The year 2020 will be remembered as the year of the Zoom meetings thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m sure we’ve lost count on how many Zoom meetings or calls we attended over the last year because they all seemed to be the same, not very lively or entertaining.
ZoomBallyhoo is an Orlando-based company that is on a mission to make Zoom calls more fun and entertaining by having circus performers, clowns and magicians perform during a Zoom call.
“ZoomBallyhoo was a creation from Odd-o-Ts’ Entertainment born during a time when live performance wasn’t safe to engage in,” said ZoomBallyhoo’s Amy Gorton. “Our performers were all former circus artists who had been entertaining in theme parks, theaters and tours since the Ringling Bros. Circus closed. Once the pandemic hit, the founders got together and decided to create a platform to keep those performers bringing the magic to audiences around the country virtually into their own homes.”
Entertainment is one of the hardest hit industries by the pandemic along with hospitality, travel and tourism.
“Performers are in the industry for more than just a paycheck,” Gorton said. “Connecting with audiences is what feeds their creative souls and so it affects more than just their income.”
How ZoomBallyhoo works is you pick your Ballyhoo, which is a clown, magician or ringmaster. You then pick a date, time and length of your Zoom call. Once your payment is received, you can enjoy your ZoomBallyhoo.
“Our clowns and magicians seem to tie for our clients’ favorite,” Gorton said. “Both have humor at the heart of their performances. Some people just want to laugh and hear stories of circus life from our clowns and some want to have magic happen before their eyes. In each case, our 30-minute package seems to fulfill their quest for fun. We love hearing laughter or watching wide eyes as we bring our talents into people’s living rooms remotely. It gives us just as much joy as we believe we are bringing to those that we interact with.”
Gorton hopes their entertainers can one day go back to performing live and in-person, but until then, this gives them an outlet for their craft.
“We look forward to that day, but we feel that this experience can live beyond that day,” Gorton said. “It will be a while for everyone to feel safe to venture out again and we know that we can provide some joy and light during these dark times. However, ultimately we also think that this is a fun way for distant friends and family members to get together with a fun activity that can extend beyond the stay-at-home time and provide a different stage that we can continue to entertain.”
To learn more about ZoomBallyhoo, visit www.zoomballyhoo.com or call Gorton at 310-578-9943.
