I am trying to brainstorm what I'd change a rose petal into.

So far some ideas I've heard and or come up with are...

Snowstorm

Turn the petal into a silk

Turn it into an egg

small spring flowers

etc.

I have other ideas, but I want to see what others come up with. I have no premise for the effect yet, I'm simply trying to brainstorm right now.

Brad

Playing card

billiard ball

piece of rope/string

bird

throw streamer

another rose

more rose petals

The rose and rose petal are emotionally charged symbols, symbols which while defined by their context retain an independant connotation. May I suggest rather than brainstorming from a methodological point of view (what other 'thing' can I change this 'thing' into), brainstorming from a narrative/dramatic point of view: what would it feel like to an audience to see a rose petal turn black, a rose petal disintegrate into dust, a rose petal melt into a pool of blood?

There is no methodological reason why you couldn't do ANYTHING with a rose petal, so perhaps thinking in terms of "meaning" will produce a final result that might resonate with your audience.

What do you think/feel when you consider a rose petal? What would be something interesting to do with that meaning/feeling? What transformation would produce that result?

Just a thought.

Hi

A Ring

Paula

A red balloon that is inflated and produces an entire rose bush.

I would go for this if I understood your method.

I would change it into a butterfly and let it fly off, or a ladybug/bird.
If you need inanimates then you could try a perfume sampler or a bunch of confetti of a similar colour.

Well, first you must tell us a bit more what your motivation is and what the storyline or idea you are trying to get across to your audience. Once we understand that, then it becomes much easier to reason as to what the pedal will change into and why.

It is also important to note what is your next effect or sequence after the rose pedal one? I ask as this can become a very nice transition into a new sequence in the act.

Kyle

Brad,
Is the rose petal used for Close-up or Stage?
That makes a differance in the way you use it.

Ok here's a bit more to the idea, and yes it's for a larger crowd.

I possibly want to start this way....

Holding a rose I and a female audience member pick the petals off one by one in a "she loves me, she loves me not" fashion. That is until I have only one left. My mood changes since I have only one petal left, and I ended on a "she loves me not, " petal. Get the picture?

So in one idea....

I crumple the petal up and stuff it into my apparently empty fist. After a magic gesture, a large silk of the same color as the petal is produced from my hand and then from the folds of the silk small spring flowers are produced.

So the inner script the magician has is, "I only have a single petal left, and I've destroyed the pretty flower...but wait! I know how to make more!"

Something like that. Performed to music without any words.


That is of course one idea. The petal doesn't have to turn into spring flowers. Maybe from the folds of the silk a real rose is produced and handed out. Who knows.

Sorry if my storyline isn't very developed yet. I'm still trying to use my imagination to think of what would look good, and then trying to figure out how that could be done.

The problem is that the rose petal may not be able to be seen very well with a large audience. You could of course explain that you have the last rose petal and hold it up so that it can be seen.

Place the rose petal into your apparently empty left hand but change it into a piece of red candy or something. Offer the candy to the lady. As she eats it continue on by introducing another rose. Tell her you will try again. (In other words you will attempt to make it land on a "she loves me" this time.) Again it ends up on a "she loves me not" take this petal and maybe turn it into a diamond bracelet. (This petal could be a red piece of flash paper etc.) Put the bracelet on her wrist and whip out another rose. Again say you will try once more. With the last petal produce a ring or whatever. No matter how many roses you bring out you can not get it to land on a "she loves me". This can be very comical but at the same time you can make it somewhat romantic because of all the gifts you will be giving her (of course the diamond bracelet is a cheap fake bracelet that you can probably get for 3 cents). For a finale you can come up with something romantic whatever it may be. Maybe produce a bouquet of roses or something...this is just a thought....

I like your general approach here and it is very nice to see your thinking creatively and also out-side of the box. This is to be commended for sure.

I just wonder that doing a Loves me and Loves me not out loud to an audience member will make them feel a bit awkward and uneasy. Remember that any person on stage is a guest and should be treated as such. You certainly do not want them uncomfortable if your going for that approach.

I think you’re on the right track, but perhaps you handle it in a slightly different light. Perhaps you bring them up.. Sit them on a stool and do the entire routine pantomime to music.

You do this for several reasons:

- By not saying a word... you are not having an awkward moment of the audience member not knowing what to say or saying something that kills the mood your trying to create.

- By not saying anything, you put them more at ease as they only really need to watch the magic your doing for them

- By doing it pantomime and to music, you still convey the same message you want to convey, but your establishing a much better mood that you want and can allow the routine to go the way it is meant to go. You have more control.

The main theme also needs a bit more work. You bring this lassie on stage to show her you care for her? You want her to love you but it doesn't happen that way? You destroy the last pedal out of anger? These are the things that are not flushed out well enough.

You really need to develop the script so that the audience knows exactly what is going on and what you’re conveying through the music you use and the movements and magic you’re presenting on stage.

