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BirthdayMax has a new costume! New Vaudeville clowning is very popular and very much a part of my style, so I've added a colorful "Lou Costello" -style costume in addition to my original colorful Max costume (ages 3-8 yrs) and my New Vaudeville-style over-sized white suit (tweens and teens). This new costume is being fazed in as my default costume.
Tara, thanks so much for the lovely testimonial. I can't thank you enough for sharing that. Max
Birthday Max is hysterical clowning and comedy-magic for ages 3 and up; a whirlwind of masterful silliness, connecting vaudeville-inspired comedy, magic and juggling with lightning fast improvisation. Ideal for family, community and corporate events, schools and camps, and festival and theatre stages.
Birthday Max has been called hilarious & uplifting. Max brings to family entertainment a New York theatre professionalism that consistently exceeds client expectations. Take your fun to the Max!
August 6, 2011
You so far exceeded our expectations today at my son's birthday party. I told you prior to today that my son had Aspergers Syndrome. Today's party was the 1st birthday party he actually enjoyed. I've had a private kids band, Sesame Place party, fire house party - none of them compared to today. Although he always wants a party he gets too stressed out from the crowd and has in the past always hated them. I was beyond shocked that you got him comfortable enough to actually be your assistant and stand in front of the crowd. You cannot understand how huge that was for us. And it wasn't just a fluke - what I didn't tell you was the older of the two brothers does not have Aspergers - he is autistic! His mother and I were nearly in tears that you had both [of our sons] spinning plates in front of a crowd no less! The fact that you… made sure each child didn't just have a balloon - but a fantastic take-home character has left me just short of speechless. Every child and adult—including adults without young children—raved about you. You were truly the best gift I could have given my son for his birthday. Many many many thanks and we are forever grateful for you.
You have a special talent with special needs children. We had two severely ADHD children and 2 children on the autistic spectrum in your audience, but your way with children had each of them in awe and completely attentive. Thanks!
— Tara
– Tara
A. Birthdays, Communions, Family Celebrations & Reunions, Corporate Events, Community & Festival Stages, Theatre Stage Show
A. It's always a good idea to get recommendations from friends and family. Ask how long have they been in business? Do they seem professional or amateur?
Do you feel good about your conversation with the provider? Were they generous with their time and interested in what you want or did you get the "bum's rush" and they were more interested in selling you a package? The way they treat you up front is an indicator of how they'll be on the day of the event.
If you care about your guests, hire for quality and value, not price alone. I can't tell you how many clients say that when they went with the cheapest quote it was a disaster.
As a father, I know kids change from age to age and so the show has to change. Did the provider care enough to ask how old your child will be and the age breakdown of your young guests? If they didn't, it means they didn't care to know if they were recommending an age appropriate show. It didn't matter to them!
On referrals—whether email, phone or client quotes—more specific means more authentic.
Finally, never book entertainment during the first or last 30-minutes of an event and always have a written agreement.
A. The "Good!" — Clown:
Inside the clown-community (yes, there is a clown community), we care deeply about the name of "Clown" and the work we do in its name. We're perfectionists. Every event—your event—is our opportunity to give a GREAT performance your family and guests will remember for years to come.
The "Not-so-good!" — Bad Agencies:
Beware entertainment agencies! Years ago, starting out, I booked through agencies. I learned from experience, they just don't care about their clients or the craft of clowning the way a direct-booked entertainer does. An agency may sell you on a wonderful performer, but on the day of the show, you may find you get a high school kid who just learned the agency's stock show a few days earlier. Even if you get a really good performer, you can be sure the agency gave him/her little or no information about your event other than the address and start time.
And remember that bargain $175 price quote you got from the agency? Well, the agency keeps $100 and the performer gets $75 (or over 50%). No agency can keep quality performers with this price model.
A red nose doesn't make someone a clown and you don't need a red nose to be a clown.
A. Show
"What do you do for an appearance and do you have a written description of your show?" — I do. See www.birthdaymax.com
"How long is you show?"
"What is the appropriate age range for your show?" — The BirthdayMax show is great for any age group as long as the majority of the kids are 3-8 years. I also perform for pre-teens and teens (different costume and more advanced magic).
"Will my adult guests enjoy the show?" — Parents love my show!
Balloon Twisting
"How long will balloons take for my party?"*
"What figures do you do?"
