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Steve Suss Inner circle 1193 Posts |
Instead of dreading the Bar Mitzvah gig look at it as a challenge. There are few venues that require the versatility of a Bar Mitzvah magician.
You've got to deal with all types of individuals and all different situations. From the teenager to the senior citizen. From the quiet room at the cocktail reception to the noisy room on the dance floor. When I sell my services to a prospective client I emphasize the fact that I liven up their party wherever it is needed. This includes being able to entertain under all circumstances. It is not about me but is about them. The day after the party I want everyone to rave to the host/hostess about how much they enjoyed the magician. This will get you much repeat business. A good performer is a walking advertisement and needs no advertising other than his performance. In the New York area Bar Mitazvahs are very lucrative as people will always pay a premium to get good entertainment. We charge by the hour and a typical affair lasts from 4 to 5 hours. While most magicians prefer performing for adults you will be limiting the amount of Bar Mitzvah jobs you get if you can't also perform for the kids. It is true that these kids can be extremely obnoxious but with a little experience you will know how to handle almost any situation and after a while you might even enjoy performing for them. |
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paymerich Special user Norwalk, CT 546 Posts |
I just got booked for another bar mitzvah last night ( for october) and it got me thinking of wanting to do a good strolling mentalism effect. Anyone have some suggestions that have worked for them in their strolling. I would like something non-playing card oriented btw. Thanks in advance .
Have a Magical Day!
<BR> <BR>The Maniacal Mage <BR> <BR>Pablo Aymerich <BR>Norwalk, CT 06851 |
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nucinud Inner circle New York, New York 1298 Posts |
The Stealth Assassin Wallet, PK Touch, Center Tear comes to mind.
"We are what we pretend to be" Kurt Vonnegut, jr.
Now U C It Now U Don't Harry Mandel www.mandelmagic.com |
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Nathan Alexander Inner circle 2021 Posts |
I just did PK Time at one last Saturday for the adults, that's always good too. I also second peeks or center tears for a variety of effects.
And if you don't mind cards well, I love the mem deck work you can do especially as the little buggers had a few "youtube" wanna be magicians amongst them and we're prone to calling out methods even if they weren't valid - which is just as damaging if they think they know. But the mem deck work got 'em! Gotta admit that was fun. A lot of "mental" magic can be done with that. |
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Maestro Special user 801 Posts |
To misbehaving bar-boy: "I'm sorry son, you're a man now, they'll be no more magic for you."
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paymerich Special user Norwalk, CT 546 Posts |
I am not against card work , I just want something non-card to help throw them off a bit more.
I have been thinking of Jay sankey's trick from I think front row sankey with the stebbins like stack . Clairvoyance I think it called
Have a Magical Day!
<BR> <BR>The Maniacal Mage <BR> <BR>Pablo Aymerich <BR>Norwalk, CT 06851 |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
I used to do a lot of Bar Mitzvahs. I stopped. The last one I worked was for the parents of a young magician. He was fine, but the rest of the kids at the party were little momzers. I had my jumbo card rise set up in front of a set of doors that had a "Do Not Open" sign in front of them. A pair of girls pushed through the door and destroyed my entire setup.
My instructions from the mother were "Just do magic for the kids. Keep them out of our hair." I wouldn't have taken the gig if the kid hadn't been a friend of mine. This brings up rule 12. Don't do magic for your friends, even if you charge full price. It's better if they don't know you.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Review King Eternal Order 14446 Posts |
Funny about rule 12. I KNOW, I lose a lot of business. But..I NEVER worry about someone complaining about me, when it was their poor behaved kids ( or adults ) that ruined the day/night.
I do not perform for friends. Know what I avoid? Discount pricing. "You're a friend of...." I'd prefer taking more time to pay off my mortgage that put up with nonsense!
"Of all words of tongue and pen,
the saddest are, "It might have been" ..........John Greenleaf Whittier |
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Magic Sam Regular user Canada 107 Posts |
I'll add some insight, as I enjoy Bar-Mitzvah shows for the most part. First of all, most (if not all) of the kids have seen Chris Angel or David Blaine or own a thumb tip or whatever; second, they're pretty grabby; third, they have short attention spans. That said, choose your shows carefully because they are extremely taxing.
