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rowland Inner circle 1526 Posts 
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I always carry some effects that pack small play big to every gig. I always carry a long length of rope for a routine like pop Hayden's Mongolian pop knot, I also have bill abbots 5 card opener and celebrity smart ass. Also my chop cup routine can play for a large group. The first three take up very little room in my close up case and the last I always have with me. The same thing happened to me many years ago, now I am always ready
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts
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You should always be prepared to do 30 minutes of stand-up when hired for a strolling gig.
Doesn't mean you need to pull out boxes, tigers and vegas crap, but you do need to be able to hold the attention of a large group for an extended period of time. Don't believe me? Wait until you have a gig just like the one you just had. There are many many many close-up / strolling tricks that can be done for huge audiences. Start making a list. There are many many packs small / plays big tricks that you can always have with you , just in case. I was hired many years ago to do strolling for 300. When I arrived, and started to perform close-up for the first few in the room, the client pulled me aside and said ... "you can't just do that. you need to be play big. we have 300 people about to walk in here". Frustrated, I looked at the hiring agent who shrugged and said.. "sorry. I didn't know. what can I get you?" I replied... "Just get me a roll of toilet paper" and left. Outside, I walked back to my car, switched out a few things, walked back in and did a 30 minute stand-up act that turned out to be one of the most successful gigs I've ever done. My experience for this came from performing "on the street" in busking fashion, where you need to learn to squeeze every ounce of entertainment out of each simple trick. Don't ever go to a gig without being prepared to look like a pro in front of the entire audience at once, for 30 minutes. Don't ever let anyone tell you that the following don't play huge: Cards: Jeff Hobson, Simon Lovell, Paul Harris Sponge Balls: Chris Capehart Rope: Daryl, Haydn TP: Slydini, Burgoon Silk/TT: me
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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jay leslie V.I.P. Southern California 9498 Posts
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Frank's right. (He usually is) Especailly about agents. You fully expect to stroll for 80 people and you walk in the room there are 400 who just started eating & the MC anounces you will start the stand-up show in 5 minutes (and the hotel has a michrophone attached to a table).
(Note: That performance never took place. I walked. IHe mumbled "You start the audience participation show AND tell people to take the fork out of their mouth to come up and volunteer - or - you go home.... those are you're two choices" So I walked. But the point is that all the spellbound moves you know or locking penny to dime won't work when you get a mob mentality and 40 people gather around(for whatever reason) You need to carry props that PBPS in addition to that beautiful 3fly you worked on for a year. A color changing handkerchief and 1 to 100 both use the same modus operandi and each one fills a different need. At a table I would prefer the 1 to 100 but you can't see the difference 10 feet away, On a stage red turns yellow and you can see it from the back row.
Jay Leslie
www.TheHouseOfEnchantment.com |
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TheMightyRicardo Loyal user 225 Posts
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Quote:
On Jan 4, 2015, Frank Starsini wrote: Thanks for the great advice, Frank. Pocket space is valuable when strolling, so it is good to carry props that can be seen from a stage if necessary. Richard |
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Montana76 Inner circle I hope I one day reach 1177 Posts
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Fantastic!! Thank you all so much!
This should be a sticky-thread! |
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saysold1 Eternal Order Recovering Cafe addict with only 10798 Posts
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Quote:
On Dec 11, 2014, Poof-Daddy wrote: Same advice as above - I have been caught a few times in the same situation where the host suddenly begged me to do a stage/parlour show even though we had thoroughly discussed strolling magic ONLY by phone and it was specfied in the contract and rider. This past December it happened for a Doctors roup at a hotel - host begged me immediately upon arrival because dinner had finished and "people were starting to get fidgety." I regrettably gave in and did three impromptu stand up effects for the assembled tables but I could immediately sense the energy level in the room was nearly zero (I later found out why. Most were inebriated beyond belief at this late portion of the event + this was an unhappy group). I then proceeded to stroll tables and it was a simply crappy evening. In retrospect I did do the right thing as I always do when they booked me - where I went wromg was in not saying a respectful "no" when asked point blank upon my arrival to veer from what they agreed to. When you do a lot of events like this you learn that every group has a dynamic and some are far better than others. Maybe in tretrospect I should have more assertively asked questions about the evening and tried to insist on having me perform earlier rather than later (their choice). But in the end this was just a bad group - which is rare, but it happens. As far as the OP story, I ususally find that a group of 30 or less is too small to do strolling well - in the end that small a group tends to gather 'round anyway, and you find you are really doing in fact a parlour type show regardless of what you call it or set up for. So I typically explain when the host books me that a choosing the Parlour option is wiser than strolling for groups this samll - maybe a 45 to 60 min set in the living room. Good luck. Quote:
On Jan 4, 2015, Frank Starsini wrote: I'm not opposed to doing some stand up at a strolling gid mind you and it has happened often where I have been asked (this last September a pro football team had me strolling and a very well known player took me aside and asked me to do some stand up - which I gladly did). But I have also had situtations where I was hired for stand up - gotten to the gig and the host said "change of plans" and said it would be a strolling evening... which is nearly impossible to plan for and something I don't think is fair last minute. It all comes down to the conversation you have with the hosts prior to the event - discussing what you do, talking about what happs if they want overtime, and other potential subjects.
Creator of The SvenPad Supreme(R) line of aerospace level quality, made in the USA utility props. https://svenpads.com/
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Jade Ferrer New user Philippines 61 Posts
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As they all say, always have tricks up your sleeves. It's best if you have things to work around with everyday objects. These assets have helped me more than ever.
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Posted: Jan 3, 2015 12:40 pm 
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