20+ years full time 200+ schools every year
School Assemblies & Library Shows
Middle School Assemblies
NY · PA · OH · CT · MA · NJ $500 guarantee, never claimed
20+ years full time 200+ schools every year
School Assemblies & Library Shows
Middle School Assemblies
NY · PA · OH · CT · MA · NJ $500 guarantee, never claimed
I have been a full-time school assembly presenter for more than 20 years, and I still perform in 200+ schools a year. Here is how that started, and what it means for the assembly you are thinking about booking.
For the last 20-plus years I have had the privilege of helping school officials make their assembly programs unforgettable, educational and fun — with magic, music, clean comedy and enough audience participation to keep an entire gym leaning forward.
I know that choosing a performer for your school or library is a genuinely important job. Somebody is going to ask you afterward whether it was worth the money and the lost instructional time. So let me be straightforward about what you are getting: a presentation backed by two decades of full-time work, a very large number of past happy clients, and a guarantee that makes the decision close to risk-free.
If you do not think my program exceeded everyone’s expectations, you do not pay. And nobody has ever taken me up on it.
After 200-plus schools a year for more than 20 years, that is a lot of satisfied clients — and a lot of chances for somebody to have asked.
One clarification on that number, because presenters count differently. When I say 200-plus, I mean schools, not performances. Plenty of people count every show, so two assemblies in one gym on one morning becomes two. I have never seen the point of that.
I started performing when I was eight years old. My parents bought me a magic hat playset and that was it — I was hooked. Fast-forward about fifteen years and I turned professional, doing birthday parties, holiday parties and family events. It was great fun.
But I wanted what I did to make a difference in people’s lives.
Here is the part that matters. I was mercilessly picked on as a kid. That is what they called it back then — “getting picked on.” I was bullied, plain and simple. There simply was not the awareness we have now, and there certainly was not an assembly about it. Nobody stood at the front of my gym and explained to 400 children what a bystander could actually do.
When I was living in Pittsburgh, a friend who was a motivational speaker watched what I was doing and pushed me to put a real message inside the magic. The first show I built was — you guessed it — about bullying. It took a lot of work and a lot of research, but eventually I had a program that genuinely helped schools and that opened up conversations teachers could carry on after I drove away.
I loved creating and presenting that program. All these years later I have built many more, and I add to them every year. I love what I do: helping kids of all ages navigate this fast-moving, strange century.
Experience is a word every presenter uses. Here is what it means concretely on the day you book me.
A cafeteria with a low ceiling and a bad PA. A gym with 600 students and no stage. A multi-purpose room where the fifth graders end up behind the kindergarteners. I have worked all of them, thousands of times, and none of them is a surprise any more.
I bring my own sound system, microphone, tables, props and backdrops, and I arrange my own travel and hotel. I need a power outlet and a space about 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep. That is the entire ask.
Some presenters do 40 minutes of whatever skill they have and then talk about your topic for five. Every routine in my show is chosen because it carries the message, so students remember the lesson attached to the moment rather than just the moment.
I have a specific technique for bringing the energy back down at the end so teachers can walk their classes out quietly. Teachers mention this to me more than anything else in the show.
Every topic has its own routines, with no overlap. That is why a lot of schools bring me back two or three times in the same school year.
There is no agency and no booking service between us. When you call, you are talking to the person who will be standing in your gym.
“I have NEVER gotten feedback like this on an assembly! Cris was the PERFECT choice- directly tied into all we do here. We all really enjoyed his show and the kids loved him too! Thanks so much!!!”
Jennifer NormanPrincipal
Goldwood Primary School, Rocky River, OH
“Cris just finished his show. I want to tell you how absolutely incredible he was! He kept every single student and staff member engaged for the entire 45 minute period. His presentation was perfect for our students. They were amazed, shocked, eager, and all left interested in learning more about science. Thank you so much for gifting us this show! Thank you thank you thank you! I would not hesitate to have Cris back for any other shows he offers.”
Rachel AdelsteinPrincipal
Fort Montgomery Elementary School, Fort Montgomery, NY
“Mr. Johnson was able to perfectly connect important self-esteem lessons with wonderful magic. Students and staff were spell-bound, focused, and energized while learning lessons. Cris was able to keep the audience engaged and excited throughout the 45-50 minute [Character Education Assembly] program. He was upbeat, enthusiastic and did a wonderful job complimenting our ‘No Put-Downs, Do Build-Ups’ program and school theme ‘Character Counts’!”
Dr. Shirlee PaveljackPrincipal
Forest Elementary, Williamsville, New York
“This program was well worth the investment. Everyone loved it and the message was OUTSTANDING!”
Joette CartagneaPTO President
Stetson Elementary, Colorado Springs, Colorado
“Cris is really great with the kids… He is both entertaining and informative. We have had him two years in a row and the kids really enjoy Cris’ programs. Outstanding!”
Carm ProctorPrincipal
Jefferson Middle School, Jamestown, NY
“It was engaging, informative, extremely well done and a lot of fun. He kept the kids attention for 40 minutes… No easy task! I laughed as hard as the kids!”
Donna BensteadTeacher
Springville Elementary, Springville, NY
I am based in Niagara Falls, New York, and I perform in 200-plus schools a year across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey. That covers Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Binghamton and the whole Southern Tier; Erie, Pittsburgh, Scranton and the Poconos; Cleveland and northern Ohio; and most of New Jersey and southern New England. I arrange my own travel and hotel, so a school three hours away is no more complicated to book than one down the road.
Beyond the Northeast, I have presented character education assemblies in 38 states and in Canada. If you are outside my regular driving area, ask about the live virtual programs — they are the same interactive show, run live into your classrooms rather than pre-recorded.
Once I am done performing for the day, I go home to my wife Libby and our three little dogs, Daphne, Stuart, and Stanlee. Libby owns and runs a hair salon in our home — LJ Hair Design at 8310 Lockport Rd, Niagara Falls, NY. If you are ever in the area, swing by and say hi.
The rest of the year I am building the next program. I currently offer 12 assembly topics, including I Love To Read, Yes I Can, No Bully Zone and The Wacky Science Show, plus a full middle school series for grades 5-8 and a library season that runs from summer reading through Halloween and Christmas. Every one of them uses more audience participation than you can shake a stick at.
If you do not think I delivered amazing lessons and messages to your students in a fun, interactive, entertaining manner, not only will I cheerfully refund your check — I will also donate $500 to your school’s PTA or PTO. In more than 20 years and thousands of programs, no school has ever asked me to.
Tell me your dates, your grade levels and what you are trying to accomplish, and I will come back with real answers — not a brochure.
Prefer to talk? (716) 940-8963
No obligation and no sales call — you get program information and a real answer from me, usually the same day.
Cris Johnson's Amazing School Assemblies · Niagara Falls, NY ·
(716) 940-8963
Serving New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts & New Jersey