Jeff Cesario
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Jeff Cesario (born March 30, 1953) is a popular American comedian and writer, who has written for Dennis Miller Live and The Larry Sanders Show. He has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, and others. He attributes his sense of humor to his parents, Bill Cosby records, and childhood insecurities. He was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
His official website lists tour dates, writing credits and jokes. He also has a sports satire website, Sportalicious!, that publishes weekly on Tuesdays.
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[edit] Pre-comedian life
Jeff was born into an Italian family in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is the youngest of three sons. He was a talented drummer in high school and won a scholarship to Northwestern University, but decided to go to the University of Wisconsin-Madison instead because of his interest in jazz. He composed for jazz big bands and marching bands at this time. After he got a degree in communications, Cesario worked as a musician, a feature writer and a sports writer. Jeff started showing interest in comedy because, to him, it seemed like the perfect conversion of music and writing—performing and improvisation combined with the discipline and structure of writing. He kept a folder full of jokes quoted from other comedians that he thought would be funnier if he said them in his particular style.
[edit] Early career
Cesario's first try at stand-up was in a Hollywood club during a vacation in 1977. "I think I got about two laughs in five minutes," says Cesario. "But the idea was that I lived through it." After that he returned to Wisconsin, where he successfully worked as a musician and a freelancer. Cesario moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1980 to give comedy a try again. He became successful very quickly, being part of the four-man Minneapolis Comedy All Stars in one year. Then, over the next year and a half, gained a clear advantage over many other comedians by performing four nights a week in the same club with the group and getting a lot of stage time to perform. In 1983 as he gained even more popularity, he moved to Los Angeles. After four more years of stand-up, he appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He even earned Carson's coveted seal of approval. He appeared regularly on the show since that performance.
[edit] Current career
Cesario appears on Late Night with David Letterman and ESPN's Sportslook. His continued Tonight Show appearances have led him to be a featured comedian on MTV. He also has been on Comedy Central Presents, Jimmie Walker & Friends, Showtime Comedy Club Network and HBO's Comedy Half Hour. He has won two and been nominated for numerous Emmys for his work on Dennis Miller Live. He has also won six CableACE Awards. He continues to do comedy even with his new wife and has recently bought a house which he is renovating.
[edit] Comedic style
Cesario performs accurate observational humor emphasizing reality, simplicity and common sense. His jokes often reveal the inconsistencies of life. For example, his observation that violent, televised hockey games are the chief source of prison riots in the United States. "Think about it," Cesario said, "You're a convict sitting in your cell at the federal penitentiary, watching a hockey player on TV get a 2-minute penalty for the same offense you're serving 17 years." This bit got into Sports Illustrated and other newspapers across the nation. Jeff still enjoys jazz and hasn't lost his roots in it. "Comedy is jazz to me. You get up on stage with a few planned things, but then you just start jamming. It has the same improvisational qualities."[citation needed]
