Popular talk show host and stand-up comedian Jon Stewart delivered a 100-minute whip-smart, hilarious performance before 1,400 people Friday night at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.

Stewart stood center stage most of the night in subdued lighting occasionally wandering about and there were no topics that were off limits.

From the Internet to politicians to gay rights to the City of Wilkes-Barre,Stewart had a crack for them all. Especially for Wilkes-Barre.

"What do you call that thing I walked across today? A Square?" Stewart asked referring to the city's Public Square.. "It looks more like a cube to me. I thought to myself Wilkes-Barre, the only place where it's Christmas all year around," the comic said referring to the lighting scheme on Public Square.

"I expected to see George Bailey running through the middle yelling," the comedian said obviously referring to the movie "It's a Wonderful Life."

"I heard that you come to Wilkes-Barre to stop the aging process," Stewart snapped. "Wilkes-Barre is the only place where nothing really occurs."

Attired in a hip length leather coat Stewart sipped from water bottles on the stage most of the night as he wondered from prepared topics to feeding off of audience comments or answers to his questions. Stewart seems at his best skewering pretentious celebrities or poking fun at high profile politicos. Stewart's glib manner and keen wit have attracted viewers for the cable channel "Comedy Central" in droves.

Stewart's self-deprecating humor appears to have no boundaries. The New York native has an incredibly quick reaction to audience comments and can weave comedic tapestries from the simplest thought.

Among his favorite targets Friday evening were actress Bea Arthur, the Boy Scouts and Enron.

"How are they going to ever get the bottom of the Enron thing and really investigate them?" Stewart asked. "Heck, I even took money from Enron!" Stewart quipped.

Stewart even had parental advice. "Do you know how you can tell if you're bad parents? If you refer to the Geneva Convention when you're explaining something that your child has done," Stewart said referring to the parents of American al-Qaeda fighter John Walker Lindh.

Jon Stewart is a very intelligent, humorous television personality and comedian. He proved Friday night that he could deliver spontaneous, ad-lib comedic routines as well as those he so aptly does with scripted ones.

George Carlin, I think your heir is in the house.