11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011

Discuss the art of Children's Entertainment with your fellow performers.
David Rowyn
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11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011

Postby David Rowyn » November 12th, 2010, 2:13 pm

http://davidrowyn.posterous.com/11-kid- ... s-for-2011

A little essay I wrote recently.

Thoughts?

Lisa Cousins
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Re: 11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011

Postby Lisa Cousins » November 14th, 2010, 2:28 pm

Your point is akin to saying that, because you like reading Shakespeare now, you feel it would be an insult to give a school kid some Dr. Seuss.

Just as there's always a new rising generation to appreciate Dr. Seuss, there will always be a new batch of kids coming up who will appreciate change bags, coloring books, and dove pans.

These things are basic building blocks of the magical vocabulary, and little children shouldn't be expected to skip them just because YOU got sophisticated.

Brad Henderson
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Re: 11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011

Postby Brad Henderson » November 14th, 2010, 7:28 pm

Do most kid show magicians offer performances akin to the quality and genius of dr Seuss ? I can tell the story of rapunzel and so can Disney. Rationalizing that I shouldn't strive for the quality of Disney simply because my rendition 'gets by' for audiences who have never heard it seems to be the cop out David is identifying.

David Rowyn
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Re: 11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011

Postby David Rowyn » November 15th, 2010, 3:48 pm

I love Dr. Seuss!

Perhaps we can compare apples to apples and poet/playwrights with poet/playwrights.

Say, William Shakespeare as compared to William McGonagall.

With the capacity for Shapespeare, yes, it would be aesthetically inferior to give an audience McGonagall.

//

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Jolly Roger
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Re: 11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011

Postby Jolly Roger » November 23rd, 2010, 11:47 pm

I have posted some of my comments on your Blog, David. I really believe you have no concept about how to entertain children, and it is no surprise that you have given this up. This is a field that I believe I know much about, performing several hundred shows a year for the little ones for most of my life..................and the majority of my bookings being referrals and repeat clients. This makes me feel I am doing something right. I don't wish to sound hard, but I don't believe you have a clue about what it takes when it comes to the entertainment of children. JR
www.ComicMagician.com
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Tom Stone
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Re: 11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011

Postby Tom Stone » November 24th, 2010, 10:34 am

I thought it had too many exclamation points and too few question marks. I'm all for questioning tradition and the current state of things, if it is phrased as questions.

Also, it serves little purpose to "take away" things, when you don't offer a better replacement - the idea should preferably be to inspire growth, evolution and a wider range of options, rather than making the field narrower and with less options.

Also, I think you've mislabeled #9, as it seems to deal with the paranoia induced by the fear-mongers (tabloid newspapers), rather than with "decency". I firmly believe that if a kid's upbringing is too void of physical contact with other humans, the result might be an emotionally crippled adult (and we know, also from the tabloids, what they can do.)
...that's not to say that we shouldn't take some care in our choice of material. But, for example, letting two kids hang on to your arms, as "cheating controllers" after being "accused" of cheating, and let them almost dangle from the arms when the wand is waved - that kind of physical contact is difficult to misconstrue.

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mai-ling
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Re: 11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011

Postby mai-ling » November 24th, 2010, 10:40 am

hmmm
you will remember my name
http://www.mai-ling.net
world's youngest illusionista


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Jolly Roger
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Re: 11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011

Postby Jolly Roger » December 2nd, 2010, 11:45 pm

I would like to withdraw any animosity in my original post to David, who has turned out to be a real gentleman.........even though we are not in agreement when it comes to entertaining children. He has kindly given me and others our own blog on his site. Thank you David!

http://davidrowyn.posterous.com/convers ... -and-a-jol


JR


JR
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Sr Agnes Fate
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Re: 11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011

Postby Sr Agnes Fate » December 3rd, 2010, 1:01 am

It seems that one of the "others" mentioned by Roger is the very Reverend Mark Lewis. Perhaps those of us that miss him here can make conversation with him there.


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