DFW Funny Business offers a variety of entertainers and musicians.
Entertainers range from puppeteers to jugglers, and stiltwalkers to storytellers.
Below are some of our featured artists and what they offer.
Fast answers!
DJ Aaron playing the party songs that have guests moving along!
Aaron keeps the music playing with a song from the 20,000 on his computer!
Aaron with a party guest wearing a balloon hat like a headset microphone.
Aaron at the DJ controls, inviting you onto the dance floor for musical fun!
How is Aaron different from deejays who just play songs at your party? It’s like the difference between a song from a Broadway show, and a whole musical. While you like a song, you get fully engaged by a musical! Aaron is more than the song; he’s the full musical, getting your guests engaged, interested, and involved with the music on the dance floor. Some DJs might as well be broadcasting from a radio station – but that is not the case with Aaron. He is fully present at your event, with the music a bridge between him and your guests. In fact, Aaron is more like a ring master than a typical d-j, and your guests have lots of fun when they get to be part of the show! Aaron brings personality and activity to your wedding, reception, anniversary, reunion, prom, winter carnival, senior prom, homecoming, bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, mixer, graduation, or school dance.
Concentrating on the flow of the music to keep the guests out on the floor with happy feet!
Aaron has 18 years experience as a family entertainer. He is used to being in front of the group so he doesn’t need to hide in his d.j. station. You’ll be glad to have him at your wedding or event. Aaron uses his experience as an entertainer to make his turn as your d.j. different. How? One way he is different from other kid dj’s is making balloon animals! Aaron can make balloon animals and play the music at the same time. With a small group, Aaron can make an animal for everyone. With a large group, he uses the balloon as a motivator. Want this balloon hat? Come out onto the dance floor! Want this cute balloon teddy bear? Join the dance off to win it as a prize!
The result is that people leave your party with the music still echoing in their ears, and a balloon sculpture in their hands, under one arm, or worn as a hat on their head. We call it fun they can touch! Aaron will make a variety of items, from giant balloon swords to butterflies to hats with eyes that let the wearer keep an ‘eye’ on things!
It can take a while for guests to warm up at a party, yet the faster the DJ gets everyone involved, the sooner the party really takes off. Aaron has 20,000+ songs, and 10,000+ videos. He is adding a large flat screen to his set-up (which is a custom DJ booth!) to let the guests see others dancing to the music. Videos can be a way to draw people out of their shy self by giving every one a focus. Video can also inspire guests – particularly younger guests – to cut loose on the dance floor.
Speaking of younger guests, Aaron is an excellent choice for kid events. In fact, he is the ultimate kid D.J.! Aaron has a 20 minute magic show which features the birthday child, with magic which is age appropriate from age 4 on up to adult. Think your birthday child would enjoy being the center of attention during a magic show? Aaron can also offer costumes for a themed experience – he can be a wizard, a pirate, or a super hero! Talk about a DJ who matches the theme of the party!
Aaron’s approach is to keep the guests engaged in party activities. He has 100,000+ karaoke songs on his system, and will have them stepping up to provide the voice to a favorite song. While karaoke is going on, Aaron will be teaching the other guests how to juggle. This keeps everyone engaged and having fun without stopping to think about whether they should be laughing and having a good time first. Imagine your party and pool side, guests are lined up for a turn at karaoke. Or a birthday and the guests are juggling – for the first time ever! People will leave your party with lots to talk about, and maybe even a new skill!
Aaron has entertained at kid parties for 18 years. He is good at reading the crowd, and he always wants everyone to have a good time. A father of five himself, Aaron keeps his material family friendly the whole time – and he keeps things age appropriate. In addition to all of this, Aaron brings 3 – 5 scratch tickets to his events as motivators. These are tickets for the $1,000 prize – and imagine how good it would feel to get the seed money for a college fund from the event! That would be a reason to smile long after the party is over!
Out on the floor, guests dance up a storm, moving to the rhythms pumped out by Aaron!
With a 4 speaker sound system which distributes music everywhere without deafening anyone, Aaron is modern in his approach to sound engineering. Everyone at the event gets a good sound experience yet no one gets flattened by volume. Aaron’s system is computer based rather than CD, and he is expanding with flat screens and more! Find out for yourself why the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX had Aaron back again and again for their pool parties – go ahead and book DJ Aaron for your event! You can relax, knowing that your guests will have fun, with wide smiles for all the party photographs!
