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Subject: Wedding Magician
by J Prince
Subject: Wedding Magician
Dear Mr Magic,
My wife and I are greatly looking forward to your providing magic at our
daughter's wedding.
My wife and I are huge magic enthusiasts and have got together to work out a
list of the tricks we would like you to perform. Obviously don't worry if you
can't do all of them.
Firstly any David Blaine items would be great but I especially want you to throw
a card through the Bride and Groom's Limousine window when they arrive at
reception, I think this would get the entertainment off to a fine start.
For the Bride's mother any magic with Budgerigars would be fine, she feel in
love with this when she saw Johnny Hart perform in London. We don't expect
anything to Johnny's standard, just a few productions, vanishes and so on. We
thought if you did these continuously while the guests are finding their seats,
it would provide much amusement and delight, say up to when we say grace.
After grace and to the end of the sweet course please amuse our guests with a
broad selection of items, we visited the Magic Castle many years ago and would
particularly enjoy anything by Vernon or Kaps. Please ensure you perform
different tricks at each table, as we want our guests to be able to discuss
their experience afterwards and it would be a shame if they had all seen the
same effects. One other thing and I hope this will not cause you any difficulty,
on no account perform any more card tricks, the guests will have already seen
one and I feel anymore would become boring.
After main the Bride and Groom will be cutting the cake and I thought that
following this would be a good time for a cameo spot in the middle of the floor,
about 20 minutes should be fine. For variety's sake we would like this in the
style of Derren Brown but as a nice little touch perhaps you could start with
the trick where you put a box over someone's head and stick knifes into it,
using both the Bride and the knife she used to cut the cake.
Following this we will be going into the speeches so please ensure any equipment
is quickly removed from the floor.
While you are clearing we will send the children to a side room and would like
you to entertain them with a show, about 30 minutes should be fine and make sure
you include a live rabbit production as I promised my niece she would see this.
Please do not include balloon modelling or 'by play' as I think you people call
it, just magic please, if we wanted that sort of thing we would have booked a
clown.
After this the rest of the evening's your own but please leave as quickly and
quietly as possible, through the kitchens to avoid disturbing my guests.
Which brings me to the question of your remuneration, we've not booked a
magician before but I've worked out that I earn £25 an hour and as it's a very
special occasion, I've decide to pay you the same. So that's three hours at £25
an hour - £75 and if it goes really well I might find a little something extra
for you (so you better make sure it goes well!).
We need you to be set up two hours before the guests arrive and do not at any
stage of the event expect to see any clutter like cases, coats and so on in the
room. My wife and daughter will have gone to a lot of trouble to get the room
looking nice.
You may have a 5 minute break at the end of each hour and feel free to ask the
caterer for lemonade before you leave. On no account may you consume alcohol
while at the event or 'show' as I understand you people call them.
The presents will be being kept in the Green Room; you will understand when I
ask you not to go into this room at any time.
We so look forward to seeing your perform.
Sincerely,
The Father of the Bride
__________________________________________________
Dear Father of the Bride,
Thank you, for bestowing on me the honour of performing my magic at your
daughter's wedding.
The various items you asked for should present no real problems, although
obviously I will use substitute tricks or 'effects' as we call them, to reflect
both your wishes and my own performing style.
It will be a pleasure to demonstrate my own highly unique version of card
through window with the wedding car. However instead of following this with
budgerigars I intend to use a highly amusing version of the egg bag using
budgerigar eggs and climax the routine with a limp chicken. I see no reason why
this should not be repeated until grace.
I only actually know one close up, non-card routine all the way through, it's
called Albert Goshman's Magic Ding-Dong and I am happy to do this at each of the
tables. Albert Goshman was a good friend of Vernon's and also worked at the
Castle for many years, so I'm sure you will enjoy this. Don't worry about the
same trick being repeated at each table as by then your guests will have had
their reception drinks and be well into the dinner wine, so I'm sure when they
talk about it afterwards they will all remember it differently.
For the 20 minute cabaret in the Derren Brown style, which as you know is
combination of psychological illusion, perceptual manipulation and persuasive
technique (incidentally we people call this 'mentalism'), I have an Epic Slate
routine that should stretch to fill this just nicely.
I already have a 30 minute children's show and will use this for your wedding,
one small variation, instead of a rabbit I use a racoon, his name is 'Rocky' and
I'm sure your niece will adore him.
Don't worry about the drinking, I never touch the stuff. Though I'm glad you
didn't mention dope as I never feel relaxed about performing without a little
something and my 'LEGALISE IT' t-shirt always gets a laugh.
On the subject of remuneration or fee as we magicians like to say, the £75 will
be fine but there are a couple of expenses involved like Public Liability
Insurance, Magic Circle subs, Contract administration fee, Hire of Dwarf in
black velvet suit (for the Limousine card effect), Racoon food and so on.
This brings the total to £2,549.80 which is payable cash on the night at the
start of the evening.
I will of course also require a room at the hotel for changing and hiding away
all those unsightly cases, coats and so on.
Sincerely,
The Magician
© J Prince, July 2006