Children's Parade

11 years ago Miles made it to the front page of the local paper...full color. He was dressed as the Jolly Green Midget pulling a little red wagon. He was three.
For the subsequent years we have been on the road whenever this parade would take place and missed out on it. Not this year. Come down to downtown Oroville where the cast and family of the Kent Family Magic Circus will once again march along our local town's street in full costume as we join the parade. The 62nd Annual Kiwanis Kiddie Parade. Starts at 4:30 pm ...downtown Oroville May 8!.

Ball Python

OK...this is crazy.
What makes our show unique and very different from any show you will ever see any where?
It's got to be a family performing together right? No....in fact we just referred a great family act to ABC for a TV show and we have run across family singing groups, cloggers, dancers, magicians, etc. Then it must be an act full of variety right? No....there are tons of variety acts. And there are tons of acts that specialize in just magic, just juggling, just side show stuff, just snakes,, just birds, etc. Wait...lets look back there...did I say snakes....yeah, I'll get to that.
What makes us so darn unique is that we are a family that performs a very unusual variety of stuff. We have the magic and illusions, we have the juggler who stilt walks and unicycles, we have a teenager who is a master of the bullwhip including insane stunts, he also lays on beds of nails, has bricks broken on his tummy, eats fire (like his old man....me), and occasionally walks on glass, and the irony is he also performs as a balloon tiwsting clown who rides a reaaaaaaly tiny bike. We have the Quick change artist slice-em-up, make her float 17 year old daughter, the 7 year old who gets tied up with 100' of rope and does other escapes as well and occasionally turns into a 21 pound bunny. We have the 5 year old who can read the mind of adult or child and the 3 year old who upto today just made bunnies and doves and sometimes a chicken appear....well she wanted a snake.
If you read the last blog entry you know we took her to a pet store to see if she really wanted a snake...you know let her handle it. She did. She loved it. it was a tiny corn snake and she thought it was cute. The cold scales above as the muscular insides wrangle around didn't freak her out. So off to Craig's List and low and behold there is a gentleman wanting to thin his herd and is giving away a Ball Python with a cage and all the trimmings. Grant it it's a two and ahalf hour drive. But worth it.
Tomorrow Princess Olivia will become Princess to the snake...we will keep it away from the bunnies...though the 21 pound one might give the snake heartburn...or worse.
We will post photos soon.

Snakes....Idaho...Texas...Track...Skunks

How crazy and wonderfully filling and fulfilling a day can be.
Yesterday the family was chit chatting and little Olivia expressed an interest in adding a snake to the show so later we went to the pet store in town with a buddy (Hi JC) and they took a corn snake out of the tank and she took to it like it was a baby doll. The three year old loved it. So I started my look for a Red Tail Boa today (I was told they are the best one for human interaction). Craigs list, local shops, the newspaper. Who knows maybe soon we will have yet something new in the show.
Idaho....We performed in Lewis County, Idaho three years ago and it was fun. The group has contacted us again. We are in negotiations. It would mean 48 hours to get from south Texas to North Idaho.....can it be done?
Texas.... A buddy of mine (Hi Vorin) is the manager of a nice theater in Texas. Through a deal with him we are going to do a 2 or 3 show program for the schools in that area. Already one school has bought a ticket for each of their students. Three days before this gig we Will be finishing up our Iowa gig......talk about glob-trotting.
Track...Princess Cynthia (who was a State finalist last year) has had a pretty tough season. She missed a couple of the first meets due to the bad timing of a bad cold. Then she did 2 meets and twisted her ankle badly at a practice....SPRANG! That was two weeks ago and 3 or 4 meets. She hopes to be better for the league championships in two weeks. keep he in your prayers. At today's meet Miles ran the Mile and took 4th; the 100 meters (his first attempt) and though he finished 5th out of 5 (he's a distance runner) he had a blast and was laughing the entire run...in distance shoes not spikes. He also ran the 3200 (2 Mile) and took first. he loves longer races and prefers 5K, 10K or more.
Skunks...It''s the time of year where we restock our sales items. 300 spring skunks arrived today. They are very popular at our show. Whew!

The Easiest Route in Show Business...especially if you have no talent

Over the past six months I have been networking, meeting, and smooshing my way around the show business scene around the western portion of these fine United States. I have come up with an incredible observation. I will first state that Houdini was once referred to as a Magician but corrected the speaker by saying he was more than just a mere magician because anyone could shake a tree and ten magicians will fall out. As a kid I was amused by that statement...as a performer who has been performing for 35 years I no longer laugh but shake my head and agree. There is no easier show business job that magic. (Before any magician gets peeved at me read on...)
Think about it... Even the lowest level juggler has to practice for hours upon hours upon weeks and months to develop the skills to get those balls moving correctly. A dancer, the same. A hula hoop artist, the same. A bullwhip artist, the same. A (good) singer, the same. A drummer, the same. Even a tambourine player needs at very minimum rhythm. But a magician.....all he needs is money to buy a trick.

