One hectic month

I've not blogged in the last month. I've been too busy doing magic!
The magical month can be broken down into five parts;
2 kids shows
THE stage show
The magic circle.
Dickensian call
Burlesque evening

The 2 kids shows were food for thought. I've made some improvments to my show after the last kids show.
1) A water proof mat under where I perform so I don't need to worry about spillage
2) a second table for storing props untill needed
3) a bowl to just quickly throw wet props into

The first gig was for 20 kids at a naming ceremony (like a christening). I was booked to do a show and some close up. I set up, made my table look all magicy with the pros that it'#s safe to examine on display and kept everything else out of reach of little hands. I performed close up as the kids came in for their food, then gathered them around and

The kids seamed very quiet during the show. The parents later d said they thought it was wonderful that they were so well behaved but I was worried about the lack of energy. The kids later though told me they really liked it. one huge snag though. I've designed my vanishing coke bottle routine  so I shrink a  coke bottle, vanish it and the kids find it's been replaced with loads of coke  bottle sweets. As I prepared for the grand finale I was shocked that I revealed NO coke bottles. I improvised  a finale finish and moved onto balloons.   It turned out whilst I kept the kids away from the props when my back was turned some grown ups decided to take them apart, and steal the sweets. I was VERY angry as they seemed  unbothered that they had spoilt the kids fun. I explained to the person who hired me what had happened and explained just how much time was cut short by thier actions. SHe was rightly annoyed.
I left slightly bummed out. The theft bothered me but I was worried by the lack of energy.  I realised my balloon animal work, whilst improving needs more practice and more variety and speed, Time to look into an electric pump.

The second kids gig wasn't much better. I set up as before, adding plasma balls because I knew these kids and I knew they liked them., it was a joint birthday party and one of the girls was a repeat customer.  The second birthday girl was a problem, as one one boy. ALL The kids LOVED the close up. how I WISHED I kept it to close up! with the close up i was as cool as Dynamo (their words not mine). The plasma balls MAY have been a mistake, they got the kids too wound up. Most kids seemed to be patient and enjoy the show except the problem birthday girl and the boy. They kept  saying BORING, and I KNOW THIS ONE and then ACTUALLY say EXACTLY how it was done, apparently they saw it all on youtube.  Then the inevitable happened, they saw a trick they could not explain (diminishing milk) then she just started screaming out total nonsense and complaining, they didn't think it was fair. After the show I went back to close up, but hen my back was turned the boy went into my magic stuff (I've lost my lazer pointer, and a load of blank cards)

Good points though, the close up after the platform show was loved again. One kid interrupted my  4 card trick by yelling "he's using the Elsmly count" My first reaction was to panic, but I released he didn't say what the Elmsly count was. This kid was 10 and knew of it though.  I asked him if he saw the count or if he just knew the trick, He told everyone he knew the trick, that the move I MUST be using was so good he couldn't actually see it, he also told everyone he wouldn't tell them how it was done. So basically a good kid after all :)

So summing up. Tweo kids shows that did not go as planned. I think my show workls great from ages 3-8, but after that I need to change things. I have no kids shows booked for a while now so I have time to take the show apart and rebuilt it, better stronger (but not faster). So some thoughts for the futre, what was different THIS time around

In both gigs;
No once upon a time
Ballons came out last in first gig, no balloons in second
kids had less energy

Maybe i need to do ballons first after all, or somthing that gets the kids excited AS A GROUP as opposed to small close up groups

I'll blog about the show, the burlesque and the magic circle later in the week