One of the tricks audiences remember from year to year is juggling a child. "Nick can juggle a kid up to 70 pounds,"said Gillies. "We'll come back next year and they'll say, 'There are the guys that juggled Jason!' ".

 

Gillies has learned that success depends on an emphasis on entertainment rather than technique. Though Gregory, Cousins and McMeniman can all perform five clubs and seven balls, it's the laughs and liveliness the audience likes. His investment of $4000 in an antique German hurdy-gurdy that plays piano rolls has paid off many-fold in its appeal to audiences.

 

"I want our humor to be like a New Yorker magazine cartoon," he said. "We use a lot of local references in our comedy that not everybody may get, but those that do find it hysterical."

 

Gillies involves the audience in the show with a three ball routine in their midst in which he tosses a ball out to individuals to catch, asks them a question and gets them to throw it back when they've answered. The whole show includes frequent references to things the audience knows well, such as local sports teams, politicians, geographical reference points and current events.

 

There's a three club side-by-side routine with a hat, walk arounds and steals. Gregory follows with a flashy three club routine to music (any kind from organ or reggae, depending on the age of the audience). Then comes "You Will See," a routine featuring feats from faraway corners of earth, such as the devil stick, flying tennis rackets from Wimbledon and genuine crystal balls from an infamously unscrupulous local jeweler.

 

GilIies uses a tennis racket in part of his devil stick routine and describes the moves in common tennis terms such as singles, doubles, forehand and backhand. Gregory follows with three rackets, and tosses in more tennis references. GilIies said, "If he drops a racket we stomp on it and yell 'John McEnroe!' At this point the audience is making requests for tennis terms and the whole routine becomes interactive."

 

GilIies rolIs crystal balIs in his hand very fast, and explains there's a secret to the skill. "I telI them you have to wind them up, because it activates static electricity in them and then they'll roll around on their own. A lot of people almost accept that. When the doubters begin to speak up, I realIy pull their leg by doing the three ball juggling yo-yo move!"

 

David Cousins does a smooth, fast three ball routine next that includes a side kick with one foot rainbowing over to the other foot for another kick. He does a short four ball routine and then five with a neck catch.