November,
December, and Final Post of 2008:
Forgive me for lumping all 3 of these into one giant
blog, but I've found the last two months to be a complete
blur!
So... Let me attempt to recap. I began November in both
fear and pain. After a complete fluke one evening, I
suddenly found my spine once again completely obliterated.
I wasn't
able to sit, lay, or stand without tremendous pain shooting
up and down both legs and my lower back. I spent a few
weeks in physical therapy, exercising, and resting before
I was finally able to resume my normal activities and
show schedule. Despite the initial fear of my recovery
time,
we were still able to complete all of our scheduled holiday
shows. Speaking of which, thank you so much to The Hamburg
Lion's Club, Cub Pack 105, Temple Fire Co., RR Donnelley,
Dutchway Farm Markets, LPH Plumbing, Bright Side Baptist
Church, Woodloch Pines Resort, Pocmont Resort, Schoeneck
Civic Association, and Grace UMC Church! It has been
an honor entertaining all of you these past two months!
Thank
you so much for letting us perform for you. These past
two months, I also found myself coming out of Trivia
retirement to help out a good friend. My friend and trivia
host, Jay
experienced a horrible accident while performing his
fire eating show. During his recovery, I dusted off my
trivia
boots and filled in for him at The Tilted Kilt in Mount
Joy for 3 Saturday night trivia shows. I'm happy to report
that Jay has made a full recovery and is back hosting
trivia again. I'm also happy to report that I am once
again enjoying
my trivia retirement. Nonetheless, it was still fun to
once again rack my brain thinking of questions and "rock" the
old trivia microphone.
Overall, 2008 turned out to be another phenomenal year
for us! Thank you so much! We had the privilege of performing
83 shows this past year, and we loved each and everyone
of them! I'm so incredibly blessed to have met so many
wonderful audiences and people over the past year. I've
also been blessed to work with some of the nicest and
most talented people on the planet. Without these people,
there
would be no show. Thank you to my hard working crew Brandon,
Cameron, and Michael. Thank you to some of the greatest
techs in the business Pete, James, and Chris. Thank you
to my brilliant webmaster Mike Horn (who is much more
prompt at posting my blogs than I am at writing them).
Thank you
to Theater Effects, Dube, Renegade, Fergie Props (we
still miss you), Home Depot and Lowes, Arabesque Dance
and Fitness
Wear, Chimay, Tool, Rammstein, Ani DiFranco, and many
other great companies and inspirations I'm forgetting.
Thank
you to all of my friends and family who stood by me,
helped me, and were always there for me. Thank you to
Greg Kennedy
for pushing myself and all jugglers to constantly do
more. Thank you to my church for being everything a family
of
believers should be. Finally, thank you to my beautiful
wife. Every single thing I do, I do for her!
2009 is already gearing up to be another great year as
well. We're kicking off our season performing January
10th for Dutch Valley Food Distributors, January 17th
for Mountville
Family Practice Associates, and February 6th at Mountville
Elementary. I'm also very excited to be performing my
ministry show on February 28th at my home church (St.
Marks UMC
in Mount Joy). The show will be free of charge and open
to the public. I'll also be returning to the Greene Street
Studio in Philadelphia on March 6th for their first Friday
Performance Series. I will post more details about both
shows soon.
Finally, I'm planning on premiering some new material
in the 2009 season as well as dusting off some past routines.
I've been working on a new routine inspired by the concept
of what happens when opposite things overlap each other.
The piece is performed with 2 white sticks and 3 beanbags.
I've also been revisiting my old PVC Pipe and 3 bouncing
balls routine. I've been working on re-learning and updating
the old routine. A slower routine of ball juggling with
a ball balanced on my head is also in the works. Finally,
I've been playing a lot with rings lately. As a result,
a new routine is emerging with completely creative and
different ring shapes and patterns.
2008 was fantastic, and I can't wait to get started on
2009. Thank you again, and we will see all of you very
soon. Until then, may God bless each and every one of
you and keep you safe. With infinite blessings to all!
Chris
September
and October 2008
Greetings! I hope everyone had a great Halloween
and are not feeling too stressed by the upcoming holidays!
Let me begin by saying, our December is REALLY starting
to get packed!
If you're planning to book us for a December show or
even have an interest, PLEASE call or email soon! Dates
are filling very
fast!
Anyway, thirteen shows later we have called September
and October finished. The 2 months have been filled with
a ton
of great shows and great audiences! On top of the shows,
we've also had a lot of additional fun these past few
months. My dad and I got to catch the Perpetual Flame,
Yngwie Malmsteen
tour when it hit the Chameleon Club in Lancaster. Thanks
to an old friend, we got a seat right next to the stage
for the encore and caught a few pics and a drumstick
in the process.
Also, my wife and I had a wonderful time celebrating
her birthday on October 6th.
In music news, Ani DiFranco has put out a new CD entitled
Red Letter Year. The CD is nothing short of brilliant.
The music is surprising positive and happy compared to
her normal
semi-depressive, melodramatic, sad sound. I also found
a rare Tool CD recorded at a live concert during the
Third
Eye Tour at the Record Connection Store outside of Ephrata.
