Special telegram: The joke's on you
|
Tina and Marc Herr are used to the staring. The pointing. The laughing. And sometimes the uncomfortable glaring.
But the St. Cloud couple doesn't let any of that faze them, even though the attention is likely provoked because Tina is dressed in a scantily clad barfly costume or Marc is in an even-more scantily clad pink fairy costume while they both toss friendly insults and jokes to passers-by.
It doesn't faze them because it's their job.
 The couple are owners of Giggle-Gram Entertainment, an entertainment and singing telegrams business in St. Cloud. The Van Herrs deliver well wishes to people via funny skits and in character, ranging from a dancing gorilla to Elvis.
But last week, the Van Herrs sat down, sans costumes, to speak about their professions as professional entertainers.
How did they get into this line of work?
Describing herself as a shy little girl, it wasn't until Tina was in her mid-20s and was pulled on stage for a comedy act that she realized her true calling.
"I never did plays or theater when I was younger," Tina said.
Trading comedic insults with the entertainer, Tina impressed the crowd and the entertainer, who invited Tina to join his act. So Tina did, leaving her job as an art director at an advertising agency. She started performing, eventually doing shows in Las Vegas and other venues.
Marc always knew he was a performer, doing plays in high school and being known as a goofball in class. While keeping a sales and marketing job, Marc became a master of ceremonies at the Red Carpet Nightclub and performed stand-up comedy at local clubs.
"It's shouldn't come as a surprise to people who knew me then that this is my career," Marc said.
The Van Herrs started Giggle-Gram in 2006 after realizing St. Cloud didn't have a singing telegram service.
What does a telegram entail?
The misconception about a singing telegram is that it's just singing, but in reality, the majority of the time is spent on comedy. It's sort of a mini-roast of the recipient, Marc said.
A telegram can last anywhere from five to 20 minutes depending on the type of package the client chooses. Clients fill a questionnaire about the telegram recipient, including information about the recipient's hobbies, pet peeves and past significant others. From that information, Marc and Tina develop an act revolving around the interests and personality of that person, inserting jokes and humor along the way. Marc and Tina present the telegram in any of their 40 different characters.
What other services does Giggle-Gram offer?
The company offers disc jockeying, corporate and party entertainment. For some events, the Van Herrs will dress up and perform in front of a crowd, using stand-up comedy and audience interaction. Mingling is another service where the Van Herrs are hired to be characters at a party and interact with party guests.
"It gives people something to talk about other than work if they are talking about that character who probably isn't supposed to be at the party," Marc said.
What would people be surprised to know about this profession?
The entertainment part is only a small portion of what we do, Marc said. If the couple is setting up for a corporate event, it's an all-day event for a 90-minute performance because of the time it takes to unload equipment, practice and get into costume. Days before an event, the couple are writing a skeleton script, which is a comedy skit that outlines the generalities of the performance, such as how to get from one subject to the next, Marc said.
The singing telegram business forces the Van Herrs to be very flexible in their schedules as people can book acts months in advance to just an hour ahead.
"You have to be very fluid," Marc said. "We could have a light schedule and then it could turn crazy within 20 minutes."
The Van Herrs also spend part of their days advertising their business.
"Part of the job is creating our own market," Marc said. "It's to get people to think that this is an option."
What is one characteristic needed for this job?
Improvisation is important even when you have a prepared script, Marc said. Entertainers need to be able to recover quickly if a joke bombs or the audience atmosphere calls for a change in a joke's direction.
"You have a joke and you think it's funny, but then other people might look at you and think it's an entirely different language," Marc said. "It pushes your limits as an entertainer, especially when it's a tough room. You never know what you're going to get."
What advice would you give to future entertainers?
The Van Herrs recommend aspiring entertainers to participate in local theater or open mic nights. Performing often will make you comfortable on stage and cultivate improvisation skills, Tina said.
But to become an entertainer full time, there needs to be a serious commitment, Marc said.
"You have to not be afraid to fail and accepting the fact that you will fail," Marc said. "You have to be OK with hearing the word 'no' or that not everybody is going to laugh ... You have to really love it. You can't treat it like a hobby."
If you weren't an entertainer, what would you be?
"I'd be a chef," Marc said. "I like the creative process of it and the presentation."
"I think I've found what I was looking for all these years," Tina said. "I look forward to my job. I get paid to go to parties and make people laugh."
|
|
Wedding and Party Planning