May 8, 2017

Meet Scott Whitesell of Quality Entertainment in Sherman Oaks

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Whitesell.

Scott, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always wanted to act and perform. When I was 5 years old, I remember getting the neighborhood kids together and directing them and performing in acting out fairy tale stories.

Growing up, I was always performing in the school plays and eventually I went on to audition and got accepted into a conservatory type training program at the Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy where I received a 3-year professional training certificate and a degree in theatre; during that time, I had also received a Meritorious Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center.

Upon graduation, I went forth to make my mark in the world! While going through the audition notices, I came across an ad from a company that was looking for people to entertain at children’s birthday parties. It seemed like a fun way to make some money while I was pursuing acting, so I went to check it out.

Little did I know that this was to be the beginning of my life long involvement with children.

The company taught me some games to play with the kids and how to make balloon animals. They provided the costumes and supplies that I would need. I would go to parties dressed as a superhero or a cartoon character. I was able to use my theatre training to portray these characters and bring them to life, instead of just looking like some guy standing around in a costume. I enjoyed what I was doing and turns out, I was very good at it. Before long, I developed my own games and activities to do, which I customized to each different character. Soon after, I was training other performers for the company.

Eventually I ventured out on my own and acquired my own professional costumes and supplies. I had an excellent reputation in the party entertainment community and was meeting and networking with top notch performers; everyone from clowns and magicians to stilt walkers and jugglers. Party booking agents were reaching out to me and I would often be performing 8 shows each weekend.

One day I was introduced to a performer who had their own party agency. She was looking for someone that she could book to do puppet shows. She was willing to give them the plans for building a puppet stage, suppliers for puppets, and she would give them the story lines that she had written. I took her up on her offer and started performing as a puppeteer.

Later on, she decided that she wanted to sell her company, so I decided to buy it. I re-launched it as Quality Entertainment. I had acquired her client list, props, costumes, performer roster, vendors, and advertising contract with a parent magazine. This was a major expansion. I wasn’t just doing birthday parties anymore, I was now providing pony rides, petting zoos, game booths, carnival rides, etc. to schools, country clubs and for corporate events. Eventually, I started hiring and training my own in house performers and supplied them with the costumes and gear that they would need.

I began as a party entertainer in 1990; several years later I started Quality Entertainment. While I no longer dress up as cartoon characters and such (except for the occasional clown), I keep busy doing puppet shows and magic shows and I am a very much in demand Santa Claus! You may have seen me in one of several commercials that I did this past holiday season.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are always going to be ups and downs.

One of the things that I eventually came to realize is that I didn’t wish to be all things to all people. My personal goals and focus had changed, so about 10 years ago I started to pare down and simplify; focusing primarily on providing performers for birthday parties.

So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Quality Entertainment story. Tell us more about the business.
Quality Entertainment provides performers for birthday parties with an emphasis on magic shows and puppet shows (which could also include games, balloons, etc.), primarily focusing on ages 3-7 (a niche that we are very proficient in). We service Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties.

When people hire us they can be assured of getting a quality performance. I love going out and personally performing the shows myself whenever possible, but if I am not available, I send out performers who I have known for a number of years who I am personally familiar with. They are my friends and trusted colleagues.

Much of our business comes from referrals and repeat clientele. Many of our customers become our friends. Why? Because they know we care and that we treat people with honesty and respect. Our goal is to make your child’s party a success and one that they will never forget.

It gives me great joy to receive thank you cards from the children and their parents telling me what a good time they had and being invited back year after year to supply the entertainment for their parties.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is being in the right place at the right time and being prepared for an opportunity that may come your way.

In the course of entertaining at parties, I have worked for all sorts of people including royalty, celebrities, heads of movie studios, producers, directors, etc.

This has led to opportunities for me do some interesting things.

Due to my involvement of being a children’s’ entertainer: I have starred in a short video series for children that shot at CBS Studios, I got to do voice over for an animation project produced by some animators from Dream Works, I sang a solo on a children’s CD directed by Oscar and Grammy winner Richard Sherman, I became part of a classical theatre troupe that presented Shakespeare to children, which was produced and directed by distinguished actor Tony Plana, etc., etc.

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