Category Archives: Live Variety

Reviews, stories, promotions and ideas about live variety today and in the future.

Liberty Larsen & Shayne Eastin at Shindig!


Andrew Goldenhersh at Shindig!


 

Bonnie Gordon ~ “Bar Hopping”


Mark Haslam to appear at Junkyard Magic!


markhaslam

Mark Haslam

Able to work venues from the largest stage to the most intimate room, Mark Haslam transports even the most jaded audience members into a place of intelligent wit and inexplicable events. Mark’s elegant charm is rare in a field dominated by bluster and bombast, and makes his seemingly effortless miracles especially intriguing.Mark’s road to becoming a magician began in England’s Lake District. At a very young age he began performing in village halls, and at fifteen he was asked to appear on British television.

Now relocated to Southern California, Mark’s good-humored elegance has made him a particular favorite at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles.

Mark will be appearing at Pop Haydn’s Junkyard Magic at the Junkyard Cafe in Simi Valley on March 5, 2014.
For more information go HERE.

Brookledge Follies almost there…


Brookledge

Broookledge

 

We are SOOOOOO close to reaching our goal!

THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has supported the Brookledge Follies by backing or boosting this project. I am deep touched by the outpouring of love, enthusiasm and encouragement. We have set the date for the Brookledge Theater Grand Re-Opening next year: May 17, 2014.

My goal is to have all of the work completed by May 8, 2014. That is the anniversary of my dad’s birthday, and this will be our gift to him… and to everyone who loves Brookledge. Thank you to all. Truly and deeply. xoxoxo

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1678855215/brookledge-follies-2014-season-and-beyond

— Erika Larsen

The Teleportation Device — Pop Haydn in the Palace


Pop Haydn performs his original routine, the Teleportation Device in the Palace of Mystery at the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood.

http://www.pophaydn.com

Pop Haydn is a character…


Pop Haydn in the WC Fields Bar at the Magic Castle by Billy Baque

Pop Haydn in the WC Fields Bar at the Magic Castle by Billy Baque

 

The Pop Haydn character is maintained in a loose way. People in the audience know that whatever the Pop character may be, that I am not actually a thief, conman, scientific genius, or a real medicine pitchman, and they know that I am not really transported here from 1910. But they mostly assume that I am an old, eccentric gentleman from the South.

I am all those things, but not like Pop, not with the wild expressions, mannerisms and thick archaic, Old West influenced accent that Pop has…If I dropped the character’s mannerisms, voice and accent, people would be a bit shocked, and disappointed–like taking the head off Charlie McCarthy.

They play with Pop both on Facebook and Twitter, engaging him in character. They make fun, saying, “It would be just like you, you old humbug.” “Did you steal their…” “So what was Tesla like?” All the time, they know it isn’t real, and they go in and out of the play. “Did you get that show?”

This is much like Jack Benny. People felt safe engaging him in his onstage character. “You really are as thrifty as they say!” “Thank you.” To have a magic character that has handles like this for the public to use is very rare in magic.

I think young people today, especially, have much more facility at engaging in fantasy than when I was young. It may be role-playing games, steampunk and cosplay. For whatever reason, they easily move in conversation and on the internet in and out of play mode. It is this interest and ability at role-playing and make believe that I saw in younger audiences that led me into assuming this kind of character basically 24/7. It has been a big undertaking that has been a work in progress for eight years.

I find that the “handles” give the members of the audience a way to interact in the performances that is more spirited and playful. The audience becomes fellow actors in an improv play led by Pop.

They seem willing to engage my character in a pretend mode in a way that I never saw before with my other characters. It may be that Pop is just such an Archtype character, instantly recognized as the pitchman, conman, huckster, marketer, liar, politician that he is–he is Elmer Gantry, Citizen Cain, Soapy Smith, Professor Marvel and all of Madison Ave at once, revealed as the medicine show huckster/opportunist he really is. The costume and manner of speaking is recognized by people in countries all over the world.

The great thing is, that the internet gives us ways to create and enlarge our off-stage characters in ways never before available to us. I can “play” with people online in character, and create images and video that help construct the character in people’s minds, so that when they “see” the character on stage, his backstory and images from other sources builds anticipation, and colors and enlarges their appreciation of the show.

That at least, is my intent.

Boomtown! Steampunk Saloon May 24-27


BoomTown2

 

Green Wave Presents
Steampunk Saloon and Opulent Temple’s

BOOMTOWN.
An arts, education, and musical camp out

Memorial Day Weekend 2013
May 24,25,26,27
20 minutes north of LA
near Vasquez Rocks

$99 tickets available through Kickstarter until May 5th

$150-$200 tickets available via beTIcketing after May 5th.

Presale Link:
http://tinyurl.com/bm5dp7s
BOOMTOWN is an 1880s themed three-day arts, eco-education, and vintage perfomer event in Aqua Dulce, on a private 230 acre meadow, surrounded by hills.

The campout will host science lectures, sustainable living displays and classes, a narrated lunar eclipse viewing, handmade clothing creators, and vintage performers, including magicians and vaudeville acts.

Various attractions during the weekend:

THE STEAMPUNK SALOON
An 1880s Tent. Inside is a 70-year-old bar tender, dressed in steampunk clothes. He serves root beer and lemonade. To the left is the cabinet of curiosities – glittery treasures from all parts of the world. A saber tooth tiger skull, maps to forgotten lands, writing desks, quill pens, brass telescopes.

