Comedy with a kick
By Caroline Fontein
Jeff Civillico can ride a unicycle and juggle at the same time, but that's not all that makes him entertaining. It's his enthusiastic interaction with the crowd and quirky mannerisms that whip audiences into a comedic frenzy at his afternoon show at the Imperial Palace. His innovative method of entertainment has been branded "comedy in action."
"You know you're a big deal in Vegas when you do your own introduction," says Civillico at the start of the show.
He acknowledges that performing to an audience of about 200 people in the 600-seat Imperial Palace showroom isn't exactly groundbreaking. Drawing a big crowd without a recognizable name behind you takes time, and Civillico's show has only been open for just more than a month. In the meantime, his self-deprecating humor makes him both relatable and amusing.
Some audiences may recognize Civillico from Nathan Burton's Comedy Magic Show where he performs as a special guest. After performing there for a little more than a year, Civillico landed his own afternoon revue.
Audience interaction is a big part of Civillico's act. He starts the show by asking for an item from the crowd. He gets a man in the audience to hand him his baseball cap. Then Civillico balances it on his head. From there, he moves on to balancing a chair that someone hands him from the audience. Next it's a 10-foot ladder that he gets from back stage and balances on his chin. By this time you're thinking, "This guy must be crazy."
With odd signature moves like his high side kick followed by an exaggerated wedgie pull, Civillico is the definition of zany, and that's what makes him entertaining. If you're that taken by Civillico's on-stage idiosyncrasies, they're emblazoned on a T-shirt that you can purchase after the show.
Civillico rapidly transitions from showing off his aptitude at juggling pins and spinning plates on his fingers to getting people from the audience on stage to assist him with his next act. For one of these instances he gets "two big strong beasts of men" to help him get on his unicycle. The show becomes watching the two men try to interpret Civillico's instructions while he uses them as ladders to hoist himself onto the towering unicycle.
Later in the show he gets a 7-year-old -girl on stage to help him with a spinning plate balancing act. He also does a routine where he teaches someone in the audience how to juggle. For this routine he walks into the crowd and gets someone seated in the back of the theater to come on stage. There's no doubting the volunteer's less-than-enthusiastic demeanor, but Civillico turns his reluctance into comedic fodder.
Spewing off-the-cuff one-liners is another one of Civillico's fortes along with his untamed enthusiasm. While his personality is plenty entertaining, there's no doubting his talent as a juggler. He puts the spotlight on his skills later on in the show when he juggles glow-in-the-dark laser balls and pins that change color as he throws them in the air. The glowing pins against the blacked out stage create an optical illusion, making it seem as though he has at least one more set of hands assisting him. Of course, it's only Civillico on stage.
A champion juggler, Civillico has spent most of his life performing. When he was only 7 years old he saw a street juggler in Harvard Square and was inspired to be an entertainer. He acted, sang and danced throughout elementary school. In high school he rediscovered juggling, and used it as a tool to develop his unique blend of comedy and entertainment.
When he was 15, Civillico earned a gold medal in the juniors division of the 1998 International Jugglers' Association. After graduating from Georgetown University in 2005 he went on to pursue his career as an entertainer. Civillico specializes in providing audiences with a clean and professional comedy show that appeals to audiences of all ages.
He has provided stage entertainment and MC work for corporate events nationwide. Some of his past clients include Wachovia, OSHA, Anheuser-Busch, Toyota, Honda, Harley-Davidson and The American Heart Association. He has also worked as a headlining entertainer for Disney Cruise Line and The Atlantis Resort in Nassau.
A multifaceted entertainer, Civillico's comedy show is sure to enliven anyone's afternoon. Bringing laughter and moments of awe to audiences is all in a day's work for Civillico. In fact he's so good at it he continues to perform as part of Burton's Comedy Magic show immediately following his own revue. His energy is boundless just like his ability to entertain.
