It was an early morning – up by 7am. Brooklyn (from the Paramount Theatre) was at the Radisson promptly at 8am to pick me up for a trip over to Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. This is a spectacular state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the health needs of children. And my morning here would be very special. I have lots of pictures that I’ll be posting later but wanted to at least let you know what’s going on.
Once at the Medical Center, we were met by Ken Stein (executive director of the Paramount Theatre) and Brenda Thompson, a public relations consultant who works with the Paramount. I was impressed that Ken would take the time from what I know to be a very busy schedule to be here this morning. He is passionate about his work and his model of enthusiasm is passed along to the entire staff of the Paramount. These guys are amazing!
We started off with a visit to the Oncology Department. I had the privilege of performing for a group of children, their families, and some of the medical staff. Some of them even got in on the action – Moses (a parent) and Dr. Phil tied me up in some ropes for a fun escape!
After we wrapped up here, we were off to Dialysis to do some one-on-one performances for some very special kids there. I showed each of them a few small tricks and then taught them a couple! I hope it made the time go a little quicker – and gave them something to work on to baffle their families when they get home.
From Dialysis, we made our way to the coffee shop and then on down to the amphitheatre area (yes, this facility has a small performance area built right into the building). The kids had already begun to gather and the evidence of “hospital” was all around – wheelchairs, i.v. poles, crutches, etc. Families, doctors, nurses, and (of course) pediatric patients were packed into the performance space. We all had a great time doing a little magic. I performed for about 20 minutes and then taught each of them a trick or two. Several of the kids – Mikey, Eric, and Cory – made it up on the “stage” to assist me and they were awesome.
NEWS 8 AUSTIN was there for the final performance and I had a chance to chat with the reporter, Maureen McCann, and her cameraman John. You can check out the story HERE (and don’t forget to click on WATCH THE VIDEO).
After spending the morning at Dell Medical Center, Brooklyn and I were off to the Paramount Theatre to say hello and check out the space. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be bringing our production to this beautiful and historic stage. There’s no way to put into words what it’s like to step onto a stage like the Paramount – such a privilege to stand where legends have been. It’s humbling and exhilarating – and tomorrow is going to be an amazing time!