It seems that my many phone calls and letters have led to an audition of sorts. This weekend I am set to perform a few routines for the management staff at a local chain. Let me tell you what I have in mind and please give me your thoughts on what would be good.

I would like to start off with Sucker Born Every Minute since there will be several managers present . Then maybe Bigger Finish, Sneak a Peak, Red Hot Mamacita, disappering silk, Scotch and Soda, and end with Pen through dollar and/or pyro perception . I also have coin in bottle, public transit, floating dollar and magician's insurance policy that could be subsituted for any of the above. I want to start out strong and keep their attention and end WoWing them. I'll have a pocket of size 260 balloons to sculp animals for kids. I await your ever invaluable thoughts.

sounds like too much cards one after the other. don't bore them with so much cards one after the other, they will get kinda bored. pyro perception is a cool trick, but i wouldn't perform it for more then 2-3 people, unless i'm surronded and then i can do it to like 10 people. u should also get some books and dvd's, u must learn sleight of hand, u use only gimmiks :S

Tomer

I am not sure that several good card tricks are all that bad, but be careful. The real question is do you provide good motivation when you move from one effect to another? In other words, what are you saying to the patrons when you put the cards away and pull out a silk? Why do you put it away to pull out two coins, and then a pen and bill? You can post your answers here, but really I am asking this because often this is one aspect of performing that magicians forget--transitions from one effect to another. But, in anycase, it is a little to late now. Good luck.

Another question. How do you handle your prop management? How do you move from the Bigger Finish to Sneak-A-Peak, to Red Hot Mamacita? All three use different gimmicks or different decks.

I do wish you luck, and you know better than me on whether you can do these effects well, but it seems you have strung some individual things together that you picked up here and are calling it a routine.

I'd say you're not ready, but to each his own. Most of your effects are gimmicked and require reset, which isn't a good thing for walkaround.

Please please please be sure you are ready to do what you set out to do when getting a magic job... as they say, a good magic performance opens the market for other magicians, while a bad performance will close the market, possibly for years.

Thanks for the input. I have often thought that it maybe too many cards but I love my transition from sneak-a-peek to RHMcita. When I do RHMcita I use a Qh and it flows nicely because they just saw a whole deck of Qhs in Sneak-a-Peek and when I force the Qh I say "Oh you really like that Qh don't you." As for motivation and tranistion, those are essential elements that I can't explain here. If you saw how I performed the routine I have outlined it may answer some of your questions about transition. As for being too gimmick heavy, I have plenty of sleights I use with sponge balls, coins, and cards. This appears to be some kind of interview/audition and I want to use the most impressive effects I have. I would welcome your comments and suggestions. I have never got bad advice from any of you. Paddy, it sounds like you have been around the perverbial block in this area so let me know what you think?

mysteriousone,

What places you in a position to determine whether a magician is ready to perform or not? Maybe if you viewed my routine you would then have some standing to make such a judgment. How based soley on a list of tricks do you arrive at your review of a performance you have never witnessed. I understand your comments but I think they are unwarranted. How much reset is involved in "Pen Through Dollar"? How long does it take to reset sneak-a-peek? disappering silk? Did you even read my list of tricks? No...no you did not. You saw some gimmicks and you freaked. I know that I am not alone here but when you are dinning out which would you rather see: Some guy pull a coin out of someone's ear or a Magician burn his fingers revealing the card you selected?

I don't think you are ready........ I don't think you are ready to brand me as someone who would "close the door on magicians" just because I use a gimmick here or there. It is people who use gimmicks poorly or think because they have a gimmick practice is not necessary they are the ones that "close the door for all of us". FYI I am an attorney who quit practicing law to stay at home with my daughter. For two years all I have done as Mr. Mom is to practice magic. Until you know the situation please don't pass judgment. Thanks

Well as a full time restaurant magician I don't think you're ready. I think you will give us a bad name because all you can do are gimmicked tricks. We won't even start with the attorney jokes but I will say that if you have practiced magic, while being Mr Mom (I know that it is not an easy thing to do,) but you have been practicing for TWO YEARS and you STILL only do gimmicks. You are NOT ready. That is like telling us that you have been practicing law for two years, but you only work as a paralegal now.

