Happiness, Escape, and Wonder

Remember Casey Kasem? Radio host Casey Kasem would count down the top 30 songs in America on radio stations all over the nation. And he would add in music and artist history, anecdotes, and “long distance dedications”. I thought of the late Kasem this morning when I got a “long distance” question from a fellow magician in Orlando, Florida.

“N Jay” wrote in a text message this morning, “In all the years that you have performed for kids, what is the one message you hope that they got?”

Thanks, N Jay! In my various school assembly programs, I hope they get the messages of: How important it is to READ (From my Magic of Reading Program); To stop and think before acting when faced with a conflict (From my Conflict Resolution Program); How recycling can help our environment (From my Recycling Magic Program); and the fun and various uses of magic tricks (From my Beginner Magic Workshops).

But generally from watching (and participating in) a magic show, I hope they have a sense of happiness, escape, and wonder!

That’s my tidbit for today!

BJ Hickman Magic Shows, BJ@BJHickman.com, www.BJHickman.com, 603-969-9621

Some silliness with a balloon, leads magician BJ Hickman to a magical effect in efforts to give children a sense of happiness, escape, and wonder.

Great Day for a Magic Show

If there’s no school, you can get the time off, want some fun. Ye ‘ol BJ Hickman Magic Show is now booking for the next 6 months. It’s a fun, lively, audience participation magic show.

Fun, magic show for all ages
Local Magician BJ Hickman

Boston Magic Show

Boston Magic Show
Boston Magic Show! Here’s last year’s marquee… Check their website for the next BJ Hickman Magic show at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA. https://coolidge.org/programs/kids-shows.
I’ll be thrilled to see you there!
BJ Hickman Magic Show

Cheap Magicians | Cost of Magicians | What you can expect to pay

Fees for a magician differ geographically, by experience, by venue, and by VALUE! A family of four will likely pay more to go see a a famous illusion show in a big city than they would ever be willing to pay to hire a professional magician for a child’s birthday party. The latter, however, might be a better experience and at a fraction of the price.

It’s all relative. While the big Las Vegas show may be exciting, fantastic, and “as seen on TV,” a local professional magician may better be suited to amaze a small group of children (and adults) in your living room or back yard with close-up, inches away magic and comedy with lots of laughs and memories. But buyer beware.

I like to remind shoppers to be “aware”. You want those lasting memories to be positive ones. While beginners and some part-timers may be cheap; moderate or a bit-more expensive acts are more likely to be more entertaining, professional, dependable, experienced, guaranteed, insured, and recommended. An affordable professional might be a better bet than “cheap.” Remember, you want:
* Entertaining: You want to impress guests with a fun show.
* Professional: A magician who looks the part, thinks on his/her feet, is organized, and easy to work with.
* Dependable: “Showing up” is a good thing, and better if early or on-time. And delivers what was promised.
* Experienced: This magician better be ready to handle anything, from special needs audience members to unusual circumstances.
* Guaranteed: Every “what if” eventually happens, and you will be rest assured if the magician is prepared to make-good on the unexpected.
* Insured: Do they have liability insurance when they enter your house? Are they going to act responsibly when something they caused results in a major expense?
* Recommended: Who do you know who has used the magician you are considering? How did it go? Was the audience impressed?

Hiring a great magician with these qualities makes you look great.

So, how much? Well, there are exceptions depending on proximity to a big city, general population, Holiday dates, multiple show discounts, weekdays vs. weekends, special circumstances, etc. but here are some general prices you would likely find in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, as a general rule of thumb:

For house parties such as birthday parties for children, you might pay a range between $350 and $500, and possibly more for adult parties, and possibly less if the magician is already going to be in your town that day, or just starting out.

For special events such as festivals, “Old Home Days,” Parks and Recreation Departments, Libraries, School Assembly Programs, Campgrounds, etc., you are likely to be quoted between $475 to $700; and more for travel, larger events, multiple day trade shows, and overnight expenses.

Based in New Hampshire, busy family entertainer BJ Hickman performs throughout New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, and occasionally elsewhere, including Florida and California.

BJ Hickman performs at Dover, New Hampshire Cochecho Arts Festival
Beautiful day for a (BJ Hickman) magic show in Dover, New Hampshire.

When I saw BJ Hickman at the Magic Castle

As a former New Hampshire resident, I moved out to California about 20 years ago. Once a year my mother would come out for a visit and we would travel to the Magic Castle for dinner and a show. We did this for years, only on this visit, as we were waiting in line, we saw a picture of a magician I knew back in New Hampshire. To my surprise it was magician BJ Hickman. As you can image, we laughed at the fact that my mom traveled all the way from New Hampshire, only to find out that we would be watching a New Hampshire Magician. It was truly a treat and it was just as much a surprise for BJ when I went up to him and said hi. It was an amazing experience, a great show, and a lasting memory.

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