Not sure where this should be... so I'll put it here!

First off, heres the question, then I will elaborate a bit:

What type of shows do people do in colleges?

I see people that seem to have more of an illusion type show. Or at least a stage show for more of a "standard theater". But I have also seen performers that do more of a "stand up" show, that is performed in a union hall of even a Caféteria.

I think I am correct in saying that both types of these shows are done in colleges. But what type of show is done more ofter (probably the stand up show).

thanks for your imput. I'll have a few more questions in a bit on this...but thanks for now


scott b

Check previous posts in search forum-
have discussed this many times etc-

Marketing is the key we do shows with Magic,Illusion & Hypnosis for colleges to crowds upto 800 a night for 3-4 nights at $20 a head

They must be fast paced,funny, plenty of audience interaction , great music & leave the audience wanting more at the end of the night

Good post, I was just thinking about this. I havent seen much on the Café afer my search. I am in college and plan on doing a show for it. What kind of effects should I do?? How should I go about setting up the show, like how long?? Intermissions?/ Etc..

SIX

College shows are not that tricky (no pun intended). They really require a lot of funny, visual material and mentalism. Kids of this age (me being one) love this type of "in your head" comedy magic. So if you do material in this area for colleges, you should have no problems. Of course selecting the right routines is something you'll have to figure out, considering we don't know your performing style.


hope this helps.
chris

"In your head"? Please explain

Yea, I meant mentalism. Every time I've been performing at a college the kids loved the mentalism, and psychic material over the magic.

chris

Has anyone performed Super Chicken in a college show?

If yes, what were the results and tips?

Thank You

Click here to view attached image.

I have seen a lot of comedians and hypnotists, too. The market seems ripe for both. I had a different hypnotist at least twice a month.

I often hear people express the opinion that only mentalism plays on college campuses, while magic doesn't. It just isn't so. Right now, some of the busier variety acts in the campus market are magicians. Brian Brushwood, Nate Staniforth, Justin Kredible, Spike and Hammer--all of these guys are very successful doing magic. Mike Super is extremely successful doing large illusions, while in the recent past, the Spencers were at the very top of the campus field.

The ultimate secret, regardless of what genre you perform in, is to connect with a college age audience.

BTW, nobody listens to me when I say this, but I think escape artistry has enormous potential on the campus market. For one thing, is isn't already being done by a dozen other performers.

--Christopher Carter

I do not believe magic does not work on a college audience. I've found, through a lot of trial and error, that mentalism and escapes have given the best reactions. And I am much more proficient as a magician than a mentalist, so it is not a question of skill. People like Brushwood, Justin Kredible, and Mike Kent do perform magic for their college shows, and they kill with it. So I guess it's just a matter of taste of the performer.

Michael Kent would be another great person to ask about this. He does colleges almost exclusively. It's a market I wish to break into once I am actually through with college. The audiences on a college campus are just looking for a good time, which makes them great fun.

Christopher Carter is one of the top entertainers in the college market. His resume in this area is impressive. His suggestion of doing an escape act is pure gold. There are already plenty of magicians and mentalists performing at colleges; if you are going to attack this market, then it would be best to position yourself in a new genre. One that is/has been untouched.

As Christopher Carter already stated, the most important element is that you must “connect” with the college-age audience. This is not as easy as it sounds. They can be a tough and intimidating audience. I have seen competent performers crumble in the college arena.

If you are looking for those little nuggets of business gold, Chris just quietly dropped one. I can’t believe he gave away such a valuable bit.

Christian

Christopher Carter is not only tops as a mentalist and hypnotist in the college market, but tops as a performer in the college market, regardless of category. There's a reason college programmers throughout the nation, through their votes counted by Campus Activities Magazine, named him Entertainer of the Year -- not Mentalist of the Year, Entertainer of the Year.

Please listen to his advice with the same attention and respect you would accord any of our VIPs.

Best,
Neil

I work as a student activities coordinator at a college, book all of the entertainment, and see all of the acts. I can tell you that, from what I have seen and talking with others, a good magic show and a good mentalism show play the same. The key is to have an energetic, fast paced, funny show that has strong magic. If your show isn't tight, don't even bother trying to work colleges. I have heard many stories of schools not paying bad entertainers. The same goes for mentalism; if you don't have a strong show, don't bother.
The thing with colleges is we see tons of packets and videos from entertainers. If you don't have something different to offer, you will find it very difficult to get booked. College students are just like regular people; they want to be entertained. Anyone that tells you college students don't like magic is simply not entertaining.

Thanks for the kind words, Chris and Brian. My advice is to listen to Christopher Carter. He's been doing this much longer than a lot of us. Christian had a very important bit of advice with "position yourself in a new genre."

And straight from the horses mouth, stangpb has it right. If you don't have a good show, it doesn't matter.

-MK
http://myspace.com/kentmagic

Or you can be a clone and try to break into a closed community of performers and colleges. But what sense would it make to be yet another mentalist in the college circuit?