Clowning Around at the Moisture Festival

Did you know there is actually a word for the fear of clowns? Coulrophobia is a word that hasn't been around for long, showing up mostly online rather than in any known printed dictionary. The clowns coming to this year's Moisture Festival are certainly not scary, though you may find yourself laughing until you cry. Don't be afraid to buy tickets to see these performers!

Imam Lizarazu photo by John Cornicello

First, we have a returning act who has been captivating audiences all over the world with her unique style of clowning. Iman Lizarazu started her stage performance at age six as Mouse in the Nutcracker Ballet. In addition to training in classical ballet, Iman began learning circus arts from the Moscow Circus training gym, and her love of this craft grew. She studied circus in Dresden, miming in Paris, and even astrophysics! Yes, Iman has a PhD in Astrophysics from the Max Planck Institute in Munich. She has been active in both Clowns Without Borders and Doctors Without Borders, performing in Kosovo, St. Petersburg, and Cuba. Nairobi, Africa now has a circus school thanks to Iman! She has been juggling, miming, and clowning her way around the world for years, and we never know when she'll turn up next on the Moisture Festival stage! Make sure you check her performance schedule and get tickets to a show!

Benedikt Negro

 Another talented performer who started performing in a single-digit age is Benedikt Negro. His first professional performance at age nine was as a sideshow artist, making money performing magic at various street festivals. Benedikt's interest in the circus arts grew, and he went to pantomime school in Berlin. After that, he was offered an amazing gig! Since 2002, Benedikt has been the lead character of Cirque du Soleil's "O" at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. In addition to years on the Cirque stage, Benedikt has toured with Circus Apollo and "Hallucination Company". He also teaches a workshop in Mime and Pantomime. We're excited to have him at the festival for the first time in 2015. Benedikt's talents are amazing, so check here to find out when you can see him perform!

Michael Davis

New to the Moisture Festival stage but not new to performing is the intriguing Michael Davis! His clown education began in the 70's when he was handpicked out of over 2,000 applicants to attend Clown College, then spent several years on the road clowning around with the Ringling Brothers Circus. You may have seen him on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, Sesame Street... the list goes on! He's even performed on Broadway (NYC, not Capitol Hill, Seattle) in "Sugar Babies" with Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller.  To add to the list of places you may have seen him, he's performed as Chef Tad Overdone at Teatro Zinzanni right here in Seattle. We are really excited that the stars have aligned to bring Michael to the Palladium this year! Show times will be posted here by the end of the month, so make sure to check back and grab some tickets for the whole family!