LOL, the neverthriving of middle school students that I coach every school year, had their annual opening show of the 2026-27 school year at the Barron Center nursing home in Portland, Maine yesterday.  Of my fourteen juggler/magician/actors, only four were part of LOL last year.  This is definitely a rookie team.  To be honest, I did not go into the show feeling very confident, but boy, did the kids turn that around and fast.

Yes, there's room to grow.  Juggling skills can always improve (there is no point where ny juggler has reached the limit of what's possible. Yes, some students need to speak louder. Yes,  Haven-Rae let the dove fly away into a nearby closet. Yes, a student forgot to bring a key prop on stage for the skit "Me".  Yes, we weren't ready to perform "Prodigal Juggler" yet.  But there were so many wins!

Starting with the introductions of the cast.  Silas slayed with the mouth coil.  Eamon juggling on a ripstick was amazing.    Aspen, of course, dazzled with her tumbling. Xander producing twenty feet of silks from an 'empty' box left the audience stunned (and they were a great audience.  Nursing homes aren't usually as responsive as this group was.)

This year we are introducing a lot of new magic into the show due to a generous gift last winter from a stranger in New Hampshire.  Brenna did the perfect job on the classic tricky-turvy bottle trick, even doing all the patter herself, and directing the audience volunteer in what to do.  Sometimes the speaking is the hardest part.  Micah followed that up with the equally classic hippity hoppity rabbits.  Though I did the speaking yesterday, he will be taking on that part for all future shows.  Other new tricks included Aspen doing a needle through the balloon, David doing the jumping silk, and Anna doing an amazing series of jumbo card tricks.

Of course we did a lot of our standards, too.  Xander narrated "Parable of the Sower" and his pace, projection and clarity were very professional.  We did our usual juggling routine in which one student after another upstages them, ending with Brenna juggling machetes.  The audience especially laughed at Eamon bodily carrying Micah offstage.  Also worth noting is that Haddie picked up right where she left off last year with cigar boxes, and even did a new trick.

But, as is often the case, the true highlights were not during the show at all.  The studnets worked hard setting up the show, supervised by the three officers: Brenna, Haddie and Eamon.  Then afterwards, they visited the residents of the home, getting the opportunity to pray right then with many of them.

If this is how they do in October, May and June will be amazing!