What do you recommend is the best illusion that kids would like? I perform 2 or 3 illusions in my kid shows but the problem is, after my show, when I ask a child what he / she liked most in my shows, the answer is always, the rabbit, the parrots and my puppet show.

Lou,

I can't tell from either your avtar or your question whethe you are talking about a true stage illusion or a parlor effect. Could you clarify a little?

Kent

Accept the kid's answer and don't waste your time worrying about what's not important to them. Get more livestock into the act or spend your money on puppets.

The only illusion I have is the bunny production, if you can call it an illusion.
Lou, you didn't say what type of performance for children.
Is for birthday parties,scools or fairs.?
Richard.

Sword through neck j/k. I think illusions, for the most part, are more for the adults. I have the Chair Suspension/Flying Carpet in my shows.

Kids love livestock...and candies.

Which two illusions do you currently do in your shows?

Kids love livestock and puppets, but the parents paid you to perform magic. So, even if you incorporate more of the same into your show, be sure to do something magical with them.

Kent

I love the chair suspension and I perform it in most every show I do. the kids love it and it also plays for audiences of any age. It packs dowwn flat and is easy to transport to and from any event.

Kyle

Yep Kyle.
The chair suspension is by far the most portable illusion for home parties.
Which is the best, there are so many dufferent makers it hard to know which one is the best.
Richard

I am reminded by a story told to me by my mother about when she was a little girl. Her parents took her to see the Great Blackstone Illusion Show (Harry Blackstone Sr.). As a budding young magician, I always tried to worm out of her what she remembered about seeing this fabulous full evening illusion show performed by one of my heroes, but all she could recall was that Blackstone had made a rabbit appear and had given it to her to take home. She could tell me all kinds of stories about that pet rabbit until the day it died years later, but about the Great Blackstone and his Amazing Illusions... nothing.

I'm sure Harry Sr. would remember the story differently, about how the kids all loved his floating light bulb, or his amazing levitations and appearing this and vanishing that, but ask any kid who attended one of his shows what THEY remembered and what THEIR favorite illusion was and you get a very different result.

I am talking about a true stage illusion like doll house, cube zag, voodoo box, electric chair, levitation, basket, modern art, zig zag, broom suspension, sword suspension, Jam, Subtrunk, etc.

I do birthday parties mostly in hotel ballrooms, big restaurants, country clubs, mini theaters and plush clubhouses here. Guests range from 150 to 300. It is more of a Family show than just a Kid show.

I don't perform an "exlusive all" magic show. I combine the parrots and puppets to add variety to my one hour show.

The illusions make my show expensive so I can charge higher. I am in search of an illusion that would make it memorable for kids. But I guess, they will always enjoy the animals and puppets as compared to illusions.

It's always been my experience that illusions are for the adults in the audience and not the children. I do some large employee family events and I use illusions because that's what the adults like and I use my regular kid show routines because that's what the kids like. This way, both the adults and the kids find something memorable. And, as you said, by using illusions, I can charge more.

When selling my children's birthday party show (much smaller than what you're doing - 15 to 20 kids in a home,) one of the points that I make to the parents is that the children really aren't impressed by making a girl appear or cutting her into pieces. They want to laugh and participate. (They do love animals, as well, but I don't use any!)

If ya gotta have an illusion, ya gotta have an illusion. So how many assistants are you working with? All the illusions you mentioned require at least one assistant to pull it off.

It would also help to know which illusions you already have so if, for example, you already have an appearance illusion, we won't keep suggesting appearance illusions. You need some variety, I assume.

This is why I love doing the chair suspension. I own many illusions for my larger shows I perform, but when I am doing family shows or shows when I want the children to enjoy the illusion, then I always do the chair suspension. Kids really enjoy it because one of them directly takes part in the illusion. My routine revolves around fun with a bit of comedy and the theme of imagination. It is something I can perform in a living room or in a banquet hall or a full stage. If you want an illusion the kids will enjoy for a birthday party event 9no mastter what the venue) then the chairs really plays quite well.

I actually have an e-book on the chair suspension. if you care to see a copy of it, please just letme know. It would be my pleasure to share it with you.

Kyle

Hi Kyle,
I have a harbin chair suspension and I would like to see a copy of you e-book if you don't mind.
Thanks
Maps

Hi Kyle,

I do agree with you that the Chair Suspension is one of the best but it has been quite "over used" by the local magicians here that's why I am thinking of something different.

I own 2 types of chair suspension: one is the board type and the other is one which requires a harness for the assistant. I have used both a long time ago and stopped when the local magicians used it.

Spellbinder, I work with 2 male assistants and one female assistant in all my shows. I hire more of it's a bigger show. I have quite a number of illusions and I don't mind if it is mentioned again in this post.

Lou

The thing to remember is that the kid's favourite routines is 'the dessert'. It might be the best bit but you can't have nothing but dessert!

Think of your favourite TV show. Now think of your favourite character on that TV show. Now imagine if that show was NOTHING but that show! Your favourite character on Friends might by Joey but no one is going to tune into a show all about him...

How about Jolly Rogers Cloth of Invisibility

Maps, if you or anyone else would love a copy of the e-book on the chair suspension just e-mail me directly at magic4u02@aol.com or PM me. I would be happy to get a copy over to you. My pleasure and I hope it may be of help to you.

Lou,
I can understand your point of it being overused by I always remember that the magic I create and perform is not ever about the prop or illusion. The magic I create is and should be about myself, my personality and the unique presentation and entertainment value I place into what I am doing. With this in mind, I can and use a lot of illusions and props and effects that others in my area also may be performing, but my audiences still enjoy if because they are seeing it performed differently. It is engaging them in a unique way.

Also keep in mind that just because there are other magicians in your area with similar props, does not mean your audiences are seeing all of these magicians perform. I work in the Philadelphia area market and we have just a ton of magicians around here. Our SAM assembly alone has over 125+ members. However, I find that a lot of mynaudiences have not really seen that many live magicians before. This tends to be the case for most audiences.

Just something to keep in mind when deciding what you may want to do. Make the illusion unique to you and have fun creating an experience for your audiences and you can't go wrong.

Kyle

Kyle has a good point. Unless these audiences regularly hire magic acts for their parties, most people have not seen a live magic show before.

As for illusions. What about a sub trunk since you have assistants. I'm not making any recommendations, but Creative Magic has an interesting sub trunk routine where the magician is handcuffed to an audience member. When the magic occurs, the magician has vanished inside the trunk, and in his place is his assistant now handcuffed to the spectator.

Thanks ItsMagic for the kind words. I guess the problem here as I see it is if you want an illusion that is mainly performed for kid's paryies that are held at larger venues. If this is the case, then you must keep in mind that you have to entertain and engage the kid's first.

Of course you want your show to be enjoyed by everyone there, but you are mainly being hired to be a solution to entertain the kids and make the kids have the best and most fun time on their special day. If this is the case, then you have to tailor your illusion to something the kids will be engaged in and enjoy.

This is why I was mentioning the chair suspension. It is an illusion a child or b-day kid can be directly used for and they interact by taking part in the illusion itself. They are the ones thatthrough their imagination and your magic you make them and suspend them in mid air. For the b-day child they love it when I give them a polaroid picture of them floating afterwards. The parents love it because you made their child's b-day the best ever and the other kids are engaged because their friend is the one floating. for b-day events, it plays very well.

Kyle