The live sound always lends some additional insight into
the complex mind of lead singer Maynard. Finally, Nightmare
Revisited (a new take on the Nightmare Before Christmas
Soundtrack) has been released. If you're a fan of the
movie, the CD is
a must have. Korn does an amazing version of Kidnap the
Santy Clause and Amy Lee also lends vocals to Sally's
song.
In movie news, check out Underworld 3 (Rise of the Lycans)
to be released to theaters in January 09. A new Punisher
Movie is also set for a December release.
Unfortunately, I ended October by chipping a bone off
a toe on my left foot after a clumsy accident walking
in the dark.
According to my doc, I can't do much to help it other
than take Advil and keep my foot elevated. It's feeling
better
already. It seems mainly to be a minor annoyance. It
hasn't kept me from juggling or practicing. Should be
back to 100%
in no time.
Finally, I've confirmed with my good friend Greg Kennedy
that I will be returning to his Theater Space in Germantown
in Philly for another show in February of 2009. Last
year I performed a two show Friday evening run in February
of
08 for their First Friday Variety Arts Theater Series.
Last year's show was entitled, One Night in Philly, An
Evening
to Forget. The show was very well attended and got a
lot of positive reviews. This year, I'm working on some
new ideas
and finding ways to incorporate the new with the old
into something completely different. I'll keep you posted
with
show info and a show date in news postings to come.
Have a great November!
Blessings,
Chris
See the Show Live:
November 12th
Cornwall United Methodist Church
Route 419 and Alden Street
Cornwall PA 17016
(717) 272-0148
Show Time: 6:30 pm
Full Ministry Show
Blessings,
Character Juggler
Chris Ivey
August 2008
My wife and I kicked off this month with a vacation in
Atlantic City. After some wonderful food, beach air,
and little shopping;
we returned refreshed and renewed! We started the month
entertaining a family party with our One Case Wonder
Show in my hometown
of Lititz. My thanks to my friend and show assistant Brent
Weaver who helped me juggle through a thunderstorm during
an outdoor show in Mohton, PA. The skies opened up in the
middle of the show unleashing torrents of rain, flashing
bolts of lightning, and body-shaking rumbles of thunder.
We paused the show and invited the audience to join us
on the stage under its huge overhang. My sincerest thanks
to
the 30 people who squeezed onto the stage with us and stuck
out the weather. My even greater thanks to the folks with
umbrellas who stood in the storm to watch the entire show.
No matter what, the show must always go on! What a crazy
night! The Village of Westover welcomed us back for a third
year for their outdoor summer festival this month. I also
presented my ministry show for my new friends at the Oley
Church near Reading. While there, I had the privilege of
speaking with an art teacher. For those of you who have
seen my ministry show, you know I am fascinated by John
the Baptist.
My favorite scripture comes from John in the Book of John
Chapter 3 verse 30, "I must decrease so that he may
increase." The art teacher I spoke with told me about
a beautiful painting of John talking to Jesus on the cross
speaking these words of scripture. The picture can be viewed
at the link listed below. I ended the month back at the
Pocmont Resort where I had an interesting conversation
with the crew
about the History Channel's TV show Ice Road Truckers.
I also embarked on a brand new business venture this month.
I held the first ever Chris Ivey Company Picnic. Myself,
my wife, and four members of our normal road crew (Evie
Laboy, Brandon Aument, Cameron Aument, and Michael Oellig)
headed
off to the PA Renaissance Fair for a day of true fun! My
wife and Evie enjoyed the food and had some fun getting
Henna Tattoos. Michael, Brandon, Cameron, and I challenged
ourselves
in a slew of competitions. I proved the strongest on the
test your strength mallet swing, Michael came out victorious
in our 4 way sword fight, Brandon proved he was the only
one man enough to try on a kilt, and Cameron inspired a
slightly construed version of Noah's Ark from a man of
the Clergy.
Everyone purchased a weapon and we stopped for a pizza
on the way home. I'm already preparing next year's picnic.
I'm
planning on including even more members and friends of
the show and an even bigger location. I'm not sure what
chartering
a private jet to Italy would cost, but I'm looking into
it.
Finally, we had a little scare at the end of the month.
A power outage caused our computer to CRASH! Fortunately,
we
were able to recover all of the files including a rather
lengthy email list (Praise God)! We also now have a brand
new Dell Inspiron 530. I've already worked my way around
VISTA related problems, but the new system is running beautifully
and reliably.
Many of you have been asking where I will be next. I listed
a few upcoming shows below. I hope to see all of you soon!
Have a great September, and check out the painting listed
below.
