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‘Late Night’ comic makes it to Valley
By John Benson
Over the past two decades, David Letterman has had a number of favorite comedians repeatedly grace his late-night television stage.
One such comic is Jake Johannsen, who less than two weeks ago appeared for the 45th time on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
The current scuttlebutt regarding the late-night host surrounds his retirement. Johannsen is hopeful he’ll get one more shot at the legendary show.
“They said they thought I would be definitely on again before the end of the show,’” said Johannsen calling from Los Angeles. “On the other hand, they said they don’t know the exact date the show [will go off the air]. They said there is a remote possibility that Dave will announce his last show by saying, ‘Tonight, you’re at the last show.’”
It’s safe to say that Letterman’s fascination with Johannsen stems from the comic’s bizarre take on life and his uniquely intelligent style.
As for Johannsen, any chance he’ll be a part of Letterman’s retirement plans? You know, stopping by his house every now and then and highlighting his best five minutes?
“Yeah, that would be great,” Johannsen said, laughing. “I don’t think I’m going to be a part of his retirement. Our income levels over the course of our careers have been divergent. So I can’t afford to go to all of the places he goes.”
Since the early ’80s, Johannsen has been all over the place, crisscrossing the states with an incessant touring schedule. Also, he’s had numerous television appearances, as well as his own comedy specials.
In fact, his upcoming special was recorded in Cleveland at Hilarities 4th Street Theatre late last year. Johannsen said he expects that project to be released online soon, but for those fans wanting to hear some of the material now, they can check out his Mahoning Valley debut this weekend at the Funny Farm’s room at Crest Lanes in Warren.
Perhaps the most obvious question is why it took him so long to get to our neck of the woods.
“Well, you have to wait for the person who lives there and owns the club to love you,” Johannsen said. “It’s taken a while. There are some tough nuts to crack. If you put 30 years into show business, they finally go like, ‘Oh, maybe we should have Jake here.’”
Johannsen added that even though he’s been a road comic since the ’80s, there’s a sense of excitement every time he gets to perform in a new venue.