Steve Mittleman, a nationally recognized comedian from the Los Angeles area, will perform in Sweet Home at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Sweet Home High School auditorium.
Tickets are on sale for the event, which is sponsored by the Oak Heights PTC as a fund-raiser for new playground equipment.
Mittleman has been featured on the “Tonight Show” (both with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno), the “Late Show With David Letterman,” “Comedy Central,” the hit TV show “Extreme Makeover,” and numerous shows on Showtime and HBO.
He was the winner of the “New York Big Laff Off” on Showtime and has made more than 90 television performances, including six appearances on British chat shows and a spot as a series regular on ABC’s “Into the Night.”
He has appeared in more than 50 national commercials, including ads for Federal Express and the Coors Beer Man campaign. He has also been featured in several films including “Roxanne” (with Steve Martin), “Out of Towners,” “Radio Days,” and “Rich Boys.”
Mittleman has opened for Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld, Natalie Cole and Sheena Easton, among others. He currently has four screenplays and a television treatment in consideration.
Dax Jordan, a Portland comedian who has written jokes for Sen. Ron Wyden, will open the show.
Kristin Adams, of the Oak Heights PTC, said that local PTCs worked together to run an ice cream booth during the Oregon Jamboree.
“It was a great opportunity to tap into money from people outside our community,” she said. “It got our group to thinking of other ways to generate interest in our community and raise money for our local need. That’s when the comedian idea was born.
“I thought it would be great, kind of out-of-the-box thinking for Sweet Home,” she said. “And perhaps we could raise some money. We’re trying hard to go away from asking our local businesses and organizations for donations to raise more money. We’re a small town and when 10 to 15 groups go after the locals, people get tired of it.”
She said the estimated cost to replace the equipment in the Oak Heights school yard would be $30,000 to $40,000. So far the PTC has $5,000.
Adams said the PTC has an opportunity to apply for a grant from Lowe’s in February, but it needs to show that it can match any funds Lowe’s might contribute. That’s why Mittleman was booked.
“I thought ‘wouldn’t it be great if we could bring somebody like that to Sweet Home,” she said. The high school auditorium has “untapped potential” as it seats nearly 700 people but is rarely used outside of school functions, she said.
“We’re fortunate because the school does not have to pay for the site, which helps with the budgeting,” Adams said.
The 60- to 90-minute family-oriented show is recommended for adults and teens, but not for young children.
Tickets are on sale for $18 each at Sweet Home City Hall, Deb and Beth’s Salon, The New Era, Oak Heights Elementary or from Adams at 367-6962, : Michelle Knight at 367-2148; Marilyn Hubbard at 367-4228; Paige Peterson at 367-7517; Heidy Mather at 367-8360 or Tiffany Virtue at 367-2248.
Tickets are non-refundable and there will be no priority seating. Ticket sales are limited to 680. To view some video clips or learn more about Mittleman, visit http://www.stevemittleman.com.
Adams said she hopes the community responds to the opportunity to see Mittleman.
“We’ve had some people say, ‘It won’t work in Sweet Home,'” she said. “But I hope that we can prove them wrong.”
Editor Scott Swanson contributed to this story.