Going MAD: Part 2

I got some other stories to tell, but since I already started this blog I owe it to my fans to finish it.

As I left off, I was telling you about how I was waiting outside after a show with a bunch of freaks. Again, it was not my idea to wait outside. One of my improv classmates, Eric, wanted his picture of Mo Collins signed. As we are waiting outside, out walks two of the Mad TV writers we saw peform. I figured I would say something to them. You know the usual kiss-ass stuff. "Hey, I thought you guys did a great job tonight." You know something like that.

So I start talking with the two writers. Telling them how I do the Second City stuff. I asked them how they got started, one of the writers was telling me how he use to write for SNL. I even made a few jokes, trying to ease the situation. As I'm talking to them, out comes Michael McDonald from "MAD TV." After he got by the scary freaks, he eventually made his way to myself and the two writers. So right then, I told Michael that I am a big fan of his work and shook his hand. There was nothing else to do, but to get a picture with him. I don't mean to be a hypocrite, but I felt this situation was definitely worth a picture.

Michael begins to talk with the two writers. They are discussing where they should go to hang out. Because I am a nosey bastard, I start to eavesdrop on the conversation. I overhear them say that they are going to this bar down the street. I turn to Steve and say, "Dude, we gotta go there." So a few more of the MAD TV castmembers walk out, including Mo Collins. Eric the sketch comedy stalker gets his picture of Mo Collins signed. The hypocritical side of me kicks in again and I also ended up getting a picture with Mo Collins. On a side note, she looked pretty hot in real life.

Now it was time to make our way to the bar. We weren't sure where the bar was, we just knew it was close by. Amazingly enough, we made a right turn and found the bar. We walk into the bar and down to the right I see a table full of the MAD TV people. I still could not believe here they were hanging out, right in the open with the public. No VIP section, or anything like that. I turn to look at Steve and Eric. Kind of like a look of "Can you believe this?" As I look at Eric, he is wearing a Cubs hat that is way too big for his head, this big winter coat, holding his autographed picture of Mo Collins, and a program from the show. He looked like a friggin eight-year-old kid bringing his mit to a baseball game. I turn to Eric and I'm like, "Listen, if you want to hang out here, you got to put away that picture and throw away that friggin program." Eric then says, "Well, I don't want the autograph to get smeared." I thinking in my head right now, "Are you freakin serious? " I never thought I was a cool guy or anything, but this kid is making me look like Dylan McKay from "90210." I finally convince him to put the the picture in his pocket and throw the program in the trash.

The three of us walk up to the bar and order a few beers. We begin to stare at the table of all the MAD TV people. I begin to brainstorm how the hell I get over there and start to talk with them. Eric starts dancing like a little school girl, with a huge smile about how he cannot believe Mo Collins is just a few feet away from him. I told him to go talk to her, but he did not have the guts to do it. 15-20 mintues go by and the three of us are still standing at the bar. Every other few seconds, I am glancing at the table. Trying to figure out, how I can start a conversation with these people. Finally, I just got the nerve and I said "Fuck it!" I walk over to the table towards Michael McDonald and the fat guy from MAD TV. I say to them, "I'm a big fan of both of yours, and I want to buy you guys a drink. So I can say I bought Michael McDonald and (I forget the fat guy's name?) a drink." They told me to save my money because they were getting free drinks anyways. Not a big deal since I finally found my "in" to strike up a converation.

I start out the conversation by telling them how I thought they did a great job in the show tonight. (I know I'm a kiss ass.) They asked me what I do for a living, so I filled them in on that. I then told them that I take classes at Second City, they thought that was neat. Michael and the fat guy were both extremely hung over from staying out late last night. So the conversation is going decently, I'm a little nervous of course. I decide to ask Michael about the new Martin Short movie, since I thought I read somewhere that he was in it. He then replies, "Ummmm, I'm not in that movie." I was like, "Are you sure? I could of sworn I saw your name in the cast." He then says, "I think I would know if I was in it." Right here I feel like a total jackass. Now the conversation is turning into an awkward direction. So I decide to shake hands with them and leave them alone.

