Birthday Bonanza in and Around Milwaukee 

It certainly was a month for birthdays. I should know. It seems like I performed at most of them. But that's a good thing. Birthday parties are so much fun. The kids are excited, the parents are excited (but for a different reason it would seem), and I'm always excited to walk through the door and be greeted with smiles and cheery faces.  This month saw me in living rooms and hotel conference rooms around southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois-- basically my back yard!

While the kids love the show, I'm pretty sure the hit is always Max. He's a monkey. He's  a puppet. But he's OK with that! Actually, Max is a hit with everyone from the toddlers to Grandma and Grandpa. The text phrase "lol" never fit better than on Max. People really do laugh out loud at his antics. Truth be told, he's my favorite as well.

Of course the kids love getting into the act too. And that keeps things fresh for me. I get to work with different children in every show. Each one is unique and brings something new to a routine that I may have performed hundreds of times. In fact, don't tell anyone, but I've gotten some great ideas for my shows from the people that have helped me out. Funny lines; bits of schtick-- its amazing what happens when someone new comes up 'on stage' to help. Sometimes its a great comic moment that will never happen again. But every once in a while...comedy gold happens, and I find a way to make it happen in every show.

But wait! It's not just for kids anymore. I've been getting more and more calls to entertain at adult birthdays. Usually those special numbers like 40th or 50th birthday. Some folks think its funny to invite a 'birthday magician' to the party for someone a bit more mature. But that's what I do then--something more mature. I still have fun with the audience, but I get a chance to break out the sophisticated stuff (like groucho glasses -- just kidding!). My motto is Always Family Friendly, Always Good Clean Fun! So, the show isn't filled with blue material, just a lot of eye-popping, mind-bending magic and laugh-out-loud fun. Like a big kids magic show should be!

Anyways, feel free to call if you want more information about any of these shows. But try to call at least 6 weeks in advance. Weekends book up faster than most, and I hate disappointing people when they had their hearts set on a Great Scott magic show.

Day Care Center Magical Field Trips

I just got back from a day of performing for some of the best audiences I could hope to have. I'm talking about preschoolers. It's great fun to mystify the high school crowd at the the prom, and its refreshing to perform for my peers in a business setting, but these groups don't hold a candle to the enthusiasm of a room filled with 3, 4 and 5 year olds (sometimes even younger!)  This group is so gratifying to entertain. I get to be a big silly kid for 45 minutes and experience the laughter and giggles coming from a crowd of happy children.

Children's shows certainly have their challenges, and not everyone is cut out for entertaining this age group. But I love doing it. I love seeing eyes wide with astonishment when the magic happens and tearing up from laughter when it all "seems" to be going wrong. I'm a playful guy and full of energy, and performing for preschoolers keeps me active for sure.

This summer, along with a host of other shows I do, I'll be performing at a lot of child care centers around the Milwaukee and Madison areas. If you'd like to see me come to your child's center, have the director give me a call. I always have room for a few more preschool shows!

Magic Around Wisconsin and Illinois

I'm getting ready for next week. Though I love just entertaining people, the opportunity to inspire, motivate and teach while doing something fun is highly appealing to me. This coming week allows me to do all of that. Tomorrow morning, I have a birthday party for a student at his school. Top that with a Corporate banquet in the evening where I will be entertaining folks with Close-up magic. Then on Saturday, I have three more birthday parties - in Illinois and the Milwaukee area. Plenty of driving.

Sunday, I drive north to perform two gospel illusion programs for a church in Sheboygan. This allows me to both entertain and present the Gospel at the same time-- a passion for me. And on the heels of that, I drive across the state to present a program for a cub scout pack in Mt Horeb. This program is a fun way to celebrate the scouting experience and highlight the achievements of each scout in the past year.

Monday, finds me back in Illinois presenting my "Clue Into Your World" program to two different school groups. This again is a fun show, but primarily has the dual emphasis of promoting reading and library use as it reinforces key elements in the school's world geography curriculum.

Wow. All of that, and it will only be Monday! But that's my life, and I love it. I also love my family, so I do have some down-time scheduled for them as well.

The Process

First posts are somewhat awkward, aren't they? It helps to have a clear idea about what you want to say and why. To that end, I've been thinking recently about this profession I'm engaged in.

I do a lot of different things during the course of a week. I usually spend part of the day planning the day. When you're self-employed that's definitely a good idea. However what I do is different all the time. Ultimately, it all ends in the performance of a show in front of an audience of excited people. Although that is the final, and very public, result, the day-to-day work in preparation for those "spectacles" is actually even more important.

Take my most recent show that I'll be performing in elementary schools this year. Here's a sampling of what went into creating and perfecting it.

September 2006 - I look into the theme being used in libraries for the 2007 summer reading programs -- "Get a Clue at Your Library". I begin brainstorming ideas for a new show based on this theme.

November -- After much thought and discussion with trusted friends and compeers, I decide upon a detective character and a mystery. My goal -- promote reading. But I also know that geography is something that children are lacking knowledge in. So, a parallel goal is to promote geographical awareness through the show as well.

December -- Continue researching state curriculum needs and grade level requirements. The educational portion is critical. At the same time, kids are going to have to be entertained as they learn. So a balance needs to be struck (no small task).

January -- Much of the show is outlined on paper and the script is being written. Now the marketing portion begins. The libraries need to know I'm available and what I'm presenting. This part is almost as time consuming as creating the show -- but it must be done. Time to put on the marketing cap and get busy. You can see a portion of what I came up with at www.ScottObermann.com

February -- Script complete. Since I blend magic, music, and ventriloquism into my shows, I now need to locate or build the various props I plan on using. Fire up the table saw.

March -- Still marketing the show. Bookings are coming in. I'm getting excited about the content of the show. This is going to be a great year!

May -- Well into practicing the show. I've found out what works, and what doesn't. Time to tweak the script and make other changes. Keep mailing and calling. I've now invested a good sum of money and countless hours into a show that I know is of value.

June -- The testing is over. Finally, the show is on the road. The initial response is fantastic. However, I always follow up with the librarian to find out what they thought about the show. Each librarian receives a survey that they can answer and send back to me. And the feedback is confirming my effort. A few minor tweaks, and the show is working. Best of all, the kids are enjoying and learning from the show. Several tell me that it is the best show they've seen. While that encourages me, I can't let it go to my head.

July and August -- Traveling all over two states performing this show for libraries. Of course I perform other types of shows too, so my weeks are pretty full. Paperwork is still there when I get home, so on "off" days that gets done. Plus the show is going to go into schools in the fall. So, I need to get that marketing ball rolling.

September -- I've come full circle. Schools are still being contacted to let them know what I am offering. This will continue until the end of the year.

In the meantime, next year's library theme is "Get Bugged." Hmmmm, what can I do with that for next year? Well. . . you know the process. I think I'm going to be busy this fall.