Recently, I was hired to do a show that frankly, I thought would be just like any other gig. But when I arrived I discovered it was in fact for an audience of 40-50 teenagers. For those in the know, most performers would rather step into a den of lions covered in raw meat than take on a room full of 21st Century teens.
I'll tell you why many feel this way by sharing my story further. As the teens entered the room where the show was to be, a group of 8-10 of them greeted me with the following, "magic is fake", "ain't no such thing as magic", "you're a fraud", "you ain't foolin nobody", "this is stupid, magic ain't real". I would imagine that this greeting would unnerve just about anyone. But was I unnerved? No. Because I have been in this position before. I can tell you though that I quickly altered the entire show set. 98% of the material I had planned to do was OUT. I shifted gears into highly visual, stunning material.
When I started the show, I altered my introduction by giving them an explanation/apology. I began with this. "I'm so very sorry, apparently there was some misunderstanding or miscommunication. Some people here are under the assumption that I do sorcery, or witchcraft, or black magic or something along those lines. I do not. What I present is theatrical magic. I create the illusion that magic exists using purely natural means along with psychological principles and other secret techniques."
It was at that point that I brought out a Rubics Cube. I mentioned how a Rubics Cube is a puzzle, and many people think of magic as a puzzle, while some think of magic as real. In truth, it's kind of in between those two lines. Then I tossed up the mixed up cube and when it landed in my hands it was solved. Reaction: blew them away! They were falling over themselves in shock.
Then I presented an audience volunteer trick which had a humorous slant to it. The audience laughed at all the right moments. The spectator was bewildered as was everyone else. Then I turned the tables on them and made the following routine happen in the hands of the spectator, as if they possessed the magic. Again, they were dumbfounded.
The point of all this is, I never could have pulled this off had I not encountered this type of group in the past. I did not treat them as children, I treated them as adults. I did not try and act cool or speak their language, I simply showed them my talent in a manner that I knew they could relate too. The end result was a standing ovation. Yes, a standing ovation from a group of teens who insulted me when they first arrived.
If you're wondering what I closed with....Sawing A Spectator in Half using the Harbin Bow Saw. Kind of a big prop, but has a great surprise ending. It delivered the needed results.
Had I forged ahead with the original show I had planned to do, they would have eaten me alive. I expect that more than half would have probably left before the show was over in truth. But with the changes I made, they all stayed and had a great time. Experience, it sure comes in handy sometimes!