I walk back to Steve and Eric and they are in shock. They could not believe that I just walked over to them and started talking. I filled them on the conversation and my idiotic statement. I felt my night was fulfilled and still could not believe what had just happened. About 45 minutes later, I was back from the bathroom to the bar and spot Michael. He sees me, and I give him a head nod. I then walk over to him and start talking with him again. We ended up chatting for a while. Here are some of the main points from the conversation.

-His contract is up after this season with MAD TV. And it sounded like he was willing to come back to the show.
-He started out at the Groundlings. Which is like the Second City in LA. He even taught there and Jimmy Fallon was one of his students.
-I told them that I wrote a screenplay about a year ago and that he was an inspiration to one of the main characters. He was not really impressed by that. And says to me "I feel like you want something from me." I told him, "No not all, I just I would tell you since I'm actually talking with you."
-He tried out for SNL about 6 years ago and got rejected. Chris Parnell got it over him. I told him that was complete bullshit and he is 10 times more talented than him.
-I told him that his style and talent level is extremely comparable with Will Ferrell. He then says, "Maybe the world does not need two Will Ferrells." (Not the response I was looking for. )
-I then start to yack and tell him that there should be no reason why he is not a big star right now. I should be seeing him starring in comedies in the same class with Will Ferrell, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Adam Sandler. I then tell him that I should talk to his agent and knock some sense into him about how to handle your career. I was not bullshitting him, I really felt what I was saying. (At the same time though, it was not my place to talk about his career.)

So those were some of the main points that were covered in the conversation. Steve and Eric did eventually walk over, but of course they said absolutely nothing. I think Steve said to Michael about ten times "I think you did a great job tonight." At one point towards the end of the night I was sitting at a table with Michael McDonald and two of the MAD TV writers shooting the shit. At this point, I'm thinking how the hell did I end up in this situation? Friggin awesome!

I'm out!

Going MAD: Part 1

So last weekend they had the Chicago Improv Festival. One of the shows had cast members from "Mad TV" performing Improv. Because I have watched some of these people on TV for years and figured I could a learn a thing or two, I decided to go to the show.

Going into the show, there were two people I was excited about seeing. One was Michael McDonald. (He's well known for his little boy, Stuart character) I like to refer to him as the "Will Ferrell" of Mad TV. I think he is extremely talented and I could easily see him as huge star in the film industry. The problem is that he is on "Mad TV" not "SNL." If he was getting the same exposure on "SNL," his career would be much different. Another person I was looking forward to seeing was Mo Collins. I'm not going to lie, I don't find manyy girls funny. But I think she is an exception.

Overall the show was really funny. The first part of it, had the "MAD TV" writers perfroming sketches that did not air. And the second half was the cast members performing improv. During the intermission my buddy Steve and I got up to get a beverage. On our way out we see one of our fellow improv classmates Eric. Eric is a quiet, peculiar character. He's the type of guy that likes to keep to himself. One thing though about him is that he is an SNL/MAD TV Almanac. He knows everything about every cast member, how they got started, what's their dog's name, favorite food etc. . . Lets just say you won't be seeing this guy dancing with six chicks around him at "The Apartment" anytime soon. Then again, you won't be seeing me either.

So after the intermission Eric came to sit with us. I look over at him and he's holding this picture of him and Mo Collins. So I asked him how he got the pic? Eric said he went to this show last year and waited by the back door for the cast members to come out . And was then able to get a picture. He said he was going to try again after the show, so he could get Mo Collins to sign the picture. I thought to myself, "Great, I'm sitting next to a stalker."

The show ends, so Steve and I decide to go with Eric to wait at the back door. Honestly, I wasn't planning on getting any pictures. I just wanted to meet Michael McDonald and tell him how much I appreciate his work. As we wait by this back door, I look around and feel like I am at a Star Trek convention. You could tell that the people waiting, were the people in the High School yearbook listed under the category of "Not Pictured." Because I felt kind of weird waiting around with a bunch of freaks, I was almost ready to walk away. But for whatever reason, I decided to stick around.

To Be Continued . . .

I'm Out!