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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
Tgs, I would tell the mother that the show will begin after they have eaten the popcorn and taken away the cups. My show, my rules. I don't work while they are eating. In the end she wants your show; she will put up with your rules.
A few weeks ago I was in the middle of my show when the mother had an ice-cream truck arrive in the yard with ice-creams for all the kids. Despite my best intentions it is impossible to compete with an ice-cream truck. So I had to pause. The mother expected me to continue while the kids ran out and got their ice-creams and ran back, but I took ten minutes out, left the room and read a book for the duration. Then I came back and finished the show. But that ten minutes came from their time, not mine. I had to drop a routine, as I had a party afterwards. Even if I had not had another party to get to, I would not remain extra time in the house. Staying longer to compensate for the loss would be rewarding their rude behaviour, and that is not something I will do.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
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The Great Zucchini Inner circle 1347 Posts |
Tgs, Tony is right in my opinion, and Al is on point as well. Listen, we learn this the hard way. I know it's tough and takes a certain confidence to do this, but in our buisness, I don't go by the 'customer is always right' mentality. I can't tell anyone the first thing about being a lawyer, a doctor, or anything else for that matter, but this is what we know. They can't tell us how to entertain their kids.
12 years ago, when I made the decision that I was going to do things my way, and not budge, the same thing happened to me, where I was just getting my feet wet, and was nervous about standing my ground. I wasn't as known yet, etc. This mom handed out popcorn, and when I suggested she didn't, she said, "well, some kids already have it, so it's ok". Today, she would have not handed out popcorn or she would have collected it, no biggie. Then, like you, I didn't want to ruffle feathers. Well, the show was horrible. Kids getting thirsty, getting up during show, looking down at popcorn, some popcorn was now on the floor. I said, never again, would I let anyone dictate how I'd do things, and it was the best, most liberating thing I've ever done in our buisness. Now, I just state what I need, and I'm straitforward and I'm heard by these parents. I'm going to give you some patter to use, since I know you are nervous about this interaction. "Listen, Beth(making up name), you and I are on the same team here. We both want Johnny to have the best bday ever. He will, I will make sure of that. However, in order for that to happen, I need certain things to be done a certain way. Popcorn, or other food is a distraction. The magic or silliness happens rather fast and if their looking down for a second, to put something in their mouth, they might miss something. I'm very thrilled to be here, but this isn't a choice I can bend on, because I take tons of pride in my show, and getting the best reaction from the kids. This won't happen, if you don't trust me and go by my rules. If she doesn't listen after this, then walk away, and say I'm sorry it won't work. She won't let you leave. If she huffs, she will forgive anything, once she sees the kids react. I've been invited back to many homes, where I've asked the bday mom not to talk next to show, etc. Once you thrill the kids, they will forgive any requests you had to make, in order to get to that point. |
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tgs Regular user 142 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-06-08 12:00, Al Angello wrote: No, actually, they got a great show and were happy with it, though the mother was very curt afterward. (I told a friend I felt bad the show went well - nobody can do good shows 100% of the time, and if ever I had to do a bad show, I would've wanted that party to be the recipient.) But the point isn't that those distractions result in a bad show 100% of the time - it's that they increase the likelihood of a bad show and also increase the difficulty level for the performer. |
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Vince Hancock New user Bear Lake, Michigan 31 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-06-06 13:45, magic4u02 wrote: Would there be any sense in continuing with the aunt after the immediate gift situation has been dealt with? Since she's unwittingly "come up on stage," could one address her as though she were an important guest, partly to learn her name and introduce her to the other children. It could be that the young audience members are just as startled as the performer ("who is that lady?"). If one could say "Aunt Linda, now that you are here and we have properly met, would you be so kind as to help me with something?" perhaps the aunt/birthday child relationship could be used in some fashion, during a trick that makes any VIP look good. Afterwards, there is the opportunity to have everyone give her a big hand, say thank you, to ask if she can stay to watch the rest of the show, and carefully guide her to the role of the spectator. It seems very tempting to try to grab the spotlight away from her when she barges in, but I wonder if sharing the spotlight and then refocusing would work out. Maybe Aunt Linda would finally get the attention that's never been extended to her before, and even become a fan of magic. Has anyone tried this? Is it feasible? Cheers, Vince |
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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
Vince, that approach might work. But it seems to me to be pandering to poor behaviour. It wouldn't sit well with me.
I remember doing a party once for the family of actor Richard Harris. He was what we in Ireland call a character - which is a polite way of saying drunken ***. Half way through the show he made a grand entrance into the room where I was performing, fresh from a helicopter ride over the estate. He strode into the room, larger than life, and swept his favourite granddaughter into his arms. Then he realised that he had just disrupted my show in a very major way. He quietly dropped his granddaughter down, nodded apologetically to me, and sat down quietly at the back of the room. Harris was a man rich and powerful enough to have bought and sold me, a notorious hellraiser who loved drawing attention to himself. Yet he was capable of learning to behave at a show. Surely we almost have an obligation to educate the rude aunts who bedevil us?
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
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Mary Mowder Inner circle Sacramento / Elk Grove, CA 3659 Posts |
But Sir Richard actually controlled himself and a lucky thing too.
I agree that Auntie Rude should be taught a lesson but while "A Magical Birthday brings lasting Memories of Wonder" (from my website). A mishandling of this could be more of a Birthday Memory than I'd like to cause. You can't be sure how rude people will react. A disruption is possibly a better choice than a disaster. I think who ever suggested explaining the situation to the hostess/host was correct. Let the Host suggest the direction of your actions. Tony, I think you have great personal charisma and charm (which equals command) but I'm not sure your way is best for some of us. I'd be afraid to "Bell the Cat" at someone else's party even though I'm not normally the retiring type. -Mary Mowder |
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Gerry Walkowski Inner circle 1450 Posts |
Tony,
Please forgive me, but I just have to ask this question. What would you have done if Richard Harris came in with a big present for his granddaughter? (I'm honestly not asking that question just to be a wise guy.) In your previous post you said, "I would stop the aunt and tell her to take the gift out to another room and leave it until after the show. I have done that in the past. It is the lesser of two evils." Would you have done that if Richard Harris did the same this as that aunt? I know I wouldn't. Thanks, Gerry |
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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
Gerry, I expect I would have stopped him. I can't help myself. The last time someone drew a knife on me, instead of doing what he asked I punched him in the nose. Stupid, I know, but instincts kick in.
Mary, I used to be more timid. Then I was at a show by a brilliant hypnotist, Barry Sinclair. He is one of the best showmen I have ever met. There were two drunks in the audience. They heckled, he dealt with it. Then they kept it up. As hypnosis requires the complete trust of the volunteers in the hypnotist, these two yobs were threatening the whole show. How Barry handled it was a lesson I never forgot. He stepped to the front of the stage, came out of character, and snarled at them. He told them, in strong anglo-saxon, that if they did not behave he would personally come down and throw their sorry asses out of the theatre. Everyone had paid good money to see his show, and he was not going to let them spoil the night for everyone. He was quite aggressive about this. As a performer my immediate instinct was that he had lost it, and lost the audience with it. I thought it would be impossible to recover from that. I was wrong. He stepped back to the centre of the stage, and the audience burst into spontaneous applause. He hadn't lost them. He had won them. Afterwards he told me it was the only way to handle the situation. You had to be in control. The audience had to trust you. I learnt the lesson. An audience will forgive you whatever you need to do to ensure you give them the best possible show. I never thought I would have the guts to push it like Barry did that night. But the results justified what he did.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
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