Under the cover of night, local politicians, newsmen, and quasi-celebrities made their way into a recording room at Cleveland State, May 3, to record “Please Stay, Lebron,” a musical plea to the North Coast B-ball messiah.

            The song and the video, soon to be viral, was the brainchild of Mike Polk, best known for his “Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism” short. Christina Grozik, former director of the Ohio Film Office, produced. The song was a rewrite of “We Are the World,” featuring lots of grimace-inducing solos from recognizable faces.

            On hand were: Governor Ted Strickland, Cleveland City Councilmen Zack Reed and Anthony Brancantelli, Dick Goddard, Carl Monday, Bill Martin, Jeff Blanchard, Big Chuck, County Commish Peter Lawson Jones, and more.

            Sadly, though an invite was extended, Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson passed (has anybody seen him lately? What’s it take to get him out of the house—other than a random shooting?). Also not present was Michael Stanley, who is still a little sore at Polk for his “Michael Stanley, the Musical!” schtick. C’mon, Stanley! Time to make up. It was created out of love.

            Look for it online soon.

-James Renner