American Entertainment Magazine

CONTENTS:

18

AEP WORLDWIDE 2011 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE......................................4EXHIBIT LAYOUT/ BOOTH ASSIGNMENTS/ NATIONAL BOARD................6THE MUSIC OF ALYSSA BENTLEY......................................................................8SPECIAL GUESTS...................................................................................................11BOARD MEMBER PROFILE: DISNEY’S TROY PEDERSON........................12“PHENOMENON” MIKE SUPER..........................................................................16FEATURED ARTIST: COMEDIAN JOSH BLUE................................................18JUDSON LAIPPLY: DANCE, DANCE,DANCE..................................................212011 SHOWCASE LINE-UP...................................................................................22THE AMAZING TONIC-SOL-FA............................................................................26THE COMEDY OF RONDELL SHERIDAN.........................................................27

WELCOMEVolume 10, #1: AEP’s Signature Event

I cannot begin to describe how excited I am with the AEPWorldwide Signature Event just around the corner. I seri-ously want to giggle right now. I’m not sure what a seriousgiggle would sound like, but I digress. Around January of2010, we (the staff of American Entertainment Magazine)were a bit despondent. After a fun and successful run aspartners in the International Association Of Corporate En-tertainment Producers annual conference showcases, thegroup decided to shut down any showcasing related to theassociation and split with AEM.

As editor of Campus Activities Magazine® for the pasteight years, I have seen how well the sense of communityand business grows when the buying and selling of en-tertainment is taking from print, email and phone lines intoa forum of true social interaction. We’ve seen it time andagain in the campus market: showcasing works for buy-ers and sellers, educational sessions are valuable and,above all, people just like to look each other in the eyeand share a smile now and then. With the promise of thistype of event gone, we were pretty bummed out. But thencame the spark... or the “light bulb” or “A-ha” moment.As editor of both publications, I realized I was communi-cating with buyers and sellers from every single facet ofthe business that buys or books entertainment. Many ofthese folks knew each other and many crossed over var-ious market lines, but so many more never knew thesepockets existed or if they did, how to breach them. In thecorporate, performing arts and casino markets, many ofthe buyers there face the paramount challenge of justhow to continue to appeal to younger audiences as timedevelops. They should have to look no further than thecampus market, where the talent is so much on the cut-ting edge care needs to be taken not to get cut.

Conversely, corporate, casino and performing arts buyersoften gain an edge when it comes to booking name talent.Their budgets are bigger, but a side benefit of this is theirongoing relationships with major talent representatives.These are the folks who have a direct pipeline into the besttour avails AND, they are experts in making the entire showa success. This is PRODUCTION, not just talent buying.Many a school’s bubble has been burst when they realizethe $25,000 budget they have won’t come close to puttingon an event for the $25,000 talent they have picked out.Experience is vital here.

These are two very quick examples, and there are enoughleft out there to represent the layers of an onion many timesover. Can you imagine the combined pool of expertise, tal-ent, performers and connection available when you take sixor eight, or even 10 different unique and distinctive marketsand combine them into one well-oiled and engineered ma-chine? We can, and it’s called the Association Of Entertain-ment Professionals Worldwide. Read on to see anexclusive look at its first conference, The Signature Event,in the following pages and be prepared to be impressed.Once you are, get in touch, because we want to be im-pressed with you as a part of the dawning of our excitingnew organization.

IAN KIRBY, Editor AEM,

Director of Association Development , AEP Worldwide

Print and Digital Online Edition © 2011, Cameo Publishing Group - All Rights ReservedEditorial and Subscriptions: (800) 728-2950

Advertising and Artist/Agency Relations: (803) 712-1429Main Office: 15420 Newberry Rd/., Blair SC 29015 • (803) 712-6903

Newberry Office: PO Box 509, Prosperity SC 29127 • (803) 276-1635Fax: (803) 712-6703 • On The Web www.americanentertainmentmagazine.com

W.C. Kirby, Jr., publisher • Ian F. Kirby, editor • Chandler Cook, marketing • Bryan Waldrop, customer ad & web graphics

AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF AEP WORLDWIDE

PRIVACY NOTICE: AEM does not sell, barter or trade information on our subscribers to any outside sources.

http://www.americanentertainmentmagazine.com

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2011

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM AEP Worldwide Advisory Board Meeting 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Social Gathering The Lobby Bar- Hotel Lobby 7:00 PM - Special Show Tickets

"The Rat Pack Is Back!” and Other Vegas Shows

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

8:00 AM - 5:30 PM Conference Registration- Conference Level 8:30 AM - 9:30 PM Exhibitor Load In La Sirena II - IV9:30 AM - Conference Welcome and Remarks - La Sirena ISam Trego President, Imagination Entertainment, San Diego, CA and Chairman of

AEP Worldwide.

9:45 AM - Friending Each Other ... LIVE - La Sirena INBC’s Last Comedic Standing Finalist Rebecca Corry will liven up the group while providing

an opportunity for attendees to meet each other. It will be networking on steroids.

10:45 AM - "1 +1=?" Sharing Resources - La Sirena IFacilitator: Steve Bailey, Exec. Director and CEO, The Grand Opera House, Wilmington DE

Panelist: Kate Magill, President, Sophie K, New York, NY and Tom Faessel, Associate Director

Residential Life, University of Akron, OH.

In an age where access to information of all kinds is readily available, why do thevast majority of entertainment professionals still hesitate to pipeline and share witheach other critical information needed to make informed decisions about program-ming, pricing and deal structure. In this session, we’ll explore why this “veil of secrecy”continues to exist while most other professions have enthusiastically embraced thebenefit of rapid/ready access to information. We’ll also hear from colleagues whoare sharing information and find out how this is being done and what the pros andcons of an open information exchange are.

11:45 AM - Roundtable Discussions - Buffet Lunch – De Sol Pick out a topic that interests you and then join in the discussion. Table facilitatorswill share the results during the Conference Wrap Up on Wednesday.

1:20 PM - Transition from De Sol to Ovation Casino Level 1:30 PM - Artist Showcase "A" - Ovation Casino Level3:55 PM - Transition from Ovation to La Sirena II - IV Conf. Level 4:00 PM - Exhibition Hall - La Sirena II - IV 5:30 PM - Entertainment Buying Today ...and Tomorrow - La Sirena IFacilitator: Nancy Hays, President of Nancy Hays Entertainment, Chicago, IL

Panelists: Donielle Ojeah Bell, Senior Program Advisor, University of Georgia, Athens GA,

Scott Gartner, AEG LIVE Events , West Palm Beach, FL , and Beth Lynch, Press/Promotions

Coordinator, E.J. Thomas Hall, University of Akron, OH

In this interactive session will provide a brief overview of emerging trends that will in-fluence entertainment buying and selling in all markets. Nancy will be joined by apanel of experts providing different perspectives on trends within each market. Theaudience will have an opportunity to participate in an open discussion as well as askspecific questions to each of the panel members.

6:30 PM - Dinner On Your Own 8:00 PM - Artist Showcase "B" - Ovation Casino Level10:45 PM - Transition from Ovation to La Sirena II - IV Conf. Level 10:50 PM - Exhibition Hall - La Sirena II - IV

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

8:00 AM - 5:30 PM Conference Registration - La Sirena I 9:00 AM - AEP Coffee Talk - La Sirena I9:30 AM - Survival! It's the Economy.... Stupid - La Sirena I Facilitator: Barbara Meyer, President of Admire Entertainment, Inc, Palisades, NY

Panelists: Deborah Smith, Executive Director, The Historic Newberry Opera House, Newberry,

SC and Nathan Hanke, Assistant Director, University of Nevada Las Vegas

This is a timely discussion about surviving in this disastrous economy and what cop-ing mechanisms have proven useful. Here performing art theaters, establishedbooking agencies and colleges will share what they have done to attract business

and/or students to sponsored events.