C’mon, let’s dance says one friend to another, and pretty soon, everyone’s on the dance floor!
A peek at some of the gear Aaron brings to make your party a dance filled success!
Markus – minstrel, musician, human jukebox!
Markus is the music man – making music wherever he can! Bring him to your party for memories that sing!
There is nothing to compare to live music at an event. Music adds a power to the setting, making the memories stronger, and the celebrational impulse more powerful. Hiring a band is a great idea; if you have the room, and if your gathering is the sort that is good for stationary musicians. Suppose it is not – do you have to give up the idea of live music? No, not when Markus is available! With his banjo, guitar, or guitar ulele, Markus will take the music all over your celebration, sharing songs with small groups and then moving on to the next handful. With his warm, baritone voice, and selection of a couple hundred songs, Markus can guarantee a performance just right for your guests!
Markus is not an inflexible singer; he is what we call a contextual performer. This means he adjusts his tone, his energy, his approach, his entire performance to match the feeling of your party. He will bring the right energy to generate smiles and keep the party lively without seeming hyperactive. As the gathering evolves, Markus makes adjustments, too, making sure his music and his persona are relevant to your event! His goal is to add an emotional component to your group that enriches the time, rather than trying to show off with a “look at me” goal. Don’t let the relaxed photos on this page fool you; Markus is extremely talented. In fact, most people, on seeing him talking with guests or having a glass of water underestimate his skill. He wraps up the pause, starts to play, and jaws drop all around!
There is something festive about the banjo. We dare you to frown when Markus is around! Nope, it just can’t be done.
Are you worried that you’ll have kids at your celebration, and they won’t like Markus? Have a better look at what he achieves with that age!
Part of this is due to his skill honed over the past 30 years as a performer. Part of this is due to his range of experience, from intimate venues of a couple hundred to a stadium of 75,000. Part of this is due to the range of songs he can draw from, which could include Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, or George Strait. Markus can also play instrumental selections which your guests will enjoy a great deal. One other reason for the audience to be so overwhelmed by his performance is that Markus can make his guitar sound like an entire band! Yes, when he plugs into his synthesizer, he can create the illusion of an entire band when it is just him and his guitar. That will have your friends and family talking about the music, wondering how you got a band for your event!
In addition to many hours as a performer, Markus has other musical skills. For example, he is a skilled music producer, and an independent musical artist. He has his own studio, has had two record deals, written over 750 songs, and has 5 CDs on the market! In fact, his instrumental CD Compartments is quite popular in the Dallas office market as background music!
While Markus is generally mingling with the guests, he can set up on a stage for that kind of show, too!
A moment between songs, when we can snap a photo of Markus with yet another guitar!
His goal is to be appropriate, relevant, and to touch the hearts of your guests. Markus offers music for Christmas, Halloween, 4th of July, and Valentine’s Day. He also has sets for graduation parties, Cinco de Mayo, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, start of summer, end of summer, and corporate events such as product launches, annual meetings, or team building exercises. Markus can also keep the tunes flowing for a block party, homeowner association event, or a fund raiser.
When performing, Markus may play light jazz, Dixieland jazz, classic rock, or blues. He may treat the guests to Elvis classics, or songs ranging from Hank Williams to Louis Armstrong. He might surprise the guests with a bit of bluegrass (where Tony Rice was an influence), folk (Peter, Paul, & Mary are still popular!) and of course, country & western standards. Yet even though he is sharing standards, he performs them in new ways for this new age. And always, Markus touches emotions and memories, so that people leave the party saying ‘I hadn’t heard that song for years, and never before that way.’
Maricela and friends – children’s entertainer
Maricela has a collection of puppets who perform with her regularly.
There are 86,400 seconds in a day, and that is just one of the things you’ll learn with Maricela as she sings and charms her way to your heart! She is a children’s entertainer who gets the attention of the kids, then holds them with harmony, laughter, melody, fun, education, songs, and puppets! Her puppets are so lively with so much personality, you might forget they are puppets at all! In Maricela’s one hour birthday party program, you will feel like you had more than an hour of entertainment! Why? Because she packs so much fun and so many activities into her show!
The birthday party program is customized so that the puppets can make reference to the birthday child, and that child’s accomplishments, at the party. Your son or daughter will be amazed that Grandma or Sylvester knew so much about them! The puppets will talk directly to the birthday child, as if the puppet was a living person! Maricela’s goal is for your child to feel extra special at the party.
