Photo by Marc Norberg:

Today’s blog post might not make sense without first reading the full text of yesterday’s post. My experience of opening for the rock & roll band THE DOORS provided an unexpected moment of clarity on a long journey to understanding the clown’s art.  I’ve learned if you grab a flash of artistic clarity by the tail, you might catch lighting in a jar.

Jim Morrison believed his role, as an artist was to be a shaman-clown, and like his ancient ancestors did, poke holes through the veil of our perceptions to allow the concealed light to shine through, or to reveal the hidden darkness within. He unfortunately fell down this rabbit hole to his death, but you don’t grab lightening by the tail without consequences.

As a happily married family man it’s probably good that the European tour with THE DOORS didn’t work out, but I did create a full evening show inspired by the character I created called, A Spirit of Halloween.  I premiered it at the Jewel Theatre above the old downtown location of Twin Cities Magic.

This was my third show that Josette directed, as well as my first solo show she directed. I was nervous because she never lets me get away with any of my cheap tricks. At our first lunch meeting for the Halloween show she was reading The Hero’s Journey, by Joseph Campbell when I arrived at the cafe. My work was clearly cut out for me.

When I returned home I ran into our playwright neighbor, Kevin Kling, and mentioned how my first meeting with Josette went. Kevin laughed and said, “That’s it! I’m gonna read The Hero’s Journey, at every first show meeting just to scare the hell out of everybody in the room.”

 

Photo by Narc Norberg:

 

I was convinced that my character could never smile, after his birth performing with THE DOORS. I must say, Josette was very patient with me, but in the end my character developed a beautiful smile. When photographer, Marc Norberg took and edited this photo he captured the truth of who my Spirit of Halloween is in my imagination. His hero’s journey is to find the crossroads between the living and the dead on All Hallows Eve, when the veil between worlds is thinnest, to bring a laughter that can heal the human spirit on the darkest night of the soul.

Happy Halloween

I’m the clown standing on the right between Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger of the THE DOORS when I was their opening act in 2004. Standing on the far left is their lead singer, Ian Asbury, next to their manager, Tom Vitorino, the ringmaster of this crazy circus. I got the gig thanks to my friend, Sarah Sawyer, who had recommended me to the Orpheum Theater where THE DOORS were scheduled to play, but needed an opening act.

I remember on the day before I was hammering away on my computer trying to finish the script for our annual Waldorf Circus, when an email pops up from Sarah that I read as, “Lloyd, are you available this Friday night to open doors as a mime at the Orpheum?”

Disgusted I type, “Yes,” then press “send,” and return to my script. I hate putting on mime face to perform mundane tasks like being a doorman silently greeting the public, but I needed the money.

Then Sarah fires back a second email that I stop to read, “Great Lloyd, I feel like a Rock Star groupie. “I’ll let the Orpheum know.” I was a little confused, but I shrug it off, and go back to writing.

A short time later I receive an email from the Orpheum that reads, “Mr. Brant, we are so glad that you are available to be The Opening Act for THE DOORS this Friday night at The Orpheum Theater.

Perplexed, I retrieve Sarah’s original email, and re-read, “Lloyd, are you available this Friday night to open for The Doors as a mime at the Orpheum?”  I shit in my pants. Quickly, I email back the Orpheum to confirm exactly what it is that I had agreed to do, and then go back to writing my script a bit distracted.

Finally, the Orpheum answers back assuring me, “Yes, you will be The Opening Act for the Rock and Roll band, THE DOORS.” The message ends; “Please arrive tomorrow at noon. Bring your own mime make-up, costume, and juggling equipment.”

The next morning I wake up in a panic. I couldn’t believe that I had agreed to perform for 3,000 screaming Rock and Roll fans… as a mime. I will be eaten alive. I go to the basement and begin digging through my props. I think luckily they want me to juggle, as I pack my prop case with fire torches, gasoline, and a set of two-foot long knives. Almost as an afterthought I also toss in a set of glow-in-the-dark LED powered juggling balls .

At noon I arrive at the Orpheum, and I’m shown to a front room where a crew of scraggly old hippies are sitting. One of them asks, “Who are you?”