I have run across hundreds of people who hand me their card and read on it, "Magician". After speaking with them for a bit, and perhaps even watching them do a quick trick or viewing their Youtube video, it turns out they do all the standard stuff that can be purchased by anyone who knows where the local magic shop is or who can type in "Magic Tricks" on google.; and that's all the skill, for many of these folks, that is required. Go to Youtube and you will prove me right. A magician thinks all he needs is a trick, music he heard Copperfield or Criss Angel use, and he has an act. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! What kills me is they then go out and get cards printed...or worse yet, print their own at home and boom they have a business.
Magicians....listen up....any ne can do what you are doing. Watch the masked magician on TV, learn a few tricks, if you have money buy a few illusions, and boom you are a magician. The kicker to all this is many of you hacks will read this and agree with me totally oblivious to the fact I am referring to you! (Like those really bad singers on American Idol who have no clue.)
I will tell you how you can tell if it is you. You very rarely ever get booked. You do a ton of free shows but can't get anyone to pay you. If you can only book shows for $150 or less and are only called back because you were cheap...or worse yet, they don't call you back. If you have to ask how you did after a show and they say, "It's was good." and then don't elaborate. If people get up during your show to eander or leave on a regular basis. If there is a lot of butt shifting in their seats during your show. If the only people who voluntarily say your show was good are family and friends.
Some of the best magic I have seen performed have been by non magicians. Just a couple of months back I did a TV interview and the reporter asked if I had a trick she could do to work a magical-pun-segue into the story. I gave her a t***t*p and a silk. She performed the trick after only two practices in front of the camera and looked more natural than 90% of the magicians I've seen do it. Go to my website and see the video...it's fantastic. Also, have you seen the two big Illusion movies, the Prestige and the Illusionist Ed Norton and Hugh Jackman were fantastic as well, and they're just actors. Shouldn't the average person calling themselves a magician be better than an actor playing a magician? Those actors played the magician, something like 99% of self-proclaimed professional magicians today don't give it have the skill, energy and style those actors did. And believe it or not that includes many I saw at the Magic Castle. Most magicians today play to the trick instead of making the trick part of themselves. What I mean by that is simple. After a show, I mean right after the show, what (good things) do you remember about the performer? Do you know his name? Did he have a unique style that stands out? Most people remember the trick but very little about the performer. A lot of people don't even remember the trick. ((Personally I don't care if they remember any of the props or tricks..as long as they remember me....as long as they remember that "I" gave them a good time.))
I no longer call myself a magician. Yes, I do magic but I do something that is even more important, I entertain. My goal isn't always to fool the audience, though I am happy when we do. I want to touch each audience member in a memorable way. I am a showman.
I believe that nearly 99% of those folks calling themselves professional magicians fall into the category of hack or bore.
Now for that 1%. Wow. When in the hands of someone with talent magic can be WOW! When a performer can connect to the audience WOW. When the performer has practiced and developed innovative, unique, clever routines, patter and style WOW! When they take the time to develop a style, costuming, presence, skills WOW! Look at the Youtube video of Cardini...wow! Look at early Copperfield. Look at some of Criss Angel (since a good chunk of what he does is edited, cgi and fake...look at the really early stuff).
There are some great tricks out there. But at the end of the show if you are forgotten and the trick is all they remember that's too bad for you. And don't forget that there are thousands out there doing that some trick. At some point someone with real performing skills and showmanship is going to do that trick and those who saw you do it will only have bad things to say in comparison.
So hacks go out and spend time developing skills. Practice until you have somehtin unique. Take some art classes, some drama classes, dancing classes, creative wrting courses, anything to get your creative side and phycial side working together...and by allmeans throw your egos out the window.....but that's for another day.

Not just for kids Not just magic

There is a perception about our show, pehaps it's because we have kisd performing in the show, that our show best suits an all children audience or that our show is for kids. Well I have to tell you the show is aimed for all ages. Sure it's safe for kids because we don't use foul language, we don't wear explicit costumes, and similar things that are often qualified as for "adult" in nature. We are a clean family friendly show. But that doesn't mean it's just for kids. in fact we perform about 20% of our shows for all adult audiences rather successfully, in the corporate and club markets.
We will adjust our act to the audience present. For example, when an audience is weighted more with adult crowds Princess Amelia won't do her "Frog" mind-reading routine but will replace it with a routine where she reads the minds of three adults in the audience. Or name the "invisible item" an adult from the audience is imagining in their hand. And no one can say that walking on broken glass, levitating, Impaling an assistant, the bed of nails, and high quality juggling is just for kids. I guarantee you there is no better show for adults or for kids or for mixed audiences than the Kent Family Magic Circus.

And some people make the error of think we are a "magic show". We were once a magic show. But when Jim starting juggling, Miles started bull-whipping, Several of us started eating fire, walking on glass, laying on nails, pounding nails into our head, walking on walking globes, unicycling, etc the term "magic show" was replaced with MAGIC CIRCUS. There are many magic or illusion show elements in our show but it' can;'t be called a magic show any more. Still the magic elements are strong, well practiced and as professional as you can get. Likewise the variety entertainment that are non-magical are just as strong and well practiced and professional that to leave them out of the show title would border on being a sin.

Pizza Festival 09

Notice the pizza hat!

First off let me say that Lemoore has some of the best audiences in California. We always fill the seats and have rows of people watching the show. The organizers at the Pizza Festival are fabulous and do an awesome job. The vendors, for the most part are great people. (I know you hear a but coming......No not really but since a blog is like a diary and for me it's a place to put my thoughts down before I forget them....in case I write that book about us someday I will share everything.)

