Have you ever come across an entertainer’s website where they proudly flaunt an astonishing number of shows they claim to have performed? It’s a common occurrence, and I must admit, my own website is guilty of such an outrageous claim. At first glance, the numbers may appear implausible – performing 8,000+ shows over a span of 35 years seems utterly inconceivable. However, upon closer examination, the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together.
Allow me to shed some light on my showbiz career spanning 35 years. For a significant portion of that time, I had the privilege of working with Chevrolet, dazzling and educating my audiences with magic performances at their auto shows. Just like the educational school shows I do these days, these shows all featured magic, comedy and educational messages (about the current line of cars). Each show was a mere 15 minutes, but I performed eight times a day. Over the course of 18 years, and with approximately 75 days of roadshows annually, the numbers begin to accumulate rapidly.
But that’s not all. One of my first big jobs, while I was still in college, I was one of the featured entertainers at Carowinds Amusement Park in North Carolina (www.carowinds.com/entertainment). During one particular summer, I found myself performing five shows each day, six days a week. The sheer repetition and consistency became the norm, further contributing to the tally of performances.
For the past 13 years, my team and I have been enchanting audiences at the Coswell Opera House in Genesee County, Flint, Michigan. Throughout the summer, spanning late July to Labor Day, we have the privilege of performing six shows a day, five days a week. When you factor in the 26 days of our residency, the numbers continue to grow.
Now, when you take into account these various long term engagements and the years of effort invested, those astronomical claims of an absurd number of shows suddenly become comprehensible.
All of this doesn’t even include the high number of elementary assembly shows we have been performing over the past 35 years. We‘ve averaged 6- 8 schools a week, oftentimes performing 2 shows in each building.
While touting a high number of shows on my website may seem to be bragging, it’s actually a testament to the unwavering dedication and passion I have for my craft, as well as the incredible support and excellence of my performing partners.
If you’re intrigued and wish to dive deeper into our busy world on the stage, please explore our shows! You will discover the twelve educational school assembly programs that we offer, each one designed to captivate, educate and inspire young minds.