5 Tips for Hosting a Great Virtual Magic Show with online magician Katrina

Everyone enjoys an incredible illusion! It amazes us, and awakens our inner child. Plus, the belief that there are wondrous forces beyond the ordinary person’s control is, beyond fun, a little comforting. But trying to watch or study magic online can be a difficult thing to figure out. That’s why I put together these 5 tips for how to throw your best virtual magic party ever!

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How to technologically make your virtual magic party look as good as any professional’s.

• How to make sure your guests stay engaged and having fun for the entire event.

• Why the communal experience of magic is so important.

• How to make everyone is included in the party’s theme.

Now, let’s get to the tricks!

1) Leave Everyone’s Sound On

I know, typically only the speaker or the host should have their sound on. You never know when someone will have a leaf blower running right outside their house, or a person off-screen has something to say to your guest.

But, for a virtual magic party, the opposite is true. Magic is always best in groups. Even when you have a walkaround magician at an in-person party, we usually go up to groups of at least two or three. That’s because the fun is in being amazed together.

Hearing everyone else gasp at the same time gives you the permission to believe that what you just saw… might really be magic. And it means you’re experiencing something incredible together. You lose that spark if everyone is muted. So be sure to keep the sound on!

2) Find Tricks Everyone Can Learn

They say a magician never reveals their tricks, and that’s true. But there are a few simple, common card tricks and sleights of hand we don’t mind you knowing. Study a card or coin trick before your virtual magic party, and then teach it so everyone can try their hand (so to speak) at the magical arts.

Teaching people something new keeps them engaged. And it’s not just while they’re learning, but also as they watch someone else perform an illusion and try to figure out how they did it. And that, of course, makes the professional magic that much more fun when they can’t!

Sitting back and watching magic on a screen is basically a TV show. But an interactive event where you learn something new is a party! And maybe everyone will get to walk away with an exciting new hobby after having had a great time doing it.

3) Spotlight the Magician in the Program

Technologically, there are two very important things you need to do in your video call to make the virtual magic party look as smooth as possible. You should keep the group intimate, and you should spotlight your performer.

A small guest list is better for a virtual magic party because there are fewer distractions. If you have so many people that you have to search to find the magician, then your guests could miss things, not see bits of each trick, or strain their eyes trying to focus on a tiny little box! Limit your guests to people who will get along and really enjoy the theme, and it’s easier for everybody.

Another step that can fix that issue is to spotlight the performer. The host can spotlight a single video feed for an entire call, and it makes the magician’s video bigger and easier to find.

On Zoom, you do that by clicking on “Manage Participants” button at the bottom of the screen. Then you click on the performer’s name, and select “Spotlight Video.” And that’s it! Every other video chatting platform has a similar feature, so if you tend to rely on one of those, it’s easy to search for and find.

4) Drop Off or Mail Magic Themed Party Boxes

I don’t mean anything expensive! This doesn’t have to break the bank! There are so many small, fun items that can brighten up a virtual magic party, and they’re so easy to find at any party store online.

A deck of cards, a trick coin, and/or magic themed balloons, streamers, and other party supplies in a box or gift bag that gets dropped off at each guests door will tie everyone together and make the event feel truly special. And your friends will love the personal touch of bringing them into the theme!

Alternatively, if you like the idea but don’t have the time to pull all of the items together, there are services out there that will do something similar, albeit for a steeper price point.

Virtual Magic Kit

5) Hire a Professional

When you host a virtual magic party, you have two options. You can emphasize the theme, teach everyone a simple trick or two, and keep it low energy, or you can hire a professional magician to make your event truly exciting.

At the end of the day, your friends might enjoy magic, but there is something so slick about what a professional magician can do. Plus, our showmanship has been honed over years of performing!

I’ve developed a show specifically for virtual magic parties that is designed to use what video conferencing platforms can do, but at the end of the day, any professional is a professional for a reason. Instead of spending your party money on food, drinks and a venue, divert it instead to entertainment, and give your guests an event to remember.

I hope these tips are helpful to you as you plan your own virtual magic party! Think I missed something? Feel free to reach out to me with whatever you’ve discovered that does the trick, so to speak! You can email me anytime, or find me on Instagram at @magicalkatrina_ or TikTok at @magicalkatrina.

