Polishing Your Show

“Wow!” my client gushed. “Everything you did was incredible!”

Yeah,” her partner said. “None of us could figure anything out. We kept looking at each other and saying, ‘How--?’”

I had just finished my assembly program.

This was a particularly sweet ‘victory.’

The show was my middle school bullying program. Middle schools are challenging, but fun.

I get to pull out some really cool mental effects I can’t do for my usual elementary-age performances.

And this show was one I’ve been fine-tuning for years.

Fine-tuning a show means experimenting with a lot of routines.

You see what plays well and keep those. The routines that don’t play well get cut.

It’s an arduous process in any market.

For middle schools, it’s particularly challenging.

Let’s say there are 1000 choices for stage. (Go with me on this.)

Out of those 1000, only around 500 might be stuff that would engage middle school kids.

Gone on change bags, silks, breakaway wands, sucker kids, and the list goes on.

Out of those 500, there are routines inappropriate for school.

Needle Thru Arm? Gone. Along with most bizarre magic.

Add in the fact I’m constructing an educational show. That narrows the field even more.

But on this day, I had finally put everything together in the right order.

The routines perfectly illustrated the messages I was going for.

The kids loved all the routines.

My clients loved everything.

So this show is ‘locked in’ routine and message-wise.

Now comes the real work.

My friend Jim Kleefeld calls this ‘The Honing.’

This is when you tighten your scripting. Work on your blocking. And so on.

Depending on how often you do the show in question, this process can take years.

But I’ll give you a few tips to save you some time.

First, videotape your shows. Watch your blocking.

Are you just wandering around the stage as you talk? If so, stop. Movement should have meaning.

Watch your blocking. Do you know where your props are? Or do you look in one location and spin around to another location?

Work on that. Your movements should be smooth and crisp.

Next is one of my pet peeves.

How are your transitions? How do you get from one effect to another?

I usually have a ‘dump box’ on a stand to my left.

As I finish up one trick, I can quickly and smoothly stick it in my ‘dump box’ which is hidden behind one of my banners.

Scripting-wise, you’ll also want to have some kind of transition to slide from one routine to the next.

Also just audio-record your show.

This way, you’re just focused on the sound.

Listen to yourself. Do you have a lot of ‘uhhs,’ ‘ahhhs,’ and other unnecessary noise coming out of your mouth?

Sure, we all have the occasional one. But if you have them a lot, it’s probably an indication your scripting is not as tight as it could be.

Then listen to your pacing. Do you talk too fast? A mile a minute?

This, by the way, is my kryptonite. I always talk too fast.

Each time my director, Jim Vagias, critiques one of my shows, he tells me to slow down.

It’s still a work in progress. What can I say, I get excited performing.

What about going too slow? Can you speed up your delivery to engage your audience?

While you are at it, listen to your scripting.

As you are explaining your routine’s premise, are you using too many words?

Eugene Burger always said editing your script to the least number of words necessary for the audience to understand should be the goal.

So listen to yourself and see what you can cut.

This lato piece of advice may be the hardest to accept.

Let’s say you’ve got your show’s lineup all set.

The audience responds well to everything. Everything plays.

But what if one or more of your effects makes you…nervous?

There are certain routines I’ve dropped from my shows over the years for this reason.

Maybe it’s the electronics that make me nervous. Or there is a certain sleight-of-hand move I just don’t like.

Regardless, it’s a hard decision to make, but cutting a routine that makes me nervous helps in the long run.

Audiences sense your nervousness. Maybe it’s ‘the smell of fear’ thing. (Credit Naked Gun 33 and 1/3.)

It’s frustrating to cut something out that plays well.

But to me, if I’m nervous I’m not enjoying performing.

There are far easier ways to make a living. If I can make the show enjoyable, then I won’t dread ‘going to work’ each day.

These little tips are just the tip of the iceberg.

Jim Kleefeld offers an entire manuscript on this topic. You can get it HERE.

I also have a book on improving your performances. Check it out HERE.

Have a great week!

--Cris

P.S. By the way…whenever you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you grow your magic business to book more shows at higher fees:

 
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4. Work with me privately.

 
Need help in multiple areas? I can help you with your website, direct mail, email, or other marketing strategies. I also offer consulting services for crafting magic routines or even entire shows. Want to find out more? Shoot me an email at cris@theprofessionalmagicianclubpro.com.

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To find out more how I can help you book more shows at higher fees, click the button below to see my list of services.

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