I focus on the audience members that are excited to watch, and forget about the rest.

Over the years I've had that problem with the parents.
I would try the SHHHHH bit first, and if that fails then I stop the performance and asked them to turn it down a bit.
If they start again, I stop and say "please ladies and gentlemen we are trying to have some fun over here with the children, but we are havung a bit of problem with the noise.
Eventually they will move to another room.You don't want them to ruing your performance.
Tricky Ricky

I mostly do adult stand-up so even at a kids show I always involve adults throughout my act because I like to and it works. Rarely do the adults start to chatter amongst themselves because they are watching and laughing and amazed (shouldn't they be?)
But the odd 1 or 2... I just let them be (unlike what I would do at a formal stand-up event).

If you have a PA and you can't drown out some parents, you need a new PA.

I love it Steve! People are just rude and most don't know how to watch a live show, I was just at a Jim Bruer stand up show and people would not shut the efff up ........ I guess I can't get mad when they talk at my show.
And all the "get the audience involved" stuff is great on paper, but really, many people are just rude.

I'm always afraid that "take your conversations to another room" might work, and they'd go just to get alone time and leave the kids with the "babysitter" magician.

Steve

I take a lot of steps to deal proactively with the problem of talking adults at children's magic shows. Typically, I address the issue upfront, over the phone, when I first book the show, asking the client if there will be adults present, how many, and explaining to the client that I would like the adults to sit and watch the show with the kids, not stand around in the back and talk and socialize, because doing so is disruptive and ruins the kids' enjoyment of the show. Most clients, upon hearing this, are very receptive to my concerns and suggestions. My suggestions include making sure that the room will be arranged so that parents present for the show can sit and watch, or else have available a different room to talk in. I then restate this same information in my confirmation letter to the clients. When I arrive for the show, I mention it again, and make suggestions, and actively help, if necessary, in re-arranging the room to make sure there are chairs set up for the adults to watch the show. The result of all this preparation is that I get very few interruptions from adults at this type of show, and when someone does talk, it's easy to deal with. There is another type of situation I run into frequently where I have much less success in controlling the adults. It is at a birthday party, often for a one-year old, given by South Asian or Middle Eastern parents, when the performance is intended for the kids, say 30 or 40, but the party itself is equally aimed at the 70-100 adults also present. The event is often held in a rented community room, and the client has planned from the start to allow the parents to eat, drink, and socialize with one another in the same room in which the show is occurring. The adults typically move about the room chatting and eating throughout the show. I have often found that no matter what I say to my client ahead of time, this is what happens. I attempt to deal with this by making sure all the kids gather in front of me for the show, and by using the loudest mic I can in order to drown out the noise from the adults' chatter. But it's always touch and go. And there is no line or exhortation you can make to adults at the party to shut them up. The deck is stacked, and you have to go with it. This usually means an inferior show. The kids struggle to hear you, you don't have their full attention, jokes and bits of business bomb, and magic climaxes fizzle. I've concluded either that I will have to accept doing this type of show under these conditions, knowing that the show will be second-rate or worse, or else stop accepting to take these shows. Has anyone else done these types of parties and figured out a better way of handling the "adult" problem?

Noland,
I feel your pain. Loud parents realy do mess up the show, and can make me look not as good. I always regret doing shows in lousy situations, and promise myself I'll avoid it, but it happens anyway. Better than being in sales! (I used to be in sales for a few years -makes me feel lucky to be an entertainer).

Get the great zucchini's dvd...

To summerize the ideas presented:

1. Communicate to the parents before the show that for their child and the guests to get the most enjoyment from the show, side conversations should be held outside of the room.
2. During the warm-up at the start of the show, use one of the clever recorded announcements, or jokes about letting the parents stay for the show if they behave themselves.
3. Use a funny line during the show, "Can you hear us?" "Okay...we can hear you too."
4. Involve offending parents in the show for a trick.
5. Use a p/a system....turn the volume higher if needed.
6. MOST IMPORTANTLY.....have a show that entertains not only the kids but everyone. Often the older ones in the room will be entertained when they see their kids or younger siblings laughting their heads off.

For crying out loud, this isn't about you doing your show. You seem to have forgotten that for many of these parents, this is the only time they leave the house, meet other people and make friends. Try putting yourself in their shoes for just one moment. They have met another mother, for probally the first time and they are talking and making a friend. Some of you guys may be popular in that department, but try raising a kid and telling me you still have lots of friends.

This is one of those occasions when you have to think off the bigger picture and if they want to talk, let them. It makes there lives better and helps them build relationships.

Yes, we are booked to entertain the children, but a decent show will have their attention even with all the parents talking. But confronting the parents will not only be ignored, but also get those parents angry at you for trying to discipline another adult. It is not our place to tell another adult how to behave and how dare anyone try it with me. You might as well kiss all that repeat work goodbye.

