South Lake Tahoe trio returns to town for TAP's Tahoe Boys Variety Show

What does a member of the Blue Man Group, a Los Angeles musician and music teacher, and an actor and YouTube video star have in common?

They are all graduates of South Tahoe High School (STHS) and returning for a week of variety shows at local schools culminating with a special Friday night performance at MontBleu on February 3. 2017.

Brothers Nick and Chris Smith will make the way back to South Lake Tahoe from Hollywood with Sean Pawling as part of the Tahoe Arts Project's Tahoe Boys Variety Show.

Many may remember Chris, a 2003 graduate of STHS, who learned to juggle at the age of 12 and performed his skills at the St. Theresa's talent show that same year.

"Some kids pick up guitar or learn the piano," said Chris, "I picked up juggling balls."

He attended UCLA where he was a member of the marching band, not as a musician but as a juggler. He lead the band out onto the field at the Rose Bowl in his blue and gold suit, then did the same at Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers games' half-time shows. he said the eye-hand coordination skills juggling gave him prepared him for the five years he's performed around the world with the Blue Man Group.

Chris taught his younger brother Nick how to juggle and they became the Tahoe Jugglers. "We were the juggling monopoly of high school," Chris said. They regularly performed at Heavenly Village and other venues as the Tahoe Jugglers.

Nick, STHS class of 2008, also graduated from UCLA. He has taken his acting and talent skills in a different direction. He has formed the "Extremely Decent" YouTube channel, with his popular "The First Honest Cable Company" getting 5.6 million views (can be seen here). It didn't stop there though as a follow up, A Facebook Update in Real Life, has had 4.8 million views. Extremely Decent's most recent video was released this week and can be seen in this story (he is Bruce).

The younger Smith, who is also his older brother's roommate, continues with the videos and spends the rest of his time with making films, acting and now working on developing an animated television show with creator of the popular comedy, Community.

Sean Pawling, who is also a member of the STHS class of 2002, is an accomplished musician who, as are the other two members of this group, a graduate of UCLA. He was a music major who was the trombonist in the school's marching band and went on to get a masters in music at USC.

Pawling is now a full time music teacher in Los Angeles as well as a singer songwriter who just finished his second album. Besides teaching and producing albums, Sean also plays at LA clubs. His website, seanpawling,com, says his music "sets a relaxed atmosphere inspired by the outdoors of his childhood in Lake Tahoe." One of the songs on his first album is titled "Tallac."

Pawling and both Smiths have also put together their own band, though yet unnamed. Chris said the first words out of Pawling's mouth at their first "official" gig will be their name.

These three talented young men are bringing their variety of skills to South Lake Tahoe where they'll perform at South Shore schools next week as part of Tahoe Arts Project's Tahoe Boys Variety Show. Each 45-minutes school show will be different and tailored to the ages they are performing to, said Chris.

"Our show will be like old vaudeville, when American theater was all about the stage never being empty," said Chris. He said there will be comedy, skits, knife juggling, multiple instruments, videos as well as the unveiling of their new trio.

"Despite being so busy in our Los Angeles careers there is something exciting about bringing it all back to Tahoe where our interests and crazy ideas were encouraged," said Chris.

He also said his mom, Lizbeth Smith, has no idea what they'll be doing in the show, so she'll be just as everyone else at the 1.5 hour show at MontBleu February 3.

Tickets are available at the door for the 7:00 p.m. show. They are $15 for adults, and children up through high school accompanying their parents are free. Sales start at 6:00 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 530 542-3632 or visit tahoeartsproject.org.