Bryce Olden | Reporter
Oct. 4, 2016; 7 a.m.

An “America’s Got Talent” judge will be displaying his comedic talents Oct. 16 in the Lindenwood Theater at J. Scheidegger Center.

Students might recognize comedian and best-selling author Howie Mandel from either his current stint on the hit NBC reality competition show or from his days as the host of the once-popular NBC game show “Deal or No Deal.”

Older fans also might recognize Mandel from his days on the hit 1980s medical drama “St. Elsewhere” and for being the voice of Gizmo from the 1984 horror film “Gremlins.”

The driving forces behind bringing Mandel here are Joseph Alsobrook, dean of the school of Arts, Media and Communication and Peter Colombatto, director of marketing and communications for AMC.

“We were looking for a comedian that would provide a good family show,” Alsobrook said.

Mandel, a family man with a wife and three children, seems to fit the bill. He is known for dabbling in children’s entertainment and was the creator of the 1990s hit FOX Kids cartoon “Bobby’s World.”

The process to bring Mandel here started well over a year ago. Colombatto said that students seem to enjoy having comedians on campus, and in the past, Lindenwood has hosted David Koechner, Jay Leno and Sinbad.

Mandel was born in Toronto, Canada in 1955 and first stepped into the limelight in the 1980s. He has since done quite well in the U.S., as according to ABC News, he has a beautiful house in California as well as a penthouse suite at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where he performs 40 nights a year.

According to the LU Box Office, only 523 tickets are left for the show.

Students can purchase their tickets either at the box office located on the main floor of the J. Scheidegger Center or online through LU’s own site.

For more information contact the box office at (636) 949-4433 or email them at [email protected].