Photo By Spc. Nyatan Bol | Illusionist Jason Michaels holds up a straightjacket after successfully performing the...... read more read more
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ANSBACH, Germany -- Illusionist Jason Michaels brought his Vegas style magic show to the Katterbach Kaserne Sadowski Theater, September 3, 2019. The Jason Michaels Live! show features magic, card tricks, illusions, comedy and motivational monologues.
Ben Young and Cameron Zvara, both fellow performers, opened the show. Michaels described the two performers as specializing in getting the kids riled up, and having fun with them. After their opening act, Michaels took the stage.
“While I’m up on that stage it’s exhilarating, I’m able to share the things that I love which [are] magic, illusion, comedy and fun,” said Michaels, who described his performances as an extension of himself.
While the show is designed to entertain and captivate audiences, Michaels also sees it as an opportunity to get personal and share his compelling personal story of overcoming adversity.
At the age of six, Michael received a life-changing diagnosis that would put him on a collision course with his dreams.
“For me performing is personal because I have Tourette’s syndrome,” said Michaels. “In my day to day life sometimes I’ll have uncontrollable twitches or movements.”
Determined not to let his diagnosis stand in the way of his passion, Michaels pressed on. As a kid, he discovered theater and said he realized the moment he took the stage, all of the things he didn’t have any control over kind of just vanished.
It was this realization that he said inspired him to pursue a career in entertainment. Michaels has not allowed his diagnosis to define him -- rather he uses it to motivate and inspire audiences around the world.
“I’m able to share a powerful message of overcoming adversity…[which] I try to do in every single show,” said Michaels. “I think it’s something we all need to hear. We all have hard days, and it’s good to know that no matter how hard it is, we can in fact overcome things that feel impossible.”
This message leaves audiences not only with smiles on their faces, but with lessons they can carry with them as they face life’s challenges.
After the show, it was clear that his message resonated with the audience. In the lobby, a long line of children of all ages waited for an autograph, photo or just a moment to speak with Michaels and his team.
Vikki Hanrahan, the Entertainment Director, U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Ansbach Directorate of Family Morale Welfare and Recreation, said the event was “fabulous!”
Hanrahan said, “Anytime we have an Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE) event, it’s always top notch, quality entertainment from the United States.”
In her capacity as Entertainment Director, Hanrahan is responsible for coordinating with AFE to bring events, just like this one, to the USAG Ansbach community.
“These shows are brought over from the [U.S.] for the enjoyment of Soldiers, their families and our civilian population, who are stationed overseas,” said Hanrahan.
The Jason Michaels Live! Show is sponsored by AFE. AFE partners with performers from the United States to bring a piece of home to service members and their families stationed overseas. Michaels has been touring with AFE since 2015.
The Jason Michaels Live! 2019 tour began on August 26, and also travelled to bases in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Portugal and Spain.
| Date Taken: | 09.03.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 09.05.2019 11:14 |
| Story ID: | 338504 |
| Location: | KATTERBACH KASERNE, DE |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Jason Michaels Lives! Comes to USAG Ansbach, by SPC Nyatan Bol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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