On April 18^th we held our 21^st Annual Talent Showcase and Customer Appreciation Event at the Paramount Theater in St. Cloud, MN.  With 550 people registered and planning to attend, a great event was all in place . . . and then the snow came.   It snowed throughout the day and by the time the snow ended early the next morning, the official snowfall for St. Cloud was 12.3,” setting an all-time record for snow on that date in April.

But the show must go on!  Despite the snow, 200 people came out to enjoy a great night of fun and food.  A special thank you to Custom Catering Simple to Elegant by Short Stop for providing culinary delights; and to all the acts for being the pros they are.  Indeed, the show did go on!   The Zany Waiters had people laughing before they even got to their seats.  Once in their seats, everyone was treated to excellent performances by Divas Through the Decades, Scott Novotny, Laura Goodrich, SongBlast!, Mary Mack, Laura Ernst, and Legacy – A Tribute to the King of Pop.  Everyone  who experienced the event enjoyed non-stop fun, which led to one attendee telling me her face hurt from smiling and laughing so hard . . . love it!

Reflecting on the evening, I am sad the weather prevented so many people from attending, causing them to miss an amazing show and customer appreciation; but it also pointed out how wonderful it is to work with truly professional entertainers and staff members who rolled with the punches and pulled off a great show as always.  Their talent and level of commitment to providing great entertainment is extraordinary and constant, and reinforces why our agency and our acts are so good at what we do.

The date for next year’s showcase is set for Thursday, April 24^th – please mark your calendars and plan to join us rain or shine (and hopefully never in snow again, ever!!!).  We will do our best to make sure it is a spectacular event from start to finish.

If you would like to see photos from this year’s showcase please watch the video below.

Thank you and we look forward to working with you soon –

We are happy to extend an invitation to you to attend our annual showcase on Thursday, April 18, 2013 beginning at 7:30 p.m.  (Doors open for the reception at 6:30 p.m. and for pre-show entertainment in the theater at 7:00 p.m.)

Because we want to show our customers how much we appreciate you, there is no charge for this event.  However, space is limited, so we do need you to register in order to attend.  Please register on-line now or call our office at 888-654-6901, ext. 3.

This year’s scheduled entertainers include:

Reception Entertainers

Zany Waiters, Interactive Physical Comedy

The Zany Waiters will make your event something special and unique!  During your social hour, reception, or dinner event, our experienced entertainers initially appear to blend in with the wait staff. Of course, they don’t act like any ordinary waiters.  As the event progresses, their wacky interactive antics will slowly start to turn heads and the laughter will spread as your guests are entertained on a table-by-table basis. The true skill in their hilarious presentation is how well the Zany Waiters serve up laughs while remaining respectful of the dining experience. When the comic imposters are finally revealed, the whole audience is in on the joke and will be talking about this unique entertainment experience for days.

Showcase Entertainers

Divas Through the Decades, Musical Tribute

Take a journey through time as Divas Through the Decades presents a musical tribute to some of the most influential female vocalists of the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today.  With show-stopping choreography, electrifying vocals, and highly styled costumes, Divas Through the Decades presents the hit songs of Patsy Cline, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Tina Turner, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain, Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, and many more.  This show is a must-see for all generations.

Scott Novotny, Stand-up Comedy

Scott Novotny loves delighting audiences with his show – an act laced with characters, songs, jokes, dancing, props, improvisation, and physical comedy.  After his shows, Scott loves to hear how much his audience appreciated his clean material, and how they can’t remember when they laughed that hard.  He also loves to think of his show as “a happening.”  Scott is often compared to comedy legends Red Skelton and Robin Williams, and his goal in life is to have someone come up to Robin Williams and say, “Hey, you remind me of Scott Novotny!”

Laura Goodrich, Internationally Recognized Speaker

Laura Goodrich is an internationally recognized expert in the field of workplace dynamics and relationships.  Having been gifted with a powerfully charming presence, she is an expert speaker and communicator speaking at national and international events. Laura has the capability to remarkably inspire others through her motivating and invigorating words. Her proactive approach is compelling, influential, and inspirational at the same time. She’s undeniably one of the best and most effective speakers of the day.

Keri Noble, Piano-driven Singer/Songwriter

Keri Noble is a piano-driven singer/songwriter as well as a Minneapolis Cities 97 radio personality whose passion and penchant for living life on her own terms radiates from her music and radio persona.  Keri’s show showcases her heartfelt original music.  Her disarming honesty, humor and wit engages the audience and takes them along on a musical journey of emotions that they share together.  The experience is interactive with Keri and the audience enjoying a repartee and bonding through the experience.

