LA Times gives attendence and financial breakdown of The Present. Good structure/staff benchmarking.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-ar......uimaraes
Is this how theater gets saved? Geffen magic show mines virtual box-office gold

“The Present,” which had its first performance on May 7, quickly achieved local phenom status and was extended three times. By the grand finale Saturday, Guimaraes will have logged 251 sold-out shows. He has performed up to 13 times per week, and more than 70 shows have been buyouts, meaning a single group or entity bought all 25 Zoom slots for a specific performance. Famous faces have been logging on, including Laura Dern, Mark Hamill, Patton Oswalt, Billy Crystal and Laurie Metcalf.

“At the end of the day, the thing that is so satisfying is that it has kept the staff engaged, kept our audience engaged and enhanced the Geffen stage brand,” Geffen Executive Director Gil Cates Jr. said. “It’s great in terms of energy.”

When all is said and done, Cates said, “The Present” will have grossed more than $700,000, an astronomical figure for regional theaters scrambling, often blindly, to devise entertainment for a virtual audience. Cates compared that number to what a typical show in the Geffen’s 500-seat mainstage auditorium might gross during a nonpandemic five-week run — if heavily promoted and highly successful.

Tickets for “The Present” averaged $95 per household. The cost included a “mystery box,” mailed to homes before the performance, that contained props for Guimarães’ story and allowed audience members to participate in his tricks.

The grand finale Saturday, which has no audience cap, will allow people to watch (but not participate in the interactive portions of the show) for $25. With 6,000 households signed up so far, that’s $150,000 for a single performance. For an additional $15, viewers can receive a “mystery envelope” that contains a limited number of items in the mystery box.

“We’re running a wartime-level production workshop at the Geffen, rolling out boxes instead of tanks,” artistic director Matt Shakman told The Times in an interview about the transition from in-person to virtual productions back in May.

The mystery boxes — mailed to audience members in 30 countries including Denmark, Poland, Singapore and Ukraine, the Geffen said — have been key to the magic, turning a solo viewing experience into a communal interactive activity.

Guimaraes performs the show from a corner of his apartment. His fiancée, Catarina Marques, operates the camera, and producer Frank Marshall of the “Jurassic Park” and “Indiana Jones” franchises directs remotely.

The show, experienced by viewers wherever they choose (Cates said one participant watched from a Jacuzzi), somehow manages to erase the social distance that has defined many people’s experience of the world during the pandemic.

Times theater critic Charles McNulty called the viewing experience “the closest approximation I’ve had to being in a theater since the pandemic closed the venues. The show contains a slew of card tricks, but the real sleight-of-hand is the transformation of digital into theatrical space.”

There is about to be at least one more entry into the fray of online/streamed shows that I am going to dare say will be unique and will be of great value.

If Mr Doyle is referring to himself, I'd pay money for that.

Nope, but a show I'd pay money to watch.

I bought tickets to The Future, the sequel to Helder's The Present. It was practically sold out within 3 hours. Grossing 2500 US per show. 6 or 7 shows a week. For about 8 weeks. Looks like good business.

While I still think the idea of a magic show itself is sort of ridiculous online I guess it is what it is. I doubt it will be with us long, but it has been with us longer than I thought!

I'll let you know more about the projects I am talking about. I would seriously pay money to see them. One is a magic project that I HOPE comes through. It is a different way to do it and it really does look promising. NOTHING TO DO WITH ME, but friends of mine.

As I've been listening to a lot of podcasts lately, many have been talking about virtual shows. Discourse in Magic and The Penguin Magic Podcast boths have had several episodes talking about it...as performers adapt, learn more, and put more effort there are increasingly improved shows. Carisa Hednrix (aka Lucy Darling) has talked about her virtual show and how it's been selling out. I was not a fan when all this first hit and people were just getting online with a webcam, but seeing more production value and better shows.

I hate the online shows. Never seen a good one. I find the medium quite boring.

I have yet to see a good one. I have yet to be impressed. BUT I am still saying that the one I am talking about is different than just a guy in his living room. There are serious production values, and an effort to make it a better experience. I am hopeful. I respect all those involved with it and really want it to succeed.

