Past Exhibition |
"SNAKES! WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE SNAKES!?”Famous Quote By Professor Indiana Jones (“Raiders of the Lost Ark” – 1981)Join Herpetological Humorist Daryl Sprout, a 12-Foot Burmese Python Named “Capone” and a Cast of 14 Live Serpents for “Snake Encounters” at the MUZEO Jan. 30 - 31, 2009 ANAHEIM, Calif. (Jan. 15, 2009) - - “Eeek!” “Eew!” “Gross!” That’s the typical reaction most people have to snakes. Many people view them as menacing and sinister, a reputation that Herpetological Humorist Daryl Sprout says these animals just don’t deserve. That’s one of the primary reasons he created his Snake Encounters show (www.SnakeEncounters.com ), which will be showcased during Snakes ALIVE in a Museum at the MUZEO in Anaheim on Friday, Jan. 30 (9:00am & 11:00am performances) and Saturday, Jan. 31 (11:00am, 1:00pm and 3pm). General admission to Snakes ALIVE in a Museum is $9 at the door; special discount applies to online ticket purchases via www.muzeo.org . On Saturday, MUZEO community partners will be on-hand to celebrate the human curiosity for our earth and animal companions. Guests will enjoy information booths, safety etiquette, crafts, storytelling, music and other serpentine delights from 10:00am – 3:00pm. Families and/or friends can also enter online at the MUZEO website to win a pack of five tickets to Saturday’s performance. Sprout’s show is highly educational (he’s a stickler for accurate detail) but the audience always seems to be having too much fun to notice. His style has been called a cross between the late crocodile hunter Steve Irwin and comedian Steve Martin. In Southern California, he was dubbed “The George Carlin of Herpetology.” The Las Vegas Sun raved, “Sprout may be the only standup comic snake handler in the world. Not only was his show educational, it was humorous.” “During my show I’ll take questions, explain the difference between poisonous and venomous, and address the many enduring myths about snakes that most people take for common knowledge,” says Sprout. “In the process I bring out all different types and sizes from all over the world -- and poke a little fun at all the misinformation we tend to carry around on this topic.” There’s plenty of genuine suspense during the show with two of Daryl’s boas (there are five different kinds of boas in the show) who not only look venomous, they actually act venomous to avoid predators -- and apparently to avoid Daryl. A casual observer might assume that they genuinely hate him. “Then again, for some reason the audience always loves it when I get bit,” he says with a grin. “Most animal shows keep trying to quiet the audience down to avoid upsetting the animals. Well, snakes have no ears, so the crowd can get as loud as it wants. I’ve always felt that if you can make knowledge about our natural world entertaining, then you’ll find a lot more of the educational content you hoped to impart is actually being absorbed.” There’s even a magical surprise or two -- just when the crowd least expects it. Simply put, this is not your average animal show. Sprout has worked for Animal Planet, Discovery Networks, Time-Warner and CableOne, to name a few. Science Museums have featured Snake Encounters in Los Angeles, Dallas, Lubbock, McAllen, TX and Huntsville, AL. He was even a hit at the Riviera Hotel and Casino on the famous Las Vegas Strip. “There is no subject that humans are more misinformed about than snakes,” claims Sprout, a native of Texas who has helped thousands of people overcome ophidiophobia - the fear of snakes. “It’s only the tip of the iceberg that many people think the only good snake is a dead snake - a completely learned response. Normally, there’s no reason to be afraid of them. It’s a fear that can cause collisions with stationary objects. Usually people who are bitten by a snake are trying to provoke it - or kill it. Eight out of ten snakebite victims were trying to kill the snake at the time.” “These days, fewer and fewer kids are burdened with this phobia because they rarely see snakes in the wild - so they squeeze in front at the show, while some of the grownups sit in the back, fascinated but grimacing,” Sprout says. “People have become more aware of the vital niche snakes fill in the environment.” Sprout has been a fan of snakes ever since he discovered a gentle baby King snake in his grandmother’s Jackson, Mississippi, backyard when he was a boy. He started to learn everything he could, and by the time he was in sixth grade, he had become the local snake expert and owned several of his own. His hobby became his profession and now he divides his time between performing his Snake Encounters show (for science museums, schools, scouting, corporate events - even parties) and his position as Senior Filed Herpetologist for a snake removal company. MUZEO, the museum of celebration and understanding - home to world-class traveling exhibitions, is southern California's newest museum. This center for arts, knowledge, entertainment and culture, engages people of all ages via the showcase of prestigious and world-class traveling exhibits. A new model for urban cultural centers the MUZEO features a unique variety of changing exhibitions, special events, lectures, classes and weekend festivals. The 25,000 square foot MUZEO complex encompasses Anaheim’s original Carnegie Library (built in 1908) and a state-of-the art gallery space that has been seamlessly integrated into an urban setting, intimately surrounded by two connecting courtyards, apartment loft living and street-level retail outlets. The MUZEO is located at 241 South Anaheim Boulevard in Anaheim. For general MUZEO information, |