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magicdoctor Veteran user Wi. 377 Posts |
Just did a birthday party yesterday for a 7 year old girl, who had 50 classmates and some parents.The party was a great succses.I did a couple of effects for the adults.which went over well.My question is when doing birthday parties,does anybody else include the adults in your shows?
Just wondering, Michael
Michael Von Schroeder [url]www.vonmagic.com[/url]
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Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
Always. I encourage the parents to sit with the children as a "memorable bonding opportunity."
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
Oliver Ross Inner circle Europe 1724 Posts |
Even though it's a kids show, I always try to include the adults by using words in the presentation that only they would understand, but not the kids. It makes them laugh and feel being part of the show. I might aswell include an effect or two using an adult during the show, but since it's a kids show I'm trying to have much more kids participation than the adults or parents.
Anyway, if the parents kids are on stage to help me, the parents automatically get involved and more interested in what will happen on stage. The parents should always assist the show, so they'll be there if anything "unusual" should happen (pipi, hunger...). Oliver. |
BIGmagiclV Veteran user 375 Posts |
The adults are always included in the show but I make sure everyone knows the show is for the birthday child and his friends. I will throw out several references that adults will laugh at but maybe not the kids just to keep them hooked. I am in Las Vegas and an example would be when I ask the 6 yo if he has a job. when he says no I say welcome to Vegas. the adults laugh because they know unemployment is very high here.
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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
The adults always enjoy my show, but there is nothing added for them. I have been hired to entertain the kids, and that is what I do. However since I don't use kids props or magic words, the adults can relate.
However the tendency in Ireland is for the parents to want to stay in the kitchen drinking while I am entertaining their kids in the front room.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
I will toss in a few adult-type jokes, but I do not present effects just for the adults. The jokes are not offensive or off-color, but rather things that adults understand and kids pretty much just ignore. It's amazing how we have the ability to "erase" from our consciousness comments that we don't understand without even realizing it went past us.
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Clownboy Veteran user 355 Posts |
I find that most of my humor appeals both to the adults and the children. The adults will even come up and ask how I did a particular trick. To which I will reply "Very Well"!
Brad
As the Frogs say "Times Fun when you're having Flies"
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Tony James Inner circle Cheshire UK 1398 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-17 18:39, TonyB2009 wrote: Same in the UK too, when of course it is a house party. Most parties here are held in halls and the only adults present are the parents of the birthday child, sometimes grandparents if they don't live too far away and possibly mother's best friend helping with the food. They are all involved in unpacking, finishing off and laying out the tea which is usually substantial and can take them the first half of a two hour party. After tea they are occupied clearing away, washing up the crockery and cutlery and making the kitchen tidy and spotless, putting back all the tables and chairs and sweeping away every trace of crumbs. Otherwise they will be charged, usually by losing their deposit on top of the hall rental. It's usually only a grandfather who is the token sole adult watching the magic and with any luck, he'll fall asleep! The other parents drop off their child and vanish immediately and don't return till the very last possible second. As I've mentioned previously, the British don't really like children, not even their own. Especially their own!! Isn't it curious how are cultures are similar yet so different?
Tony James
Still A Child At Heart |
TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
I brought the kids to two pantos this year. The first was top class. The second decided to play to the adults as well as the kids. I am in no way a prude, but I think jokes about sex, and bad language, have no place in kids entertainment. Yet the panto writer clearly felt otherwise. The mind boggles at what some people think is acceptable, just because it will go over the kids heads.
This is not a reflection on what anyone has said on this thread; it is a reaction to a bad panto.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
I've modeled my scripts after the old family cartoon programs - Roadrunner, Bugs Bunny, Rocky & Bullwinkle, The Flintstones. They played to children and adults alike on dual levels without resorting to crass humor or suggestive innuendo. Even though my focus is on the children, the adults seem to laugh as often and as hard.
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
I make several asides to the adults during the show. It unifies the audience. When I do Artomatic, I pause in mid-drawing and site down my thumb at a male member of the audience, like an artist would. No need to say anything. The adults get it. Kids laugh because the adults do.
