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Ferrell captures audience in 'hilarious' performance

Ron Burgundy.

Tom Izzo.

Little Orphan Annie.

Two out of these three characters may be fictional, but Tuesday night, all three of them graced the stage of Breslin Center for “Will Ferrell’s Funny or Die College Comedy Tour.”

With an all-star line-up including Ferrell, Nick Swardson, Demetri Martin and Zach Galifianakis, it would have required the group to not show up for it to go poorly.

And for a split-second there, that looked like it might have happened.

After a plane delay and ridiculously long sound-check, Ferrell canceled the majority of his media interviews, setting a foul taste with area reporters.

At the show, when Ferrell burst on stage donning a University of Michigan sweatshirt, it seemed as if he had put a bad taste in the mouths of many Spartans.

But as if he was trying to gain back the affection of both reporters and students, Ferrell ripped off the sweatshirt, tearing it straight between the “I” and “G,” revealing a crisp green MSU sweatshirt.

The green and white pride that was throughout the show was intimidating. Adam McKay posed as the show’s clever announcer, making inappropriate (yet hilarious) jokes at most given moments. McKay, also known as the father of Pearl from the online clip “The Landlord,” proudly wore an MSU hat to match Ferrell’s duds.

Swardson made jokes about drunk runs to Taco Bell, Martin participated in witty banter with the audience’s loud females, and Galifianakis encouraged students to vote in the next presidential election.

It was as if the guys couldn’t get the students any more involved when Ferrell brought out the big guns.

Ron Burgundy and Tom Izzo. On the same stage.

Ferrell dressed up as the fictional character from “Anchorman: The Legend of Run Burgundy,” in order to “interview” the MSU head basketball coach. Ferrell drilled Izzo on if he was a “legal dwarf,” and their times in the “National Guard together.”

There were times when a hoarse Izzo had to literally hold his hand over his mouth to keep the laughter from spouting out of his mouth – a nice change from the stern Izzo we often see on the sidelines.

Galifianakis also took the costume approach, only he preferred drag. In the tiny white-collared red dress worn in “Annie,” Galifianakis lip-synched “Tomorrow” with as much chutzpah as the little redhead herself. Things got a little awkward however, when the bearded man decided to flash his pink underwear to the audience.

The show was exactly what you would expect from Ferrell and crew. Outlandish, edgy and hilarious. But it wasn’t just dirty jokes or underwear flashing. It was the fact that Ferrell truly acknowledged his crowd that made him an honorary Spartan.

Published on Wednesday, February 6, 2008