Chapter 7. Performance At The Gig
When you are performing for a group of people, it is usually advisable to have one source of entertainment, be it magic, mentalism, juggling, comedy, or otherwise, per every 100 people or so. I’ve worked large wedding banquets solo, and I’ve also done even larger Hollywood style mansion parties with a team of very talented entertainers, and let me tell you it’s no fun to be the only source of entertainment at a huge party! The biggest reason why; is your talent is spread way to thin. You can’t possibly be expected to give a quality show in a close up environment and still be expected to reach every one of the guests at the party. Cabaret makes things easier, but only if you have that kind of act available in your arsenal. When you are dealing with private parties this may be a fact that you will want to consider when your asking your questions to determine your clients needs. I usually ask how many people they plan to have at the event, and from that I get a real good idea on what kind of magic I should be doing.
When performing it is important to ask yourself: “Am I entertaining?” You’ll want to make sure you structure your performance according. There are a lot of different theories on how to perform magic out there. Probably more theories than you can shake a stick at, but in the end they all can pretty much agree on one point. It is all about entertainment. This isn’t a book on performance theory. This is a book of marketing advice. So I’m not going to go deep into the theory side of the performance arts. However I will say this: Your goal should be to create a fun, and exciting experience for your spectators. An experience that they will enjoy, participate in, and remember for sometime to come. Weather you do that by creating a bonding moment between them and you through the expression of your humanity, or you shock them to tears by tearing your beating heart through your chest is pretty much up to you. So long as you accomplishment the shows prerequisite of entertainment the rest is just theater.
When you have a gig date, I recommend arriving at the venue at least a full hour early. There is a lot that can happen before a show starts, anything from sound or lighting failure, to props not working, to your animals refusing to cooperate. You may realize that you’ve left part of your act at home or your assistant is running late. Your deck of cards aren’t set up in the proper order, you have yet to go through wardrobe and makeup, to being told that your original opening act of fire eating is not zoned correctly and needs to be dropped from the act. Needless to say when it rains it pours and rarely will just one bad thing ever happen to you at a time. The last thing you want is something(s) to go wrong and you have only five minutes before you are expected to be on stage! So get there at least an hour early. Set up everything. Double check everything. Make sure that your props are set, the sound works, the lights are appropriate for your act, the servers or event staff know who you are, and what you are doing, you’ve changed into your performance attire, your make up is good, and the only thing left you have to do is take the stage in another 30 minutes. Spend the first fifteen minutes on yourself. Get a drink, relax, and take a moment to watch the crowed. If you need a mark (volunteer) for a bit in your act, now is the time to look into the audience and profile a good one. The last fifteen minutes before the show is for the act. Take this time to rehearse in your minds eye your entire show. How you open, how you transition to the next effect, and then to the one there after. What lines you have in store for a heckler, and how you plan to close your performance. Let no one interrupt you during this time. Seclude yourself in a bathroom stall if need be. Take a deep breath and just be ready to be your charming and entertaining self as soon as your feet hit that stage floor.
In some venues, parties, and special events that you’ll perform at alcohol will be served. First off let me say that if you are under the legal age limit for your state to be drinking alcohol then you shouldn’t be no matter what. Remain professional. If you do drink underage, save that for the weekends when your out with friends. Might I also add at this time that I personally do not advocate or support the use or consumption of alcohol by minors. Now with that out of the way, for those of us who are of the legal age limit to drink lets look at this subject with an objective mind. Rule of thumb is never drink while you are working. No one likes a sloppy magician. If you absolutely need it to calm your nerves or what not, one drink before hand but nothing more. Save the drinking until after you are done performing for the night, then and only then do you drink. Also, please drink responsibly and get a designated driver if you are unable to drive. Driving buzzed in many states is just the same as driving drunk!
