Who Taught you!

[ALAKAZAM]

I thought it would be cool to find out how far we could go back in time to see who taught who and try and trace street theater back to the earliest innovators. We could end up with actual generations.

How about a Street performers family tree/lineage chart, you just fill in who you saw in the beginning that helped shape your show, like they are your parent, and so it goes on and on. How could this be made possible?

In my early years i learned from J-P McKendry, A.J James, Lucky rich, Butterfly man, William lee, and Nick Nicholas.

In the last few years i have been told by half a dozen performers that seeing me inspired them to be a street performer. I had no idea. There are also those who i have taken the time to try and help their show get better.I think it's really cool that those people are out there performing now and spreading the good cheer and keeping street theater alive.

I was passed on a gift and i just want to see how far back it had been passed before me.

AL

[nick nickolas]

Captain Keaneo, Chris Lynam, Sid Rasputin, Peppe, Mike Mulkerrin, Gazzo and Dave Brown,, were some of my early inspirations,, especially Keaneo who was/is one of the most open, positive, inspiring souls out there,,,

That was mid eighties Covent Garden,

good post Al,

Nick

[Jim]

It all goes back to Cyrus...

The first act I saw was Cyrus doing a solo show in about 1989. That made me realize that it was actually possible to earn money on the street.

When I first started seriously street performing in 1992, the "senior" guys on the pitch (Harvard Square and Faneuil) were Dan and Joel (Airborne Comedians) Ken Zemach, Mark Farneth, and Peter McLaughlin, The Gentleman Juggler. (Peter started in Boston a year before me and wasn't Peter Panic until 1993, I think.)

And I honestly can't say anyone 'taught me' because I remember there being a lot of tension amongst acts back then. Once I had an act and started doing festivals, Dave Aiken and Robert Nelson were definitely helpful to me in a lot of ways. And I remember Bill Ferguson passing on a list of festivals to me (on paper) way back before email and the web. The early 90s were a very different time.

[ALAKAZAM]

Jim, i wish all you guys still worked the pitch, when i first came to boston that was the cast. Now i am the most senior performer here, isn't that strange!!
The good old days.

[Dallas]

Tumblin' Tom
Jim Cellini
The Butterfly Man
Birdie
Gazzo
Roger
Will Soto
and many, many, more!!


Thank you all for inspiring me to what I do!!

[ALAKAZAM]

I also have to Give kudos to Mitch Bastin, Dom Ferry and Mike Finch. I wouldn't be where i am today without them.

[Lee Nelson]

a table magician called Magic Matt Penny taught me how to hustle people for money in Fremantle Australia in the early nineties. He made me his apprentice for a while.
I have also been very very inspired by Hilby over the years.

[jeep caillouet]

I went straight from the clubs and stages to the street. Jerry lee, Elvis, charlie Rich, Toney Joe white and more all across the land, That are friends of mine. Thanks to Dave Banjoseed for turning me on to the street. Schmegly for teaching me how not to give shit 'bout nothing, just go out there and do it. Cellini was my first inspiration as a street performer. Sonny Holiday taught me my first balloons . Perry the hobo for teaching me how to hustle ,God rest his sole. Johnny fox for teaching me my first magic. Michael James, well for being the best juggler /entertainer.Checkers for being the best balloon clown and studying under him for several years. Grimes from San Francisco for the inspiration to build the ''Ultimate human jukebox'' which is very near being finished. And many more I forgot to mention at this time.

[martin ewen]

A small man covered in syphilis and sores who lived in a cave.

[Jim]

A small man covered in syphilis and sores who lived in a cave.

So Cyrus inspired you, too?

[Lee Nelson]

sounds like the oracles in 300.

[jeep caillouet]

Haven't seen Cyrus sense the early 80's .Last I heard he was doing Real estate in maybe Boston. Is he still performing?

[Bob Carr]

I got the bug from seeing J-P McKendry, Nikolai Smith, Flyin Bob, Dave Aiken and Jean-Michel Paré perform. I will also have to give credit to you (Alakazam) because I ended up seeing your show like 50 times in my first two seasons. You were just everywhere, where I ended up. I would rock up a pitch or fest and there you were on your pole.

Mike Rollins had had a paralell career with me and we have always pushed each other to the next levels.

The latest person I have learned heaps from is Nick Nickolas.

I love learning and this is one of the reason I love this job.

[charliekarl]

Obviously the list is long, but the most important people to my performer evolution would be Gary Stocker, Pete Wardell and Jim Cellini. Nick Nickolas is also important, but more by being hospitable and a great guy rather than teaching me lots of stuff about shows. Captain Keaneo gave me some great pointers and the cups I still use in my show today.

I have also learnt lots of stuff from Johan Wellton, but that's more in the area of moving back indoors from street shows.

Interesting post. I love feeling the history of what we do.

[newyorkstreetdean]

William Lee is the first that comes to mind. I've also learned so much about so many things from Won Isreal.