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!

Moisture Festival and Teatro ZinZanni Present: MishMash Circus Bash!

MishMash Circus Bash 2014 photo by Michelle Bates

Birds of a feather love to flock together. The clowns are at it again. Following last year's sold out collaboration, an all-new *MishMash Circus Bash* will play for two nights in 2015 (April 7 and 8) under Teatro ZinZanni's famous spiegeltent, the Moulin Rouge! This event is co-presented by Moisture Festival and Teatro ZinZanni and features all-star talent from both organizations. Why do we have such fantastic variety entertainment in Seattle? Teatro ZinZanni led the way presenting the best world-class entertainment in their exciting circus cabaret shows, and Moisture Festival has become an annual gathering place for variety artists. Together these organizations have put Seattle on the map as a world-renowned center for the variety arts. It's a marriage made in varieté heaven.

Teatro Zinzanni

Your party will be seated restaurant-style at tables and in booths in the antique cabaret tent imported from Belgium. The tent is circular and intimate (it seats around 285). The action of the show takes place all around the restaurant and is clearly visible from all vantage points in the room. We offer general admission and premium reserved seating. Seating will be pre-assigned before you arrive for the performance, based on tickets purchased together. Guests in the General Admission Seating section will usually be sharing a table with at least one other party. Private table ticket holders (for two or four) will be seated at premium private tables. If you would like to be seated with or near another party who purchased tickets for the show separately from your party, simply send your request to ticketquestions(at)moisturefestival(dot)org.

The tent will open at 6:30 so you have plenty of time to get comfortable, and have a bite to eat if you choose. The Teatro ZinZanni kitchen will be serving an a la carte menu if you would like to purchase dinner. Food and beverages are not included in the ticket price.  The full bar in the lobby will open at 6pm.   Beverages are also available from your server once you are seated.

You won't want to miss this special event! Get tickets today for Tuesday April 7th or Wednesday Aptil 8th! Early bird discount through Feb 20.

Magical Moisture Acts!

The Oxford-English dictionary defines magic as "the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces". One could also define it as "awesome, exhilarating fun" and "something amazing to see at the Moisture Festival". Whatever definition you choose, you'll want to keep your eyes open for these enchanting entertainers!

Jen Kramer

Jen Kramer will be at the Moisture Festival for the first time this year, and we are so excited to have her! She currently headlines a regular show at the Wyndham Grand Desert Resort in Las Vegas, and has also performed in multiple countries, on numerous television shows and been profiled in print and online publications. The secret is out... Jen Kramer is marvelously magical!

Somehow, she has also found the time to attend Yale, graduating with distinction in 2014 as a Theater Studies major. During her time there, she was also the founder and president of the Yale Magic Society. Jen has used her talents to bring joy to the Winthrop University Hospital's Cancer Center for Kids, the HUC-JIR soup kitchen in Manhattan, and while in high school, started a magic rehabilitation program at Mount Sinai Hospital.  Oh, and to top it all off, Jen is a black belt in Shotokan Karate! Is there anything she can't do? Check here later this month for showtimes so you can see the magic of Jen Kramer for yourself!

Majinga the Magician

The Moisture Festival is the world's largest and longest running comedy/variete festival, so it makes sense that we would feature a magician who has been performing in the longest-running magic show in the San Francisco Bay area. Majinga the Magician's "Magique Bazaar" has been wowing audiences with magic, variety acts, dancers, and more since 1998. He's even been published... "Book of Magic" from Klutz Press has sold over two million copies, and he's contributed to a handful of other books about magic.

Majinga the Magician was touring Indonesia and China when he saw something fascinating that he could not ignore. "Bian Lian" (change of face) originated over 300 years ago from the Sichuan Opera, and Majinga spent an intense four years studying this feat and creating his own character, Lian Qi Bian. He has respectfully resurrected this ancient art form and astounded audiences at the Magique Bazaar in San Francisco and the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Majinga is a must-see, so make sure you get tickets to one of his performances! Check back at the end of February for show dates and times here.

When Half Is Just as Good as a Whole

Some of our acts are going for double duty... being on-stage as a duo, then also performing solo. You will love them together and separately, so make sure not to miss any of these stellar acts at the 2015 Moisture Festival!

Raspyni Brothers photo by John Cornicello

The Raspyni Brothers have been delighting audiences with their hilarious antics for decades, opening for various music and comedic acts, appearing on "The Tonight Show", and have even been awarded World Juggling Champions four times! These unrelated siblings are masterful at taking everyday objects and turning them into interesting, flying objects. They will return this year, so check the list of their show dates right here in the coming weeks. As you can see from this photo, you may even get a chance to be part of the show!

Dan Holzman photo by Mark Gardiner

 One-half of the Raspyni Brothers is Dan Holzman, and we know his solo performance will be a whole lot of fun! He has been juggling since childhood, and has spent some time juggling all kinds of objects. When asked once about what unusual props he has used in a routine, his answer was, "a blowgun, battleaxe, and a head of cabbage." Dan is also in the Guinness Book of World Records, and you may have seen a younger version of him in the 1974 cult classic film "It's Alive!" With so many talents, it's hard to say exactly what he'll bring to the stage this year. Check for his showtimes here later this month.

Kamikaze FireFlies photo by Michelle Bates

Back in 2012, Kamikaze FireFlies wowed our Moisture Festival audience by crowd-surfing the audience in large plastic bubbles. We never know quite what they'll do next, but we do know it is always a good time! The dynamic duo of Rob Williams and Casey Martin will knock your socks off, even if you aren't wearing socks! They have both been involved with performing for delighted audiences for years, so check here to see what dates they will be on the Moisture Festival stage.