Sorry if you are offended, but you are the one telling us that after 2 years of almost full time practice you are limited to gimmicks. You're bad.
Peter

Easy does it Paddy. Perhaps you didn't read the entire thread. Gimmicks are not all that I do. I was asking for advice as to whether powerful gimmicks should be used at an audition or should I stick to coins, sponge balls and card sleights. I was leaning towards some more of the gimmicked tricks as they tend to produce a stronger effect in my humble opinion. In fact, I specifically asked for your insight and rather than offer your opinion on an audtion and what types of tricks to use, you so politely tell me I'm bad. As for the practice of law go ahead and take your shots but I gave up a legal career to raise my child and decided do learn magic while doing it. You can deliver all the criticism that you want ( and you regularly do) but focus on the question that was asked to you and don't just assume. You, my friend, never miss a chance to correct someone's grammar or spelling. All I am asking you to do is read. Then give your oppinon.

A couple of things: First, you ask on Thursday for advice for a weekend audition. Second, you list a set of individually purchased, gimmicked, effects that are routined in a somewhat haphazard order. These two facts suggest to most magicians that you are new and are not ready. Why? You should have several strong, tested, routines fully developed before you audition for a restaurant job. Many restaurant magicians believe you should prepare those routines for months before you spring them on the world. We don’t know the whole story. Maybe the audition came to you out of the blue. But still the whole situation is suspect. Not enough advanced planning (apparently) and two many gimmicks (in our opinion). Of course, we may be wrong. Many magicians do well in restaurants using gimmicks--but most do not. Also you did not tell us that you have done magic for two years or that you could do coins, card sleights, and sponge ball magic. What do you want for advice? Honestly, I think we are ambivalent, at best. But since you are auditioning this weekend, there is not much we can do to help. From the stuff you listed, I would definitely dump some of the gimmicked card stuff, throw in sponge balls. Beyond, that--Good luck.

I just called and cancelled the audition. You guys may be right. I know my effects backwards and forwards. Really, my individual tricks, gimmicked or not, are in good working form. The problem is that I have not really sat down and hammered out a routine. Yeah I have strung a few tricks here and there like Sneak-a-peek and then RHMcita but as far as a well oiled routine I guess I wrongfully figured that you only do 2-3 tricks per table a routine is really not necessary. I kinda thought that after the audition , I could polish the order of my effects. This is why I was asking about what to use for an audition. It appears that the cart was placed well ahead of the pony. Thanks for your time and suggestions.

I never said that you would close the door on magicians. I said...



If you aren't ready, you will close the door, if you are, you won't. I only asked you to not do it if you weren't ready. And quitting your job as an attorney has no bearing on your qualifications as a professional entertainer. Also, time has no bearing. Some people have been in magic for decades and they still can't land a gig because they don't know how to be entertaining. Being a magician and an entertainer are two separate concepts.

As I said, I don't think you are ready, but to each his own. I don't find the idea of burning a card on your fingers is entertaining at all... you need to make it entertaining.



A restaurant isn't the place to polish your performances... it's a place to perform. I'd recommend looking up some literature on restaurant performing. Peter has a new book out, and judging from the quality of his advice, I'm sure it will be excellent. Sorry if I came off as harsh, but I find that honesty is the best policy. Would you rather me lie and tell you that you're ready to be the next Michael Close?

Again, I apologize, and I hope things work out for you.

Chris managed to say what I would have wanted to say in a lighthearted way.

I may never be ready to perform. This is the sad truth I must face. I think I became dillusioned by the commerical rethoric of Penguin creating cognizant disadence manifested in their "born to perform" mantra. Like Pinoccio longed to be a "real boy" so too do I desire to be a "real magi". Alas I am trapped in the intestinal doldrums of a gimmicked leviathan. Perhaps I can perform pyro perception to ignite a blaze to liberate myself.

How poetic.

If you want help, I highly recommend the book Maximum Entertainment. It will do alot to change your perception of magic performance. There are many other books, but I think this one gets the point across well. Unlike other magic books, there are no tricks... only the secrets behind what counts, entertainment. Also, I recommend The Restaurant Worker's Handbook.

There's my advice.

Take it or leave it.