10:30 AM - Celebrity Entertainment ... Closing The Deal - La Sirena IFacilitator: Judy Thee, National Ent. Director, The Freeman Company Worldwide, Orlando FL

Panelists:Anthony Gibson, Dir. of Entertainment, Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Biloxi, MS ,

Christianne Weiss, Agency For The Performing Arts (APA), Beverly Hills, CA

The more things change the more they stay the same. This will be a discussionabout the challenges and opportunities in booking talent. Are there secrets as tohow to do this most efficiently and effectively? How do things get bogged down be-tween the offer and the signed contract?

11:30 AM - Roundtable Discussions (Continued) Buffet Lunch ServedChina Spice Restaurant - Casino LevelContinue discussion from previous day or pick out another topic that interest youand join in the discussion. Table facilitators will share the results during the Confer-ence Wrap Up on Wednesday, September 21, 2011.

12:50 PM - Transition from China Spice Restaurant to Ovation 1:00 PM - Artist Showcase "C" - Ovation Casino Level3:25 PM - Transition From Ovation to La Sirena II - IV Conf. Level3:30 PM - Exhibition Hall - La Sirena II-IV 5:00 PM - The Coveted Younger Demographic – Why does it appealand How does it apply? - La Sirena IFacilitator: Douglas Hall, Principal, TalentPlus Entertainment, LLC , St Louis. MO.

Panelists: Troy Pederson, Casting Director for Disney Properties, The Walt Disney Company,

Orlando FL, Judson Laipply,YouTube Sensation -Evolution of Dance and Tricia Hartley, Stu-

dent Affairs Office Specialist, University of West Florida, Pensacola FL

A younger demographic to the corporate market is very different from what is con-sidered younger to the college market. The next generation will inherit a rapidlychanging world. This panel will look at this widely mixed group and how to approachits various forms.

6:15 PM - Exhibitor Load Out - La Sirena II - IV6:15 PM - Dinner On Your Own8:00 PM - AEP's Signature Artist Showcase - Ovation Casino Level10:00 PM Artist "Meet & Greet" & Social Gathering - Ovation

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

9:00 AM - Conference Registration - La Sirena I9:30 AM - Buyer/Agency Panel Discussion - La Sirena IPanelists: Jackie Knobbe, Senior VP of Comedy from Agency For The Performing Arts (APA),

Beverly Hills, CA and Jim Lenz, Vice President, Paradise Artists, Ojai, CA

This is your opportunity to speak face to face with major agents. This open dialogueformat will allow conference attendees to ask agents questions about booking talentand for agents to talk about how they view the future of the entertainment business.

11:00 AM- 12:00 Noon Wrap It Up - La Sirena IFacilitator: Andrea Michaels, AEP Worldwide Vice Chair and President, Extraordinary Events,

Sherman Oaks, CA

Roundtable facilitators will share the results of their discussions. Conference atten-dees will comment on the 2011 AEP Conference and what they would like to see inthe future. Also 2012 AEP Worldwide Conference location will be discussed.

Thank You For Being A Part Of History And TheThe Founding Of AEP Worldwide.

2011 AEP Conference Schedule

4, AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT MAgAzINE, AEP CONFERENCE ISSUE www.americanentertainmentmagazine.com


DAN AHDOOTNBC’s “Last Comic Standing”

Disney Channel's “Kickin It”

“The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno

DAN AHDOOTNBC’s “Last Comic Standing”

Disney Channel's “Kickin It”

“The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno

AL EXANDRA MCHALE“The Tonight Show”

with Jay Leno

“The Late, Late Show”

with Craig Ferguson

AL EXANDRA MCHALE“The Tonight Show”

with Jay Leno

“The Late, Late Show”

with Craig Ferguson

Showcasing Tuesday, September 20, 2011 @ 12:45 PM

Showcasing Tuesday, September 20, 2011 @ 7:00 PM

2011 AEP Exhibit Area / Board

2011 EXHIBIT LOCATION:LaSirena II, III and IV

Booth Agency Artist(s)

Booth 1 APA Josh Blue (SC)Booth 2 GTHQ Step Afrika! (SC)Booth 3 TMP Enterprises James Gregory (SC)Booth 4 TSF Entertainment Tonic Sol-fa (SC)Booth 5 All Star Talent Inc Bryan Dangerous (SC)Booth 6 AEP WorldwideBooth 7 Valera Music Group Alyssa Bentley, (SC)

Kenny James (SC)Booth 8 Sophie K Entertainment Alexandra McHale (SC)

Dan Ahdoot (SC)Booth 9 EastCoast Entertainment Jessie’s Girls (SC)Booth 10 Admire Enteretainment Tammy Pescatelli, ANT, Booth 11 Admire Entertainment James Galea, Rebecca Corry,

Rondell Sheridan (ALL SC)Booth 12 Craig Neier Associates Michael Harrison, Michael DuboisBooth 13 Craig Neier Associates Bronx Wanderers, 7 Bridges,

Finis HendersonGerry McCambridge (ALL SC)

Booth 14 Scott Stander Associates Ballroom with a Twist (SC)Booth 15 Alkahest Artists & Attractions Diane Lines (SC)Booth 16 Mike Super Magic & Illusions Mike Super (SC)Booth 17 David Crowe Productions David Crowe (ALT)Booth 18 Neon Entertainment Adam Ace (SC)Booth 19 Campus Activities/

American Entertainment MagazinesBooth 20 Altru Entertainment Leslie McKinney (ALT)Booth 21 Dynasty Productions Bella Strings (SC)Booth 22 Bass Schuler Entertainment Chris Carter (SC),

Dan Martin (SC)Booth 23 Royea Ent Solutions Martin Dube (SC)Booth 24 DNA Music Enterprises Dian Diaz (SC)

(SC) = SHOWCASING THIS EVENT

AEP NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

• Jackie Knobbe, Senior VP of Comedy Agency For The Performing Arts, Beverly Hills, CA

• Troy Pederson, Casting Director for Disney Properties The Walt Disney Company, Orlando FL

• Tom Faessel, Director of Residence Life & Programming University of Akron, Akron OH

• Judy Thee, National Entertainment Director The Freeman Company Worldwide, Orlando FL

• Nancy Hays, President Nancy Hays Entertainment, Chicago IL

• Steve Bailey, Executive Director and CEO The Grand Opera House & related properties, Wilmington DE

• Robert Hulsmeyer, Senior Partner Empire Force Events, New York NY

• Andrea Michaels ( AEP Vice Chair), President Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks CA

• Frank Candy, President,American Speakers Bureau, Orlando FL

• David Coleman, PresidentColeman Productions, Cincinnati, OH

• Deborah Smith, Executive DirectorThe Historic Newberry Opera House, Newberry SC

• Douglas Hall, Principal Talent-Plus Entertainment, Saint Louis, MO

• Sam Trego (AEP Chair), President Imagination Entertainment, San Diego CA

• Nathan Hanke, Assistant Director, Office of Civic Engagement and Diversity, University of Nevada, Las Vegas NV

• Donielle Ojeah Bell, Senior Program Advisor University of Georgia, Athens GA

• Tricia Hartley, Student Affairs Office Specialist, University of West Florida, Pensacola FL

• Rick Stowe, Partner, EastCoast Entertainment, Atlanta GA

• Anthony Gibson, Executive Director of Entertainment Beau Rivage Resort & Casino (MGM), Biloxi MS

AEP WORLDWIDE LLC STAFF

• Leona Plaugh, Executive Director, AEP Partner73 Somerton Place, Columbia SC 29209(803) 782-1947

• W.C. Kirby, Jr., AEP Partner Cameo Publishing GroupAmerican Entertainment MagazineCampus Activities Magazine®15420 Newberry Rd, Blair SC 29015(800) 728-2950

• Ian Kirby, AEP Member/Conference RelationsEditor, American Entertainment Magazineand Campus Activities Magazine®15420 Newberry Rd, Blair SC 29015(803) 712-1429

• Chandler Cook, MarketingCameo Publishing, PO Box 509 Prosperity SC 29127(803) 712-6903

AEP National Advisory Board & Staff



IIt’s a true thrill to present to thereaders of American Entertain-

ment Magazine talent which wenot only have found to be fresh, butknow for a fact is also completelyfresh to our readers.