I'd recommend Ben Seidman's show. Professionally done, great pace, interactive, and strong magic.

The emergence of successful long shows (over an hour) was not something that seemed likely. Yet they are finding quite an audience. People are used to paying $100+ to take family to movies and plays of that length. So that price point may seem reasonable for a live (though remote) show where they will be part of the action. The sending of props through the mail is both a nice marketing touch and supports a smoother show. It is really stressing the importance of good marketing.


https://www.buzzfeednews.com/amphtml/sca......ual-zoom
Forgive Me, But I Love Magic!!!!!

I know it’s embarrassing, but I love magic and I think it’s time you all got on board. Trust me. It’ll help.

Last week, on another depressing Friday night with no plans because, well, you should know why by now, I stayed home and logged on to another Zoom call. But this wasn’t a Zoom like the countless others I’ve done — no one tried to get me to play Pictionary, there was no unbearable lull after I stupidly ask, “So, how’s everyone doing?” as if the answer won’t be, “Fine, other than the fact that I am afraid of the air.” Rather, this was a virtual magic show hosted by New York magician Dan White — live, interactive, and exactly what I needed.

White usually performs at the NoMad Hotel in Manhattan but has had to rethink his act since crowding together in a hotel bar is an unlikely outing these days. His digital act — called “The Magician Online” — is a 90-minute show that costs around $130 per household. If you’re looking for Thanksgiving plans, you’re out of luck: He’s completely sold out of his Friday and Saturday evening shows through to Dec. 18.

If you do manage to get a ticket, you’ll receive a package in the mail a few days before the show. You don’t open it until showtime, but inside is a sleek black box with gold Gatsby font, filled with all the little props and devices you’ll need to participate. On the night of the show, I prepared my bedroom according to White’s instructions: I brought the black box, a pen, a lighter, and a very large glass of red wine. I dimmed my lights so that I felt spooky but was still visible on the Zoom. The show started at 9 p.m., and since most of the pleasure that comes from a magic show is derived from the unknown, I can’t really tell you anything more aside from the fact that it was the best day of my life.

That's great to see.

Hey all, I haven't been to the Magic Café in a long time. It's great to be back! I have been doing a virtual magic show since May that it's going over really well. It's one-hour and I offer a variety of magic, and I spent a lot of time on the production value (5 cameras, Twilight Zone type of set, lighting, etc.) I have experienced almost every technical glitch you could imagine, and I have learned a lot about what works and what DOESN'T work in a virtual magic experience. If anyone wants to join in on an upcoming show, just let me know and I'll be happy to let you watch! Just email me at anthony@anthonyasimov.com and I'll let you know if there are any shows that I can get you into. The website is www.wineandtricks.com

The below article is worth a full read for all it covers. One fascinating point is how much the public is interested in how magicians are adapting. We havent seen such growth in lay fans since the magic TV specials of the 1980s. Then it was focussed on the major Illusionists. Now the interest appears more broad. People really want to know what it's like to be a magician now.

https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/alacazo......08482754
Alacazoom! Magic Acts Disappear from Theaters, Reappear Online
Magicians have gone virtual, presenting new challenges; ‘They need to believe it’s exactly what they would see if we were together in person’

Zoom has its benefits. Props can be placed at arm’s length just out of shot, which means transitions between tricks are quicker than they would be on stage, said Mr. Cox. He pins cue cards and scripts to the border of his computer screen when performing new material, and uses a second camera to give the audience a better view of his close-up magic, he said.

Another bonus: Audience members are better behaved on Zoom and magicians can mute hecklers, Mr. Cox said.

“And it’s never been easier to find a test audience for a trick,” he said. “A quick social media post and I’ve instant access to an audience who just have to turn their computers on for me to try something out.”
...
The Bash, a booking platform for entertainment vendors, said 'magicians and mentalists' has been the most popular category for virtual corporate events on its site since May. Pre-Covid, magicians were the fifth most-requested, behind mariachi bands, cover bands, DJs and caricaturists, the company said.

