As a Chicago area balloon artist, entertainer and speaker, I’ve met and continue to meet fascinating people. Here I will be sharing my interviews with them. There are many fun past interviews with balloon and entertainment industry folks and there will be updates and new ones, as well as interviews from other industries.
Ben Alexander took an unusual industry and went national. Now he’ll be appearing Friday evening January 17 to make a proposal to the multimillionaire and billionaire sharks on ABC’s Shark Tank. Whether he gets eaten alive or not is irrelevant since the exposure will be extraordinary–the show has around 7.5 million viewers. Alexander’s company, Balloon […]
Sandi is as colorful as the lovely flowing silks she wears. Reinvention is nothing new to her and around age 55 (merely ten years ago!) she did it again and began her journey as a ventriloquist whereby she travels the country entertaining children, families and adults with her various programs. Music and telling are in […]
Lori Wheeles is one busy lady! Last year she entertained at over 300 events. On a weekly basis she will deal with drooling kids while performing magic then swim with the sharks at the Shedd. She is daring, yet disciplined, a lot of fun and I am pleased as punch to introduce you to her! […]
Originally posted 12-29-09 in MBD2 “One of my goals is to elevate the status of our art form. We are artists,” said Vicky Kimble, CBA, owner of IncrediBalloons in Loveland, Ohio, and a balloon artist, entertainer and decorator. Currently, some of her work is available for purchase through the Mac Worthington Gallery of Contemporary Art […]
Originally posted 10-10-09 in MBD2 Barry Friedman, aka Barry Raspyni and one half of the entertainment duo the Raspyni Brothers, has been performing since the early 80’s. The Raspyni Brothers have appeared on national television more than 200 times, have toured as an opening act for dozens of celebrities like Tony Bennett, Robin Williams, Dennis […]
Originally posted 10-06-09 in MBD2 I like things to look like what they are supposed to be, so detail designs are where I am at,” said balloon sculptor Rick Mohr. “That is why I don‘t do a lot of speed twisting designs. Some, not a lot.” (see www.mohrfun.com ) He attributes his desire for detail […]
Originally posted 04-16-09 in MBD2 Steve Belliveau is on the road so much as an entertainer he has a vibrating heating pad in his car for his back. Annually he averages between 35- and 45,000 miles. Based in Bartlett, IL, he has about nine different types of science and magic shows that take him to […]
Originally posted 12-09-08 in MBD2 This Spotlight and ongoing articles will include interviews with performers that are not all balloon professionals in particular, however they will all be professional entertainers in general. We at MBD2 believe we have much to learn and be inspired by from all types of artists, afterall as O’Shaugnessy said, “We […]
Originally posted 09-19-08 in MBD2 Bob Coleman, www.balloonbob.com ,was awarded 3rd Place in the America’s Funniest Magician Competition hosted by the Family Entertainers Workshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “I didn’t have any idea I was going to compete until I got there,“ he said. “I went to the local dollar store, picked up my act and did it!”, […]
Originally posted 07-30-07 in MBD2 Patrick’s Fantastic Balloon Safari is the umbrella term Patrick van de Ven, of Apeldorn, Netherlands, uses for his current activities which are many and varied. So varied, in fact, that his other talents and professional pursuits are not even covered by such a term as safari, however it is the […]
