Doug Rougeux likes to say that he's 41 going on 11.
But how could you not remain a kid at heart if your official professional title is The Bubble Man?
“I graduated from college, and haven't had a real job since,” joked Rougeux, of Liverpool.
Since 1992, Rougeux has been bringing his soap bubble spectacular to children in Skaneateles; he performs this year on Monday and Tuesday at St. James Episcopal Church. The events are sponsored by Skaneateles Nursery School Inc.
Rougeux, a former Ringling Bros. clown, puts on a 45-minute show full of both entertainment and education. Next week's performances of “Bubblemania” will target young children, but Rougeux also does shows for eighth graders in which he includes such advanced concepts as gravity, surface tension and evaporation.
His performances consist of three sections. The first is a story (what Rougeux likes to call, ahem, a soap opera), and bubbles are used almost like puppets.
The second act is an arts and crafts portion, and Rougeux makes bubble sculptures of items such as a snowman, spaceship and flying saucer.
And finally, Bubble Man concludes with a musical section: giant bubbles choreographed to Big Band swing music.
Rougeux performs 275 to 300 shows a year, and he's accustomed to dealing with a tough audience. Preschoolers are effusive but also short of attention, he said, and because they're just learning to talk, they want to talk all the time - to him.
But Rougeux, who also mimes and juggles, loves “seeing kids giggle and laugh and snort,” frequent reactions to his antics.
One of his favorite memories was when a preschooler looked up at him and said that Rougeux's performance was the best show ever.
“I'm saying to myself, ‘How many shows has this kid seen?'” Rougeux recalled with a laugh.
But the compliment really sank in, he said, when the youngster's grandmother then leaned forward and said it was the best show she had ever seen, too.
So how does Rougeux make these strange creations? What goes into his bubble solution?
“It's a secret formula that I cannot reveal,” he said, “but it's basically watered-down joy.”
If you go
What: Bubblemania
When: 10 a.m. Monday; 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday
Where: St. James Church, East
Genesee Street, Skaneateles
Admission: $1
For details: Call 685-8543 or visit www.bubblejuggle.com
Staff writer Linda Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or linda.ober@lee.net
“I graduated from college, and haven't had a real job since,” joked Rougeux, of Liverpool.
Since 1992, Rougeux has been bringing his soap bubble spectacular to children in Skaneateles; he performs this year on Monday and Tuesday at St. James Episcopal Church. The events are sponsored by Skaneateles Nursery School Inc.
Rougeux, a former Ringling Bros. clown, puts on a 45-minute show full of both entertainment and education. Next week's performances of “Bubblemania” will target young children, but Rougeux also does shows for eighth graders in which he includes such advanced concepts as gravity, surface tension and evaporation.
His performances consist of three sections. The first is a story (what Rougeux likes to call, ahem, a soap opera), and bubbles are used almost like puppets.
The second act is an arts and crafts portion, and Rougeux makes bubble sculptures of items such as a snowman, spaceship and flying saucer.
And finally, Bubble Man concludes with a musical section: giant bubbles choreographed to Big Band swing music.
Rougeux performs 275 to 300 shows a year, and he's accustomed to dealing with a tough audience. Preschoolers are effusive but also short of attention, he said, and because they're just learning to talk, they want to talk all the time - to him.
But Rougeux, who also mimes and juggles, loves “seeing kids giggle and laugh and snort,” frequent reactions to his antics.
One of his favorite memories was when a preschooler looked up at him and said that Rougeux's performance was the best show ever.
“I'm saying to myself, ‘How many shows has this kid seen?'” Rougeux recalled with a laugh.
But the compliment really sank in, he said, when the youngster's grandmother then leaned forward and said it was the best show she had ever seen, too.
So how does Rougeux make these strange creations? What goes into his bubble solution?
“It's a secret formula that I cannot reveal,” he said, “but it's basically watered-down joy.”
If you go
What: Bubblemania
When: 10 a.m. Monday; 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday
Where: St. James Church, East
Genesee Street, Skaneateles
Admission: $1
For details: Call 685-8543 or visit www.bubblejuggle.com
Staff writer Linda Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or linda.ober@lee.net
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