Last Call Cleveland
Encyclopedia
Last Call Cleveland is a sketch comedy
troupe. The members originally met when they were students at Kent State University
, where they produced a late-night cable show that aired on the student-run campus network TV2. The show moved to Cleveland in 2001 to local broadcast cable station THE CAT
(WAX 35 Cleveland and WAOH 29 Akron). The group started doing live sketch comedy at the shortly lived Second City
Cleveland, where they remain a sketch group today. Although most of their performances have been in northeastern Ohio (primarily at Cabaret Dada
, the Second City Cleveland theater and the House of Blues) they have also performed in Chicago
at the Chicago Sketchfest, Washington, D.C.
and in Los Angeles
at the ImprovOlympic theater.
On September 6, 2006, their video about the cult web/Cleveland personality Marc the Norton Furniture Guy was featured on the Opie and Anthony website, as well as other videos.
The book Look At My Striped Shirt, edited by Mike Polk
, features articles by some of Last Call's current and former members, as well as the "Look At My Striped Shirt" article which originally appeared on thephatphree.com, as written by Mike Polk
.
On September 22, 2006, the sketch group had a not so flattering appearance on the Opie and Anthony
radio show, where they were told to "die" after they performed a song.
In the October 2006 issue of Cleveland Magazine
, they were named the city's "Best Comedy Group" ironically, the city's "only" comedy group.
Mike Polk
and Jef Etters are responsible for the mock motivational rock group Falconheart, which has appeared at The House of Blues.
The group has over 30 videos of live and taped performances on youtube.
In November 2008, Last Call Cleveland appeared at the 4th Annual Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, the largest independent comedy festival in Canada. The festival was founded by Julianne and Paul Snepsts of the comedy troupe Boiled Weiners and takes place over 6 days and three venues (including The Second City) in Toronto, Canada. In 2009, their second appearance at the festival, the troupe won the "Second City Best of the Fest Award."
The majority of the troupe's current and former members are also a part of Run-Away-Box Productions - and can be seen in the on-line series "Man in the Box" and "Greg's Office Tormentors."
In July 2011, LCC posted a video on YouTube showing the similarities between a sketch on Conan and a sketch the group performed in 2008. Fans have also posted videos which show similarities between LCC sketches and material from MadTV
and Saturday Night Live
.
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
troupe. The members originally met when they were students at Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
, where they produced a late-night cable show that aired on the student-run campus network TV2. The show moved to Cleveland in 2001 to local broadcast cable station THE CAT
WAOH-LP
WAOH-LP channel 29 in Akron, Ohio and W35AX channel 35, also known as WAX, in Cleveland, Ohio are low power Class A television stations serving the Akron/Cleveland market...
(WAX 35 Cleveland and WAOH 29 Akron). The group started doing live sketch comedy at the shortly lived Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
Cleveland, where they remain a sketch group today. Although most of their performances have been in northeastern Ohio (primarily at Cabaret Dada
Cabaret Dada
Something Dada Improvisational Comedy Co., was formed in October of 1994 in Cleveland, Ohio. The original eight cast members were all Cleveland based actors and comedians.-Background:After performing most of the renovations themselves, the group opened Cabaret Dada, an improvisational...
, the Second City Cleveland theater and the House of Blues) they have also performed in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
at the Chicago Sketchfest, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at the ImprovOlympic theater.
Background
In 2005, the Cleveland Free Times named them "Cleveland's Best Performing Arts Group of 2005".On September 6, 2006, their video about the cult web/Cleveland personality Marc the Norton Furniture Guy was featured on the Opie and Anthony website, as well as other videos.
The book Look At My Striped Shirt, edited by Mike Polk
Mike Polk
Michael G Polk Jr is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his sketch comedy.-Early life and education:...
, features articles by some of Last Call's current and former members, as well as the "Look At My Striped Shirt" article which originally appeared on thephatphree.com, as written by Mike Polk
Mike Polk
Michael G Polk Jr is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his sketch comedy.-Early life and education:...
.
On September 22, 2006, the sketch group had a not so flattering appearance on the Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...
radio show, where they were told to "die" after they performed a song.
In the October 2006 issue of Cleveland Magazine
Cleveland Magazine
Cleveland Magazine is the largest monthly magazine focused on Northeastern Ohio, with a circulation of 45,000. It was founded in 1972. The inaugural April 1972 issue featured a young Dennis Kucinich, a frequent profile subject of the magazine...
, they were named the city's "Best Comedy Group" ironically, the city's "only" comedy group.
Mike Polk
Mike Polk
Michael G Polk Jr is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his sketch comedy.-Early life and education:...
and Jef Etters are responsible for the mock motivational rock group Falconheart, which has appeared at The House of Blues.
The group has over 30 videos of live and taped performances on youtube.
In November 2008, Last Call Cleveland appeared at the 4th Annual Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, the largest independent comedy festival in Canada. The festival was founded by Julianne and Paul Snepsts of the comedy troupe Boiled Weiners and takes place over 6 days and three venues (including The Second City) in Toronto, Canada. In 2009, their second appearance at the festival, the troupe won the "Second City Best of the Fest Award."
The majority of the troupe's current and former members are also a part of Run-Away-Box Productions - and can be seen in the on-line series "Man in the Box" and "Greg's Office Tormentors."
In July 2011, LCC posted a video on YouTube showing the similarities between a sketch on Conan and a sketch the group performed in 2008. Fans have also posted videos which show similarities between LCC sketches and material from MadTV
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
and Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
Television show
- (1998) The Twilight Show (TV-2)
- (1999) Last Call (TV-2)
- (2001) Last Call (CAT 29 & 35)
- (2002) Last Call (Adelphia Cable, COX 45, Cable 9)