Alyssa Bentley, with Valera MusicGroup, an outfit based in Los Angelesdedicated to finding and cultivating thefreshest and hottest new artists of to-

morrow, is a gorgeous and talentedhot ticket item that doesn’t make

compromises when it comes tomaking great music, or being

a great entertainer. And, sheknows how to be profes-

sional.

Far from the gum-popping teeny-bob-

ber airheadimage we often

carry of phe-n o m e n a l l y

talented female pop “divas,” the mostimmediate thing to strike this inter-viewer personally about Alyssa is herintelligence, wit, clarity and businessacumen. Yeah, you read that right, thisone is the total package.

“My show foremost features a liveband,” she says in a sure voice. “I loveperforming with a live band and feellike it gives a completely different levelof energy. I have a great four pieceband made up of some of the best mu-sicians in Los Angeles.”

While Alyssa has the flexibility neededto conform within the needs of privateevents, she does maintain certain stan-dards that not only protect her artisticvision and integrity but above all, en-sure the best possible experience forthe true end-user, your audience. Thefirst example is her take on cutting thelive band back in favor of the easierand cheaper tracked alternative. “I re-

ally don’t like performing like that,” shelaughs. “I have before, and will, if pushcomes to shove and that is what is re-quired, but there is something so muchmore organic and exciting about play-ing with a live band.”

Like any musician of originality, nailingdown what to label her style is a bit likenailing Jell-O to the wall, but Alyssa iscomfortable and realistic enough to puta pin on it. “Well, I call my music ‘pop,’mostly because it is the easiest label,”she quips, burbling laughter. “Pop isreally generous, you can use it to de-scribe a number of styles as long as itis music that can be played on Top 40rhythmic radio. And mine is, it’s Top 40music, but each song has a little bit ofa different flavor to it.”

This is a wonderful thing to hear in anauto-tuned era of electronic-beat ba-nality, where any number of pop artists’albums could be playing in the back-

www.americanentertainmentmagazine.com AEP CONFERENCE ISSUE, AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT MAgAzINE, 9

ground at a function on track one ortrack ten and only the most discerninglistener might know the difference. “Ireally like music that ranges from rockand soul to R&B and gospel. Mymusic encompasses a little bit of eachmy inspirations, so I have some songsthat are driven more by No Doubt witha reggae/rock appeal and others moreinspired by artists like Rihanna drivenby pop and dance. It fluctuates here,there and everywhere in between.”

Alyssa relates the reason for hereclecticism to be the same one mostwould cite for being blase´toward bylackluster pop. “I get bored too eas-ily,” she laughs. “I like things to beuniquely interesting. I am not sureabout everyone, but I am not a personwho likes to listen to an album andfeel each song just blends into thenext one. I like for there to be real mo-ments, peaks and valleys and distinc-tions in the songs. That is one of thethings I really appreciate about artistslike Rihanna, her record is kind of allover the place and I like it. It used tobe artists were told it was not okay

and that songs do need to fit all in acertain mold, but lately with the musicindustry evolving the way it has artistshave become more daring and are ex-perimenting with a wider variety of in-fluences. This makes me very glad(laughs).”

Alyssa is an independent artist, butthat doesn’t mean she has to forcethat independence on every gig sheplays. Despite being a very talentedmusician, singer and songwriter, shealso knows a cover or two. “I writeall of my own lyrics and melodies, somy personality is definitely capturedin the songs, but I am open tosinging songs that other people havewritten as well, if it’s something thatconnects with me and I feel I mightactually say as well. My favoritesong to cover is Prince’s “PurpleRain.” I think by writing one’s ownlyrics or truly embracing a cover, anindividual stamp can be placed uponthe performance that can’t be repli-cated otherwise.”

BOOK IT! For more information onbringing Alyssa Bentley to your nextevent, contact Tee Mitchell at ValeraMusic Group at (213) 819-7062 or [email protected]

Alyssa Showcases Tuesday

Afternoon, September 20.


mailto:[email protected]


2011 AEP Special Guests

JUDSON LAIPPLY: Judson has one of the most

viewed videos of all time on YouTube, “The Evolution ofDance.” Along With Doug Hall from TalentPlus and TroyPederson from Disney, he will present the Tuesday af-ternoon session on the “Coveted Younger Demo-graphic” and why it should be important to us now.

REBECCA CORRY: A “Last Comic Standing” fi-

nalist, she is currently the character “gas” in the newHertz commercials, Rebecca will liven up the OpeningSession on Monday to encourage each attendee to getup and tell everyone something interesting about them-selves. It’s speed networking on steroids.

JAMES GREGORY: Perhaps one of the most en-

dearing comedians since Jerry Clower, James bringshis love of the south and his family and friends into thelimelight. On AEP Showcase Finale Tuesday evening,he will introduce you to good old-fashioned familyhumor from his sell-out tours.

DIAN DIAZ: What would a showcase in Vegas be

without one of the city’s premier performers. She hasdazzled audiences for over a decade at The Bellagio’sFontana Room. She and her troupe will bring to you tosound and the excitement that is all Vegas at AEP’sShowcase Finale Tuesday evening.

YING YANG TWINS: Designed to appeal to that

popular younger demographic, the Ying Yang Twins bringtheir own version of crunk rap to the stage Monday night.While this show is generally a little edgy, it is also availableas a PG version. Before they gained their own notoriety,they collaborated with many urban rap legends.

HERE COME THE MUMMIES: If you haven’t

seen this show, get ready to be entertained. ParadigmEntertainment brings you the show that will leave youtalking long after it ends. Scheduled for Tuesday’s Fi-nale Showcase, this will be an event all to itself...Themummies in full mummy attire rockin’ the house.

We’re Glad You’re Here

AEP Worldwide is a concept that has been needed for decades. As entertainmentprofessionals, each of us have something we can share and learn from each other.Too long have we been allocated one segment of the marketplace in which to dobusiness. In the current economic environment, that simply does not make sense.

Our goal as an association is to bring all the segments together to not only sharebusiness practices and learn how to solve problems, but you expose you to newand emerging talent you would never see if you were relegated to your own littleworld. But perhaps the biggest benefit is the networking opportunity. That alone iswell worth the price of your being here.

You have the benefit too of a professional organization not run by volunteers alone,but investors and a staff dedicated to making sure your voice is heard and your sug-gestions are considered. It is important to us that we build this organization so youcan receive maximum benefit from your membership and/or delegate fee. With thatsaid, please understand that AEP is not intended to replace organizations like NACA,APCA, APAP and others, but to compliment them. Certainly each of you need yourcontacts within your own niche market. Here, we want to help you expand so youcan benefit from other markets as well.

I have been in the entertainment industry now for over 30 years (and it seems like

only yesterday). I have had the benefit of learning both the good and possibly thebad habits of each sector and we hope to share with you the positive things and re-place the bad with new ideas.

In your packet, you will find a group of buyer interest forms. These forms will help ustrack your interest in acts you see or learn about here at the conference. They are3-part self-carboning forms. We ask you to complete one on each act you think youmight have some interest in. The top form should be delivered back to the registrationarea or the American Entertainment Magazine Booth in the exhibit area. The middleform should be given to the agent in the exhibit area for the act your are considering.You keep the bottom copy. This will help us with buying trends during this event.

I would also encourage each of you to attend the Town Hall Meeting (Wrap It Up) onWednesday (11am-12 Noon). Your feedback is important in making decisions forfuture conferences and determining the path of this association. I would also be re-miss if I didn’t mention our National Advisory Board here as well as EastCoast En-tertainment. These folks are AWESOME. They have been completely involved,donating their time and their resources. They believe in the mission and I couldn’tbe more proud of this group of dedicated entertainment professionals.

