Birthday Party Success

It’s time to go perform at a child’s birthday party. The car is washed and loaded. The tricks are checked and ready. You have your trusty rabbit sidekick. But there is something else that is vitally important to bring to a birthday party: patience.

Looking back over my career as a performer, birthday party shows have been some of my best performances, and also some of my worst. There are many factors that make a birthday party show uniquely different from any other venue.

At a birthday party, you are going to be performing for a child who is very excited, because it’s their big day. It’s their birthday! In most cases, you are coming into their home to perform magic right under their noses. Family and friends will be gathered together, and most people will know each other. It’s usually very informal, with kids and adults talking, laughing, eating, and just having fun.

So, don’t expect to have the same type of control that you would have at say, a school show. You need to bring lots of patience, and be ready to “go with the flow.”

I remember many years ago listening to an audio tape from a birthday party performer.  He recommended at a home birthday party using a stricter, control type of opening such as you would use in a school show. In other words, he told the kids to sit quietly, no talking, and he would only pick quiet kids to help in the show. One technique he used was to tell the children that he would leave out a trick if he had to waste time to stop and tell the children to be quiet.

Shortly after hearing this, I decided to try this approach. I was performing for a 7 year-old boy’s birthday, and his older sister kept interrupting me. Finally, I said, “Sorry, I’ve wasted so much time stopping because you’re talking, that I have to leave a trick out.”

Well, the birthday boy’s mother gave me a dirty look, and I knew I had made a serious error. I continued with the show, and in reality, I didn’t leave out a trick. I never intended to leave out a trick. It was just trying to quiet this girl down.

After the show, the mother, overreacting somewhat, came up to me sobbing, and said, “you’ve ruined my party.” I told her not to pay me, tore her check up, and hastily left the premises!

Reflecting on this show, I thought about why this approach didn’t work, and how I could handle this situation in the future. First, the control type of opening doesn’t work in a birthday party, because a birthday party show isn’t a school show. Remember, you are in the child’s home, so as a stranger, you can’t walk into someone’s home and tell him what to do. The child is in his home, with his friends. It’s their big day, and they’re excited.

So, am I saying, you should just have a wild, out of control show? Of course not. But don’t expect the audience to be on their best behavior. Remember, bring lots of patience.

 There will be all types of interruptions during a birthday party show. The pizza will be delivered in the middle of the show. Kids will get up for a drink or to use the bathroom. A big dog will run into the middle of the audience. Guests will arrive late, or have to leave early. I know, because these things have all happened during my shows. If you think the kids will sit on their bottoms quietly during the entire show, you’ll be sadly disappointed.

To control the birthday party audience, it is both simple and difficult. You have to have good magic, and present it in an entertaining manner. I don’t know why some entertainers look down on birthday party performers, because you have to be highly skilled to do a good job in the birthday party market.

I changed my birthday party opening a few years ago, and it works much better. I come out, get a big hand for the birthday child, and I thank the parents for inviting me. Then I get the kids to turn to the parents and say, “thank you.” I teach the group the magic words, which are Happy Birthday Tommy, or whatever the birthday child’s name happens to be. Notice, I haven’t given any rules about how to behave.

I go right away into my opening routine, which involves vanishing and reproducing a thumb tip streamer, and turning it into a cane. It is quick, visual, and strong magic. I get control of the audience with strong magic, instead of laying down a bunch of rules. Remember, the kids aren’t in school, they’re at a party on their day off. 

After the opening, I may quickly mention that I’ll be calling some kids up later in the show, and that the birthday party child will also be helping.  Then my second routine is one that involves the entire audience, with lots of pointing, clapping and shouting of the magic words. This helps to blow off a little steam early in the show.

In the case of the girl interrupting me in the show, I really blew it by losing my patience, and telling the audience I was leaving out a trick. First of all, this was the older sister of the birthday child. Siblings of the birthday child need lots of extra attention. Perhaps they’ve never had a magician at their party, so there will some jealousy at play.

So, before any birthday show, I meet the brothers and sisters, and talk with them and get to know them. I give them a little extra attention, because they can feel left out. I also make sure they know that I will be calling them up to help. In other words, you win them over before the show even starts, so they won’t be a problem during the show.

I have noticed a trend recently from so-called birthday party “experts,” and that is the idea that you have to bring something big to perform at a party. I’ve heard about everything from chair suspensions, to flying carpets, to even electric sawing in half illusions. Supposedly, this approach will get you more shows and make you more money.

I’ve also heard from many people who tried this, and they now don’t do birthday parties. They were carrying so much equipment, they got burned out on birthday parties.

I’ve worked birthday parties for over 30 years. I am in this business for the long haul. I do other types of shows, but I still enjoy birthday parties. It’s fun performing close to the audience right in their home. I feel good knowing I’m providing quality entertainment, and making memories that the child will have for years. I’ve gotten many other higher-paying shows from people who have seen my birthday show.

The key to the birthday business isn’t in how big your show is, or how many props you carry in. The key is to do your job in an entertaining manner that the kids will love. Your show needs lots of color, laughter, audience participation, strong magic, and energy.

Having a terrific show means the client will want to hire only YOU, not some other magician who brings in tons of props but only has a so-so show.

Whenever I walk up to a home where I’m performing for a birthday party, before I ring the door bell, I always tell myself, be patient! Go with the flow, expect a few interruptions, and just have fun with the kids, and you too will enjoy birthday party performing.

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