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Q&A Interview with Comedian Frank Caliendo

Frank Caliendo is best known for his comedy and impersonations, but behind all of the voices that led to fame on Mad TV, TBS and the Fox NFL pregame show, there's Caliendo himself. His 10-year contract to perform at the Monte Carlo begins Oct. 12, and VisitLasVegas.com talked to Caliendo about his career and his upcoming production. At least, we're pretty sure it was him. Sounded like him, anyway. ...

VisitLasVegas.com: The ink is still drying on your deal with the Monte Carlo, so let's look at it. By comparison, George W. Bush was only president for eight years. Even John Madden's tenure as coach of the Oakland Raiders was only 10 years, the same length as your contract. Why did you lock up such a long-term engagement?

Frank Caliendo: It seems like time just flies, and I like being in the business, so it made sense. I'm very happy with what I am doing standup-wise, and this is a bigger show. You can get tired of traveling so much, so this looks pretty good to me. It's a chance to be around and feel grounded ... The people at Monte Carlo are great. The MGM Mirage people have been great working with us and making us comfortable.

VLV.com: How fun will it be for you to perform on stage in Vegas four nights a week? What separates Las Vegas audiences from the shows you do in other parts of the country?

FC: In Las Vegas you see people all from different backgrounds and regions. They'll laugh at different parts of the show in different way, because certain impressions and bits only work a certain way. John Madden works for the guys; Dr. Phil and Sean Connery appeal to women. Robin Williams works for everybody. So I'll be mixing it up. You have to make sure you hit all of the audience and in Vegas, you'll have people from everywhere. But really, what matters most is that the jokes have to be funny. The jokes are what makes me different. They aren't punch-line jokes. They're fun, conceptual and ironic and that's what makes them work.

VLV.com: Tell us a little about what will make your show here unique for Las Vegas audiences? We've heard you will have a live band. Tell us more about that and will you be doing more entertainer impressions?

FC: There are certain things that are much more common in Vegas and topical because they're in Vegas. But stuff will come from observations that I make, like the experience in being in the airport here, or at the buffets. I'll work some of that in there. This show is going to be a bigger show. We've got Jon Celentano and his band, and I'll be playing off the band and him. The band will be like a sidekick; part of the show. We'll have some video, and some production elements -- lots of video jokes. The way the band thing came together was great. Jon is a local guy and I was doing a corporate show here in March and his band was also there and we got along really well. He emailed me after show and a couple of months later, when I was looking at this deal, I thought, "hey, that's the perfect guy."

VLV.com: How well do you know Las Vegas? Now that you are going to be calling this your home base for a decade - do you have any favorite restaurants, shops, nightclubs? What do you do in your spare time?

FC: "I'm not a big nightclub guy. This may sound ridiculous, but I love Diablo's Cantina, man, outside Monte Carlo. The white corn tamale there is something I always get and could eat every day. ... I haven't spent that much time in Vegas, but I am really looking forward to getting engrained here.

VLV.com: What do you think of other entertainment lineup in Las Vegas? Excited to be part of the city with this much going on all the time?

FC: I met Terry Fator a few months ago. He's a super guy. My mom has always been a big Barry Manilow fan, so maybe now I can figure out a way to get her some tickets. He writes the songs that the whole world sings, you know. ... I think being a part of the Vegas lineup is pretty cool, and obviously I wouldn't do it unless I thought it was good decision. Plus, my wife wants to work the front desk at Monte Carlo. Seriously. I told some network people that, and they all said it sounds like a sitcom.

VLV.com: You're obviously a sports fan. What makes Vegas a great place to watch sports?

FC: Well, I've got little kids now so for a while, I haven't been able to watch as much as I would have liked to, but I'm excited about seeing events here in Vegas. I think it's evolving as a sports town because of the same thing that makes Vegas great for everyone - I think athletes, and people around them, love stuff that's over-the-top and amazing and love being well-treated and Vegas has such incredible venues and entertainment. There's everything here. It's a great place, where the posh people and the general public can all experience it. It's not like a shut off area for the Beverly Hills elite. Everybody can be a part of what's going on in Vegas, and that's kind of cool."

Catch Frank Caliendo's new show, beginning Oct. 12 at the Monte Carlo!