We had a great audience at the Schwartz Center tonight. This is a very intimate space – not a bad seat in the house. It is a bit “tight” backstage – not much wing space and everything is dead hung but we knew that going in. Cindy did an amazing job of bringing in some of the larger illusions and David was just as amazing in moving them around through the show.
We had to make some changes to the show order, including adding more audience interaction effects but that worked really well in this intimate venue. The audience was enthusiastic about wanting to get on stage so we had some very good participation.
The Brick Wall especially got a great response – lots of mumbling and chatter, oohs and aahhs, several gasps. It was very cool! And it’s always gratifying to hear the audience when they are baffled by an illusion.
We also worked with a very excited staff and crew. Destiny and her friends were our load in crew and George and Stacy were the hired guys for our tech. Once we maneuvered the truck through the tiny streets of historic downtown Dover, we found ourselves at the loading door much quicker than we had anticipated. The first “miracle” of the day. It’s a good 5 foot drop down from the street to the stage so everything went down a large ramp. When cases weigh hundreds of pounds, they can move fast down a ramp! Gravity wasn’t our friend on the load out but we had lots of hands and made it out quickly – in time to catch a late dinner at Denny’s (but that’s another story).
One of my favorite parts of any performance is when I get to meet the audience after the show. I enjoy seeing the excitement on the faces of the children as they attempt to describe their favorite illusion. But I especially enjoy hearing the comments from the adults – those who weren’t as sure that they would enjoy a “magic show.” We designed our show for an adult audience but made sure it was family-friendly…so when the adults admit that they were entertained (and baffled), it really does mean a lot of us.
Thanks Dover for a great experience! We look forward to coming back!