Stage Names

When I did my first public performance in 4th grade at P.S. 162 in Bayside, Queens (NY), I was Houdini, Jr. Not sure if I picked that because of my fascination with Houdini at the time, or if my father or teacher picked it. I wore a black cape and red Fez hat. I even had an assistant.

Then when I started getting serious about doing kids' parties, I changed my name to something my father suggested: Shandu, The Greatest Boy Magician. I later found out that I was spelling it wrong. There was a Chandu and a movie character, too. Among the older Jewish set, I also discovered that there is a similar Yiddish word that means "He's finally here!"

When I got to college, I simply used my name, but during a stint at The Rainy Nighthouse, I found my name written on the marquee as "Secret Steve." They apparently took the word "secret" from a Sidewalk Shuffle routine I did where the Ace always wound up in the “secret spot”, down the front of my pants.

As a more experienced adult, I have frequently contemplated doing shows again, but found my last name difficult for many to pronounce or spell properly, so I think I would just use Steven or Stefan if I wanted to be fancy.

What about you? Do you use a stage name?