Jay, I get your point about big shows. But when it comes to adult big shows, hypnotists hire out at around twice to three times the price of magicians. And they bring nothing with them but a microphone and a CD. Comedians hire out at far more than hypnotists, and they don't even bother bringing their own microphones. It still comes down to what our A show is and how we sell it.

Some of us sell spectacle, some of us sell magic, and some of us sell something else. Once we explain to the booker what they are getting, it is up to them to make a decision. Personally I enjoy spectacle, love comedy, and have no great interest in magic. So I would pick the big show ahead of the skilled performer, but the funny guy ahead of all. Other bookers will have different priorities. So the big show will sometimes win out, and sometimes not. It still comes down to the taste of the performer.

Posted: Dec 8, 2013 8:01pm
Paul, here is everything I use in my show, in case it gives you ideas. This list represents about two hours of performance, with less than half in any one show. Some items I very rarely use (linking rings, for example) but they are there for the occasion when I meet the same audience two or three times in quick succession (resorts, etc).
Six card repeat followed by cards across. Sometimes proceeded by cards from mouth.
Balloon swallow. Happy birthday routine with a balloon.
Thump tip vanish and reappearance of a rainbow ribbon.
Sponge balls.
Professors Nightmare.
Linking Rings.
Five minutes with a pocket hankie.
Spot the Dog (dealer item).
Silver sceptre
Stiff rope
Three puppet routines.
Obviously writing them like that means nothing, because you are not seeing the routines. But you can at least see that they pack small.
I can carry in the show, a backdrop (which I do not use in private houses) and a sound system in one go. But as I said earlier that is a side effect only.

I don't know if anyone here has read a great children's book, The Man Who Was Magic by Paul Gallico. It is about a simple man, Adam the Simple, who journeys to a city of magicians. Adam is expecting real magic, but all he sees are guys in tuxes lugging around big illusions. Everything is fake. The people in the city eventually turn on Adam because he can actually do real magic. It is a wonderful story, and my favourite book from my childhood.

Adam the Simple is the guy I have modeled myself on. He is just an odd character who arrives at a show and strange and peculiar things happen around him. And he has a talking dog. He doesn't do magic; it happens around him. Packing small is about emulating Adam, not cutting down on trips to the car. Which is why I use very few colourful kids props. But I guess we all have people who inspired us to get into magic. And we model our shows on our heroes. Which is why some of us go small and some of us go big.

Dell O'Dell was so busy playing clubs (etc.)in the '40s, that she had three sets of props. She had three professional magicians "on call" (Jay Marshall was one and I can't recall the other two, but they were old pro's and well known. I think Roland Travers was one.

Dell would show up at the venue, do the show and leave for the second venue. She played it and left for the third. Her "assistants" moved the props in, set up, packed up and moved out. Jay filled in blank days and was happy for the work. Karrell Fox did somewhat the same when the situation "needed" an illusion or two. Wayne Burchell, moved them in, set them and packed them and took them back home.

I'm covering, in the book,my point of view on producing a show that can play anywhere, anytime for almost anybody, in my book (which Deo Gratias!) is nearly finished. I do realize that I was an over the road professional, and many performers today are "forty milers". (The book also includes many routines that I successfully used for years, plus a section on anecdotes that tell it like it was!)

The subject in this thread is extremely broad, and it's very evident that the old Latin proverb (De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum--CONCERNING TASTES, WE CANNOT ARGUE)fits in quite well, here.

On the road, my show which fit in a 13"x20"x8" prop case, plus a waiter's cross legs (on wheels)pleased thousands of schools (Kindergarten thru Highs)from coast to coast and border to border) I did not need to call the assembly bureaus for a tour--they called me! We had many return dates, and plenty of standing ovations in the highs.

BTW::: In his later years, Harry Jr. had basically three shows. One featured Harry, and he did stuff that HE could do. The Concert Show included Gay, a girl "box jumper" two young men on stage, and two in the pit. Of course he also had the BIG ILLUSION SHOW, In the mid '90s, I caught his Concert Show in "Sacramento and he had a full house. He did several illusions and all his "personality" pieces It was a "community concert series" booking. We waited in the lobby and Gay came out in a jump suit to pack up the "BOR" joint. She said, "Dick! With this show we're making money!"

I arrive at my gigs an average of 30 minutes ahead. It will take me 20 to 30 minutes usually to get set up inside an inside venue from all the walking back and forth. At times my trips are ten times going back and forth. I feel like a home moving company with all the trips. I do it, because most of my props are parlor sized. Personally I like performing with bigger sized props.

Hi,
Here is another factor lots of people consider performing a levitation such as the flying carpet or chair suspension would increase percieved value and therefore they could charge more ???
But I am pretty sure that if another performer was to levitate the birthday child using no visible props the effect and percieved value would be the same if not better???

So is it the fact that you hunk around a load of stuff that makes value or simply what and how you do it .
I am not against props ... But I am in the what and how you do and present it camp phil

I completely agree with the above few posts, in terms of props. Although, in my mind, one or two nice props during a show, add a bit of "eye candy".

I try to ensure that I always have a couple of pretty props - the most beautiful "eye candy" prop is surely the gumball machine. I love presenting that.

I design my shows in purely theatrical terms. I'm constantly using new material, so it's as much the structure of my shows that I think about, as the specific presentations.

Whatever props are required to present any particular show, are what I will take.

I find that mixing things up makes a big difference. Items that might play poorly in one sequence of effects, might play much better in another. Etc.

