VAUDE_VISUALS

Drew Richardson leans back for a moment during the portrait taking session.

Drew The Dramatic Fool in one of the scenes from his one man show “Help Help” at The Canal Park Playhouse.

His show has magic, juggling, puppetry, and all around hilarious clowning.

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At The Canal Park Playhouse

Drew The Dramatic Fool is ever the Optimist in this delightful, funny and charming show.

Juggling 3 balls and Drew The Dramatic Fool still has that innocent look of amazement.

Drew is confused when he finds two helping hands in his mail box while trying to find the murderer.

What is going on behind this wall? Drew the Dramatic Fool looks on.

Drew is always a little scared because all night long he gets messages that he is ‘next’ to die!

Drew the Dramatic Fool strikes his ‘trademark’ pose for the audience even with a bucket foot.

Drew the Dramatic Fool conjures up a ‘lookalike’ puppet.

I have many more amazing shots of this great fun show but I suggest you just go see it!

TICKETS and more info HERE!

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Princess Sunshine (Juliet Jeske) is seen here singing her lesson in a Song “Backup Plan” for young boys and girls.

Princess Sunshine (Juliet Jeske) is seen here singing her lesson in a song “Backup Plan” for young boys and girls.

Vaudephone is a co-production of Vaudevisuals.com and the American Vaudeville Theatre/Travalanche.

http://vaudevisuals.com
travsd.wordpress.com/

Recorded at Dixon Place on January 19, 2012

The Co-Host of the show were Book Kennison and Mike Dobson.

Book Kennison hosting the Evening’s talent line up.

Mike Dobson co-host the Mr. Aviner’s Variety Hour at Dixon Place

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Gabriel Drouin

Gabriel Drouin performing on the Cyr Wheel

Having trained in martial arts prior to his work on the Cyr wheel Gabriel Drouin has great balance.

With legs crossed and still maintaining a great sense of movement.

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Adam Kuchler

With nothing but a few hats and a shopping bag Adam Kuchler makes the audience hysterical.

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Karianne Hayes

With fine technique and beauty Karianne Hayes captivates the audience.

Currently in her second year at Ecole de Cirque de Quebec, Karianne Hayes has amazing promise for the future.

Karianne Hayes has complete control over her body and technique.

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Aaron DeWitt

Aaron DeWitt has been juggling for 10 years and has an amazing talent.

Aaron DeWitt juggles effortlessly with mystical results.

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Aerial Emery

Aerial Emery performs with her hula hoop at the beginning of her act.

Aerial Emery has plenty of talent to share with the audience.

Performing with multiple hula hoops all at once.

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Adam Kuchler

Adam Kuchler displays his cigar box juggling skills.

Adam Kuchler caught in mid air juggling his cigar boxes.

Adam Kuchler juggling many cigar boxes.

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Karianne Hayes

With precision and technique Karianne Hayes performs on the German Wheel.

Karianne Hayes performs beautifully on the German Wheel.

After finishing the act Karianne Hayes takes her bow while holding the German Wheel.

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The Piccolini Trio

(Josh Stack, John Stork, Joy Powers) The Piccolini Trio act up as the final act of the evening.

The Piccolini brothers try to catch the falling dish from the Piccolini sister.

After breaking up all the dishes the Piccolini Trio take their bow.

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Look for future productions of MR. AVINER’S VARIETY HOUR at Dixon Place in the future!

The April edition of tinyDANGEROUSfun was just a terrific show.

Co-hosts John Leo and Andy Sapora start the evening off with a new twist.

The new ‘twitter’ option where the audience can twitter their request for what they want the co-host John Leo and Andy Sapora to do!

One twitter audience member ask that John and Andy change shirts but keep the same ties.

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JOHN GUY with some inappropriate, and quite funny, stand-up comedy.

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Audience member ‘tweets’ what they want the co-hosts to do.

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ANNA GOTHARD plays some fierce original songs!

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MARINA TSAPLINA AND CHRISTOPHER SCHEER with a minimalist, sexy, funny, touching turn.

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Mother Courage the Band wow us with their surreal superhero operatic folk music.

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Siobhan O’Loughlin delivers intense poetry

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The 13th Act

the bait.

the catch.

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Co-hosts Andy Sapora and John Leo inform to the volunteer audience members about the 13th Act.

AFTER INTERMISSION

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JONATHAN KAPLAN

Jonathan Kaplan: witty, intelligent and funny.

“You see this tattoo” say Jonathan Kaplan in his delightful stand up routine.

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SINCERELY YOURS has got skillz!

Sincerely Yours plays bassoon while her dress falls off.

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John Leo takes a moment to show his co-host Andy Sapora how pleased he is with the evening.

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Sincerely Yours waits in the wings for the curtain call.

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TORKOVA setting us up.

Torkova and audience member knocking us down.

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Every last TUESDAY of every MONTH is ‘tinyDANGEROUSfun’ at the Sycamore Bar in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.

NEXT SHOW IS MAY 29th!

To find out more about this great, fun evening go to

www.tinydangerousfun.com

12 Acts

Wonderful Line Up of performers

Great Location for a show – A warehouse full of movie props. The FilmBiz Prop Shop

Imagine a variety show on the set of a Twilight Zone Episode about a warehouse full of antique movie props….Awesome

Before the show the performing space is being set up.

A pillow for an audience member.

Josh Bisker readies the track lighting fixture before the audience arrives.

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SHOW TIME

Ellia and Josh Bisker get the show going by introducing the show.

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DALE SEEVER

Dale Seever begins his ‘spirit drawing’ session with a big easy chair and some spirits in hand.

Dale Seever holds up the ‘spirit drawing’ he did on the audience member.

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ZERO BOY

Zero Boy makes monster mayhem with his Sci-Fi Robot and Dinosaur love making scene.

