A light bulb, a pool ball, goldfish?these are just a few of the things Stevie Starr, also known as The Regurgitator, can swallow and then regurgitate on command. Tonight, Starr plans to make another of many appearances at Bowdoin.
The Regurgitator has visited campus several times, and according to Julia Seltzer '09, co-chair of the Campus Activities Board committee that booked Starr, he's back because of "high student demand."
Co-chair Claire Lewkowicz '09, called him "a Bowdoin legend."
Starr spent the first 18 years of his life in an orphanage in Scotland where he discovered his talent for regurgitating all sorts of unexpected objects.
"He started out swallowing money," said Lewkowicz.
Since then, he has spent 34 years impressing audiences, and has appeared on numerous shows including "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The Howard Stern Show," "Late Night with David Letterman," and "That's Incredible."
His act includes a variety of baffling stunts. He can swallow a jumbled Rubik's Cube and return it solved. He also downs a ring, a locked padlock, and key and reproduces the padlock with the ring locked to it.
In fact, Seltzer said, "don't wear a ring to the show if you don't want it to go down his throat."
When Starr swallows a bowlful of sugar and a glass of water, just the sugar reappears, completely dry.
Card tricks involving his stomach and regurgitating smoke from his cigarette make up more stunts that Starr has up his sleeve. One of his most popular acts involves goldfish. He swallows them then regurgitates them?alive?and gives them to an audience member.
Bowdoin audiences always anticipate "who gets to keep the goldfish," said Seltzer.
Although neither Seltzer nor Lewkowicz has seen The Regurgitator, they've "heard many stories" and are "excited to witness his talent," stated Lewkowicz. The show starts at 8 p.m. in Smith Union and is free of charge, but Seltzer advised arriving early because "it's usually really crowded and there's limited seating."