I spent Thanksgiving weekend at my nephew’s farm outside of Ottawa, watching him tie the knot. He loves Ottawa and has spent the last 30 years there, managing a comedy club in that city. His farm was populated that day by a variety of horses, chickens, ducks and, of course, local comics from the city.
I started to reminisce about the city and its strong contribution to Canadian comedy. Is there something in the water? There’s probably no city in the country that has contributed so many comics for a city of its size.
Ottawa has always been the butt of the joke about which Canadian city is the most boring, most sober, most dour. Bureaucrats can be grim, I’ll admit, but not everyone works for the government, and their kids sure don’t. Many of them become comics.
Long ago, Ottawa native Rich Little was the most famous impressionist in the world. Later, local boy Dan Aykroyd became the most valuable player on Saturday Night Live. Moving into the ’80s, Norm Macdonald became the comic every comic aspired to be. You could find Jeremy Hotz working up the act that would make him a mainstay of festivals and theatres. The outrageous Tom Green (and this is Ottawa, remember) started his wild TV career here. And Jessica Holmes and Craig Lauzon, of Air Farce fame, spent most of their formative years in the city.
None of them were at my nephew’s wedding, but the best stand-up to come out of that city was — Mike MacDonald.
It was great to see Mike there. I was thrilled to hear the news that he’s back doing sets around Ottawa. He has been a great powerhouse of comedy in this country, but lately he has been very sick. He needs a new liver, thanks to his bout with hepatitis C, and he needs it fast.
MacDonald, who told me he was sure people thought of him as a has-been, was surprised to find the support offered by comics and former fans alike. Benefits were held, websites set up and money was raised to help with his expenses because he’s too weak to travel or work. His voice is tentative and tremulous. But the eyes still twinkle mischievously; there’s no doubt there’s a comedian in there.
I remember when he was so funny he scared people. He could do four hours of brilliant stand-up in one session and then do a different four the very next night. He was famous for his weekly LSD trips for comics where he acted as ringmaster and guide in the small hours of the night. He would personally and painstakingly create mixed tapes that provided the soundtrack of the interior journey he masterminded. Arrogant? Yes. But also inspiring.
After quitting the drugs that were destroying him (and his liver), he became born-again and moved to Los Angeles. He still did all right. He had a number of TV specials and the lead in a CBC sitcom called Mosquito Lake. Unfortunately, it was not a hit.
Unperturbed, MacDonald continued to perform his stand-up act all over the continent, setting a record for the most Just For Laughs appearances. You couldn’t imagine him not working.
According to reports, he’s testing the waters with his new persona. By all accounts, he’s nailing his fresh, mature material. I couldn’t be happier for him.
Post City Magazines’ humour columnist, Mark Breslin, is the founder of Yuk Yuk’s comedy clubs and the author of several books, including Control Freaked.