Link to John the Baptist Painting:
http://faculty.wartburg.edu/wilson/arthistory/images/23/23-02.jpg
See the Show Live:
September 14th
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
4201 Stoudts Ferry Bridge Road
Reading PA 19605
30 Minute Ministry Show at 9:30 am
September 20th
Rothsville Community Day
Forney Field in Rothsville, PA
One Case Wonder Show at 1:15 pm
September 27th
Rohrerstown Stauffers Store
301 Rohrerstown Road
Lancaster PA 17603
One Case Wonder Show-2 Shows at Noon and 2:00 pm
October 4th
Ono United Methodist Church
9 Main Street
Ono PA 17077
Full Ministry Show at 7:00 pm
October 5th
Lititz Stauffers Store
1050 Lititz Pike
Lititz PA 17543
One Case Wonder Show at Noon
October 8th
Ridgeview Mennonite Church
3723 Ridge Road
Gordonville PA 17529
Full Ministry Show at 7:00 pm
October 12th
Grace United Methodist Church
101 East Wiconisco Street
Muir PA 17957
30 Minute Ministry Show at 10:45 am
October 26th
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
4201 Stoudts Ferry Bridge Road
Reading PA 19605
Full Ministry Show at 2:00 pm
Blessings,
Chris
July 2008
I decided this month to stray from my normal ramblings
of show news and instead share some other quick thoughts
from
July. My 4-Runner now has four new tires and some reshaped
brakes, so... getting to shows this month was much
MUCH easier and safer! Anyway...
I had an amazing experience this month when Greg Kennedy
and I checked out the Ani DiFranco Concert when it rolled
into Philly. The concert was inspiring, to say the least!
Ani rocked the house for about an hour and a half with
some of her best old and new stuff. Outside of the music,
the
entire concert atmosphere was a total saturation of individuality
and free thought. It's awesome the kind of positive vibes
that music can create to unite people.
July was a great month of friends as well. My sincerest
thanks to my friend Mindy Elmer for a great review in the
Lititz
Record Express about our Ministry Show. Also, my wife and
I got to share in the celebration of a good friend's wedding
this month. Congratulations Julie Nelson! My wife and I
also spent a lot of time this month with all of the members
of
the Chris Ivey Crew Family. We played some bingo with Evie
and Larry Glad, chatted Rammstein with Michael (possible
Rammstein USA tour in the works-total excitement), debated
movies with Brandon, rocked out to some crazy metal with
Cameron, ate some pre-processed steaks with Beth, shared
a laugh with Brent and Jeff, discussed show theory with
Chris from Woodloch, and rearranged the lighting system
with James
and Pete from the Pocmont. Without fantastic friends like
these folks, traveling and performing wouldn't be near
as much fun. I'm planning an upcoming reward for the Chris
Ivey
Crew.
My wife and I ended this month with a quick trip to Philly.
We saw the new tiger exhibit at the Philly Zoo, visited
with a good friend, and had a great meal on South Street.
As many
of you know, we've been on the lookout for a new Tattoo
Shop to add to our LIFE Links section. Our previously recommended
shop closed unexpectedly a few months ago. However, while
strolling around South Street in Philly, a revelation presented
itself. My wife is addicted to anything that has to do
with
cows. Our house is covered in cow pictures, cow figurines,
and more cow stuffed animals than humanly imaginable. As
we strolled down South Street, it struck us! A sign on
a door caught our attention and we ventured inside. We
were
still a bit skeptical, but we pressed on. I grabbed a business
card as soon as we stepped inside the door. I gazed with
a silent awe at a picture of a giant cow with the words "Moo
Tattoo" printed on it as my highest hopes quickly
became confirmed. Hard to believe it, but we actually found
a cow
related tattoo shop! UNREAL! We chatted briefly with the
artists. Unfortunately, our time crunch for the evening
prevented us from getting some ink from them. Nonetheless,
I plan to
do some continued research and soon return to Moo Tattoo
to see if their work is as interesting as their shop title.
As we returned to our car, even the parking ticket we received
on South Street couldn't dampen our spirits. I'll keep
you posted on Moo Tattoo in future news bulletins.
I started this month's post reveling about the Ani concert,
so once again this month I'll leave you with some inspiring
words from one of her song's lyrics. Remember, Ani is listed
on the LIFE Links Page under Inspirations to learn more
about her work. Anyway, she ended her concert with a song
called, "Overlap".
So I leave you with a few lines from the song...
I search your profile for a translation
I study the conversation like a map
'cause I know there is strength
in the differences between us
and I know there is comfort
where we overlap
Blessings till next month! Have a great August!
Chris
June 2008
Thirteen phenomenal shows later, June has really been
a month of amazing ups and downs. In an attempt to keep
our monthly
news posts interesting, I’ve decided to express this
month with two different sets of song lyrics from two of
my favorite artists. The first set of lyrics express the
downs while the second set expresses the ups. You can find
links to both of these artists on my LIFE Links page. Anyway,
I hope it at least makes some sense. Enjoy…
Here’s the “down-side” of the month. It’s
an excerpt from one of the most beautifully; depressing songs
ever written called “Grey” by Ani Difranco.
What kind of paradise am I looking for?
I’ve got everything I want and still I want more
Maybe some tiny shiny key
will wash up on the shore
Regretfully
I guess I’ve only got three
simple things to say:
Why me?
Why this now?
Why this way?
With overtones ringing
and undertows pulling away
under a sky that is grey
on sand that is grey
by an ocean that's grey
On the “up-side” of the month this is a brief
few lines from a dual set of songs by Tool entitled “Parabol
and Parabola”.
Twirling round with this familiar parable.