Oh, you might get the one parent who thanks you for shouting at the other parents as indicated in the posts above. But you'll also get 29 angry parents hating you and never booking you again. If you want repeat and referral work from 29 potential clients, and not just 1 then let the parents talk!

Some of you seem to think that we are as important as a live theatre show or can be compared to a cinema outing. We are a completely different entertainment field and shouldnt be compared, no matter how much we want to think we can be. We are children's entertainers at a party. Understand the different environments and audiences. This business has with it, its own set of working environments and sometimes you cannot get the parents to be quiet. You can either adapt your show to work with it, or start arguing with your audience like in all the above posts and hinder your career, upset many parents and potential clients and possibly cause people to not make friends with each other. Sometimes the job is not about us, but rather the environment we help create so that other people can have better lives in the long run.

Steve

Steve, I normally agree with your posts, but this is the one exception. I have never got a negative reaction from telling parents to keep the noise down, and I get repeat business all the time.

There are other rooms in every house. They can use those.

As well as being a magician, I am a parent. And I know how important my kids parties are to my kids - not to me. I am there for the kids, not the parents. In fact, that is one of my selling points.

The truth is (and some off you well not like my  view)
If you ask the parents to keep the noise down (no matter how you do it) afew of the parents will think your being rude to them
You mite not see any negative stuff, but it will be there and they will gladly tell there friends And could and does lost you bookings.

I don't get it to much but when I did go to a partie and they were noisey I use to use diffrent trick to get them to be quit.

But then I noticed afew things, I all ways ask when I'm setting up if they have seen other entertainers and about there show. 
And a lot of the time they would say he or she told us to shhh and there was allway a lot of bad feelings and entertaner had told the mums to be less noise.
Grownups don't like to be tolded what to do
The sad thing is the entertaner knows nothing off this

So now the odd party I get like this I just keep my head down and get through it

This is real review from a mum (ive taken out the names)
It gives an inside to there point of view and is very interesting 
Plus another pet hate for us entertaners the 1 and 2 year old child that does not sit down
Ps I don't agree with her points Enjoy

"I've been to two of "xxxxx" parties since the start of the new year, and I personally would NOT book him myself. I found him rude about younger children - at both parties I went to he had a problem with younger members of the audience being interested in his show - I understand he wouldn't want them touching his things, but they weren't - they were just standing at the front and on both occasions he stopped his show and asked for them to be moved. He wouldn't let them have a balloon or a lollipop either! I also found him very rude about the adults at the back talking to each other - he was there to entertain the children - not the parents. Having said that, the children did enjoy his show, but for me personally with a five year old but also a two year old he wouldn't be my choice."

Its funny the way they see it!

I know the entertainer he's a mate and show I him this and he acted out what he does and it was very polite " sorry would you mind coming to get this little one I would not knock into him, thanks very much" ect

The mums will never say it to your face!
As ever this is just my opinon

Hi tony
The lady in the review above agrees that your there for the children and her take on that is diffrent to yours
Its funny seeing both sides

It is good to get both sides of an issue. Here is yet another aspect. I have heard it said about some entertainers that they have no control over the kids. In general this is because of the noise level in a room.

During the balloon making and the face-painting (not a regular feature of my show, but there occasionally) I will allow everyone to talk as much as they like. But I like to make the show a show. And I do ask that those who what to carry out conversations find a different room.

On the issue of young children, they are part of my audience too, so I would never ask for one to be removed unless he was in serious danger of injuring himself and others. I would deal with the child directly and try to engage him.

Having said that, it occasionally happens. About ten years ago I had to fill in for a colleague at the birthday party of a kid whose father was a big promoter in the area. I had never done a gig for the father. During the show both his sons were obnoxious. The birthday boy became so bad I had to have him removed. That has never happened before or since, in thousands of shows. Later his brother took a magic colouring book from my case (back in the days when I had one!) and tore it in half. He was about eight, so it wasn't youthful folly. In order to be able to finish the show, I had to have the second brother removed!

The funny thing is that the promoter appreciated the control I took, and I have got regular work from him ever since. And the good news is, both his sons grew up into fine young gentlemen. It was obviously just a phase they were passing through.

If it is done right, I think parents appreciate that we care enough about our show do demand respect for it.

I had another one of those shows, again. Some cultures have no clue as a whole. The kids loved the show, but they had to stand up next to me to hear. The room was too small for the group and there was no room to even set a small PA, where it could be heard without deafening someone. Adults were grabbing food and beer in back of me, throughout the show! Some days I wonder why I bother. The adults don't give a flying &*(^.

