The Musers The Podcast: Episode 18 – "Impersonations"

Original Air Date: October 22, 2025 | Host: Craig Miller (with George Dunham & Gordon Keith) | Special Guest: Frank Caliendo

Episode Overview

In this especially spirited episode, The Musers (George Dunham, Craig “Junior” Miller, and Gordon Keith) dive deep into the wild and witty world of impersonations. They’re joined by legendary impressionist Frank Caliendo (MADtv, Fox NFL Sunday, Frank TV), making for a jam-packed hour-plus of comedic insights, tales from the trenches, and behind-the-scenes breakdowns of how some of radio and TV’s most recognizable voices are conjured, twisted, and brought to life. The quartet explores the artistry, psychology, and sheer absurdity of impressions—with memorable voice showcases, philosophical banter, and lots of self-deprecating asides.

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Impressions vs. Impersonations: Breaking Down the Art

[06:30 – 09:03]

• Frank Caliendo explains nuances between an “impersonation” (close mimicry with accuracy) and an “impression” (a performance that may caricature, exaggerate, or add comedic invention).
  • “Impersonation is very specific and almost like impersonating a person. … Once you get into it and create the character around it, and get it further and further… that’s impression.” (Frank Caliendo, 08:20)
• Gordon Keith offers a concise analogy: “It’s like the difference between photorealism and a caricature or a cartoon.” (09:03)

2. Origins: The First Voices & Inspirations

[09:21 – 15:38]

• All four reminisce about their first attempts at impersonations—ranging from family members to sports broadcasters to schoolmates.
  • George was “seven or eight,” copying Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell for laughs.
  • Gordo started “really young” imitating relatives, especially on car trips after family reunions.
  • Frank describes being a shy kid but picking up on people’s quirks and realizing in middle school that comedy and voices could win attention, even with girls—referring to school as a “prison setting” where joking could break the monotony.
• Physicality is key: Stances, mannerisms, and facial quirks were as vital as the voice itself.

3. Forming an Impression: Technique, ‘Hooks,’ and Musicality

[15:39 – 21:06]

• Frank details how physical tics, facial expressions, and “musicality” (pitch, cadence, rhythm) guide him.
  • “The mouth tells you how the person talks. The eyes tell you how the person thinks.” (Frank, 16:40)
  • “Is it a musical thing for you guys?” George asks, noting he often approaches an impression as “trying to hit a note.”
• The team discusses how over time impressions can diverge from the original, becoming their own comedic “characters.”

4. Dead-On Voices: The Ones They Nail

[22:12 – 28:16]

• The hosts and Frank assess each other’s best voices:
  • George’s Nick Saban: “With Saban, he’s got a cadence… a note he hits and it doesn’t really change much.” (22:40)
  • Gordo’s Nolan Ryan and Bruce Bochy: “Nolan is always talking, and he’s always flattened out right in there…” (Gordo, 23:16)
  • Frank’s favorites: John Madden, Gruden, Charles Barkley, and especially George W. Bush, with an off-the-charts accuracy:
    “On a scale of one to five, it’s somewhere between 15 and 12.” (Frank on Bush, 31:13)

5. The Process: Practice, Persistence, and ADHD

[32:30 – 34:13]

• Frank and Gordo describe the obsessive practice required—sometimes repeating bits all day, often spurred by their own ADHD-like fixation (“vocal stimming”).
• “If I don’t say it out loud, it drives me even crazier. … it’ll drive you crazy.” (Gordo, 33:44)

6. Developing and Workshopping New Voices

[34:14 – 37:36]

• The trio dissects how, after hearing a press conference, they can spot a unique “hook” in someone’s speech and obsessively play with it until it becomes a usable impression (e.g., Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett).
• Frank, drawing on experience collaborating with other impressionists, explains “workshopping” voices in tandem helps explore different comedic directions.