As a parent, you’ll understand why Maricela is the children’s coordinator for her church, and why she consulted for Great Wolf Lodge amusement parks (who wanted her to enrich their story telling programs) – it is because she has such a deep understanding of children! Great Wolf Lodge was not the only facility to call on Maricela, either. She has worked with the Metro Moms at the Dallas Zoo; participated with the DFW Expo; been featured on television and radio shows (with a t.v. show currently broadcast in Houston); and travelled internationally to entertain with her musical shows. Many organizations have requested Maricela for her music, her entertainment, her puppetry, and her understanding of how to help children have fun! She has even been a volunteer for the Dallas Children Cancer Fund – scroll down, and see Maricela in action!
In addition to the puppets, Maricela will sing songs with the children, sing songs for them to dance, and sing songs for them to move with party activities. She writes her own songs, and her show is bi-lingual (English/Spanish) with an educational thread running through everything she does.
If there was ever a reason we wished we were children, it was so that we could have Maricela to entertain at our party!
Grandma performing with Maricela. Puppets will keep children – even toddlers – spellbound!
Maricela is one of our most musical performers – and music is just part of the entertainment she offers!
Maricela, skilled ventriloquist, keeps all eyes on her with one puppet!
What happens if Barney the Dinosaur®* shows up as Maricela is entertaining at the Dallas Children Cancer Fund event?
Puppets
Kelly – A Puppeteer Like No Other!
Have you ever known one of those people who seemed to have the most awesome friends? Children see Kelly that way, because she has so many awesome puppet friends! Kelly makes her own costumes, and most of her own puppets, providing a one of a kind show for your guests. She loves children, has a degree in children’s education, and worked as a children’s youth pastor for several years at a non-denominational church. Kelly is gifted with puppets – they seem to come alive in her hands! At the end of the show, Kelly and the audience’s favorite puppet will pose for pictures and hugs, making another moment kids treasure. (Kelly needs a minimum 8′ x 12′ performance area. Unless she is in a tent, outdoor venues are NOT recommended due to wind. An electrical outlet is required for Kelly’s equipment.)
Too Cute The Clown
You will know Kelly’s friend is a puppet, but the kids – they’ll think Mandy’s alive!
Singing lions, are just one of the ways Kelly makes her shows unique!
Too Cute the Clown was a character Kelly developed initially for a mission trip to the mountains of Guatemala. She didn’t name this character; the people who saw her named her by saying ‘oh, too cute!’ Too Cute came back from Guatemala, and became the central character in Kelly’s show Don’t Worry, Trust Jesus. The character was so popular, Kelly added Too Cute to her line-up of birthday party characters, where even more people get to meet this lovable clown with a softer look. Softer look? Kelly’s clown make-up is what is known as “light Auguste”. She is a bit like a red nosed china doll, and that helps Too Cute more easily engage children who might feel shy around a clown.
Daffy Daisy
All eyes are on Kelly with her roller skating friend, and sunny flower costume!
Think they’ll remember Earth Day a little longer with a talking flower? Oh yes!
Meet Daffy Daisy, your leader on a funny spring program about renewal and growth. Springtime Bonanza with Daffy Daisy is a great way to celebrate Earth Day, and the kids will have a great time with the rabbits who roller skate, and sing Rockin’ Robin. Along the way Kelly will delight the audience with flower tricks! If you are trying to schedule a program at Easter for your church, Kelly has a scripture based show, too, which promotes the message of Easter. Kelly’s shows are appropriate for ages 3 and up, which includes the adults you’ll hear giggling in the back of the room!
Cowgirl Kel & Her Stick Horse Fred
Cowgirl Kel kicking up her heels with Hank the Horse, ready for some western fun!
Texas history with a twist – a cowgirl and her friend Hank the horse!
The western show features horse celebrities like Stick Horse Fred, and Hank the Horse. Along with these, there are several delightful surprises when other characters, whom kids recognize, appear wearing their western best! This is a great way to involve kids in Rodeo Days celebration, as well as begin to engage them in the Texas western tradition. Get your your guitar, harmonica, and yodel to sing along with Home On The Range, or Bingo is his Name-o. Kelly may bring out her lariat, too, to round up some laughs! Don’t think that Kelly is old fashioned serving up just beans and hard tack. She will get everyone laughing with the Disappearing Pizza trick where the audience helps her find the pizza, along with the punchline!