Pop Hayden from The Magic Castle
will do a historical magic show

New Fangled Opry- Vaudville variety Show

L’unkle’s Boink – A dieselpunk Clown Troupe

Music will include a very special daytime workshop,
followed by a nighttime performance by

The Crystal Method (DJ performance)

Vapor- With his magical illuminated Kinestescope art

Le Sirenes- performance troupe

And many other acoustic and performance acts.

GREEN WAVE GROTTO
This area will be a 20′ dome next to the Museum of Extraordinary Wonder. The Green Grotto will feature displays of tower gardens, recycling techniques, composting techniques, books on urban gardening, apartment gardening, and many displays. Lecturers will speak of communal village gardens, modern ecological events, sustainable living Q & As, and outreach programs that Green Wave promotes and supports around the globe.

OPULENT TEMPLE
The Opulent Temple creates a playground for connection with the Eternal through music. This stage features a Jules Verne inspired metal pod with small fire effects that serves as the stage for musicians. There will also be other forms of light art and metal sculpture to enjoy.

At the center of the Opulent Temple, community experience is the concept of a “Master Class”. World class musicians who remember their early roots are invited to perform.

These musicians have writen their own music and will give lectures during the day on modern computer composition techniques. At night, they will entertain the dancers with their music. Select people from the daytime lectures will be invited up into the music capsule to watch the performers work their midi controllers and laptops.

MAKERS MARKET – This area features handcrafted 1880s apparel, jewelry, top hats, women’s ballroom gowns, and period props. Every vendor hand makes their own wares. This area creates a community of grass roots vendors. By bringing all of these small buisness creators together and placing them in a marketplace at a festival that features 1880s style fashion, we will be supporting their beautiful art.

The Performers for the Steampunk Saloon:

The Crystal Method (DJ set)
David Starfire
Desert Dwellers (solo set)
Alex Zelenka
Auditory Canvas
DJ Wolfie
DivaDanielle
Patricio
Treavor Moontribe

2-Headed Monster-Little Giants
Mark Zabala-Mike Insane-Tropo
Pop Hayden Magic Show-Loomer-Shakti Bliss
The Invisibles-Matt Cole-Fleetwood Smack
Hawk-Jaques the Ripper-BassMechanic
Kat Perry-Jokton-BK Willy-dj Sandbag-Will Levine
Our perfomers for the Opulent Temple:

DJ Dan
DJ Rap

And the residents:
Syd Gris-Tek Freaks – Dutch -Vinkalmann-
-Drew Drop-Dulce Vita-DJ Icon- Brian Peek
Billy Seal-Billy Casazza- Brian Williams
-Mike Butler- Eliki-The Quadrobe – Kimba

and more guests tba.

After years of small gatherings, we have a vision to bring all of these similar groups together and let the steampunk musicians mix with the astronomers, the rocket scientists, and the eco-awareness educators.

We are very excited to bring our steampunk community together. We feel deeply in our hearts that this event will fulfill a greater purpose than just a weekend campout. This weekend will serve to educate, to illuminate, to include people with diverse ideas, and to see the spark of new possibilites for the earth, for fashion, and for music light up in the eyes of our attendees.

Weblinks

http://www.steampunksaloon.com
http://www.opulenttemple.org
http://www.treespacestudio.com

Pop Haydn to demonstrate power of the Sphere of Destiny


The Sphere of Destiny

The Sphere of Destiny

 

Pop Haydn will demonstrate the amazing power of the Sphere of Destiny at his show at Magicopolis in Santa Monica, California on March 7th and April 4th.

The show is called Pop Haydn in the 21st Century! and features the magic and comedy of Pop Haydn, along with the Old Time music of Professor Dave Bourne and The 21st Century Boys, the sexy fire magic of Sophie Evans, and our Louisiana Songbird, Bonnie Gordon.

The Sphere of Destiny will answer questions from the audience about personal issues of health, success, happiness, lost objects, and so on, and will both predict the future and reveal the past. Don’t miss this uncanny 21st Century demonstration of 3000 year-old technology.

For tickets and more infomation, go HERE

Pop Haydn in the 21st Century! Coming soon!


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Pop Haydn in the 21st Century!

Pop Haydn in the 21st Century! is a wonder-filled evening of fun packed with music, comedy and magic.

Pop Haydn demonstrates his Teleportation Device and pitches his Amazing Miracle Oil and also his new Magnetized Water–a modern miracle for health and energy.

Pop will demonstrate the amazing abilities of the Sphere of Destiny, and answer audience questions about the future–about love, health, money and lost objects.

The show features the sexy, sassy excitement of our Louisiana Songbird Bonnie Gordon, the fire and magic of sultry sorceress Sophie Evans, and the good-time music of Professor Dave Bourne and the 21st Century Boys.

Pop Haydn will present Tesla Girl, who will bend the very force of gravity itself while immersed in the powerful radio-magnetic field generated by Pop Haydn‘s Tesla C-2000–a highly modified version of a Tesla Coil.

The show is a lot of fun and is geared toward an adult audience–but it is still family-friendly.

Steampunks, time-travelers, dandies and other 19th Century expatriates are welcome–no weapons, please.

To purchase tickets for Pop Haydn in the 21st Century! 
                               

CLICK: HERE

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