This week we welcome circus royalty to the Moisture Festival Podcast Studio, Charly Castors . Charly is not only legendary in the circus world, but he is also one of the brothers from the famous French Trio Les Castors. In this episode, Charly explains the unique art form of Risley and Icarian Games as we cover his unique 50 year career touring with circuses around the world.

Charly tells us a number of stories including what it’s like to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show and in front of famous audiences such as Charlie Chaplin and the Queen of England. A great conversation with a ton of interesting stories from the golden age of circus

In this episode we welcome the very creative Martha Enson to the studio. Martha has been the Creative Director for a number of fantastic venues, including Teatro Zinzani and En-joy Productions. Martha tells us about her beginnings in Puppetry and how that led to creating one of the most unique touring shows in the Northwest.

We also learn about Martha’s numerous creative endeavors and a near death experience she had. A great interview packed with insights on how to keep up your creativity. 

In this episode we welcome Seattle folk legend Jim Page to the Moisture Festival Podcast studio. Here, we talk about Jim’s lobbying efforts to legalize busking in Seattle, as well as his adventure organizing the first Busker Fest at Pike Place Market. Jim also brings his guitar and plays us a few songs.  

A great interview with one of the most influential Seattle musicians of our time.

In this episode the multifaceted performer, Luminous Pariah, joins us in the studio. Lumi explains the art of Burlesque and how stories and comedy play an integral role in Burlesque. We learn about the transition Lumi made from a whale watching tour guide in Alaska to a world renowned burlesque entertainer.

Lumi also talks about getting involved in the Moisture Festival and how that led to being one of the producers for the Moisture Festival’s Burlesque Week. A great interview with a lot of laughs, great insights and a nice dose of awesomeness. 

The Moisture Festival Podcast records from the Jupiter Hotel in Portland Oregon. In this episode, we interview Danish comedy juggler Henrik Bothe in room 219. Henrik talks about doing two command performances for Eddie Murphy, performing on the Gong Show, and the origins of his famous ‘Neon Man’ routine.

We also learn how Henrik came to be an animated gif for his plate spinning skills. A great talk with a multi-talented performer and one of the Moisture Festival favorites.

This week we welcome one of the producers of the Moisture Festival, Randy Minkler, to the podcast. In this episode, Randy tells us about his Moisture Festival origin story, as well as his music career. He goes into detail about the art of putting together a lineup of talented performers and how to overcome the challenges that accompany this feat.

A great episode for everyone to listen to, especially those interested in learning about what it’s like to run a huge variety arts festival. 

Beloved magician, Master Payne, joins Matt and Louie in the Moisture Festival Podcast studio. Payne talks about performing at renaissance festivals, balancing his magic career with a regular job and how he came to be called “one of the best children’s entertainers” by the esteemed Magic Castle.

They also discuss his time performing with the Jim Rose Circus and how fun it is to perform at the Moisture Festival. 

Moisture Festival Board Member, Dan Shih, joins Matt and Louie in studio. They talk about what it’s like to serve on the board of directors for the Moisture Festival, what meetings look like and why volunteering is so important in your community. Louie reflects on the time Dan’s daughter scolded him for not recycling and Dan describes how much his kids love attending Moisture Festival Shows.

A great interview with a great glimpse into one of the people who helps make the festival happen. 

Moisture Festival founder, Tim Furst, joins the Moisture Festival Podcast. Tim talks about how being a conscientious objector to the war in Vietnam led him to learn to juggle and, subsequently, perform in the famous juggling troupe the Flying Karamazov Brothers.

We hear some great stories about Tim’s tours with the Flying Karamazov Brothers across the world, appearing in the movie Jewel of The Nile, and how the Russian government thought they were agents of chaos. Tim also talks about what separates the Moisture Festival from other festivals and why it has been so successful.

Just like magic, it’s time for another Moisture Festival Podcast! This week we have magician Joey Pipia joining Matt and Louie in the Moisture Festival Podcast studio. He teaches Matt how to say his name correctly and talks about how he learned magic from the famed magician Slydini.

He also talks about how he used to be a professional gambler, how that led him to live in the Pacific Northwest and eventually involved with the characters that founded the Moisture Festival. A fun interview and some great stories from a veteran of the Moisture Festival.