Click here to request Kelly for your event!
Brett – Master Puppeteer
Kids LOVE puppets! And why wouldn’t they love the little stuffed smart alecks? It is no surprise that people young and old love Brett’s puppetry! He is excellent with puppets. Brett studied puppetry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under Jim Henson Productions. He is a member of the Puppeteers of America. In 2005, Brett won the DFW Funny Business Entertainer of the Year award! His credits are a mile long, but this one stands out – Chuck E Cheese! Brett performed all the puppet acts that appear on the video monitors at every one of their restaurants in the world.
Brett’s puppet and magic acts have been seen at the Fort Worth Zoo Zooladays, Hawkwood Renaissance Fair, Caravan of Dreams, Boo at the Zoo, Six Flags over Texas, ShowBiz Pizza Place, and many, many more. He plays characters such as a Pete the Pirate, an 1800’s Medicine Man, and Outback Ben. Brett also has a bunraku puppet act, which is a classical Japanese style of puppetry. His shows are 30 minutes long. He can also teach magic to kids or make balloon animals after his show if longer entertainment is needed.
To arrange for Brett, send us a Party Request form!
Brett with one of his many puppet friends. This fellow is funnier up close. Check it out!
Outback Ben with a simian friend! Go ahead and get closer to Ben’s friend!
Outback Ben with a tame parrot. It’s safe to go in closer for a better view!
Penny the Pirate
Whether she is performing as Boopsie, Penny the Pirate, Sister Cat, or Magic Cinde, guests all love her! And why not? That puppet is cute, and Penny is highly skilled with puppets. She can bring a show to your home with her pirate parrot puppet, a loveable elephant puppet, or her nearly lifesize ostrich puppet!
Penny is a mother of boys, so she knows how rambunctious kids can be! Yet between her funny shows, her lovable puppets, her great stage presence, and her skill as an entertainer, she always wins over the audience. For a puppet program your guests will love, combined with the convenience of hosting the party at your home, Penny is another DFW Funny Business puppeteer you will want back again and again. Charming, funny, and great with kids, you’ll strike gold with Penny the Pirate!
To arrange for Penny to entertain at your party, send us a Party Request form!
Ahoy, swabbie! Do you recognize Penny from Pirates of the Carribean?
Juggling
Classic Style, Classic Performance
You are reading all about one of the best jugglers in the DFW Ft. Worth area. David has been juggling for several years, honing his skills as he gained his teacher certification and completed his Eagle Scout. He is always prepared, and lives by the Scout law, which helps to explain why he is always friendly, courteous, kind, and cheerful. He holds a Guinness World Record in juggling, and can put on a show that dazzles you by day or by night. In the first set of photos, you’ll see David’s classic look, with a bowler and a red bowtie. All of the photos which follow are live. When you count 6 rings in the air, that’s how many he was juggling! He comes equipped with comedy, humor, audience participation programs, and all the fabulous equipment that jugglers have devised over the years to bring lots of laughs as they throw things – up!
Send us a party request, and we’ll take care of the rest! (Click the photos below to see a larger copy of the picture.)
When we say he has rings on his fingers, we mean big, highly visible red ones!
Ring around the collar, and several in the air are common when David performs.
He’s reduced his carbon footprint with the ultimate ‘smart’ car – zero emissions!
Colorful, Friendly Kinetic Fun
The tools of juggling are pretty simple – balls, rings, clubs or variants on clubs. When you’ve seen a ball or a ring, you’ve seen the high tech equipment which, honestly, isn’t that high tech, or even that much fun. This is why the juggler is so important. It is only the juggler who brings the fun to the activity. Most people would want an entertainer who is family friendly, funny, and truly nice. When you look at the pictures of David, you will see a juggler who is all of that, and more! From his rainbow pants to his rainbow hat, he is wrapped in fun. He can juggle clubs, rings, and balls. For an added touch, he’ll even make music as he juggles down instead of up with his magical mat. Your grandmother would be pleased to have him as a grandson, and your littlest guests will be impressed by David’s humor, and his manners. For several years we’ve worked with David as he matured, getting better at juggling, yet also retaining his wonderful disposition. For general party fun, he is the one!
