Jason tried to fit the mold, he tried hard. He went to college for a while. He worked normal jobs. He sold golf equipment for his father, John. But inside there was always an entertainer bursting to get out. OK, lots of entertainers. During the salesman gig, he hustled golf clubs by day and then went home and worked on routines at night. Finally, he made a videotape of himself being somebody else and showed it to his dad. John was impressed. "You shouldn't be working for me," he said to his son, "you should be an entertainer."
"What he didn't know," says Jason, laughing, "is that for the last five months I hadn't been working for him." So a star was born, or at least released, and it wasn't long before Jason Hewlett was Ricky Martin. Martin was his first paid impression as a main character in John Stewart's traveling "Legends in Concert" show. Jason lived la vida loca for three months in Myrtle Beach, S.C., before moving on to Valley Forge, Pa., where he was Ricky Martin and Elton John.
He would start the show as Elton John, after which Whitney Houston and Tom Jones would take the stage, and then Jason would finish up as Ricky Martin. "After the show, I'd still be dressed as Ricky Martin and people would come up to me and ask where Elton John was; they had no idea it was the same guy," remembers Jason. He took that as a compliment.
Jason, who is only 24, could have stayed with "Legends" a long time - at least until everybody forgot about Ricky Martin and Elton John - but he left the show and returned to Utah because impersonations are just part of what he does. He also plays a number of instruments, imitates dinosaurs, horses and other animals, does comedy routines, displays a number of interesting facial contortions - it took him five years to learn which muscles to use to wiggle his nose - and whenever possible, he likes to try to motivate people to do as he's done and chase after their dreams. "Actually," he says, "I'd like to be Danny Gans and Zig Ziglar."
He's worked up a one-man show that hits all these chords and a few more he discovers every time he takes the stage. He's already performed numerous times for corporations around the country, and he recently performed three live shows in the town where he grew up, Park City. He sold out the Egyptian Theatre for his first show and drew sizeable crowds for the next two shows at the Santy Auditorium. The Jason Hewlett Show is family-friendly - yet another reason Jason thinks it should play well in Utah - and Jason's hope is that he can secure a steady gig at a location in Park City or perhaps at a venue like Thanksgiving Point, where he has a show scheduled for June. "Utah needs a regular entertainer, doesn't it?" he asks. And he can pretty much be whichever entertainer Utah would like him to be.
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LEHI - Entertainer Jason Hewlett, a one-man show of singing, dancing and comedy, will be on stage at the Thanksgiving Point Show Barn on Friday, May 9, at 7 p.m. for one evening only.
Hewlett is known for his great impressions of the superstars of yesterday and today as he transforms into more than 60 personalities including Ricky Martin, Elton John and Jim Carey. Local singer Holly Markgraf will open for Hewlett. Her credits include being a special guest back-up singer for Barry Manilow, vocalist for the Chrestmark Orchestra, Touched by an Angel, and the BYU Musical Theater. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children, and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and the Thanksgiving Point box office.
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PARK CITY - Ever since it opened its pyramid tomb-like doors on Christmas Day of 1926, the Egyptian Theatre on Park City's Main Street has faced periodic challenges to its existence. Like the town it lives in, it has had to keep re-inventing itself to stay alive, both inside and out, and like the town it lives in - which successfully made the tricky transition from miner's boots to moon boots - it has always managed to pull it off.
The latest problem facing the theater isn't structural. There are no termites threatening the foundation and no developer wanting to turn the place into a multi-plex, as has happened in the past.
This time it's a creative problem.
The Egyptian Theatre Company - the nonprofit group that coordinates and produces the 76-year-old building's performances - is strapped for money.
If it doesn't soon raise some serious capital, it will produce its own tragedy.
"The building will still be here," is how John Caywood, ETC's producing artistic director, puts it. "But it will be real dark."
The problem is that 41 does not divide into 24.
Caywood explains that while the top ticket price for an Egyptian Theatre performance is $24, it costs an average of $41 per person to put a seat in an Egyptian Theatre seat.
"The shows generally pay for themselves through ticket sales," he says - referring to productions such as this year's lineup of "Yours, Anne," "Eating Raoul," "King Mackerel" and "Oliver!" - "but the overhead isn't covered by the shows." That means expense for utilities, staff costs, building upkeep and the community and youth education programs has to come from somewhere.
With the economy on the downswing and charitable foundations, especially, pulling back on their gift-giving as a result, not-for-profit organizations like ETC are having to take a very dramatic gulp.
