Did you know bubbles can be square? Louis Pearl does.
In fact, he knows a lot about bubbles. Better known by his stage name, The Amazing Bubble Man, Pearl combines entertainment, magic, science and old-fashioned fun into a delightful hour-long show equally fascinating for kids and adults.
Pearl brought his unique talents to the Kiggins Theatre in Vancouver on Saturday for the first of four Wiggles and Giggles events hosted by Columbia Play Project, a nonprofit group focused on providing exploratory play spaces for children.
With the show open to all ages, Kayla Walker and Adam Green of Vancouver brought their 14-month-old son Jack to Saturday’s event.
“We thought he would be entertained by the show,” Green said.
“And because vaccination cards and masks are required, this seemed like safer way to be out in public,” Walker said.
ON THE WEB
For more information on Columbia Play Project and the Wiggles and Giggles series, go to https://columbiaplayproject.org.
For more information and show schedules for The Amazing Bubble Man, go to http://bubbleguy.com.
Pearl’s show may look like child’s play, albeit a bit slippery and messy, but there is some real science behind it. Blowing bubbles can help introduce concepts like velocity, surface tension and lift.
In fact, just a few years ago, a team of French physicists completed a research study on how soap bubbles form. According to the researchers, understanding the physics of bubbles is critical for many industrial processes and scientific fields, from cosmology to foam science.
This fits well with Columbia Play Project’s goal of introducing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math — or STEAM — to younger children.
“I’ve done shows for rooms full of Ph.D.s, physicists. There’s tons of science,” Pearl said. “I’ve done tons of shows in science museums, and I’ve picked up a lot working in those kinds of places. And I’ve read a lot.”
Pearl said he began playing with bubbles in 1980 after graduating from college with a degree in English. He designed and patented a toy called the Bubble Trumpet to blow better bubbles but couldn’t find a toy company to distribute it. So he turned to selling them on his own. Eventually he built a successful company, with 147 products being manufactured and distributed internationally.
“I found myself on the production floor of a manufacturer in China. It wasn’t fun,” Pearl said.
He sold his toy company and went back to the basics of bubbles.
Since those early days, Pearl has become a master of creating complex forms. There’s the caterpillar, a long series of small bubbles joined together; the “torcano,” a bubble filled with stage smoke that forms a mini-tornado when popped; giant bubbles big enough to fit a person; and even disco bubbles.
Pearl says you don’t need specialized equipment to make bubbles, just some common household items. During his show, he uses a gravy spoon, a dish scrubber, a piece of rope and even a Crocs shoe to make bubbles of different sizes. He can even juggle bubbles.
Pearl said he does children’s shows because that’s who likes bubbles.
“I quite enjoy being one of the kids,” he said. “If I tried to do an adult show, kids will still come.”
Vancouver resident Alex Bennett brought his 6-year-old daughter McKenna and 4-year-old son Jamie to the show. While their dad may have liked the disco bubbles, they had their own favorites.
“I liked the bubbles on the ceiling,” McKenna said.
“I liked popping the bubbles,” Jamie said.