When I am getting the kids to say magic words, I'll stop everyone, step off the stage and go to one of the adults and say slowly "It's Ab-ra-cad-ab-ra..." At one or two later points in the show, I will look pointedly at my adult, arch my eyebrow and wait for them to say the magic word with the rest of the room. Again -- no need to say anything. These are very fast add-ins that make the show work for the adults as well as the kids. (This is also a wonderful device for taking control of the room when some of the adults won't be quiet. It makes its point with gentle humor without requiring me to get confrontational and huffy about the fact they won't shut up...) The key, however, if you're going to "play" with an adult from the audience is to ensure you pick someone who's making eye contact and laughing -- the kind of person who looks like they'll play along a little without getting out of hand. There are two reasons for this: first I want everyone to have a good time...second: I'd rather not get punched out. After the show I will often go to my adult to thank them and shake their hand. So far no one's thrown anything at me. David
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears. Bears will kill you.
My books are here: www.magicpendulums.com www.MidnightMagicAndMentalism.com |
Ed_Millis Inner circle Yuma, AZ 2292 Posts |
The next time I have enough adults in the audience: when the silk vanishes, "It's in your parent's shoe! The first one up here with Mom or Dad's shoe gets to help me find it!"
Ed |
Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
This just in...magician pummeled to death by kids with shoes. Film at eleven!
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
I usually beg the parents to hang around for my show, because my show is for the whole family. There are only two, or three exclusively kids tricks in my show, so I only have to change a few tricks to do my adult show. Of course the biggest difference between my kids show, and my adult show is the way I present the tricks.
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
As mentioned above you can play to the adults without being crass. This can be done with references to songs, tv shows and age things such as when getting up from a kneel down positon.."this used to be easier when I was younger". Another example would be "is there a chiropractor in the house", during or after a strait jacket escape.
I also grew up with shows like Bullwinkle. Some performers as mentioned above imho do go too far. Harris still 2 old to know everything.
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
Exactly, Harris. In one of my routines I show a changebag empty by turning it inside out - however there's a rubber lizard clinging to one finger (Thank you, Dave Risley) that I don't notice. Once the kids call my attention to it, I yank it off and speak to the lizard saying "I already save 15% on my car insurance! These guys are so pushy!" I always draw a laugh from the older kids and adults with that unexpected line. There are little bits like that all through my act aimed at the adults - and they work. There is no need for bedroom humor at a kids' show.
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
National commercials are a great and easy way to add topical humor to your shows. Knowing when to changes bits because the reference is too old...priceless.
Harris still 2 old to know everything....
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
Mr. Pitts Inner circle David Pitts 1058 Posts |
I include adults in my birthday shows. I advertise as a family and children's entertainer, and I mean it. I think Skip's on target when he mentions the old Warner Bros. and Bullwinkle cartoons, they manage to be funny for kids and adults at the same time, and not simply because they cleverly slip in 'adult' references (although there's a little of that) but because they are actually very funny. My act is funny for kids and adults at the same time, at least that's my goal, and I achieve my goal throughout most of the act. There are a couple of things the adults like better, a couple the kids prefer, but overall I succeed in entertaining both at once. I begin to pull adults into the act during the warm-up and try to keep them engaged during the whole show. It lessens the dreaded 'adults talking in the back' problem and the kids seem to stay more engaged because they don't have the impression that the grown-ups view it as just for the kids. If the adults blow it off, the kids are more likely to undervalue it as well. The 'adult' references I use are very tame, and they either use words that little kids don't usually understand (like 'metaphor' or 'paradox') or references to old TV shows like Gilligan's Island... things that are just more in their frame of reference and not expected in a kid show. I also tell the mom or whoever books me that the show is for the whole group, the entire family, and that I use grown-ups as volunteers in the show. I always assure her though, that I never pick on the moms because the guys are funnier as volunteers. This is actually helpful since women are typically more worried about being embarrassed, and also, generally they're already doing most of the work on the party so I don't want them to worry about being called up during the show. Plus, the idea of their husband or brother being made to volunteer usually appeals to the moms.
For day care shows, I have a version of the act where there is very little for the adults specifically because generally the day care providers see my show as something of a break, and plus, they are almost all women and as I said, women aren't generally as comfortable being asked to volunteer and that affects the audience's perception. You want to keep everybody on your side, especially at a daycare. |
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