I did a show last year for my local synagogue around this time of year. It was a kid show (ages 6-11) that took place while the adults had a supper in a different room. I did a half hour show and it went over well.

They called me back for another show this year which is great. But my show hasn't really changed much since last year. I'm sure a few different kids will come, but most of the kids will probably be an overlap of kids that have already seen the show last year.

I can't start redoing my show at the moment. I can probably change a few things around, but for the most part things will stay the same (Wilting flower opener, Flower box production, coloring book, sponge balls, Vanishing Bandana closer).

Should I worry that kids will remember my previous show and just start screaming out "Oh your going to pull flowers out!" or "I've seen this already!" ect. (not a good impression on the parents). Or will they not remember and the show will be fine?

Thanks in advance,
Uriel

Yeah I think they'll catch on. Change as much as you can but don't force anything.

I have index cards marked show 1-2-3 etc. on each card is different effects. On my party sheet I make out for each show with the info i.e. kids name, birthday party, address etc. on the bottom I have show 1or2or3 whatever show I did for that particular party. If I get booked by them again I go into my files look it up and see what show I did. That way it lets me know what effects I did and I can change it up a bit.

ye i think they will remember but you dont have any other kids effects besides that? use a change bag you have one its not sooo hard to make up a routine for it- i have 1.5 routines im in the middle of making one..... maybe to fill some time you can make balloons?

I think I will have to make a new show. The show is not for three weeks. So I spent the entire day today putting together a new show with stuff that have been collecting dust or that can be presented differently. This is what I came up with (if anyone is interested):

-Warm Up: Same as always - clap contest and "breath testing" flower.

-Salt Trick: Basically it's the normal salt disappearing/reappearing with a TT, but I make the kid the magician. Before he starts he needs a wand (nesting wands and appearing wand for kid).

-Cut and Restored Rope: I do Micheal Finney's routine. I'll use an older kid (or possibly an adult) who can handle scissors. If the kid is young enough I'll do handshake gags (I love those).

-Silk Vanish: A routine I came up with a while back for a camp job, but never used. The silk ends up inside a Pop Top wand.

-Spaghetti Ropes: Preffesor's Nightmare with a spaghetti theme.

-Meatball Sponges: A Misers Dream with meatballs (red sponges). I end up pulling out the meatballs from behind my previous assistants' ears/shoes/ect. My premise is that each of them took the meatballs from me while they helped me on stage. Every time I get a ball, I place it in my bag (devils hank). I end off with saying something along the lines of "These meatballs are too small for me. I need a big one" and with that I open my bag (?) and a giant meatball falls out.

Some of these things were put together a while back and I never used them. And some I cam up with today. I'm gonna have to practice daily for the next three weeks.

Does anyone have any comments on the show I put together?

I know you can't fully understand what my plans are, but what do you think of the structure?

Looks good! Make sure you have as much fun as they do cause it rubs off.

Ayli a lot of magicians use the same material for each show. It is great when you have more than one, but that is just not always the case. I have seen Dana Daniels perform on numerous occasions-- always the same show-- and each time it is just as entertaining and amusing as the last. There is a reason he was the Magic Castle's Comedy Magician of the Year.

As Sluggo said above, it is just as important to have as much fun on stage as your audience does off stage. Be entertaining and they won't mind if they have seen the same show before.

My daughter has performed her show several times in our town for our local recreation district and many times the same kids are watching it-- they will even ask her before the show, "oh, are you going to do the dollhouse, that's my favorite! " or get excited and ask her to make her bird appear. As long as they liked the show the first time, they'll like it the second time as well.

Good luck-- and have fun!!

I agree with what Kristenl said. The first time that I did a repeat show i changed up my show quite a bit. After the show I spoke to some of the kids (like I always do) and they were a bit disappointed that they could not see the previous tricks before. I am not saying that they did not like this show, but they wanted to see the same old show as well. Kids can watch the same movie 20 times a week and be perfectly fine with it because they like seeing the classics again.

So tweak your show a bit, maybe remove one trick and add in another one, but keep some of your classics in there as well because they will remember them and want to see them.

Ben Winter