"We have to raise about $450,000 a year," says Caywood. He admits asking for money is not his favorite part of the job. "But either that part gets done," he says, "or the other doesn't."
Saturday night, starting at 7, the Egyptian will hold a Casino Night fund-raiser that Caywood hopes will help right the ship. The cost is $65 a person - creating an initial $24 profit for each seat right from the start. In addition, there will be giveaways, auction items that include a trip to St. Marten, sculptures, mountain bikes and weekend ski trips; and Vegas-type casino games with Vegas-type results - meaning the house gets to keep most of the money.
The big draw will be Park City native Jason Hewlett, who will provide the evening's entertainment. Hewlett made his Park City debut in the Egyptian in January to a sold-out theater, where he unveiled a variety show that ranged from impersonations of Nat King Cole to Elton John to Jurassic Park dinosaurs. Caywood remembers that he was initially skeptical about booking Jason but was pleasantly surprised. "He's the kind of person you seldom see in this business," he says. "He is what he says he is and more. Plus, he goes through his entire act and doesn't use any questionable language or material. He's quite amazing."
"Come and see him while he's still affordable," smiles Caywood.
He could say the same thing about the place in which Jason Hewlett will be performing. Come and see the Egyptian Theatre while it can still afford to stay open.
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will open its concert season with vocal group Galaxy and comedian/impersonator Jason Hewlett at 8 p.m.
Galaxy features the talents of Bobby Engemann, Tammy Bacon Johnson, Stacy Johnson and Lon Benjamin Keith. Hewlett has entertained with the Legends in Concert in Las Vegas.
Tickets are $12 general admission and $16-18 for reserved areas
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The PEG experience means different things to different people. For some, being a member of a PEG means sitting and listening at the Workshop and Convention sessions. For others, like Humor PEG members Bobbe White and Jason Hewlett, being part of a PEG means putting your hands in the dirt and digging, planting and creating new directions for their speaking businesses.
"Making humor work is, well, work," says White. "The Humor PEG has helped to show me how successful speakers incorporate humor seamlessly. And it doesnt happen without a lot of time, thought, effort and a few misses before getting the hits."
White remembers the PEG session at the 2003 Eastern Workshop in Charlotte, where everyone was trying to learn how to do what Leno and Letterman do every night so naturally: finding humor in newspaper headlines and articles.
"My table struggled," she recalls. "I personally failed miserably. But when some of the PEG members got it, it was exciting! Attending the session or reading the newsletter, which, by the way, is a terrific resource, helps to impress upon us that humor is a discipline, an art form. Meeting some of the Humor PEG members, and then watching them on the platform, it's like watching an exquisite meal being served-with none of the food being burnt. The silver cover is lifted and for the first time, we are allowed to see the presentation from a different perspective. Keep dishing it out. I'm not full yet!"
For Jason Hewlett, a 25-year-old member from Utah, being part of the Humor PEG was at first intimidating. But as time went on, the connections and the observations proved priceless.
"I went to my first Chapter meeting in Utah, and the before I knew it, I found myself in New Orleans for the 2003 National Convention as a 'nobody who knew nobody,'" Hewlett relates. "I got my name tag and on it was the 'Humor PEG' sticker. So I went in search of other humorists. I found the guy that originally suggested I join NSA, Steve Rizzo."
Hewlett had called Rizzo months before to get some career advice. "In true Rizzo fashion, he told me to join NSA and tell everyone that it was his idea or he'd never talk to me again," says Hewlett. "So I joined (I still wanted him to talk to me)."
Once at the Convention, Hewlett found Rizzo in a room leading the Humor PEG session that would come to define his first experience as a member of NSA. "Here he was, the Steve Rizzo, the guy that I grew up watching and laughing with, a legend in the comedy club circuit, teaching a bunch of what I thought were 'wanna-be's' how to become powerful humorists in the speaking business," he remembers.
Hewlett sat quietly in the back of the room scoping out the "competition." "I saw a guy that looked like Santa Claus, a dude dressed like Will Rogers with a camera around his neck, a 300-pound lady in a tank top taking notes like crazy," he recalls. "And I swear I saw an Abraham Lincoln in there. I thought I was in the 'We-don't-know-who-we-are-so-we-just-came-from-the-Rocky-Horror-Picture-Show-PEG to this one.' But as I listened and stopped judging all the people surrounding me, Steve talked about how we're all a team in this game of life just trying to add humor into our surroundings."
