Sunday, November 5, 2017
As a courtesy to the artists and for the uninterrupted enjoyment of your fellow patrons, please turn off all electronic devices. No portion of this performance may be photographed, recorded, filmed, taped, broadcast or mechanically reproduced without the written consent of the Artist and/or the Presenter. Mayo Performing Arts Center is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Program subject to change.
MUTTS GONE NUTS
OUR HUMAN PERFORMERS Scott and Joan Houghton have been performing together as a duo since 1984. They have played variety stages and festivals throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan as Jessie & James, a slapstick, unicycling act. They spent three years as the featured comedy act with country music's Lee Greenwood both in Las Vegas and Tennessee, and seven years with Dolly Parton's production, Dixie Stampede. In 1996, the couple adopted their first dog from a shelter in Knoxville, TN and later began fostering dogs in their off-season for a local rescue group. Through the influence of positive trainers Pat Miller, Jean Donaldson, and Karen Pryor. Scott and Joan began creating an entire show with rescue dogs. Chico made his stage debut in 2005, and by 2007 the couple had reinvented their entire act into Mutts Gone Nuts. Samantha Valle joined Mutts Gone Nuts in 2014. She is a gifted trainer and her dogs are world-class canine athletes. Sam grew up on Long Island, NY and when she turned 15, her father took her to a shelter to pick out her first dog. Now at 30, Sam has not only become one of the world's top trainers, she is also a great spokesperson for animal rescue. She and her rescue dog, Geronimo, hold the Guinness World Record for a dog jumping rope Double Dutch! They have appeared on The Late Show with Dave Letterman and The Steve Harvey Show. Sam's double dutch dog video went viral and was played on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. When Sam is not performing you can be sure she is hanging out with her dogs and training. Jonathan Burns rounds out the bill with his outrageous antics. A veteran performer at only 29, Jonathan always thought he was special. Always a kid full of silly antics, a magic shop opened near his hometown of Johnstown, PA when he was 12, and a family friend took him on opening day. “I think she thought it would be a good way to direct my never-ending energy,” Burns joked. “At the time I thought it was the coolest place on the planet, but looking back I realize it was a small closet, inside a pizza shop, where a local magician had a few tricks for sale.” In 2004, contorting his body and impressing people with his unusual talents became his full-time job. Since then, he has performed at hundreds of colleges, universities, and festivals across the US, Canada, China, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the UK. Jonathan was recently featured on The Jay Leno Show & The Late Show with David Letterman. When he’s not performing he can usually be found in an airport terminal or spending time with his lovely wife & daughter.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2017 Mutts Gone Nuts’ canine performers live with us on a small farm outside Washington DC, along with two miniature horses and a potbellied pig named Tofu! When the mutts are not traveling for shows, they enjoy chasing squirrels and taking naps. All the dogs live in our house, and yes we vacuum a lot! They are lovingly cared for by Holistic Veterinary Healing in Germantown, MD and their favorite dog food is Wellness! If you are considering getting a dog, please consider adoption. Remember, different breeds have different needs, so do some research first to make sure the dog is a good match for your family - www.petfinder.com is a great place to start your search!
OUR CANINE PERFORMERS Chico was a year old when he was picked up as a stray and taken to a shelter in rural West Virginia. He was our first performing dog and has been with Mutts Gone Nuts since 2005. We are not quite sure what his mix is but he likely has some Chihuahua and Pomeranian. He loves treats and is great on his hind legs. Even though he is only 15 pounds, Chico knows he's the boss. Hank & Sammie were our first ‘foster failures’. They are siblings, best friends and do everything together. Their mother was a Border Collie and we think the father was a Deerhound. Since they’re getting to be senior citizens, they will likely retire in 2016, even though they’re always the first ones out the door when it’s time to go to a show! Weighing in at 50 pounds a piece, they love to rush in whenever the younger dogs get too out of control. We call them the fun police! Rusty is a handsome Border Collie that came from a horse farm in Rennick, West Virginia. His owner sadly had to give him up to rescue because it was unfair to leave a busy Border Collie alone for 10 hours a day. We had been looking for a frisbee dog and Rusty was a perfect match.
Rusty would do 10 shows a day if he could. He loves to compete and he won the 2012 Can-Am Games which qualified him to compete in the World Championships! Charlie is a Parson Russell Terrier that we pulled from a shelter on the day he was supposed to be euthanized! He was just a year old and had already landed in the shelter twice. Terriers are not for everyone and this poor guy just needed some love and training. He is very agile and was constantly climbing. He climbed out of pens, over gates and even scaled the wire of our split rail fence like it was stairs. We decided Charlie would be perfect for our wire walking dog. The only problem is, he makes it look too easy! Chuck Taylor is a 4 yr old border collie who lives to play frisbee! He's a happygo-lucky guy who was an owner give up because he was supposed to heard cows but when he went out to get the cows, he would bring back sticks instead! A beautiful dog with a zest for life, Chuck is always a crowd favorite. Geronimo is 4 yr old cattle dog mix that was adopted when she was 3 months old. On the way home from the shelter, she tried to jump out the window and that's where
MUTTS GONE NUTS her name GERONIMO came from. ‘Mo’ is the amazing since the world record is 68”. We don’t only dog in the world to jump into 2 spinning ask him to go that high in our shows because ropes at the at same time. She has performed we don’t want to wear out his joints. on Good Morning America, she’s gotten belly rubs from David Letterman, and was in the Shorty McNerdy aka Nerdy Rose Parade performing on a float for 800,000 is the newest member of people! Geronimo's favorite thing in the world our cast. He was given up is chasing a frisbee. because he was too much Rox Steady is a very sweet, 7 yr old kelpie mix and Geronimo’s doppelgänger. She was rescued from St Louis, Missouri and has non stop energy. She loves people, especially kids. Her specialties are agility and tricks, and she could fetch a frisbee all day long if she can find someone willing to throw it.
dog! This guy is oozing drive and personality and loves to work and learn new tricks! He loves being a part of the show and always gives it 110% in his performances. Nerdy’s favorite toy is the frisbee and just about loses his mind when he sees one. He could play all day and loves to dazzle crowds with his sense of humor and athletic ability.
Pixel & Prince We are very excited to announce that Paco is quite an amazing we have 2 new pups in dog. We think he may training! Pixel came from a be a McNab or some rescue in Richmond, VA and kind of Cattle Dog cross. appears to He was picked up as a stray in Wyoming by a be a Border Collie / Pikachu rescue. Paco is extremely mix. Prince aka iCloud is an muscular, as well as American Eskimo Dog that quick and agile, so he is our high jump boy. His was pulled from a West Virginia all time highest jump was 64” which is quite shelter. They are best friends!
Meet the Mutts! “Meet the Mutts” post-show and take your picture with them! Minimum donation $5. All proceeds go to St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center.