Catching My Breath


It's been nearly 6 weeks since I've written anything here. Normally the summer is a pretty busy time for me, but this season was off the charts. This past February I performed at a Library Showcase, and consequently was booked by quite a few libraries a little outside of my usual performing area. So this summer was spent driving a few hundred miles extra per week. I do love performing, but I love it a little more when gas is a bit cheaper. Still, it was a fun summer. Among the highlights:

The "bat attack"- while performing outside in a gazebo for a group of special needs adults, a bat decided he wanted to see the show. This resulted in a great deal of excitement and some unscripted choreography on my part, ducking the bat as he circled our heads. Apparently he didn't care for my show, and left after a few minutes. I've had birds fly into my shows before- open gymnasium windows in June are apparently irresistible to some birds. I'm not exactly a city boy, but bats are a bit outside my experience. I did manage to finish the show, though, so I do feel good about that.


The Amazing Growing Audience Trick- One of my program offerings for libraries is a balloon sculpting workshop. I offer 3 variants of this program, one for elementary age kids, one for "tweens", and one for 3-5 year olds and their parents. One library booked the "Tween" program for mid-July. The librarian had to leave town unexpectedly for a few days prior to the show, and as a result, the program was not as well-promoted as it should have been. Consequently, the sign-up for the program was dismal- 2 kids out of a maximum of 30. To her credit, the librarian improvised and opened up the program to all ages, but didn't have time for a sign-up sheet. So when I arrived, neither she nor I had ANY idea of how many people would show up. It could be the original 2, could be more, but we had no idea. 5 minutes before start time, we were around 7. By the time we started, we were around 20. And they kept coming in. When all was said and done, we had well over the 30 maximum, and many of the parents who brought their kids stayed and learned as well. It was one of the best balloon workshops I've done in quite a while, and I tip my hat to Monica, the librarian, for improvising and saving the day.

The Little World's Fair- one of my summer libraries had a large family event at the "Little World's Fair" in Grahamsville, NY. This is a beautiful little town in lower upstate NY (when you're from Long Island, everything is "upstate" NY)- hidden away in the Catskills. So hidden, in fact, that there's no cellphone signal ANYWHERE in about a 10 mile radius. I was booked to perform my "Comedy Magic Show" immediately following a picnic dinner and immediately preceding a reading awards ceremony. Normally I don't like performing outdoors- far too many variables to deal with, and as far as I'm concerned, I never do my best work outside. This evening, however, could not have gone better. The Grahamsville audience was one of the most receptive and appreciative audiences I have worked for in a long time. Their response to my show made me try even harder, and I really felt like it was a memorable show. Thanks to everyone in Grahamsville for making me feel like a star, if just for one night!

Ohio Valley University- I was contacted online to perform at a college in West Virginia for their freshman orientation- they originally wanted a 2 hour show, but after speaking with them, we realized an hour of strolling magic at their Ice Cream Social, followed by a 45 minute formal show would suit their needs better. I was a little concerned about how my New York personality would play in West Virginia- I tend to be a bit over-caffeinated most of the time, and I speak VERY quickly. I think it took a few minutes for the audience and I to get on the same wavelength, but once we did, it was a wonderful group. Taking a cue from Dennis Miller, I throw quite a few jokes and lines in my show that usually hit with a resounding thud- they're just a little too obscure for most people to make the effort to bother figuring out if they're funny or not- but the crew at Ohio Valley University laughed at stuff that NEVER gets appreciated. Getting laughs from a college crowd is very gratifiying, and they made me feel extremely gratified. The frightened look from the gentleman I sawed in half made me realize that I do in fact like that trick, and it will most definitely stay in the act. Kudos to Spencer for putting me in the straitjacket as tightly as anyone has- it's been over 20 years since I didn't get out of the jacket, but that night was close. Bravo!

Once again, it seems like summer just got started, and it's almost over. I hate that. It really must be a function of getting older, but the summers seem to be getting shorter and winters longer. Still, the end of summer means the beginning of a new school show season, and that is ALWAYS good!