Kevin Hart was about 5-foot-4-inches in stature but his comedic presence stood tall with the crowd of more than 250 at 7th Street Underground Saturday.

The show’s finale may have drawn the night’s loudest laughs as Hart finished by singing a rock song as Purple, his created rock star. He left the stage momentarily and, after he was re-introduced, returned to the crowd emphatically cheering, “Purple! Purple!” Hart then sang a song about accidentally leaving his watch at home and needing to know the time.

“Honestly, I made that whole Purple persona up one night. A band opened for me and I just grabbed a guitar and went with it,” Hart said.

The comedian/actor kept his audience laughing from beginning to end. His broad base of jokes stemmed from local fascination, Wal-Mart and the abundance of cornfields in the area.

“I try to give the audience my life rollercoaster. In the beginning, I tell them a little about my childhood, and then I go on from there,” Hart said after his 75-minute, University Board-sponsored routine.

The 23-year-old has had his fair share of twists and turns since his early years growing up in Philadelphia. Hart spent his years in school honing his sense of humor as a self-proclaimed class clown. After graduating from high school, he worked as a shoe salesman for a year and then, at the age of 19, quit his job to become a full-time comedian. He has been touring and acting ever since.

“Being a comedian has forced me to grow up and mature a lot quicker than I normally would,” he said. “It’s not all about just saying a joke here and there-we’re entertainers, and you have to build your own unique personality. I’m doing pretty good now, but I was pretty bad at one point.”

Hart has made appearances on BET’s “Comic View” and on “Showtime at the Apollo” and will have his own Comedy Central special on Sept. 16.

Aside from his stand-up comedy tour, Hart also is an actor. He has a recurring role on the FOX show “Undeclared” and has recently completed filming of the movie “Paper Soldiers.”

Hart said he enjoyed his experience at 7th Street Underground.

“I loved the set-up. It was a very cozy, intimate atmosphere, and I think the crowd enjoyed themselves,” he said. “I think everyone walked away knowing a little bit about Kevin Hart.”