When Jeff Spicer talks about his work with Live on Broadway, he becomes very animated. His hands wave and he explains things with wild animation that shows his true excitement. But when he is asked how he got the job as this year’s organizer, he simply shrugs.

“He who complains the loudest, I guess,” Spicer said.

Spicer, Karson Kelley, and other organizers have revitalized the annual Saturday evening festival. What was once termed “Downtown After Dinner” has now become “Live on Broadway,” a full-fledged cirque-like event complete with aerialists and entertainers galore.

“We added performance artists, and plenty of space for our resident artists to come in,” Spicer explained. “Then we went about making minor changes that really made a difference.”

The minor changes Spicer refers to affect the ambiance of the event. He allowed local musicians to grace the pavement like they always had, but spaced them out better and turned it into a primarily acoustic night.

Spicer then took the reins on several larger undertakings to his Saturday spectaculars. He created a juried art show for area artists, added several appearances by an aerialist suspended 50 feet in the air and put stilt walkers on the street.

“This is all about being fun,” Spicer said. “We really worked as a group to bring a totally different feel to the event in general.”

Although Spicer doesn’t know if he will be organizing the event next year, he hopes that rave reviews and good turnouts get him and his crew another go-around in the organizer seat. A year’s experience under his belt, along with more time to plan for the next series, will allow him to go above and beyond.

“There are so many things you can do with more time,” Spicer said. “Everything would be planned quicker and run smoother, and we would be able to really dive into making it one of a kind.”