This weekend I’m working at an oddities expo in Phoenix, AZ. I did one of these last year in Michigan and with this one being my second one, I’m viewing it with a different lens than my first one.
![oddities expo](https://www.magicshow.tips/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-02-13.17.17.jpg)
The first challenge is that the audience is standing, there’s no seating for them. Here’s my view from the stage before the expo opened.
![oddities expo](https://www.magicshow.tips/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-02-10.22.23-1024x768.jpg)
With no seating, getting audience members to commit to the show is very different than if they were seated. This is really street performing on a stage, versus a stage show.
In the last year I’ve been transitioning my show to be more of a theater style show, so this was a challenge for me material wise. Each show the first day I made some changes and it’s gotten better, but it’s still got a long way to go to hit hard for this situation.
I’d love to say how hard I killed, but I didn’t, I’m doing OK and treading water. If I did more than one of these events a year, I’d probably get way better at it, but with only one, improving the show for the venue is slow and difficult.
Today I’ll be better than yesterday.
– Louie