Photo by Marc Norberg:

Josette Antomarchi has been Rosie and my director since 2002.  Between 2002 and 1992, when I had been a director at Disney, was a period of personal artistic transformation. The magic spell that Disney casts left an indelible mark.  I created a series of post-Disney one-man shows where I played a personified egg, which eventually hatched into the Wacky Chickens in a kind of Daffy Duck kind of way.

I toured my new one-man shows to Fringe Festivals across the USA, as well as performing them at local venues like the Bryant Lake Bowl Cabaret.  When it became time to incorporate my new ideas into a show with Rosie, I realized that we now needed a director. Most variety performers never use a director, so by default the audience becomes their director. If people laugh you keep it, if they don’t laugh you throw it out. But what I wanted for Rosie and I was the same kind of outside director’s eye that I had been providing to a growing number of other variety artists after my time at Disney.

I remember telling Rosie that I thought the perfect director for us was this little French powerhouse of an actress named Josette.  She was one of the founding members of Theatre de la Jeune Lune, which began as a bi-lingual theater that spent 6-months in Paris, and 6-months in Minneapolis. When Jeune Lune settled permanently in Minneapolis, Josette moved back to France to study with Peter Brook, and eventually became a marque member of Theatre du Soleil in Paris.

When Rosie and I were performing in a benefit for our friend and neighbor Kevin Kling after his motorcycle accident, we went to change into our chicken costumes, and were surprised to see standing in the center of the dressing room, Josette covered from head to toe in feathers.  It was clearly an artistic match made in heaven.

Below are all of our shows that Josette has directed.

Original Art by Cate Whittemore / Graphic Design by Fred Baisch:

The first show Josette directed was a full evening version of The Wacky Chicken Show. She brilliantly guided Rosie and I to achieve one of our best works together. Thanks to a grant from the MN State Arts Board we were able to capture the show on DVD.

Photo by Marc Norberg / Graphic Design by Fred Baisch:

A Life of Serious Nonsense is the second show of ours that Josette directed, after we were awarded a second grant from the MN State Arts Board. I wrote the show as a play within a play.    When Rosie and I are on stage we play our traditional clown roles, but then we show the audience our relationship back-stage where our world is reversed and Rosie is in charge.

I guess it’s a little bit biographical.

Original Art by Lloyd Brant / Graphic Design by Fred Baisch

The third show Josette directed was my one-man show, A Spirit of Halloween.  It’s a story of a Fool who is lost at the crossroads between light and darkness. I based this show on a character I developed when I was the opening act for the Rock and Roll legend THE DOORS in 2004. I was asked to play a juggling shaman/clown whose role was to raise the spirit of Jim Morrison from the dead.

Check out my blog post tomorrow for more details…

Photo and Graphics by Marc Norberg:

THE VAUDEVILLIAN was the fourth full evening show that Josette has directed for us.   In 2010, I was commissioned by to write it for the Southern Theater’s 100^th anniversary season. This was my first play that required words, so I approached my neighbor, friend, and master storyteller Kevin Kling, who agreed to collaborate with me on the script.

The show was based on the original vaudeville show that played the night that the Southern Theater opened its doors in 1910. When I looked at the original line-up the only woman on the bill was named Rose. The play was about the spirits of these original cast members returning to the stage 100-years later.

Josette is currently directing me in a new one-man medicine show that I’ve been developing for the past couple of years.

To be continued…

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Disney Photo 1992

I’m pictured here with my assistant director at Disney, Mike Korkis. Today he is the Head of Casting for Disneyworld® in Florida.  Mike was my secret weapon.  Disney’s blood courses through this man’s veins to the point that people often mistook him for Michael Eisner, who was Disney’s CEO at the time.  Without Mike I could not have navigated the corporate bureaucratic labyrinth.

Over the course of the Disney Entertainment Arts Festival, Mike and I became truly good friends.  Before working with me he was a cast member in the Streetmosphere® Program at Disney’s MGM Studios.  I like to think that working on this project was my friend’s big break. He had such a love for Disney’s brand of magic that it became infectious.

In show business there is a tension between what is entertainment, and what is truly art. My greatest challenge as a director for The Disney Entertainment Arts Festival was holding true to the spirit of the word “Arts” in the title of the project.  I knew I had an ally in Mike Korkis, who always had my back in my Don Quixote quest.

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Disney Photo 1992©

Sean was the most challenging of my apprentices at Disney, because throughout the summer he tirelessly kept challenging himself.  We had a common love for Commedia dell’Arte, so I encouraged him to explore the power of the mask in his Streetmosphere® work with the public.  At first he performed with traditional Italian Commedia style masks such as Arlecchino and Pantalone, but when he finally came up with Scuba Seano is when his performances truly blossomed.

There was a patch of beach sand landscaped around a swimwear shop that Sean transformed into his personal sandbox to play inside.  Eventually he developed a full street show, where he would gather a crowd and then select members of the audience to assist him in staging an elaborate set-up that ended with him upside down with his head in a bucket full of water, to huge applause.