April (and sometimes March) is when things start moving faster here at the KFMC. After a week and a half of serving God doing outreach Christian programs we spent this Saturday in a little town south of Fresno called Lemoore. For a little town they have a big heart and a big love of pizza. This is our 4th year at the pizza festival and true to form it starts off with us setting up our stage. It has been at 4 different locations over the past four years. This year we were set at the entrance of a Parking Lot where we ended up partially blocking some cars....fortunately most were there for the day. One ,however ,I ended up negotiating out of the parking lot for the owner....our trailer and stage blocked her.....in the picture it's the white car to the right.

The Festival is no the biggest in the world...we only brought 4 of our 12 4X8 stage pieces. Still it was big enough for this event.

One thing you can count on at every festival everywhere in the world ...there is always someone unhappy with something. Last year the hardware store, whose parking lot entrance on the festival street side (that section was closed to traffic) was the sight of our stage... complained at first but came around when they realized the city gave them no choice. Three years ago a shop owner didn't like all the noise out in front of their shop.....I think they were against the festival to start with. 2 years ago the city had hired a grumpy ol' sound guy (who wasn't old at all) who didn't want any of the acts to use his stage....you know the stage the city rented from him for the acts to use. Fortunately the only complaint was a woman (a vendor) who complained we were blocking her car (Not in the picture...since she was able to move it). When she went to move it she had no problem at all....but complained anyways.

Festivals are always filled with people like these who complain about their vendor space, the parking, the security, the noise, the trash, the electricity, the sun, the rain, the "whatever"....it's one of those things you have to get used to. The best advice I have for performers is don't become one of them. Be cordial, be kind, be gentle, apologize even when it's not your fault, smile a lot, and if it's not that big of a deal remain quiet. If you can't do that don't expect to be hired again....no matter how good you are....that grumpy sound man learned that.

We pulled in good audiences and filled every seat at every show. And like I said there were always rows of standers. We were scheduled to perform three shows but we ended up adding a show when it became apparent our stilt walker, Jugglin Jim wasn't going to be able to do it due to a severe intestinal rejection of sushi he had two nights before. A 9' man throwing up on a festival goer would not be the publicity we needed. Still we had Magic Mouse stroll and I made balloon animals for the kids at the festival. I still felt that since we contracted for and they expected Jim to stroll as a stilt man we owed the festival something more. So I talked it over with our client and we added an extra show. Glad we did too because that show had the biggest audience.

Magic Mouse gets a high Five and above that Jugglin Jim trying to cope with Bad Sushi!

We met a few new people this year including a fireman- amateur photographer. He took the picture below and emailed it to me this morning. We also met a very nice vendor who made jewelery out of all silverware...real silverware. He's out of Bakersfield and he introduced himself in a very interesting way. He came over after our first show and told me he admired how I work with the kids and include them in the show. Then he said we were blessed and we must be Christians because the Holy Spirit is just bubbling out of us. (I should add here we had nothing going on or spoken that related to Christianity or God in general. ) It further convinced me of something I have noticed for many years. Brothers and Sisters in Christ can recognize each other through the Spirit. I have experienced it towards us many times and towards others as well. If you are truly in the Faith you don't have to say a word or do a thing you radiate God. (That doesn't mean we don't slip up or a bit of the world doesn't slip in...we started off as fallen humans after all.)

I suppose I shouldn't forget about the pizza. The most popular pizza there was from the Fatte Albert Pizza shop. The owner's daughters were regulars at our audience. It constantly had long lines and had several traditional and gourmet varieties. Domino's, Little Cesar's and a local shop Boston Pizza were all represented too.

Police Dept. Supporters sell Strawberry Pizzas!

The Princess' posing with Pizzas from Boston Pizza Shop.

The Pincess' in the town square.

Domino's Pizza being devoured by festival goers.

Little Cease Getting a hug from the crew!

Every show has it's stories and so did this gig. I notice a big boom in skateboarders. In fact, I think this is the only festival where skateboarding wasn't prohibited. As a result problems did arise. For example during our second show a couple of tween boys started walking through our staging area, mid way through they dropped their boards and rode between me and the audience laughing and reveling in disrupting the show. I didn't break beat as I was introducing a Miles for a routine I said, "and there are a couple of morons." It got laughs. In fact, the boys must of thought I was talking about them (I was). They turned around and by their actions I could tell they were going to do it again. I turned to them and said, "Hey morons, if you are thinking about doing that again you better look", I pointed to a uniformed policeman in the audience (he was watching the show with his family). He waved to them. The boys still looked like they were going to go> I really think they believed the cop had no power over them. I was astounded. So I said, "If you do it again he's going to take your boards, and call your parents and tell them what morons they have for sons." (The cop shook his head.) Then I said, "OK then he will hand the phone to me and I will tell your parent about how their boys are morons and how they are lousy parents for raising such morons...." I looked at the audience, who were being entertained by this. "...and the audience will support me", I concluded. The audience roared with laughter and clapped very loudly. It was awesome. (((I should point out I am the only performer I know that can get away with talking to jerks and hecklers this way...don't try this at home.)))

We also notice a couple of full fledged gangs while there. An Asian Gang in full gang colors walked through the festival at one point. The Mexican gang-bangers weren't as flaunty and just kind of blended into the crowd for the most part. Last time I saw this many ended in a riot at the Riverside Orange Blossom Festival a few years ago. They never held that festival again due to the property damage, security costs, and personal injuries. Our sound man was badly bruised up the next day. Fortunately, in spite of this being a beer garden event...no riots or problems occurred. Still seeing so many made us cautious. I think the real worry of the day was the high number of tween and teen grunge. We felt we had to had to keep an eye on our stage and equipment a little more than in the past.

