St. Maarten’s Yoda Guy attends four USA events | THE DAILY HERALD

Nick Maley and his animatronic Yoda puppet.

PHILIPSBURG–“That Yoda Guy” Nick Maley and the animatronic Yoda puppet that he built at Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit on Front Street have completed a series of events in the USA that included visits to schools in Oklahoma, conventions, motivational talks and a farewell concert for the Star Wars “Skywalker Saga” with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra.

“It was a privilege to be asked to speak to students at Lewis and Clark Elementary School in Oklahoma,” Maley said in a press release. “It was part of the literacy programme run by Tulsa PopKids and followed immediately by two days with fans at Tulsa Pop Culture Expo.”

The expo was a star-studded affair with many other entertainment celebrities: young Boba Fett Daniel Logan; Superman Dean Cain; Bionic Woman Lindsay Wagner; Firefly’s Summer Glau; Asher Angel from DC’s Shazam and wrestling star Bill Goldberg, amongst others.

Maley’s next engagement was to do signings of his book The Do or Do Not Outlook and to be a guest speaker at Future Horizon’s Autism Convention in Syracuse, New York.

“I’m not an expert in autism,” Maley explains, “but the principles I share in my book about dealing with adversity, celebrating being different and overcoming society’s negative opinions of people with disabilities really hit home. The warmth and appreciation I received from that audience was very rewarding.”

Maley’s last trip was to the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, where he has previously appeared as a guest speaker on three occasions.

“This was a very emotional concert,” Maley says. “Maestro Rafael Enrique Irizarry, who conducted the concert, has become a cherished friend over the years and with Star Wars IX – The Rise of Skywalker being John William’s final score for the Star Wars, we were both sad to see his enormous contribution to the series coming to an end.”

Also a guest at the concert was Angel Relez, conductor for the music for the animated series Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars.

Maley, who was a key contributor to the creation of Yoda for Star Wars V – The Empire Strikes Back, was involved with the sci-fi saga from the very beginning in 1976. The team he was a part of was involved with building Chewbacca, Greedo, The Wampa, Tauntauns and four versions of Yoda. His museum on Front Street is described as the most unexpected enterprise in the Caribbean. Recommended on every major cruise line, listed by TripAdvisor as the #1 “thing to do” in Philipsburg, the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit allows St. Maarten schools to bring students to visit free of charge, it was stated in a press release. Organisers are encouraged to call 542-4009 to make arrangements.

Star Wars IX – The Rise of Skywalker is scheduled to open at Caribbean Cinemas in Cole Bay on December 19. Will Maley be there to see it? “Probably,” he replies.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/93303-st-maarten-s-yoda-guy-attends-four-usa-events

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