SongBlast!, Interactive Music/Dueling Guitars

What’s better than 2 dueling pianos?  2 interactive dueling guitars delivering a fun, non-offensive stream of endless songs from yesterday and today.  Pat Balder and Glen Everhart bring their consummate stage professionalism and high-energy performance to blast your event out of the park!  This act is a great fit for corporate parties, private events, fairs/festivals and more.  You bring your requests…and SongBlast will bring the party.

Mary Mack, Stand-up Comedy

Her endearing, slightly quirky stage presence and off-kilter musical surprises are drawn from Mary Mack’s background as a former music teacher (and polka band leader) and make her popular with a wide variety of audiences.  Mary’s mandolin sing-alongs have been featured on the nationally syndicated “The Bob and Tom Show” on radio and XM’s National Lampoon’s Comedy Network.  Mary had her national TV debut on Comedy Central’s “Life at Gotham” and NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” and now splits her time between Los Angeles and Minneapolis, sharing her totally fun and unique brand of stand-up comedy.

Laura Ernst, Juggling/Aerialist/Variety

You’ve never seen a show like this before – guaranteed.  Audiences will laugh, gasp and cheer as Laura’s unique high-energy show captivates and gives them memories that will last long after your event.  From beginning to end this show is unique, using new props and crazy skills.  As seen on national television, Laura Ernst gets the show rolling inside her human-sized hamster ball and keeps the energy pumping with amazing skill through juggling, hula hooping, aerial fabric and more!

LEGACY Live!, A Tribute to the King of Pop

LEGACY has been described as the epitome of what a Michael Jackson tribute show should look like and embodies the live, onstage work of the King of Pop featuring MJ impersonator LC Jackson. LEGACY will keep you on the edge of your seat (or on your toes for that matter) as you’re taken through a spectacular journey encompassing Jackson’s forever classics such as Beat It, Smooth Criminal, Black or White, Billie Jean, Thriller and more!!  What makes LEGACY special is its ability to entertain across a wide demographic range; both, kids and adults alike have raved about this incredible show. LC Jackson understands the onstage work and persona of the King of Pop making LEGACY a unique entertainment option.

Mark your calendars now to join us for a great evening of entertainment on April 18, 2013!  Register now to reserve your spot. 

“Nothing like performing for hundreds, and some nights thousands, of folks all snuggled into their seats in this fantastic outdoor amphitheatre located in the hillsides of the Badlands in North Dakota.  2012 marks my third time there and I always totally enjoy the experience, as I met many fine folks throughout the United States that come annually to this great tradition.   Take a little touch of Branson, MO, throw in Teddy Roosevelt, horses galloping in the mountainside in the background, fireworks, singing and dancing of America’s finest country-western with a little bit of old fashioned rock n roll from the 50′s, add a scoop of stand up comedy to the mix and you have the recipe for a very entertaining musical revue!  I would come back to perform again in a heartbeat!”

We hope you will have the opportunity to visit this unique American treasure of talent at the Burning Hills Amphitheatre at some point, and we’re happy for the opportunity to share Scott’s talents with the guests of the 2012 Great Medora Musical.

Stand-up comedian Scott Novotny performing on stage at the Burning Hills Amphitheatre in Medora, ND.

“…more coffee, please?”

What can I say – we all recognize this hat in the Upper Midwest!

Scott loves teaching comedy, and here’s why, in his own words:  “I teach classes on the art of how to write and perform a stand-up comedy act.  Here’s the odd thing:  one of the first rules of comedy teaching is–that I really can’t teach it!!  ‘funny’ is ‘funny.’ You either got it or you don’t.  BUT…what I can do is guide the students and give them a format on how to begin to construct a stand-up comedy routine, help them with their stage persona, and help guide them on the do’s and don’ts. 

My theory is, if you have signed up for the class, more often than not you must have heard, ‘you are so funny, you should be a stand-up comedian.’  So I am under the assumption that if you are signed up, we’ve got the ‘funny’ question out of the way. 

All I can say, is that I wish I had someone like me to take a look at what I was doing when I first started flaying away onstage as a fledgling comedian. 

Most of us use comedy every day.  I would hate to think of waking up on a planet where humor has disappeared completely.  I always go back to the Greek definition of comedy—‘life with hope’. 

I have always wondered, if laughter is the best medicine, why aren’t comedy clubs attached to hospitals then?

I love teaching this class.  It’s therapeutic for myself as well.”

Scott Novotny, Stand-up Comedian and Comedy Writer