Full of Hot Air

Had a great day of shows at the Michigan Balloon Challenge Festival. Four strong shows with lots of laughs.

The Mills Family, Steve, Tony, Michelle and Chris were working there today. It was great to see them again. Tonight, I got a chance to watch them launch the balloons. The photo really doesn't do justice. The sky was filled with them!

Staying In Shape...

In Virginia Beach, I could have driven out to the YMCA and exercised in a gym. I opted to power walk the boardwalk instead. I could have watched what I ate, but I tended to grab subs made on white bread. I know, not great.

When driving, I swing through a drive-thru and grab burgers. Salads are better for me, but they require stopping and take longer to eat.

This morning, I went to the hotel fitness room and got in an actual workout. When I stepped on the scale - I was surprised. Down to 168. I'm still losing weight and toning. Felt pretty good about that.

Tonight I look forward to my shows at the Balloon Challenge Festival. Its a beautiful day - should get to see a lot of hot air balloons take off tonight!

Need Sleep...

Tuesday evening after shows, I ended up hanging out with some other performers. The laste night was followed by an early morning. Had to swing home and do laundry. I also took a few moments to enjoy dinner and spend time with my wife. Another late night. Got up extremely early today to drive over ten hours to get to Michigan. By the time I reached Livonia I was wishing I could collapse.

My Livonia stop was to see Ken Dumm, a friend and magician, who was performing at the Spree festival. His son did a great segment too. After enjoying their show, I drove another 45 minutes to get to my hotel. Just finished eating and catching up on e-mails. Now I need to sleep. Tomorrow I don't have to be at the Balloon Festival grounds until late afternoon. I'm going to sleep in.

Another Hot Night

Last night was a tough one. Still on 23rd Street, this time I was teamed with Mr. Robb. His show was a lot of fun, a combination of clowning, miming and juggling. I really enjoyed the way he worked the crowd. His usual gig is at Disney (did I mention the skill level?) but he told me he comes here to escape the Florida heat. I think he brought it with him.

Short night

Sunday was oppressively hot. The humidity was horrible and just walking out the door drenched me in sweat. When I showed up for check-in, I was informed I'd be back on 23rd street and would be working with another act.

That act happened to be Chris Yerlig, better known here as Chris the Mime Guy. He isn't a traditional mime. Watching him work virtually silent, yet draw & maintain a crowd while creating enthusiastic audience responses, was a lesson in showmanship.

Because we alternated, our shows ran a bit shorter than usual, and we were each scheduled for three sets. This allowed a longer break while the other was on. During Chris' second set, I noticed some intense lightening off in the distance. A few minutes later word came that rain was 10 minutes out and we were shutting down.

It was a short night, but I was drained when it was over. The best part was the fact it didn't pour down until I was back at the hotel.

Father's Day On The Road

I neglected to mention this in previous posts, but this blog was started to document my performances and life on the road - so here goes...

My dates at Virginia Beach were scheduled back near the beginning of the year. When I contracted, I didn't look to see that Father's Day fell during this run. A few months later, my sister-in-law set her wedding date for this past Saturday. Its always been my policy that my word is my commitment and the show will go on. The only exception to that would be a death in the immediate family. Now I am re-thinking things.

My wife kept me updated on the wedding as events unfolded. Pictures and text messages made me wish I was there. My godson and nephews were in from Chicago. I haven't seen them in almost a year. They are growing so fast - and I miss them. I kicked myself at the end of the day. The shows were fun, the money will pay bills - but the opportunity to spend that time with family is gone forever.

Today is Father's Day. My son & wife sent cards which reached me at the hotel. I'm not overly concerned about missing the day with them. It is just a day created to sell greeting cards. We have plenty of quality time when I am around. However my father is 85. He's having his troubles and you never know how long your parents will be around. I called, but I need to spend more time with them when I return.

Family time - something to think about...

Beach Street - Night Two

Saturday was a warm evening in Virginia Beach. The street was packed with locals and tourists. It was my first time performing on 23rd street, which is closed to traffic, allowing more room for the crowd to stand - if you can get them. With one night under my belt, the groove started to come back and I had really fun shows. The crowds were pretty large too.

For two shows, I even had an opening act. A young fire artist named Katrina did six minutes of fire eating and fire hoop spinning. A very talented young lady.

One of my favorite things is meeting people after the show. Last night, I met a family that had caught my act last year and returned to watch again this season. With all the entertainment and things happening in Virginia Beach, that meant a lot to me. Now I look forward to tonight!

Beach Street, First Night Back

It all seemed so familiar, yet so foreign. This is the first time I've worked street since last year and it is definitely different than working corporate or stage. The set up took longer than I remember, so did packing. I'm sure I'll get that down to a minimum soon enough.

My first show was an interesting mess. A bunch of teens who wanted to "mess with the performer" came over at the start. It wasn't long before they started in on me - but I dealt with them and eventually they left. Problem was, they killed the flow and most of the audience left with them. Luckily Dangerous Duck was up next and people not only came back, but the crowd grew in size.

I modified my program and the next three sets were all fun. Lines started coming back and the show seemed to flow smoother. I'm certain by the end of this run I will be back up to speed and ready for the remainder of my dates here this summer.

Virginia Beach

Had a nice drive to Virginia Beach today. The only negative was "driver's tan". My left arm is burnt to a crisp. I forgot the suncreen before I climbed into the car.

