchased on Miami's website or by phone.