Needless to say, I am no longer doing kid shows.

Kid's show, of course! Doing my thing, outside and a young kid jumps up next to me and starts touching my props! I get him to sit down, and he pops right back up again! Kids were shouting out things they saw, and one kid shouted out "This is ridiculous! Let's go have fun!" The kids all followed, leaving me with two, count 'em, TWO, children watching the rest of my show. This little girl kept opping up and screaming the "methods" of the routines I performed... ande their parents just sat their and laughed!!!! All of a sudden I felt like I was working a comedy club full of drunks. I continued and heard a voice behind me say, " I can do magic too! Watch my trick!"

I turned around and the little bu**er had my Rope To Silk Gimmick! I took it from him after some persuasion and heavy discusssion... it must have dropped out of my pocket previously... and I packed my things. He followed me all the way to the car asking "Can I have MY magic rope back? I lost it than found it and then YOU took it!" I finally hopped into the car and locked the doors... soon enough the kid gave up. He then went up to my client and told him about what just happened, so I had to explain things to him as well. Luckily he understood. Needless to say, I got out of there FAST.

Anyone else experience this? Any horror stories you wish to share?

Well I have one but doesn't concern kids show...

I was to do a show for the ontario cattlemen assosiation... I show up to see its at a farm in the middle of nowhere! show was to begin at 7:30 and didn't start till 9... no matter how loud my mic would go no one would listen... my stage was on a dirt field and everything was coverd in a thick layer of dust. I stepped in cow **** twice and had a migrane before I left. of cours I left one window in the car down and we had a fly exhibit inside the car before we left!

last time I do that client !

Any performer that has been at this for a while will have stories... many of us can write a book.

I know of a clown who was pushed into a backyard pool - or maybe he just jumped in, to escape the kids.

Refering to animal stories

I did a show at a summer camp in the animal pen. The turkeys kept assulting me & one of the sheep tried to butt me and a horse ate the fringe off my table while I wasn't looking.

I asked the owner why the animals were so aggressive. He said "well, they wouldnt be if the kids didn't poke them with sticks"! ! ! ! My resopmse - - - "Why do you let the kids poke the animals with sticks?" his answer.....
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"Well......... I can't be everywhere at once!"

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Appearantly all the performers did their shows in the pen. There was a stage made from rotting plywood laying in the dirt and logs piled up the kids sat on.. They also served the purpose of a place for me to run behind when the animals attacked.

Your turn.

@michael: wow what a nightmare, I'm really sorry. I hope you will start doing kid shows again one time

Mike I too did a kids show that was like that.. A birthday party(i don't do many of them.. and now I have a reason to only do it for friends of the family)... they sat there and yelled during the whole show. gave me no time to set up, the kids would get up and grab stuff off of my table and start playing with it in the middle of the show! and to top it all off while onstage I make the birthday child a monkey climbing up a banana tree(out of balloons)... when he was walking back he set it on the ground and JUMP.. POP.. you get the picture...

ive only done ONE bday since and it was my cousins:P

Today I was doing a gig, the hydro went out half way thru.. so I sang ! and for my closer (snow) we went to the parking lot and played the music from the car.

Thanks for the sympathy. Actually, the entire ordeal and a long time of thought has broguth me to the final decision that I am now going to be a mentalist (magician too!)

Don't you HATE the stereotype other adults give us, that we are all "Something fun for the kids"??? GRRRRR... All I've heard about is past clients for nightmare shows recommending me and spreading the word for "Kaylie's 5th Birthday Party" or "Our Preschool Fundraiser"

OK, the buck stops here... next time someone asks for a kids show, I'll say "Sure! You DO know that my going rate is $500 right? But you sound like a good person, so I'll drop it to $450 just for you"

My first gig man I made up a hole diffrent routin I forgot half of the stuf I was going to do and I was nervouse

I don't do kids shows because people are idiots and have stopped teaching their children respect and manners. When children act up during my street shows I just plainly tell them to shut up, ad to behave. If they speak or act out of turn again, I stop my show and make fun of the parents for being bad parents ad also make it a point to point out that the children acting like this is not the childs fault, but the result of bad parenting. Plain and simple.