***I didn’t include any images in this article because it is inherently about online magic performance, so it doesn’t detract or seem too pitchy to include images of you doing magic, and you have access to more of those than I do! Ideally, you should select images or screenshots of you doing magic on a Zoom party. Or, honestly, you could probably even embed a TikTok or Instagram video? In this particular case, so long as it is still virtual magic related, it still gives value to the reader as opposed to just promoting yourself.  :)

Magic Convention Virtual Magic Show Contest

Yes, conventions for magicians are a thing. And there is a convention held each year in Des Moines, Iowa called AbraCORNdabra. Yep. It's run by Iowa raised magician and Las Vegas veteran Steve Daly. Unlike other larger conventions, it is limited to just 200 attendees and truly gives the hometown Midwest feel. They also support young magicians through scholarships and youth programs. This May would have been their 10th anniversary, but due to the current health situation, was cancelled as with so many other events.

With the help of young magician Mikayla Oz, Steve hosted the convention online (renamed AbraCOVIDdabra) and made it free for all to attend through Zoom or Facebook live. In this special hour long convention, there were lectures, Q&A, interviews, prize giveaways, surprise performances, and a magic competition called the "Minute-To-Win-It", where contestants had one minute to show their best stuff and be voted on in real time by those in attendance.

Winners Of the Virtual Magic Show Contest Magicians Nathaniel and Katrina

Magical Nathaniel and Magical Katrina decided to enter and put a routine together. It was a true collaboration from ideation, prop building, choreography, music, and magic moments. With 9 other talented magicians competing, they won first place! It was a wonderful feeling to win and share an award, during a time where good news can at times be hard to come by. They hope that they were able to entertain and uplift all with a fun magic routine with a message. Nathaniel and Katrina are looking forward to spreading joy for the time being through virtual shows and future in person collaborations.

“It was fairly nerve racking to perform in the contest because in addition to the challenges that come from performing a new and fairly sophisticated routine, we wanted to make sure all of the technical aspects of lighting, sound, and bandwidth we addressed.”

“We feel so humbled and honored at the tremendous support we received during the convention through the votes in the competition and afterwards from the magic community. The hard work paid off and we are grateful to Steve Daly for putting this convention on and giving us the opportunity to share our magic with everyone.”

You can see the first place winning act here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaY_IJdLzEI

See Nathaniel at magicalnathaniel.com and Katrina at magicalkatrina.com

Katrina is happy to travel to your magic show anywhere in the Los Angeles County area, Orange County, Ventura County, Agoura Hills, Alhambra,  Arcadia,  Artesia,  Avalon,  Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bell, Bellflower, Bell Gardens, Beverly Hills,  Bradbury,  Burbank,  Calabasas,  Carson,  Cerritos,  Claremont,  Commerce,  Compton,  Covina, Cudahy,  Culver City,  Diamond Bar,  Downey,  Duarte,  El Monte,  El Segundo,  Gardena,  Glendale, Glendora,  Hawaiian Gardens,  Hawthorne,  Hermosa Beach,  Hidden Hills,  Huntington Park,  Industry, Inglewood,  Irwindale,  La Canada Flintridge,  La Habra Heights, Lakewood,  La Mirada, Lancaster, La Puente, La Verne, Lawndale, Lomita, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Maywood, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Norwalk, Palmdale, Palos Verdes Estates, Paramount, Pasadena, Pico Rivera,  Pomona, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Marino, Santa Clarita, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Monica, Sierra Madre, Signal Hill, South El Monte, South Gate, South Pasadena, Temple City,  Torrance, Vernon, Walnut, West Covina, West Hollywood, Westlake Village, Whittier), Orange County (Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Dana Point, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills,  Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, La Habra, Lake Forest, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Rancho Santa  Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, Yorba Linda), Ventura County,  and all of Los Angeles area and Southern California!

Virtual Magic Shows - Plan An Extraordinary Event From Home With Magical Katrina

States may be starting to open up, but work from home isn’t going away anytime soon. And so many people are still nervous about meeting up in public places. But big events still happen. Even amidst everything that’s going on, you still have wonderful things worth celebrating!