Today, Sean lives in upstate New York, with his wife, and two-year old daughter.  After many years of making his living on the road he has settled down and established his own circus arts program called, Circus Theatrix, and conducts summer camps where he teaches circus and theater.

Recently Sean contacted me, and asked me to direct him in a new show.  I look forward to the opportunity to work with him again. Below I’ve included a couple photos of the earlier characters that he developed and performed at Disney.

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ARLECCHINODisney Photo 1992©

PANTALONEDisney Photo 1992©

Disney Photo 1992©

I would like everyone to meet Lucille and Francine Warbler. I directed them as Streetmosphere® characters for the 1992© Disney Entertainment Arts Festival.  Disney’s idea was for them to pattern their characters after the woman in the Mary Poppins film, who inspired the song “Feed The Birds”.

It was a pleasure to work with these two fine actresses.   The original idea was for them to be eccentric bird watchers, but as rehearsals progressed Lucille and Francine started believing that they were actual birds, which brought their characters a level of true absurdity.

Disney’s CEO Michael Eisner fell in love with The Warbler Sisters when he toured the festival. My daughter Liza fell in love with them too, when she and Rosie were visiting me in Florida.  Liza was just five-years old, and was instantly drawn to Lucille and Francine’s strong female characters.  One of their bits was setting up a table and chairs in the middle of street, and hosting a tea party for the children who happened to pass by.  Liza immediately crawled up in one of their empty folding chairs, and enjoyed sipping imaginary tea, while listening to their birdbrained stores.

Disney Photo 1992©

Lisa Sleeper chose the name Lucille for her character because Lucille Ball was her childhood hero.  Her dream was to work full time at Disney, and I’m happy to say that in 1993 her dream came true.  Lisa is currently performing at EPCOT doing trunk shows.  I understand that she also performs for numerous special events on Disney property, plus outside corporate events, as well as the beloved annual Orlando Fringe Festival.

I’m proud to have been there at the beginning of Lisa’s journey that blossomed into a lifelong career at Disney.

Disney Photo 1992©

Ali Elk, who played Francine Warbler moved to Los Angeles after working with me at Disney. For many years she performed sketch comedy, while making her living acting in commercials.

After a brief time in Virginia because of her husband’s work needs they are now back in LA, and as she says, “I’m slooowly making my way back to acting.” But she loves being at it again.

Ali’s passion was always for film, rather than theater. During her time with me, Disney brought many experts from the entertainment industry to speak to my apprentices, including the LA agent that she ended up working with in when she moved to California.

I wish Ali all the best on her return to Hollywood.

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My daughter Liza became engaged this week. Andrew and Liza have known each other since they were both 15-years old.   Liza was selling flowers at the Colorado Renaissance Festival and noticed a boy her age at a shoemaker’s shop. Even though it was uphill from everywhere else at the festival she chose to make that shop a regular part of her route with her basket of flowers.

The second day the shoemaker’s son came out of his booth and asked to buy a flower. Liza asked, “Which one would you like?” and Andrew answered, “Which one would you recommend?” Liza selected a giant sunflower, and when she took his money and handed the flower to him, Rew handed it right back to her, and said, “This is for you.”

When Liza was born, and the midwife told me that I was the father of a daughter, the first thought that that entered my mind was, “What the hell am I going to do when she starts dating?” When Andrew came into Liza’s life I never had any concerns. I felt a familial bond from the moment Liza introduced us, as if we had all been family before in a past life.

Welcome back to our family Andrew.

Dad

Disney Photo 1992©

Jim Covey was, and I’m sure still is a tireless workhorse when performing. He came to Disney after graduating from Ringling Clown College, and made a great street clown. Currently I believe he is now employed full time at The Magic Kingdom.

Disney Photo 1992©

I cast him in a Streetmospher role with the task cleaning up the Disney Village. I watched as the regular army of Disney street sweepers were at first confused by Jim in his absurdly comic efforts, but they all grew to love him just as the audience did.

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Disney Photo 1992©

When I was preparing for this series of blog posts about my time at Disney I did a double take at the name David Harris, who I had cast as a street magician. This is not David Harris the magician from my hometown of Minneapolis; this the David Harris I directed in 1992, and is originally from Mechanicsville, Virginia.   I’m sure David Harris the magician from Minneapolis is shaking his head reading this and thinking, not another David Harris in the business. We actually have two performers named David Harris living in Minneapolis, one is a magician, the other is a physical comedian, and they’re both talented and gifted performers. My David Harris from Disney is also a talented and gifted performer. I’m beginning wonder if there isn’t a secret cult where everybody in it is named David Harris, and their plan is to take over the world through laughter and delight.

My first memory of David was talking by phone about the upcoming summer Disney project.   He was a charming ambitious young man who was eager for the opportunity to perform.  He said that he was an actor who could sing, and play guitar, but was willing to do anything. As an afterthought he mentioned that he had recently learned a couple magic tricks. My ears always perk up when I hear the word magic. I learned that his roommate was the real magician, but David thought his friend might be a great resource to help him work up a magic act to show me.