W.C. Kirby, AEP Partner & Publisher, American Entertainment Magazine

www.americanentertainmentmagazine.com AEP CONFERENCE ISSUE, AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT MAgAzINE,11


One of the most exciting things about Ameri-

can Entertainment Magazine and by exten-sion, and The Association of EntertainmentProfessionals, is the diversity of every live en-tertainment buying market both the magazineand the association encompass. From corpo-rate events buyers to theme parks, AEM cov-ers the spread and each issue, we will bespeaking with top flight talent buyers acrossthe country. This month, we are very excitedto feature a buyer who happens to span theseemingly wide gap between these markets.

Troy Pederson is a casting director for WaltDisney Parks and Resorts and Disney EventGroup. Based in Orlando, Troy is part of aglobal team split between locations in Floridaand California, casting talent for propertiesand events the world over. “We work underthe same umbrella that casts for Walt DisneyWorld and I cast for all the parks includingMagic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Animal King-dom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and all ofour resorts in Florida. I personally cast andbook all the variety talent that we contract.”

Sounds like a pretty exciting job! If one wereto choose to cast any type of entertainment,surely the Vaudevillian scope and appeal ofvariety entertainment would be one of themost spontaneously interesting. “It is very ex-citing,” Troy laughs. “I am not just looking fora singer or only for dancers, I have the oppor-tunity to look for all of those and more.” Troy’sscope of expertise is a bit wider than even thecatch-all term “variety” might denote, as heelaborates further: “I actually get to look at alltypes of talent because I also happen to castall the actors, singers, dancers, musicians,DJs and other talents for our corporate eventsas well. It isn’t just the variety talent for theparks I deal with, when it comes to corporateevents, I end up working with literally anythingunder the sun.”

If you were thinking this might be one ofthose rare dream jobs, take it easy. “I am for-tunate enough to be a part of the team I amon because we have some of the most bril-liant people in the entertainment industry andits a true joy not only to do what I do, but tobe able to tap into the knowledge and expert-

ise of my network. If I am looking for some-thing and can’t find it or need to cast a veryspecific type of act I can always reach out topeople on my team. ”

Troy credits networking events as a greatmeans to expand one’s base of knowledgeand connections for finding just the right fit.This connectivity was the impetus for theAssociation Of Entertainment Profession-als, where buyers like Troy and a variety ofartists and agents can huddle up to put theirheads together on the best acts for theirclients. We are proud to have him person-ally as a member of our National AdvisoryBoard and look forward to seeing him at ourSignature Event in Las Vegas where wehope to bring an entirely new dimension ofcross-market networking to the forefront.

“Networking with people I have met at show-cases is huge. That has helped me not onlytangibly in finding talent on the spot and mak-ing new connections, but mentally as well. Ihave had numerous conversations with peo-ple I have met at showcases in the past who Iam still in contact with and tossing aroundideas and talent options. If I am looking forsomething in particular (or don’t know what Iam looking for at all) I have a network of peopleI can trust that I reach out to.”

Not to toot our own horn, but it makes us quiteproud here at AEM to know the magazine hasbecome a valuable resource to Troy as well.“The magazine itself was actually one of thefirst places I saw a strong lineup of showcasetalent displayed which spurred my decision tomake the trip to a live showcasing event.Since then, I have been going and booking tal-ent from live industry showcases. Entertain-ment trade publications, showcases andholding auditions for specific talent are mymain avenues for finding the performers andshows I need to fill slots at our properties andfor our corporate clients who are having theirevents produced by Disney Event Group.”

Troy tells us, as a buyer for Disney in hisvarious capacities, what sort of talent meetsthe requirements for making “the happiestplace on earth” a little more cheerful still,

along with being ideal for special events runthrough DEG. “I personally look for thingsthat are family friendly and professionalfrom beginning to end, not just necessarilywithin the act. I want to see the performersthemselves act accordingly on and offstage. Those are the types I am comfortableworking with and associating my reputationwith. Do they carry themselves well back-stage? Do they work well with the produc-tion teams? The truly great talents are easyto work with on the back end, and we’re al-ways happy to use them again.”

It is quite easy for talented performers condi-tioned to audience adulation to lose sight ifthis facet of the business. “I feel that in corpo-rate events in particular this is true,” Troy says.”They forget the fact that they are there for theclient, not vice versa. The client didn’t cometo watch them perform and I think that can bethe most challenging facet of special and cor-porate events when it comes to finding theright talent to work with. I understand that youare great, have been doing this your entire lifeand have spent your life savings preparingand paying for all this but at the end, for me, Ohave to please the client.”

Troy is a guy great at his job and loves it, butreally, what’s not to love? It offers excitement,spontaneity and fulfillment and so does Troy.That’s the sort of person we should all striveto work with and on that note, why don’t you?Disney Event Group is a marvelous way forevent planners who have worked with fewerevents or may have to tackle a particular func-tion outside their comfort zone to look like thestar. “DEG is a one-stop-shop offering com-pletely full service event production. We doeverything here from linens, talent, lighting,multimedia, photography...a client has to writeonly one check and deal with only one vendorwhile producing an event.”

When that one vendor happens to be DisneyEvent Group, you can rest assured you’reworking with a brand and staff you can rely onto make your next event a success.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Visit disneyaudi-tions.com and disneyeventgroup.com



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• Louie Anderson • Aziz Ansari • Bill Bellamy• Shelley Berman • Mike Birbiglia • Lewis Black • Michael Ian Black• Michael Blaustein • Josh Blue • Alonzo Bodden • Dan Boulger • Paul Brittain• Broken Lizard • Bill Burr • John Caparulo• Jerrod Carmichael • Adam Carolla• Wyatt Cenac • Jay Chandrasekhar• Louis C.K.

• Blake Clark • Deon Cole • Sarah Colonna• Felipe Esparza • Craig Ferguson• Jermaine Fowler• Chris Franjola • Billy Gardell • Jeff Garlin • Arsenio Hall • Kevin Hart • Corey Holcomb• K-von • Anthony Jeselnik • Maz Jobrani • Jake Johannsen• Tommy Johnagin• Cledus T. Judd• Jessi Klein • Nick Kroll

• K-von• Dan Levy • Adam Lowitt • Stephen Lynch • Na’im Lynn • Kathleen Madigan • Jay Malone• Tim Meadows • TJ Miller • John Mulaney • Charlie Murphy • Kumail Nanjiani• Ron Pearson • Melissa Peterman • Colin Quinn• Caroline Rhea • Craig Robinson• Johnny Sanchez • Adam Sandler

• Paul Scheer & Rob Huebel

• Rory Scovel• Steve Lemme &

Kevin Heffernanfrom Broken Lizard

• Streeter Seidell • Sinbad • Tyler Spindel • Nick Swardson • Nick Thune • Duncan Trussell• Nick Vatterott• Sheng Wang • Ron White• Whitest Kids U’ Know

• Larry Wilmore

• Cinematic Titanic • Comedy Central on Campus • College Humor Live • Fred Willard & Martin Mull in

(insert your city name here) Tonight

• FX’s The League – The Official Tour • Shaq's All Star Comedy Jam• The Improv Comedy Tour


Showcasing Monday Evening, September 19



Mike Super is THE “Phenomenon.” No, se-riously, that’s his official title, earned “live”in a magic competition of the same name,the only one on primetime network televi-sion and voted on by viewers at home. Im-mediately capturing the audience of theNBC reality show “Phenomenon,” seen byover 8 million viewers, Mike Super went onto beat some of the top mystifiers in thecountry for the title.

Already his own tour de force in the campusmarket, Mike was a veteran entertainer be-fore ever stepping on the stage of the televi-sion show, Even pulling down an impressiveEntertainer Of The Year win in the Reader’sChoice Awards of AEM’s sister publication,Campus Activities Magazine®. Since then,he has used the notoriety gained from thewin to propel himself into elite performancesfor corporate events, performing arts centersand casinos across the country.

