I found this picture in my phone of a street performer when I was in New Orleans last month. I just caught the end of the strait jacket escape, which also was the end of the show, so I don’t know if it was a one trick show, or more.
What I saw was fine for what it was, a get the money show. I’m not it’s target audience, so all the standard hack jokes didn’t really do anything for me, but the people watching seemed to like them and that’s all that matters…or is it?
It comes down to what is your art?
What are you giving the audience a piece of you, or a piece of a dozens of other people’s shows that are used without permission?
Is your art a line that you saw another magician get a laugh with, so you started doing it? If it is, that’s fine, that’s your art.
Is your art giving the audience some sort of experience that no one has ever seen before? This is what the kind of art that I like to watch.
Is there anything wrong with this show? No, it’s fine, just not for me. His show would probably also run circles around mine at that pitch in NOLA. There are a tons of places where a guy drumming on a bucket will absolutely do better than the guy with the a million dollar violin.
Sometimes the right show for the right venue matters.
-Louie