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Michael Lehrer (December 1, 1978 – January 14, 2023 ^{[1] [2]}) was an American comedian and actor known for his work in stand-up comedy and improv comedy. ^[3]

Lehrer garnered recognition from his appearances and performances on the "Kill Tony" podcast, where he performed while suffering from the effects of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). ^[4]

Early life

Lehrer was born in New York. He spent his childhood in Queens, New York, and then moved to Casper, Wyoming. ^[5]

Career

Lehrer graduated from Natrona County High School. He then moved to Chicago to pursue a career in comedy. ^[5]

In 2014, Lehrer was chosen as the New Face of Comedy, during the 2014 Just for Laughs Festival. He worked for and was associated with The Second City, (Chicago) an improv comedy enterprise. ^[4]

Lehrer collaborated with The Second City to create original sketch Revues, such as "Sky's The Limit (Weather Permitting)", which won a Jeff Award for Best Revue. He also spent time working with The Second City Touring Company (Second City's Las Vegas outpost). ^[4]

During his time working in Las Vegas, Lehrer attended numerous Vegas City Council meetings in open forum discussions, to contribute his thoughts and opinions on various issues. He also worked as cast member part of the Second City at sea for Norwegian Cruise Line. ^[4]

Lehrer was also a cohost for the Big Ten Network's Big Ten Tailgate. According to an article published by Deadline Hollywood, Lehrer "contributed to The Chicago Tribune, the Second City Network, and appeared with iO Chicago, Chicago Underground Comedy, and the Brooklyn Brewery comedy tour." ^[6]

ALS diagnoses

In 2017, Lehrer got diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and took a temporary hiatus from comedy. He temporarily moved to Buffalo, New York, for medical treatment. Shortly after his diagnoses, Lehrer required the use of a wheelchair, and his voice began to slur. ^[4]

Kill Tony podcast and stand-up comedy

Following a period of inactivity, Lehrer resumed performing in 2019, focusing on stand-up comedy rather than improv-comedy. He performed at various clubs whilst wheel-chair bound, and his routines focused on life and his battle with ALS. ^[3]

Lehrer garnered notoriety in 2019 after performing for the first time in Austin, Texas, on the Kill Tony podcast. After his initial appearance, Michael Lehrer became a regular on the Kill Tony podcast and appeared in 99 episodes from 2019 to 2022. ^[1]

Joe Rogan praised Lehrer's performance, saying "The courage this man had to do stand-up while battling a debilitating disease was insanely impressive, and though he struggled to get words out the man would KILL onstage." ^[4]

Death

Lehrer died on January 17, 2023, in Portland, Oregon. His cause of death was physician-assisted suicide, which is legal under Oregon state law. According to his partner and caregiver Colette Montague, "(he) died with dignity on his own terms," and that it "was the hardest decision he ever had to make."

Shortly before his death, Lehrer was said by his friend Seth Weitberg who visited him, to be in good spirits, and at peace with his decision.

Following Lehrer's death, comedians and public figures such as Joe Rogan, Tony Hinchcliffe, Brian Redban, posted memorials and tributes to him, acknowledging that they held him in high regard. The Second City also posted a tribute following the comedians passing, calling his creative work "irreverent and iconoclastic material." ^[4]

Following Lehrer's death, a GoFundMe page was set up for his son, Colin. The description on the page read "(Lehrer) wanted his son, Colin to be ok financially when he left this world. Please help honor Michael and show him how much we loved him by making sure his son can be secure for a while." The GoFundMe page for Lehrer's son raised $17,000 in 24 hours. ^[1]

References