Spinning, weaving round each new experience.
Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this chance
to be alive and breathing.
This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality.
Embrace this moment. Remember. We are eternal.
All this pain is an illusion.
Thanks for reading this month. If you’re one of our
regular readers, feel free to drop me an email and let me
know what you think of this “different” style
of post. Also, we’re still looking for a new tattoo
shop to replace the Lacerations Section of out LIFE Links
page. So if anyone knows of a great show, drop us an email.
Blessings,
Chris
May 2008
What a month! WOW! Here we go! Our Ministry Show hit
the road three times this month. Thank you so much to
the great
congregations of Hopeland UMC and The Lancaster Church
of the Brethren. Also, thank you to the grads of the
Mount Calvary
Christian School for letting me share some scriptural words
of wisdom with you at your banquet. Fulton Elementary in
Ephrata welcomed us back for our second year in a row for
their Family Fun Night. Thank you to all of the great folks
who braved the pouring down rain to hang-out with us and
watch the show.
We did three more late-night post prom
shows this month. I think by July I'll be caught up on
most of
my sleep (maybe?). It's not easy setting up for a show
starting at 1:00 am, performing the show around 3:00
am, and finally
getting to bed from the show around 6:00 am. Thanks to
the kids of Hempfield High, Penn Manor High, and The
Lititz Homeschool
Crew for staying up late to watch some weird, bald guy
throw things. And of course, thank you to my late-night
show stage
manager Michael Oellig for braving the 3:00 am shows with
me. I'm proud to say that this month we made it through
all 3 post prom shows without running over a single wheel
barrow
(check out last month's news).
The Mount Joy Carnival premiered
our show this month and thank you so much to everyone who
reads my news posts and made it to the show. The grueling
10 minute drive from our home in Mount Joy to the Mount
Joy Carnival was almost unbearable, but we pushed through
and
had a phenomenal show. Thank you especially to all of my
friends from our home church (St. Marks UMC in Mount Joy)
who came out to support us and watch the show. This month
took us back to the beautiful Woodloch Pines Resort in
the Pocono Mountains. The show was "sick". I've learned
from some younger friends that "sick" means really
good. And... We made the entire drive home completely FOG
FREE! Hurray! Check out February's News Post and you'll see
why I'm celebrating.
Thanks so much to First Class Entertainment
for bookings. We'll be back at Woodloch at least 5 more times
this summer as of right now. Elizabethtown Middle School
got a treat this month when I convinced their principal (and
good friend of mine) Randy Fox to join me on stage during
an assembly for the school. The two of us juggled a wad of
butter, raw chicken, and chunk of bread and finished by smacking
ourselves in the face with the butter. This is the third
time Randy and I had the privilege of performing this routine,
and my thanks to Michael Davis for writing such a brilliant,
finale routine. My hats off to Randy. It takes a lot of guts
to take a face-full of semi-frozen, greasy butter in front
of 300 7th and 8th graders.
Finally, a lot of you noticed
we no longer have a Lacerations Link on our LIFE Links Page.
Unfortunately, the show we were using and recommending closed.
We'll be on the lookout for a new shop to add to our ink
collections. If anyone out there knows a great show with
quality artwork and extreme cleanliness, drop us an email.
This month has been crazy and completely packed with shows.
Needless to say, we've had the time of our lives performing
at each and everyone of them. June and July are already filling
up quickly, and we can't wait to hit the road for even more
fun! We've got some shows open to the public coming up (listed
below). If you get a chance, stop out, see the show, and
say hi.
Blessings!
Chris
Relay for Life
Saturday, June 7th
1:00 PM
Lancaster Catholic High School
Details: http://www.lancasterrelayforlife.org/
St. Mark's UMC Carnival
Saturday, June 7th
5:15 PM
St. Mark's UMC Church in Mount Joy, PA
Details: http://www.stmarksmtjoy.com/events.php
Bright Side Festival
Saturday, July 19th
Show Time: T.B.A.
Bright Side Opportunities Center
Hershey Ave. Lancaster, PA
Show Sponsored By: Turkey Hill Dairies
More Details to Come
By the By: My good friend and fellow juggler, Greg Kennedy,
just redesigned his entire website. Check out the cutting
edge of truly creative, fringe juggling
at www.innovativejuggler.com
April 2008
I've noticed my monthly posts are getting a little repetitive,
so here's a point by point April in a nutshell recap. Enjoy!
-Great Ministry Show at the Allegheny Lutheran Church!
Thanks for the double standing ovation!
-Had fun hanging out with an old friend entertaining for
his daughter's birthday party. Nice to know I'm still "cool" enough
to entertain 13 year olds. And, it's nice to know I can pull
off an entire show under a 7 foot ceiling!
-Returned to Reading City to entertain a multi-church softball
league. Thank you, as well, for the standing ovation!
-Always a pleasure performing for the Scouts. This month
I was in Mechanicsburg with the One Case Wonder Show. My
wife and I were joined by my Father-in-Law for a pre-show
dinner and he was kind enough to provide stage-side security
during the show. Also, thank you for the standing ovation!
