A live show provides several advantages you don’t find in a planned, recorded\u00a0performance.<\/p>\n
A performer first sets the stage for a great show when they make the decision to connect with their audience. It\u2019s the vital element that lets them create a killer dramatic or comedy show, send a message with impact, or really sell an idea. A master performer is human, and gives the audience what they want — even if they don\u2019t know how to ask for it. Think of each time a performer gets on stage as a separate journey. It needs to be worth everyone\u2019s time.<\/p>\n
Beyond that initial intention, here’s a partial list of what I’ve seen performers, creators, and even technicians use to take advantage of a live show.<\/p>\n
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\nRegardless of what you do, there is more detail in a live show. YouTube may have 8 megapixels, but real life has 322 and a telephoto lens — not to mention better sound and no editing! You see it all. Details like these are the main reason people are pumped to see magicians live.<\/p>\n
Also, real life has touch, smell, and taste. Strip clubs and rock venues often make use of these senses, with occasional problems on the smell side. But you can get over that, too: I\u2019ve heard of rock bands spraying their favorite air fresheners. Some amazing people cook on stage. Some folks give food to the audience.<\/p>\n
What about what\u2019s around you? Props, costumes, and stage sets can have more ornate and detailed adornments. If you’re part of a live show crew, get your team pumped about\u00a0the bedazzler! The Blue Man Group decorates their entryways.<\/p>\n
The fewer people allowed in the audience, the more special you\u2019ll feel at that show. Inside jokes are funnier because of exclusivity; secrets are more important than public knowledge.<\/p>\n
Here are two ways to boost exclusivity:<\/p>\n
If money is being put into a live show, the audience will feel it. Cost can mean different things: the show can be monetarily expensive production or take a lot of energy out of the show\u00a0team.<\/p>\n
Shows can even cost their performers friends or risk their health or comfort. Zamora the Torture King jams skewers through his biceps and the bottom of his mouth. The cost to his comfort may be high, but every show is precious.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s usually very hard to consistently present audiences with the element of chance, but that\u2019s why it\u2019s so valuable. To feel the magic of chance, go see an improv comedy show. The performers make their audiences a promise that \u201cthis will never happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n