Now anticipating his showcase performancefor the Association of Entertainment Profes-sionals at the Signature Event in September,Mike has his sights set on continuing to in-crease his presence in all of these markets.“Since ‘Phenomenon’ I have had the won-derful opportunity to do a lot of high-end cor-porate national and international meetings. Ijust performed an event with Dish Networkthat was absolutely amazing. There were5,000 in attendance and we put together acustom magic stage show just for them.”

Mike happened to be performing this eventwith “American Idol’s” Daughtry and 80’shair metal icon Brett Michaels of Poison. He

doesn’t come right out and say it, because ifyou know or have ever worked with MikeSuper you know one of his most notable fea-tures is his down-to-earth openness andmodesty, but apparently the reactions to hisperformance were the strongest of the three.“I ended up getting a huge standing ovationbeyond even what those guys saw.”

Reading that comment might lead one toinfer Mike is slighting his own talent whileboosting theirs, but don’t be confused,this guy is a natural...or maybe evensup…no, ok...resist the easy and obviouspun...get yourself together man...ok,whew, sorry about that.

Moving right along, this is a guy who’s skilland personality correlate and combine intosomething special. Not only does he havethe chops to wow any audience and keep afabulous and funny rapport up, but the pro-fessionalism and wherewithal to adapt hisshow into any setting for any audience. Amarket where Mike Super cannot play doesnot exist (remember can’t is the word, notwon’t before anyone tries to book him for aseedy club down a dark alley in Rio). He dis-plays total adaptability.

“We just did a show with LifeTouch, thelargest employee-owned company in thephotography industry and one of the mostsuccessful portrait studio companies in theworld (their studios include all of those in JCPenny and Target). It was for probably closeto the same audience size, well over 4,000and the show also featured Louis Anderson.We did a customized trick with them.”

This is where Mike’s skill and sociability re-ally come in to play. Not only will he comeup with custom material to suit the client, buthis ability to be personable, friendly and pa-tient with clients makes for a great user ex-perience for the booker along with a special“wow” moment for their audience.

“LifeTouch gives out rings to employees fortheir years of service and they wanted me toproduce an effect related to team buildingthat incorporated these rings that are so spe-cial to them. I actually linked the finger ringsthey were giving out from random people inthe audience to exemplify the bond in Life-Touch.” This is exactly the kind of personalservice and attention to detail one can expectfrom Mike Super and between this and hisincredible notoriety gained from national net-work television exposure, you’ve got a win-ning combination.

If you really want to see what Mike’s got “uphis sleeve” (sorry I had to go for that one),Check out his showcase Monday, Septem-ber 19th at 9PM in the Ovation Theater at theGreen Valley Resort in Henderson, Nevadaat the Association Of Entertainment Profes-sionals Signature Event and find out foryourself what’s all the hubbub, bub. MeetMike and his team and get the very best op-portunity to work with him.

BOOK IT! For more information on bring-ing Mike Super to your next event, contactRobin Nemarick at (412) 638-9100 [email protected]


STORY BY IAN KIRBY




Story By Chandler Cook


Performing on Comedy Central, theBravo network, The Ellen DeGeneresShow, Mind of Mencia and winner ofNBC’s “Last Comic Standing”, come-dian Josh Blue has been working tire-lessly to become one of the most wellknown and best liked comedians inthe industry. With a strong work ethicand positive persona, Josh’s rise tothe top has been no fluke. While thehard work and close attention to detailJosh exhibits have played a large rolein his success, it is how he carrieshimself off stage that keeps peoplecoming back for more.

Josh’s brand of comedy breaks downstereotypes of people with disabilities inan original and hilarious way. HavingCerebral Palsy, Josh is able to take anapproach to such sensitive subjects thatfew could. In fact, during his act, hiswayward right hand takes on its ownpersona as being a separate entity fromJosh entirely. He has dialogue back andforth from his mind to the mind of hisarm, thus breaking down any awkward-ness the audience may have and allow-ing immediate comfortability.

Josh was a successful touring come-dian long before his big win on “LastComic Standing”. As anyone who has

been featured on the show before, “LastComic Standing” is a show for profes-sional comedians to compete. The ex-posure the show allowed gave Josh theboost into the lime light he needed.“That show just blew me off the charts.When you are featured on primetimenetwork television 14 weeks in a row,and then go on to win it, that really doesblow your career up. I still can’t go out-side without some going, ‘Hey ‘LastComic Standing,’ whoohooo!’ It’s reallya test to what the show has done. Peo-ple on the show come and go. I feel veryfortunate to have kept it up since theseason’s conclusion. The most excitingthing is that when people come to myshow they already have high expecta-tions and I am able to exceed those ex-pectations with my live performance.”

It would be typical for a comedian toconsider a win on “Last Comic Stand-ing” to be the pinnacle of his/her career.But Josh stands apart from the norm inall aspects. In fact he is booking moredates and reaching broader demo-graphics than ever before. “After beingon TV you get this huge following butthe further away you get from that ex-posure you kinda start sliding back-wards. But the thing with me is that Ihave maintained that plateau. I have

had more ticket sales this year than thelast. This business can be unpre-dictable. What works one week doesn'tnecessarily work the next. I feel like I amso fortunate have my career flowing theway it continues to.”

There is more to a performer than justthe one hour set on stage. While thepure entertainment value of the set isthe main draw of any entertainer, theentertainment buyer wants to knowhow easy or difficult it is going to beto work with any given artist and theirteam. “A lot of the time people do notrecognize that the comedy is the easypart. The hard part is all the leg workthat goes into doing the media andbeing in the lime light and embracingit. One thing I do every show is to goout into the audience after the showand shake peoples’ hands and thankthem for coming out. That’s one of thebest ways to get a repeat customer.Because when you do that it becomesa story for that audience member togo and tell people after the show. Idon’t think enough comics are doingthat right now. They feel like they de-serve everything they have already in-stead of working to get to that nextlevel.”

SEE HIM SHOWCASE MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 19

www.americanentertainmentmagazine.com AEP CONFERENCE ISSUE, AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT MAgAzINE,19


With the amount of talent there is floatingaround it would seem easy to bring in an en-tertainer to an event that would suffice. ButJosh Blue has the heart and desire to domuch more than just get by. Listening to himspeak off-stage you can really get a senseof the passion he has, not only for his craftbut for people in general. Unlike so manyentertainers who experience the rush of tel-evision fame, Josh has remained both hum-ble and dedicated to making himself and isact better than before. He brings an un-canny approachability with him everywherehe goes. “Along with that, I have a reallygreat management team and a wonderfulpublicist who exhibits the same qualities I’vebeen talking about. They too are easy towork with and remain approachable. It takesa strong group of people to make a welloiled machine. One thing I really do pridemyself on is that not only am I easy to workwith but that my team is also. One of thebest compliments I can get is when some-

one says your manager was positive andeasy to work with. I have heard so manyhorror stories about managers and actsbeing difficult and I think that can really tar-nish your reputation in this business. ”

Those of us who love stand-up comedyknow how difficult it can be to be original.Originality is what makes the George Car-lin’s and the Louie C. K.’s of this world so in-credible to watch. When a strong comedianfinds their unique voice, it can bring insightto otherwise sensitive subjects our mindsneglect due to our lack of understanding.These are the comedians that change ourperspective on this world. There is no doubt

that Josh will make you laugh. But so can apopsicle stick. What makes Josh memo-rable are the social barriers he breaks downthrough his comedy, crushing stereotypesabout the physically handicapped and re-minding us all the we are all people that livetogether and share the same common as-pirations of life and love. Moreover, he is aninspiration because of what he has person-ally had to overcome in order to get to wherehe is today.

