Hi. I just joined The Magic Café so I haven't had the time to filter through all of the posts and see if my questions have been previously answered (sorry). Anyways I am about to do my first paid show at the local library. I have done short 15-20 minute presentations for family gatherings and for third grade classes. I am relatively new and took on the gig only because it was offered to me. I have a show planned and practiced and I just wanted anyone who wants to take a look at it to tell me what they think.

Appearing Shoe
I come out with only one shoe on and pretend like I forgot something. The kids
say it must be my shoe. Then I go about making it appear from a production box.
This uses one volunteer.
Intro
Tell them a bit about myself.
Professor's Nightmare
Pirate Theme. I use three volunteers. They dress up as pirates. Take a polaroid
picture and give one to each. It has my contact info on it.
Sponge Ball Routine
Short sponge routine. I expand on the pirate theme.
Frog Straw Game
Not really magic. I give the kids each a magic straw. And divide them into
teams. Each member of the team has to carry a tissue paper frog on the end of
straw to a line and back. It is a relay race...the winning team gets a prize.
Vanishing Crayons, Self Coloring Book
Teach The Kids The Jumping String Trick
Give each kid a small string tied into a ring. Show them how to put it over the
first and second finger, wrap it up, and make it jump to the third and fourth.
After this I hand out Junior Magician Certificates to each of the kids.

This takes me a little under thirty minutes to perform. After I am done I usually hand out a coloring page with my contact information on it and then do a balloon animal for each child.

What do you guys think of this show? Any feedback? I have never performed it in whole, but have done bits and pieces on different occasions. I have practiced it all together and it feels solid and fun.

Posted: Jan 15, 2008 8:03pm
Sorry that all of my effects are blocked together. I am new to the forum so I had some trouble with formatting.

Jake;

I like the flow. Should be a ton of fun and self-esteem building.
Can the "Magic Straw" be dressed up to look like a magic wand?

The material and set up is fine except be ready to toss out the game due to space or the fact that once the kids are all seated you may not want them up and running around getting amped up again. I don't quite see the pirate theme. I had a pirate show years ago (and miner/mountain man etc) and I altered routines to make it so there were routines that fit the theme. For example replace silks with bandanas, sponge shell routine, incorporate some gold coins into a misers dream, the rope for the rope routine is part of your outfit, work out of a chest, blah blah blah. Just dressing like a pirate and screaming argh does not a pirate make. Now you very well may have brilliant scripting to the theme that just isn't appearant but do consider what looks pirate-y and remember that many girls want a 'magician' not a 'magician pirate'.

Thanks for the feedback. This is what I had in mind with the pirate theme... I was only going to use it for the Professor's Nightmare routine. It runs about 15 minutes. I have the kids dress up, let them pick a name, give them a magical pirate word, and then tell the story. The story is about three pirates who each are trying to find the same treasure. The rope the anchor is attached to on one's ship is too long so he can't land. Another's is too short and the others not strong enough. The wizard makes them the same size and with three they are strong enough. The pirates get the treasure chest. I then use the square circle as a chest and say the pirates were mad there was no treasure.I then go about making candy coins appear...Then I do the sponge ball shell routine and that's it with the pirate theme. I become a normal magician again.

Do you think that I should take out the pirate theme altogether if the rest of the show isn't going to be base around it?

Also I think I am going to take the game out...it would be fun...but I totally understand where you are coming from when you say it will get everybody too wild.

Argh! LOL - you really need to scream it!

- sorry jake, an inside joke.

As for this point, DON'T take the pirate routine out. You want to use what you are comfortable with using, not something new. Later, after reviewing it (get it on tape if possible) you may want to ax it or expand it.

I have both a pirate magician and magician characters. The overwhelming favorite is a pirate magician . . . and the girls do like it too, but not as much as the boys. That probably has a lot to do with the general pirate craze which is on a downward swing.

As MS said, space is often at a premium, and unless the game is magic related, I doubt the adults will be impressed. They are hiring you to do magic. They probably think they can do games, but not magic. While the games may be a lot of fun, they are not "special" like magic.

Personally, I like getting kids "amped", and can control it. No everyone likes that style. Then again, I rarely do libraries, and I am not sure if "getting them amped" is a good thing in a library show . . . This year the US libraries have a theme involving bugs. You may want to do a little something with that in mind. A spring caterpillar (as opposed to snake) comes to mind. The magic motions for your volunteers could be to jump around like they have ants in their pants . . . .

You also want to keep things moving, so I am not sure about the Polaroid, since waiting for one to develop is not that exciting. Maybe you have a way around that?

While it is difficult to judge a show w/o seeing it, 15 minutes is a long time for the prof. nightmare. Can it be done? Yes, but can someone new to this do it on their own? I don't know. You are showing a lot of promise with creativity, so don't be down if it does not go as well as planned. Most magicians start out with patter out of the box - if any. You seem to be striving for (and getting) originality - which is very good.

Good luck!

A pirate theme is fine just like any costume character is fine. I just think if you are going to do a theme brainstorm your routines and figure how you can connect it to the theme while still maintaining quality. Jokes the kids will understand based around the theme. You can usually find kids books that have jokes in them, some that the parents might get and the kids not are good, like 'how much did the pirate pay for his corn? A buck an ear!'. I would suggest that you leave the door open to do a straight kids show in a jacket and slacks because if you are only aiming at a theme then if a kid is having a Harry Potter party or a My Pony party then you are not going to be considered because you are a pirate and it won't fit. So on your ad say something about magic show and special pirate theme show etc..

MS I agree, but he is just starting out. I don't expect his show to be polished right out of the chute. He doesn't have the experience or background that you have, and I expect he is worried about filling up 30 minutes. A little pirate may give him the taste for more - or leave a bad taste in his mouth.

Also, I don't think everything need be "pirate" themed in a pirate magic show, It is better to be entertaining and have non-themed material too than to just have pirate material. I know you think if themed, everything need follow that theme, and we disagree. Pirates are people too, and they didn't restrict themselves to just actions deemed specifically "pirate".

Still Jake, you do want your party to flow, not be a jumbled collection of routines. Most of us developed our first really good show over time. You experiment, listen to MS wheeze (there is some good info still in him, even if he is old). Soon, you will be a local celebrity. Women will be tossing you panties, the mayor will want to be your best friend . . . *G*

Jake, I was in the Navy with a guy named Tex Heller, so if you need help let us know.