 | | Thom Bliss Answers Frequently Asked Questions About his Comedy Magic Shows Click on a Question to Go to the Answer
What do you do for children’s birthdays?
Did you say a live rabbit?
Do we get to keep the rabbit?
How long is your show?
Do you wear costumes?
How much space do you need?
What do I need to provide?
Will adults enjoy your kids’ show?
Do you do shows for adults?
Why don’t you have some half-naked women in your show?
How much is all this going to cost me?
Are there any additional fees?
What forms of payment do you accept?
How much do you charge for adult shows?
Do I need to give you a deposit?
How far ahead do I need to book the show?
How do I know you’re any good? What do you do for children’s birthdays?
We’d like to work with you to make your child’s birthday extra special. If you have some idea of what you’d like us to do, let us know.
If, like most parents, you simply want a fun show for the kids — and perhaps the adults, too — we have developed a program that has proved very popular with both parents and kids. It consists of two parts, a comedy magic show, followed by balloon sculpture show or workshop.
In the first part of the show, I do magic and comedy. The tricks depend on the ages of the children, and other conditions. But there is always lots of audience participation, sometimes involving all the children. The birthday child (age permitting), gets to be the magician’s helper and even gets to do some of the magic. All of the kids help me make my rabbit, Trixie, appear by magic!
In the second part of the show, I make balloon sculpture for the kids. I do not merely hand out the balloons, the children actually get to see me make the balloon sculpture, and there are jokes and gags along the way.
It’s quite a show by itself. Or, I can teach the kids (from about eight-years up) to make their own balloon animals.
Of course, if this is not what you want or need, we will be glad to work with you in putting together another program — or help you find somebody who can. Did you say a live rabbit?
Yes. And, yes, all the kids get to pet the rabbit. And, yes, you can take a picture of your child holding the rabbit in a top hat. Do we get to keep the rabbit?
No. How long is your show?
The length of our children’s show depends on the package you purchase and the number of children.
Our Two-Hour Show, for up to about 30 kids, includes a comedy magic show, which runs about 45 minutes, plus deluxe balloon animals (or hats, flowers, swords, etc.) for all the children. The Two-Hour Program also includes one of my mini magic sets for the birthday child or parent.
Our Gold Program, for up to 20 children, runs about 90 minutes. This includes a comedy magic show, which runs about 45 minutes, plus deluxe balloon animals (or hats, flowers, swords, etc.) for all the children. The Gold Program also includes one of my mini magic sets for the birthday child or parent.
Our Silver Program, for up to 15 children, runs about 75 minutes. This includes the comedy magic show plus balloon animals (or hats, flowers, swords, etc.) for all the children.
Our Hour of Magic and Fun is (you guessed it!) 60 minutes long, for up to 10 kids. It includes our interactive Comedy Magic Show, including the live rabbit, and simple balloon animals (or flowers, or swords) for all the kids.
For walk-around magic (or strolling magic or table hopping) each “show” is only a few minutes long, but you can book us for an hour, or several hours, depending on your needs.
For adult stage or parlor shows, we usually recommend a half-hour to forty-five minutes, depending on what other activities and presentations there will be, but we can present a longer show if that is what you really, really, want. Do you wear costumes?
Yes! We’d like to say “of course,” but there are many magicians out there these days who don’t wear special costumes. We think that costumes add to the fun of the occasion. We arrive at your location in costume. For the younger crowd, I usually dress in colorful pants, vest, and an old-fashioned tie. If it’s not too warm, I wear a morning coat or tail-coat.
For pool parties, and in really hot weather, I don a Hawaiian-style shirt.
I sometimes wear the same costume for older children and even adults. If you prefer, however, I can wear a tasteful tuxedo or even white tie and tails. How much space do you need?
How much space do you have? We can work in an area as small as four feet by eight feet, with the closest audience members about two feet away. A little more space, however, is better. We often do shows for fifteen or more kids in a living room. We have also worked in clean garages (make sure there is nothing the kids could hurt themselves with, such as power saws).
For stage shows, the amount of space we need depends on the size of the show. What do I need to provide?
An audience, a space to work in, and, for children’s shows, at least one adult. For larger shows, and shows in noisy areas, access to one AC outlet (ordinary household current), to power our sound system, if we need it. Also, for outdoor shows, in warm or hot weather, we need some shade in which to make the balloon animals. Neither the children nor the performers will do well with an hour’s in the full glare of the southern California sun. We bring all the necessary props and provide all the supplies we need for the show. (For larger shows and shows in noisy areas, it would be really neat if you could also run a heavy-duty extension cord from the outlet to the place where you would like for us to perform; however, we also bring our own extension cords, which we can use, if needed.) Parents of the guests or adult relatives of the birthday child will be there. Will they enjoy the show?
Yes. Frankly, we think that adults get twice the enjoyment. They enjoy the show and enjoy watching the kids enjoy the show. In fact, many — although not all — of the tricks in our children’s shows are the same tricks we do for adults. Some of the jokes are aimed at the grown-ups. (These are not in any way ’blue’ or ’X-rated.’). Of course some of the jokes that the kids think are hilarious, may get groans from the adults. How much is all this -- the comedy magic show, the balloon show, the balloons, the wonderful memories -- going to cost me?
Our Two-Hour Package is 120 Minutes of Magic, Comedy, and Fun for up to 30 children. It includes:
• Interactive Comedy Magic Show (Lots of audience participation)
• Birthday Child (Age Permitting) is a Star of the Show!
• Magical Appearance of Live Rabbit!