I start performing at Beach Street USA tomorrow night. Looking forward to being back. Shows start at 7:30 and run through 11 PM every night. This first run, I'll be here through June 22. If you are in the area, please stop out and say hello!

Last Comic Standing

Well, I actually made it onto the show this evening. I figured at best they may show a flash of my audition, but they actually showed a couple of lines. If you read my earlier post on the audition process, you may remember I was extremely nervous. Its tough working a nearly empty room and having to face the camera instead of the judges/audience.

Perhaps not the best example of my work - but the judges were kind to me. I'd like to thank the producers of Last Comic Standing for the opportunity to audition and the exposure to a national audience. I know at least one other person saw it!

Ventriloquist Puppets vs Characters

Puppets can be extremely addictive. There are so many different styles and looks, it is too easy to fall in love with them. The problem is, as a ventriloquist, you don't take a puppet on stage - you introduce a character. When a ventriloquist introduces puppets, they tend to be very similar. Different scripts don't equal different personalities.

Characters are very different. They have greater depth and can engage the audience. A character is a well defined personality. It has its own voice, its own mannerisms, its own style. There are a lot of details that go into the creation of a character. They require a lot of thought and planning on the part of the performer.

I have a lot of puppets. I don't use them all because some have not yet become characters. When you see my show, you meet characters that are ready to make you laugh hard.

This summer, I will be introducing a new character to my audiences. Baby Billy is a sweet bundle of joy. Billy will open your eyes to how children pick up the things we try to protect them from. The test audiences have been laughing - and soon, you will be too!

I can see!

Underwent lasik surgery yesterday. I was extremely nervous even though I had talked with numerous success stories and had confidence in my doctor. They are my eyes after all.

At 1:00 p.m. they started my right eye. By 1:25 I was done, both eyes, and headed home. I felt like I was looking through water, but I could actually see. I'm told my vision will change over the next few days, for better and worse, before becoming stable. I was -650 in both eyes. This morning at the doctor's office, less than 24 hours after the surgery, I was 20/20 in one eye and 20/25 in the other. He said that was pretty good this soon after the operation.

I'm very happy and thrilled that I finally did this!

Corporate Holiday Party

During the holidays, company employee events help take the edge off a stressful year. With some corporations cutting back, an event reassures your staff they are appreciated. Reinforcing the feeling of "family" brings people together, giving everyone added incentive to work toward the corporate goals and benefit all.

In some situations, departments don't always interact. Having entertainment that incorporates people throughout your company helps to break down walls. You'll find the ones laughing the loudest are usually those I "mess with". They find themselves becoming the stars of the evening, and enjoy a new found popularity. The entire program is designed to create an energy that flows and infectious laughs. Bringing people together is what I do.

So why write about Holiday corporate parties in June? Planning early is a key factor in the success of your holiday event. The two things most people remember, the food and the entertainment. The month of December quickly fills for most entertainers. Because I work nationally, travel dates also tend to fill in the schedule. To insure availability of your desired venue, caterer and entertainment, I recommend you start planning now.

If you haven't seen my corporate entertainer video, please check it out now. If I may be of service, please contact me to discuss availability and pricing.

Corporate Party Entertainment

After a recent event, Dangerous Duck and I were caught for a quick photo following the show. I'd like to thank the photographer for sending me a copy to use.

People see pictures of me in front of this brick wall and ask where the photos were taken and how often I work that venue. They don't realize the brick wall travels too. It is actually a collapsible backdrop created for my program.

Large corporate events often have the decor, sound and video projection that smaller corporate events can't always budget. My goal is to not only entertain the audience, but help create that positive experience and impression. One of the ways I do this is to provide the extras whenever possible.*

When you are in charge of entertainment for a corporate event and you want your audience to laugh, contact me to discuss how I can be of service!

* - When flying to an event, it is not cost effective to carry sound and backdrops. For that reason, I have a complete technical rider and suggested room layout to help clients create a successful atmosphere.

The Little Things

With a busy summer approaching, I'm currently getting ready for the road. Being away for long periods is difficult. The last thing you want to do is find out you forgot something important.

Since this summer involves a lot of driving, so today my car is in the shop. I've told them to go over everything - the last thing I need is a vehicle issue when I am on my way between shows. The costumes are being checked and cleaned. The to-do list is a mile long - I best get back to it.

Summer Tour

Soon I will be saying goodbye to wife, son and pets to head out for a full summer of shows. I plan on stopping by the house a total of 6 days from mid-June to early September. Even then, it will be a brief visit on my way to another event. I'll be seeing a lot of hotel rooms, plenty of roads and eating out more than I care to think about.

Eating healthy and staying in shape is going to be a challenge. I've lost weight and started working out on a regular schedule at home. I'm going to have to keep at it between shows and travel. That's never easy. Its comfortable to finish a show, head to the hotel, turn on a movie and relax before hitting the road early the next day. I've got to keep telling myself - the fitness room is my friend.

Had an appointment with my eye doctor today. The lasik surgery is scheduled for June 9. I leave June 17 - so I told him not to mess up.

June 18 - 22 I will be performing at Beach Street U.S.A. in Virginia Beach, VA. My next stop is Howell, Michigan for the Michigan Balloon Challenge Festival, June 25 - 27. July 1 - 11 I am back at Beach Street U.S.A. Following that comes the VentHaven convention in KY.

I'll update the remainder of my summer season here later. If you here I'll be near you, please stop out and say hello!