A clown sits all alone on a stool, reading a magazine. A sign beneath him reads “Cuddles with Puddles,” quickly capturing the sad nature of his lifestyle.

The clown attempts to move his stool, but he continually struggles to move his chair, finding the task too physically straining. Underneath his melancholy exterior, an alluring voice is buried deep within.

Puddles Pity Party, also known as Mike Geier, performed a concert at the Englert Theatre, 221 E Washington St, last Friday night. As a part of the festival’s theme, Geier temporarily took his audience into another world to explore the unknown and present innovative work.

Sporting his signature all-white costume and makeup — complimented with a tiny crown — Geier starkly contrasted the black background of the stage, leaving it hard to take eyes off of him.

Geier hits the show off with a cover of “Losing My Religion,” by R.E.M, faced away from the crowd.

Despite his humorous appearance, Geier’s deep, baritone voice and sorrowful emotion visibly touched several hearts occupied in the theatre, even when he faces away.

Geier notably participated in seasons 12 of America’s Got Talent, where he struck a chord with crowd members, garnering a standing ovation. Geier was automatically sent to the quarterfinals. However, he was eliminated after not receiving enough votes to reach the semifinals.

One audience member from the Englert shouted “They were wrong, Puddles,” clearly referring to his departure from the show.

“We love you, Puddles,” another crowd member shouted.

Geier used a background screen to accompany his singing, displaying various photos and clips. Besides bringing a strong visual element to the show, the screen is a tool used to send messages to the audience.

In a cover of “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick, photos of animals were displayed during his performance, all of them wearing his iconic tiny crown. At the end, a message was displayed urging everyone to adopt.

Aside from singing, Geier remained mute throughout the whole show, yet he still managed to be highly interactive with his enthusiastic crowd.

Geier brought in a few members of the audience to accompany him in his act, one of such was a man who Geier let take control of the microphone. One of the biggest highlights of the show, Geier did not sing, but allowed his guest to sing a karaoke rendition of “All by Myself” by Celine Dion.

Conducting the audience, Geier had the audience sing along with his guest, almost as if they all felt loneliness together.

Geier impressively managed to slip in some humor for his show, utilizing free time between songs to poke fun at his guests and play around with props. During a “coffee break,” a woman comes up to the stage to share a drink with him.

Throughout all the laughs, Geier ultimately drives home an important message, telling everyone the importance of acknowledging your emotions, especially sadness.

Like his voice, his skills of emotional connection is nothing short of beautiful. At the end of the concert, Geier showed how everyone can still have fun at a pity party.