Hello All,
I have an offer to work the waiting area
at a Red Lobster! This would be my first official paid performance. I have a quick question:

While performing for people waiting on their table, how do you avoid showing repetitious
tricks?
I need to set up some kind of rotation where
I can show a few tricks, and back off, and when the majority of the crowd is new, start over again... Should I visit a couple of tables and return to the waiting customers?

I know the managements main concern is losing customers due to the long wait to be seated, so I definitely want to keep him happy. I also plan on getting some videos on restaurant work before I accept the position, which may answer my question, but until then I am pretty much stumped.

I am the only working magician (will be) in the area that I know of, and I believe there will be a high demand once I start. I definitely don't want to screw this up.

Any advice would be greatly appriciated.
Thanks
Tom

Having both eaten at and performed for a Red Lobster. I understand the management's concern. You've partially answered your own question. If you are strictly "magic only" 4 or 5 good walk-around routines are usually enough to not get to much overlap. If you start to get overlap, a gag like the napkin over the shoulder disappearing act or even a small give-away (Oriental Trading novelties) can fill the gaps. Every person doesn't have to see magic to appreciate the performance. Flexability is the key. Even small group games to get people talking with each other will keep a crowd intact.

If the crowd is entertained too much, they may forget to listen for their name/number.


**NOTE** If you are working both the inside and outside, have one set of tricks for the outside and one set for the inside. It's very embarassing to forget a group's faces and show them the same trick inside you did outside while they were waiting!

Lots of luck on your first outing.

Whatever the wait time is, add 10 minutes and that should be the length of time you MUST be able to do without repeating yourself.

With so many good card, coin, ring & string, rubberband, paper, spong ball, silk and other tricks and gags at your disposal, you should have no problem working up a sizeable repertoire to handle whatever wait is involved.

You might want to sit down and make a list of every trick you can do with whatever available props are at hand. You might surprise yourself at the length of the list.

Also, this might be a great time to dive into some of the books, magazines and manuscripts you own which you might not have worked through completely (or at all) to find new reputation-making gems for your ever-expanding repertoire.

Good luck.

There's also another post with a lot of good advice, same topic.

Click here

Well Mr. Williams,
You were right, I made a list of effects that I KNOW are surefire to go over successfully, and I came up with about
45. I was surprised.. I think I need to come up with a few good gag tricks to fill the time as Rif suggested... Thank you all for the advice
Tom

re;
"I am the only working magician (will be) in the area that I know of,"

Tom, what area do you live in? I'm thinking of moving there.

Have some multiple card selection routines where cards are selected from different groups of people which draws them all in and creates good atmosphere. You can also do some lengthier routines than you could at the tables.

Paul.