Now I understand that a lot of you are going to chime in here with how you cant do that because of it being a source of income, but I ask you. Why do you do this? So you can make extra money doin something you love or as a means of making a living without having to work in a crappy 9-5 job? Well, then you should decided where and what type of enviroment you want to work in. Then you tell the parents this in the beginning before you are booked, and make them understand that you will accept payment BEFORE the show and if your show is repeatedly interrupted by little ****** then you will stop the show and leave with the check/money in your pocket. Put it in your contract. Seal it with a kiss wahtever but don't tolerate crap from people's children. It's not worth it in the long run, because if you tolerate it in the beginning then you or some other poor magi will have too again in the future from the same people. Sometimes you just have to make yourself understood. A good way to do this is by telling them a portion of a horror story about unruly kids and bad parents. Trust me, they don't want to be lumped in with THOSE PEOPLE!

Just my two cents.

Peace.

PS Sttun guns work too:)

Hi-

I respect Childrens Performers so much!!

You have to be so experienced in handling children & setting ground rules for them & their parents
prior to shows otherwise you get the dramas from above posts

Many younger Café members are not parents & have trouble at shows which can be a surprise as your props are being passed around by the kids etc.....

Look at people like David Ginn etc , Sammy Smith who do thousands of childrens shows
to learn & read there books etc-yet they still have the odd problem as we all do

Experience is the key &making sure everyone knows whats expected at your perfomance-especially the parents!

I havent done a childrens show & I did hundreds in my younger years- for over 25 years now-reason-I
just don't like kids!!-period-to perform for

My market for years has been theatres, Cabaret & corporate work-

As mentioned above posts-too many people think magicians are for under 7 yr birthday parties etc-Always for the kids!!!

The amount of shows & functions I do in top Hotels & conferences etc & the feedback is -what wonderful entertainment-I never knew Magic could be presented that way-I always thought it was for the kids etc ...........!!! Drives me mad!! when I hear this but it is so common

You have to understand Kid Psychology--Hail to all the experienced Kids entertainers-
Its a tough Market!!! they are in

Cheers

-Brent

Learning to control the audience is the first rule of doing children's magic. I never do pitch tricks at a children's show, there are generally a good number of kids who own them and know how they are done. If I do a trick that might be in a kids magic set such as cups and balls, I do such a complex routine that they can't possibly know how it is done, since it it doesn't follow a pattern they are familiar with. Even with good audience control and parental supervision they can sometimes turn into nightmares. The key is to have ways of getting the kids attention and holding it other than the magic. I to this day prefer not to do kids shows, so I can appreciate what you went through Michael. Yet there are magicians who are top pros at kids shows, takes a special talent and a lot of work. Trixie Bond, Merlina, and Trevor Lewis are both masters at the kid show, as are many others and do great adult work too. Kind of like acting I guess, they say those who can do comedy can do serious acting as well, but serious actors can't always do comedy. Top kid show magicians seem to do very well with adult audiences, but I've seen top adult audience magicians who bomb with kids. You're doing the right thing Michael, work where your talent lies. Nice thing about magic, lots of places to work.

The weird thing about kids' shows is that you can do the same exact performance for two different groups, and one group will go bonkers and the other will just stare at you like you have six heads. It's maddening at times. But then again, adult shows aren't always much better. I just got back from doing a show and this old bat in the front row literally scowled at me the entire time. I was about to ask her if I'd run over her dog or something in a previous life but thought better of it. I'm finding the key is NOT to let it get to you. When I have a tough show I just pack up my gear and move on to the next one.

WOW! I have been performing for 12 years and have never had an experience like that. My best advice is if you charge a lot of $$$, have a professional contract, and act like a professional then you will be TREATED as one. Do not do free show for friends who will treat you with RESPECT. If not then, do not book it. Just my 2 cents worth!

Joseph Young

Stun gun.

