Mrs.
Schmidt isn’t exactly a household name. She
certainly doesn’t have a voice that most audiences
would recognize. Yet, she is the character that launched
Ken Block’s career.
Mrs.
Schmidt was Ken’s 9th grade math teacher in
Great Neck, New York. It was she who first said, “What
do you think you are, a comedian? If you open your
mouth one more time…” Of course, Ken did
open his mouth one more time. He didn’t say
anything, he just opened his mouth!
Ken
soon advanced from doing imitations of his teachers,
to doing impressions of celebrities as teachers. Imagine
Arnold Schwarzenegger as an English Teacher, and you
get the idea.
Ken’s
parents have always been very supportive of his career
choice. When he told them he had become a doctor,
they were thrilled. They just never thought he’d
be Dr. Phil and Dr. Ruth all in the same evening.
In
addition to the entertainment industry, Ken also had
aspirations of becoming a professional baseball player.
After being scouted by the New York Yankees, he attended
college in Florida to pursue his dream. Somewhere
along the way he noticed that not only were the girls
attracted to the many athletes on campus, they really
liked the one guy on stage doing impressions! Good
– bye baseball, hello comedy!
Ken
has become one of the most versatile comic impressionists
on the scene today. He performs in venues across the
globe, from theaters, cruise ships, corporate events
and showrooms from Hawaii to Atlantic City. With over
100 impressions in each show, spanning over 50 years
of singers, comedians, politicians and show business
luminaries, his universally received performance has
something for everyone.
“If
you are lucky enough to see a Ken Block show, you
will laugh, you will cry, but most of all, you will
be entertained.”
His
is a show you will never forget. Experience it for
yourself… Ken Block.
