The other night, I worked an 80th birthday party.
The host was wonderful. She took almost every piece of advice I gave her about making the evening run smoothly.
Almost.
The one thing she didn’t do?
She didn’t tell her guests there was going to be entertainment.
She wanted it to be a surprise.
And boy howdy, it was.
Not the fun kind of surprise. More like, “Wait… is this a joke? Why is there a magician here? Should we be worried?” kind of surprise.
The room was confused. Guarded. Not mentally prepared to laugh, play, or engage with a comedy magic show.
So what do you do when the audience isn’t with you?
You stick to the script.
You do the jokes as written. You do the routines in order. You stay gracious. You smile. You don’t panic. You don’t chase them.
You trust the work.
Because that’s why the script exists.
The host loved it. Many guests were kind afterward.
But the lesson remains:
If entertainment is coming, tell the audience.
And if the room turns on you anyway? Have a script worth trusting.
I touch on scripting in my book Comedy, Character & Control. It’s still available as a hardcopy or as a download – and to celebrate the first anniversary of that book having been published, that download is included in my very first bundle offer!
You’ll get:
The PDF version of my book on making your magic sharper, funnier, and more connected.
My full working routine and teaching for a commercial, funny, audience-tested card trick that puts the focus on them and leaves them with an incredible souvenir and memory.
This Will Be Mic…So There’s No Confusion
My practical guide to using a handheld mic clearly, confidently, and professionally, without bad habits that hurt your sound, staging, or control.
Three practical resources.
One bundle.
A better show starts with better structure.
The structure of this bundle saves you TWELVE BUCKS!
This bundle price is valid through Friday, May 15th at 11:59PM ET!
Click the button above and start building the kind of show that holds up when the room doesn’t help you.
Best,
Michael
Your Friendly Neighborhood Magic Director
PS – If you’re interested in my Director’s Notes and would like to read previous entries, you can do that by clicking HERE.