Comedian Greg Proops has made a career out of saying yes.
While an international touring comic for nearly a half-century, the bespectacled funnyman is known as a frequent member of the improv comedy troupe behind the state show “Whose Live Anyway?” — which returns to Cleveland for a performance on April 19 at Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre.
“I remember playing Cleveland years ago with (Northeast Ohio native) Drew (Carey), and it wasn’t going well,” said Proops, calling from Topeka, Kansas. “We’ve always had a groovy time in Cleveland, but this time we were doing a ‘Green Screen Show’ and the crowd was pretty drunk.
“There were people wandering around with beers through the whole show. I remember him saying, ‘I really can’t wait till the show is over.’ But I love coming to Cleveland and seeing all the monumental architecture and thinking about Bob Hope and Drew Carey.”
While Proops appeared on the Carey-hosted television series “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” from 1998 to 2007, the San Francisco comedian a decade earlier joined the show’s British television precursor, which, oddly enough, introduced him to American audiences via reruns airing on Comedy Central.
“Whose Line Is It Anyway?” is still in production. While the tendency would be to suggest a show lasting three decades is still going strong, Proops suggested any success or attention is purely accidental.
“The TV show is still on the CW, (and), of course, nobody knew that we had actually still been on TV for the last 10 years,” he said. “I think a lot of people watch it on YouTube still because the CW does such a bang-up job of publicity.”
In terms of stand-up comedy, Proops said early on he was inspired by the likes of George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams. Regarding the latter, with whom he befriended later in life, the legend fondly called him “Mr. Proops.”
However, there was something about the off-the-cuff nature of improvisational comedy that now colors all aspects of his career.
“I like the danger,” he said. “I also do my podcast off the top of my head. And the last three stand-up albums have been completely improvised. I have an idea of what I’m going to talk about, and then I’ll tell a story. It’s just sort of riffing as I go along. I mean, I love planning things out — and I can write jokes and things like that — but I have a lot more fun making it up.”
This time in Cleveland, Proops will make up an entire evening of comedy with partners in crime Ryan Stiles, Jeff B. Davis and Joel Murray.
Considering Carey has been known from time to time to join “Whose Live Anyway?” shows, what are the chances “The Price Is Right” host makes a surprise appearance at the upcoming Cleveland gig?
“I wouldn’t get the crowd’s hopes up because he’s rich and he does whatever he wants,” he said. “Sometimes we’ll ask him to do shows and he’ll just go, ‘No.’”
Speaking of “No,” the secret to successful improv comedy is saying “Yes, and…” to keep the dialogue and momentum flowing. That said, does Proops ever feel contrarian with a snarky “No” in the show?
“You can say ‘No’ if you can back it up and make it funny,” he said. “But, generally, yes is a better call. In real life, too, I sometimes will say ‘No,’ and my wife will go, ‘Really? You’re an improviser. How come you’re not just saying ‘Yes’?”
‘Whose Live Anyway?’
When: 8 p.m. April 19.
Where: Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.
Tickets: $45.50 to $185.50.
Info: 216-241-6000 or PlayhouseSquare.org.
