A Batavia native with a talent for entertaining has taken the activity to a whole new level.
Kevin Noonan is one of the founders of a novel virtual entertainment experience called Majestic Circus that provide friends, family or colleagues with some friendly and safe competition online.
He has loved to entertain since he was a teenager growing up in Batavia.
The son of retired Genesee County Judge Robert Noonan and Marcia Noonan, Kevin started entertaining at birthday parties for Chris Fix at the YMCA in Batavia and summers at Camp Hough.
He graduated from Batavia High School in 1998, and then attended the University of New Hampshire for two years.
His father encouraged him to “go for it” and join Carnival Cruise Lines, where he soon worked his way up to cruise director. At age 20, he met his wife, 18, on the ship. She was from London and a dancer on the ship.
When Carnival undertook the largest renovation project ever on a cruise ship and created the Carnival Sunshine, Noonan was their cruise director. He cruised the Mediterranean Sea with them during 2012 and 2013.
In 2019, Noonan and his wife and son moved to Mexico for a year, where he directed entertainment for Iberostar Resorts and was responsible for 17 resorts in five countries.
When he decided to move his family back to the States last March, he wanted to come back to Batavia.
He soon realized the coronavirus pandemic was going to affect the cruise industry, so he started brainstorming on a new endeavor with other entertainers who were out of work.
The result was Majestic Circus, which Noonan founded with three of his friends. The company has since restructured, leaving Noonan and James Dunn as cofounders.
Noonan said it took four months to build games and set up the company. They launched in the middle of September on Facebook.
They had recruited a total of 22 entertainers, whose combined followers on Facebook and Instagram are more than 400,000. For their launch, Noonan said they simply posted their logo with no explanation.
“People were very curious,” he said. “On the first day we launched, we had more than 100,000 hits. “We’ve had a lot of success so far.”
One corporate event had 700 people playing. Another had 2,500 playing from 38 different countries.
The minimum to play is four. The games are extremely suited for up to 16 players at home, Noonan said. They can all be in the same room or in 16 different countries.
Games are family-friendly and good for all ages. Players can join from anywhere across the globe via video conferencing. No two experiences are ever the same, with multiple games and categories to select from in each round.
Their initial experience is called “Get it!” and “Know it!” They suggest players think of “Get it!” as a game of fetch, as players embark on a high-energy scavenger hunt, right in their own home or office.
“Know it!” is a knowledge-based experience where players will compete in a series of games across four rounds. As rounds change, so do the rules.”
Majestic Circus will also be introducing a new experience to the mix called “Partner Up!” so fans can engage in a new adventure. This is set to be released later this month.
Majestic Circus is also offering players a special Valentine’s Day deal with discounted booking prices, starting Feb. 12 and running through Feb. 16. More details are available at www.majesticcircus.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Top photo: Batavia native Kevin Noonan hams it up in Centennial Park, near his Batavia home. Noonan is cofounder of a unique virtual entertainment experience called Majestic Circus, which is rapidly growing in popularity across the country.
Inset photo left: A couple plays Majestic Circus online in the comfort of their home.
Submitted photos and logo image.
