A charming, inspirational, and funny illustration of overcoming adversity, John’s keynote is a combination of storytelling and performance. In the telling of his tale, John brings out his multiple personalities to entertain and in the end, brings down the house with tears and laughter. Leaving an audience transformed.

 

A good Italian boy himself, and with strong ties to his heritage, John unveils a moving story about growing up in a tough, working-class Italian neighborhood while shouldering a serious speech impediment to eventually become a successful emcee and impersonator.



Interestingly enough, John was not a stutterer; he just had a mouthful of things too big for his chops. His tongue, tonsils, adenoids; just about everything. To correct the disability, his speech therapists had to teach him throat placement, nasal placement, vocal production, and how to slow down and control every element of speech.

 

Once John knew that, and given his fascination with impressionists (odd, given his impediment); he started to play around with voices, accents, and impressions. And voila, a character actor was born. He leaned into his newfound ability and entertained the neighborhood ruffians which, in turn, worked to tone down their penchant for teasing.

 

John’s journey is a great “look at me now” lesson in overcoming obstacles and becoming successful in spite of it all. And the story is told with good humor and lots of impressions. It just might leave the audience speechless. Go figure.