M.U.M. Magazine Reviews Seriously Silly Live

Review By Dan Garrett

David Kaye seemingly burst onto the magic scene over a decade ago when he appeared on the cover of MAGIC magazine in glorious color wrapped in a suit of pencil balloons. He is an amazing person who has had to overcome great obstacles in his personal and professional life, but who has emerged as one of the best practitioners and teachers of children’s entertainment in the world. David has amassed an awesome set of credentials, and when he imparts knowledge, all children’s entertainers should take note.

The Seriously Silly Live DVD is a single disc of nearly two and a half hours running time. It is meant to be a companion to his highly acclaimed book Seriously Silly, but it will also stand alone. The disc is fully loaded, with great theory on what makes kids laugh, really funny parodies of some of the magic "specials" we’ve seen on TV, and great clips from live Silly Billy shows which perfectly illustrate the theory as it is being presented. The explanations are crisp and clear and presented with humor. The production values are also really outstanding.

It’s customary for a reviewer to point out the shortcomings of the DVD and content. (A moment of silence.) Whew! I’m glad that part’s out of the way.

A lot of thought went into this DVD, and it shows in every minute of the 2.5 hours. You can buy 3 DVD sets for $90 to $120, which contain far less content than this single disc. The DVD authoring is nearly perfect. The best way to experience Seriously Silly Live at first is to play the disc all the way through from start to finish. It is organized in the best order of presentation and learning. Funny bonus stuff is interspersed throughout. Comedy relief...from comedy? Even that’s funny! I won’t spoil any surprises, but you’ll see several cameo appearances from faces you’ll recognize. These magical friends apparently think they have an acting career in their future.

Later, if you simply want to concentrate on the theory, or just the performances, or the teaching, or the parodies, you can. The main menu gives you these options. Just make sure you watch the DVD a little past the credits for a small "easter egg." (I have something similar on all my DVDs that very few know about.)

If you have a computer you can access a handy little PDF that outlines the 33 critical points David makes on the DVD. You can view onscreen or download and print out the file.

This disc is a treasure for anyone who enjoys entertaining kids and making them laugh, regardless of skill or experience. But what about a seasoned veteran of hundreds, even thousands, of kids shows (like me, for example)? Well it’s true, you can teach an old wizard new tricks. What I like most about the way the material is presented is that you don’t have to learn a single routine or trick of Silly Billy’s. You can easily apply this theory to make every single effect in your current repertoire get more laughs and reactions. I believe that Seriously Silly Live has even more value for the experienced performer.

So, you don’t give a hoot about doing kid shows? You may even get your money’s worth from the belly laughs you’ll have watching the parodies. You might even realize that, with the right knowledge and attitude, doing kid shows may not be as daunting as you thought.

Highest recommendation for children’s entertainers.