Hi Everyone,
Just wondering ihow you all introduced your act.

Do you do a trick or announcement or just go straight into your skit?
Im having a bit of trouble getting the attention of everyone first, but once I get going its all good.

Any help pr ideas would be very much appreciated.

I just go around asking if anyone has seen a clown (LOUDLY). Then I start doing balloon twisting or story telling, etc.
Jubilee

When Its a group going in for a show we usually use music that let every one know we're coming in. Long before a show I set up and an out line of what skits, magic, story etc we're planing to do and who is to do each activity, so that we flow from one thing to another. You should never have a dead spot that last longer than a min. Walk around for festival begin the second I start to get out of the car. Just be the clown in You and people will notice.

I always intro with something quite visual...if I have long sleeve costume on, then I have the 2 glove routine where one glove is about 15 foot long and keeps coming out of my sleeve with a small kid sized sock attached to the end.
If in my summer short sleeve costume, then I will either use my silk to cane opening (this is quite visual!) and gets their attention for the rest of the show!
Check out David Ginn's ideas for openings too. He will tell you that your opening sets the tone for the rest of the show. If you want people to applaud and laugh during the rest of the show, then you have to move the audience to that emotion in your opening. Otherwise they won't know how you want them to react. It's up to you the performer to "train" your audience in your opening act.
I have done back to back shows, one with a good opening and one just going right into my clowning routine, and it is like night and day in terms of the crowd reaction. Go with a great opening and you and the audience will have more fun!
Esther

:D Hi! For my actual show, I do comedy magic. Temporary tattoos, balloons, etc. are after the show. There are many different ways to introduce your act, one trick I have is the clown sliks routine. You have a change bag preloaded with a clolrful silk with a picture of a clown, and you hold up a silk with a plain outline of a clown...you beign to say,"this is how I want my show to be today...colorles, depressing, boring, blah blah blah..." the kids laugh because this is unexpected to say. Then you say no that's not right and you show the change bag empty. You tell them no wonder the clown is sad and colorless, your 'smile catcher" is empty! You then proceed to have all of the children smile and you put out your hand and have all of them throw their smiles into the bag. You put the sad clown in the bag, shake him up with the smiles, and pull out the colorful silk! You tell them that is how you want your show to be today, fun, colorful, and exciting! This is a great routine to get the kids started off and already involves audience participation. Hope this helps!!!!
~Giggles :D :) 8)

Giggles that's a great idea

Excellent idea Giggles!

I usaually start my magic show off with my Ickle Pickle Change Bag, these are constructed so that you can turn it wrong side out about four or five times ending with a side with a zipper on it. I start by asking the audience if any body lost a bag. I descibe it inside and outside and then start turning it wrong side out. "Wait a minute, it's plaid in the outside and (whatever) on the inside" and keep turning it untill I get to the zipppered side. "Hey there's a pocket!And a note- maybe it tells who owns it in here" open it and remove the folded paper. "Wow! did any body loose a fifty dollar bill? There's a fifty dollar bill in here!" Usually an adult speaks up, when I give the paper to them I say, "Well you better pay it. It's from the electric company and it's past due."
I usually start the whole thing with games, I go around and meet the kids and try to learn their names(I think I'm goin to have to resort to name tags) and meet the birthday boy or girl and thank them for inviting me to their party, I tell them that I like birthday parties and I brought a few games to play if anybody is interested....
I also do my magic show a little different, I tell the kids that I just got a new magic set for my birthday from my mom and dad.... Would it be okay if I tried a few magic tricks out? Then I go into the change bag, I do David Ginns wilting flower bit from the clown magic book.
I also have a trick called Run Rabbit, Run. I start this by asking the kids if any of them have pets, then what kind of pets do they have, and then I tell them about my pet rabbit Rocky.
All of these things are also great time fillers. You can do them as fast or as slow as you need to to fill times problems.

Thanks guys! As I've mentioned, my father is a magician and he jkust doesn't like the patter of that routine, so it's nice to hear other profeshional's opinions. Scruffy, your routinre sounds wonderful! Yesterday was the first show I did without my dad, it was at a restaurant. I was asked back for next week, so I'm very glad!
:D Giggles

Well done Giggles :D

Direct from those thrilling days of yesteryear, a cloud of smoke, a bright red nose and a hearty, "Hey!!! Who stole my Horse?"
He's the Wildest Wootin' Tootin' Hombre East of the Pecos,,,He's Southwest Sam

That's about it.... :D

Ya look like a RIP ROORING WESTERNER, Southwest Sam

Thanks Sue, I've been playing round with the Avatar thingy. Think I'll wait 'til I get a better one.

Since I'm learning yet the clowning... I'm only entry straight... Sometimes, When I'm walking with others clowns... we use music to annouce us....

Picaburu