The artisan vendors had some beautiful stuff out there. Many pieces of jewelery and art that you can only get at the Pizza fesitval and if you are into thatyou would be remissed not to come someday.

In one of Princess Amelia's routine I use a joke I learned from a British magician, Wayne Dobson. As part of the routine I make small talk and ask one of the audience volunteers, "I know it;s rude to ask a woman her age...so How much do you weigh?" The line is used in this routine all the time and I save it for the first woman who gets the cards that were tossed to her. Well, this woman was a bit heavy...OK she was fat. (But she wore it well....she looked good with the weight.) AS ususal there was laughter and even though no answer is required (remember it;s a joke) this woman said, "I know I'm fat." "OOPS", I thought to myself. I didn't mean to be inslulting so I said, " No darlin, you are perfect. You are a beautiful woman." Thenshe yellled out, "200 pounds"...Eveyone laughed. "I really didn't expect an answer".

Over all, the high number of nice folks outwieghed that of the grunge and the festival turned out to be fantatic from our perspective.

Oh yeah, Jim is feeling much better now.

Wife-Swap

Our family has been approached almost every year for the past 4 years by the producers of Wife Swap and/or Trading Spouses. Each time we have turned them down for two reasons: 1. We have a disabled son who wouldn't understand the switch and 2. after our experience with America's Got Talent and the desire for sensationalism at ANY cost on behalf of the show..even if that means making one of use angry or sad just for the drama of it (not gonna put my family through that). Even after explaining that to the casting producers they still contact us year after year. This year though they asked for references so I recommended a family of performers we know and it turns out they will be doing the show (as to whether it airs or not will be up to how the filming turns out and if it is dramatic enough for them to use.) So over the next few months you may just see a traveling family who sing, dance and do a hill-billy style comedy act on that show (we won't see it 'cause we can't bring ourselves to the level of watching that crud.) exchange their mom/wife for another woman for a week. (It's ?good? publicity and a chance to win $10K for them.) I wish them luck...even if it sounds like I am negative on the thing.....I should mention I was tempted once to do the show....for about 1/10th of a second...but I was tempted!

Quiet Thursday

Today I am spent the morning in my cluttered office finishing up paperwork and getting my phone calls done. But the goal of today is really to just recharge for the weekend. We will be performing (for our 4th year) at the Lemoore Pizza Festival in Lemoore, CA.

I Once asked why a Pizza festival and it turns out that Lemoore, being a farming area, is home to farms and companies that produce all the ingredients to make a pizza. There is a mozzarella Cheese factory, a tomato past company, farms that grow the tomatoes, and spices; pork and beef ranches, and even grain for the flour. The only thing missing is anchovies....Lemoore is land-locked.

Two years ago we performed there and the second day it rained and rained and rained. We stuck around hoping it would stop and for the brief time it did we performed our show for the few people who dared show up and the staff. One Mexican Vendor introduced me to bacon-wrapped deep fried hot dogs that day....MMMMMMM!

Notice how young Indian Miles and Jim are....3 years ago!


(notice the wet ground and water-destroyed bales of hay...they were the seeting for the stage.)


div>

It's a wonderful event and you should go if you get a chance.

The Future

Had a meeting today with the entity that controls the theater we are thinking of buying. They came all the way out here to meet with me so I think they are serious. Others have also expressed interest but our proposal seems to be the one they like best....so far. Talks move into the next phase and I will report on them as they happen.....I will also update you on the facility itself and perhaps even reveal where it is and what it's called in due time. Needless to say it offers the opportunity to bring a regular schedule of variety arts to an area where it's needed and would play very well. The many artists I have come to know and like would surely be on the play bill. It would also become home to our own show but still cater to community events. It's an exciting prospect that opens a myriad of doors that lead to unlimited opportunities. (How's that for a sentence?)

Also don't forget tonight we are closing at the Neighborhood Church in Corning, CA. They have been having the biggest crowds ever for the event.

As I said, with the entertainmen,t it is an outreach and evangelical show where we share the opportunity for folks to come and know Jesus better and perhaps even accept God's invitation to salvation. (I know some of my readers don't hold these views but I want you to know that even if you don't believe in Him, He believes in you! Someday, you may come to understand that we (true Christians) aren't trying to cram anything down your throat and would never force you to accept anything. We have just experienced something that unless you are there you can not understand....but I am sure there are times your heart and mind cry out to try and understand. And we, with all our hearts, through the love of Jesus, hope and pray all who we know will come to understand as well. But you cannot unless God reveals it to you Himself. We can only tell you about it. And yo can only hear about it when we tell you about it. Beautiful are the feet of the one who brings Good News. By the way, everything I just wrote is in the Bible!)

