After having performed over 8000 shows over the past 35 years, I received my very first 1-star Google review. To say I was a bit surprised would be an understatement. At the time of writing this post, I have 570 Google reviews, of which 563 are 5-star and seven are 4 stars.
The 1-Star Google Review
Before I go any further, let me show you the review. The name of the reviewer has been omitted on purpose.
He was in overbrook festival and was making the most unfunniest jokes like who wants a banana and weird things that I see make people uncomfortable and there was this kid that accidentally hit a person with a ball and the guy Chris just kept on making fun of him and I do not tolerate this behavior.
The event was on a beautiful summer evening. The organizer had invited many community groups to have displays. There were also food stations and music. As there wasn’t a stage area, I set up in the sports field, with enough space for plenty of people to watch the show.
At these style of events, there is no way to announce the show to everyone, so a performer builds up the audience before the show begins. This is the same technique that festival-buskers use to create an audience before the show begins. In order to engage new arrivals, buskers talk to people in the audience, so they don’t get bored before the show begins.
A Banana and a Review
I have a fake banana, a fake popsicle, a wooden cooking spoon and a few other items. While setting up, I’d hold up one and say, “Would anyone like this?” It is playful and the kids would laugh as I just put the item back in my kit.
That’s the fake banana from Amazon. I didn’t get the feeling that it made the early arrivals uncomfortable. If they had left before the show started, that would be a better indication.
With respect to the young person who accidentally hit someone else with a ball, I don’t recall those exact circumstances, however, some teens and pre-teens were playing a bit of soccer before the show started. That may have been when the accident happened. No one was hurt. It is not my intention to ever make fun of people, so maybe my comment was taken differently from my intention. I wouldn’t have continued to make fun of the person as my show is tightly scripted and only has a few moments when improvisation happens.
As for the show not being funny, any performance is subjective. Entertainers refine their performances based on giving hundreds and thousands of shows. It is not possible to please everyone. I do know that all the 200-plus spectators that arrived at the beginning of the show, stayed for the full performance.
The 5-Star Google Review
I’d also like to include the review from the person who hired me, as an additional perspective.
If you are looking for a truly entertaining show that captivates a diverse crowd, Chris is the magician for you! We hired Chris to perform at Overbrook Day 2026, and he did not disappoint. From young to old, in a culturally diverse community, Chris’ magic was enjoyed by all!
In addition, he was very professional and easy to work with. We look forward to having him back in Overbrook again!
As the 1-star review was submitted a week after the event, perhaps it was written by the young adult who accidentally kicked the ball. I’ll never know. I do know that I’ll be more sensitive about what I say when something out of the blue happens at one of my shows. It is not my intent to upset anyone in my audience.
I didn’t bother trying to have the review removed, because in my field of work, it is important to hear both the good and the bad in order to continue to refine and improve. I felt it was important though to have a bit more context surrounding the review.
In the grand scheme of things, a 1-Star review is not the end of the world. No one is perfect and all anyone can do is learn from their mistakes and continue to improve.