When we finally met David face to face I was amazed at the sophistication of the magic that he had developed so quickly.  He started out demonstrating a simple but effective opening card trick, then followed it with some pretty good coin manipulations that actually fooled me, and ended with a classic cups and balls routine.  Unfortunately, I noticed him flashing quite a bit from the side. When I pointed this out he told me that he had been practicing for hours in front of the mirror. I said, yes your magic was clean from the front, but you’re going to be a street magician, and the audience will be standing in circle around you. I’ve never seen anyone work so hard, and come, so far. so quickly.  By the end he could flawlessly perform his magic while surrounded in the street, appearing a coconut from under his empty hat as his final trick.

Today David lives in Orlando, and still makes his living as a performer.

The world needs more David Harris’.

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Disney Photo 1992©

As I mentioned a couple posts back, Mark Sieve from Puke & Snot is the person I credit for my dream gig at Disney back in 1992. Pictured here are Redgrave & Scrout a comic sword duo that Mark Sieve wrote, and then flew down to direct.

On the left is Bill Larkin playing Redgrave, and on the right is Jake Lockwood playing Scrout.  Both actors were dedicated professionals, and a pleasure to work with.

While working at Disney I learned what a strong influence Renaissance Festivals have had on Disney theme parks.  In staff meetings I was told that EPCOT’s design was patterned after the layout of a Renaissance Festival. I remember when EPCOT first opened back in the 80s they hired many Renaissance entertainers to perform trunk style shows, and later in the 90s Disney coined the phrase Streetmosphere to describe the type of interactive theater that Renaissance Festivals have been successfully doing since the 60s.

The Disney Entertainment Arts Festival that I directed took place in the old Disney Village, which was a non-gated shopping area. I was basically asked to produce a miniature Renaissance Festival with roaming Streetmospher characters, and stage shows like Redgrave & Scrout, a Puke and Snot style show that Mark had to tame down for Disney.

Both Bill and Jake are each still working in the entertainment industry. In fact I’m proud that almost all of my former Disney apprentices are still working in show business today.

Disney Photo 1992©

Bill Larkin is currently living in Chicago, and performs at a dueling piano bar. Bill has always been nosebleed funny to me. Backstage he loved to sing the comic songs he wrote. The last time I saw Bill was when we were both performing at the Orlando Fringes Festival in 1995. Bill performed at his piano, and sang his comic songs. As always he was brilliant.

Disney Photo 1992©

When I first met Jake, he had just graduated with a theater degree in stage combat, so he really brought solid technique to the sword show.  I’m sure he’s still bringing his “A” game to everything he does. In fact he just finished a stint as the associate show director for the big Star Wars Weekends in the park leading up to the upcoming movie release. I can only imagine the light saber choreography he’s been creating for Disney.

To be continued…

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Disney Photo 1992©

Reid Belstock came to the Disney Entertainment Arts program fresh out of Ringling Brothers Clown College. Before that he had cut his teeth performing juggling shows on Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado.  I saw that Reid had raw talent when we first met, but he was clearly a diamond in the rough with a hard edge

Reid wanted to juggle fire in his act, which alarmed Disney’s management.  I remember standing in the parking lot outside our rehearsal hall surrounded by a half-dozen men and women with clipboards.  Disney’s thought was that outside was the safest place to witness Reid’s fire juggling.  The first thing Reid did was light a double headed devil stick on fire and kick it across the asphalt yelling, “Back to the Future!”  The gasoline soaked devil stick rolled across the parking lot leaving behind two flaming tracks, before coming to rest under the gas tank of a parked car.  I instantly heard the click of a half-dozen ballpoint pens, as the Disney brass began scribbling on their clipboards.

I was a teacher, director, and mentor all rolled into one.  To soften Reid’s hardened streetwise edge I gave him a pair of horn-rimmed eyeglasses with the lenses popped out.  At first Reid resisted my attempt to develop a more sympathetic comic character.  With coaxing he put on those glasses and transformed before my eyes. Reid named his new character, Tommy Loon, and for the rest of that summer he had me, and the audiences at Disney in stitches.

Disney Photo 1992©

Afterwards the comic glasses became Reid’s signature, and he built his career on the character he developed at Disney, under my direction.  Twenty-years later Reid contacted me, and asked if I would direct him in a new show called, SMIRK, that he was developing with his partner, Warren Hammond.

But that’s another story…

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In 1992, I was selected as show director of theater for the Disney Entertainment Arts Festival in Florida. Mark Sieve of Puke and Snot recommended me for the position. It was a pet project of CEO Michael Eisner, and a dream gig for me.

This post will be the first in a series about my directing career. Disney was not my first public-show as a director, but it does mark a clear beginning. There is my life before Disney, and my life afterwards.

You can see by this picture that I was a very young. During my time at Disney, Rosie and I were also performing on the national Renaissance circuit. I lived in Orlando, while Rosie and Liza lived in our trailer at a string of Renaissance Festivals across the country.  I would work Monday through Friday at Disney, and perform weekends with Rosie on-the-road. I racked up a lot of miles with Delta Airlines that year.

Disney 1992®

This official portrait of my cast was taken on a weekend so I’m not in the photo, but if you look close you can see that my spirit is present.

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