Long before YouTube, MADTV was the place for anyone under 35 to find satire, sketch comedy or shorts. The show’s second longest-running cast member, Aries Spears, created some of the show’s most memorable characters like Emcee Esher, James Brown Jr. and Belma Buttons. Yet even before MADTV, Spears landed his first role at the age of 16 in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, which would later pave his way for a role in another breakout drama, Jerry Maguire. Spears comes to the Improv for a three-day residency.
Fri-Sun, 7:30pm/9:45pm, $25-$75
The Improv, San Jose