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January 2010

Thumbnail image for Economic Downturn Hurts Children’s Entertainers

Economic Downturn Hurts Children’s Entertainers

What’s a children’s entertainer to do in a shrinking economy? While business is up for a few, according to a couple of articles at the MiamiHerald.com, the economy is shrinking what parents are willing to spend on their child’s birthday parties.

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Thumbnail image for 3 Things You Can Do to Create a Fear of Clowns

3 Things You Can Do to Create a Fear of Clowns

“Everybody loves a clown, so why don’t you?” was the question asked by Gary Lewis and the Playboys back in 1965 as they sang on the Ed Sullivan Show. And it’s a great question for those of us who entertain as clowns to ask as well.
Throughout history, people have loved clowns. But recently there seems to be an increase in the number of people who fear clowns. What could be causing people to develop such an aversion to red-nosed entertainers?

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Thumbnail image for Top 5 Questions on the Business of Entertaining

Top 5 Questions on the Business of Entertaining

I have just taken two honesty pills and washed them down with a cold Mountain Dew. I am ready to bear my soul and be realistic with five questions that need to be addressed.

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Thumbnail image for Makup Tip from Bubba

Makup Tip from Bubba

If you apply Mascara to your eyelashes, place your mirror on the counter top, bend over and apply your mascara while looking down into the mirror. Those little black specs of mascara will fall onto the mirror instead of your clown makeup leaving you a spec free face. It’s easy to wipe the specs off the mirror…… Enjoy.

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Thumbnail image for Pick Me! Pick Me! How to Select Great Volunteers

Pick Me! Pick Me! How to Select Great Volunteers

Choosing the right volunteer to have as an assistant or helper on stage is critical to the success of the performance. The right child on stage can make a show, the wrong one can leave you wishing you had stayed home.
Here are a few ideas that help insure you get just the right person so your presentation goes well.

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Thumbnail image for No Magic, No Balloons, No Face Paint, Oh My!

No Magic, No Balloons, No Face Paint, Oh My!

Here’s a controversial statement: Not every show we do should revolve around balloon art, face painting and magic. Too many times we, as clowns, put too much stock into the “old stand bys”. The result, many performers have shows that look a lot like those of other entertainers in their market. Yes, I know a lot of time and money has gone into face paints, balloons and magic props, however, I think that in order to be competitive in today ’s market you must be more than a

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Answering Machine Fun

Almost everyone uses an answering machine or service. Consider adding a little humor to your message. For example, “If I am unable to answer the phone it is because I am

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Thumbnail image for 2 Things That Will Help Your Audience Remember You

2 Things That Will Help Your Audience Remember You

In last week’s installment of this series, I discussed the need to develop a trademark action or saying that our audiences will permanently associate with us and thus, remember us. For example, the hundreds of cannibal jokes that “Cannibal Cannon” used more than three decades ago that still ring in my memory today.
This final chapter of the article will focus on two more qualities we can infuse in our characters and performances that will help create lasting memories with our audiences.

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Thumbnail image for How to Get Children to Sit Still While Face Painting

How to Get Children to Sit Still While Face Painting

Ever have trouble face painting because the child was wiggling around? Almost everyone does! Here’s a simple tip that can make a big difference when you are trying to get that makeup just right on a squirmy little princess or Spiderman.

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Thumbnail image for Fantastic First Clown Impressions

Fantastic First Clown Impressions

As entertainers, we should honor our craft by always looking our best and by giving our audience our best performance. Unfortunately, you don’t have to look far to see performers who create a bad impression. For example, I frequently see balloon and restaurant entertainers with dirty hands and fingernails. And you don’t have to look far to find clowns who forget how a magic trick works.
An Example from the Speaking World
Recently, while working as a speaker at a large convention in South Dakota, I had an early morning appointment the meeting planner to check out the venue. Now, although [...]

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