The monthlong children’s entertainment series, Play in the Park, returned to East Lansing on Tuesday with a third appearance by Tacey, a magician, juggler and comedian.
Tacey’s performance kicked off the series, which will have free events every Tuesday in Valley Court Park throughout July. The Bay City resident treated community members young and old to an abundance of family-friendly acts, from juggling to a levitation illusion.
MSU alumna Emily Armstrong, this year’s Play in the Park coordinator, said she brought Tacey back because he was a familiar face to the local audience. This was the first event Armstrong coordinated on her own after she began her internship with the City of East Lansing.
“I did research to see what we did in the past — you know, you’ve gotta know your audience,” Armstrong said. “Joel (Tacey) we’ve had before and he’s recognizable. We wanted to bring new elements and the usual elements people can recognize.”
East Lansing resident Sarah Phillips said she has brought her sons to Play in the Park for multiple years. She also said the Play in the Park activities are something fun for the kids to do during the summer.
Her sons, ages 11, 5 and almost 2, spent the entire show eagerly raising their hands to join Tacey onstage as one of his multiple volunteers.
“The activities are nice, plus it’s light outside longer,” she said. “It’s okay to stay out later and be able to walk back and forth and wear the kids out.”
Tacey took the stage in Valley Court Park as part of his biggest summer tour in the history of his nearly 20 years of performing. He said he eagerly took the opportunity to perform in East Lansing for a third time when approached by coordinators. While they wanted a familiar face, he said they also wanted him to bring something fresh to the stage.
This is what prompted him to bring out his levitation and magic acts. While performing, Tacey pulled coins from a volunteer’s body and, seemingly, out of thin air.
“As a performer, I love the feedback you get,” Tacey said. “Movies are fun, books are great, but when you’re at a live show and a kid can say something funny to me and I can say something back, (it) makes the shows a lot more fun. They’re never boring.”
Play in the Park will be held at 7 p.m. each Tuesday in July in Valley Court Park. Each show is free for everyone to attend.