-Thanks to the high school prom goers from Donegal who
stayed up from 3:30 am to 4:30 am to watch my show. And
thanks to
the Hempfiled Rec Center for letting me run over their
wheel barrel in the parking lot. (Have you ever tried to
back up
using only mirrors for 50 feet in a tight space at 1:00
am? No? Then I don't want to hear about it. And, Yes, the
wheel
barrel was fine).
-I hit a new record practicing this month. I'm now up to
17 successful catches of 5 club backcrosses. This means
I juggled 5 clubs completely behind my back. I made 17
successful
throws behind my back along with 17 successful catches
of each of those throws.
-Finally, thanks to Bill Hager from the Sertoma Club and
the crew at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theater. I had a blast
performing my crystal ball rolling routine and sword juggling
routine in their pirate themed charity fundraising show.
Great crowd, great show, great fun, and a great charity.
Also got to catch up with an old performer buddy, Jonathon
Burns. Wonderful comic, entertainer, and magician. Always
inspiring just to be around him.
Blessings,
Chris
See
The Show Live
All shows are free and open to the public
Mount Joy Town Carnival
Saturday, May 24th
7:00 PM
Downtown Mount Joy, PA
Route 772 and North Barbara Street
Details: http://www.msmj.org/events.php
Relay for Life
Saturday, June 7th
1:00 PM
Lancaster Catholic High School
Details: http://www.lancasterrelayforlife.org/
St. Mark's UMC Carnival
Saturday, June 7th
5:15 PM
St. Mark's UMC Church in Mount Joy, PA
Details: http://www.stmarksmtjoy.com/events.php
Bright Side Festival
Saturday, July 19th
Show Time: T.B.A.
Bright Side Opportunities Center
Hershey Ave. Lancaster, PA
Show Sponsored By: Turkey Hill Dairies
More Details to Come
March 2008
It's
been another great month of juggling! I hope everyone had
a Happy Easter and reflected on the true and miraculous
reasons for the holiday. I returned to the Fernwood resort
in the Pocono Mountains for another great show with an
amazing crowd! Thanks to everyone for the energy and applause.
The
show
was truly a blast! On our way home from the show, my assistant
and I stopped for a dinner and had some fun trading magical
card tricks with a very talented waiter. Despite the obscure
Easter snow storm, I shared my ministry show with a new church
for a morning of blessings and Easter egg hunting. I also
returned to entertain my friends at the Willow Valley Retirement
Home
for another fun show. The crowd, as always, so appreciative
and friendly. I had a wonderful time chatting with the residents
at the conclusion of the show. I ended the month performing
my One Case Wonder Show for a scouting banquet. Despite being
loaded with antibiotics and having a painful sinus infection,
the show was fantastic. I even threw in a rare 6 ring
juggle which I hardly ever perform. It's always a pleasure
performing
for great organizations such as scouting that encourage and
motivate children in positive and productive ways. Next month
is looking great as well. I'll be performing a section of
my show at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theater for a charity
benefit show entitled Chickens of the Caribbean on April
21st. Contact
the Dutch Apple for Ticketing Information. Finally, a great
big congratulations to my friend and former juggling partner
Mark Oellig on his recent marriage! Best wishes and happiness
to Mark and his beautiful new bride! Congrats buddy!
Blessings till next month,
Chris Ivey
February 2008
It's amazing how quickly February has come and gone! Nonetheless,
my wife
and I had another great month of shows. Thank you to all
of my friends who
joined me in Philly for my "One Night in Philly, An Evening
to Forget"
juggling show. The show was a blast! Thank you also to my
good friends
Dave Gilies, Greg Kennedy, and Dave Smith for inviting me
to perform.
We
attempted a new show endeavor this month. In February,
I took my standard
show and infused a Star Wars theme for a rather large,
dual birthday party.
It took about a month to come up with every possible Star
Wars reference,
pun, and cliché I could imagine. Overall, I was pleased
with the results
and the client was thrilled. It's always fun to stretch the
limits of
creative thinking and adaptation.
Our
One Case Wonder Show hit the road
twice this month for a Lions Club and Scouting Banquet.
We recently updated
the costume for the One Case Show. The new costume is
more casual, modern,
and "hip" looking (well, as "hip" looking
as my awkward frame can make it
look).
We
also had the time of our lives entertaining over 200 youth
with
our ministry show at a giant youth rally near Reading.
It's awesome to see
God alive and at work in the youth! The energy at the
rally was
overwhelming and we were humbled and blessed to be
a small part of the
event.
Finally,
we returned again this month to Woodloch Pines Resort in
the Pocono Mountains for another fantastic show in their
state of the art
theater. The weather channel was predicting ice and
sleet, so we had our
fair share of traveling concerns before heading north
for the three and a
half hour drive. Fortunately, we drove up and back
with out a single drop
of rain or slick spot on the road. Unfortunately,
on the way home we hit
some of the most blinding, crippling fog that I've
ever driven through!
Needless to say, it was not fun crawling home in
complete terror and panic
barely able to see even a hint of the white line
on the side of the highway.
My sincerest thanks to the driver in the big rig
truck driving in front of
us with his extra fog lights. Following him down
Highway 81 was probably
the only reason we made it home at all! So here's
to a great and fog free
March!