I answer, “I’m the opening act for THE DOORS.”

They all look at each other and laugh. The one who appears to be in charge says, “You’re not opening “for” THE DOORS. You’re opening “with” THE DOORS.” Ray Manzarek’s organ music is playing you on, and we will be doing the special lighting effects.

I ask, “Who are you?”

He answers, “You’re looking at the Liquid Light Show.” He explains that they are the original crew that created the wall of psychedelic liquid light that was the iconic backdrop in the 1960s for bands like, The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and The Doors.

Soon a slick man with jet-black hair arrives introducing himself as Tom Vitorino, the band’s manager. Tom leads me back to where Ray Manzarek, and Robbie Kieger were just sitting down to eat. Over lunch I listen to their stories from the sixties; then enjoy observing a good natured argument between Ray and Robbie on who will lead The Door’s signature extended jam that night, and finally I learn the reason why the original drummer John Densmore is not on the tour. It has something to do with John being half deaf, but fully crazy.

After lunch, Tom leads me to my dressing room. He wants to see my costume, and approves of my top hat and tailcoat. He then asks if I brought my make-up. When I say yes, he takes out paper to sketch what looks like a crude human skull, and asks, “Can you paint this with your makeup?”

I ask, “You mean like a Mexican Day of the Dead mask?” Tom, smiles and nods yes. At that moment all my nervousness from the past 24 hours vanishes, and I knew I had nothing to fear.   I said, “Yes, but I’ll need time.”

Tom leaves me alone, and I begin painting my face like the image on the paper. A dark character fully formed enters my imagination, and begins guiding my hand as I finish applying my make-up. When I look in the mirror I see a shaman-clown staring back at me

When it’s time for my tech rehearsal I decide to use my glow-in-the-dark juggling balls, and stuff them in my pockets. I follow the smoky haze to Ray Manzarek’s dressing room, and silently enter. When Ray sees me his eyes grow to the size of saucers, as he leaps up in shock.

I crack a smile and realize I’ve broken the spell. I say to Ray, “I’m sorry this character really shouldn’t smile.”

Ray nods, “Yah, stay in character. Keep it up.”

I then walk out to the stage where two technicians are talking in the wings with their backs turned to me. I hear one guy say, “Why did Tom book a mime this year.” Then the other guy laughs, “How about the Indian Chief he booked last year to do that Buffalo Dance.” The first guy begins to turn, “All I know is that I hate mimes.” Suddenly he sees me standing in the shadows. I remain deadpan watching their two faces turn white, then bright red as they sputter their apologies. The rest of the tech rehearsal goes smoothly.

At the top of the show I walk out in darkness, with Ray Manzarek’s organ playing carnival music. I stand silently at center stage with my head bowed to hide my horror makeup behind the brim of my top hat. I then reveal my LED powered juggling balls that were concealed under my tailcoat, and begin juggling. The light trails created by my glowing orbs spark a huge acid induced gasp from the audience. As I continue juggling I look-up slowly revealing my painted face, which causes the audience to freak out in joyful terror. I then start throwing the balls high in the air until Ray’s organ music falls off to silence, which is my cue to drop my juggling balls to the stage. In the empty darkness a huge video image appears of a human heart beating loudly, which is meant to scare death away. I quickly pickup my juggling balls and slink off, as THE DOORS enter to thunderous applause.

After my short moment on stage I slip behind the closed mid-traveler curtains to find myself directly behind the band in the vast dark void of the Orpheum’s cavernous backstage. Still wearing my costume and make-up, I begin dancing alone to the music. In the inky blackness I close my eyes, and allow my imagination to feel the ghostly presence of Jim Morrison looking down at me from the rafters. This is the night when I followed the footprints of an Indian Chief to help raise the spirit of Jim Morrison from the dead.

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Photo by Marc Norberg:

Josette Antomarchi has been Rosie and my director since 2002.  Between 2002 and 1992, when I had been a director at Disney, was a period of personal artistic transformation. The magic spell that Disney casts left an indelible mark.  I created a series of post-Disney one-man shows where I played a personified egg, which eventually hatched into the Wacky Chickens in a kind of Daffy Duck kind of way.

