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Frequently Asked Questions |
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How Much is Your
Show?
If you are looking for the cheapest magician,
I am not him. My shows are a full hour of solid
entertainment and I even arrive early to help greet
guests and provide additional entertainment until
everyone arrives. Also, before judging on price, be sure
to look over my
Checklist of questions to ask when booking any type
of entertainment. I don't always subscribe to the belief
that you get what you pay for (there are some very
expensive performers who aren't any good either). Check
testimonials and references.
My fee for a typical, hour-long birthday party for
children is $300.
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Do You Perform
Outside?
No.
For the past decade I have gotten virtually ALL of my
work from word of mouth. 96% of my business comes from
repeats and referrals with only a trickle for people who
stumble across this website on the internet. The reason
I am so popular is because I have performed more than
3,000 birthday parties and I KNOW what works. Outdoor
parties do NOT work consistently.
Sometimes you get lucky, but most times you have to deal
with rain or the risk of rain, sunlight in the eyes of
the audience or in the eyes of the performer, the
inability to control the temperature (what seems like a
nice day to someone sitting down in the shade drinking
iced lemonade is quite different from a performer who
has to dynamically and energetically perform in the sun
while wearing a costume and sporting a puppet on his
arm), airplanes that fly over during punch lines of
jokes, neighbors who decide to mow their lawns, gusts of
wind that blow props over and prevent some of the better
routines from being performed, insects that annoy adults
(flies, gnats, mosquitoes, etc.), insects that frighten
children (spiders, bees, wasps, etc), all sorts of
interesting distractions that can steal the attention of
the audience for no valid reason (a drifting balloon, a
low flying airplane, a squirrel, a bird, a neighbors
ball coming over the fence, etc.)
I could go on and on as I have experience all of these
situations. Several years ago I realized that part of
the reason that you are willing to pay a premium price
for having me attend your event is the experience that I
bring to the table. My job is to ensure that you have
the best event possible and this can only happen in an
environment where we have some control over the
elements.
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What ages do you
perform for?
My birthday party show is ideal for children
ages 4-11. If your children, or the majority of the
young guests will be younger than four, I can recommend
some fantastic party ideas that your kids will enjoy and
benefit from much more than a magic puppet show. Don't get me
wrong, I want your business, but only if it is going to
be the best possible party for your child. Call me at
(281) 481-5439 if you have young children and I will
gladly help you develop, at no charge, the perfect party
to fit whatever your budget.
If you have children older than eleven, or even a very
interested ten-year-old, I have a great party package
that I call "The Magic Workshop". This is 60-90 minutes
where your child and his or her guests will learn real,
audience fooling magic. These are not silly stunts. I
teach some of the actual effects I use when I perform
strolling magic for adults. All the guests get their own
mini-magic set with everything they need to perform the
tricks I teach. I perform a trick then teach them all
how to do it. Then we go on to the next trick in the
same way. We continue this way through the workshop in a
very hands-on manner.
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How far in advance
do I need to book?
I recommend two months in advance. I have had
people book me a year and a half in advance, but that is
generally unnecessary. I've also had people call me on a
Thursday and get me for that following Saturday, but
that is very rare as well. Most times, my Saturdays and
Sundays are gone three weeks before the date, but you
never know until you call.
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Why is your show
so expensive? I know a guy at my church who will do
magic shows for $125.
As an active member of the Houston
Association of Magicians as well as the Houston Puppetry
Guild I also know many local performers who will work for less. If budget
constraints are a very legitimate concern, please call
me and I can refer a competent, trustworthy magician or
puppeteer who
will work for a lesser fee, rather than leaving it up to
chance and hoping that the person you hire is actually
entertaining.
Be warned that to hire someone based
solely on price might be asking for disaster. Children's
entertainment is a service, not a product. You can't
compare by price alone the way you can with gasoline and
milk. I know I would never let the least expensive
accountant do my taxes, or the cheapest doctor perform
surgery on anyone in my family.
Your child will only have one birthday this year, and
before you know it, they'll be teenagers and won't let
you plan any of their parties. Whether you book with me
or with someone else, please look over my
Checklist of questions to ask when calling about
entertainment
so you know what to look for in an entertainer.
The good news is that the cheap performers are usually
willing to work outside, if that interests you.
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My child is very
shy. What if he/she doesn't want to be the star of the
show?
I've done almost a thousand birthday party
shows and I have encountered this question scores of
times. However, I have NEVER had a child not want to
help me on stage. Part of this is because I take the
time to make the child feel comfortable with me well in
advance of the party. I send out a postcard with my
picture on it so the child can see what I look like and
begin mentally preparing for my arrival. I arrive 30-45
minutes before the party starts and can have the
birthday child help me set up, or just watch me set up
from a "safe" distance. Regardless, it won't take long
for even the most reclusive child to open up as we begin
doing close-up magic (magic that happens right in your
child's hands).
Even though I haven't yet encountered a child so shy
that they didn't want to help, if I ever do, I would
respond in the way that I've always believed was
appropriate in a situation like that. I would allow the
child to simply watch the show and enjoy the party,
knowing that if he changed his mind at any time he can
get up and help me.
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Copyright 2010 Funny Magic Puppet Guy. All rights reserved
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