Showmanship

[Pele]

I am asking on a few boards about this, so that I can get a good cross section for answers. I ask because I think it is important to understand what makes a good showman to be a good perfomer. A trip earlier this year to perform in Vegas especially got me literally taking notes on this!

Who are the greatest showmen you have ever seen and why?
What made you feel connected to them?
What made you want to continue watching at them? What did they do that stood out from every other
performer you have ever seen?
What made them so captivating?

Thanks!
Pele

[scot]

a good showman can be defined as someone who does good shows. I would say doing good shows is a very important part of being a good performer.

My favourite showmen are people who are real. Who are really having a good time on stage or a bad time, who have real emotions and expose those. Not the people who plan how what to express on stage. This is why I would usually prefer to watch karaoke than the other people on this board.

Scot

[firegirl]

...wow scot that was a touch harsh...

anyhow -- that aside.

the hands down best showman i've EVER seen (not counting penn & teller and harry anderson) is phil "moonie" johnson.

part of the reason that his show is so excellent & he is so powerful as a performer is because he barely speaks in the show... it is 85% silent (using clicks, whistles and odd noises to get the audiance's attention.) so when he does speak it is multiplied ten fold in humor level.

then -- he is so completely at ease... any situation he encounters with the audiance or a heckler... no matter what he is able to turn it around into a positive experiance. he is the jedi master of audiance interaction.

and, mostly the reason that phil "rocks as unto satan" is because he follows the simple rules of improv -- the rule of three - yes, and... so that his show builds in humor and momentum until the audiance is on it's feet cheering at the end.

check him out if you get the chance...

PHIL JOHNSON AND BRIAN HOWARD MASTERS OF COMEDY