Make your online party truly magical by hiring Magical Katrina! We’ll make your boring Zoom party disappear (pun fully intended!) and help you create an event that will blow away anyone lucky enough to attend.

Virtual Magic Shows - What Are They?

Don’t worry, virtual magic shows aren’t anything like the magic videos you’ve seen on YouTube that were clearly edited.

Just like any other performance, virtual magic shows are live, and the camera is always on. There’s no way for the video to be faked, although your guests will be amazed by what happens in it!

To make the show even better, the magic is designed for video close ups. Everyone has a clear view of Katrina’s hands the whole time. It’s like going to see the greatest close up magic performers in the world, but from the comfort of your own home!

Setting Up A Virtual Magic Show On Zoom, Skype, Google, And Others

Your guests will think that you’re a hosting wizard, but really, setting up a virtual magic show online couldn’t be simpler.

All you have to do is book the show, set up a meeting on Zoom, Skype, Google, or whatever your conferencing platform you like best, invite your friends, and then share the link with Magical Katrina. We’ll take care of everything else!

No matter how many people are on the call or what platform you use, we here at Magical Katrina have your event under control.

Why You Need Magical Katrina For A Zoom Party

Have you ever done a Zoom happy hour with friends, just to find yourself exhausted at the end? Do you not see a point in hosting morale-boosting events for your employees when they’re working from home? Have you ever tried to put your kid in front of a computer for a virtual play date just to have it all end in tears? Of course you have - online meetings are kinda boring.

Video conferencing is difficult because there’s too much to pay attention to. So many faces, movements, and stimuli, all at once, will tire anyone out. Nothing feels special when you’re sitting in your sweatpants. And seeing people online when you’re used to seeing them in person only reminds everyone of the ongoing crisis. It’s not great for the event you want to plan.

Hiring Magical Katrina for your online event solves all of those problems. When Katrina performs, nobody pays attention to anything else. Bringing in a magician makes the whole experience something fresh and new for your guests. And magic brings everyone back to a state of child-like wonder and excitement, no matter what kind of pants you’re wearing!

Why Magical Katrina Is The Best Choice For Your Virtual Magic Show

“Well, that’s a good general argument,” you might say, “but why should I hire Magical Katrina?” Boy, we’re so glad you asked.

Magical Katrina specializes in close up magic - precisely the skill needed for a virtual magic party, when the camera is so close to the face or the hands.

Customizing each performance to exactly your needs and specifications, Magical Katrina can make sure that the event that you throw is memorable, fun, and personal. From working as a children’s magician to a corporate events magician, Katrina has done it all and knows how to mix and match illusions and tricks for your party.

Having been hired for countless magic parties already, whether they were in person or online, when you work with Katrina Kroetch, you know you’re dealing with a pro. And all of Magical Katrina’s past clients would agree, many of whom have hired us back multiple times for consecutive events.

The world may change rapidly, but one thing never going anywhere is how much people love magic. A virtual magic show is a highlight of any event, whether you’re hosting it in person or online. Hire Magical Katrina for your child’s birthday, Zoom happy hour, or work from home employee events, and your guests will be dying to know your hosting secrets!

...But unlike a magician’s tricks, you’re allowed to talk about us.  ;)

What is an interactive virtual Zoom magic and mentalism show?

An extraordinary live online experience for up to 1,000 guests.

The virtual Zoom show is a live performance by Magical Katrina which has been adapted to work with any size audience in a Zoom video conference. During the show Katrina showcases incredible magic, mentalism, and mind-blowing feats of skill while constantly interacting with her audience. Throughout, You will get to see and hear your friends and colleagues getting their minds boggled as Katrina seamlessly jumps between spotlighting herself and various guests. By bringing along your own deck of cards, Katrina will perform magic in your own hands and even teach you something wicked to fool your friends. All of this allows for a truly unique online experience that bears no resemblance to watching a video or live stream. These shows can be designed for corporations, adults, families, or children. Magical Katrina has performed virtual shows of every size, all across the world, and has thousands of hours of experience performing magic and mentalism for all ages. Magical Katrina’s Zoom Magic shows can vary in length from 10 to 60 minutes.