*Note: Basic Balloon Art takes 2-minutes per child, (maximum of 20 kids in 30-minutes); Deluxe Balloon Art requires 3-6 minutes per child. If the math doesn't work out, someone's not being realistic. You can't cheat the math.
Experience
"How long have you been performing your show?" — I've been performing core elements of The Max Show for 10 years now; the show has gained in detail and subtlety, communicating on many levels; and because the comic improv connecting the routines changes with every audience, the show seems entirely fresh and spontaneous with every viewing. I've had guests tell me they've seen the show multiple times and it always seems new to them.
"Do you have a professional bio?" — I do. See www.birthdaymax.com
"Do you provide references or client quotes?" — Times have changed. I respect my clients privacy so I do not like to give out client information unless absolutely necessary (95% of prospective clients never contact the client, anyway). I provide on my web site client quotes that are specific and 100% authentic.
Managing Expectations
"What is the process if I want to book your services?"
"What can I expect on the day of performance?"
"Do you do an agreement/contract?" — I only work with a signed agreement, as it confirms our understanding, insures information is correct and protects both client and performer.
Further Information
"Do you have a web site?" — I do. www.birthdaymax.com
A. The BirthdayMax Show is "REALLY FUNNY!" It's not just "kinda-funny," or funny in a "patronizing, diminished-expectations-'cause it's-a-kid-show" kind of way.
Ultra smart vaudeville style comedy-magic routines star your child and young guests as part of the show. These routines are strung together by lightning fast comedy improvisation making each show unique. Adults love BirthdayMax as much as the kids.
I get to know my clients, get to know what their event is all about, why it's special. So, when I come in on the day of your event, I "get it!" I'm a part of your celebration, bringing everyone together in a way that not only entertains but honors your child and your family!
A. I love the feeling I get from doing a great show, seeing everyone laugh, kids and adults, knowing I've brought everyone together with laughter. I always love when my show breaks down barriers of shyness, of fear, of Autism even; when I see previously skeptical adults crowding into a small room that was set aside just for the "kids' entertainment" and I have entire families laughing together. That's what my work is about, families laughing together. That's why I call myself a "Family Entertainer." Families should be laughing together on these joyous occasions.
A. I'm so glad you've asked, two actually:
There was a little girl, Lisa, who I was told before the show, was deathly afraid of clowns. After my show, she came right up to me, gave me a big hug and said, "Max, you're the funniest man in the world!"
I was doing a show, everyone was laughing. All of a sudden, a little boy, around 5 years old, stood up from the audience, holding his head as if it were about to pop and screamed "He's too funny!!!!" and did a dead fall, tipping over into the arms of his friends. I just love that he perceived a "limit" to funny, and that we had burst beyond that to "too funny." I carry that in my pocket and whenever I need a laugh myself, I remember that boy, holding his head, keeling over. It makes me laugh to tears every time.
A. Most people know very little about clowns and clowning, and the glib, negative image of clowning, prevalent in popular culture, has nothing to do with what clowning is really about. There's bad in every profession, but there's also the good and great. And so it is with clowning...
Here's some good stuff you should know: True clowns are proud of their craft and often consider it a calling. Many train, as I have, with internationally known master clowns and instructors. We spend years learning skills and developing our clown persona.
BirthdayMax was born of my reaction to pathetic event clowning in 2001. I'd quit a terrible agency, who had no clue about real clowning and no desire to grow. The day before a gig, they'd grab a high school kid, teach him the agency's show-in-a-box, slap on make-up and a red nose and voila, "clown." As a parent myself, I knew that there would be parents out there who would appreciate a smart, professional show of genuine clowning in their own home. I felt that families deserved to have the real deal with no compromises. That's BirthdayMax.
A. BirthdayMax pricing is based on 4 basic criteria: 1) number of children; 2) the service or package booked; 3) total time performing; and 4) travel distance. This means there isn't one price for my services, but allows me to create a custom BirthdayMax experience for each client. I need information about your event before I can quote price. I like to speak to clients on the phone as a first step, not just to get that information for pricing, but also to get a specific idea of a client's needs and to give the client a sense of my personality, humor and how I operate. You can't get all that in an email.
After that initial phone conversation, I email prospective clients a convenient price sheet which lays out all the options. Clients know their price range, so they can identify those packages within their budget and select accordingly. I do not negotiate price.
I'm finding that this system works extremely well.
