The Wizard of the Rings,, modeled after Gandolf in The Lord of the Rings, entertains muggles in some illusion shows. Illusions may include producing the beautiful Elfin Queen (or a local celebrity) from an empty tent, chopping off the head of a hapless muggle (audience volunteer), saving the Queen from a fiery death at the stake, and floating her into the hereafter.
How much will it cost?
If you are looking for a birthday party show, let me assure you that providing simple food at home and having a magician entertain may cost a lot less than entertaining at a fast-food restaurant party room. Just call me to describe your needs and permit me to give you a quote.
Shows range from under $200 for a local birthday party to several thousand dollars for a four-day convention with multiple appearances.
The information on this page is effective from January 1, 2011 and may change without notice.
Every magician is unique and so is every magic appearance. Likewise every magician has his/her own way of determining charges. Higher priced magicians are not necessarily more entertaining. Full-time professionals may charge more as they depend on their magic to put food on the table. Part-time professionals may be just as entertaining but are not dependant on their magic income, so they may be more affordable. Performers with limited experience may charge much less jut to get experience. I am a part-time professional.
When I quote a price I take into consideration the length of appearance, specific preparation, travel time and expenses, equipment, any additional staffing, and any consumable items. You also should take these costs into account when you assess the value of a magic show. A 45-minute show will generally include several hours of preparation and travel not to mention years of practice and training and thousands of dollars of equipment.
My base price includes a 45 to 60 minute show, within 20 miles of my home in Trumbull, CT. The base charge also includes average preparation time, travel time, and mileage. I use Yahoo to calculate door-to-door mileage.
My base price is the same for all shows regardless of who is hiring me. Ability to pay is not a factor in my pricing. This means that the largest corporation pays the same low base rate as I charge for a kid's birthday party.
For about 75% of my appearances the base charge covers it all. There are no additional charges.
Let me describe each of the factors considered to determine charges:
Length of Appearance: Most one-performer shows last no longer than an hour. Anything longer may "loose" audience attention no matter how good the entertainer. However at banquets or dinner parties, folks may want me to combine some magic at the tables followed by a show. Actually the length of the performance adds little to my costs so I only charge a modest additional amount for time over one hour.
Preparation Time: This does not include the years of practice and research; but only the actual time needed to design a particular show, organize the props, set them up on site, pack them after the show and stow them when I return home. For the typical birthday party show this adds up to about 4.5 hours. For preparation time beyond that I may charge up to $30 per hour or fraction thereof.
Some shows require the creation of custom music tracks. All my music tracks are composed by me using recordings created for this purpose by professional musicians. The final music tracks are owned by me and are royalty-free. There are no ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC charges for playing my music tracks in any venue. If you need a customized royalty-free track for any purpose, please contact me.
Travel Time and Expenses: My base charge includes the first 20 miles from my home in Trumbull, CT. The IRS approved mileage rate (currently 50 cents) is used to calculate mileage charges and I add another 50 cents per mile for my time. The base charge covers the first 20 miles (40 miles round trip). Extra charges are added for travel beyond 20 miles. Meals, hotel, and public transportation where appropriate are charged at cost.
Equipment: Magic gear is expensive, especially large illusions. Unless your requirements require that I purchase specialized equipment, there is no additional charge for equipment.
Staffing: My charge includes me and often my bunny. Illusion shows require an assistant and stage shows are much better when I have a helper. The charge is quite modest; but may also include travel time beyond 20 miles. For larger venues lighting and audio technicians may be needed and the customer generally contracts for this separately.
Consumables: Most shows only require minimal consumable items which are included in the base charge. However corporate shows might include special signage to promote their trademark or products. Some clients want their audience to play Magic BINGO which involves the printing of customized BINGO cards. Sometimes birthday party hosts want to purchase the Magic FUN Book for each of their guests. These are but examples and this will vary from show to show.
