I am a 16 year magician. I perform for my high school and am planning on performing a show. I need some ideas for stage trick that would be perfect for a teenage audience (14 to 18 years old ).

Any tricks

Ideas

Would be greatly appreciate.

Thank you

Try some escapes. That seems to be popular with teen audiences, according to Wiz Kid Qua-Fiki in his e-Book "Escapes For Teens" at The Magic Nook. He also reports that his "Ace Chaser" generates excitement among the teen-age crowd (from The Wizards' Journal #21).

Robbie!
This AM, in the space of eight minutes, you have posted in three different fora ("boxes, tubes & bags"--"Grand Illusion"--and "New to Magic". asking for advice on "a trick". In each forum, your question was a bit different. From one, I inferred that you had a show "booked". From this forum, you are "planning on performing a show". I've forgotten what you ssid in the third forum. You must focus and ask one question to start! "Shotgun" questions, get shotgun answers!

Enthusiasm is wonderful! (here comes the "but":) But, focussed or directed enthusiasm is much more apt to produce results!!!!! (Dynamite burning in an open field, produces very little results. The dynamite placed in a small hole drilled in a huge boulder, can reduce the boulder to gravel!

When I was 13 (in October 1945)I had the "guts" to book a show for the local Jr. High. (here comes the "but" again:) I HAD a SHOW! I had studied, planned, practiced, and rehearsed a SHOW. Looking back 64 years, I now can realize that it was not a GREAT show, but, it WAS a SHOW. I made $26.in 40 minutes! Many grown men, then, worked a WEEK for $25.! (A hamburger and a coke cost 10 cents in 1945! You could buy a steak dinner--including dessert and coffee--for $2.00)

Since that first show, I have performed about 20,000 shows, from coast to coast, and border to border in the U.S.A. Most of them in schools, many in HIGH SCHOOLS. I've learned a "bit" in 64 years! --And, I made a good living, performing those shows.

Now,I'm retired, and spend a lot of time mentoring young guys like yourself. (I'm "giving back"!)

You have 5 years of "experience"! --Doing what? --Close up tricks for your friends? Tell us about your experience!!! Perhaps then,I can offer some encouragement, and some specific help.

Over the years, I have mentored a number of young men, just like you. Some of them are now successful professional magicians. Others enjoy performing as avid amateurs. (There's nothing wrong with being an amateur!)

I've just finished writing a 175,000 word book. It "took" five years! I'm not planning on "rewriting" that book HERE!

You must understand that no one "here" can "teach" you anything. We can "help you learn", --you must do the work.

For the moment, I strongly suggest that you ignore all suggestions about "what tricks to do"!!!!!

Tricks are only creative "tools". The "magic" is "in" the performer and his presentation.

My friend Oliver Ross has given you some good advice in the Illusions forum.

When you respond, (IF you respond!)I might consider writing a bit more.

I have been practicing for my family and practicing and practicing. For 2 years I have been performing at my high school. I feel that I do a good job. I love close up but moving on to staged due to a demand for people wanting entertainment for larger audiences. I feel so confident now that I will be auditioning for Americas Got Talent for Season 10. Most recent I performed Russian Roulette with a cell phone. I love magic and am open to any ideas or comments that anyone one or you have to provide for me.

I'd say be as visual and unexpected as possible. Changes of objects should include color changes or be as visually surprising as possible. Think of context. Are you using music? Maybe include some popular bands and do a series of morellis dress code using band t shirts. But on the off beat. Throw some ironic choices as well. One direction.. To five finger death punch.. To Eminem. To justin bieber. Ya know? The kids will eat that up.

Use old tricks with new items, or old items for new tricks. One of my favourite routines I have seen in person (I don't get to see much - I'm 16 like yourself) was by Paul Zennon at The Gadget Show Live. Bizzarre set up for a magic routine, but it was in the middle of the performance where they were giving away stuff and interacting with everyone, then Paul came onto stage. He did a simple lots-of-objects-from-one-place with an iPad, swiping the screen with an object on and the objects came to real life. Simple trick. Old trick. But it got people going using an object they probably see every day.
You'd also be surprised with the reaction you can get using objects that one would not relate to a sixteen year-old. I don't know what style of magic you do, but they can be the most visual, and the strangest. Take the appearing cane: most teens would rarely be seen with a cane. But what is happening is that a giant thing has appeared out of nowhere. It is really easy to create humour with it.

My tuppence on the matter,
Nathan

Thank for the ideas I will defiantly look into the lots-of-objects-from-one-place. The using objects that one would not relate to a sixteen year-old is good and I will think more on it.

Thanks

If you watched the birds episode of Wizard Wars, one of the challengers' routines gives a great example of lots-of-objects-from-one-place with the cereal box, done in parts in similar ways to how I go about doing the iPad version. Combine both the lots of objects and the odd objects and you get lots of odd objects coming out of nowhere. That should garner some entertainment, at least.

THANKS