How to Be a Good Entertainer
Start with a bang., Have fun onstage., Don’t call attention to your mistakes., End your show in a memorable way.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start with a bang.
Audiences tend to be both impatient and judgmental, so you want to capture their attention as soon as possible and hold it for as long as you can.
Structure your performance so it begins with something memorable or impressive to break the ice and engage the crowd.If you’re a stand up, start with a joke about your appearance or something else your audience might notice when they first look at you.
If you’re a musician, lead off with a high energy number, as opposed to a ballad.
Start off confident, but make sure to save your best trick for the end of the performance. -
Step 2: Have fun onstage.
The reason people go see performers is to be entertained.
It’s not entertaining to see a performer going through the motions – audiences want to see performers living out their dreams and leaving it all on the stage.If you come offstage and you’re not exhausted, then you still had more to give.
Smile! Try putting Vaseline on your teeth to keep your teeth from sticking to your lips.
The more comfortable you get with your performance or routine, the easier it will be for you to have fun.
Improvise something new every time you perform
- this will keep your performance from feeling stale.
Don’t bottle your enjoyment up inside – let it out and share it with your audience.
They want to live vicariously through you. , Mistakes happen in life and in art.
How entertainers deal with mistakes can separate the artists from the amateurs.
If you mess up, don’t worry about it and don’t telegraph your mistake to the audience.If you a make a mistake, move on.
The audience probably won’t even notice if you don’t call it out.
Know that the audience is rooting for you to succeed.
If you fall or mess up, they want to see you overcome and move forward. , The end of your show is the last thing your audience will remember, so it's important to end your performance with a bang.
If you plan on having an encore, make sure you prepare for it ahead of time.Leave your audience wanting more.
Look at your set list and edit one to two things out.
Know when it’s time to wrap up – sometimes it’s better to end the show early than to prolong something that people clearly aren’t enjoying.
If your venue has a curfew, be respectful of that.
Be cognizant of time and don't run over. -
Step 3: Don’t call attention to your mistakes.
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Step 4: End your show in a memorable way.
Detailed Guide
Audiences tend to be both impatient and judgmental, so you want to capture their attention as soon as possible and hold it for as long as you can.
Structure your performance so it begins with something memorable or impressive to break the ice and engage the crowd.If you’re a stand up, start with a joke about your appearance or something else your audience might notice when they first look at you.
If you’re a musician, lead off with a high energy number, as opposed to a ballad.
Start off confident, but make sure to save your best trick for the end of the performance.
The reason people go see performers is to be entertained.
It’s not entertaining to see a performer going through the motions – audiences want to see performers living out their dreams and leaving it all on the stage.If you come offstage and you’re not exhausted, then you still had more to give.
Smile! Try putting Vaseline on your teeth to keep your teeth from sticking to your lips.
The more comfortable you get with your performance or routine, the easier it will be for you to have fun.
Improvise something new every time you perform
- this will keep your performance from feeling stale.
Don’t bottle your enjoyment up inside – let it out and share it with your audience.
They want to live vicariously through you. , Mistakes happen in life and in art.
How entertainers deal with mistakes can separate the artists from the amateurs.
If you mess up, don’t worry about it and don’t telegraph your mistake to the audience.If you a make a mistake, move on.
The audience probably won’t even notice if you don’t call it out.
Know that the audience is rooting for you to succeed.
If you fall or mess up, they want to see you overcome and move forward. , The end of your show is the last thing your audience will remember, so it's important to end your performance with a bang.
If you plan on having an encore, make sure you prepare for it ahead of time.Leave your audience wanting more.
Look at your set list and edit one to two things out.
Know when it’s time to wrap up – sometimes it’s better to end the show early than to prolong something that people clearly aren’t enjoying.
If your venue has a curfew, be respectful of that.
Be cognizant of time and don't run over.
About the Author
Deborah Davis
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in practical skills and beyond.
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