I’ve had the privilege of performing for literally thousands of corporations over the years and I always love performing for those groups, but I’ve been asked over and over if I have any favorite non-corporate shows or groups that I’ve performed for, so here’s a short list of my 5 favorites (so far).
1. An old Hollywood A-List Dinner – Truly an amazing night. I was invited to perform and have dinner at the home of Gregory Peck for thirty guests who had known each other for years and years and were truly old friends. The guest list included Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Carson, Lucille Ball, Angie Dickinson, Jimmy Stewart, Walter Matheau, Jack Lemon, Kirk Douglas, and on and on.
2. Bedford Correctional Institute – a maximum security prison for women. It was a thrill to perform for these women, they were a great audience.
3. Dharavi – This was the slum in India where the movie Slumdog Millionaire was filmed. Though not a formal show, I performed tricks for the kids there and soon they were following me throughout the slums to see more and more magic. As word spread, crowds grew and grew.
4. Yokusaka Naval Base – It was an honor to perform for our troops and their families at the largest Naval base in Japan, about an hour outside of Tokyo.
5. A surprise wedding – No, it wasn’t a surprise wedding for the bride and groom, but it was for everyone else. The couple didn’t want anyone to feel obligated to come and didn’t want presents. They invited all their friends to a “party” at the bride’s home featuring “special entertainment”. As I began my performance, the bride and groom snuck out. At the conclusion of my show, I made a diamond ring “magically appear out of thin air” and acted surprised and asked “who does this belong to?” From the back of the room, the groom said “I’ll take it!” Everyone now turned around to see the couple standing there, he dressed in a tuxedo and she in a wedding dress. Everyone now realized what was going on. I then said, “I guess all we need now is a justice of the peace”, at which time one of the caterers took off his Chef’s outfit to reveal a suit he had on as he said, “You are in luck, I happen to be a justice of the peace”. It truly was a night to remember.