Embracing the Space Between the Street and the Stage with Juggling Comedian Michael Hilby

This week Michael Hilby comes on the show to talk about his career in street and stage performing. More commonly known as Hilby The Skinny German Juggle Boy, Michael Hilby has been entertaining audiences all over the world for over 3 decades. A performer who started as a juggler, Michael has evolved his show into a mixture of playful comedy, improv, unicycle riding, guitar playing, and juggle stunts that keep families entertained everywhere from cruise ships to festivals. In this conversation Hilby shares his origin story from growing up in Germany to fleeing the country in adulthood to find himself while traveling. He shares his chance encounter to learn how to juggle and the manner in which his new talent brought him to Japan to make a living as a street performer. Through a lot of hustle, he talks about bringing his show to the states and the work it took to book gigs all over the US. Digging into the creative process, he dissects the manner by which he adds comedy to his routines and pulls in the audience as characters. He talks about his work at the NYS Fair, touring with Weird Al Yankovic, and the history of the Skinny German Juggle Boy persona. And most importantly, Hilby shares what life is like behind the juggling and the important role his family plays in keeping him on his toes. It’s a great chat exploring the possibilities that lay ahead if you follow your passions. For more information on Michael Hilby, you can find him @hilbytheskinnygermanjuggleboy on Instagram and Facebook as well as by visiting www.hilby.net. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky, or email [email protected].