I toured my new one-man shows to Fringe Festivals across the USA, as well as performing them at local venues like the Bryant Lake Bowl Cabaret.  When it became time to incorporate my new ideas into a show with Rosie, I realized that we now needed a director. Most variety performers never use a director, so by default the audience becomes their director. If people laugh you keep it, if they don’t laugh you throw it out. But what I wanted for Rosie and I was the same kind of outside director’s eye that I had been providing to a growing number of other variety artists after my time at Disney.

I remember telling Rosie that I thought the perfect director for us was this little French powerhouse of an actress named Josette.  She was one of the founding members of Theatre de la Jeune Lune, which began as a bi-lingual theater that spent 6-months in Paris, and 6-months in Minneapolis. When Jeune Lune settled permanently in Minneapolis, Josette moved back to France to study with Peter Brook, and eventually became a marque member of Theatre du Soleil in Paris.

When Rosie and I were performing in a benefit for our friend and neighbor Kevin Kling after his motorcycle accident, we went to change into our chicken costumes, and were surprised to see standing in the center of the dressing room, Josette covered from head to toe in feathers.  It was clearly an artistic match made in heaven.

Below are all of our shows that Josette has directed.

Original Art by Cate Whittemore / Graphic Design by Fred Baisch:

The first show Josette directed was a full evening version of The Wacky Chicken Show. She brilliantly guided Rosie and I to achieve one of our best works together. Thanks to a grant from the MN State Arts Board we were able to capture the show on DVD.

Photo by Marc Norberg / Graphic Design by Fred Baisch:

A Life of Serious Nonsense is the second show of ours that Josette directed, after we were awarded a second grant from the MN State Arts Board. I wrote the show as a play within a play.    When Rosie and I are on stage we play our traditional clown roles, but then we show the audience our relationship back-stage where our world is reversed and Rosie is in charge.

I guess it’s a little bit biographical.

Original Art by Lloyd Brant / Graphic Design by Fred Baisch

The third show Josette directed was my one-man show, A Spirit of Halloween.  It’s a story of a Fool who is lost at the crossroads between light and darkness. I based this show on a character I developed when I was the opening act for the Rock and Roll legend THE DOORS in 2004. I was asked to play a juggling shaman/clown whose role was to raise the spirit of Jim Morrison from the dead.

Check out my blog post tomorrow for more details…

Photo and Graphics by Marc Norberg:

THE VAUDEVILLIAN was the fourth full evening show that Josette has directed for us.   In 2010, I was commissioned by to write it for the Southern Theater’s 100^th anniversary season. This was my first play that required words, so I approached my neighbor, friend, and master storyteller Kevin Kling, who agreed to collaborate with me on the script.

The show was based on the original vaudeville show that played the night that the Southern Theater opened its doors in 1910. When I looked at the original line-up the only woman on the bill was named Rose. The play was about the spirits of these original cast members returning to the stage 100-years later.

Josette is currently directing me in a new one-man medicine show that I’ve been developing for the past couple of years.

To be continued…

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Disney Photo 1992

I’m pictured here with my assistant director at Disney, Mike Korkis. Today he is the Head of Casting for Disneyworld® in Florida.  Mike was my secret weapon.  Disney’s blood courses through this man’s veins to the point that people often mistook him for Michael Eisner, who was Disney’s CEO at the time.  Without Mike I could not have navigated the corporate bureaucratic labyrinth.

Over the course of the Disney Entertainment Arts Festival, Mike and I became truly good friends.  Before working with me he was a cast member in the Streetmosphere® Program at Disney’s MGM Studios.  I like to think that working on this project was my friend’s big break. He had such a love for Disney’s brand of magic that it became infectious.

In show business there is a tension between what is entertainment, and what is truly art. My greatest challenge as a director for The Disney Entertainment Arts Festival was holding true to the spirit of the word “Arts” in the title of the project.  I knew I had an ally in Mike Korkis, who always had my back in my Don Quixote quest.

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Disney Photo 1992©

Sean was the most challenging of my apprentices at Disney, because throughout the summer he tirelessly kept challenging himself.  We had a common love for Commedia dell’Arte, so I encouraged him to explore the power of the mask in his Streetmosphere® work with the public.  At first he performed with traditional Italian Commedia style masks such as Arlecchino and Pantalone, but when he finally came up with Scuba Seano is when his performances truly blossomed.

