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Ben has been advertising tickets for his new interactive online show - "Shazoom" for a few weeks. On social media, Ben teased that the shows would be going on sale about a week before they were finally released.
I purchased my ticket using the eventbrite booking app and a few shows were advertised initially. As I booked early, I was able to get an early bird price. Ticket prices were very reasonable.
At the time of writing, future shows are available to book for the 11th and 18th of November. Visit eventbrite here.
During the show, Ben shared his plans to add more shows to meet the demand which is good news.
For this show, about 25 screens joined the performance and you could see the audience in gallery view on Zoom. Many screens had multiple family members, so it is very good value and lots of audience members viewed the show.
Audience management was generally good and all the screens were muted by Ben, unless you were invited to speak. The audience was represented by a mixed age group and many families with children as a show suitable for all ages.
The doors opened about 30 minutes prior to the start of the show which took place at 1900 GMT on the 4th of November. A countdown appeared on the screen as you waited and music played.
You were reminded that you needed a deck of cards, or pieces of paper as the show would be fully interactive. The quality of the broadband connection was good, which always makes a massive difference for the artist‘s performance.
Prior to the performance, the joining instruction email was very clear.
The show started promptly and it lasted about 60 minutes. This was good in itself as you would be surprised how many Zoom shows start late and only last 40 minutes. So, you get your money‘s worth.
My reviews are always spoiler free so that you can book to see the show and still be surprised by the content. But, what I can tell you without giving anything away is....
Ben used multiple camera angles. He had an overhead camera focused on his card mat which was really useful to follow along with the performance.
His sleight of hand, with the management of cards was fantastic. A very interactive show with a lot of genuinely surprised reactions from the audience.
Ben makes a point of talking to the children in the audience and he gets everyone to follow along with several tricks.
He comes across well on Zoom, which is probably quite a difficult medium to manage, potentially with many barriers to overcome. Especially difficult when you are performing and managing all the audience interaction and technical element by yourself. The show also featured video and graphics which enhanced the professionalism of the show.
Ben comes across as if he is really enjoying himself which is good. He is of course very used to being in front of a camera and it was good to see him perform magic again.
Audience members are encouraged by Ben to take photos and share on social media.
To book, visit eventbrite here. For the official write up to support ticket sales, please see the bottom of this post.
A recommended show for any fans of Ben and those who love magic. And if you can ever get to see Ben perform live in future, just do it! Highly recommended.
Thanks Ben.
Official write up on eventbrite is as follows:
This is Ben Hanlin’s brand new LIVE Magic show. One hour of interactive magic & comedy for the entire family beemed straight into your home.
“I am so excited to perform some of my favourite tricks and brand new ones. As always, the audience have a massive part to play, so you won’t just be watching a magic show, you’ll be in it!”
What you need to know:
Just like any other magic show, choose the date and time that you and your family would like to watch the show, buy a ticket.
You will instantly receive confirmation of your purchase. Before the day of the show you will be sent the exact Zoom login for that show.
Ben may interact with you at some point, so be prepared to be part of the show!