Send us a party request, and we’ll take care of the rest! (Click the photos below to see a larger copy of the picture.)
5 clubs leaping lightly from his never slowing fingers. This draws a crowd!
There are 6 rings in the picture, and maybe one more about to arrive.
If you’ve ever tried to juggle 3 balls, you can appreciate David’s skill with 7!
The Amazing Light Show
The pictures show the juggler in a forest of photonic columns. David’s Amazing Light Show is a beautiful display of light and skill. The balls have lights inside which leave trails of illumination in their path. They have a hypnotic effect as they rise and roll with the rhythm of the juggler, tracing short lived paths in the night. As pure light, they are beautiful upon the canvas of darkness, captivating all eyes. Thoughts wander through the door opened by the dancing light – is this a recreation of the first moment of movement by the tinest particles? Is this a glimpse at fun loving angels playing tag beneath the stars? Is this a peek at the way our hearts whirl and soar when we are in love? The Amazing Light Show can stir the imagination most deeply. This is a pretty, highly engaging kinetic entertainment that will have guests ooh-ing and ah-ing during the party. There are no flames – the lights are battery powered – which lets you add David’s Amazing Light Show anywhere you have room for a juggler.
Send us a party request, and we’ll take care of the rest! (Click the photos below to see a larger copy of the picture.)
Threads of light at night, the Amazing Light show is beautiful and delightful!
The night show – juggling skill you can really see because the balls glow!
More than just juggling, David has a way of sculpting the light into shapes.
A Master Of Fire & Flame
The eye is drawn to motion, and when the motion looks like whirling fire snakes churning the air, all eyes are drawn to the spectacle! Fire is a special element in our lives, recalling memories of camping, watching flames wash over the wood in an endless pattern, never repeating. People watching may remember the flames of a beach bonfire, sending sparks like wayward fireflies over the waving waters of the ocean. At times, watchers may feel the pull of something earlier, an elemental sense from a much earlier time of giant glaciers and the gift of burning light that kept large beasts at bay. There is a power in fire, and David wields that power expertly. He will dazzle guests at your party with bright yellow torches that trail sinuous streamers in the night, weaving among one another while his hands remain untouched. He will even wear fire on his head, and mount his unicycle to ride among the burning serpents tamed by his skill, ending to spontaneous applause. Your guests will remember this experience for a very long time. For your next party, don’t keep the fire in the barbeque pit – set it free in the night with David’s fire juggling!
Send us a party request, and we’ll take care of the rest! (Click the photos below to see a larger copy of the picture.)
The fire act is better outside, unless the party is in the Cowboy stadium!
Riding a unicycle presents a unique challenge to juggling fire torches!
As if he is conjuring a dragon – David brings forms to sight from the fire.
Kenneth is one of the most creative stiltwalkers we have ever known. His costumes are ingenious, from the peg legged pirate to Basketball Jones. He is not just an unusually tall man at the event. He is a full character, with ways to engage the crowds that are fun and distinctive to him. As Basketball Jones, he wears a backboard and hands a ball for the guests to make a basket. This is one example of how he turns stiltwalking into a distinctive art form.
Kenneth has a variety of costumes, which allows him to fit in with your party theme. Are you having an Oktoberfest event? Kenneth will fit right in! Hosting a sporting event? As Basketball Jones, he’ll be the talk of the pre-game program. Even more than that, Kenneth is an award winning entertainer. He is a highly talented clown who knows how to entertain all ages. He is a world class juggler, both on and off stilts. Have a look at the Giant Genie, and just imagine the spectacle of juggling clubs adding color and motion with that costume! Kenneth will be loved by, and is always appropriate, for all guests. For years, audiences have fallen in love with Kenneth’s characters. Have him to your event, and fall in love with him, too!
Send us the details of your event for a price quote!
Kenneth as a friendly peg leg pirate.
Basketball Jones, ready to play!
Exotic and fun, the Giant Genie captivates!
Try as he might, Kenneth stands out from the crowd!
For patriotic events, Kenneth has just the right outfit!
*Barney the Friendly Dinosaur®, and any other references to Barney are likely trademarked or trademarks of the Lyons Group, HiT Entertainment, Connecticut Public Television, and/or WNET New York. No claim to ownership of these trademarks is intended or asserted. The reference on this page is simply to identify a costumed character who was at this event with Maricela.