There was a patch of beach sand landscaped around a swimwear shop that Sean transformed into his personal sandbox to play inside.  Eventually he developed a full street show, where he would gather a crowd and then select members of the audience to assist him in staging an elaborate set-up that ended with him upside down with his head in a bucket full of water, to huge applause.

Today, Sean lives in upstate New York, with his wife, and two-year old daughter.  After many years of making his living on the road he has settled down and established his own circus arts program called, Circus Theatrix, and conducts summer camps where he teaches circus and theater.

Recently Sean contacted me, and asked me to direct him in a new show.  I look forward to the opportunity to work with him again. Below I’ve included a couple photos of the earlier characters that he developed and performed at Disney.

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ARLECCHINODisney Photo 1992©

PANTALONEDisney Photo 1992©

Disney Photo 1992©

I would like everyone to meet Lucille and Francine Warbler. I directed them as Streetmosphere® characters for the 1992© Disney Entertainment Arts Festival.  Disney’s idea was for them to pattern their characters after the woman in the Mary Poppins film, who inspired the song “Feed The Birds”.

It was a pleasure to work with these two fine actresses.   The original idea was for them to be eccentric bird watchers, but as rehearsals progressed Lucille and Francine started believing that they were actual birds, which brought their characters a level of true absurdity.

Disney’s CEO Michael Eisner fell in love with The Warbler Sisters when he toured the festival. My daughter Liza fell in love with them too, when she and Rosie were visiting me in Florida.  Liza was just five-years old, and was instantly drawn to Lucille and Francine’s strong female characters.  One of their bits was setting up a table and chairs in the middle of street, and hosting a tea party for the children who happened to pass by.  Liza immediately crawled up in one of their empty folding chairs, and enjoyed sipping imaginary tea, while listening to their birdbrained stores.

Disney Photo 1992©

Lisa Sleeper chose the name Lucille for her character because Lucille Ball was her childhood hero.  Her dream was to work full time at Disney, and I’m happy to say that in 1993 her dream came true.  Lisa is currently performing at EPCOT doing trunk shows.  I understand that she also performs for numerous special events on Disney property, plus outside corporate events, as well as the beloved annual Orlando Fringe Festival.

I’m proud to have been there at the beginning of Lisa’s journey that blossomed into a lifelong career at Disney.

Disney Photo 1992©

Ali Elk, who played Francine Warbler moved to Los Angeles after working with me at Disney. For many years she performed sketch comedy, while making her living acting in commercials.

After a brief time in Virginia because of her husband’s work needs they are now back in LA, and as she says, “I’m slooowly making my way back to acting.” But she loves being at it again.

Ali’s passion was always for film, rather than theater. During her time with me, Disney brought many experts from the entertainment industry to speak to my apprentices, including the LA agent that she ended up working with in when she moved to California.

I wish Ali all the best on her return to Hollywood.

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My daughter Liza became engaged this week. Andrew and Liza have known each other since they were both 15-years old.   Liza was selling flowers at the Colorado Renaissance Festival and noticed a boy her age at a shoemaker’s shop. Even though it was uphill from everywhere else at the festival she chose to make that shop a regular part of her route with her basket of flowers.

The second day the shoemaker’s son came out of his booth and asked to buy a flower. Liza asked, “Which one would you like?” and Andrew answered, “Which one would you recommend?” Liza selected a giant sunflower, and when she took his money and handed the flower to him, Rew handed it right back to her, and said, “This is for you.”

When Liza was born, and the midwife told me that I was the father of a daughter, the first thought that that entered my mind was, “What the hell am I going to do when she starts dating?” When Andrew came into Liza’s life I never had any concerns. I felt a familial bond from the moment Liza introduced us, as if we had all been family before in a past life.

Welcome back to our family Andrew.

Dad

Disney Photo 1992©

Jim Covey was, and I’m sure still is a tireless workhorse when performing. He came to Disney after graduating from Ringling Clown College, and made a great street clown. Currently I believe he is now employed full time at The Magic Kingdom.

