Hey

I have a job to a private party with 40 - 50 adult spectators, what kind of magic will you recommend stage or close-up?

PArlor and Close up would be my recomendation. What kind of effects are you doing? Mental, card. coin, silk, production, rope or what? That would help if we knew what your planning. And, are you being featured as the entertainment or is it just a mixer type party that you were asked to do some stuff?
Keith Shazam

To be able to help we need to know a lot more about you. How long have you been performing, what kind of magic do you normally do etc. Also where will this show be held, is there a stage available, what is the age group and so on.

I've done both for crowds of that size (as well as much bigger and much smaller). Go with what you're good at and what the client requires.

I agree with all post above. But I am going to add a little on how I would think about. First up I would speak to the client and gauge from them what they want. You might need to educate the client a bit to get the best answer. I would also want to know if there all going to turn up at once like a coach party or arrive in small groups individually. There is a chance you go and the group would of been there already for a lecture or a convention. Also what kind of time frame do you have.

if there turning up all at once I would do a show. I would basically do it like a street show but that just me. I would also carry a few close up set as well.

If there turning up in small groups I would go for 3 sets of 3 close ups.

If I was going in to them as paart of a lecture or training thing I would a palour show.

Pretty much every gig I do I carry my 3 sets of 3 which I store in a small doctors bag. and the set iam using in my pockets. I also caryy in my bag my street show which becomes a palour. lso what I use in my close up also lends it self to palour settings as well.

I would think about timing to do this as a close up would break it down to 10 groups of 5 people. you will spend 5-8 min per group so that about a hour your need.

Just some thought on how I would think about it but you need to speak to you client about it. Or just put something your comfortable doing and offer it to them.

Hope this helps good luck

Welcome to the Café.

What tricks do you.already have and I would do things that your comfortable with.

Close up might be more forgiving if you are new to the business. If you are confident in your ability to nail the performance every time and the host is in need of it, stage work it is.

Obviously sawing a woman in half may prove tricky for table hopping. As others have stated, it all depends on your personal style.

I've never found that to be the case at all. Close-up is easier to get into because it doesn't require expensive props, theatre space, and a cast of two-dozen people. But you still need to be confident in your ability to nail the performance every time. We owe our audiences the best show we can give them, whether we're up close or on a stage. And though I'm not sure that's what you intend, it sounds like you're saying stage is preferable. Sometimes it is, to be sure, but not in every case. I have several shows that I do, both on stage and close-up, and you'd be surprised the number of times a client who I would think wants a stage show because of the size of the audience actually wants me to do close-up work instead, because they find it more impressive. That gives me a challenge to rise to, in order to make sure everyone gets to see my magic, but I'm a believer in giving the audience what they want, as long as I'm able to do so while still giving them the best show I possibly can.