I recently had two magic shows for two libraries. The first show was for a library I have never been to before and the second show was for a library program that I have performed at for the last two years. So one show was my first time and the second was my third time. For the new library I was going to do my standard show that I usually do, but for the other library, I needed to keep things fresh.
To keep a long story short, I was successful with each show and had a fantastic time with both groups. The first show was nice to meet new people and to show what I do the best, and the second show had some familiar faces where I was able to try some new material and to try to keep the audience engaged by putting twists on my favorite tricks.
I received two fantastic reviews from both groups which made me think about the shows. Although each show was good, I found that I may have done a trick not quite as well as I should, or did not say the right line at the right time, or should have done something differently, but either way I knew I did my best. If you can leave the show knowing that you tried your best, put your heart into it, and everyone had a good time, you can walk away proud of yourself. You will never have a “perfect” show and you will always find places to improve, but if you can leave the show with people who are happy, amazed, entertained, and you did your best, you should feel it is a great show. I always try to film my show to critique my act to see what I can change or what I should do, and every time I find something else to work on that I try to focus on the next time around. I occasionally get caught up in the technical parts, but after I watch the first time, I try to watch again, and I focus on the faces of the participants and the sounds of the audience, which tells me more than I could ever know. The audience is the most important part of the show, and by making them feel amazed and special is the best thing to do!
“Everything was great! The kids and adults love the show. They ask when he’s coming again before he even leaves! This is our third year having him perform at the Vernon Library, and we hope he comes back for many more!”
-Robyn Coufal – Director Vernon Library-
“Chris Wheel was great. He instantly made connections with the audience. He was able to keep both children and adults (our audience’s ages ranged from 6-81) entertained and laughing. I would highly recommend him for any function.”
-Michelle Priola – New Berlin Library-