More wonderfully insane stories told thru the vocal imagination of Zero Boy.

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ROB LOK

Rob Lok performs his manic madness on the audience.

Rob Lok performs an amazing handstand on 3 stacked chairs.

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PARIS

Paris (The Hip-Hop Juggler) spinning the red rings on his foot and hands.

Paris juggles five rings while kneeling on the floor. (Not enough ceiling height?)

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JOSH BISKER

Josh Bisker sings a lovely funny song for the audience at Superfun Variety Show

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DAVID BOYD

David Boyd performs card magic for the audience at Superfun Variety Show

David Boyd performs magic for onlooker Tanya Solomon who looks amazed.

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CARLA RHODES

Ventriloquist Carla Rhodes and Cecil Sinclair perform a hysterical set for the audience.

Cecil Sinclair sings a very funny song about Salt Water Toffee for the audience.

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ADAM KUCHLER

Adam Kuchler performs his wilding funny act for the audience.

While performing his wild act one of his swinging props lands in a precarious place.

Adam Kuchler realizes about his little mistake and feels the pain.

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BAD ADVICE

Right after the intermission the audience had a chance to ask questions which a select group of panelist would answer wtih “bad advice”.

Ellia Bisker sets up the table for the “Bad Advice” section of the show.

With Josh Bisker looking on, Cecil warms up to audience member panelist Mary Kelly Rayel.

Cecil loses his head during a heated fight between himself and Mary Kelly. Carla looks on!

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ELLIA BISKER

Ellie Bisker sings an original song from her Sweet Soubrette album.

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CHRIS GETHARD

Author of a new book titled A BAD IDEA I’M ABOUT TO DO. Chris invited an audience member (Austin Horse) onstage to liven up what he thought might be a slow performacne.

With Tazer in hand audience member Austin Horse proceeded to terrorize Chris.

(It was indeed a ‘bad idea that he did’)

While Chris Gethard reads his book he is constantly on the watch for Austin with the Tazer in his hand.

Chris Gethard almost gets ‘tazered’ by the hand picked Austin Horse.

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JEFF SEAL AND CHRIS MANLEY (BUTTONS)

Jeff Seal and Chris Manley pointing at me during the performance.

Jeff Seal and Chris Manley performing some rudimentary but hysterical acrobatics.

Chris Manley and Jeff Seal leave the audience with a sense of ‘being lifted off the ground’ by their antics.

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To keep up with Josh Bisker and what is going on and when the next Superfun Superfund Variety show is go here!

To keep up with Ellia Bisker and Sweet Soubrette go here!

Last Wednesday I accompanied John Towsen, (with Riley Kellogg and Billy Schultz) to the Music Box Theater to see a show that was to become one of my favorite shows on Broadway!

ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS

Here are the reviews. They can explain it better than I.

New York Times

Hollywood Reporter

John Towsen (blog author ALL FALL DOWN) and I went to meet with the physical comedy director Cal McCrystal and John did an informative interview with him.

Cal McCrystal is the Physical Comedy Director for the Broadway hit “One Man, Two Guvnors” playing at the Music Box Theater.
Having worked with Philippe Gaulier and Pierre Byland in the past, Cal’s sense of timing and comedy are delightful.
He discusses with (physical comedy blog ALL FALL DOWN) author John Towsen the work he has done on the show and the challenges he faced.

Video © 2012 by Jim Moore

“Mr. Hytner and Cal McCrystal, the physical comedy director, keep their cast on a taut tightrope between order and disorder.”
Ben Brantley, NY Times

Thanks to Hilary Chaplain for making this interview possible!

Our Vaudephone taping schedule is officially on hiatus as Travis S.D. works on his new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube. We will be resuming with a whole batch of new and exciting contemporary variety performers starting in June. In the meantime, please enjoy the incomparable Jenny Lee Mitchell as Deirdre Pazzeco in “sopravvalutato”:

Vaudephone is a co-production of Vaudevisuals.com and the American Vaudeville Theatre/Travalanche

(Diedre Pazzesco played by Jenny Lee Mitchell)

vaudevisuals.com
travsd.wordpress.com/

Recorded at Dixon Place on October 25th, 2011.

I was fortunate to get a ticket and accompany John Towsen (who purchased the ticket thru his TDF account- Thanks John), Billy Schultz and Riley Kellogg to see this hysterically funny show at the Music Box Theater.

Here is a still I was able to take during a moment when James Corden is on stage alone relating to the audience.

I haven’t laughed so hard at a live Broadway show since I can remember. If you get a chance SEE THIS SHOW!

If you can’t afford the Broadway seat prices (It opens on Tuesday and it should be a big HIT) I suggest you go see it a BAM where it is being presented as an HD film screening as part of ‘National Theater Live’ series. Information here

‘The most glorious comedy on the planet.’
Daily Mail, March 2012

When an individual thinks about becoming an actor they assume it means taking ‘acting classes’.

What is called ‘working from the inside out’. Learning a technique to act! Stanislavski – Method Acting – etc.

The most interesting training an actor can really have is ‘physical theater’ training. This is where the actor learns to act ‘from the outside in’.

I have been an advocate of the technique of French master Jacques Lecoq and his training. Many performing groups that I have photographed over the years have been trained by either Lecoq himself or someone that studied with him.

Currently, the show at Lincoln Center‘s Vivian Beaumont Theater is WAR HORSE and several of the actor/actress’s have had this training. I contacted Richard Crawford who is the co-director of Movement Theater Studio and he introduced me to two of his students who are performing in the show. I was invited backstage to interview Hunter Canning and Leah Hofmann.

After they talked about their training and how imperative it was for working in theater , I then interviewed Richard Crawford and Virginia Scott from MTS.

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For more information on Movement Theater Studio go here.