When the early history of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is written, Mo Rocca’s name will appear alongside that of Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert. Rocca was one of the correspondents who helped launch the political comedy show’s satiric style. But before he went national, Rocca got his start in Dallas as a writer on the locally produced children’s series Wishbone in the mid-’90s. Now he’s back to help raise money for the social service organization Jewish Family Service in a benefit concert at the Eisemann Center on Wednesday night.

Rocca, 40, is a versatile performer. He appeared on the legitimate Broadway stage in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, he’s a regular on the National Public Radio series Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me, and for years he had a blog on AOL called Mo Rocca 180: Only Half as Tedious as the Regular News, where a lot of his work is archived.

We had a few words with Rocca in anticipation of his return.

Are you an actor, comedian, fake newsman or blogger? I’m anything you want me to be, on camera and off. I’m also a gymnast.

What makes you get up in the morning? My Blackberry. If it’s not being touched, it feels unwanted.

Why are you coming to Dallas? How much are they paying you? How much is 2,000 kreplach in USD?

What is Jon Stewart really like? Exactly like Mo Rocca.

What is Mo Rocca really like? Exactly like Chuck Norris.