Josh will showcase on the main stage of theAssociation of Entertainment ProfessionalsWorldwide’s Signature Event at the GreenValley Resort in Las Vegas. Having per-formed at numerous showcasing eventsbefore, Josh is sure to impress. “It’s a coolopportunity to be a part of a showcasingevent. It is great to have so many people inone place with such strong buying power.Sometimes it’s a mixed bag though be-cause you never know what the other acts

will be like. It's unfortunate when you haveto follow an act that leaves a really sour tastein the mouths of the audience and you haveto bring them back up again. There was amusician one time that was on before mewho was playing these really foul and dis-gusting songs. And while there is a placefor it, it sad to see it so misplaced in a show-casing event. However I do not foresee thisbeing a problem at AEP. But these eventsare what I was talking about when I said it’simportant to put in the leg work. They canbe exhausting but also can be so crucial interms of getting you a presence in the vari-ous markets. It’s an interesting scene withits own unique vibe. ”

Beyond the world of stand-up comedy,Josh entertains in another exciting way.He is a member of the men’s U.S. Par-alympics Soccer Team. “My team justqualified for the 2012 Olympics. I wasnot able to be there due to touring. Butam going to be able to play with themin London in 2012, as long as I can getback into shape. Is has been difficult tokeep up with that being on the road somuch. And it’s hard to come home afterbeing out on the road and say to mywife, ‘I’m here, but now I have to goplay soccer, so bye’. Wives don’t enjoythat very much. She is cool with it andgave me permission to pursue 2012though. I have played soccer my entirelife but have’t always played on a team.In the seventh grade I tried out and thecoach cut me from the team. If I said itdid’t set me back a little bit I would belying; but I continued to play on myown. I would love to see that coach

now and rub it in his face - just a little.”

Josh Blue has had an exciting ride so farand is continuing to become better and bet-ter at what he does. Not only is he hilarious,but his great attitude towards life and histremendous work ethic continually allow himto be one of the better touring stand-up co-medians around.

BOOK IT: For more information on JoshBlue including available dates and rates,contact Jackie Knobbe at APA at (310) 888-4291 or visit her in Booth #1.



You may have seen Judson Laipply, cre-ator of the “Evolution of Dance” onOprah, the Today Show, Ellen, GoodMorning America, Extra, or Inside Edi-tion. Or perhaps you were one of over100 million people who viewed his hilar-ious Evolution of Dance video – one ofthe most viewed videos of all time - onyoutube.com. This inspirationalspeaker is a breath of fresh air in a worldfull of sometimes-stale motivationalspeakers. Judson’s presentation “Lifeis Change” is highly motivational, cre-ative and appealing, while extremelydown to earth. Judson has performedat the Emmy’s, leadership seminars,corporate events, and private parties

across the country.

Judson Laipply is an unlikely hero tomillions of people around the world.While many may not know him by name,he is literally one of the most seen facesacross the globe.

Immediate clarification needs to bemade, as Judson isn’t just some yahooout there trying to make himself the lat-est craze. On the contrary, he has beenin the field of professional entertainmentfor a long time, beginning his speakingdays while still in high school. “I was al-ways doing presentations and work-shops at pretty much every function Iattended,” he says in his chipper, largerthan life and indubitably infectious andenthusiastic manner.

He continued in these activities allthrough college and into graduateschool. “I was in my first year of gradschool and was attending an event thatI was making a presentation for. One ofthe founders of the organization thatheld a conference every year ap-proached me afterwards and told me heseriously thought I could make a livingas a professional speaker if I reallywanted to. I was kind of like ‘Really?’(Laughs). Judson jumped right in fromthere and started developing a programand the content for it. “I just kept plug-ging away and after about three yearsstarted to see some value coming backfrom all the hard work I’d done.”

Judson learned the incredible value ofaudience selection early on in his ca-reer, realizing that a speaker whodoesn’t know who he is speaking to isof little use to anyone. “A lot speakerssay ‘Oh, I’ll speak to whomever is willingto listen’ but I learned right away thatyou are better off picking and market-ing and focusing on specific marketsrather than trying to sweep broad gen-eralizations over an uncommon groupof people. Early on, I made myself a five-year plan in the college and higher edu-cation market. Just when my five yearswere up, the video for ‘The Evolution ofDance’ started hitting the big time. So, in-stead of having to figure out how to breakinto the corporate and special eventsmarkets, all of a sudden I had people inthese places calling me to find out moreabout bringing me in for a presentation.”

While “The Evolution of Dance” mayseem to have been an unlikely anomalyin Judson’s career, it wasn’t as randomas some might think. “I worked withDave Coleman for a long time and actu-ally started by doing his program on re-lationships when he wasn’t available fora particular date; all while I was devel-oping my own presentation. One of themost significant things he told me wasthat I needed a hook. He told me, ‘Yougotta come up with something, whetherit’s a ‘bit’ within your program, some-thing great to open or some outstandingcloser. You have to have something inyour presentation that people can easilyidentify with and remember you by.’

BOOK IT! Judson is represented byTCA Entertainment at (952) 440-4777.

Judson is part of AEP’s session on “The

Coveted Younger Demographic” Tuesday

at 5PM. Don’t miss the opportunity to get

involved with this discussion.

Judson Laipply



SHOWCASES: Monday Afternoon

MARTIN DUBE: Master Impressionist. Just imagine

all your favorite show-biz artists performing in the sameevening! He is part comedian & part singer fused togetherin one package to create a total entertainment experience.Armed with a five Octave voice range, Martin Dube effort-

lessly delivers both male and female voices.

ROYEEA ENT SOLUTIONS, BOOTH #23

TAMMY PESCATELLI: Clean Standup - staring

in the WE Reality show STAND UP MOM. From the FinalFive in Last Comic Standing, The Tonight Show, ComedyCentral Presents Tammy Pescatelli and a number of otherComedy Central specials, Tammie is considered one ofAmerica's funniest, hardest working women of comedy ADMIRE ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #10-11

REBECCA CORRY: Rebecca moved from Chicago

to LA where she launched her first one-woman show,hosted a pilot for the Oxygen Network and was chosen toperform at the Montreal Comedy Festival . She then landeda role in the film "BIG FAT LIAR." She is the character “gas”in the new series of HERTZ commercials.ADMIRE ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #10-11

JESSIE’S GIRLS: We found five of of the most beau-

tiful girls, with strong vocals and fabulous dance moves,two of the coolest male DJ/party hosts/vocalists. We hiredBeyonce’s choreographer and the costume designer alsoused by the Black Eyed Peas. And we backed them up witha killer 4-piece band and 2 horns!EASTCOAST ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #9

SHOWCASES

PRODUCED BY

NOT NECESSARILY THE ORDER OF PERFORMANCES

MICHAEL DUBOIS: Corporations, College and

Private Events have been raving about Michael's perform-ances for years. He can tailor his act to fit any space, anytime slot and any length show from 5-70 minutes. Showscan be tailored to the client’s likes, with audience partici-pation, Juggling, Magic, Mind Reading, or Comedy.CRAIG NEIER ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #12-13

MICHAEL HARRISON: Michael Harrison is an

extraordinarily talented ventriloquist, puppeteer and co-median. His many talents allow him to create perform-ances for all type of audiences; adults, kids and family.Disney booked him for 8 consecutive years, 1500+ per-formances as a headline act for Disney Cruise Line.CRAIG NEIER ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #12-13

CHRISTOPHER CARTER: Chris uses a spectac-

ular combination of skilled mind manipulations & contem-porary humor. He has been named Campus Entertainer ofthe Year, Best Male Artist and Best Performing Artist. Hehas appeared at over 2500 colleges and hundreds of cor-porate meetings. Audiences question assumptions, doubttheir senses and become mesmerized!BASS/SCHULER ENT., BOOTH #22

RONDELL SHERIDAN: As the Dad on the Dis-

ney's THAT'S SO RAVEN and CORY IN THE HOUSE, tothe famous "THAT'S THE WAY" multiple generations havegrown up with Rondell Sheridan, A Favorite of casinos,corporations, clubs, and theatres, Rondell has broad ap-peal and is often compared to Bill Crosby.ADMIRE ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #10-11



