The "Kids' Birthday Show" is perfect for young children ages 5 to 13. There's an incredible amount of audience involvement and on-stage participation to keep the youngsters' attention. A high-energy, fun-filled show they are sure to remember.
The party begins with "Let It All Out," which encourages the children to make noise in response to the magic. This routine teaches them when it's appropriate to respond and when to be quiet in a fun, non-confrontational way.
Next is "Gosh Man," using some sponge balls, a bag, and even a hint of Slydini. This routine lets the kids know that it's fun to help the magician, and you'll appreciate the way Harlan teaches them to volunteer quietly.
The performer wraps up the opening section with "Sucker Suckers" using four different-flavored lollipops. The magician keeps one for himself and offers the helper the other three, but all of them unexpectedly vanish. To make it up to his volunteer, he produces a large multi-colored lollypop for her.
Harlan performs his "Balloon-atic" routine with zany antics, silly jokes, and general goofiness then everything turns out all right with the birthday child getting a very special balloon animal.
Then, a visual piece where a child gets to be a magician, "This Century," is Harlan's fresh version of the Twentieth Century Silks using no gimmicked silks. This ingenious method is easy to construct and simple to perform.
Finishing up the middle section, the performer starts to put on a "Party Hat," then notices that everyone needs hats and noisemakers, so he magically produces them from his hat.
At this point, Harlan chooses the classic of all classics, "Coloring Book," to get the whole audience involved again. He demonstrates the proper handling of this wonderful prop that should be in every child entertainer's bag of tricks.
Time for the big routine, and "Shake It Up" is delightfully entertaining. With the help of one of the children, the magician attempts to make a milkshake starting with milk and ice cream, but he doesn't have some of the ingredients so he substitutes ketchup and mustard for chocolate, then adds salt and pepper for more flavor! Harlan has taken the hassle out of this routine by eliminating all liquids, although you'll swear he used some!
Finally, to make sure every child at the party gets something from the magician, he performs "Candy Man," where a previously empty bag is magically filled with candy for everyone.
Enjoy the show, then prepare to learn the secrets of a master as every nuance is revealed. Soon, you too will Pack Small, and Play Big!
American VHS Only; actual briefcase and props not included.