One thing I was working on over the weekend at the fair was freezing and holding for applause and for the effect to sink in longer. This can be hard to do, just standing still and waiting for the audience to do something.
I need to be better about this at the end of the effect and after telling a joke. Letting the effect or punchline marinade with the audience for a little bit. I’ve noticed the difference between the first day of this fair and the last day in the amount of applause and laughs I’m getting.
Doing this can be hard if you have a dead crowd, as you’re standing and waiting for very little audience response. One thing I’ve notice is that it builds throughout the show.
Blog writer talks about the difficulty of holding a crowd for applause and for an effect to hold onto the audience for longer. His experience can prove helpful to other magicians who face this problem. I appreciate you sharing this information.
Holding for applause or letting a punchline sink in with the audience is one of the things I struggle with the most. When performing at fairs, sometimes the audience is just looking for a seat in the shade and not involved with the show. When you hold sometimes that audience response doesn’t materialize. I’m trying to be better with this…