Accepting Drinks From Others. It’s going to happen sooner or later. You’ll be working an event where alcohol will be served and someone will insist on buying you a drink for your efforts in performing. It’s rude to turn down a drink twice. It’s actually considered polite to turn it down once. If your new found friend is still insisting on buying you a drink let them! Also make sure that the bartender knows it’s for you. This is of course a set up. You’ve already met the bartender for the night and became good friends with him. You may have even given him a tip for his help should this exact occasion occur. He knows that if an order for a drink comes in for you, he’s to make it without alcohol! There’s more than one reason why my preferred drink is rum & coke! Lets just say it’s not always because of the rum.
Accepting Gifts From Clients or Patrons. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve down a private party for someone and walked out with a bag of fruit from their tree in the back yard, or a free massage at the day spa that they just happens to work at. It’s going to happen. It’s called gratuity and it can come in more forms than just the kind you spend. Rule of thumb is to accept it. If you turn it away, it’s considered rude. If you can’t use what is being offered to you, then give it to someone else! See my last chapter on Giving Gifts.
Makeup. I know that it isn’t typical for males to wear a lot of makeup but you’re in show business and in show business they do. I’m not saying go overboard but every one should have some basic makeup supplies in their case. A tube of neutral flesh tone concealer, a tube of natural colour lip stick (that matches your lips colour), and maybe a black eyeliner pencil. When you are on stage the bright lights can wash your skin out. The use of makeup helps counter that and add some warmth back into your skin. Obviously if you are working a restaurant then your needs for makeup won’t be as much as if you were working a theater. Don’t worry if you don’t have a clue about makeup, how to put it on, or what is used for what. Go to your local mall and find a major department store retailer (Like Maceys or JC Penny) and go to their makeup counter. Explain to the clerk that you are an entertainer and need some BASIC makeup to help flesh out your colour while on stage. Take and trust their advice. They’ll show you what will work for your skin tones, how to apply it, and how much of it you’ll ideally need. If you are a female performer then make sure your makeup is in place, and looks good at least ten minutes prior to taking the stage.
(To Be Continued)
When you are performing for a group of people, it is usually advisable to have one source of entertainment, be it magic, mentalism, juggling, comedy, or otherwise, per every 100 people or so. I’ve worked large wedding banquets solo, and I’ve also done even larger Hollywood style mansion parties with a team of very talented entertainers, and let me tell you it’s no fun to be the only source of entertainment at a huge party! The biggest reason why; is your talent is spread way to thin. You can’t possibly be expected to give a quality show in a close up environment and still be expected to reach every one of the guests at the party. Cabaret makes things easier, but only if you have that kind of act available in your arsenal. When you are dealing with private parties this may be a fact that you will want to consider when your asking your questions to determine your clients needs. I usually ask how many people they plan to have at the event, and from that I get a real good idea on what kind of magic I should be doing.
When performing it is important to ask yourself: “Am I entertaining?” You’ll want to make sure you structure your performance according. There are a lot of different theories on how to perform magic out there. Probably more theories than you can shake a stick at, but in the end they all can pretty much agree on one point. It is all about entertainment. This isn’t a book on performance theory. This is a book of marketing advice. So I’m not going to go deep into the theory side of the performance arts. However I will say this: Your goal should be to create a fun, and exciting experience for your spectators. An experience that they will enjoy, participate in, and remember for sometime to come. Weather you do that by creating a bonding moment between them and you through the expression of your humanity, or you shock them to tears by tearing your beating heart through your chest is pretty much up to you. So long as you accomplishment the shows prerequisite of entertainment the rest is just theater.
