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By Tom Long "DETROIT--Ladies and gentleman, madames and monsieurs, introducing Lisa Lou, the one-woman circus, performing daily for free at the Michigan State Fair! There she is balancing a chair on her chin. Now she's standing on a giant ball, juggling while turning the ball around in a circle. The kids and grandparents, moms and dads break into applause. Aside from her skills, she's also in charge of her own music, running over between bits at the Sears Gazebo and changing cassette tapes. Now she spins a lasso, then she spins two at once, holding both out in front of her. Now she's dealing with comments from the kids. "Can you do it over your head?" one little guy yells out. "We'll get there in a minute," Lisa Lou yells back while still keeping the lassos going. This is show biz at a most intimate level -- performing on grass, with all the props laid out behind you, fielding questions from the audience while attempting physical feats most people can't imagine doing. And incorporating the audience into the show. Lisa Lou brings the kid who called out to her up front and has him spin a small lasso while she twirls one over both their heads, and then she has him take a bow. Next up she does a magic rope trick, using, of course, two young assistants from the audience, who also end up taking bows. Then she spins a plate on a rod, wait, now she's spinning a plate on a rod clenched between her teeth. And now she's bringing spinning plates up and around her back! Applause fills the air. For her grand finale Lisa Lou climbs up on a slack rope that's anything but tight. "When I stand up here -- it's gonna wiggle!" she tells the crowd. "And that makes my job a lot harder." But once she finds her balance up there, she walks inside a wheel rim on the rope, spins plates on a stick in her mouth while spinning rings on her arms and, for the big finish -- kids, don't try this at home -- she juggles knives while balanced on the wavering rope. Again, applause, even bigger this time. And why not? Any woman who can juggle knives, spin plates, balance a chair on her chin and make kids believe in her magic is well worth the accolades. And well worth seeing." 
Call it survival of the silliest. Humor, scientists say, is powerful medicine, whether you’re laid up with a cold or a serious disease. 
By Leslie Martin Photographs by Adam Chinitz 
President Joe introduced our guest speaker Lisa Lewis who is known as Lisa Lou on stage or wherever she performs. Lisa is a graduate of the Ringling Brothers / Barnum & Bailey Clown College, Brandeis University and has an MA in Clown / Circus from NYU. Lisa currently performs at the Showboat in Atlantic City, dancing on stilts for the fans each day and has held this position for the past seven years. Before coming to the Showboat Lisa worked in New York City hospitals with the Big Apple Circus “Clown Care Unit”! Lisa showed us a three minute video of all the things she has been involved in thus far, from plate spinning on the Maury Povich Show to the Barnum & Bailey Circus and a lot of different affairs around the country. Lisa loves to make people laugh - she says that nothing that she has ever done in her whole life felt as good as watching people’s faces when they laugh! Lisa does a lot of corporate affaires where she becomes different characters, i.e. Madame Brezara who is a big, fat lady who tells everyone off. Another is “misty the Molecule”. The fun part is that she knows stories about certain executives in the company who hires her before hand so she can really pick on them during her show. This is so much fun she says, making all these people laugh. Lisa also performed in Children’s hospitals while she was in New York and other areas, and she reflected on a sad story of a little child who was dying of AIDS. Lisa had spent a lot of tie previously with this little girl (Nicole) who was so special, but yet so weak, and still managed while here whole world was coming to an end to smile and applaud lightly when Lisa came to visit her and bring her some cheer. This is a wonderful gift you have Lisa, to make people smile and laugh like Nicole, and to make them feel so special in spite of their afflictions and problems, and in Nicole’s case, her death. Bravo, Bravo!! Thank you for coming to share your wonderful career with us Lisa and making us all aware that we need to smile and laugh a little more in life, as we all know it'’ too short! We look forward to seeing you every week as we come to Rotary and watch you strutting down the concourse on your stilts. Continued success in your career. Come back and visit us again! 
Once again, an entire block at Antic 23 is devoted to kids and their activities. It is called, not surprisingly, “The Kids’ Block”, and it is between Boerum Place and Smith Street. Adults are invited to enjoy it too. The Forest City Ratner Stage serves as the focus of Kids’ Block, and it has an outstanding program all afternoon. Lisa Lewis, who lives on Atlantic Avenue, will be in charge of the program and will perform on stage. She is a clown and stiltwalker, with a degree in Fun Arts from the Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Clown College. Ringling Brothers Parade in New Haven, CT Omaha World Herald, October 3rd, 1989 |
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