Frank Caliendo does impressions, not impersonations.
The stand-up comedian’s performances include personalities such as Morgan Freeman, Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Robert De Niro; politicians George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump; broadcasters John Madden, Charles Barkley and Jon Gruden; and talk show hosts Dr. Phil, Jay Leno and David Letterman.
Frank Caliendo Live is set for 8 p.m. on Dec. 2 at Carnegie Library Music Hall of Homestead in Munhall.
“What I do is kind of like the difference between taking a picture and drawing a caricature,” said Caliendo. “I try to find something different.”
And that’s exactly what he does, said Randy Baumann, WDVE Morning Show DJ, via email. Caliendo has the ability to transition between character voices while in the middle of an improvisational piece, Baumann said.
“That really gives the audience a peek into just how brilliant he is,” said Baumann. “He’s literally making things up in front of you and feeding lines to each of his characters, specific to the caricature of that voice that he’s created, so that it seems like an actual conversation is going on between all of these different people, but it’s just Frank.”
Baumann said Caliendo is one of the all-time great impressionists. He’s the guy who figures out the angle to unlock celebrity impressions that everybody else copies in the industry.
“He opens the portal for the voices like few can,” Baumann said. “But nobody else’s voices are as funny as Frank’s because his writing is so strong. It’s one thing to have the voices, Frank’s writing sets him apart.”
Caliendo said Baumann is a close friend.
“I love coming to Pittsburgh,” said Caliendo, who lives in Phoenix with wife, Michele, and their two teenage children. “Pittsburgh is great because it’s a blue-collar town. I grew up in the Milwaukee area where it is similar to Pittsburgh with regular people.”
In October, Rich Eisen, host of “The Rich Eisen Show,” tweeted to Caliendo, calling on him to make a video of a double punt play called by Pat Summerall and John Madden.
America needs that double punt play broken down by @FrankCaliendo as Madden and Summerall.
Do it for America, Frank.
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) October 8, 2021
Caliendo responded.
John Madden & Pat Summerall call the Seahawks double punt pic.twitter.com/f6LlDhePVL
— Frank Caliendo (@FrankCaliendo) October 8, 2021
Caliendo’s love of comedy grew as he watched the show “In Living Color” with Jim Carrey and Keenen Ivory Wayans. Caliendo would mimic some of his teachers and coaches and his friends thought he was funny.
His style includes breaking down cadences, the inflections of a person’s voice. He also tries to make the same faces as the person and find a phrase they say and apply that to a broader dialogue and monologue, he said.
For example, when doing an Obama impression, he said it’s about starting out talking real slow, then speeding up at the end.
Caliendo spent 10 years on the “Fox NFL Sunday Pregame” show. He has been on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” and done segments on “Sports Center.” He was a cast member on “Mad TV” and starred in his own series “Frank TV.”
He’s done comedy specials with TBS and Comedy Central. He’s appeared on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “The Late Show with David Letterman.” His podcast is “The Frank Caliendo Cast.”
He said his shows are family friendly.
Brian Drusky, owner of Drusky Entertainment, a Pittsburgh-based concert promoter bringing Caliendo here, said via email that Caliendo is “extremely funny.”
“It you haven’t seen him, I urge you to come check out the show,” Drusky said. “You will not go away disappointed.”
Tickets remain ($39.75-$64.75) and are available here.