When you have a gig date, I recommend arriving at the venue at least a full hour early. There is a lot that can happen before a show starts, anything from sound or lighting failure, to props not working, to your animals refusing to cooperate. You may realize that you’ve left part of your act at home or your assistant is running late. Your deck of cards aren’t set up in the proper order, you have yet to go through wardrobe and makeup, to being told that your original opening act of fire eating is not zoned correctly and needs to be dropped from the act. Needless to say when it rains it pours and rarely will just one bad thing ever happen to you at a time. The last thing you want is something(s) to go wrong and you have only five minutes before you are expected to be on stage! So get there at least an hour early. Set up everything. Double check everything. Make sure that your props are set, the sound works, the lights are appropriate for your act, the servers or event staff know who you are, and what you are doing, you’ve changed into your performance attire, your make up is good, and the only thing left you have to do is take the stage in another 30 minutes. Spend the first fifteen minutes on yourself. Get a drink, relax, and take a moment to watch the crowed. If you need a mark (volunteer) for a bit in your act, now is the time to look into the audience and profile a good one. The last fifteen minutes before the show is for the act. Take this time to rehearse in your minds eye your entire show. How you open, how you transition to the next effect, and then to the one there after. What lines you have in store for a heckler, and how you plan to close your performance. Let no one interrupt you during this time. Seclude yourself in a bathroom stall if need be. Take a deep breath and just be ready to be your charming and entertaining self as soon as your feet hit that stage floor.
In some venues, parties, and special events that you’ll perform at alcohol will be served. First off let me say that if you are under the legal age limit for your state to be drinking alcohol then you shouldn’t be no matter what. Remain professional. If you do drink underage, save that for the weekends when your out with friends. Might I also add at this time that I personally do not advocate or support the use or consumption of alcohol by minors. Now with that out of the way, for those of us who are of the legal age limit to drink lets look at this subject with an objective mind. Rule of thumb is never drink while you are working. No one likes a sloppy magician. If you absolutely need it to calm your nerves or what not, one drink before hand but nothing more. Save the drinking until after you are done performing for the night, then and only then do you drink. Also, please drink responsibly and get a designated driver if you are unable to drive. Driving buzzed in many states is just the same as driving drunk!
Accepting Drinks From Others. It’s going to happen sooner or later. You’ll be working an event where alcohol will be served and someone will insist on buying you a drink for your efforts in performing. It’s rude to turn down a drink twice. It’s actually considered polite to turn it down once. If your new found friend is still insisting on buying you a drink let them! Also make sure that the bartender knows it’s for you. This is of course a set up. You’ve already met the bartender for the night and became good friends with him. You may have even given him a tip for his help should this exact occasion occur. He knows that if an order for a drink comes in for you, he’s to make it without alcohol! There’s more than one reason why my preferred drink is rum & coke! Lets just say it’s not always because of the rum.
Accepting Gifts From Clients or Patrons. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve down a private party for someone and walked out with a bag of fruit from their tree in the back yard, or a free massage at the day spa that they just happens to work at. It’s going to happen. It’s called gratuity and it can come in more forms than just the kind you spend. Rule of thumb is to accept it. If you turn it away, it’s considered rude. If you can’t use what is being offered to you, then give it to someone else! See my last chapter on Giving Gifts.
Makeup. I know that it isn’t typical for males to wear a lot of makeup but you’re in show business and in show business they do. I’m not saying go overboard but every one should have some basic makeup supplies in their case. A tube of neutral flesh tone concealer, a tube of natural colour lip stick (that matches your lips colour), and maybe a black eyeliner pencil. When you are on stage the bright lights can wash your skin out. The use of makeup helps counter that and add some warmth back into your skin. Obviously if you are working a restaurant then your needs for makeup won’t be as much as if you were working a theater. Don’t worry if you don’t have a clue about makeup, how to put it on, or what is used for what. Go to your local mall and find a major department store retailer (Like Maceys or JC Penny) and go to their makeup counter. Explain to the clerk that you are an entertainer and need some BASIC makeup to help flesh out your colour while on stage. Take and trust their advice. They’ll show you what will work for your skin tones, how to apply it, and how much of it you’ll ideally need. If you are a female performer then make sure your makeup is in place, and looks good at least ten minutes prior to taking the stage.
(To Be Continued)