For standup, the kids will crowd you when they find out there's a magician, and they'll follow you to other groups of kids, so I normally repeat effects with different endings. Hopping half, coins across, ring and string routines with the interlace ending, sponge routines are all flashy and simple. I bought an effect where a chosen card is blistered onto your fingers and this effect absolutely kills every spectator at the party. It has four force cards, and even if I do the same card for the same kids they won't know what's coming until the end of the effect, and they're still flipping out and want to see it again. Buy this immediately!! (i am not affiliated with the inventor, it's just a hit with 13 year olds) For table-hopping, stick with the simple and flashy effects. I'll normally do a mentalism effect, short card routine, bend a spoon, chop cup/cups and balls, and end by teaching them something simple. I start by telling the kids that we're having a little contest, and that whichever table claps the loudest gets a prize. Of course, I end up giving everyone a prize (little take-home trick of some kind and teach them how to do it), but this ensures that everyone else knows we're having a good time, makes the other tables interested, and makes the kids at that particular table actually pay attention so they'll have something to clap about. This is just my experience, and parents have always told me afterwards that their kids had a great time. Recently, I got two bar-mitzvahs on two consecutive weekends, for religious families. Here's a challenge: entertain 50 13-year-olds for 2 hours without touching any kind of money, no writing, no tearing, cutting or any kind of fire. It was a success; I may have found a new niche market The major downside here was that they mailed a cheque (no touching money), so I didn't get any tips. Oh well. Good luck!! Sam
Magic is like a party in your eyes, where everyone's drunk and breaking the furniture
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harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Happy Chanukah to you all.
I don't do too many of these. I do have an upcoming gig after a Friday Night Shull in January. On the first day of Chanukah my wife gave to me... a Giant Card..and told me the red envelope would be a great prop for future gigs. (no song..actually happened last night) My wife is Catholic..That makes our family Cashews...(Catholic/Jewish) Anyone see the spy spoof "The Hebrew Hammer"...OY....I had to turn it off after a few minutes will try again some other time... At the last club meeting I shared a parody Mother Magic meets Norman Bate's mother... old rope bit on memories of when I was 8 days old.... and a commercial parody by John Belushi and Gilda Radner..The moyle cutting in the back seat of a caddilac? Be safe well and Happy HOYC.(holiday of your choice) Harris
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
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meyegr Special user Only able to muster 800 Posts |
A friend once asked "what should I do for a Bar-Mitzvah?"
I replied "Cancel!". |
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Dave Lewis New user Anaheim, California 83 Posts |
One of the worst gigs I ever had was a Bar Mitzvah for Hasidic Jews. They were the most immature, obnoxious and ill-mannered human beings I've ever encountered, including drunks. I wasn't even doing magic! I was drawing caricatures and everyone was out of control. All I had to do was sit and draw them. They ran all over the facility, grabbing each other's hats, throwing them around and behaving like monkeys on crack!! The last one I did strolling magic for was filled with snotty little brats who grabbed at my props and yelled at each other while I did the tricks. The mother couldn't speak English very well and wanted me to stop performing while several other performers did their routines. She wanted 5 hours of work for a two hour price. Never again.
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-03-27 17:35, johnnymystic wrote: A "smuck?" Can you say "Spot the goy?"
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Jerrine Special user Busking is work. 629 Posts |
Quote:
Can you say "Spot the goy?" A moyle cutting in the back seat of a Cadillac is funny. |
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yeahidomagic Regular user 134 Posts |
We'll I'll just stick to my regular birthday partys , lol.
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H2Odesign Regular user the Armpit of the Panhandle 193 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-12-05 13:43, Harris wrote: Try "The Hebrew Hammer" on a "guys" night after downing a few He'Brews, the Chosen Beer! http://www.shmaltz.com/ As my wife advises "Don't hold it in, let it out, otherwise you may hurt yourself." On topic, check out: Keeping Up with the Steins (2006) http://imdb.com/title/tt0415949/ It gets my highest recommendation, you can pass on the beer (it's a family movie) and you won't be able to hold it in, unless you lack any sense of humor. |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Now you got me all excited to do a Bar-Mitzvah gig.
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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harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
And don't forget about Bat-mitzvah...
Is there a Judiasm for the Dummies book... I remember playing one of my minor keyed harmonici at a synagogue gig and calling it my "Jewish harmonica". A 12 year old girl asked me where to get the "Jewish Harmonica" and also said she was going to ask her folks about having me for her "bar-mitzvh". An article in the Chronicle can't hurt. Yesterday I laughed during one of my middle school groups. One of the kids responded to something saying..."What am I, Chopped Liver!" an expression I first heard from my grandmother. Harris "oy to the world" Deutsch
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
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H2Odesign Regular user the Armpit of the Panhandle 193 Posts |
For those that may have problems getting into the Barm (short for Bar-mitzvah, not to exclude the "Bat," we just haven't come up with a snappy catch phrase) spirit, just put on a pair of Jewish Gemini Specs 20mins before your show:
http://www.geminikaleidoscopes.com/specs.html http://www.geminikaleidoscopes.com/judaic.html As quoted on the site "These unique holographic glasses let you see vivid fun images when looking at bright points of light! They work well with city lights, candles, and fireworks!" It works even for us "Chosen" ones. Go from goy to Oy in 20 mins! :op Seriously, they would make a great gift for the Bat/Barmey during the show. |
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Larry Davidson Inner circle Boynton Beach, FL 5270 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-02-07 10:51, Frank Starsini wrote: Frank, don't make me pour cold water on you and make you snap back into reality. Step away from the Bar Mitzvah. Quote:
On 2007-12-27 23:18, Bill Palmer wrote: As my kids would say, ROFLMAO! |
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