SHOWCASES: Monday Evening

ANT: ANT is one of the most beloved comic on the road

with a following across all demographics. Form LOGO'sTHE USE of ANT to 3 seasons of Last Comic Standing aswell as being a celebrity judge to hosting Celebrity FITClub , ANT is a regular on the Tonight Show, E, VH-1, TheTara Banks Show and many others.ADMIRE ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #10-11

STEP AFRIKA!: Step Afrika is the first professional

company in the world dedicated to the tradition of step-ping . Step Afrika serves as a cultural ambassador for theUnited States State Dept., representing the nation atevents around the world through special invitations fromAmerican embassies. GTHQ BOOTH #2

TONIC Sol-fa: Described by the NY Times as "A

vocal kaleidoscope...unique to the human voice” TonicSol-fa has spent the past decade carving their niche asone of the nation's top vocal acts, selling over two millionalbums. Having appeared on NBC’s Today Show and inNewsweek Magazine, they perform 150+ shows each year.TSF ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #4

7 BRIDGES: The Ultimate EAGLES Experience is a

stunningly accurate tribute to the music using no backingtracks or harmonizers. Every show features one brilliant hitsingle after another. The perfect blend of songs, musician-ship and on-stage charisma earned 7 Bridges their reputa-tion as one of the finest tribute acts in the country.CRAIG NEIER ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #12-13


BALLROOM WITH A TWIST: A brilliant new

dance production conceived and choreographed by Danc-ing With The Stars’s own Louis Van Amstel. Louis bringsthe same excitement to Ballroom With A Twist as he exhib-ited on television with his celebrity partners, Niecy Nash,

Kelly Osbourne, Priscilla Presley, and Lisa Rinna.

SCOTT STANDER ASSOCIATES, BOOTH #14

THE BRONX WANDERERS: The music of the

50s and 60s had heart, soul... harmonies that made youhigh...lyrics that once in a while, even made you cry. TheBronx Wanderers recreate the magic of the era and buildan energetic bond with their audience, guaranteeing anevening of toe-tapping and dancing in the aisles all night.CRAIG NEIER ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #12-13

MIKE SUPER: As the winner of NBC’s ‘Phenome-

non’, Mike Super is the only magician in history to win aLIVE magic competition on primetime television!Through spectacular illusions and his own inimitabledown-to-earth style and personality, he has pioneered anew form of magic that transcends the "trick". MIKE SUPER MAGIC & ILLUSIONS, BOOTH #16

JOSH BLUE: Best known as the comedian who puts

the cerebral in Cerebral Palsy, Josh Blue exploded ontothe scene by winning NBC’s Last Comic Standing, ex-panding his fan base exponentially. Most recently, Joshdebuted a new special, Comedy Central Presents: JoshBlue, to rave reviews from fans and critics alike.APA (Agency for the Performing Arts) , BOOTH #1

YING YANG TWINS: The Ying Yang Twins is an At-

lanta-based American crunk rap duo consisting of Kaine andD-Roc . The group rose to mainstream popularity in 2003 col-laborating with Lil Jon in his single "Get Low". They receivednotoriety for their song "Halftime (ft. Homebwoi)" which isplayed at New Orleans Saints games after touchdowns. EASTCOAST ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #9



SHOWCASES: Tuesday Afternoon

JAMES GALEA: With over 2 million YouTube hits,

Australia's #1 magician is a phenomenon. From cardShark to international sensation James breaths new lifeinto magic. Ellen DeGeneres was wowed! Corporationsto theatres love his boyish charm and wild humor. " I Hate

Rabbits" is the name of the show.

ADMIRE ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #10-11

ADAM ACE: Unlike Any Comedy Show, Adam Ace

Combines outlandish comedy, music, props, costumes,wacky dancing and lots of audience participation into onehilarious show. He has headlined comedy clubs across thecountry and been seen on over 500 college campuses, 14military bases and at the White House.NEON ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #18

DIANE LINES: Diane received her musical educa-

tion at the Banff School of Fine Arts, the Humber Schoolof Creative and Performing Arts in Toronto and has per-formed on six continents. She has appeared with a varietyof entertainers including; Les Brown, Jim Walker, GabrielMark Hasselbach, Jim Byrnes, Joani Bye and others.ALKAHEST ARTISTS, BOOTH #15

BRYAN DANGEROUS: Family friendly juggling

comedian headliner, Bryan Dangerous makes sure youlook great in front of your boss or fellow students, byusing highly engaging and interactive material that is safefor all ages. Watch him effortlessly juggle and spin bas-ketballs in a perfectly timed routine. ALL STAR TALENT INC., BOOTH #5

GERRY McCAMBRIDGE Gerry McCambridge

is a Celebrity, Broadway performer and Vegas Head-liner. He was awarded 'Mentalist of the Decade' and'Best Magician in Las Vegas.' Gerry has been amaz-ing audiences for over 30 years. He is inspirationforTV’s ''The Mentalist."CRAIG NEIER ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #12-13


ALYSSA BENTLEY: Alyssa has killer vocal

chops, an amazing style, catchy songs and lyrical hooks.Alyssa and her amazing band have owned the stage atseveral LA legendary venues - her audience is always alively mixed hip and trendy 18 -28 upbeat fun crowd rock-ing to her beat! Her debut CD releases in the Fall.VALERA MUSIC GROUP, BOOTH #7

KENNY JAMES: Kenny taught himself to write, pro-

duce, and compose music. The singer/songwriter knownas Kenny TheThrill James, is definitely ready for successin the music industry. His first single, "ParTy L!ke Tha R!¢hK!d$" is to be released as a music video along with a adebut album entitled "The Thrill".VALERA MUSIC GROUP, BOOTH #7

ALEXANDRA McHALE: Alexandra McHale made

her network debut on NBC’s The Tonight Show with JayLeno. She’s also been seen on The Late Late Show withCraig Kilborn and Comedy Central’s Premium Blend. Shebecame a lifetime member of the Actors’ Studio studyingwith Paul Newman, Sally Field and Ellen Burstyn.SOPHIE K ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #8


SHOWCASES

PRODUCED BY


SHOWCASES: Tuesday Evening

DIAN DIAZ: As one of Las Vegas’s premier perform-

ers, Diaz has dazzeled audiences for over a decade at TheBellagio’s’ Fontana Room. Billboard says she ‘s a singer’ssinger, hinting at Martina McBride, Toni Braxton, evenChristina Aguilera. Dian sings, scats, soars and shakes a

rafter or two. You’ll know when you hear her.

DNA MUSIC ENTERPRISES, BOOTH #24

FINIS HENDERSON:There is something about

his performance that makes him stand out. His passionfor entertaining combined with his elegant style and talentmake him one of today’s most successful performers. Hebrings the industry’s greatest legends and contemporaryfavorites. The sound is theirs - The voice is pure Finis.CRAIG NEIER ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #12-13

DANIEL MARTIN: He is quickly becoming one of

the most in demand entertainers in the country. His highenergy blend of Insane Magic, Exhilarating Escapes, &Sarcastic Improv. are continually leading to standingroom only crowds! Daniel’s magic has been seen onCBS, NBC, WGN, VH1, & ESPN. BASS/SCHULER ENT., BOOTH #22


BELLA ELECTRIC STRINGS: Bella Electric

Strings, led by violinist and arranger Nina Di Gregorio, hasrocked audiences worldwide with their blistering Zeppelinsolos--not to mention their beauty and charm. The girlshave performed with Beyonce to Andrea Bocelli, and haveappeared on America's Got Talent Season 1. DYNASTY ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #21

DAN AHDOOT: Dan has been featured on The Jay

Leno Show, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend and Com-edy Central South Beach Comedy Festival. Dan was a fi-nalist on Last Comic Standing and has written for MTV’sShort Circuits, Comedy Central’s Crank Yankers, andA&E’s Roast of Gene Simmons. SOPHIE K ENTERTAINMENT, BOOTH #8

