Michael Rayner

Stand-up Comedy, Expert Juggler, Unicyclist & Face Balancer, Auctioneer, Emcee, Audience Warm-up

Michael lives in Los Angeles, but hails from Goodrich, Michigan, about an hour from Detroit. He started performing at Flint, Michigan’s automobile-themed amusement park, Autoworld, during his summer vacations.  Since then, he has been an audience favorite, performing over 10,000 shows for personal and corporate clients, churches, comedy clubs, colleges and theme parks.

His show has been described as “preposterous brilliance” and “whacky jugglement,” a combination of hilarious tricks and stunts with uproarious stand-up and a bounty of improvised fun and zingers.  He has been likened to Steve Martin and Robin Williams.  You’re never sure what’s coming next! His signature trick is spinning a McDonald’s cheeseburger on an umbrella which garnered him an appearance on The David Letterman Show.  Other TV appearances include Sesame Street, The Extreme Gong Show, Thirty Seconds to Fame and various local TV shows and TV commercials.   He is a favorite of Nickelodeon Television having performed his antics on What Would You Do? and Nick Arcade, and has done warm-up for many sitcoms including That ‘70s Show, Reba, Dharma and Greg, Stark Raving Mad, Then Came You, Two of a Kind, Two Guys and a Girl and the specials Thou Shalt Laugh ll and Home for the Holidays.

Michael was a weird scientist for IBM and a dork washing a cardboard car for Saturn.  He played a hapless gas station attendant who tries to take a photo of Elvis in an Energizer battery commercial and has appeared with Ringo Star, Jane Seymour, and Anthony Quinn promoting other worthwhile products.   Maybe his proudest achievement was having Frank Sinatra personally approve him to promote his compilation CD for a Capitol Records commercial.  Currently Michael can be seen in his own comedy special “Bananas”, hosted by Thor Ramsey, on syndicated television and Christian channels nationwide and available on DVD.

Michael Rayner is now married and has two little girls...These are the women who help him dress

"Here is my shocking story.  It’s the story of the prodigal son except I’m the one who stays home and is a good kid.  Growing up in the church we had a steady diet of evangelists and speakers who were recovering alcoholics or drug addicts and had found Jesus.  This started to make me mad.  I didn’t do drugs or drink or any of the ‘big’ sins.  It seemed to me we celebrated those who came back to Jesus more than those who never left.  It didn’t seem fair and I didn’t get it.  Then one day I happened upon Romans 3: 22-24 and I did ‘get it.’"

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, (23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

"I was an idiot.  I was too caught up in my own idea of being a ‘good guy.’  I’m not perfect - and never will be - and, more importantly, you cannot quantify sin. Sin is equal among humans because we are all burdened with human nature.  I might not have been a rebellious youth, but that lack of rebelliousness by no means made me ‘good.’  I was filled with other sins as I still am today.  There is not a day goes by that I don’t take the opportunity to do, if not the wrong thing, certainly not the right thing.  It could be something as simple as not paying enough attention to my wife or kids or perhaps coveting someone’s big-screen TV.  I mean those are really nice; the pictures are so clear and, man, I really want… oh, wait a second… Those little sins are the big sins. Only Jesus is perfect and I- like all my brothers and sisters- am not.  I am the same as the drinker, the drug addict, the adulterer, the liar. Yes, it’s a shocker, but it is why I adore Christianity and Jesus.  He allows all – not just the morally good – but all to have redemption.

"Jesus is the reason I believe in Christianity because he was both divine and human.  Jesus knew what it was like to be a man and chose not to sin.  Being human is hard work and God realizes that.  All he wants you to do is accept him and say.  “Jesus, please forgive me of my sin.”  That’s it.

"Once I had kids, my faith in Jesus was really clarified.  I have a six year old and a three year old.  For one of them the act of apologizing seems to be the hardest thing in the world.  She would undergo the severest punishment rather than say sorry.  It’s the same resistance we show to God.  Maybe it’s just my perspective, but most of my kids’ time seems to be spent either not obeying me or working out how not to obey me, and it drives me crazy!  I want them to obey me so I can keep them safe because I love them.  And yet I turn around and do the same thing to God.  I struggle with this every day and I ask Jesus to forgive me.  He has blessed me with a wonderful wife and two kids and a career I love.  What more could I possibly want?  Nothing… although that high definition is pretty amazing.  Man that would be something.  Oh great.  Now I have to go and ask to be forgiven again.  And he will.  How cool is that."

"One of the funniest guys I’ve had the pleasure to see perform in the past few years is Michael Rayner.  Michael mixes very unique and original physical comedy with a quick witted improv banter with his audience to provide a truly entertaining and hilarious show.  He’s easy to work with.  His comedy is completely clean.  He’s able to make people bust a gut laughing no matter if they’re 7 or 70 years old.  We’ve enjoyed his gigs at several different events and settings here at Bel Air, and each time, he’s knocked it out of the park.  I wouldn’t hesitate to invite him back, or go see him wherever he’s booked."

- Roger Dermody, Executive Pastor, Bel Air Presbyterian church

"Everybody loves the Michael Rayner show."

- Aaron Shure, Executive Producer, Everybody Loves Raymond

"The best way to sum up Michael's comedy is 'unpredictably funny.' Not only does he do amazing things with simple household objects, Michael is just a genuinely comical guy, without even trying. Even offstage, you can't keep a straight face when he's around."

- Cory Edwards, Comedian, Director of Hoodwinked

"Michael Rayner strides on stage toting a grocery bag of everyday objects, and in collaboration with the live audience; proceeds to create a swirling storm of hilarious fun! Recommended." 

- Joel Hodgson, Creator of Mystery Science Theatre 3000

"Thank you for an excellent show.  The students loved it and so did the a dults.  Thanks again."

- Steve Minton, Event Coordinator, Horizon Christian High School

"Quick, versatile, and funny, funny, funny, Michael Rayner is one of my favorite live performers."

- Karey Kirkpatrick, Director, Over the Hedge

"Just to say again, Michael, how fab your show was last night - I really don't remember laughing so much in the theatre for a long time. I was amazed at your preposterous brilliance. Your unique combo of stand up and whacky jugglement is quite wonderful."

- Martin Jarvis, Actor, Titanic

TELEVISION

- Judging Amy

- The Late Show with David Letterman

- Sesame Street

- Van Halen Video

- What Would You Do?

- Nick Arcade

- Alien Generation

- Welcome Freshman

- Wide World of Kids

- ESPN's Sports Center

- The Church Gaidica

- 11-Alive Noonday

- The Morning Show

- Weekly World News

WARM-UP

- Thou Shalt Laugh II

- That 70's Show

- Reba

- Dharma & Greg

- Stark Raving Mad

- Two Guys and a Girl

- Secret Lives of Men

- Two of a Kind

- Then Came You

- Home for the Holidays

- You Don't Know Jack

- Mike O'Malley (Pilot)

- Wayne Brady Show (Pilot)

THEATER

- The Smothers Brothers Show

- Domestic Bliss & Vaudeville

- A Post-Modern Vaudeville Show

- Where are the Hands?

- TheatreSports

- Bohemian Nights

- Las Vegas Hospital

- The History of Pop Culture 101

Performer: Michael Rayner

Travels from: Hollywood, CA

Performance Fee: Call for quote

Travel Requirements: Airfare and Hotel for (1)