Photo by Marc Norberg:

This current series of posts to my blog, www.LloydBrant.com, tells the history of our EMERGENCY CLOWN NOSE®, as well as exploring the hopes and dreams for the future of our new venture, EMERGENCY RED NOSE® Productions.

In the early 1980s when I was a young clown I dreamed up a mythic story I called, The Land of Clowns, which told the tale of where clowns came from, why they live in tents, and the reason they’re here to make us laugh. The philosophy of my story was that laughter is the best medicine, which is what I hoped to bottle when we trademarked Rosie’s idea of the Emergency Clown Nose®. Now my story has come full circle because of the recent MN Arts Initiative Grant that I received to stage it with the help of master storyteller Kevin Kling.

The Land of Clowns will be the first major production that I produce under the banner of our new venture, Emergency Red Nose® Productions. The show is scheduled to premier, April Fools Day weekend at Open Eye Theatre this coming 2016.

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Photo by Marc Norberg:

This current series of posts to my blog, www.LloydBrant.com, tells the history of our EMERGENCY CLOWN NOSE®, as well as exploring the hopes and dreams for the future of our new venture, EMERGENCY RED NOSE® Productions.

I give my wife, Rosie Cole, full credit for being the one who dreamed up the original idea. Her flash of brilliance occurred around ten years ago after she had just woken up one morning. She was looking in the mirror while getting dressed when she casually suggested, “We should sell emergency clown noses.”   It felt to me like being struck by a bolt of lightening.

When Rosie moved to Minnesota in 1983 to begin performing with me, I quickly became aware of her uncanny ability of thinking up million-dollar ideas.  She grew-up outside New York City, and upon arriving in Minneapolis she took one look around and declaring, “The first person that opens a decent bagel shop in this town will make a million-dollars.” A short time later Bruegger’s Bagels opened their first bakery in the Twin Cities.

Over the years I’ve witnessed Rosie’s genius for coming-up with ideas that other entrepreneurs would later make a million-dollars doing.  When she first suggested selling emergency clown noses, I immediately said to her, “This is another one of your million-dollar ideas.” I had never been interested in baking bagels, but this idea struck a deep cord in my imagination.

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Photo by Marc Norberg:

My next series of posts to my blog, www.LloydBrant.com, will tell the history of our Emergency Clown Nose®, as well as our hopes and dreams for the future. Rosie and my show A Life of Serious Nonsense is where our clown nose in a medicine jar was born. It was originally a prop in our play within a play about our life story, and was sold exclusively after the show until 2009 when the Bibelot Shops picked it up for the Holiday Season. Our trademarked product became a best selling hit, and is now sold in gift shops and boutiques across the United States.

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***ANNOUNCING***

We were just awarded a U.S. Trademark for our high quality professional grade Emergency Red Nose®. Our new red nose can be molded to custom fit your face by first dipping it in hot water before applying. Once you have molded it to fit your face it is designed to easily attach with spirit gum, or with the elastic included.

Go to www.EmergencyRedNose.com to learn more about our other professional services.

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***ANNOUNCING***

Today we’re excited to launch EMERGENCY RED NOSE® Productions. We believe in the simple philosophy that laughter is the best medicine. Our new production company offers anything from a one-man medicine show to full stage productions.

Go to www.EmergencyRedNose.com for updates on upcoming productions, as well as information on booking shows.

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The 25^th Emergency Clown Nose® pick is of course Santa who wishes you and your family a wonderful Christmas, and a happy New Year filled with joy and laughter.

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For the 24^th Emergency Clown Nose® pick I choose Lady Liberty to represent all of us. I believe we each hold the flame of liberty inside of us, just as we have a clown inside each of us. The question is do we have noble or ignoble intentions.

The clown inside of us has the ability to liberate our spirit from the shackles of personal restraint. However, does the pursuit of our own liberty blindly trample on the liberty of our neighbor, or set their spirit free?

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The 23^rd Emergency Clown Nose® pick of the season goes to the Lucille Ball.  In this series I’m exploring the noble as well as ignoble clown.  Each day through Christmas look for posts to my blog, www.LloydBrant.com, of a different public figure that either delighted in playing the clown, or that the public has unfortunately chosen to paint as a clown.

Lucy was a pioneer in television, but more importantly she was instrumental in breaking down the door for women in comedy today. My wife and lifelong comedy partner, Rosie Cole was greatly influenced and empowered by Lucille Ball’s example.

Thanks Lucy

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The 22^nd Emergency Clown Nose® pick of the season goes to the Marx Brothers.  In this series I’m exploring the noble as well as ignoble clown.  Each day through Christmas look for posts to my blog, www.LloydBrant.com, of a different public figures that either delighted in playing the clown, or that the public has unfortunately chosen to paint as a clown.

The Marx Brothers were an iconoclastic comedy team that was first blackballed from vaudeville before becoming Broadway and Hollywood stars. Their genius was performing their crazy antics against the backdrop of a straight humorless world. The more the supporting cast didn’t laugh the more their audience did.

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The 21^st Emergency Clown Nose® pick of the season goes to the Laurel & Hardy.  In this series I’m exploring the noble as well as ignoble clown.  Each day through Christmas look for posts to my blog, www.LloydBrant.com, of a different public figure that either delighted in playing the clown, or that the public has unfortunately chosen to paint as a clown.

As a child I loved watching Laurel & Hardy on Sunday morning television. Their snowball comedy awakened me to a type of humor that still influences me. Even though their slapstick was sometimes brutal, Laurel & Hardy’s warm hearts and clear love for each other is the yardstick, in which I measure my own work to this day.

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