Disney Photo 1992©

I cast him in a Streetmospher role with the task cleaning up the Disney Village. I watched as the regular army of Disney street sweepers were at first confused by Jim in his absurdly comic efforts, but they all grew to love him just as the audience did.

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Disney Photo 1992©

When I was preparing for this series of blog posts about my time at Disney I did a double take at the name David Harris, who I had cast as a street magician. This is not David Harris the magician from my hometown of Minneapolis; this the David Harris I directed in 1992, and is originally from Mechanicsville, Virginia.   I’m sure David Harris the magician from Minneapolis is shaking his head reading this and thinking, not another David Harris in the business. We actually have two performers named David Harris living in Minneapolis, one is a magician, the other is a physical comedian, and they’re both talented and gifted performers. My David Harris from Disney is also a talented and gifted performer. I’m beginning wonder if there isn’t a secret cult where everybody in it is named David Harris, and their plan is to take over the world through laughter and delight.

My first memory of David was talking by phone about the upcoming summer Disney project.   He was a charming ambitious young man who was eager for the opportunity to perform.  He said that he was an actor who could sing, and play guitar, but was willing to do anything. As an afterthought he mentioned that he had recently learned a couple magic tricks. My ears always perk up when I hear the word magic. I learned that his roommate was the real magician, but David thought his friend might be a great resource to help him work up a magic act to show me.

When we finally met David face to face I was amazed at the sophistication of the magic that he had developed so quickly.  He started out demonstrating a simple but effective opening card trick, then followed it with some pretty good coin manipulations that actually fooled me, and ended with a classic cups and balls routine.  Unfortunately, I noticed him flashing quite a bit from the side. When I pointed this out he told me that he had been practicing for hours in front of the mirror. I said, yes your magic was clean from the front, but you’re going to be a street magician, and the audience will be standing in circle around you. I’ve never seen anyone work so hard, and come, so far. so quickly.  By the end he could flawlessly perform his magic while surrounded in the street, appearing a coconut from under his empty hat as his final trick.

Today David lives in Orlando, and still makes his living as a performer.

The world needs more David Harris’.

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Disney Photo 1992©

As I mentioned a couple posts back, Mark Sieve from Puke & Snot is the person I credit for my dream gig at Disney back in 1992. Pictured here are Redgrave & Scrout a comic sword duo that Mark Sieve wrote, and then flew down to direct.

On the left is Bill Larkin playing Redgrave, and on the right is Jake Lockwood playing Scrout.  Both actors were dedicated professionals, and a pleasure to work with.

While working at Disney I learned what a strong influence Renaissance Festivals have had on Disney theme parks.  In staff meetings I was told that EPCOT’s design was patterned after the layout of a Renaissance Festival. I remember when EPCOT first opened back in the 80s they hired many Renaissance entertainers to perform trunk style shows, and later in the 90s Disney coined the phrase Streetmosphere to describe the type of interactive theater that Renaissance Festivals have been successfully doing since the 60s.

The Disney Entertainment Arts Festival that I directed took place in the old Disney Village, which was a non-gated shopping area. I was basically asked to produce a miniature Renaissance Festival with roaming Streetmospher characters, and stage shows like Redgrave & Scrout, a Puke and Snot style show that Mark had to tame down for Disney.

Both Bill and Jake are each still working in the entertainment industry. In fact I’m proud that almost all of my former Disney apprentices are still working in show business today.

Disney Photo 1992©

Bill Larkin is currently living in Chicago, and performs at a dueling piano bar. Bill has always been nosebleed funny to me. Backstage he loved to sing the comic songs he wrote. The last time I saw Bill was when we were both performing at the Orlando Fringes Festival in 1995. Bill performed at his piano, and sang his comic songs. As always he was brilliant.

Disney Photo 1992©

When I first met Jake, he had just graduated with a theater degree in stage combat, so he really brought solid technique to the sword show.  I’m sure he’s still bringing his “A” game to everything he does. In fact he just finished a stint as the associate show director for the big Star Wars Weekends in the park leading up to the upcoming movie release. I can only imagine the light saber choreography he’s been creating for Disney.

To be continued…

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