A&O Productions is giving students a reason to smile this winter.

Comedian and actress Janeane Garofalo will bring her sarcastic shtick to Northwestern on Jan. 16, A&O announced Monday.

The show will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets will sell for $5 each and will be available at the Norris Box Office on Thursday. The show will be held at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, which seats 1,000 people, and tickets are expected to go quickly.

“She’s always been at the top of our list,” said Jonathan Berman, A&O president and a Weinberg senior. “We started talking to her in the summertime.”

Garofalo is bringing a special guest as her opening act, according to Natasha Little, A&O’s director of speakers and special events.

“We won’t know who it is until about a week before,” Little said.

A&O will host a free showing of “Wet Hot American Summer,” one of Garofalo’s movies, at the Gathering Place at 8 p.m. Jan. 15.

Garofalo has appeared in the films “Reality Bites” and “The Truth About Cats and Dogs.” Most recently, she was in HBO’s “The Laramie Project” and “Big Trouble.”

After sparse programming during the 2001-02 academic year — and a resulting cut in funding — A&O already has hosted music acts Jurassic 5 and Ben Folds this year.

“I think A&O is doing a way better job this year, just from all the stuff they’ve done already,” said Julie Miller, a Medill sophomore.

Berman said A&O’s budget this quarter is not a hindrance.

“We’ve been very efficient with our money this year,” Berman said. “Our early success allowed us to be a bit more flexible. We wanted to have a great comedian. We went all-out.”

A&O’s goal in choosing entertainment is to bring a variety of events to campus, Berman said.

“We want great quality,” he said. “I think we feel bad when we limit ourselves and by chance ignore a sector of the campus. We’ve had a couple great shows.

“We’re going to experiment with different types of shows and activities and broaden our horizons.”

Student reactions to Garofalo’s upcoming appearance varied.

“I think she’s funny, but she appeals to a specific niche of Northwestern,” said Matt Skaruppa, McCormick junior. “I’m not particularly excited, but I’m sure some people are.”

Weinberg sophomore Lawrence Coley was more positive. “Out of all the comedians, I’m really looking forward to this one,” he said.

Berman, for one, is excited about the show.

“She’s a great fit for our campus,” he said. “We think a lot of people will enjoy her.”