The Legacy of Alan Sands
Hi. I’m Jessica. I’m going to be an Emmy Award Winning actress and dancer. It’s inevitable; it runs in my family. My great-grandfather was a magician. My grandfather, George Sands, was a famous magician and creator of original magic. Grandpa George published over a dozen books for magicians, including the two books that pioneered the craft of balloon sculpting. My grandmother was a ventriloquist, and my aunt Robin, is the most popular singing telegram performer in the San Francisco Bay Area. My cousin, Ashlee Fife Stolle, was a Broadway dancer; her husband, Jeremy Stolle, is a cast member and the Understudy for the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. My cousin, Cameron Fife, is a movie writer/producer in Hollywood and cousin, Malcolm Fife, does post-production sound for major motion picture with so many top box office credits, it’s impossible to list them. My cousin Bernadette Fife, is a Theater Director and Technical Manager. Yet another cousin, Heather Fife, is a teacher in New York City’s High School of Performing Arts. That is a theatrical family tree, wouldn’t you say?
Then there’s my dad, Alan Sands, who this website is about. He does a comedy hypnosis show, a prop comedy magic act and designs team-building and company picnic games for groups at picnics and corporate events. His magic act has taken him all over the world — but he wanted to be even funnier, so now he does this wacky hypnosis show! Dad prefers doing comedy hypnosis because he draws really huge audiences, and he has a following of people who come to see him year after year.
Anyway, enough about my dad; he always gets the attention! And besides, he says if he can’t stay on top, he’ll be my manager (and he’s a really good manager). So, keep your eyes on me. I’m going to be a big star someday. It’s in my blood!
Comedy Hypnotist & Magician Alan Sands – Personal Background
Raised in the Catskill Mountain resorts in upstate New York, Alan Sands began traveling with his father, George Sands (magician and creator of 17 books on magic, balloon sculpture and puppetry) when he was only three years old. “People ask how long I’ve been performing? Since before I was born!” says Sands. “My father was a professional entertainer. He never had a real job, either.”
Alan first appeared on stage when he was three, assisting his father. By 6 years old, Sands was entertaining his own audiences. He won his first talent contest at age the age of 12, and he began performing professionally at 17. While attending high school, Alan began honing his skills as a hypnotist at parties.
Making a Career of it, Alan worked his way through college, performing at Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square and Pier 39 in San Francisco. There he polished his act and perfected his talent at making an audience feel comfortable with him from the moment he walks on stage. “It’s a specific talent and hard to describe”, says Sands, “but accomplished street performers understand that when you begin your show, you must make your audience love you so they want to stay until the end.” (And then they give you money!). This talent of making people feel like they are in his living room or at a backyard gathering is unique to Alan’s performances, and what makes clients want him back year after year.
After taking his clinical hypnosis training in 1997, he became a Certified Stage Hypnotist in 1998. Alan has performed at over 250 county, state and agriculture fairs, exhibitions and festivals. He has entertained at a hundred colleges, a dozen casinos, multiple extended runs at amusement parks, about 750 company picnics, and dozens of comedy clubs, theaters, conventions, and cruise ships, as well as over 300 high school shows for grad nights and post prom parties.