A seemingly absurd theme park encounter more than two decades ago changed the trajectory of Chase Padgett鈥檚 career.
The actor-singer-musician, then a high school senior in Florida, was visiting Universal Studios Theme Park when he was squirted with water by a 鈥渕ystic talking fountain.鈥 The fountain asked the teen what he wanted to do when he grew up. Padgett said he intended to move to Chicago and study improv with The Second City comedy troupe.
鈥淭he fountain said 鈥楥ool, don鈥檛 do that.鈥欌 Padgett recalled. 鈥溾榊ou need to go check out a place called the SAK Comedy Lab here in Orlando.鈥欌
It was a head-scratcher of an exchange, but Padgett followed its instructions.
鈥淭hat conversation with that talking fountain ended up changing my entire life,鈥 he said.
The voice behind the theme park installation turned out to be that of Jay Hopkins, Padgett鈥檚 future improv coach at the SAK Comedy Lab in Orlando who has been the voice of the fountain character for some 20 years.
In the decade following their serendipitous theme park meeting in 2000, the pair went on to develop a friendship and artistic partnership that has resulted in numerous collaborations, perhaps none more popular than 鈥6 Guitars,鈥 their one-man, tour-de-force show starring Padgett, which premiered in 2010 and has since criss-crossed North America and played to tens of thousands of theatregoers.
It鈥檚 returning to Toronto鈥檚 CAA Theatre this week for the first time since 2018, after its previous engagement in March 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic.
鈥淚鈥檝e been wanting to do this particular run of shows in 海角社区官网for years,鈥 said Padgett. 鈥淭o be back here feels like the start of a return to normal.鈥
In 鈥6 Guitars,鈥 Padgett plays six different guitarists, each coming from a different musical background: blues, jazz, rock, classical, folk and country. The two-hour show weaves together music, comedy and improv into a story that follows the six characters and their relationship with guitar music.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an exploration of music, particularly different styles of music, and how everyone thinks they鈥檙e so different, but there鈥檚 something to be found in all these different styles that actually brings us all together,鈥 said Hopkins, who is the show鈥檚 director and co-writer.
The show鈥檚 development process, which began in 2007, just after Padgett graduated college, is grounded in improv theatre. While most playwrights start with an outline and type their scripts on a computer, Padgett and Hopkins conducted mock interviews.
Padgett embodied each of the six characters, improvising answers to Hopkins鈥檚 questions about their lives and musical careers. The pair recorded those mock interviews and used the transcripts to create story arcs which ultimately formed 鈥6 Guitars.鈥
鈥淚t was so much fun just creating the show spontaneously that way through improvisation and videotaping it so not to let (those moments) disappear,鈥 said Hopkins.
Though Padgett is about to mark 700 performances of 鈥6 Guitars鈥 over a decade (not including a two-year pandemic hiatus), the piece continues to be a work in progress. He鈥檚 expanded the piece from one act to two and added additional songs. In July, he added a backing band for the first time in the production鈥檚 history.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an iterative process,鈥 said Padgett. 鈥淚 know what it鈥檚 like to do a show that鈥檚 set and done. It becomes a museum piece.
鈥淔or me, I want this to continue to grow as I continue to grow.鈥
Padgett draws upon his previous experience as a theme park entertainer to keep 鈥6 Guitars鈥 fresh. (The 39-year-old performer admitted Florida theme parks have played a surprisingly large role in his development as an artist.)
While a music student at the University of Central Florida, Padgett picked up gigs at Disney World and Universal Studios.
鈥淚t was such a valuable entertainer education,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou really learn the skill of entertaining and holding an audience鈥檚 focus when you do it seven times a day, five days a week, for years.鈥
But Padgett credits the show鈥檚 unbridled success largely to its core message, which has remained untouched since the production鈥檚 inception.
鈥淭he key strength is its universality,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t touches on the beauty, and the sort of secret divinity, folded into every song and melody.鈥
鈥6 Guitars鈥 plays at the CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge St., Aug. 2 to 7. For tickets, visit or call 1800-461-3333.
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