Blessings,
Chris Ivey
January
2008
2008 has definitely gotten underway with a BANG! What a
great start to the
year! My sincerest thanks to the folks at the Lancaster
Mennonite School
and Centerville Elementary School for letting me bring
my show to their
family nights. The crowds were huge and the overwhelming
responses to the
show were even larger. Thank you also to the Lutheran Church
of East Pete
for having us back for our third performance for their
all church luncheon.
It was great to see everyone again. I also enjoyed a near
flawless show
this month at the beautiful Woodloch Pines Resort in the
Pocono's. I had a
lot of fun working under their new and super-high tech
lighting system. It
was also a pleasure to work once again with Magician John
Graham (my wife's
new favorite magician). John opened the show with his Superman
Magic act.
If you have the opportunity to see John's show, don't pass
on it. He is
truly the best card manipulation act that I have ever seen.
Outside of
juggling, I also managed to sneak in three trivia shows
(filling in for my
good friend and webmaster Mike Horn-who decided to spend
some of January in
Florida).
February has already begun on a great note as well. On
February first, I
had the privilege of performing in Philadelphia at a beautiful
theater space known as the Greene Street Studio. The theater space is
co-owned by my good
friend Greg Kennedy. Greg and business partners Dave Gilies
and Dave Smith
have been producing shows their on the first Friday of
each month since
December. The intimate setting of the space proved to be
the perfect
atmosphere for a show I called: "One Night in Philly.
An Evening to...
Forget". The show was an extension of my current theatrical
show, but with
some added commentary and insight into the routines. The
show was designed
to give the audience an escape, a way to forget the drudgeries
of everyday
life... at least for one evening. I performed two shows
at 7 and 9 pm to
rave reviews from all in attendance. We also received some
great publicity
from the local Germantown Newspaper. My thanks to Greg
for all of his hard
work and effort into making the evening such a success.
My thanks also to
Harley and Dave who opened the 9 pm show with a horror
themed Arial act.
Finally, thank you so much to everyone who braved the rain
and cold to come
and see the show. Shows will continue at the theater the
first Friday of
every month. You can learn more about the monthly shows
by calling
215-848-1822 Extension 3.
Blessings till next month,
Chris
Final Posting for 2007:
As I'm writing this month's blurb, I can't stop shaking
my head in
disbelief. It has been a phenomenal year (to say the least).
After
performing over 80 shows, the only words that come to me
are Thank You!
Thank you so much to everyone for all of your kindness
you've shown to both
myself and my wife this past year. Thank you for making
it possible for us
to do what we love! Thank you so much to the thousands
of people we've been
able to perform for over the past year. 2007 was an amazing
year, and a
year of many firsts. We introduced a lot of new friends
to the Character
Juggler Chris Ivey team and had the opportunity to work
again with some old
friends.
So, despite the risk of sounding like a bad acceptance
speech, I've
have to take a moment and officially recognize a few special
folks.
Thank
you Brandon and Cameron Aument (welcome aboard) and thank
you to Brent
Weaver, Michael Oellig, Larry Glad, and Evie Laboy. Without
all of you
traveling just wouldn't be survivable. Thank you to the
amazing crew at the
Pocmont Resort (James and Pete). You two guys are worth
your weight in
gold! I've never met a crew who cared more about my show!
Thank you also
to my parents. God Bless them, I'm almost 30 and they're
still some of my
biggest fans and always ready at the drop of a hat to help
with the show
wherever needed. Thank you to First Class Entertainment
and The Rapp Agency
for all the Pocono and Catskill shows and for giving me
a chance many years
ago without ever even seeing my show. Thank you to Greg
Kennedy and David
Smith (two of the finest entertainers and finest friends
imaginable).
Thanks for all the favors and for indulging my endless
discussions of
"
juggling show theory." Thank you to Mike Horn my
webmaster and fellow
trivia host friend. There would be no news postings or
web site at all
without you. Thank you to Jill Gagliano from Arabesque
Dance and Fitness
Wear for continually finding costumes big enough to fit
my 6' 5" frame!
Thank you Renegade and Dube Juggling for the props. Thank
you Austin Wagner
for hanging out and juggling. Keep practicing! Thank you
Jay for letting
me have some Trivia fun. Thanks to the Lancaster Opera
Company for giving a
juggler a chance to appear in legitimate theater.
Most
of all, thank you to
my wife! It's not easy being married to a juggler. Despite
constantly
traveling, constantly practicing, and constantly talking
about juggling (nonstop) she's always been there for me
without a single complaint. Words
cannot express how important she is and how there is no
show without her.
Her love and support makes everything possible. Thank you
princess!
2007 was fantastic, but already 2008 is looking just as
good! Already in
January, we'll be performing at Centerville Elementary
and the Woodloch
Pines Resort in the Poconos. I'm also thrilled to announce
that very soon
(in just a few weeks) a full, promotional DVD (approx:
7 minutes) will be
available by request. A giant thank you to my new video
engineer Brandon
Aument. We're also almost at the completion stage of a
full color brochure
for the show (also available by request). Thank you to
Maggie Cantrell for
graphic design consultation. I'm also excited about some
upcoming shows
open to the public. Here's looking forwards to a great
2008!
