It is officially October, one of the busiest months for magicians. It is also one of my favorite months, as I love Halloween and it is our wedding anniversary (yesterday, actually, and we went out for a great meal, but during the day I was off performing). I have booked more shows this month than in any previous month. I guess there was a lot of pent-up demand.
Last weekend was a four show weekend. That is about my max as there is only so much of me to go around. That is one of the problems with live performance that I understood better once I got my MBA. At a certain point, when it is just you, demand can quickly exceed supply. Fortunately, through the many friends I have made at the Magic Castle, I know several excellent magicians to suggest when I am unable to do a show. I still really hate turning down shows. There are times I wish I had Mickey Mouse’s spellbook, although that can go very badly. Then again, he was only an apprentice, and I like to think of myself as well beyond those days.
What is fun about living in a big city like Los Angeles, besides having a whole lot more people who can potentially hire you, is that it is so diverse and I get to entertain many different types of people. I get to learn a lot about different cultures, as they are pretty much all represented in my city.
I have done a number of Indian first birthdays. In India, the celebration of the first birthday is a very big deal and cause for a major celebration. That carries over here as well with Indian families. The food is amazing and these are very fun events to perform at, even if the birthday child can not fully appreciate my show yet.
It is also a showbiz town. I worked in mainstream entertainment for many years, and have lots of friends in the business. I also wind up doing shows for a lot of interesting people in the industry. One of the shows I did this past weekend was a baby shower.
No, I did not do any tricks for the baby- he or she was still inside their mother’s tummy. I have a reputation for being able to entertain children of all ages, even the very very young, but the preborn is a bit of a reach even for me.
The mother to be was a professional dancer and a long-time cast member of The Lion King musical. A whole bunch of people from the cast were there, so it was very fun.
This was a type of show I am doing more of and really enjoy. I come in as just another guest, although technically I am a professional party guest. I chat people up (something, as it turns out, I am quite good at), and find a way to introduce a magic effect. I then reveal why I am really there, and ask them if they’d like to see some more magic. They always do. What I like about this is that the guests have no expectations about what I am going to do, and then out of the blue I do something amazing. I have been doing this for close-up strolling magic, and we also do it around Christmas time where we come in character as Santa and Mrs. Claus. We act just like any other party guest, visiting and mingling as we enjoy an evening away from the hustle and bustle of the North Pole
I just booked another show for October, which officially makes it the busiest October for me ever. It includes my first gig at a casino. I do have my day job working for Cedars-Sinai, which is fulfilling, but as you can imagine is a bit stressful these days. Doing the shows is pure joy, and rather than just exhausting me, I think it helps keep me going and better able to deal with the stress of the day job.