Clients often ask Gene Urban how to best utilize his magic and mentalism at a private party. Below are a few of Gene’s thoughts on the subject.
I believe that magic should compliment a party, not dominate it. Magic is a powerful art and can become the focus of attention. The guest of honor is who is being celebrated, not the magician.
I feel it works best when the magician strolls among the guests in a casual manner and doesn’t interrupt conversations the “star of the evening” is having with friends and colleagues. Naturally, some magic should be performed with the honoree, yet it is important to give him or her space.
If the party’s venue facilitates a spot for me to perform an intimate stand up show, I like to do something for the entire group. The host often asks me to have me do something special with the guest of honor. Sometimes this is appropriate, yet I’ve found this person often doesn’t want to be singled out. I get around this by asking the guest of honor, before the show, if they would mind helping me with a routine or would they prefer to recommend someone else. They truly appreciate this and 9 times out of 10 they would rather have one of their guests help me.
A Few More Thoughts:
- Do not have the magician perform during dinner. People do not like to be interrupted when they are eating; they’re hungry.
- It is okay to have the magician perform close up magic during the desert portion. People are generally more relaxed at this time and welcome a bit of fun.
- If you have the magician perform for the whole group, make sure there is plenty of light and the room/area is large enough for easy viewing. Often a client wants me to perform outside after the dinner. This is fine if there is good lighting so people can see me. However, if it is dark no one will be able to see the show and get frustrated and bored. No a good thing.
- In most cases, do not ask the magician to “pick-on” the guest of honor. This is a time to celebrate the person, not embarrass them.
- Prepare the payments for entertainers, bartenders and other vendors in advance. You don’t want to be leaving your guests to write checks and such.
We hope this helps a bit as you plan the entertainment for your adult birthday party, retirement celebration, wedding reception, holiday or Christmas party.
If you would like to contact Gene Urban with more questions, booking requests, he can be reached at 602-788-9400 or by using the form below.
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