Sinbad is coming - no, not the pirate, but the comedian.
"I wasn't aware that he was still performing," said Thomas Wambach (freshman, anthropology). Well, kids, he is! Despite a false death rumor that surfaced about the comedian last spring, Sinbad is alive and kicking and will be here Friday for an OnStage event at the Theater on Fifth. It seems that Sinbad's body of work has slipped from the memory of most IUP students. Sinbad is not the guy from "Hanging With Mr. Cooper" - that was Mark Curry. Nor is he the guy who played the genie in "Kazaam" - that was Shaquille O'Neal. Sinbad did, however, star in a few episodes of "The Cosby Show" and was featured as a regular cast member "Coach Walter Oakes" on its spin-off "A Different World" for three seasons. In 1993, after leaving "A Different World," Sinbad was given his own show on FOX, aptly titled "The Sinbad Show." It only lasted one season, but Sinbad turned to several small movie roles in "Coneheads" and "Good Burger." Later followed Sinbad's better-known family films, starting with "Houseguest" in 1995. In "Houseguest," Sinbad plays a Pittsburgh native on the run from the mob. Sinbad then portrayed a secret service agent who befriended the president's rebellious son in the 1996 film "First Kid." Christina Samuels (sophomore, anthropology) remembers "First Kid" as one of her favorite films when she was younger. "I thought it was funny, but it wasn't really because of Sinbad," she said. Later in 1996, Sinbad starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the holiday film "Jingle All the Way" as a father desperate to get his son the season's must-have action figure. Sinbad's stand-up career began with appearances on "Star Search." In one of his appearances, he beat fellow comedian Dennis Miller.
Sinbad's uproarious routines and stories landed him on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Comedians of All Time. Samuels will be attending Friday's show. "I'm going because my mother wants to go," she said. "I was a fan of Sinbad in my childhood, but not so much anymore." Tickets can be purchased at the HUB box office or online at onstageatiup.com.
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