A few months ago I had a noisy bunch of adults, but at least I had the luxury of space and a built in sound system. The show worked in that case.

I'm thinking about offering a close-up show for kids, for these noisy parties where the adults have no clue. At least I can be heard without a PA, because I can move everything where it's quieter and take up little space. I can do time fillers that I can repeat and involve everyone, as well as perform material that I don't perform very often.

I've done a few shows for families with a heritage in India. Only when it's a party celebrating their 1-year-old's first birthday do I have any trouble. These are often huge elaborate parties for adults and kids. Yes, in my experience they are often held at at rented community hall or hotel conference rooms. The parents do mingle and talk in the back and it is often distracting. Some of these shows go over just fine, but other's are a big challenge when it comes to distractions and noise from the parents enjoying themselves in the back.

The solution for me is to know what the environment will be by asking questions beforehand. I then do as someone else advised, and make sure that my PA system is cranked up. I've also been experimenting with a new strategy for making sure that they kids don't crowd the performance area and sneek into my props (yup...I've had that happen too). Sometimes I have a hard time getting the parents to properly monitor the little ones. So I look to find the two oldest kids who'll be watching the show. I then ask them to help with a very important part of the show. I tell them that they sit on either side of the "stage" and watch to make sure that none of the younger kids cross over the rope that I lay down to separate the seating area from the "stage" area. They then get to be the muscle to control the younger ones in an appropriate manner. This has worked for the times that I've used it with groups of kids numbering 20+ with diverse ages.

Interesting. I love 1 y/o Indian shows. There is always a lot of people. The kids are generally well behaved. They are in the evening, when most BD parties are in the day. There is a lot of talking by adults, but rarely close to the show, so it is more background noise, The adults that are close enough to watch seem to police themselves. I do bring a Happie Amp, and that works fine. If I did not have an amp, that would be different.

These parties are huge, and really more for adults. I would not expect it to be quiet, just not talk if they are close to the show. Because of there size, you really need an amp. The main problem is they always want me to stay and eat, and I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food.

As I said in '06, I don't do any traditional "kiddie" magic. The magic I perform for kids, I perform for adults, just with a different presentation. I think that if your magic is fun for the adults, they won't be as prone to talking during the show.

I too will use older kids as my "Muscle", and it works well. I do't use rope as a divider because it can, and will, be moved as kids inch closer. I use that blue painter's tape. It is easy to remove and leaves no residue. Emazdad mentioned it in '03 it and it works well. http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=17

Alan: brilliant! The behavior of the adults sends the message that the show has no value, that it doesn't deserve to be given one's attention.

I find it highly insulting to the birthday celebrant that the adults trash the child's big moment.

I do not hesitate to use the 'stare' method and then simply stop and wait until the adults (?) realize that something is happening. And I will invite them to move their conversations to another room.

I have gotten e-mail passed on by an agent with Mom saying that I was great, the children loved the show, but that she would not reccommend me because I was rude to the adults when I asked them to be quiet. On that job Mom skipped over the five minutes I spent talking to Grand Dad about the soccer game he was watching as I loaded in, and the fifteen minutes I spent with the preteen older children helping them set up a soccer goal in the backyard after I had loaded out.

[quote]On 2012-09-09 18:41, MichaelDouglas wrote:
I've done a few shows for families with a heritage in India. Only when it's a party celebrating their 1-year-old's first birthday do I have any trouble. These are often huge elaborate parties for adults and kids. Yes, in my experience they are often held at at rented community hall or hotel conference rooms. The parents do mingle and talk in the back and it is often distracting. Some of these shows go over just fine, but other's are a big challenge when it comes to distractions and noise from the parents enjoying themselves in the back.

The solution for me is to know what the environment will be by asking questions beforehand. I then do as someone else advised, and make sure that my PA system is cranked up.

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Just did one of these last night ! I was the only guy in the room who did not speak Hindi. Over 100 adults (in fancy dress costumes), almost 40 kids. I had the PA CRANKED to compete with the Bollywood dance grooves. The kids had a great time, but the adults were oblivious to my presence. As soon as the magic show for the 5 year old birthday boy was done, the adults had a costume contest and didn't even include the kids !!! It was as if the party was for them, not for the child celebrating his birthday. In the end, everything was fine, as not only did I get paid, but I got a large bonus as well. It seems going with the flow is the best solution, rather than stopping the show and chastising those not totally focused on the magician. This is not the first time I have done this, nor will it be the last. A nice big check with a healthy tip is what pays the bills...

Unfortunately, the adults don't get it. Then, they wonder why their kids misbehave and show them no respect. Respect is a two-way street. I'm tempted at times to bring a mirror, to show the parents the model for their kids' behavior.