We are each born with a unique gift. Sometimes we know what it is right away and sometimes it takes us some time to discover what it may be. At the end of the process, it is important to know that what we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.
Daniel Devaney Jr. was born and raised in Rahway, NJ on August 18, 1971. Arriving second of his parents 3 children, young Danny grew up immersed in the arts, as his father is an Academy Award nominated film maker and his mother operated her own dance studio for many years.
It was at his Mother’s studio Danny spent much of his childhood practicing tumbling and juggling. When he was 12 years old, the mother of one of the students offered him $25 to perform at her child’s birthday party. Before long, another parent hired him $50 to do the same for her child. Only this time, Devaney was to dress as clown for his performance. Once he put on his make-up and costume, he realized that he was pretty good at making people laugh, and suddenly, the shy young man found the door to the larger world.
While attending Bishop AHR High School in Edison, NJ, Danny played soccer and wrestled until his graduation in 1989. During his junior year, he met Mike “Cowboy” Keever, a retired circus clown who would become his mentor. Keever was funny, happy and willing to share the fruits of his experience. As soon as Devaney finished high school, he entered The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College. In 1989, 6000 auditioned and Danny was one of only 63 accepted.
The art of clowning has existed for thousands of years. It is documented that clowns performed in the Egyptian Pharaoh’s court as far back as 2500 BC and throughout history most cultures have employed clowns to entertain the elite.
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College was the brainchild of Irvin Feld, the owner of the circus and longtime Ringling clown. In 1968, Ringling realized he had a dwindling number of clowns in their production and most of them over fifty years old. It was evident to Feld that these performers would not be able to go on forever and suitable replacements simply did not exist. As a result, Feld decided to create a school, a “boot camp” for clowns, to train future generations in this ancient performance art.
About a year after graduating from Clown College, Danny joined the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus as a clown. From 1991-93, he traveled to 46 states, performed 13 shows a week while living in a 3feet by 6 feet room on a circus train. Finding he was allergic to many of the animals, Danny’s contribution to the show was mostly done on stilts and by tumbling from one end of the tent to the other. He falls down real good.
After stints at Circus, Circus Casino in Tunica and Disney World in Florida, Danny made his way to Wonder Works in Orlando in 2001. Devaney had left his clown paint behind in Tunica and turned his focus to physical comedy when he moved from Disney to Wonder Works, where he reunited with his former partner from Circus, Circus, Tony Brent. There, Danny played several characters during a very successful run that lasted until 2006 when he was sent to Pigeon Forge to open the new Wonder Works in Sevier County. It was here, his incomparable “Scraps” was born.
The funny, zany and witty “Scraps” is the brainchild of the show’s writer, Marilyn Magness and as “Scraps,” Devaney performs over 450 shows per year at Wonder Work’s “Hoot ‘n Holler” dinner theater.
In addition to his performances, Danny is very involved in his community. In 2009, he embraced the role of “Honorary City Chair” for the United Way of Sevier County, making even more performances to help raise money for people who really need our help. After seeing firsthand the great needs of his new home town, he has become passionate about doing all he can to help as many people as possible.
“The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Piarrot is the general manager of the Fairfield Inn & Suites at Sevierville 407. Please send all story recommendations to hpiarrot@yahoo.com
“History makes you clairvoyant.” – Piarrot
