Holiday Shows

    The month of December will soon be here, which means, for most of us, the busiest month for performing shows. Along with the extra shows and money will come stress and problems, unless we do a little advance planning.

            The goal of this article is to help you have a successful and fun holiday show season. I’ve made my share of mistakes during the busy holiday season over the years. Hopefully you’ll learn from my mistakes, and not make the same ones I did!

            Holiday shows are unique in many ways. The children are generally more excited and noisy. People may be feeling stressed out. There will often be adults present with the children, and the grownups may be partaking of alcohol.

            My first rule for success is to simplify the show. Some of the worst performing venues I’ve seen are holiday shows. Sometimes you’ll have a platform, but usually you’re in the corner of a crowded room. I have one client who always books a disk jockey along with me, and we have an area about 8 feet wide by 3 feet deep, which we share. To top it off, the area is in front of a door. This is just one example of several I encounter each holiday season.

            The crowded conditions mean the audience will be very close, and quite often at least partially surrounding you. Fancy manipulation routines and intricate silk loads are out.

            Besides the crowded conditions, you may be booking several shows in one day, so ease of setup is critical. My Christmas show is carried in one suitcase table, and all the effects can play with the audience on three sides. Most of my routines have minimal or no setup time.

            We all like to do the most spectacular show we can, but during the holiday season, the practicality of our routines is of utmost importance.

    So, simplify your holiday show. Make sure it can be carried in with one or no more than two trips, set up quickly and work nearly surrounded.

            Along with simplifying your show, my second rule for success is to shorten the show. Plan on doing no more than 30 minutes. You will probably have children ranging from toddlers to 12-year olds, so a half hour show will be plenty. It always seems that holiday party organizers give the kids cookies, candy and soda pop just before you go on, so the kids will be extremely enthusiastic (to put it mildly!) And beware, there’s something about the holiday season that brings out the worst in children.

            Rule number three is to never leave home without your sound system. These holiday shows are about the noisiest venue I play all year. Even a small room will require a sound system, once you have loud drinking adults at the back of the room, and “sugared-up” kids at the front. You’re not going to be able to shout over this audience. And if you do, you’ll be so hoarse, you won’t be able to talk at your next show.

            Rule number four is to go over all the details with the party organizers before you start the show. Will there be singing of Christmas carols before or after your show? Do they want you to introduce Santa Clause? Make sure Santa isn’t going to walk out during the middle of your show.

   If you are going to introduce Santa at the end of your show, make sure you have an extra routine or two, in case you have to stretch. I’ve lost count of the number of times Santa has been late, and I’ve had to fill the dead time by leading the audience in Christmas songs. Incidentally, the best Santa intro that I’ve found is in Karrell Foxes book, entitled “Another Book.” He calls it “Christmas Karrell.”

            Rule five is to do a few routines to tie your show into the holiday season. The whole show doesn’t have to consist of Christmas effects, but two or three strong holiday routines will give your show a Christmas feel. Think about changing the patter of effects you already do, and also consider changing the look of a few props you have.

            You might want to consider buying a few special holiday props. This is the busiest show time of the year, so the cost for special props is justified. You may be giving 30-50 performances in a single month, so treat yourself to some new, good holiday props.

            Rule six is to remember to take care of yourself. I’ve been much happier cutting back on holiday shows in recent years. In fact, for me December is now just an average month in show volume.

            A big trap we get into is booking too many shows too close together. It can be tempting to squeeze as many shows as possible into a single day, but you’re setting yourself and your clients up for a lot of stress. These holiday shows are notorious for starting late. If your first show starts late, you’ll be playing catch-up all day. So make sure to leave plenty of time to get to your shows.

   I’ve also started to do only the shows I want to do. When I was first starting out, I would take every show that came my way. But now, I pick and choose my holiday shows carefully. If I’m talking to a potential client, and I don’t like the situation I could get into, I don’t book the show. I’ve grown tired of all-adult Christmas parties, playing for drunks who don’t care. So instead of doing those shows, I stay home and enjoy the holiday season.

            So, simplify your show, be ready for any conditions, and make sure you leave a little time for yourself, to enjoy the holiday season. I wish you a successful, happy and stress-free holiday season.

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