Comedian bills show as Father’s Day gift to fans

By John Benson

A Father’s Day present to his Northeast Ohio fans is how Frank Caliendo is approaching his upcoming show Sunday at the Hilarities 4th Street Theatre in Cleveland.

Though the famous comedian/impressionist, who owns a home in Avon Lake with his Lorain-native wife, normally plays large theaters nationwide, Caliendo said his upcoming one-off show is something special.

“Since we’re coming in to celebrate Father’s Day with family, I figured why not work a little bit,” said Caliendo, calling from Phoenix. “I’m the perfect guy for Father’s Day. And it’s an intimate show. I’ve been doing 2,000 to 3,000-seat theaters for the last two years. I haven’t done anything under 500 people. So it’s an intimate night, and I always like Hilarities. It’ll be a great show. And it’s kind of a two headliners show, too, because Greg Warren is on the bill.”

Over the past few years, Caliendo, who received his television start as a cast member of FOX-TV sketch comedy show “MADtv,” garnered plenty of mainstream attention with his WTBS series “Frank TV.”

The show, which lasted only one season, featured Caliendo showing off his mastery of impressions (President George W. Bush, Jay Leno, Robin Williams, etc.) within the sketch comedy program.

In addition, sports fans, who first noticed the funnyman for his perfect impression of former NFL head coach, NFL Hall of Fame member and now retired television football analyst John Madden, watch him as a regular on the “FOX NFL Sunday” show.

Caliendo is looking forward to returning to the gridiron program this season, where it will be interesting to see how they deal with Madden’s retirement.

“I’ve been doing some jokes about that in my act now,” Caliendo said. “It’s funny when you take things that people actually say and twist the context a little bit. Madden said, (Caliendo switches to his Madden voice) ‘At 73, it’s time to start spending time with my family.’ I mean, at 73, I’m not even eating solid food anymore.

“It’s actually kind of news this year, the first year in 30 years that John Madden is not going to be a part of broadcasting football. So it’ll be interesting. Do they miss him? Don’t they miss him? And if he doesn’t pop up, I think it could get old and become more of a nostalgic impression. But I can’t get off stage without doing it. If I would go on stage and not do John Madden, I would get yelled at, and fans would not be fans anymore.”

Speaking of being on stage, Caliendo said he’ll be bringing out Madden, along with a few other new voices that have been in the news of late.

“I’ve been working on the Barack Obama and a little bit of Charles Barkley stuff,” Caliendo said. “Barkley did get that DUI, and drinking and driving is never funny, but if it’s Charles Barkley, you have to talk about it.”

Considering how the Cleveland Cavaliers ended their season, and the public spat fans had with the TNT basketball commentator, a Barkley impression may be ill-advised.

“But I was right, knuckleheads,” said Caliendo in his spot-on Barkley voice. “That’s what it’s like being Chuck. I’m a smart, smart man with a bad, bad golf swing.”

IF YOU GO

Who: Frank Caliendo

When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Hilarities 4th Street Theatre, Cleveland

Tickets: $30 to $35

Info: Call (216) 736-4242 or visit www.pickwickandfrolic.com