Hey guys,

i have my first kids show saturday,birthday party, and was looking to see if you think my routine/tricks will go over well, and any last minute advice. I really dont have a specific order yet, but here are the tricks i have to do: Apperaing/Dissaperaing silk, vanish, produce salt, magic coloring book, change bag using silks big to small, some magic crayons, a producition box in which i am going to close with and am going to produce part of the childs gift, needle through ballon, color changing disks, a blue tube in which you can make the thing you drop through it go fast or slow, a large productin box, Magic key, professors nightmare, sponge balls, and vanishing and producing coins, what do you guys think of the tricks? any ideas on an order in whichh to go? last minute advice? thanks so much guys, really appreciate it.

matt

Last minute advice...don't do it. Why would you book a show without knowing what you are going to do? You are the kind of person who ruins it for other magicians. You put on a crappy show and automatically, the audience hates all magicians. I don't know how many times I have said this- a show is not a bunch of tricks performed right after one another. And you will not keep the children interested by only doing tricks.
Cancel the show and get a routine and a whole show put together. You have plenty tricks, but no show. Kids don't care about only seeing a bunch of tricks, they want to have fun.
-Tyler

A Routine must be memorized and in some cases scripted. You need to make sure that you can flawlessly and smoothly move from one effect to another and have a reason to do so. Make up a story or some kind of entertaining way to logically flow from one effect to the next. I have a great Peter Pan and Capt. Hook show I do with green and red d-lites. Some one is Pan and gets the green one and another person is Capt. Hook. The point is, my show has a theme, a purpose, and kids like that.

Make having a routine a routine part of your magic otherwise you will just keep saying the same lame line "and for my next trick" or "let's see what else I can do for you."

That's cheese, total garbage. Get a routine not just a string of effects.

See my earlier posts for an idea of what I am talking about. Not trying to discourage, just trying to help.

http://www.penguinmagic.com/discuss/vie ... hp?t=58319



Matlock the Magnificent.

Before you guys start jumping all over my case, i have patter for all of my tricks, very good patter i believe, and i can handle the tricks very well. I am pretty darn with my hands, and the technical part is nothing, and i was only asking for some advice on how to go from trick to trick, what tricks do you think will go over the best, and any last minute advice. I would appreicate it if you didn't jump all ove rmy case before knowing me and my performing expierence, i have performed street, restaurant, close up, and also part of a kids show.I know to talk and make them laugh, presentation is the key, how you react, involve them as much as possible, very easy to follow tricks, and to involve them. if you kindly try to answer my questions, that would be great.

Matt

For one, I think that you have to many tricks. Without having a real routine I believe you are trying to wow them with nothing but magic. Try to put in five to six tricks with some patter and a story line. If you are going thru with this I do hope that you have a great warm up skit before you jump into your magic show.
They need to warm up to you and see what you are "about" before jumping into your show.
Needle thry the balloon; I always start off with this and use an adult first to show the kids how easy magic can be. I hand out three balloons, the first two are regular balloons, I blow one up act as if I tie it and hand it to one of the kids in the audience. I let it go before they grab it, it blows around. I don't know this of course because I've turned around, they laugh/ I repeat this again. Then I give out the other balloon tied. I am not going too deep into this because you don't have the time to digest it all.
Next: Coloring book: Appearing Disappearing silks: Sponge balls:Change bag: Production box.
Good luck, you'll need it.

Thank you sluggo for your advice, but like i said earlier, i have patter for EVERY trick that was listed that needs patter, and just wanted to know what tricks you thought you would go best together, and then i woudl tie them together, as sluggo did. thank you sluggo, i will look into that order of tricks, please note that i will not spoil kids views of magicians, and have a lot of performing experience, so i will let you know how the show goes, any more advice/tips would be appreicated.