I use a cart for my school and library shows because I bring Henry, my ventriloquist figure. I want him to travel safely, so he has his own padded case. For birthday parties I've got it down to a fairly large old suitcase, a tray stand and a rolling bag. I have two other stands, one for the puppet/vent stand, one for my wired hand held mic. The vent stand fits in the suitcase and the platform for it in the rolling bag with my sound system, cables, balloons and concertina. In the suitcase I have a large soft puppet, magic coloring book, Axtell Magic Drawing Board, spinning plate and stick, handled change bag, sponge balls and a production tube with some silks and things I produce. Until recently I used a cart for birthday shows too, at least the last couple of years, but I've figured out how to hand carry it all in one trip fairly easily. The reason I prefer doing it that way is stairs. With a cart, you have to unload everything and hand carry up stairs anyway, and I encountered that fairly often, so I figured out a way to hand carry it.

The large vs. small show debate always comes down to personal preference, and we always end up agreeing that even if you have a stage full of props, you have to be able to entertain... everything that's been said here. It is an interesting thread just the same though. I find the nuts and bolts logistics of doing kid shows kind of interesting and I enjoy reading about other magician's solutions.

Here's a video I made about what's in my case... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yvQtOKq500

The problem with this entire thread is that all your thinking about is buying another flat pack trick expecting it to be entertaining.

A trick on its own is just a trick. Every trick in my show is routined to get laughs and entertainment from it. I choose the tricks that present me in the best light and allow me to have the most fun with the audience. I do not just buy a trick and perform it, I have not done that in years.

Even if you require ten trips to the car, as long as the show your doing is the best thing that audience can see, then give them that.

And it doesn't matter how much your getting paid, or what price 'package' the client has ordered. The birthday child knows none of that. This is their only 5th birthday party they will ever have. You may be the only magician they ever see in their entire lives. They deserve the best show you can give them and please, don't give them a flat pack budget, store bought magic show just because you cant be bothered to make one more trip to the car. Give that child the show they deserve to see.

Pick the effects that will produce the best show for your clients, and choose those effects based on what brings out the very best in you.

Stephen,
I agree with you about putting on the best show you can and working to your strenghts . all of my routines are my own . And only a couple of routines use dealer items .... Linking rings for example
..still all of my show fits in a supreme style roll on table apart from the bunny.
That's because my main stength is........me !
Not the props but me and my interaction with the helpers.
phil

Let me preface this by stating that I have not read this entire thread...

I strived for years to have a 1 trip from the car show and several years ago, I was able to achieve just that. I look at my show much differnlty than many others likely look at theirs. My show is based more on comedy than magic. I would estimate that 60% of my show is comedy driven and 40% is magic driven. This allows me to travel light.

Here are two shots of my show setup...








The first shot pictured (yellow suit) shows my setup if the venue I'm performing at will be running my music for me. The 2nd Shot (Green Holiday Suit) shows my setup if I'm running my own sound. No matter, EVERYTHING that you see, all fits into my showcase, with exception to my Bose Docking Station. That fits into the black rolling case that you see on the floor infront of my showcase in both pictures. When my black case is closed up, the handle telescopes and I can set my showcase on top of it and I can wheel in my entire show in one trip.

My act (depending on the show that is booked) is:

6 Ring Routine (Opener to Music)
iVanish (to Music)
C/R Rope
Coke Bottle Vanish (to Music)
Color Changing Silk
Choppo!
Doggie Bag

EVERYTHING (tables and all) fits into my case. Also to note, what I just posted is a full hour show. That's not a lot of magic yet I can easily fill up an hour with it.

When people book me for their events, the're not really booking the "magic." The magic is only secondary. Their booking my personality, my comedy, AND my magic. It doesn't matter what you do in your show as long as you're enertaining your audience.

Food for thought...

Another good resource is Jeff McBride's Commando Magic Show DVD. He strives filling the stage with color and motion, energy.
Wacky Wolf also has some nice "Packs flat" props the look great from the front.

I think Malini's response to "Where is the show?", was Malini IS the show!

Goshman did OK out of a briefcase, and Don Alan didn't need to fill the stage with stuff, except the Magic Farm.

And I've seen some videos of Gazzo doing the Cups and Balls on stage. But, you need big balls to do this.

As far as "for all ages" you may want to read Silly Billy's book on how to do the same trick for different age groups.

And I think the Silly Billy Show is a one case affair.

There may be some things that are worth the second trip, and should be an added cost of the show as an up-sell. Like a PA, or an illusion.

I met the principal in the hall, so he guided me to the auditorium. As we proceeded, he noted my small case and waiter's cross legs. He asked, "Is that all you have?".

We entered the auditorium and I pointed at the grand piano on the stage. "Does that piano produce good music?" He replied, "Yes." On top of the piano was a violin. "Does that violin produce good music?" "Yes." "Which instrument produces the best music?" "It depends on who is playing!" "So! It's not the instrument! It's the artist, right?"

He stayed to see the program (not all principals do) and sent in an "excellent" comment card to the office.

Old pro,Roy Mayer, got tired of hearing "Is that all you have?" He bought a second case Yes, Michael! He asked for a boy to help load in. The boy got the full prop case, and Roy carried the empty one!

Even with the two cases, a teen aged magician came backstage, spotted the two cases, and asked, "You're going to do a 45 minute show with THAT???"

20th Century Silks (thanks Frank Ducrot!) Y E S!!!

I'll put my 20th C routine up against ANYBODY'S! It's next to closing in my elementary program--and it gets a SHOW STOP LAUGH + A BIG MITT!

We should all have that tattooed on our foreheads. Great advice there.

I have seen Steve entertain with very small props, and he does it well. I have only seen him perform live once, but the smallest effect was the best, and the one that played biggest, at least for me and the guys I was with.

In the end it all does boil down to the performer.

There are 2 tricks that I can vividly remember from a school magic show in 1968, Metamorpho Spots, and 20th Century Silks. Everything else is a blur... I was 7 years old.