In November I performed on a couple of shows the Throckmorton Theatre in Marin County. It is lovingly referred to as the "Throck" by the locals in Mill Valley, CA.
Robin Williams was a regular at the Throck's comedy shows, and the theater itself has that old vaudeville vibe.
I first performed at the Throck way back in 2016 when I was on a short tour as part of a friend's comedy show.
It's a great space with lovely, warm audiences who really like to drink wine. Lots and lots of wine.
I performed my parody burlesque act on the Tuesday Night Comedy show and a few weeks later SF magician Jay Alexander asked me to perform my act "Bunny Love" on his annual Thanksgiving weekend magic show.
I've been performing Bunny Love for so long that I have to admit that I hesitate a little when I'm asked to perform it. This time I found that simply changing up my costume helped me get in the mood for doing it for the zillionth time.
And it IS a pretty good act, if I may say so.
I'm not always excited to perform, but the moment I am on stage I am reminded of why I do it.
It's on stage that I feel the most free and confident. I have tried to break up with performing so many times over the years but it always comes a-knockin' on my door again.
So I keep performing despite the bit of heartbreak it inevitably causes. Despite trying to leave it behind for more stability and sanity.
I guess that's showbiz for ya!
Same old routine, shiny new puppet
I also started using a new bunny puppet which has also breathed some new life into the old bunny act.
The original bunny puppet "Murray the Bunny" was built in the mid-nineties and was given to me by my friend Beth when I started getting into puppetry. He's a really unique puppet and moves really well, but he's getting too old for showbiz.
The original bunny has become so ragged from traveling and performing that I finally started using a replacement puppet I've had for a few years.
It's a beautiful fleece puppet made by my friend Annett Mateo who is a Seattle puppeteer and professional puppet builder. But the new puppet feels and moves differently than the old one.
It's like when an actor is replaced in a TV show. Same character, different actor.
The audiences are still very engaged with the act, which a relief when an act starts to feel a little rusty.
I hope to do more shows at the Throck in the future, and be sure to check it out if you're ever in Mill Valley.