"'We just have to laugh and help others see what's humorous in this crazy world,' Rizzo suggested. I realized that we are the ones responsible for helping others lighten up through humor. We are in a position to inspire through the music of laughter and motivation of humor! Yes, all of us, the Humor PEG, not as competitors but as a team. And at the front of the room was a guy who's made it. Steve Rizzo, comedian turned humorist, teaching us and helping us in this worldwide effort to spread humor, together."
The young new member of NSA went away from the PEG session with a room full of friends, he says, because of his new affiliation with these people who are all part of the Humor PEG. "I went back to my room and faced the people in the elevator, as opposed to the door," he points out. "I wiggled my nose and made faces for them as they watched the show and laughed. I learned that even though what looked like a bunch of 'wanna-be's' filled the Humor PEG room, we're all 'wanna-be's' because we want to be like each other."
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Top Ten Reasons why every Crown Council member should attend the 10th Annual Event
1. Celebration at the Westin Kierland!: It's the 10th Anniversary Event of the Crown Council and we've planned an Event like none other. We'll learn together, laugh together and celebrate our success together. And it's all happening at the beautiful (and warm
in January) Westin Kierland Resort. The new Westin Kierland Resort was recently voted as Arizona's finest! The 10th Annual Event is a fabulous opportunity to bring your team closer together. What better way to create memories to share? (Seriously, what other Dentist in the
United States takes his or her team or spouse to a great dental Event where they not only relax, laugh and learn, but get to share a couple of hours with Garth Brooks and his Band?)
2. Recognition: There is only one place in dentistry where team members are recognized for their outstanding performance. At the Crown Council Annual Awards night, we recognize the "Best of the Best". It's a terrific opportunity to be recognized for what you
have done and an even better time to have your team recognized for their achievements. The Crown Council Annual Event is the place!
3. Garth Brooks and Smiles for Life: Recognized as the "Entertainer of the Century", Garth Brooks has retired and no longer actively performs. This is the only place where you can see Garth Brooks and as an added bonus he's bringing his band! He will be there to help us celebrate our relationship with Teammates for Kids and our success with Smiles for Life. This year we celebrate raising over $17,000,000 to help kids over the past 7 years. What an amazing achievement! Garth Brooks and his Band will be there to help us celebrate!
4. Association with Eagles: Each year as the Annual Event concludes, the thing we hear most often is how much those who attend appreciate being able to associate with the like-minded Eagles. Drs. Roy and Chris Hammond, who have brought their team of 17 to the Annual Event every year for the past four years have said that bringing their team to the Annual Event does more for their bottom line than anything else they do during the year.
5. Dan Clark: Dan Clark was recently recognized as one of the Top Ten speakers in the World. He will be the first speaker on the main stage at the 10th Annual Event. He tells us that we are our very best when we do what we do, not because it is expected by others, but
because it is demanded by ourselves. We'll be challenged to....Stretch, Understand Why, Seek Excellence, and Seek Service above Self.
6. Mark Sanborn: The best selling author of "The Fred Factor", Mark Sanborn will teach us how:
1)Everyone makes a difference.
2) Everything is built on relationships.
3) How we must continually create value for others.
4) How to invent ourselves regularly.
7. Jason Hewlett: Jason Hewlett will host the 10th Annual Event Awards. Recently, Tony Marnell (Owner of the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas) said of Jason... "Having booked and promoted Danny Gans in Las Vegas, I've seen the best, and Jason Hewlett is unbelievable and
is on the fast track to stardom." He was voted "Best of the Best" from the 9th Annual Event in Las Vegas and returns to the Crown Council stage by popular demand.
8. Dave Weber: He's a world-class teacher and his topic is "Overcoming Life's Goliaths." Mark Victor Hansen (noted author of Chicken Soup for the Soul) said, "Dave is destined to be one of the top ten speakers of our time." His unique presentation will include solutions for the "Goliaths" that are resident in the dental industry ... both as they relate to our day-to-day work and the pressure of that same work on our families and friends. This presentation will be a life changer!
9. Jeanne Robertson: There are members of the Crown Council that are still laughing after her presentation at the 8th Annual Event! She's back by request from hundreds of CC members who voted her as the "Best of the Best". In an all-new presentation she's going to explain the dynamics of humor while challenging us to laugh at
ourselves and look for humor in everyday situations.
10. Visit with Crown Council members: What could be more important than meeting and visiting with fellow Crown Council members who you haven't seen since last year's Annual Event. Renew friendships, share stories, laugh and have fun!
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KENNESAW, Georgia - October 4, 2005 - The Kennesaw State Owls kick things off in high fashion as they will be hosting the 2005 Men's Basketball Season Ticket Dinner with nationally known entertainer and comedian Jason Hewlett highlighting the evening.
The annual event will take place on Thursday evening, October 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the new, state-of-the-art Kennesaw State University Convocation Center.
Head coach Tony Ingle will begin the evening's ceremonies and the Owls highly acclaimed head coach will also present, for the first time, Kennesaw State's first Division I team in school history.
The business-casual dinner will feature a three-course meal from Carrabba's Italian Restaurant and offers the first inside view of Owls basketball at the Division I level.
"This is going to be a spectacular event and a great way to begin the Division I era here at Kennesaw State," said Ingle. "Jason Hewlett is a brilliant young entertainer who everyone will be delighted by. Add to that the introduction of our new team, in our new arena and this is going to be a very memorable, very fun night."
Hewlett is one of the most promising young talents on the entertainment circuit. Having made his mark impersonating Ricky Martin and Elton John in Valley Forge with the "Legends in Concert" tour, Hewlett is now a one-man show. He currently entertains at corporate affairs throughout the country and is also a member of the National Speaker's Association.
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The Jason Hewlett Entertainment Hall of Fameis dedicated to those individualswho havemade theextraordinary effort to promote Jason and help him perform for Companies, Conventions, and Charities he otherwise wouldn't have been able to perform for without their personal recommendations opening the door. This is a small thank you from Jason in return for their efforts, but it is a sincere thanks from the bottom of his heart.
Chris Poulos of Center G Talent
John Hewlett
Tony Ingle National Champion Basketball Coach of Kennesaw State
Bill Nooney, Jr. of Hi-Noon Petroleum
Lowell Hardy of Sinclair Oil Company
Earl & Carol Holding of Sinclair Oil, Grand & Little America Hotels
Tony Marnell of Tririga
Alan Surges of The Stock Farm Club
Shawn Rapier of OffSpring Technologies
Shawn Hewlett
Pam Christian of Farrington Productions
Greg Anderson The Crown Council
Lee Benson of Deseret News
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Jason Hewlett has so many personalities, it's kind of a shock to see him just as Jason Hewlett the regular guy. Impersonator Jason Hewlett strums his guitar as he dons the persona of the legendary Buddy Holly. In the space of an hour, he can transform into Ricky Martin, Louis Armstrong, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Jim Carrey working at a Subway . . . the list goes on. He can become a velociraptor leaping around the stage with a slithery tongue,an earsplitting cry and a creepy expression, or he can become Michael Jackson, Tiny Tim or Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks. (Check out the back of his business card for a complete list of the possibilities.)
All the while, he's somewhere between imitating great characters out of a sort of sense of admiration and mockery. But he's dead on as he changes voice, face and stance. That would explain why he's showing up everywhere — from the "Legends in Concert" stage to business conventions to the tents at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. "I pretty much do all my shows in Provo," said Hewlett, who lives in South Jordan with his wife and baby girl. "I was born in Salt Lake, grew up in Park City, attended the Waterford school, served an LDS mission to Brazil," said Hewlett. "I've been courted to be the headliner at the new club The Vault opening soon on University Avenue, doing one or two shows a month."
Hewlett started his career as an impersonator in the third grade after his teacher promised he could entertain the class if he'd just be quiet until then. The class loved his Pee-wee Herman imitation and applauded him generously. He was immediately hooked on show biz and continued to perform in school talent shows and whenever he got the opportunity until BYU basketball coach Tony Ingle introduced him to Chris Poulos, the former manager of The 3D's. Scott G. Winterton, Deseret Morning News
Jason Hewlett shows off one of the characters he impersonates. He has a repertoire of about 100 — as many as 40 or 50 show up in each performance.
Poulos helped him put together a show, which helped him pick up a part of the "Legends in Concert" tour as Ricky Martin in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and later as Elton John. "That got me started, but I kind of took a leap and left because I didn't want that as my life's career. I've been doing the corporate shows full-time since June 2001. I've had, like, a month when I went out and tried to do another thing, but it just didn't work," Hewlett said. Today he has more than 100 personalities he can impersonate. Between 40 and 50 show up in a typical gig.Hewlett's primary goal in life to is make people smile and fill the world with humor. He also loves the rush that comes from entertaining, and it's nice that it pays the bills.
Ultimately, he'd like to have a 200-300 seat showroom in Park City where he could perform during the winter. The rest of the year, he'd hit the corporate circuit. "I simply like to create a very fun show for the entire family that is clean, energetic and fun. I hope I can do this the rest of my life," he said. "I really can't see myself doing anything else."
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