The Gizmo Guys bounce into Huntington with pizzazz
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, November 13, 2001
Huntington, Ind. "Since 1977, Allan Jacobs and Barrett Felker have been entertaining around the world. By the time they joined forces ten years later and became The Gizmo Guys, they had already set down on six of the seven continents. They now land in Huntington at the Merillat Centre for the Arts on Saturday, December 1, at 2 p.m. Able to amuse and amaze, The Gizmo Guys combine original routines, quick-witted verbal repartee and world class juggling skills in a very light-hearted approach to the art. Since creating The Gizmo Guys in 1987, Jacobs and Felker have appeared before well over a million people in more than 2,000 live performances as well as countless others on television. In addition to touring extensively in the U.S. and Canada, The Gizmo Guys have dazzled audiences in places as diverse as Saudi Arabia and Japan.
The Gizmo Guys have performed not only in theatres across the country and Canada, but also for corporations such as Coca-Cola, Goodyear, Maxwell House, NBC, etc. They have been seen on television, performing on The Late Show, Nashville Now and Comedy Central, to name a few, and commercials for AT&T, Pizza Hut and Anderson Consulting. And they have entertained at festivals, on cruise ships and at circuses.
Presenters have given rave reviews of The Gizmo Guys. A repeat performance is inevitable we should issue seatbelts for the raucous, roller coaster ride of laughter [their] show provides, said Darla Meeker from Santa Rosa, Calif.
The expertise, wit and showmanship truly delivered a fun-filled evening at the consummate family show! raved Ralph Hoskins from San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Jacobs learned how to juggle while attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he graduated in 1977. That same year he co-founded the group Slap Happy. That group was twice awarded the Best Comedy of the Year by The Boston Globe. While not touring with Slap Happy, Jacobs taught juggling at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Clown College. He also captured the International Jugglers Association's Team Championship in 1978, and Solo Championship in 1983. Jacobs collaborated as technical consultant on The Complete Juggler, a book written by Dave Finnigan and published in 1987 by Vintage books.
Felker learned the art of juggling when he was 15 years old. He completed his studies at the University of Arizona and in 1980 won the International Jugglers Association's Team Championship. Later that year, he launched a solo career by taking an eight-week contract with The Harlem Globetrotters. Felker's performance was such a success that his contract was extended time and time again. Three years, five continents and thirty countries later, he settled in Europe where he worked his solo act in circuses and variety theatres for two more years and learned to speak Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Felker also spent time in a duo group called The Dynamotion Jugglers.
Both Jacobs and Felker reside in New York City.
To reserve tickets, call the Huntington College Box Office at (260) 359-4261. Office hours are Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Ticket prices are $6 for adults, $4 for students and seniors.
Founded in 1897, Huntington College is a Christian college of the liberal arts, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees in nearly 50 academic concentrations. US News and World Report ranks the College among the best Midwestern liberal arts colleges. Huntington College has also been listed among the 201 Best Colleges for the Real World.
