Once upon a time, I used to do yoyo shows, bubble shows, and shows of other various fun skills for family audiences.
[This is a photo of me from 22 years ago, when I was trying to promote my stage show: “The Talented Jodi.”]
It’s a LOT of work to put on a show. Every person who hires a kinetic performer wants the show to be catered to their venue - at least that was my experience. I couldn’t just pack up the same thing and do the same show at different places every weekend.
Some wanted plate spinning and yoyo antics. Some just wanted a yoyo show followed by cutting string, selling yo-yos, and teaching the basic, “Throw Down” trick. Some wanted only bubbles. Some wanted every skill I know.
I custom tailored a different show for every audience. I’d have to cull through all of my different props and supplies to curate what I would take to every single show, too.
A birthday party for 12-30 kids is vastly different from a parade honoring soldiers in downtown Washington, DC, is vastly different from a Bar Mitzva for 200 people is vastly different from a festival on the water for The Boys and Girls Club of Delaware is vastly different from a Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts! See what I mean?
I had half a basement full of props. It was a lot to maintain. It was a lot of inventory. I had an entire wall of bubble juice, since it can only be bought at Toys R Us in the spring. So I had to stock up on it, every spring.
Well, I have moved from Northern Virginia / Washington, DC area to the lower middle half of Kansas. I live in a small town. Friends of mine live in nearby small towns. One of the towns’ librarians caught wind from someone that I used to do these shows.
She called me up. Several times I might add, to ask me to do the show. I was traveling all over the Pacific North West when she called the first time. So I asked her, politely, if she could perhaps call me in about 3 weeks, as I wasn’t in the head space to think about doing a show. I retired from this sort of thing at least 15 years ago and got rid of 99% of my equipment and props. In addition, the bulk of my possessions are in storage.
(I’m working on buying a small house, and I need to pare down my possessions to fit, and empty my storage unit!)
Well, she did call me back, and she was so kind. She said she doesn’t care what I do; I can plan whatever I’d like to do.
And tonight, I had a sudden brain storm hit me after I ate a Dove Chocolate. The wrapper of the Dove Dark Chocolate said: “TOY: Thinking Of You.”
And my act for tomorrow was born, of the props I currently have in my possession:
I will start with the world’s second oldest toy - the yoyo. I will demonstrate tricks and tell my silly jokes that I have been doing since I was 16 years old, doing yoyo shows with my dad “way back when.”
Then I will go to my personal oldest “toy” - my violin. Since the show is in Kansas, I will probably play the song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Kids of all ages love that song. And then I’ll play a song I wrote because it’s fun - I call the song “Jodi’s Jig.”
Then I will show them some spinning plates, and a trick I made up with that. Fox TV filmed me doing this trick years ago. I’ll share it in another newsletter.
Then, I’ll share my newest toy - my electric violin! It’s really cool.
Then, I’ll go back to the yoyo. It’s cyclical in nature. It always comes back. And I’ll finish the show with my dad’s song, “It’s Yo-Yo Time.”
I am hoping to tape tomorrow’s show & share bits and pieces of it over time on various social media platforms - TikTok @JodiArts, YouTube, Facebook.com/JodisArt, Twitter.com/JodiCrump13 … and the new Threads - JodiArts.
It should be a fun show!!
I’ll be doing a tidbit of a show on Sunday, too, also in small town Kansas.
My hope is to bring some joy to some people’s day and hopefully laughter and lots of smiles and music.
I hope you have a delightful week!
YO FOR IT!
- Jodi Rose Crump
🌹 🪀 🎻