JAMES GREGORY: James is on the road 46

weeks a year. He performs for sold-out crowds in theatersand is the featured entertainer for over 200 corporations,including the Coca Cola Company, Kimberly Clark Cor-poration, Hewlett Packard and a featured speaker for var-ious civic and church groups.TMP ENTERPRISES, BOOTH #3


HERE COME THE MUMMIES Over 5000 years

ago, from the dry stretches of the not-so-fertile crescent wandered anomadic, foul smelling people. A robust, well-endowed, and manlytribe, they were united through ancient rituals involving instrumentscapable of infinite fonkiness and overt sekshul innuendo. ThePharaoh, a mean mother (shutcho' mouth), hated the nomads andtheir ability to shred like a mofo all up in that biatch. But more thanthat, he hated the power of their righteous grooving to make dropthe tunics of his five luscious teenage daughters. For years, scholarsof the ancient world wondered what became of this group. Theoriesciting the Mummies' involvement in historical events from the Siegeof Troy to the sacking of Rome, the fall of Pompeii and the sinking ofAtlantis were initially scoffed at and dismissed as parlor quackery.However, in 1922, at a dig in the desert south of Tunis, ProfessorNigel Quentin Fontenelle Dumblucke IV unearthed the ruins of anancient discotheque and found a dozen stank-ass fonky mummiesstill all up in the act of rockin' tha hizouse. From these mummies,Professor Dumblucke learned of the powerful curse that doomedthem to wander the earth throughout eternity, seeking the ultimateriff, the one that would allow these souls to finally rest after 5000years of banging out solid fly grooves. To quote the Professor: "Intheir desperate quest for immortal peace, they rocked all the ancientempires of Earth on down to the grizound. They rocked Atlantis sohard, y'all, it ain't never been found". And now they're coming torock your town with a funk so strong, it's gonna make all the catsexplode. Strap in.

PARADIGM ENTERTAINMENT: GREG JANESE


If you are coming to AEP’s SignatureEvent looking for a stand-out group, youhad better be sure to see these guys.

“We are a contemporary vocal groupand sing everything a cappella,” saysShaun Johnson one of the four whomake up the group. “So everythingcomes from our mouth or some otherpart of our body.

“We all met while attending college atdifferent schools and got into it. Manypeople ask us ‘Why a cappella?’ and Ithink the answer to that is we all lovedto sing and wanted to perform, but weloved so many different styles of music,this is the only way we could think of toblend them all together. We also wantedto be extremely entertaining and not justsing the highest chords or the lowestnotes we could. All of us had the com-mon belief that a cappella was natural, agood fit for us and something that wecould either go sing at a radio station orin front of 25,000 people.”

A cappella is limited to almost no musicalstyle outside of instrumental only tracks,and the influences of Tonic Sol-Fa’s mem-bers make up an eclectic array of influ-ences. “I think when we started, wewanted to try to grab all the influences fromeach guy in the group. If you start with ourbass, he really grew up listening to blues

and gospel music. Another guy only loves70’s and 80’s music. I personally like coun-try and the other guy in the group listensto R&B and pop. So, to fuse those to-gether, we took each one and tried to addit in one way or another to each song wedo, not mangling the original tunes, butgiving them our own unique style. So, ourbass Jared, may bring a certain rhythm toa song that we like.”

Shaun says that despite their best inten-tions to be all inclusive of all their favoritestyles, there were initially naysayers whoclaimed they lacked enough direction.“People would tell us in the beginning thatwe kind of had to pick something. Whenwe did our first major label release, theysaid ‘OK, you have to be all pop, or allcountry; it has to be uniform and appeal toa certain demographic. It is interestinghow much that has changed now withshows on TV like “Glee” or the “GreatAmerican Sing Off”. Different people areopening up for Michael Bublé now andthere are vocalists that cross genres thatare backing up famous artists. Thescheme has changed so much that now,all of a sudden, we fit in perfectly.”

Shaun explains that at the beginning, thisband’s goal was not only to be success-ful, but to get out there and play gigs.Never were they worried so much aboutthe big break around the corner that they

didn’t take every opportunity they couldto sing; no gig was too big or small. “Wethought to ourselves that since we wouldbe performing at festivals, our ownshows in theaters, corporate events, etc.,we better have a wide repertoire becauseevery one of those audiences is different.In the same way, each of us is differentwithin the group. We thought it would bea cool way to represent our respectivelydiverse audiences by also honoring themusical styles each one of us caredabout. We place it all within our ownarrangements and put our Tonic Sol-Faspin on it, but besides some original ma-terial we can do upon request (includingcustom messaging for corporate clients)we perform everything from 40’s swingand big band to current popular music.We try to match it to what we think thecrowd will like and what the people put-ting on the show know about their audi-ence. It really works for us. Rather thanpicking polka or whatever the recordexecs wanted us to pick, we do some ofeverything.”

BOOK IT! Tonic Sol-fa is representedby TSF Entertainment at 612-501-0617,Booth #4

See them Showcase Monday Evening,

September 19.


Tonic Sol-fa


Making people laugh for almost 30 years

now, comedian, actor, and director Ron-

dell Sheridan is the real deal. With a long

list of credits that include, “The Tonight

Show,” with both Johnny Carson and

Jay Leno, “Politically Incorrect” with Bill

Maher, and of course the long running

Disney series “That’s So Raven,” Sheri-

dan is no stranger to the spotlight.

Sheridan disarms audiences with a mix-

ture of playful physicality and facial ex-

pressions. He’s continually shifting

comedic gears that turn into hilarious

epics.

More recently, Sheridan has spent time

playing shows in Las Vegas and cruise

lines. “I think as a comedian that Vegas

is one of the most difficult audiences to

perform for. The reason being is that the

crowds are so diverse. If I am playing

the southeast or the midwest then I at

least have an idea of the demographic I

am playing , whereas a vegas crowed

hits all ages, political viewpoints, and re-

gions of the country.” Playing the cruise

lines has become different and benefi-

cial as well to Sheridan’s performance.

“It’s interesting because a lot of the

ships I have been on lately have very

large theaters aboard. Up to 1,500. So

being able to exercise those muscles

needed to captivate a large audience is

great. But in turn, these ships also have

comedy clubs aboard that seat only a

hundred and remove the language re-

strictions thus providing a real comedy

club feel.” Sheridans adaptability allows

him to captivate audiences of all kinds.

Sheridan’s career extends beyond

stand-up and into both acting and di-

recting as well. “I enjoy both acting and

directing very much but prefer directing

probably due to the challenges it brings.

To take forty words on a page and con-

ceptualize forty minutes of shots, mo-

tion, and expression and then bringing

that to life is a great feeling.” Just a few

of Sheridan’s directing credits include

episodes of “Hanna Montana,” “That’s

so Raven,” an”Cory in the house.”

It is important for a comedian that plays

multiple markets to be diverse and able

to adapt to his audience. Sheridan does

so exquisitely with his mixture of playful

physicality, witty humor, and always hi-

larious facial expressions. But his true

claim to fame on stage is his ability to

completely capture the full attention of

his audience. “I remember back in the

80’s playing “Nooners” on collage cam-

puses in the middle of a cafeteria with

video games and TV’s everywhere trying

to figure out a way to let people know a

show was getting started. I would spend

the first ten minuets of the show just try-

ing to get the attention of the students

and I thought to myself that theres gotta

be a better way. So Thirty minutes be-

fore the show would begin I started play-

ing music with my old sony disc-man.

And as simple as it seems it worked. By

the time the show would start the music

had already gotten there attention and I

could jump right in.”

BOOK IT! Rondell Sheridan will be

showcasing this September for The As-

sociation of Entertainment Profession-

als Worldwide. Represented by Barbara

Meyer of Admire entertainment, Sheri-

dan is sure to be a big hit with all the

various markets represented. Learn

more at www.rondellsheridan.com.

See Him Showcase Monday Afternoon,

September 19.

r o n d e l l s h e r i d a n


http://www.rondellsheridan.com


Cameo Publishing Group USA AE 9/11

PO Box 509

Prosperity SC 29127

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