Mr. Chan said the nature of virtual magic means he is saving on expenses such as gasoline and meals in restaurants, and has time to perform more shows. In one recent week, he put on 12 in one day, he said. Before the pandemic, six was the most he could manage.

“Back then I felt so burnt out I swore to myself I would never do that many shows in one day again,” he said. “Now I’m doing that easily, and I’m not even breaking a sweat because I can take a nap in between.”

If you do virtual shows, this video is a must watch

I wasn't technologically savvy, this video explained so much.

Year in review: I'm down 18% revenue from last year; but thank god I started doing virtual shows back in May.
It did take awhile before traffic started coming in, from March -> early September I was barely making ay $$ from virtual shows and I was staring at a 48% decrease in revenue compare to 2019 (The ah oh, holy $hit moment was real). Thank god demands for virtual shows picked way up and Oct-Dec were gangbuster. In fact, this December is my highest grossing December in my career (totally surprised me).

Looking back, going virtual is def. the best decision I've made. Something I had reservation about in the beginning but came to fully embrace it now. phheewwww....

Nash it is fantastic to hear about the relatively small shortfall. Congrats on taking action!

It is wonderful to hear not rah rah nonsense and have a guy who embraced it PERSONALLY speak about it honestly. Not posting silly crap about what others did but tells us what he did.

Great post and again Great work and congrats!

I agree it's nice to see someone post here with real numbers and percentages as it applies directly to them, not a bunch of others who don't participate here or apply to the topic of the thread.

Nash deserves to be congratulated. He worked his butt off his year. In fact, so did hundreds if not thousands of magicians and variety artists.

Danny, I’m pleased to see you coming around, although I am still shocked at how much pushback virtual events are getting in this thread and others throughout the Café. In the last 8 months magicians across every market have adapted, innovated, and in many cases, been wildly successful.

It’s not “rah rah.”

As I posted back in May, when you accused me of not knowing what I was talking about or no longer being in the industry, despite the fact that I’d been doing virtual events since March 18th, virtual is an incredibly rewarding medium that audiences absolutely love.

Virtual magic shows are *not* in-person magic shows with a camera in front of them. If that’s all you’ve seen, then you’re rightly disappointed and pessimistic.

But to judge all virtual magic shows based on the handful of bad ones you’ve seen, especially after so many months of learning and invention across the magic industry, strikes me as silly and awfully closed-minded for someone as learned and experienced as you are.

I performed 60 virtual events this year plus hosted and facilitated dozens more, 30 of which were straightforward magic shows, and nearly all between 1.5 and 3x my in-person rates. On the year I’m down 10% revenue from last year, which was my best year ever in business by a massive 20% leap.

But I also made way more per gig, created and performed the most interesting magic in years, healed my body from a decade of constantly being on the road, and spent the entire year with my pregnant wife and subsequently all 3 months with my firstborn son, never missing a single moment.

Taking that into consideration, I made out like a bandit.

It was incredibly hard to pivot on both the business and creative sides. Those who did it should be commended, applauded, and respected.

My friends and colleagues through the entertainment industry worked unbelievable hard to acquire, learn, and master broadcast media production skills. Their families endured hundreds of hours of tinkering, trial and error, late or all-nighters, and cycling through gear in an effort to find what works. They rebuilt their shows from the ground up and designed magic to enchant and engage in an entirely new medium with no notice or preparation. They overhauled their entire marketing suite to address the new needs and concerns of an equally anxious prospect-base.

And they did it all having no idea if the time, energy, and financial investment would pay off in the end.

It is incredibly easy to sit on the sidelines, wag your finger at virtual events and say, “That’s not really magic. It’s not good. It’s not here to stay. And I’m not interested in doing it.”

To those who were actually in the arena getting beaten down and standing back up over and over this year - the Nash’s of the world - congratulations and my hat’s off to you.

Brain, well said.

I too said it many times back in the beginning:





And Rah Rah Again for all those that didn't just sit down and cry.

Uh oh... Danny and Robinn are gonna have to scold you 2 now! :-p

I’ll make the popcorn...