Juggling is nothing without interaction
If you are not impressed to hear that Jeff Civillico is a juggler, that won’t be news to him.
The 29-year-old was 16 when he landed a theme park job at Busch Gardens and “learned immediately the skill set required to get the job was nothing like the skill set required to keep the job.”
But this he learned only after showing up to juggle in “my little checkered vest” only to have people boo or walk away.
“I very quickly learned I need to make these people laugh, to engage them and get them involved.”
And so he did, to the point where a 12-minute job as a specialty act in Nathan Burton’s afternoon magic show led to a full-length forum of his own.
But here’s the “Why didn’t I think of that?” part for all you show people.
Civillico didn’t leave Burton’s show to star in “Comedy in Action” at the Imperial Palace. No, he continues to use it as a promotional showcase because – ta-da! – Burton produces the new show as well.
“Instead of sending people to other shows, I might as well (produce) my own show,” Burton explains. “People want fun, family stuff to do. We’re giving them more options.”
Civillico came to Las Vegas to perform in a short-lived show called “Amazed” in 2009. He stuck around, and found his way into Burton’s show.
“Nathan and I both noticed that people afterwards were asking where they could see me, and if I had a full show,” Civillico recalls.
So they carved out a space in the old Planet Hollywood restaurant in the Forum Shops at Caesars. Soon, they were filling up 100 seats with little to no paid advertising beyond the internal promotion.
“That was a very organic kind of development,” Civillico says. “We kind of made something out of nothing.”
The costs are higher in a real showroom, but the two believe the cross-promotion will continue to send those who see Burton’s 4 p.m. show one day to Civillico’s 2 p.m. show the next.
And it’s still not about the juggling. “It’s all about the connection with the audience and the fun, playful character,” he says.
After a week of unwelcome publicity, David Saxe is back to producing shows again. As covered elsewhere in these pages, Saxe was sued by instructors of his “Stripper 101” attraction, who alleged they were unknowingly taped by hidden cameras. Saxe immediately offered a $1 million lie detector challenge, which was rejected.
While the lawyers attend to that, Saxe and producer Sirc Michaels are working to bring “The Awesome 80s Prom” to the space within his V Theater being left behind by the original interactive show, “Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding” when that one moves to Bally’s on June 9.
An off-Broadway production from 2004, “Awesome” is set in 1989 and takes its cues from the John Hughes comedies of the era. Michaels hopes to get “Awesome” up and running in July after first installing “Evil Dead The Musical” next month.
Saxe also is taking over the producer’s role of Recycled Percussion at the Tropicana.
The quartet’s founding performer, Justin Spencer, formerly helmed the business aspects of the operation as well and guided the group successfully up the college circuit.
Saxe says his role will deal mainly with ticket sales and marketing – already a new ad has debuted showing a baby Spencer with a tattoo and Mohawk – but there also will be some content tweaks to make the show “a little more diverse.”
Rumors that may not be mutually exclusive suggest the Palazzo theater – left vacant by “Jersey Boys” moving to Paris Las Vegas – won’t bind itself to one title, but instead host versatile programming, floating somewhere between The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Hence, it doesn’t have to be an either/or choice between two unlikely bedfellows: The drag musical “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” or country couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
Clint Holmes’ third monthly run at The Smith Center this weekend will be the first to test a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee; good news for his older fans who don’t like to drive at night, or those unable to score a ticket for the evening shows.
Comedian Geechy Guy moves his vehicle “The Dirty Joke Show” into the King’s Room at the Rio starting June 8. It will run at 8:30 p.m., following either Eddie Griffin or (depending on the day of the week) 78-year-old Grandma Lee, who opens a summer residency today.
Visiting comedians will rotate in and out of Guy’s semi-theatrical scenario of three comedians firing off the titular jokes in a back alley after their show. Guy will open the shows with a few minutes of his less-dirty stand-up, as seen last summer on “America’s Got Talent.”
Finally, do not confuse your ability to peg your cheating lover/second cousin with pegging the price of that frozen mac and cheese: Jerry Springer is back to host “The Price is Right Live” at Bally’s today through Sunday.
Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.