Three Funerals and a show

Over the past year I have attended three funerals. Today I supported my childhood buddy's family as they pay their final respects to his father's wife (his mother passed away when we were in high school). ((The other two were to say goodbye to a good friend's mother and sadly one was to say goodbye to a childhood friend who was my age and left behind a young family with three kids...cancer was the culprit)) Of the three funerals it was the my childhood friend's funeral that hit me the hardest and penetrated the deepest. He is missed.
I suppose I'm at the age where funerals will become more regular as time marches forward. As a child I was an alter boy and the church often used me for funerals. I had been to scores before I reached 18. Not knowing the departed back then I was not emotionally touched by any of the services...though my heart went out to the families. Today's funeral I felt the same as I did then. I came to support my Friend and his dad...but I had only met the woman once. Her illness was a long one and her passing was not a surprise so the family was handling it very well...narely a tear. So I felt out of place, no emotional connection, and no one to empathize with as everyone was composed.
This week has us also at a 4-day outreach program where we are hired to entertain and evangelize. Tonight is day 3. I don't envy the life of a full time evangelist. I will explain. People who don't have an active faith in and an active relationship with Christ will not understand what I am about to say. People who deny a God and or deny a Satan will likewise not understand. But those who do and most especially those who reach out to the world in the name of Christ will know very well what I am about to say. The Devil is out to stop the spread of Christianity. He doesn't like people evangelizing and he doesn't like people contemplating truth. He will throw everything and anything he can in the way to distract, dissuade or down right destroy those who evangelize. He is much happier with people arguing about faith, and sweating the details, he revels in and encourages hypocrisy. He wants you, me and everyone to keep their focus off truth and on the world. Evangelists are under constant attack from him. Whispers in his ear, actions of others, temptations, lies,anything that will cause one to loose focus of the Lord and refocus on anything else...especially self! These are just some of the tools Satan uses. Without prayer, respite, and encouragement I can't imagine how anyone can make it.
We have been doing evangelism for years but not regularly and this week we have been at it for 3 days.....and the attacks are coming relentlessly. But we are faithfull and God has been as well and has been providing us with everything we need to overcome.....still....keep the prayers coming.
God Bless!

Easter

We spent the day before Easter performing a Christian outreach show at Bayhills Community Church in El Sobrante, CA. If you live in the area you really should give them a try...a great place to worship. We did a 45 minute show with illusions, juggling, and more with a message about the Resurrection of Christ. Princess Cynthia and Indian Miles were on their way home from Mexico after spending Easter Break building homes while on a missions trip in Mexico. They joined us back at Bayhills on Sunday where we did two smaller programs for the kids at Bayhill. It was a ton of fun.

On the drive to our next venue we were surprised at the large number of crazy drivers on an Easter Sunday. Motorcyclists were particularly odd Sunday. Besides the one that sped past at over 100 miles an hour there was the couple in the picture. We were traveling at about the same speed for several miles....and the entire time he spent riding one handed while rubbing his lady's leg....even over bumps.

CHP was on full alert and on both days we saw a great number of these fancy meter maids (ticket giving is their main job). Some were hiding behind objects on the side of the road, one stood leaning on his car and had a big ol' radar gun aiming at us all. Just down the road from him another man in beige had a car pulled over. Another was hiding off to the side behind an overpass. Fund-raising for the state.

Sunday Eve we drove from El Sobrante to Corning (200 miles) and kicked off our 4 day long Faily Crusade at the Corning Full Gospell Church (if you are in Corning it's a great place to worship). Biggest first night crowd ever (this is our 8th or 9th year). The whole family presented our program and it was a blast and an honor.

The program will go on through Wednesday evening.

Potential

I want to share a potential opportunity for the Kent Family Magic Circus. We have been confronted with the opportunity to buy a 900 seat full functioning theater. I can't tell you where the theater is (city and state) or the name of the theater because the negotiations are sensitive. Suffice it to say it would involve a move on our part (how far and to where are likewise mum for now). It may require us to partner in with someone but it may not as the asking price is a steal by any one's terms. It is going to require prayer and much thought as to the whole situation; we are taking it very seriously.
Victor

We really should give Iowa a try...

We just booked the national Cattle Congress in September in Iowa. (9/17-20).
If you live in Iowa come out and say howdy!

Colusa Childrens Festival

Our season is slowly getting busier and busier...no weekends off for the fore-seeable future and week days are filling in. No April Fools!

April 4th we performed for our 10th annual Children's Festival in Colusa. I know it's the 10th because I just dug through the old paperwork (wasn't on a database back then) and found the showform...wow....time flies. The festival is a free event for the folks in that county and offers, besides us, pony rides, jump houses, crafts, and a potpourri of other fun stuff and give-aways. The vendors are various agencies, child care, health care, and local social and public service groups related to families and kids.

The day started off slow but soon packed out. Our 10am show, for example had about 50 people in the audience but the noon show had 150-200. The third show had at least 100 moms, dads, and kids. One thing we did different this year was we gave every single kid who came to the show a "Victor Kent Crystal Metallic magic Wand" and I taught them how to do a couple of tricks with it. (The organization producing the event, in keeping with the event being 100% free, bought the wands to give-away.)

We introduced our new fair-festival opener (mostly....Princess Cynthia and Indiana Miles were absent as they are with a Christian group down in old Mexico building homes and sharing the Gospel over Easter Break.) Our new opener is a parade similar to our theater show version. I roll out Olivia's Block illusion (see the last blog), I pick up the block show it all around set it down and open it on all sides, I drop a whistle in it and out pops Olivia ...I lift her out set her on the block and she blows away at the whistle starting the "Circus". Princess Amelia comes out carrying a single flower and changes it into a flower bush. Victor Jr comes out shackled at the wrists and in a blink of and eye escapes. Jim comes out on his short Unicycle and demonstrates his juggling skills with clubs then I step forward and pound a nail into my head....Princess Cynthia will perform a quick change and Miles and bullwhip flurry while on the walking globe once they are back.

