Hypnotist to put Peaberry's under his spell
Britta Snowberger
Issue date: 11/9/06 Section: ae
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What do exotic dancing, real estate and hypnosis have in common? They are all chosen career paths of today's Peaberry's Café entertainer, Joe DeVito.
DeVito, a stage hypnotist from Boston, will attempt to captivate a Peaberry's audience beginning at 11 a.m. in Kilcawley Center. The Student Activities Office is sponsoring the performance.
A professional hypnotist since 1990, DeVito has not always mesmerized audiences using only the sound of his voice. While attending Boston University for physical therapy, DeVito decided to leave the university to become a male dancer.
"When I was in college, I went to this place called the Crazy Horse Saloon and watched women put dollar bills in men's G-strings, and I thought to myself, 'I can do that,'" DeVito said.
That he did. Although the Boston native was "very successful" in the exotic dancing business, he began to dabble in real estate and eventually lost "a lot of money." It was then that DeVito's wife demanded he choose a different career path.
"When I was a male dancer, I saw a hypnotist who was an intermission act at the strip club. I remembered that when I was young, my father brought home a book from the dollar store about hypnosis. I got the book and read it," DeVito said, "Then, I started practicing on my friends."
The performer later attended several classes from a national organization, but he insists that formal training is not necessary to become a successful hypnotist.
"Almost anybody can hypnotize people," he said, "The trick is, once they're hypnotized, what do you do with them? You have to be creative. You have to be original."
DeVito will demonstrate his interpretation of "original" at today's Peaberry's showcase. Wielding an arsenal of material ranging from G to R-rated, the hypnotist hopes to give students a few laughs without offending their parents.
"The show will probably be in the middle, as far as content is concerned," he said, "I can't exactly do what I do in a comedy club, because I don't want to make any dads angry. I just ask that students come open-minded and ready to have a good time."
DeVito, a stage hypnotist from Boston, will attempt to captivate a Peaberry's audience beginning at 11 a.m. in Kilcawley Center. The Student Activities Office is sponsoring the performance.
A professional hypnotist since 1990, DeVito has not always mesmerized audiences using only the sound of his voice. While attending Boston University for physical therapy, DeVito decided to leave the university to become a male dancer.
"When I was in college, I went to this place called the Crazy Horse Saloon and watched women put dollar bills in men's G-strings, and I thought to myself, 'I can do that,'" DeVito said.
That he did. Although the Boston native was "very successful" in the exotic dancing business, he began to dabble in real estate and eventually lost "a lot of money." It was then that DeVito's wife demanded he choose a different career path.
"When I was a male dancer, I saw a hypnotist who was an intermission act at the strip club. I remembered that when I was young, my father brought home a book from the dollar store about hypnosis. I got the book and read it," DeVito said, "Then, I started practicing on my friends."
The performer later attended several classes from a national organization, but he insists that formal training is not necessary to become a successful hypnotist.
"Almost anybody can hypnotize people," he said, "The trick is, once they're hypnotized, what do you do with them? You have to be creative. You have to be original."
DeVito will demonstrate his interpretation of "original" at today's Peaberry's showcase. Wielding an arsenal of material ranging from G to R-rated, the hypnotist hopes to give students a few laughs without offending their parents.
"The show will probably be in the middle, as far as content is concerned," he said, "I can't exactly do what I do in a comedy club, because I don't want to make any dads angry. I just ask that students come open-minded and ready to have a good time."
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