"…viciously inspired…" -- The New York Times

Forks balance on the tips of toothpicks, glasses of water are overturned without spilling and tennis balls fly during Science Day at UCLA featuring Paul Zaloom from "Beakman’s World." Zaloom, who portrays Beakman, the delightful but wacky scientist on the popular children’s television program, brings his zany and entertaining low-tech science experiments to the Veterans Wadsworth Theater on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m.

Winner of two daytime Emmy awards, "Beakman’s World" premiered September 1992 in national syndication and on the Learning Channel cable network. After only one season, the series moved from national syndication to CBS’ Saturday morning children’s lineup.

Since then, "Beakman’s World," with its hip humor and flash, has garnered a number of accolades for being both educational and entertaining. Dedicated to answering some of life’s most pondering questions such as "How do I grow?" or "What makes a cat purr?," the show prompted The Boston Globe to declare, "Yes there is hope for children’s TV."

Judy Price, CBS vice president of children’s programs and daytime specials called "Beakman’s World" a "breakthrough series" with a "winning combination of education and fun." TV Guide gave the series an A- rating, saying it is "in a class by itself."

Performance artist, puppeteer and political satirist, Zaloom has been performing nationally and internationally since 1978. He has appeared at a number of prestigious venues including the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis, New York’s Lincoln Center, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Mayfest in Scotland, and Les Semaines de la Marionette in Paris, to name a few.

Zaloom has written, designed, directed and performed eight full-length solo shows, including "Zaloominations," "Fruit of Zaloom," and "Creature from the Blue Zaloom."

Zaloom has received three Citations of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from UNIMA-USA, an L.A. Weekly Critics Award, a Village Voice Obie Award and a New York Dance and Performance Award. He has also received several National Endowment for the Arts Performance Art fellowships and Inner-Arts grants and was the recipient of the coveted Guggenheim Fellowship to fund further development of his work in 1991.

Tickets to see Science Day at UCLA featuring Paul Zaloom from "Beakman’s World" are available for $25, $22 (1/2 price for children 16 and under) and $9 (to UCLA students with valid full-time I.D.) at the UCLA Central Ticket Office, at the southwest corner of the James West Alumni Center, online at www.performingarts.ucla.edu and at all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information or to charge by phone, call UCLA at (310) 825-2101.

Go to event page.