I have two things I'd like to ask.

First of all, when summarizing the effects/routines in your repertoire as openers, closers, or middle-of-the-act material, is it okay for one to classify an effect/routine as both middle-of-the-act-material and a closer? I've run into this problem with my ambitious card routine.

I'm wondering if it's best just to sit and think about a category the item would be best suited for until you come up with an answer. Or is it okay to write down the two categories and leave it that way (leaving the possibility of coming back to it later after experimenting, of course)?


And for my other question...

When doing an impromptu, informal performance of just one or two things, it is okay to use material from your act? I ask this because this would be an issue for me (an amatuer), as I might be performing for someone that is very likely to see my act later. I've set aside a few tricks for performances of this type, but I still want to ask this question.

I realize that I'm thinking about little details, but I consider them important (and rightly so, I hope) and I'd like to have some feedback from other members of the Café.

Thanks in advance for any help!

For your second question it is really important not to do the same tricks close up that you will be performing in your act as you will finish your act before you start your gig

Emily,
The second question first:
If you can avoid it, then don't use something from your act as an impromptu piece, on someone who might soon after see your close-up act.
But, if you can't avoid it, don't worry about it! It's not the end of the world!
The best way to do it is how you, apparently, are doing it: Have a few things set aside for that very situation. That's what I do.

As for categorizing your tricks as openers, closers, etc., if you have a problem, put it down wherever it fits and as often as necessary, then come back to it later, after you've tested it in "real life" and got a better handle on where it fits.

Don't worry about "the details".

Vernon paraphrased the old saying (older by far than even Vernon was!) "God is in the details" by altering it to "Perfection is in the details".
Emily, you are right to be concerned with the details; that's what can raise the adequate to the great!

Thanks for your responses. That helps me out a lot with what I'm doing.

Emily B.

Emily,
the Ambitious card is a very good example for a routine, that qualifies equally well as an opener, a middle-of-the-act-trick and a closer. Where you place it in your act, depends on the rest of your material.

You should keep in mind the well known rule that says: Start with a strong trick, follow with a trick that's stronger than the first, the third one stronger than the second etc. and close your act with the strongest trick.

The problem is, sometimes it's not easy to decide, which tricks are stronger or more magical than others. So you have to experiment a bit (no, a lot!)and watch the audiece reactions.

Let's assume you have a trick that is so strong, that the spectators react with stunned silence and another one, that is not as strong, but is a real applause getter. Then it might be a good idea to break the rule and do the applause getter as your closer (wow, it's difficult to talk about these complex issues in a foreign language).

My humble advice: Follow the above mentioned rule as a guideline and orientation, follow your instinct, experiment a lot, use you head and common sense, watch the audience reactions. In my many years in magic I have found, that act construction is one of the most difficult and one of the most fascinating things in magic. Keep working on it.

Uli