SWFB Comedy Hypnosis Shows: 6,000 SWFB Perfomances

Last night in an early snow fall, I performed my 6000th perfomance. The was in Connecticut for the Litchfield Robotics and Lego League Team fundraiser. The snow kept a lot of people away, but we still managed to have a great time. I really appreciated the effort that went into publicising this show; poster in school and around town, radio & tv mentions, newspaper spots and signage outside of school. Still the snow... that early season lousy snow... what are you gonna do? Thanks to the many students and adults you volunteered. You all were TERRIFIC!

Most friends and aquaintances know me as a hypnotist. Many of my older friends also know I perform magic. But most everyone would raise an eyebrow at the other acts I have performed during my many years.
Although Steve Wronker's Funny Business (SWFB) was named in 1987 (that's when I quit my real job and went to work full time as an entertainer), I had been performing since the early 1970's. An early Connecticut perfomance was at Henry Park in Vernon, CT on July 3, 1975. this was a kick off for the BiCentennial. It was my first public appearance as Gobbo the Clown. (I got the name from Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice'. I was a huge fan of Shakespeare and consequently named most of my doves after Shakespearian characters). I perfomed magic as a clown and did many typical clown skits. As a clown, this is where I developed my magic act as a magician where everything that could go wrong did. This was a slight take off from magician and actor Carl Ballentine (McHale's Navy).

Magic was predominant as I performed magic as a clown, as a regular act and in night clubs throughout New England. I had developed a dove act for the night clubs as well as my regular comedy magic act. I would perform anywhere and everywhere; from birthday parties to the opening of the Hartford Sheraton Hotel as a headline entertainer. I had always siad, "If the money was right I would perform in the nude!" I won't say anymore about that but remember it was the early 70's. During the late 1970's and thru the early 1990's I developed many other acts. Let me just list them here:

Bingo caller, clowning, disc jockey, emcee for many events, face painter, game show host, hypnosis seminars (stop smoking, stress reduction, etc), a creative thinking program for elemnatry and middle school students called "Imagination... It's All in Your Mind" program (I thought this program would put me on the national map but I couldn't get the right funding), many, many differently themed magic shows and magic workshops. I was a monthly columnist for a national sports collectors' magazine, motivational speaker (I still do an occasional talk), simon says director, sports memorabilia collecting seminars, stand-up comedian, and believe it or not I did 2 gigs as a singer.

I've feel I've been blessed with the ability to make people laugh, to forget about life's pitfalls for a few minutes and just have my audiences just sit back and enjoy the show. I know how fortunate I have been and I will never take any of this for granted. I have a sign in my office that says "If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life!" I hope I never have to work for many years to come.

Please allow me to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who took a chance and hired me, never knowing what to expect. Thank you to everyone who sat through any of these 6000 performances and had to listen to my corny jokes. Thank you to the many volunteers that help make my programs very funny. The jokes were never on you. It was all part of the act. And without these brave volunteers I would probably still be selling office supplies somewhere.

Here's hoping I have the pleasure of entertaing you soon... again!

Here's a few photos from my early year's in magic: