Performance Risk Quotes

Wire-walking in performance is one thing - I never fell, of course. If I had, I wouldn't be here talking about it.

Well, I don't think a specific role can destroy your voice. What can destroy your voice is when you... make an error. Everybody can make an error. But then you need to realize what is your way.

You need a director, a script, and a role to justify a risk.

One thing you learn doing magic tricks for a living is how close every performance of every magic trick is to disaster. There are no robust magic tricks. They're all hanging from a thread - sometimes literally.

The guy who says, 'I love the challenge of managing,' is one step from being out of a job.

When you work with Ray Charles, Billy Eckstine and Frank Sinatra, and you tell them to jump without a net, you better know what you're talking about. Thank God I was ready for it.

You can be a two-pitch guy and be successful, but your room for error is very small.

You're a hero one day, you're a villain another day. They say that's football. When a manager does well, they're applauded, when they don't do well, they get the sack. Football is a tough world. Those who watch enjoy it - for everybody else, there are a lot of challenges.

I fell through a stage once. I was doing a truly African dance, and all of a sudden, I hit the ground with my foot and went straight through the stage. I guess they didn't have much money, so the floor was kind of rotting.

No one is guaranteed their place in the squad.

If you're going to be that kind of actor and go way out there, it's really important to take care of yourself and have a safe place, whatever that is.

Performances are always more interesting to me when something is at stake.

In all my years of performing, no audience member has ever actually assaulted me. I consider this to be the singular triumph of my performing career.

When you play a smaller, more intimate venue, you can have real conversations with your audience, take risks, and stay current. You can also change the set list, on how the day feels or how the audience reacts. When you do arena shows, every arena looks and feels the same. You can't see who is in the room.

You only have to go on a couple message boards to know what the fans want, and the fans want you to put it on the line and to entertain them.

When you only qualify in 18th position, you have to take your chance off the grid.

When you do an album, you don't get to test an album live.

Risk is a function of how poorly a strategy will perform if the 'wrong' scenario occurs.

I get anxiety from a noise or some scuffling at the side of the stage. I hear stories all the time, from as minor as Dillon Francis getting smacked in the head with a flying beer can to Dimebag Darrell.

Everything we do in general, there's gonna be a percentage of risk. Me, making my entrance to the ring, there's actually a percentage of risk I'm going to trip and fall and hurt myself. Me, getting up on the apron, there's a percentage of risk.

I wore Chuck Taylors for a couple shows, and the second show I wore the Chuck Taylors, that was the one and only time I fell onstage. I haven't really bit it onstage in high heels yet. It will happen. It's not about if, it's about when.

Comedy is the toughest. If it goes little bit here and there, and your partner doesn't cover up for you, then everything can go wrong.

Some nights it was a melee, literally, where I'd be standing trying to defend myself for what I was doing. People would be screaming at me to do my old act, and getting actually violent and angry at me.

Theatres, stages are dangerous places.