Simmons a bolt of lunacy

All kids, young and old, would love a peek in Al Simmons magical suitcase. What they’d find is series of wondrous hats that make goofy noises and draw out the laughs.

Simmons has one hat that flings socks, and another one that makes a kitchen appear by flipping a switch. And then there’s the La Vie En Rose hat named after French chanteuse Edith Piaf.

“As I walk out singing, a Parisian cafĂ© unfolds,” Simmons laughs.

The Manitoba-based entertainer once more makes his annual pilgrimage to the area. This time he will perform an evening show on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the newly constructed Morinville Community Cultural Centre.

Although billed as a children’s performer, the six-foot three-inch entertainer balks at that label.

“In my mind I’ve never been a children’s performer. What I do is what I do, and who is in the audience, is in the audience,” he says.

Simmons jumped into the entertainment industry 42 years ago.

“All I wanted was to be an entertainer. But there were no outlets for kids’ festivals. All I had was movie and TV shows – Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy.”

So in 1970 he formed a rock and roll band. Not a great singer, he kept the crowds tuned in by wearing crazy hats.

“One Halloween, I brought costumes and dressed up in layers. I gradually peeled down and each costume matched the song I was singing,” he said.

One summer his agent booked him for a gig at the Corn and Apple Community Fair, his first foray into family entertainment. It became a turning point and within a few years, Simmons had quit the bar scene to focus on street performing and building wacky props.

One of the newest gadgets he’ll bring to the 70-minute Morinville concert is one that squirts water at him.

“The thing I do best is make people laugh,” he said. “If you need a good laugh, I will give you a good hour of fun.”