From China to Salem, Louis Pearl, or The Amazing Bubble Man, is bringing his show to the Chemeketa Community College auditorium on Sunday,Nov. 19 from 2 -3:10 p.m. .
Audiences can expect his entrancing routine, which can be best described as bubble alchemy, to foster “lots of amazement, laughter and wonder at things you never imagined were possible with bubbles,” as told by Pearl.
“Somebody once told me that art is something you do and then you do it again and then you do it again and you do it again and again and again,” Pearl said.
Unabated practice of something over and over again has been a sure sign of both diligence as well as mania in the past, however, the intricate tricks Pearl pulls off with just a bubble wand demonstrate the judiciousness with which he approaches his craft.
One trick, the rocket bubble, combines the physics of a bubble with the power of a smoke-propelled rocket, creating a sight made possible with Pearl’s decades of experience professionally blowing bubbles.
This and many other tricks are performed to the audience as well as with a healthy amount of audience interaction.
Expect to have bubbles blown on top of your head as well as encompassing you completely. He often performs his routine with his partner, Jet Black Pearl—a Portland-based musician and self-described accordion diva—though he will be performing solo at his upcoming show at Chemeketa.
Pearl started his fun-loving journey as the owner of a toy company. With a single toy idea he grew his company by creating 146 different toys which are sold around the world and can be found on his website, bubbleguy.com. The site also offers a number of tutorial videos showing in detail how he performs his tricks.
While Pearl began with a toy company his love for performing soon took center stage. While selling his bubble-making toys roadside in Berkeley, he met Wavy Gravy—an American entertainer and peace activist who owns Camp Winnarainbow, a circus and performing arts camp.
After a stint at the camp, he began doing children’s birthday parties in 1983 and then began performing in schools in 1987. He started touring California and began touring internationally in 2007.
Always the entertainer, Pearl noted his main inspirations. “[My] biggest inspiration was my father. [If] you could get him to laugh, you were funny. I had three siblings, so we were all fighting for attention and you could either get his attention by doing good in school or getting him to laugh. I think I’m still just trying to impress my father.
“Everything that I’m exposed to, it inspires me to some extent. But the truth is, I have no [formal] theater training. I just developed this whole thing on my own,” Pearl said.
When asked why he still continues to tour Pearl simply stated, “it’s the funnest thing that I do, you know? I’m fascinated by the physics and the science and the beauty and the magic. I get with the audience to stop looking at their phones, stop thinking about all the stuff that they’re doing, and everybody’s focused on [the show]. There’s a magic that happens and I’m lucky enough to be at the center of that.”
Pearl dispensed solid advice for those wanting to follow in his footsteps as a performer.
“I found that if I practiced for more than 30 minutes at a time, I would go insane. Take your time and know that if you practice something for a half an hour that night while you’re asleep, your brain is going to integrate it in a way so that the next day you’ll grow and learn. Things happen over time so put in the time and practice and you will get there.”
Those interested in learning more about the show can go to bubbleguy.com for a description.