7. Physical and Emotional Toll

[57:28 – 62:10]

• Impressions aren’t just vocal—body posture, facial expressions, and even standing versus sitting can affect performance.
• Gordo recounts physically injuring himself (tearing a knee ligament) performing a wrestling persona: “I have to be the only guy who tore a ligament in my knee while doing the voice of a wrestler.” (59:20)
• The hosts reflect on how aging and years of vocal strain have made certain voices harder to sustain:
  “Now I notice my voice just does not bounce back from characters like it used to.” (Gordo, 60:35)

8. Changing With Time & Staying Relevant

[62:13 – 63:05]

• With changing public figures or deceased celebrities, the group discusses updating impressions to reflect the person's current reality or intentionally putting a “from-heaven” echo on the voice to signal passing. This is treated with tongue-in-cheek respect.
• Frank: “It’s weird if a president isn’t president anymore. … That’s why non-impression characters are so great—they’re evergreen.” (47:23)

9. Ethics & Social Boundaries: Impersonating Women and Minorities

[63:05 – 64:08]

• They candidly discuss feeling odd about impersonating voices of the opposite gender or other races, even recounting being directly asked by Black fans why they didn’t do Black voices.
• Frank: “If you can nail a voice, you can nail a voice. … I’m just gonna do everybody and then take whatever flack somebody throws at me.” (50:35)

10. The Human Reaction & Notable Anecdotes

[52:03 – 54:06]

• The group swaps stories about celebs reacting to their impressions:
  • Frank: “Jim Rome—would not make eye contact. Not cool.” (52:11)
  • On Jerry Jones: “He said ‘hey, do the fake [Jerry].’” Even people being lampooned usually love it.
  • John Madden, however, was less than thrilled but eventually came around:
    “I finally made [Madden] laugh, and he’s like, ‘I get it now.’” (56:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the difference between impressions and impersonations:

  • “Impersonation is photorealism. Impression is a cartoon.” (Gordo, 09:03)

• On annoying themselves with practice:

  • “It’ll drive you crazy. If I don’t say it out loud, it drives me even crazier.” (Gordo, 33:44)

• On aging and voice changes:

  • “[My voice] just does not bounce back from characters like it used to. … I’ll be hoarse for the rest of the day.” (Gordo, 60:35)

• On doing impressions of Black people or women:

  • “If you can nail a voice, you can nail a voice, and I think everyone enjoys that.” (Frank, 50:40)

• Imitating Jerry Jones from heaven:

  • “We put echo on their voice and … make them from heaven. We don’t want to waste a good impersonation.” (Gordo & George, 37:51)

• Celebrity reactions:

  • “Jim Rome—would not make eye contact. Not cool.” (Frank, 52:11)
  • “Jerry just thinks it’s hilarious that someone imitates him.” (Gordon, 55:24)

• On the practice and internal dialogue:

  • “That character is just with me for the day, and they’re narrating everything I’m doing.” (Gordo, 33:44)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Impersonation vs Impression, Definitions: 06:30 – 09:10
• Earliest Attempts—Childhood Origins: 09:21 – 15:38
• Physicality and “The Musical Note” in Impressions: 15:39 – 21:06
• Showcasing Dead-on Impressions (Nick Saban, Nolan Ryan): 22:12 – 28:16
• Practice, Obsession, and Vocal Stimming: 32:30 – 34:13
• Workshopping, Press Conference Hooks: 34:14 – 37:36
• Physical Toll & Aging Effects on the Voice: 57:28 – 62:10
• Deceased Celebrities & 'From Heaven' Gags: 37:49 – 38:11
• Celebrity Reactions (Madden, Rome, Jerry Jones): 52:03 – 56:29
• Imitating Across Gender/Racial Lines: 49:05 – 51:00 / 63:05 – 64:08
• Promoting Frank’s Live Show: 65:34 – 66:15

Funniest & Most Memorable Moments

• Frank’s totally deadpan “On a scale of one to five, it’s somewhere between 15 and 12,” when rating his George W. Bush impression. (31:13)
• Gordo injuring his knee in the act of doing a wrestling impression—ultimate method acting. (59:20)
• The team’s playful “from heaven” echo effect for beloved but deceased impression targets. (37:53)
• Frank’s playful jabs about the “creepy Jerry” and the rivalry over who owns the best Jerry Jones.

Final Thoughts and Takeaway

This episode is a must-listen for anyone fascinated by the mysterious alchemy of impressions: the blend of mimicry, musicality, caricature, and sheer goofball joy. The dynamic between three veteran radio wits and a legend like Frank Caliendo makes for both an inspiring how-to and a giggle-filled reel of “best of” voice moments. They aren’t afraid to discuss the subtleties and sensitivities of the craft, the weirdness of celebrity reactions, or even the toll taken on their own bodies and voices.
Frank closes by promoting his upcoming March show at Choctaw Casino (details at frankonstage.com), with the Musers promising him more plugs on future shows.

For more Musers madness, check out their weekly podcasts and stay tuned for next week’s special football-centric guest!