Bridging the Gap

I've had a couple of conversations recently with fellow professional performers that might interest the aspiring performer greatly. The subject was showmanship. When it's not there, it shows.

When you are practicing, there's no pressure to perform. You can spend entire days immersed in your art. Trust me, I know the feeling, and it's terrific! It's great that when you get into your groove, everything else melts away - it's just you and your passion. But, if you have an audience to entertain, you need to "open the bay doors", and let them in to your fortress of fun.

The Next Generation

Last week I was privileged to witness a show I'm glad that I could see first-hand. Well, actually, it was more than one show.

First, Cameron (my oldest nephew) performed in his first-ever talent show.

I remember the first talent show that I performed in, and it made me a nervous wreck! Cameron, I'm happy to say, didn't seem to have that problem. He did drop once, but kept going and didn't let it affect the rest of his performance. That kind of maturity really impressed me, and the rest of the family there to cheer him on. Equally impressive is the skill level of this kid. He's only really been practicing for the last year or so, and already he's juggling four balls, and doing tricks with 3 clubs/balls. He is sponging it up at a rate that is really kind of mind-blowing. Way to go, Cameron!

Idle Hands...Are Something I Don't Have

What a crazy week it's been. It started at the end...the weekend, that is. Marlo and I left on Thursday night for a trip to Montreal to see an old friend from high school, Matt Secaur. Hi Matt! We had been planning on seeing the new Cirque du Soleil (I hope I'm spelling that right. Who can, other than the French?) show for nearly half a year. Ama Luna did not disappoint. Aside from one or two acts that were relatively flat, it had all of the energy you'd expect from a Cirque show.

Ciao, Italia!

What a week! I just got back from an engagement in Italy. Talk about exciting - on top of getting to see all the sights of Rome, I had the chance to perform for a large audience that was a mix of Italian/English speakers, which is always tricky.