Mayhem reigns as Ahern takes the stage

K
enny Ahern filled the Crouch auditorium with laughter and applause as he brought his unique blend of maniacal mayhem to the stage on March 9. But it didn’t remain on stage for long. Ahern was continually coming out into the audience of about 200 people, getting them involved in the clowning. Often the interaction appeared to be at an audience member’s expense. But the joke ultimately turned around, and Ahern was the one who paid the price, acting the fool – but a lovable, harmless fool. The performance was a wonderful, funny and family-friendly show that had appeal to children of all ages.
Imagine a character that combined Dick Van Dyke with Red Skelton, sent to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown School, and you will have some inkling of the act. Dressed in hilarious baggy pants, suspenders and a silly red hat, Ahern entertained the crowd with one shenanigan after another as he went from juggling to mime to balancing acts. All the while, pulling members of the audience on stage, he made it easy to become part of the show and part of the laughs. As Ruthann Wheeler said after participating, she had fun.
“You felt kind of special,” Wheeler said. And she was not the only one who felt special during this show. Ahern could make everyone in the audience feel like they, too, were a treasure to him.
Without saying a word during the show, every action he did and everything he had the participants do, was brought about by miming. When Ahern wanted someone to do something, he gestured and made grunting and groaning noises or made a silly face. Only at the end of the performance, to thank the audience, did he speak briefly.
Laughter was a constancy during the hour-and-a-half show. The variety was immense as he went from juggling to playing the saxophone while balancing on a large ball, from a plate-spinning act to holding a large ladder upon his chin without hands. You never knew what to expect as he went through his routine, but you were guaranteed to have a fun frolic through clowning and just fun showing off.
With his motto “To Laugh is to Live” leading the way, Ahern has been performing throughout the world for over 25 years. He has had rave reviews from performances in Singapore, Russia, China and many other countries. He has also been seen at the White House, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Variety Theatre in Singapore. He has been a faculty member of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. He is currently the director, along with his wife, Brenda, of the longest-running clown and variety arts training program in the world, Clown Camp (www.clowncamp.org). 
“It’s pretty simple,” Ahern says, “I am all about having the audience leave a performance happier than when they walked in.” 
On that goal, he has definitely hit the mark. After his performance, Newcastle was just a little happier, a bit lighter and quite a bit sillier.
I wish to also give a shout out to the Weston County Concert Association members. Under the leadership of Jan Ellis, they have already brought to Newcastle three outstanding concerts with Ball in the House and Jason Farnham, and now with Kenny Ahern during the 2019-20 season. We can look forward to another quality and entertaining performance when the Presidio Brass comes on Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. I think we can also look forward to next year with a series full of fun and quality.