Children’s entertainer Al Simmons is 76, but you wouldn’t know it from his frenetic energy and wicked one-liners.
When I ask how tall he is, he replies, “I’m a six-foot-three-inch gangly eccentric. But I can get down to five feet eight inches if I’m depressed.”
Never one to resist good-natured banter, the grandfather of five calls Anola, Man. home. He credits his family, rural lifestyle, personal curiosity and inventive nature for keeping him active.
In fact, Simmons used his get-up-and-go spirit during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown to record The Whistling Eggman and Other Tall Tales. The 14-track is his first album in more than a quarter-century and he’ll be performing songs from it at his March 1 Arden Theatre showcase.
In the album, Simmons travels north to Hudson Bay to rap about polar bears and south to the Gulf of Mexico to learn about alligator’s oral hygiene. And in between, he sings the Waltz of the Fireflies about a dreamy night with a marshmallow moon.
““I worked on it during COVID. I wasn’t performing or touring, and I had nothing to do. I started looking through my files and looked at the song snippets sitting there and completed them,” Simmons said.
The Juno Award winner has built a legendary reputation wearing wacky hats, crazy costumes, handmade gadgets and instruments that excite kids. And judging by the 2024 Western Canadian Music Awards win as Children’s Artist of the Year, it’s a routine audiences love.
Simmons' happy place is onstage as the centre of attention, serenading audiences with one of his inventions — perhaps a turkey-baster whistle, a homemade tin-can violin or bagpipes shaped from a harmonica and balloons. It’s where he exchanges energy with the audience.
“For my show, the best seats are up front. People can yell things at me, and I even enjoy talking to the hecklers.”
Which was why recording in a studio minus the audience and having a guy behind a glass nod at you every once in a while, had its challenges.
“I didn’t have my props and costumes, so I had to create the visuals in my mind for whoever’s listening.”
Simmon’s career as a children’s entertainer began in Churchill, so it’s not surprising The Whistling Eggman contains two songs about polar bears. At the time, he was touring with Fred Penner, a longtime friend who also built an international career making children laugh.
While Simmons' professional career started more than 50 years ago, there were earlier indications of a fast thinker with witty silver tongue.
“I was the shy kid in school. I didn’t fit in. My classmates often said, “Yes, you were shy and didn’t say much, but when you did, it was funny.”
Through the decades he has created a portfolio of characters simply by altering his voice. There's the eye doctor, rock star, moose hunter, haberdasher or the eccentric fish to name a few.
But the big question is “Which signature hat will he wear?” The mechanical hat, or the sock drying hat or the cooking pot hat or the flaming fedora?
“Come have a laugh and enjoy the music, songs and poetry. Afterwards, I will be in the lobby. Bring your hats and pose for pictures.”
Al Simmons performs at the Arden Theatre on Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $22.50 to $25. Call 780-459-1542 or go online at tickets.stalbert.ca.