I'd never do kids shows...way too many "horror stories" like the one here!

IF I ever did...I'd be ready!!

they get wild...it'd "Needle Through Arm"..with lots of blood!!

And some others that would out-gross the worst ones there!!

And in case of any drunken/jerk "adults"...remember you always keep a can of "long range wasp nest spray" handy in the case. Maybe one in the car too.

Hey!! Does make 50 posts!!??

LOL You guys are freaking me out over here... making me scared to perform for kids. EEK!

VERY early in my performing career I decided that kid's shows are not for me. I love kids, and love to perform for one or two at a table, but 15-20, you couldn't pay me enough. Here's why. I was contracted to perform a birthday party show at a professional soccer event. Barely getting paid, (I didn't know better.) I was part of a package, along with the team mascot, t-shirt for the birthdy brat, cake etc. I was to do a 15-20 minutes show, but doing 4-5 one right after the other. My 2nd week, the 2nd show of the day, I'm telling a story along with a dove pan to produce Hershey's kisses. (We're in Hershey after all and I'm giving them the secret recipe for chocolate.) The birthday boy (8) starts screaming how much I suck and I should get the F on with it. 8 years old, dropped the F bomb in front of friends family and the organizer. I walked off. If I hadn't, I would have strangled him and wound up in the hooskow. I can take it from an adult, because I can throw it right back. But when he did that, and the parents just let it slide, that was my last kid's show. That was about 11 years ago. My therapist says I'm making great strides in my recovery.

Either kids in Kansas City are angels, or you people SERIOUSLY need to get your acts together...

I've gotten to the point that I'll slap my wand down (a practice drumstick, so you can hit stuff hard) onto my table (a wood and aluminum footlocker with plywood tabletop). It's louder than anything around... It gets the attention. Depending on how I feel the situation is, can be as stern as a parent about to woop some ass.

Kids might not have ADD, but if you aren't in a controlled environment (and you aren't, >90% of the time, you're going to have to grab attention, keep attention, and be somewhat authoritative.

If I get... "I know how you did that." I respond with a range from "So do I." to "Yea, I don't care, kid." to "Alright, shut up kid, get your own show." This, of course, depends on how wound up the kid is and the situation.

OP, if you're an actor, you can act like someone about to flip and and slap a kid, without making the motion or saying it...

Maybe my ability to control would explain why I have no problem doing a magic show for a college town party full of drunk college kids... One time some jockish drunk dude snatched my hat from behind, ran down the street, and turned to look at me. He was just trying to have fun, and I turned around, threw up a sign (actually, an I love you sign) did a brief "WOO!" turned back and finished my show. I was able to quash my first instinct to chase or to whine about it.

Don't sweat it, stay calm, pretend like you don't give a **** something went wrong, and as far as I've seen, everything will turn out better than if you get flustered.

An example of how I would act, if I was doing that dove pan, since he stepped over the line, after noticing the parents didn't freak, I would've thrown it right back... "Really? Does this trick fµcking suck that bad?? Well, hell, let me do something better..."

...then I'd have something better...

I am a young magician that does shows for any age group and I don't have a horror story about doing magic for kids but I did a show once for a few kids and the show went all right. Then at the end when I was talking to somebody, I noticed some kids around my table with my props on it. I didn't think they would do anything but later that night when I loaded up my props I noticed that a wand, a few spongeballs,and a silk was missing. Luckliy nothing to important was stolen but I learned my lesson to never leave props out on the table when you do magic for kids.

When I was just starting out many years ago, I did a BD party for a co-workers grandson. She had an outdoor summer party for 5-6 year olds. Being very new at this I didn't consider the beastly heat and humidity. I was soaked. Then a real soaker. A summer down pour came out of nowhere. Kids scattered. I started packing the trunk as it was the next to the last trick. Then it happened. I locked my keys in the trunk. Rain stopped. Kids came out and wanted to know why I couldn't use magic to get the trunk open. I told them the secret was in my magic book and it was in the trunk. For added humiliation, everytime the grandmother saw me at work she told the story.