Bar Mitzvah

Performed mix & mingle magic for a Bar Mitzvah reception on Saturday.

I’ve been told umpteen times (by other performers) that this is a tough age group to work for, but I’ve never found it so. To be clear, I would NEVER perform “children’s magic” for 13-year-olds. The young people get the same high-caliber magic that I would perform for my grown-up audiences. At this age, they’re more likely to have seen David Blaine or Criss Angel (or Cyril Takayama via YouTube) than their parents, so if you have to be able to deliver the goods.

What makes these gigs fun is that the young people give free rein to their emotions. If you fool them, they will laugh, they will scream, they will run out of the room (and come back with bunch of their friends in tow).

I do suspect that some of my success with young people stems from my age. I’m not a teenage magician (who wouldn’t be worthy of their respect), but I’m also usually younger than their parents (and therefore still able to wear the mantle of hipness). If you’re too close to their age they’ll take you down. Ditto if you’re too old. I happen to be at the right age where I can claim the role of Alpha dog and assert order on what could become a wild pack.

One thing you need to be prepared for is to think on your feet. Unlike the more polite adult audience, young people (giving free reign to their emotions) will call on you to “do it again!” or “roll up your sleeves!” or “let me shuffle the cards!”

So only bring your strongest rock-solid material to these gigs. If you’re working on a new bit and you’re the slightest bit uncertain, they’ll smell your fear and (unlike their parents) they won’t hesitate to call you out.

Hmm. I started off this post by saying that this is not a tough age group to work for, but after reading my own advise, perhaps I should amend that.

Yes, Mitzvah-aged kid are tough to work for. But if you come prepared, if you earn their respect, if you have the confidence to take charge, it’s a fun and rewarding age group to work for.