L.O.L. Tour

I am currently working on a new show with Don Bursell and Randy Christensen. It is going to be one crazy show where we take comedy to it's breaking point. Here is a video of the last time we did a show together. Cirque Imaginings: the Kitchen Scene. It is a collage of behind the scenes footage and live performance all edited into the complete routine.

Home for the Holidays!

My father and I recently completed our third and final Christmas show. It featured Oxford P. Nutts (Randy Christensen) and myself. We had a great time in Sherburn, Willmar, and Saint Paul. Now we sit back and relax with family while we dream up new programs and tours for future dates. Thank you to all of those who attended and made it possible to provide this show. Also, thank you to my family, for allowing us to go out and spend time on the road before Christmas.

-Ben Christensen

Christmas Party

I recently attend a Christmas party for the Fellowship of Christian Magicians. It was held to the Floms house in Eden Prairie. We had a great time eating, hanging out, and we even put on our own variety show. It was a tough night because chances were that any performer would have to follow either animals or children. I took a couple of pictures during the show. The first picture is of Don Bursell who was also on the evening show.

October 31st at Redeeming Love

Last night I was able to do and evangelistic show at Redeeming Love for their Halloween Alternative. I had a great time doing my best stuff for a pretty good sized crowd.
My sister came with me as well as Jon Lee, a friend from school named Jon Lee. It is always wonderful to have a few familiar faces around. Now my attention turns as we enter the coming holiday season. I started listening to Christmas music already :-P
I am excited for what the season will bring.
Now for a quick update on the program I will be doing with Oxford P. Nutts! It looks like we will be performing "Home for the Holidays" at least four or five times. I am really looking forward to this time when I get to be onstage with my dad again instead of doing the entire program myself. There will be less on my mind and shoulders!

Getting Ready

This month has gone primarily to school work. However, I am finding time for a lot of performance stuff as well. Tonight the first Contact Improv group at NCU is meeting. Also, I recently led a Fellowship of Christian Entertainers evening meeting where we discussed close-up magic. I have also been passing clubs a lot and finding time to work on some new stuff.

That's the update! Now onto the future. There is a current show in the works featuring Randy Christensen, Don Bursell, and myself. Also currently being marketed is a Christmas show featuring myself and Randy Christensen. I'll put up a pic to tantalize you.

PUSH on tour

After we finished three weeks of rehearsal we took the show on the road and had an awesome tour. We were at a few churches from Rochester, NY to Cleveland, OH. It was a great group and a lot of fun. I learned a lot.

You can see more pictures here. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013846&l=5da01&id=110401250

PUSH

I have trained for almost a week at PUSH (a physical theatre group based in mime, dance, gymnastics, and more) and it has been one of the most difficult and most rewarding experiences of my life. There are 9 other students with me from all over the world including Hong Kong, Venezuela, Brazil, and Puerto Rico. We are doing a lot of work and are very tired, but we are already showing great improvement. Here is the company's website: http://www.pushtheatre.org/

Here are a couple of pictures:

Rewind Is Done

Wow. It has been a while since my last post and I can't believe how fast time has passed.

I just finished up a tour with Matthew Fish from Kansas City, MO. We toured representing North Central University where we are both currently studying Children's and Family Ministry. Our tour took us to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri. Our first program was November 2007 and now we are done.

My favorite time was when we did a week of Kid's Camp at Spencer Lake in Wisconsin. We did 7 full programs (anywhere from 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours) in four days. In the afternoons we had time to reherse and set up, but we also were able to go and play with the kids in the water and on inflatables.

Matt and I had a lot of disagreements, but not a lot of arguments. We got along well and it was great to have someone else sharing the stagetime and helping with loads of props to and from the car.

Rewind

Matt Fish and myself have officially finished the semester at school and have been traveling representing NCU's Children's Ministry department. As of now we done 10 different events (certain spots have multiple services) and have performed in front of over 2,400 people. We are developing all of our own material and presenting the Gospel to many who have never heard.

We are currently rooming together in Phillips Hall and having a lot of fun.

New Pictures

Here is a picture that was sent to me from Cedar Valley Church in Bloomington, MN. I have helped out in the children's department for the past year and I am able to do some of the fun stuff I've worked on in Kid's Church.

This is a little off subject, but I started swing dance lessons last night. It is a stretch because I have not taken lessons before. I hope to be able to use things I learn in the class in performance and in stage movement.

Cirque Imaginings Pictures

I've seen some great shows recently. Fielding West in Saint Paul, MN and Triple Espresso in Minneapolis were great. I was able to go with Greg Phillips and my father Randy. That had nothing to do with these pictures, but it was still fun!

I was thrilled when Pam sent these photos of last summers "Cirque Imaginings" Tour. Pictures were not allowed during the show but here are a few from pre and post-show in Des Moines, IA.

http://sparkylafs.myphotoalbum.com/slideshow.php?set_albumName=album07&utm_source=share&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=slideshow

Kidz Blast

"Rewind" was just at Wisconsin Kidz Blast, and it was a blast! Matt Fish and I taught a clowning class and a class on kid's in ministry (what you can do now to prepare for the future).

On Saturday morning Matt was in full clown and we did a routine that ended in a chase off. He ran out first and jumped off the end of the stage in front of over 600 kids. I followed into the hallway where I saw his make-up beginning to streak under his eyes. Turns out he landed wrong and broke his foot.

We will continue to travel and perform representing North Central University through June. I'll just have to make more trips back and forth to the car in order to carry everything in.

Rewind

I have recently been traveling with Matthew Fish from Kansas City, MO, representing North Central University. We have been doing a lot of family programs and most recently taught clowning at Wisconsin Kidz Blast. We will be traveling together through June.

Beginning Juggling

I just released a new instructional juggling DVD. I had a blast making it. It covers learning 3 balls, a few tricks, props, and (my favorite) a couple bonus juggling videos that I filmed at North Central University in Minneapolis, MN.

Celebrate the New Year!

My most recent show was a New Year's Eve performance at Celebration Church. There were about 150 people in attendance. I was able to share the stage with Tui (another juggler and skills performer). It was a good night of entertainment lasting about 2 hours. It was a great way to begin 2008!