Midwest Tour Recap

My wife keeps telling me that I don't "blog" enough, so I decided to put together a recap of my recent magic tour in the Midwest. Each day of the tour we experienced 100+ degree temperatures, but I'll talk more about that later.

On Monday, July 2, Christine and I made a seven hour drive to Louisville, KY. We arrived in town early enough for me to recover from the driving by the pool/jacuzzi, while Christine got her workout in on the elliptical machine. That evening, I performed at Derby City Magic, a monthly show at the Comedy Caravan. The club was extremely hot that night and without air conditioning! In spite of the oppressive heat, the small club was completely sold-out with well over 150 guests! They even had to cram additional tables into the back corners to accommodate everyone. I think I may have blacked out on stage for a moment or two due to the heat from the room, audience and lights, but everyone still really enjoyed the show.

On Tuesday, July 3, we spent some time working out in the hotel gym and relaxing by the pool before making the short, two hour drive to Indianapolis, IN. We were greeted by Taylor Martin, the producer of Indy Magic Monthly, at our phenomenal hotel, The Nestle Inn (http://www.nestleindy.com/). Taylor is a class act and takes really great care of his performers. We loved the inn and will definitely be back! If you're ever in Indy, do yourself a favor and stay there. We set up at Theatre on the Square (a great space as well) and I headlined the show later that night. While performing my closing bit, the 100' challenge rope escape, I got a little bold and challenged two active duty soldiers to tie me up... these guys were PROS! It was the first time that I ever asked myself onstage, "what do I do if I can't get out?!" It took them 3:21 to tie me up and I was lucky to escape in 3:15! Following the escape, I received my first "real" standing ovation! It was an amazing night, capped off by dinner and drinks with my new magic friends in Indy!

The next morning we woke up entirely too early to kick off the Fourth of July (and, of course, Rube Goldberg's Birthday). We drove four hours to Gurnee, IL, to perform at Six Flags Great America's "4th Fest." Earlier I mentioned that the temperatures were 100+ everyday of our trip. On Wednesday, the only day that I was performing outside, the temperature hit 112, with the heat index! I was in survival mode each time I stepped onto the stage wearing jeans and boots! I did the 100' rope escape in each show and was thankful that those Army guys didn't follow me from Indianapolis! I don't think I could have got out of their knots in that heat! After successfully completing the shows, we were able to spend the rest of the evening with our friend Cris "Monga" Siqueira, who drove down from Milwaukee. We rode roller coasters, watched fireworks, talked about Girl to Gorilla shows and had a splendid time!

"Friend" me on Facebook for a great story about this photo, and others.

On Thursday, July 5, we drove to Elgin, IL, to spend time with Christine's grandmother. She is 92 and suffered a stroke in March. It is amazing how far she has come in her recovery. Christine was overjoyed to spend time with her! It was definitely the highlight of the trip for Christine. That evening, we made our way into Chicago and saw Cirque Shanghai. It was great to have a night off to just relax and enjoy watching other performers instead. If you have a chance to catch this show, do! You will be in awe at the amount of true skill in one show. We concluded the evening with pilgrimages to Harry Caray's and the Billy Goat Tavern.

Our Midwest trip wrapped up the next day, but not without a stop at Giordano's for their famous stuffed pizza. It made us happy, but rather full, for the drive home to attend my cousin's wedding reception the next day.

That's it for this adventure, but a new one begins now, as I am working on my first professional theatre gig. For more information, please check out my blog about STRATA!

HOLY COW!!!

Midwest Magic Tour - The week of July 4th

I will be doing a brief Midwest tour, performing magic, the week of July Fourth. The tour will feature public shows in Louisville, KY; Indianapolis, IN; and Chicago, IL.

Derby City Magic (Louisville) - Monday, July 2nd at The Comedy Caravan at 7pm. www.derbycitymagic.com

Indy Magic Monthly (Indianapolis) - Tuesday, July 3rd at Theatre On The Square at 7:30pm. www.indymagicmonthly.com

Six Flags Great America - Fourth Fest! (Chicago, actually 45 minutes away in Gurnee, IL) - Wednesday, July 4th, five performances at: 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 4pm & 5pm. www.sixflags.com/greatAmerica

If you're in the area, please stop by! I look forward to seeing you!

STRATA at Bricolage

I am very excited to announce that I will be acting in a new production called STRATA at Bricolage (http://www.bricolagepgh.org/) in partnership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

The show opens Wednesday, August 1, 2012 and is scheduled to run through Saturday, September 1, 2012.

As for exactly what STRATA is... the production company is attempting to maintain a degree of secrecy about the project, but what I can tell you is:

"Somewhere between truth and fiction, reality and simulation, STRATA is an immersive urban adventure. Arrive at a secret destination, make contact with your Agent, and embark on a private rite of passage where the choices you make will determine your destiny."

As we move forward, more information will be available at http://www.STRATApittsburgh.com.

6/21/2012 UPDATE: Check out this promotional video for STRATA: Click here.

Jaxson's Jog

I am pleased to announce that I will be the Emcee for Jaxson's Jog on Sunday, June 3rd!

Jaxson's Jog is 5K & 10K run plus a 1 Mile Fun Walk in Support of Children with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH). A friend and client of mine, Sarah Mayer, is the event organizer. Her son, Jaxson Isaac Mayer, was born 5-19-08 with left-sided CDH. Today Jaxson is a happy, healthy and talkative four year old. He's achieving every normal milestone for his age. Please visit http://jaxsonsjog.com to read his story and learn more about Jaxson's Jog.

In addition to my Emcee duties, I will also be performing a couple of magic tricks during the event! And my wife, Christine Starkey, will be running the 5K!

If you would like to run, walk, volunteer, donate or just come out to show your support, please visit: http://jaxsonsjog.com.

Shit Magicians Say

Inspired by the very popular "Shit _____ Say" videos on YouTube, we created our very own parody called, "Shit Magicians Say".

Please check it out! And of course, sharing the video is much appreciated!

Finally Blogging...

I am finally going to start using my blog! I look forward to sharing news and events with you in this little space on the web. The plan is for this site to give you a look “behind the magic” – a more personal take on the things that you read about on the Creative Conjuring website, etc.

I will also be sharing some thoughts on the business of show, backstage stories, photographs, and links to other sites and pieces of humor that are worthy of your consideration. Mostly, I guess, this is supposed to be an on-line journal of sorts – I hope that it's worth the investment of your time.