Let us take an example of how this could go. This is only meant as an example and not as the ONLY means for which to do this. My hopes are to show you how you may take a basic idea and flesh it out to create a mood your audience will remember for a long time.

Perhaps sitting on a small table is a treasure chest, a picture fame, and a vase. Near the table is a stool. A spot light shines down on the table.

You take your jacket off and hang it up on the coat rack behind and take a step on the front of the stage. This is done to show the audience you are human and on their own level.

Music plays very gently in the background as you begin to speak in front of the curtain. You might say something like this:

"I would like to take this moment to simply thank all of you for coming to my show tonight. I may look like a special man with magical powers... but in reality.. I am very much just like any and every one of you. I am simply a man who knows some neat things I like to share.... after all we are all human.

Right now I would like to take you back in time.. if I could.. a time when the world was all so magical to me.. where every little thing sparked my imagination.. Of course I am talking about my very first love. (Pause as audience laughs or chuckles a bit).

We have all experienced the power of a first love... well tonight.. with the help from someone in the audience.. I would like to show you the magic of that very first love I had forgotten so long ago.

Perhaps it will spark the magic of your own memories."

Music begins to play as you escort a lady from the audience. As you bring her onstage you whisper that everything will be fine and all she has to do is simply sit and watch. (This is done to comfort her)

The curtains open to show your scene I described above. A single spot shines above the table. You escort the girl over to the stool to sit and watch.

You look at the audience and say, “And now to turn back time and let the magic happen" As you say this you pick up a clock and show the clock watches moving backwards. OR you turn over an hourglass for the same effect.

You go over to the coat rack and dawn a baseball cap and a jacket. This is to show you as a young man or a kid again. It will get a chuckle as the audience relates to it.

The music begins to play...perhaps the soundtrack shows the audience hearing you as a child and saying .."Mom, mom I met this really cool um..er friend and she wants to come over to study.. Is that ok? Thanks mom you’re the best."

You open a school book and it says advance chemistry.. You look puzzled and pantomime as you show it to the lady on the stool. You motion to her as if saying.. you know anything about this.. she says no so you end up tossing the book on the table. BORED you have no idea what to do. You have a crush on her so try to impress her the only way you know how.

You open the toy chest and pull out a ball. You do a few billiard ball moves and to a ta-da pose. But shrug as if saying hmm not so great huh?

You notice the picture in the frame is a picture of a famous movie star from your past that people can identify with. You motion to the pic and hold it up.. Looking first at the pic and then at the lady. You motion for her to wait. You take out the picture and tear it up to pieces.... You then bring out a Polaroid and take a pic of the lady. You then place this into the frame. It will get a laugh but also make you appear very sincere and show you like this lady (girl) without ever having to say it directly.

You look into the chest and take out a necklace and a glass... however the beads fall apart. You look sad until you place the beads in the glass.. light it and in a flash the beads turn back into the necklace that you place around the ladies neck.

You notice a rose stem sitting in the vase. You pick it up and notice there is no bud on it. With a sense of style and ego.. you begin to place a bud on the stem without realizing you produced a black rose. OOOPS not quite the magic you were after. You laugh and shrug it off as you place it inside the vase.

You find paper inside the chest and sculpt a rose from it. You do this in front of the lady and begin to offer it to you when you motion for her to watch. You move the vase aside and place the rose in your hand. The rose stands up on your command and dances at your fingertip. You let go as the rose floats in the air and then slowly floats towards the lady on the stool before it comes back to your hand.

You look at the lady and take her hand as you look at the audience and say something like...

"Memories are a strong power indeed... Thank you for making my memories so very magical tonight.."

As you say this the rose floats towards the lady. In a burst of flame the paper rose turns to a real one as you hand the rose to the lady as she walks down to her seat.

Now I know this was totally just made up in my head as I typed and went along. It needs a lot of work and figuring out. BUT, I hope it shows you how you can take the basic idea and really flesh it out to make a routine that really connects with the audience on a totally unique and emotional level.

It also is done so the audience member never feels afraid or silly and is made to really feel appreciated. It also is a personality piece that can be done in a show that really will allow the audience to connect better with you.

I hope it at least sparks some ideas.

Kyle

Kyle,

Thank you very much. You've helped me greatly with your ideas.

Brad

You are most welcome. I hope they give you some ideas and spark your own creativity.

Kyle

Brad you gave me a GREAT idea. I must give credit to you.

My friend has a flower in a vase on his coffee table. While everyone was in the living room waiting for my friend to play something he learned on the guitar, he could not find his guitar pick!

Well, I found it on the floor, while no one was looking (!), and I pretended to pluck a petal from the flower, and moved the pick to my fingertips, and gave it to my friend who began playing. They'll talk about that for a long time, thanks to you, Brad!

Gratefully,

Doug

Wow, that's awesome! Excellent way to take advantage of that opportunity!

Whenever one can tyake advantage of ordinary everyday objects in their magic, it just tends to make the magic that much stronger cause it is soemthing the lay person can easily associate with.

Kyle