Mo Rocca takes the stage at Tulsa Community College tonight.
Known for his blend of humor and heart in his storytelling, Rocca reports on a wide array of stories, from 19th century presidents to octogenarians. He started his career as a satirical journalist on "The Daily Show" but eventually became a real one.
Rocca said he found his true comedic voice on "CBS Sunday Morning".
"I found that I could use humor in varying degrees—sometimes a fair amount, sometimes just a little bit, just a moment here or there, in service of telling a story,” he said.
Rocca referenced two field pieces about President Andrew Johnson – one for "The Daily Show" and one for "CBS Sunday Morning", filed 20 years apart. He said the CBS story was “warmer, but still used humor” and “you came away learning more from the 'CBS Sunday Morning' version.”
Rocca has some experience in Oklahoma. His first time in the Sooner State he worked in a comedy called Lend Me a Tenor.
“My second time in Oklahoma was in the mid-90s when I went catfishing there – not like the online catfishing, but like actually fishing for catfish and then eating it,” he said with a laugh. “So, this was before it was a really sleazy thing to do to people online.”
It’s unclear if Rocca will bring his fishing pole to Oklahoma this time, but he will bring stories to tell at VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
