Magician Near Me: Booking as a Surprise
Magician Near Me: Booking as a Surprise
Booking entertainment as a surprise is a lovely thing to do and it has a failure mode nobody plans for: the person being surprised didn't want to be the centre of attention, and now they're being watched reacting to something in front of everybody they know.
Worth thinking through first. I'm Magical Katrina, an award winning magician and mentalist, and I want to set out what to consider when booking a magician near me as a surprise, including the question most people skip.
Ask Yourself Whether They'd Want It
Start with the honest question. Some people love a surprise and being the focus of an evening, and plenty of others find both genuinely uncomfortable and would rather have known.
You know which one this person is. If there's any doubt, ask somebody who knows them well, and weigh their answer properly rather than deciding they'll enjoy it once it's happening. Most surprises that go wrong were obvious in advance to at least one person who didn't want to spoil the plan.
A Surprise Performer Isn't a Surprise Spotlight
Worth separating, since they frequently get conflated. Somebody can be surprised that there's a performer at their party without being made the center of the performance.
That distinction solves most of the problem. A performer who arrives unexpectedly and works the whole room gives everybody the surprise, including the guest of honor, without putting them on display. If the person would hate attention, that's the version to book, and it's entirely normal to say so.
Tell the Performer What You Know
The practical instruction. Tell them it's a surprise, who it's for, what they're like, and specifically whether they'd enjoy being the focus of a moment or would find it excruciating.
Any professional will plan around that, and the adjustment is invisible when it's known in advance. Also mention anything sensitive, anybody who shouldn't be approached, and anything about the occasion worth handling gently. Ten minutes of briefing is the difference between a surprise that lands and one that's endured politely.
Someone Has to Let Them In
The logistics people forget. A performer arriving at a venue or a house where the guest of honour is standing by the door is not a surprise, and nor is somebody explaining a case to the host in front of everybody.
Appoint somebody who isn't you, tell them when the performer arrives, and give them a plan: where the performer waits, how they get in, and who starts them. Also give the performer that person's number rather than yours, since you'll be hosting. It's five minutes of planning and it's where surprise bookings usually unravel.
Keep the Guest List in on It
Worth doing, since guests are the hardest part of any secret. Tell everybody except the person being surprised, and tell them clearly what they should and shouldn't say.
Guests who know something is happening behave differently from guests who are improvising, and somebody always mentions something. A short message to the group a few days before, saying there's a surprise and asking them not to allude to it, prevents most of the near misses. It also means the room is ready rather than confused when the performer appears.
Decide When It Happens
Worth planning rather than leaving to the evening. A surprise performer works best once everybody has arrived, had a drink, and settled, which is usually later than hosts expect.
Too early and half the guests are still arriving. Too late and the energy has already peaked or people have started leaving. Agree a time with your appointed person, build in slack because the evening will run late, and let the performer start when the room is right rather than at a fixed minute.
Surprise Parties Have Their Own Rules
Worth mentioning if the whole party is the surprise, not just the entertainment. In that case the arrival moment is already a lot for the person being surprised, and anything immediately afterwards competes with it.
Give them twenty minutes to greet people and recover before anything else happens. A performer starting the moment the lights come up is adding to a moment that's already full, and the magic lands considerably better once the person has had a drink and stopped being startled.
It's Fine to Tell Them
Worth saying, since hosts assume a surprise is always better. Plenty of people enjoy anticipation more than surprise, and telling somebody you've booked something gives them a week of looking forward to it.
That's a legitimate choice rather than a failure of nerve, and for a person who dislikes being caught off guard it's the kinder version. The entertainment is the same either way, and the only thing you lose is one moment of astonishment at the start.
Why Book Magical Katrina
If you're planning a surprise, here's my case. I'm a member of the Magic Circle in London and the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood, I've earned multiple magic awards, and I've performed for clients including Formula 1, the Olympics, Porsche, and Prada, with appearances on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Masters of Illusion. Nobody is put on the spot who doesn't want to be, I'll work with whoever you appoint rather than contacting you on the night, and I'll build a moment around the person only if you tell me they'd enjoy it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should we check whether they'd want a surprise?
Yes, since some people love being the focus of an evening and plenty find it genuinely uncomfortable. If there's any doubt, ask somebody who knows them well and weigh the answer properly, since most surprises that go wrong were obvious in advance to at least one person who didn't want to spoil the plan.
Can we surprise them without putting them on the spot?
Easily, and the two get conflated. Somebody can be surprised that there's a performer without being made the center of the performance, so a performer who arrives unexpectedly and works the whole room gives everybody the surprise without putting the guest of honour on display.
What should we tell the performer?
That it's a surprise, who it's for, what they're like, and specifically whether they'd enjoy being the focus of a moment or would find it excruciating. Also anything sensitive, anybody who shouldn't be approached, and anything about the occasion worth handling gently.
Who manages the arrival?
Somebody who isn't you, since you'll be hosting. Give them a plan for where the performer waits, how they get in, and who starts them, and give the performer their number rather than yours. That's where surprise bookings usually unravel, and it's five minutes of planning.
Should guests know?
Yes, since guests are the hardest part of any secret and somebody always mentions something. A short message a few days before, saying there's a surprise and asking them not to allude to it, prevents most near misses and means the room is ready rather than confused.
When should it happen?
Once everybody has arrived, had a drink, and settled, which is later than hosts expect. Too early and half the guests are still arriving, too late and the energy has peaked. Agree a time with your appointed person, build in slack, and let the performer start when the room is right.
What if the whole party is a surprise?
Give the person twenty minutes to greet people and recover first, since the arrival moment is already a lot and anything immediately afterwards competes with it. Magic lands considerably better once they've had a drink and stopped being startled.
Is it ever better to tell them?
Frequently, since plenty of people enjoy anticipation more than surprise and a week of looking forward to something is a real pleasure. For somebody who dislikes being caught off guard it's the kinder version, and the only thing you lose is one moment of astonishment at the start.
Surprise the Room, Not the Person
A surprise booking works when the surprise is that something wonderful is happening, rather than that somebody is suddenly the centre of attention. Ask yourself honestly whether they'd enjoy the second version, tell the performer what you know about them, appoint somebody else to manage the arrival, let the guests in on it, and wait until the room has settled.
And if the honest answer is that they'd rather know, tell them. A magician near me booking is just as good anticipated as it is unannounced, and for plenty of people the week of looking forward to it is the better gift.
Reach out with your date and a little about the person, and I'll plan it around them.