THE AMAZING BUBBLE MAN
I saw a fun little show this past week-end. If you have kids, and The Amazing Bubble Man is performing anywhere in your area, I would take them to see him.
Louis Pearl is the The Amazing Bubble Man, and creates all kinds of bubbles live on stage. As someone who had trouble with that art as a kid, I was truly fascinated by what he’s able to accomplish with soap and water. Who knew there were so many types of bubbles?!
The Amazing Bubble Man entertaining two adorable young girls. Photo by Karen salkin.
He explained the science behind a lot of his creations as he went along, which was very interesting to us grown-ups in the audience. That sometimes made him seem—and I mean this in a good way–a little more professor than performer. Some of the kids seemed to get lost with the educational aspect of the show, but they perked right up when the bubble tricks kicked back in.
The funny thing is, when we saw the audience at the Edgemar Theatre in Santa Monica, where this show was, I lamented the fact that kids never dress up for shows anymore. When I was a youngster, it was always so magical to go to the theater, and dressing-up for the occasion made it that much more special. I planned my outfits for at least a week before. I loved the whole experience.
So my friend and I got to this show, and I was complaining to her that parents just dress their kids like slobs nowadays, even to go out. (Except to the ballet, actually, where everyone, especially young girls, dresses-up.) But a few minutes into the Bubble Man show, Louis called a child up to the stage to participate, (the first of many, which was so fun for the kids,) and I realized right away that somehow, that clothing was going to get bubbly and wet. So, for just this one show, I was thrilled they were dressed like slobs.
Sidebar story here, that the previous paragraph reminded me of: When I was a teenager in Brooklyn, I got a week-end gig teaching art to children. It was at a temple in an affluent area, so many of the students came in very nice clothing, even though we were doing art, which is often a messy process. I was a bit surprised, but I made sure that everyone wore aprons and smocks. One girl made a mistake, though, on the first day, and got paint on her pants. She was hysterical that her parents would be really angry, and I told her, “Next time, wear your junk clothing.” She looked at me with disdain, and with one hundred percent seriousness said, “I don’t own junk clothing.” My bad.
So, back to the Bubble Man. His show is enjoyable, fun, entertaining, and short enough for attention-challenged children. And you won’t believe the things he uses to create his masterful bubbles! So, if you get the chance, go see him. Just get ready to have your kids make you try to re-create his bubbles at home. Yeah, good luck with that!
