The stage is set with a small keyboard, a microphone and, most curiously, four chairs and four music stands -— everyone thinks they know what’s coming.

On Feb. 3, musical comedian Bo Burnham performed at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center (GBPAC) to a crowd of howling millennials.

First, I would like to make a statement on what I saw to be good character on Mr. Burnham’s part. Not only did he walk on stage wearing a UNI sweatshirt, but he also unexpectedly used a string quartet from our own music department as an opening act.

I suppose it’s possible that he may be pandering to us (“pandering” ironically being the title of one of his songs), but I doubt it. It seems as though Burnham is a genuinely decent person off-stage.

I bring up those howling millenials for two reasons. One, because I am of the same age, and therefore I can say this. Two, because the millennials are the only group that Burnham appeals to. This is not to say that he is not funny, as he certainly has some comedic chops. However, it does seem like his act is losing its shine.

Burnham began doing comedy in his teenage years. He started by recording himself singing comedic songs that he had composed and posting them on YouTube. Soon after that, he had a hit album and won Comedy Central’s “Stand-up Showdown.” As a comic myself, I know what it’s like to be onstage. Granted, I have not performed to as large of an audience as  Burnham has but the art should remain similar.

Burnham talks a lot in his act about his appreciation for art and being an artist, comedian and a lover of words and poetry. This can clearly be seen in some of his more reserved songs.

However, a large part of his act consisted of complex lights and pre-recorded tracks. As a comic, I felt this was unneeded and a bit too much.

What made Burnham well-liked in the first place was his clever lyrics and his rather abrupt meta-humor, but most of that has seemed to go out the window with his new-found fame.

There were several songs in the show that I felt relied too heavily on the special effects, to the point where I could hardly hear the lyrics, which are probably the best part of Burnham’s act. I wonder why Burnham feels he has to employ this kind of showmanship (or lack thereof).

The other large problem I had with the show is Burnham’s expiration date. To be a comic, one has to be ever evolving to adapt to wider audiences. Not pandering, but broadening their impact beyond what was their bread and butter. Burnham seems to be doing everything the same as he did six years ago (minus the effects).

I fondly remember listening to him and watching him on Comedy Central a few years ago, and I was surprised to see that his content hasn’t really changed. Maybe it’s just me, maybe I’ve just grown out of Burnham. But what will happen to him when the rest of his fan base also outgrows him?

Despite all that, I did enjoy some parts of the show.

One thing that Burnham seems to have changed is his improvisation skills. He often took breaks in his act to talk to the crowd, and his timing and clever quips were really funny.

One example was when he mentioned that he had recently gone through a break-up and an audience member shouted a “Whoo!” to which Burnham replied: “I wish a manageable amount of pain on you. Not anything too bad. I just hope that you have no living grandparents.”

This shows that Burnham does have good comedic timing outside of his very well written and well thought-out songs. I believe that his act would be exponentially better if he focused a little more on the crowd work and less on the lighting.

All in all, I was impressed by some parts of Burnham’s show; annoyed and puzzled by others. It is my belief as a comic that one has to adapt to the times and that does not mean adding lights.

Burnham could use a lesson in minnimalism. If a bit can’t be done with a stool, a microphone and maybe an instrument, it’s not worth doing. There is no denying that Bo Burnham is a funny and an honestly kind guy, but the evolution of his act remains to be seen.