With acts including a human pincushion, glass walker and eater, a bed of nails and a fire-eater, the audience will be no less than intrigued by "Mr. Blank's Weird & Wandering Sideshow."
Tonight, "Mr. Blank's Weird & Wandering Sideshow" will be making its way to Gainesville. The show will take place downtown at The Laboratory, 818 W University Ave. The event is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Since today is recognized as "Mad Hatter Day," audience members are asked to dress the part.
"Ringleader" and show director, Mux Blank, 36, of Athens, Ga., described the show as a slightly improvised multimedia music and performance piece. Some consider the show a modern-day mix between HBO's "Carnivale " and "Ripley's Believe It or Not!"
Blank said that every show is different because the performers tend to feed off of the audience's energy to gauge which pieces to use.
"My show is one of oddities and amazing performances," Blank said. "It's theater of the odd, weird and magical. It's a mix of carnivale, circus and sideshow."
The term "sideshow" describes strange acts of human peculiarities, museum pieces, small performances and solo performers as a subset of a larger show. However, in the case of Blank's presentation, the sideshows are the main attraction.
The troupe originates from a larger group, "Mr. Blank's Carnivale of Black Hearts," based in Athens, Ga. The group made its debut in mid 2007 and has been touring since.
"All of our guys have dedication and a flare for the dramatic," Blank said. "That's what keeps our shows interesting."
The core members perform acts that range from belly dancing to juggling and specialize in death-defying acts. Blank mentioned that although the shows are meant to be anything but normal, safety comes first.
"Some of the acts we perform can be very, very dangerous if done wrong," Blank said. "It's all about the safety. If you do something wrong, it could mean your life or a lot of discomfort!"
The performers are trained carefully and undergo countless hours of preparation by an experienced professional.
"Safety is the only rehearsed part of our skits," Blank stressed. "If there isn't at least one thing during the show that falls under that ‘never before seen' statement, I will personally give you your money back."
Currently on tour in Florida now through the month of October, "Mr. Blank's Weird & Wandering Sideshow" is set to stop in Lakeland, Sarasota, Gainesville and Tallahassee.
Blank said he is certain Gainesville viewers will enjoy the show, calling the performance a "sure crowd pleaser."
"We once had a member of the audience scream ‘eat it' while I was walking on glass," Blank said. "I won't tell you if I did or not, but just know most of them left speechless, with their mouths dropped to the floor."
For more information on tour dates and "Mr. Blank's Weird & Wandering Sideshow," visit their website at mrblankisdead.com.