Blessings,
Character Juggler Chris Ivey
SEE THE SHOW LIVE!
When:
February 1, 2008
Two Show Times:
7:00 pm and 9:00 pm (doors open a half hour prior to each
show time)
Where:
Greene Street Theater
6122 Greene Street
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Ticket Costs:
$10 Adult and $5 Student
Tickets Available at the Door or by Reservation by Calling:
215-848-1822 Ext.
3
Seating is limited, Call Now!
November 2007
I’ve definitely scaled back on shows this
month in an attempt to give my back some well deserved rest.
However, thank you to Fulton Bank for allowing me to return
and entertain their elite business professionals with my corporate
themed juggling show. It’s always a thrill to watch a
CEO juggle hats with me. Also, thank you to the Lititz Brethren
Church for the standing ovation and packed house. It was a pleasure
sharing my ministry show with all of you, and it’s always
good to be back at home performing in Lititz! I’ll be
ending November with a show on the 24th at the Fernwood Resort
in the Pocono Mountains.
The highlight of this month undoubtedly came on the 9th.
I was performing once again at the Pocmont Resort. However,
the highlight was NOT my show. My father, a very talented
guitar player (and old school rocker), sat in for two songs
with the
house band (The Company). After years of him watching me
juggle on stage, the tables were finally turned. I can’t
even begin to express the joy I felt watching the crowd cheer
as
he belted out some phenomenal solos! Way to go dad! You ROCK!
Finally, my December Calendar is listed below. I’m looking
forward to a packed month. I can’t wait to perform for
all of you!
Happy Thanksgiving,
Chris Ivey
December Christmas Show Schedule Announced:
Saturday, December 1-Severn Trent Environmental Services
Company Christmas Party at the Reading Country Club
Sunday, December 2-Entertaining the Troops and their Families
at Fort Indian Town Gap
Saturday, December 8-Ministry Show for Emmanuel Lutheran
Church in Pottstown (Morning show)
Saturday, December 8-Locust Grove Mennonite School Christmas
Party in Lancaster, PA
(Evening show)
Monday, December 10-PP&L Christmas Party at the Dutch Apple
Dinner Theater in Centerville, PA
Saturday, December 15-Donnely Corporate Christmas Party at
the Host Resort in Lancaster, PA (Morning show)
Saturday, December 15-Lester Summers Trucking Incorporated
Christmas Party at Weaver’s Banquet Hall in Adamstown,
PA (Evening show)
Sunday, December 16-PA Truck Centers Christmas Party at the
Eden Resort in Lancaster, PA
Friday, December 28-Private Party for a friend at Donneker’s
Banquet Facility in Ephrata, PA
Saturday, December 29-Ending the month and the year back
at the Pocmont Resort in the Pocono Mountains
October 2007
WOW!
October has been INSANE! Fourteen shows later the month has
finally concluded. Thank you to all of the amazing
audiences and venues over the past month! It has truly been
a pleasure to entertain all of you. Here’s a brief recap
of the highlights of the past month:
-I spent over 10 hours juggling in the mud and cold at Field of Screams, but
still managed to have the time of my life entertaining and picking on the literally
thousands of people waiting in line.
-I completed 3 different live trivia shows at various restaurants opening each
show with a version of my glass ball rolling routine performed to one of my favorite
Tool songs.
-I brought my ministry show to the Mount Joy Church of God, Living Waters Church,
and Manheim Brethren Church and rejoiced with a host of energetic believers filled
with the Holy Spirit.
-I returned to the Beautiful Pocmont Resort in the Pocono Mountains where the
crew was nice enough to play a practical joke on me.
-Finally, I celebrated Halloween by performing my show for my friends at Bent
Creek Country Club and Berks Village Retirement Home.
On a sour note, October turned out to be another month of immense pain for my
back. Most mornings have begun with me not being able to lift my left leg high
enough to put my pants on. However, usually by the end of the day I had loosened
up enough to function with minimal pain. I’ve been doing a lot of Yoga
workouts and spent some time with an acupuncturist-both of which have really
helped. Thank you to everyone who has expressed concern and thank you to everyone
for your continued prayers. Overall, I’m still extremely proud of the fact
that I was able to perform every show this month! The show must ALWAYS go on!
Blessings,
Chris Ivey
September 2007
September
has been an interesting month, and October is packed to
the gills with even more shows. During September, I had the
opportunity
to share my ministry show with two new churches during their
Sunday morning
services. I've been really blessed lately to be able to share
my message with so many different congregations. I already
have three more churches
lined up for the month of October. I'm also stepping outside
of my juggling box again in October to rekindle the trivia
flames of Fire Realm Trivia
for three exciting shows. I'll be hosting trivia from 8-10
at Bubes Brewery in Mount Joy on October 16th, from 8-10
at the Lititz VFW on October
17th, and also from 8-10 at Cafe Chuckles in Lancaster on
October 21st. The trivia shows are open to the public (with
the exception of the VFW-members
only) and free to play. You can learn more at: www.earthtrivia.com.
