About Mary

Mary Evanoff is the star of The Merrie Mary Show – a truly unique variety act. Mary is a skilled juggler, acrobat, mime, magician, comedienne and all-around entertainer. But what sets Mary apart from all the others is her pole-walking. The highlight of the Merrie Mary Show is when Mary performs on The Evanoff Pole, which she invented and designed. The pole is held by two volunteers from the audience while Mary balances on it. In this precarious position she performs a variety of feats, including juggling flaming torches.

While similar to rope-walking, balancing on the pole is no easy task, especially because it is held by two unskilled members of the audience. No one but Mary attempts this on a regular basis, and no one has mastered the art as she has.

Mary is a regular, featured performer at San Francisco’s famed Pier 39, and she has appeared at hundreds of events around the world including Japan, Australia, Europe and Canada. She is one of the few, female variety acts in the country.

Mary’s interest in performing can be traced back to her early childhood. After watching Don Ameche’s "Circus Show" she strung her mother’s clothesline between two trees and tried to walk it like a tightrope. She soon graduated to walking the tops of swing-sets, and regularly shimmied up the school flagpole at recess to sit, balanced on the top. Mary has come a long way since then, and has been performing professionally for over 27 years.

P.O. Box 27142 • Oakland, CA • 94602
Phone: 1-510-482-2556 • Email: MerrieMary