• Birthday Child Crowned “Queen for the Day” or “King for the Day”
• Deluxe Balloon Animal or Other Balloon Sculpture for Each Child
• Thom Bliss Mini Magic Set for the Birthday Child or parent.
The base fee for this program is only $327. Excess mileage fee may apply.
Our Gold Package is 90 Minutes of Magic, Comedy, and Fun for up to 20 children. It includes:
• Interactive Comedy Magic Show (Lots of audience participation)
• Birthday Child (Age Permitting) is a Star of the Show!
• Magical Appearance of Live Rabbit!
• Birthday Child Crowned “Queen for the Day” or “King for the Day”
• Deluxe Balloon Animal or Other Balloon Sculpture for Each Child
• Thom Bliss Mini Magic Set for the Birthday Child or parent.
The base fee for this program is only $277. Excess mileage fee may apply. Our Silver Package is 75 Minutes of Magic, Comedy and Fun for up to 15 children. It includes:
• Interactive Comedy Magic Show
• Magical Appearance of Live Rabbit!
• Birthday Child Crowned “King for the Day” or “Queen for the Day”
• Balloon Animal or Other Balloon Sculpture for Each Child
The base fee for this program is only $237. Excess mileage fee may apply. Our Hour of Magic & Fun Package is 60 Minutes of Magic, Comedy and Fun for up to 10 children. It includes:
• Interactive Comedy Magic Show
• Magical Appearance of Live Rabbit!
• Birthday Child Crowned “King for the Day” or “Queen for the Day”
• Basic Balloon Animal or Other Balloon Sculpture for Each Child
The base fee for this program is only $197. Excess mileage fee may apply.
We also have a Budget Show. It’s 30 to 45 minutes of magic and comedy. It does not include balloon animals.
The base fee for this program is only $167. Excess mileage fee may apply.
Please note: The base fees are for shows within 50 miles of our Garden Grove office; if the show location is further away, there may be an additional fee for the increased travel time, gasoline, and such. We charge 50 cents per mile for each mile over 50, each way. So, for example, if the party is 61 miles from our home-office, the travel fee would be $11 (61 - 50 = 11; 11 x .50 x 2 = 11). If the show is more than 100 miles away, additional fees may apply. Are there any additional fees?
Probably not. We know that some performers will charge extra for balloons or other supplies. We don’t count the balloons that we give out at the shows. We are too busy keeping the kids happily entertained! The only additional charge to our base fees, would be for extra travel time and expense (if the show is more than 50 miles away) and other unusual expenses (if we have to take a ferry to get to the site, pay for parking or theme-park admission, or something like that), or if you want us to customize the show for you. Do you do shows for adults?
Yes. Click here for more information. Why don’t you have some half-naked women in your adult shows?
My wife won’t let me! How much do you charge for adult shows?
Less than you might think. Currently, the base fee for an hour show of close-up magic is only $197; and each additional half hour is only $80. We believe that this is one of the lowest fees in the area for a quality program such as ours. We do know that many performers charge more for less.
This base fee is for shows within 50 miles of our Garden Grove office; if the show location is further away, there may be an additional fee for the increased travel time, gasoline, and such. We charge 50 cents per mile for each mile over 50, each way. So, for example, if the party is 61 miles from our home-office, the travel fee would be $11. Do I need to give you a deposit?
Yes, we require a non-refundable deposit of about 30%. The deposit for the budget show is only $50, leaving a balance of only $117; the deposit for the Hour of Magic & Fun is $59, leaving a balance of only $138; the deposit for the Silver Package is only $71, leaving a balance of only $166; the deposit for the Gold Package is only $83, leaving a balance of only $194;the deposit for the Two-Hour Package is only $98, leaving a balance of only $229. You can pay the deposit with a major credit card or PayPal account by clicking the “Buy Now” button in the left column. Please do not pay until we have confirmed your booking.
For customized shows, we may require an additional advance payment to cover the additional costs of customizing the show. What forms of payment do you accept?
Cash and checks. You can also pay with a major credit card or PayPal account by clicking the “Buy Now” button in the left column.
How far ahead do I need to book the show?
I wish I knew! We aren’t an agency. We do all our shows, so if a time is taken, it’s taken. Some dates and times are booked months in advance. But usually, if you contact us a month or so before your party, there is a good chance that we can find a time that’s good for both of us. Of course, sometimes we can accommodate you if you contact us a few days before the party. I should repeat here what I also say in my Party Planning Guide: It’s a good idea to make arrangements with whoever will be entertaining at your party before you send out invitations. Sometimes a slight adjustment in the time will work out well for everyone. How do I know you’re any good?
You don’t. Let me say this, however. I’m not one of those guys who got a magic kit for Christmas and was “The Great Whatever” by New Years Day. I have been doing magic for many, many years, the last several as a full-time professional. I try my best to determine what you want and need and to refer you to someone else if I can’t exceed your expectations. And many of my past clients think I was pretty good — that’s why they call me back and refer their friends (at least I hope it’s their friends they’re referring). Finally, if you aren’t happy with the show — if your guest aren’t amazed, the kids and adults don’t laugh, people don’t have a good time — then you pay me nothing.
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• | |  | | | | •The best way to contact Thom Bliss is to call
1-714-539-4259
or (toll-free) 1-866-383-0109
•You can also e-mail | | |
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“Thom Bliss,” “Thom Bliss MagiComedy,” “Thom Bliss & Trixie,” “Thom Bliss & Pam,” “Good News MagiComedy,” “Southern California’s Family Entertainer,” and “Wonder & Laughter for the Whole Family” are marks of Thom Bliss MagiComedy, Garden Grove, CA, U.S.A. The magician & rabbit figure is a mark of Thom Bliss MagiComedy.
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