Rob Williams photo by John Cornicello

When not performing as a part of the Kamikaze FireFlies, Rob Williams can also be found doing solo performances. The last time he performed solo for the Moisture Festival, we discovered he was great at making sandwiches. You think that sounds kind of unimpressive, and that basically anyone can make a sandwich? What if I told you that from start to finish, opening packages and all, he made the sandwich with his feet? Now THAT is impressive! Don't worry, just like any good chef, he washed up before starting. You won't want to miss whatever Rob dishes up next, so buy tickets to one of the dates we'll list here in the next couple weeks!

Frank Olivier's Twisted Cabaret Returns to Seattle!

You've seen the insanely funny antics of Frank Olivier at Moisture Festival, don't miss his one-man-show!

Frank Olivier’s Twisted Cabaret and Pandemonium Vaudeville Show is a one-man show with a cast of a dozen characters, each more talented and demented than the last. Frank Olivier has performed around the globe, bringing his world class comedy juggling act to literally millions of people. In this show, Frank delivers more than just amazing juggling and comedy. Each night Frank takes on a dozen different roles performing a dozen different acts as well as singing and dancing his way into your heart.

Twisted Cabaret opens Thursday night February 5 and runs Thursdays through Sundays in Hale's Palladium for three weeks. 

To learn more about Frank Olivier's Twisted Cabaret, visit the website: www.TwistedCabaret.com
Tickets at:  http://twistedcabaret.strangertickets.com

Fabulous Festival Favorites!

There are some acts that we just love to see return to the festival each year! If you've missed any of these performers before, you can stop kicking yourself and get your tickets now for their 2015 festival performances. The comedic antics of these three performers will have you oooohing, ahhhhing, and making any other sounds of excitement you tend to make when you see impressive feats of physical comedy and dexterous skill.

Henrik Bothe

Henrik Bothe was born in Denmark, but luckily for us, he had access to The Ed Sullivan show. The plate-spinning act set his brain a-spinning, and he began practicing, much to the dismay of his mother's dishes. This led him down the path of performing arts, and he has expanded his abilities beyond plate-spinning to include juggling, balancing, and even escaping a straightjacket WHILE riding a unicycle! Once, he even performed a juggling act on "A Prairie Home Companion". You wouldn't want to miss a performer who is so good that they wanted him to juggle on a radio show! Show dates and times will be posted in late February here.

Lindsay Benner photo by John Cornicello

An act that manages to be both charming and wildly impressive is the talented Lindsay Benner. After receiving her BFA in acting, she continued crafting her talents and expanding her horizons to include solo variety acts. Lindsay has performed at various festivals, college campuses, on television programs such as The Tonight Show and has even appeared in movies! Her unique brand of comedy, juggling, and bringing happiness to audiences all over the world is a must-see. The schedule of performances will soon be updated here, so check back to make sure you get tickets for one of her shows!

Bill Robison

Bill Robison is another fascinating festival favorite that we've enjoyed watching over the years. His high-energy antics will delight everyone in your party, young and old alike. Comedy is an art form, and Bill is certainly an artist! He's been working on bringing laughter and fun to audiences for over 25 years, and some of those audiences have been right here at Hale's Palladium. You may have seen him outside before the festival in his Floaty Boat, playing songs on the ukelele while floating around in his canoe, but if not, check out the video below! You can see Bill's performance schedule on the Moisture stage posted here in late February.

Music Groups at Moisture Festival 2015

Part of the great variety of our variete includes musical acts, and we have some talented artists lined up for you this year! These two bands include strong voices and interesting lyrics, both telling stories of sorts while showcasing amazing aural aptitude.

The Bobs photo by John Cornicello

First, we have an A Capella quartet like no other... The Bobs! This Grammy-nominated group takes what you think you know about music and turns it upside-down, and side-ways, cross-wise... you get the point. Though they started their musical career performing uniquely arranged covers of popular songs, the Bobs have created their own songs over the years and released a number of albums, including 2013's "Biographies", highlighting famous and not-so-famous people throughout history.

It has been over 30 years since the Bobs first sang a note together, and though the owners of the voices have changed, the group remains a strong, cohesive vocal unit that will make you smile with their captivating harmonies and clever lyrics. The Seattle Times once described them as "a musical equivalent of a Gary Larson drawing", but you won't have to go to the Far Side to see them. Just check here for show dates, grab your friends and family, and head on over to Hale's Palladium to see the Bobs!

Uncle Bonsai photo by Michelle Bates

Another band you won't want to miss is Uncle Bonsai. This group adds an acoustic guitar to their three part vocal harmonies, and humorous and sometimes strange lyrics weave stories to entertain you. In 2013, they released a "bedtime book for grownups", The Monster in the Closet/Go to Sleep. This book of 2 songs, illustrated by the band members, also includes a recording of the songs, showing that this band can take it to the next level with multimedia offerings.

Having started performing in the early 80's, Uncle Bonsai has opened for many well known bands, including the Bobs! After an eight year hiatus, they reunited in 1998 to create more sonic stories, and now continue to titillate us with their tales. Chris Lunn with Victory Music Review said Uncle Bonsai "are one of the best things to erupt since Mount St. Helens... as startling as a dog with good breath." We think they are just delightful and are thrilled to have them back at the festival. Check here in late February for showtimes.