In the show new skills were demonstrated when Victor performed his 100' rope tie...three kids from the audience tied him up and he escaped in less time than it took to tie him up....it was hilarious. Jim added more balancing to his show (if you ever meet him in a dentist office, a school room or any place the furniture isn't nailed down then you have seen him balance, tables, chairs, brooms, lamps, or anything on his face)...Now he's doing it with a 6' ladder....wait until you see what he plans to do with it. Amelia introduced a new light bulb lighting and explosion with her mind as well as a cool new double mind-reading trick. Olivia drew a bird on a piece of paper and it came to life.

It's exciting to see the new stuff get the reactions they have been getting. After all, our goal, first and foremost, is to entertain. Sure sometimes we do things to entertain ourselves and the audience is left scratching their head...it's our own little inside thing. But the audience is never left un-entertained...when we can't make them happy then it's time to quit.

God bless each of you.

Victor

April Fools Day and TRACK

I have decided to quit performing and never pick up another wand as long as I live. It was a hard and painful decision but I have come to the conclusion that the world does not appreciate real entertainment. What passes for humor today is a joke (pun intended) I mean it's laughable (again...intended)....no really body noises and sex and shock that's all they want today so I am quitting. April Fools!

nearly finally finished with the new ORIGINAL illusion: Olivia's Box. It's based on an illusion called Origami but this isn't a vanished-stab-reappear trick like that one and the box doesn't fold up like Origami and it's about one-third the size. It will be used to make Princess Olivia Appear in the parade segment of the show. I tell you that knowing you will still act surprised when you see it in the show....or else!

It's designed to be performed surrounded and on any stage. Note the Big "O" for Olivia.

See some of you this weekend at the Colusa County Children's Festival at the fairgrounds in Colusa. The organization bought a bunch of our wands to give to every child coming in. At the show we will teach everyone with a wand a couple of cool tricks and give you a flyer with directions to our wand page on our website so you can learn 30 other tricks with the wand!

Today Miles and the Princess Cynthia participated in a Track meet for their school. I am happy to repeat the Miles came in first for both of his races: the one mile and the two mile. The Princess also came in first in all four of her races: 100 high hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4X100 (400) relay, and 4X400 (1600) RELAY. Cynthia went to state finals last year representing our region in the 100 hurdles.

Updates and tid bits

Booked Silverado Days in Buena Vista, CA for October 17 show starts at 4:30pm.

Nearly done with a brand new original illusion...working title: "Olivia's Block"
We wanted to put a parade opener in our fair and festival show similar to our theater stage show. But some of the theater stage stuff didn't translate into a fair/festival stage. So We will open with Princess Olivia appearing out of a 16" square child's building block shown empty or carried out and shown empty. This is followed by Jim in stilts juggling, Miles on the walking globe whipping, Victor with a quick escape, Princess Cynthia with a quick change, and Princess Amelia making a flower bush appear. Coming soon to a fair-festival near you!

In the Mirror

When you look in the Mirrir, what do you see?

Well, In our home town looking int he mirror means looking in the local paper. The big paper has died out here and like a pheonix the Mirror rose up and has flourished. The editor came to our fundraiser show for a local school and put us on the front page. he had some nice things to say. We are blessed!

A frundraiser and track

Thursday night (3/19) we performed our second fundraiser for March (we do a lot of these in the spring for some reason). This one was near and dear because it as for the local public school that Princess Amelia attends. We took our stage, back drops and sound system and turned their cafeteria into a theater. the place sold out. And to our amazement the kids were extremely well behaved (audience kids, that is). Everyone was appreciative of the show and the response were awesome. The local news for northern California came and covered the show with a pre-show interview and footage from the show. we ended up being the 4th story on that night's news. The video will be posted here later tonight and can be currently seen on our Facebook page.



Track- The Kent Family are big track fans. Princess Cynthia went to State finals last year in the 100 hurdles and hopes to go back this year....but there is a whole season to get through first. She missed the first pre-season meet recovering from a cold and only participated in a single event today at the first invitational of the season. She ran the 4X100 relay (3rd leg) and as is the custom of her team....won. Out of about 20 schools from all around the North State and Reno they took home the gold...or a t-shirt in this case.
Our contribution to the distance runners is Indiana Miles. This was his second meet and first one that counted. He place 2nd in the 1 mile and first in the 2 mile this past Tuesday at the pre-season meet. Today, facing a whole bunch of schools and nearly 50 runners in the 1-mile race he finished 21st...the nerves took their toll. He got it together and end up medalling in the 2-mile knocking a whole minute off his best time to get 5th place. He was happy with that.

With the Kents not only do you get the entertainment news you also get sports.

Jugglin' Jim took advantage of an opportunity to teach local kids juggling today with a local afterschool program. He will also perform several one man shows in the up coming months.

