The milkman visits campus

BY CHRISTINE LALLY
HORNET STAFF WRITER
Published October 14, 1998

Jack Gallagher, comedian and spokesman for Crystal dairy products, is coming to CSUS.

"That's all I hear: 'You're the Crystal guy!'" he said. "And no, I don't get free ice cream like everyone assumes. They offered me money or all the free dairy products I desired, and I took the money."

Without hesitation, Gallagher confidently said he has always been a funny person with the ability to make people laugh.

"In my act, I present my view of what's going on in politics, flying on airplanes, family problems, etc., based on observations and relationships in my own life," he said.

This experienced and popular entertainer will make a special appearance here on Friday at 8 p.m. in the Univeristy Union Ballroom.

He will headline a special comedy concert celebrating the expansion and dedication of the CSUS University Union.

Originally from West Bridge Water, a small town outside of Boston, he graduated from the University of Providence in Rhode Island.

Before the entertainment business cast its spell on him, he was pursuing a teaching credential at the University of Massachusetts with hopes of teaching elementary school.

It was there that Gallagher got his start in comedy.

"I did one comedy night at U. Mass. and did really well, and then just kept going back," he said. "Then I started performing in clubs in Boston in the early 1980s. It was a good time to start because there were so many comedy clubs. There was a virtual comedy explosion at that time."

He eventually landed his own ABC sitcom, "Bringing Up Jack," and earned a regular appearances on "The Tonight Show."

He has shared the stage with showbiz icons such as Tony Bennett and Dolly Parton, performed in movies such as "Heartbreak Ridge" and "Shakes the Clown," and hosted the California Lottery's television show, "The Big Spin."

Gallagher said being on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson was one of his biggest moments.

It became the pinnacle of his career when he heard, through the grapevine, that Carson was telling the jokes from his act around the office.

"It was like having sex!" Gallagher said. "It was the most amazing feeling to know that Johnny Carson liked my act enough to remember and recite my jokes. It was truly amazing!"

The toughest aspect of comedy is having to constantly write to keep his acts fresh and funny to a new group of strangers, every night, according to Gallagher.

"When people go to a comedy club, they put up a kind of subconscious barrier, like 'You're not going to make me laugh,' which I must overcome," he said.

Gallagher views entertainment like a double-edged sword.

"It's the greatest because I make a lot of money and I don't have to work a lot," he said. "However, I constantly have to reinvent myself to make a living, and there is absolutely no security that I will have work. The rejection is so often and so brutal in this business."

Gallagher said he looks forward to performing at CSUS but offers a word of caution.

"I've always had a good time with college audiences, but not everyone can handle their alcohol," he said. "There is always going to be that one person who thinks he is funnier than you and is determined to prove it. So, that leaves me no choice. I have to embarrass him in front of his friends. It's a rule!"

Sacramento-based Del Van Dyke, and the Bay Area's Jose Simon will join Gallagher.

The program is presented by UNIQUE Programs and admission to the show will be free.