With the help of their idol, the members of Mee-Ow are northern bound next weekend.
After one of the sketch and improv comedy group’s sold out “Mee-Ow is Dating a Monster” shows last month, Mee-Ow was invited to perform at the upcoming Traverse City Comedy Arts Festival — by comedian and festival co-founder Jeff Garlin himself. Garlin hosts the festival along with filmmaker Michael Moore.
“We were back in the dressing room and our producer came in and he’s like, ‘Oh, by the way, Jeff Garlin is here,’” said Communication junior Nick Gertonson. “Our jaws dropped. We had not expected him to show up.”
Garlin, best known for his starring role on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm — stuck around in Shanley Pavillion for almost an hour to talk with Mee-Ow about how he loved the show before extending an invite. Later, Mee-Ow found out he’s paying for the group’s hotel and transportation.
“He’s really cool because he’s a Chicago guy,” said Communication senior and Mee-Ow co-director Aaron Eisenberg. “Even though he’s in L.A., he started out in Second City, he knows the area. He was very complimentary of Northwestern.”
Full disclosure here — Eisenberg and Gertonson also star in the webshowGertonberg on North by Northwestern.
Mee-Ow is slated to open for Garlin’s own slot at the festival, “Jeff Garlin’s Hootenanny with Aubrey Plaza and Brett Gelman.” Plaza currently stars as April on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, while Gelman starred in The Other Guys and has made appearances on HBO’s Funny or Die Presents. Other performers at the festival include Bob Saget, Patton Oswalt and Caroline Rhea. Gertonson said Mee-Ow’s act will be similar to the group’s campus shows: a few comedy sketches and a couple of improv games to make sure to feature all nine Mee-Ow members.
“You want to deliver the same kind of caliber show regardless of who’s in the audience,” said Eisenberg. “But of course we’re all huge fans of [Garlin]. How can you not be really excited? That’s the last person I’d expect to see in Shanley — he’s a TV star.”