My Office:

There are a few who read this blog that have been in my office. And you know it is cluttered. I take heart because I have seen Houdini's desk in photos and it seems he was a clutter bug too. I also had the honor of visiting Mark Wilson at his office and studio and he too is a clutter bug. My desk is a litter with promotional material, pocket tricks I want to practice, a camera, a recorder, and a cup of Oolong Tea. To my left on my side table is the computer box, printer, scanner, various tools and about 10 cans of paint. Next to the door leading to the back is my tortoise's home...he's outgrowing it. Besides that is part of the Blackstone Drum Illusion,and beside that is Bobbi the cockatoo's cage...currently covered for the night. In front of that is my Whore-house lamp and beside that is my bookcase with well over 500 magic books. next to that are two gray metal shelf-systems holding a sundry of props and tricks. In front of that is my Impaled Illusion and my Modern Art Illusion (in for touch-ups) the middle of the room are cases filled with magical wonders, costumes, dreams that may someday be routines or tricks in the show, tools, a cage or two and a giant fake pumpkin head with long white hair on it. It keeps the 3' Christmas Drummer bear company on the TV and another gray metal shelf system holding the AV stuff. Hanging from this is a marionette blue wingless bird. At the highest shelf is My Psychic Bunny box. Costumes hang from a movable cart (much like a bell boys has) just next to the door to the rest of the house. And here in my black leather swivel chair with my back to the windowed adorned in Burgundy and gold tassel whore-house drapes is me.

Dental Floss, Masters of Illusion, and more

Summer Tour News:
It's official as of this morning we will extend our Summer Tour with July1 having us at Festival in the Park in Willard, Ohio. Then we drive down to O'Fallon, MO for their Heritage and freedom Festival for the 3rd and 4thof July. So two more states are now in the mix. We are hoping to add another state to the end of our tour and are in talks with a group now but it is too early to cinfirm. On one more note we have picked up a booker in Texas who will be working with us for a Texas Tour perhaps as early as September.

Tooth Floss-
Once a week a great magician and I have lunch together either at my home or at a local eatery. The locals like it because we are always performing for them. My dining buddy can never resist to perform for ANYONE>>>>ANYWHERE. We have a ton of laughs together. I'm not mentioning his name because he asked me not to because of the following story. It made us laugh long and hard. Often when we lunch about town my wife will tack a honey-do onto our gallivanting. Today it was picking up apple juice at Wal-mart. My friend picked up several packets of tooth floss ("Now I have enough for the rest of the year", he said.) While int he car driving out of the parking Lot I notice he is flossing his teeth with the edge of the plastic bag the contained the 5 or 6 containers of tooth-floss. I mentioned it to him and we both had a jolly laugh. He absent-mindedly forgot all about the tooth floss. (Probably thinking about who he was going to squeaked his nose for next.) OK, JC, I didn't mention your name. You happy?


Masters of Illusions (MOI):
My Network TV has been hosting Masters of Illusions, a TV show featuring magicians of all ilks doing their thing for live audiences. (This is the same network giving us the Masked Magician.) I have been watching every week and have been keeping my mouth shut. Over the weeks, however, I have run into several laymen who have expressed to me their utter disappointment with the show. So I will now for the first time publicly put in my two cents. This show is the most ridiculous display of magic ever on television. It is badly edited, badly shot, badly produced and badly performed. The masked Magician does a better job at performing and his producers a better job of producing a professional package than MOI. It is sad. I will say that last night's closer, Rick Thomas, was awesome. Way beyond the other acts in style and production value.
Now, I need to clarify something. I know many of the acts (performers) who have performed on MOI. Most are extremely gifted performers. However, the production value, or lack there of, of MOI make their acts look cheesy in some cases, and just birthday party magician quality in other cases.
I always think it cheap to slam something without giving suggestions to make things better. First, they need to film the acts several times and use the best of those shootings, or edit the best clips from each shooting. They need to rehearse more with the camera men to better produce quality angles and cuts. They need a host of some sort. Perhaps a comedy-magician who can interact with the acts, introduce the acts and perform a bit him/herself. Get rid of junior magicians unless you create a segment identifying them as such. Think costuming. Some of the performers look like overweight business men who found a cool toy. Scrap the cheesy dancing unless a professional choreographer can come in and make it look good. Talk to Copperfield, or the producers of World's Greatest Magic or someone with experience doing these types of shows and have them advise.
The Masked guy hurst magic buy exposing secrest he didn't create. in otherwords they are not his to give-away. The MOI group hurts magic on TV by producing a low quality product. And it doesn't have to be so. The masked Guy could have ethics and morality and quit. The MOI folks (with such wonderful talent as they have but are wasting)could work harder and prduce a better product. OK, I awiat cruxifition from my peers. (I should mention one more thing....I don't blame the acts...it's publicity baby....used right any publicity is good publicity. And as I said many of the acts are awesome...they just didn't appear that way due to the production value of MOI.)

We have punted!

It's a kick off.