I had an absolute blast in September with my juggling side project. I appeared
in four shows with the Lancaster Opera Company and their production of
Pagliacci. I opened the first act of the show with 3 and 4 ball juggling
and a ball balance. I also opened the second act of the show with four
and five rings, five and seven balls, and a three club routine. In addition
to my own routines, I also choreographed parts for dancers (juggling
assistants) and four other jugglers. It was a lot of fun to step out of the
role of my normal show and flex my acting muscles. It was also great
to be part of a cast again. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it
to the show!
This month, I once again proved my motto that no performance
space is to big or TOO SMALL. On Saturday night (29th) I
entertained for a family reunion in a living room of a home
in Millersville. Thirty adult
guests, my wife, and I squeezed ourselves in and juggled
for a full fifty minute show. My sincerest thanks to the
wonderful audience and those who
risked their lives sitting in the "front row" VERY
CLOSE to me. Finally, I'm looking forward to a new venture
in the month of October. I'll be juggling
for three nights at Field of Screams in Mountville, PA. I'll
be strolling around, risking my life, and trying to avoid
the "scary" chaos
from 8-11 on October 13th, 20th, and 27th. For details and
info visit: www.fieldofscreams.com.
Be sure to stop and say hi if you're able to make it.
Have a Happy Halloween Everyone!
Chris Ivey
And... Happy Birthday to My Beautiful Wife (October 6th)!
July and August 2007
WOW! What an insane two months. I've been hitting the road
and performing more shows than I can even begin to remember.
I've been performing weekly now at the Pocmont Resort, returning
semi-weekly to the Central House Resort, and I premiered
in early August at the Fernwood Resort. All of the shows
have been going wonderfully! In addition, I've performed
locally these past two months at a bunch of different festivals.
Outside of all of the July shows, my wife and I also got
to spend some time vacationing. We visited Bushkill Falls
in the Pocono Mountains (stunning), Washington DC Smithsonian
and Spy Museum (fascinating), and New York City to see the
Musical: Wicked (best musical ever). The highlight of our
vacation was an all inclusive tour (we saw it all) of a DC
funeral home courtesy of an old friend. The only downside
to the month was a brief fight with a sinus infection and
bronchitis. However, I coughed my way through every performance
and survived without canceling a single show. Also, thank
you to all of you who have expressed concern about my back.
I think my body has finally adjusted to the constant and
long car rides to shows. My spine is doing much MUCH better!
Finally, the ultimate highlight of the recent months was
the opportunity to see Tool (greatest musical group in the
history of music) play live in Reading. The concert was amazing
and inspiring to say the least!
Many people have been requesting information about local
shows that they can attend. Unfortunately, the vast majority
of my performances are for private corporations, groups,
or organizations. However, I'm proud to announce that I will
be appearing in an upcoming Opera. Yes, you heard me correctly.
I'll be appearing (as a juggler of course) in a version of
Pagliacci (the sad clown opera) presented by Opera Lancaster
at F and M college on September 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th
of 2007. Tickets, directions, and show times can be found
via the following website http://operalancaster.com/tickets.html
Blessings,
Character Juggler
Chris Ivey
June 2007
June has turned out to be a wonderful month of shows,
friends, and triumph. I've spent most of the month fighting
my own
body. My former back injury has been creeping up on me
this month. Numerous shows have been done in large amounts
of
pain. However, walking with a cane, Heating Pads, Icy Hot,
Advil, and a lot of determination have pushed me through
every show! My back is slowly feeling better, and I consider
this to be a temporary relapse. I encourage everyone reading
this to keep your disks in place! Anyway, I have been blessed
this month to premier my show at a new venue: The Pocmont
Resort. My show was very well received playing to a standing
ovation. Tomorrow, I'm heading back to the resort for a
second show. I also returned this month for two shows
at the beautiful
Central House (also located up North). Although traveling
is never a joy, I have had a nice time hitting the road
with some old and new friends assisting me with these
shows. My
favorite moment of the month came on June 9th. I had the
privilege of entertaining at the gigantic Relay for Life
Fundraiser. Every year, this event raises hundreds of thousands
of dollars for Cancer research. It was wonderful to perform
for such a dedicated group of people who fight tirelessly
for such a worthy cause. My wife was able to join me at
the show, and we both left feeling almost overwhelmed
with positive
energy! It was truly a blessing to be a part of something
so amazing.
Blessings till next month!
Chris...
May 2007
News Posting One
Wow! I can’t
believe it’s finally here. I am very proud to present
to everyone the long overdue and newly updated Character Juggler
Chris Ivey Website. I’m thrilled beyond belief with
the new look of the site and its reflection on what my current
show displays. Every month I’ll be adding additional
posts concerning new tricks, appearances in the news, performing
opinions, answers to fans’ questions, as well as upcoming
shows. I look forward to receiving even more emails, feedback,
and comments from all of you who have been kind enough to
follow myself and the show over the past few years. It has
truly been a blessing to entertain all of you, and I look
forward to many, many performances to come. So, “Cheers!
And On With the Show!”