Last night we preformed our annual season kick off show at the EV Free Church in Oroville, Ca...a benefit show for the youth group trip to Mexico to evangelize and build homes for needy folks there. Thus the show was called Magic for Mexico V! One of the biggest crowds ever to come. Largest number of little ones to come as well. (And with today's parents' lack of parenting skills that meant a bunch of kids who really had no self control or ability to sit still.) This lack of parental control has become a bigger and bigger issue with me as time marches on. Still in view of that, the show went well. We introduced a number of new things...some will stay in the show...some won't or will be revamped or rethought.
I will mention to my disappointment that none of the church leadership nor the youth leadership came. The youth were pretty much put under the lackadaisical overview of a couple of good meaning but skilless in youth motivation parents. This meant quite a few of the youth (whom this event is to benefit) goofed off.
Also the church had booked the building for the next day for a women's conference and these organizers were not generous or at best reluctant to share space and at least one gentleman give into the stress of it all and being far from a Christian in his reactions and words. I mention this because it is hypocritical of me to criticize the secular word and there progressive spin down the toilet and overlook people proclaiming Christ only to really represent the World. My philosophy is to lay it all bear so we (believer's) can never be accused of covering up, playing favorites, or hiding anything. It may not sit well with some "believers" but better to hear it from a brother than from a heathen.
All outward criticism aside I will turn the camera inward and say....a couple of the new effects didn't go over the way I hoped. The Firestarter routine needs more rehearsal and the show seemed to run a little long.
Good Friend and magician Bill Jackson did a magic routine that saluted the HEROs going to Mexico. It was a lot of fun. He also ran several spikes through his arm.
On a personal note one young lady from the youth group (who by clothing and actions seemed to have one foot firmly planted in the World) greeted me with, "You really need to shave and cut your hair...because, honestly, you look terrible. " I've know this kid and her parents for years and was shocked by her remarks. I talked with her about it but she seemed really not to care.
Bobbi the cockatoo was a hit. She was a last minute addition to the show (by my wife's insistence). She danced and and then performed her card trick....not finding the card but eliminating every other card but the chosen one....it was a hoot.
New items in the magic shoppe were a success infact a couple of items even sold out. Including Knife through dollar bill.
Cheers.

Oh How Exciting!

Where to start....scuttlebutt is we will be extending our summer tour a bit with a gig (3 shows) in Ohio and then two days (6 shows) in Missouri before starting our Kentucky leg of the tour. We will confirm this next week.

Princess Amelia will be adding yet another very cool, somewhat spooky routine. "Fire-starter". We will present the beta version tomorrow at our kick off show. A newspaper brought by a spectator will be placed into a clear pyrex bowl (but can be placed anywhere...the bowl protects the table and stage fromt he fire)...the Princess will stand behind the bowl (Not close-enough to touch it) and her hair will begin to flow (like in a soft wind from the direction of the bowl) and then the paper will burst into flames. OOUUUUUU!

Princess Olivia will present here first offical choreographed song number, costumed to match, for the show. In rehearsals she has been beyond cute.

See yo at the show....or on the tour this summer!

Tid Bits and Season Kick Off

We are just a few days away from the season kick off and we have been blessed with a Spring-Summer-Fall calendar that is nearly packed wall to wall. Still have a gap here and there we are trying to fill and we are really wanting to perform in Maine. Never been there and with all I've seen on TV and books and the Internet I am convinced it will be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Quassy park emailed today. Looks like we are going to be on a CT TV show on August 4th promoting our shows by way of profiling our family.

Offer a Ohio gig that is just a day out of our schedule. We are hoping to work that out. We would love to perform in Ohio. The people there have always been so cordial to us.

The insurance has been settled for the theft. Three cheers for AAA! New equipment is on it's way. (You are going to like the design on the clubs Jim has picked out.)

In spite of the adversary we spit in his eye and Jim, as a result of the theft, had to rely on inspiration (which means "Breath of God") and creativity. Because we had a couple of shows coming up last week that needed his services. So in the garage he found two nice looking tennis rackets and a nearly new soccer ball. The routine he come up with was incredible...never seen anyone else do it.

Today I will lunch with JC Dunn of Magic JC, lifetime member of the Magic Castle and one of the nicest people on the planet.

If you have been watching the Master of Illusion on TV on Mondays here is my opinion on the shows. Wow...what stinkers. I don't meant he acts. I know many of them and they are great. But the production company putting the show on is doing such a bad job I have actually heard lay people say the acts sucked. Now I know they don't. But the editing, the camera angles, the whole production is so bad I think it's hurting magic. On top of that immediately after the MOI the masked magician, on the same network, had his reveal show. MOI needs to scrap the contract and start afresh somewhere else. I think if they got a really good performer to host/perform the show and interactively introduce the acts as well as someone to coordinate costuming and show flow-pace to create some kind of cohesion to the show.

Season Kick off Nears

We are just 5 days from our traditional Season Kick off. Magic for Mexico is a fundraiser show we donate each year for the past 5 years to help raise money to send teens and college kids down to Mexico over spring break....not to party but to build homes for the poor and share the Word of God in actions and words.
This show is where we introduce new costumes, new routines, new stunts, and new tricks. This year is now different with the official kick off of the Modern Art Illusion ( a cool sawing in half), James' new soccer ball-tennis racket routine that test audiences have been loving, Amelia's lighting then exploding light bulb and her two new mind reading effects, Olivia will do a comedy piece new to her but has run the gauntlet with each of the kids doing it when they were her age...it culminates with the production of a dove. Miles has added flare to his bull whipping. Victor will do a 100' rope tie challenge. And the list goes on.
Most of the effects have been tested in front of audience since December but will be performed in full together this coming Friday in Oroville, Ca at the EV Free Church at 7pm.
At another regular show I perofrmed at (5th year I think) tonight )Which booked at the last moment this year,) I asked if anyone remembered me from last year. Many raised their hand or clapped. I ask if I had changed. One boy hollered, "Yeah, those creepy sideburns". I laughed by mutton chops off!