I'm working on a Haunted Hotel Magic Show and need an intro to set up the Zombie Ball Routine. Needs to be family-Friendly. I have been thinking orbs or Phantasm sphere but no great ideas yet. The theme is that a convention of monsters are staying at the hotel and the Zombie ball/owner is a guest. Thoughts?

Dramatic questions that could help you: Why does the guest have it? What does it do for him? What are you doing with it? What is it? What happens to you if the guest finds out you have it? What does this thing want? What are you planning to do with it? Why should the audience care about it?

I love that last line "Why should the audience care about it?"

Too many performers forget that they are handling odd items, far from the sphere that the audience would ever come across in life and you have to find a reasonable reason for the object to exist.

Like you, I have written and produced magical plays and as I build the show, I make sure that the props play into moving the plot forward.

Any prop that doesn't move your show forward is dead weight.

Swap out the ball for a skull.

I like silver balls over skulls. With a ball, there's no reference as to positioning. When you make it a skull, it is obvious that it is floating in a fixed position. (If that makes sense)

Depends if the skull is made correctly​ for the zombie. I know they sell them, I've not seen one. Skull would be a shorter routine, but maybe a spookier one.

Why not say you found this silver orb in the lost and found. it was an item left from a previous guest that has passed on. from there you could do so called séance or that he's just taking control of the ball when you're trying to polish it. if it's a haunted Hotel I think that would fit but that's my two cents.

Well, you could ask if anyone has seen the Phantasm films, and the Sentinel Spheres that protect the "Tall Man." You could say that you think the films were based on legend and maybe that legend is based on fact. You believe you may have found one of the Spheres and will attempt to operate it. It can be controlled if it's covered as it cannot sense its whereabouts. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong...

For the right crowd, you may even be able to open with a short film and explain the background of the films. Warning...this is pretty graphic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08kyNhk48Ig

Background:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantasm_(franchise)
http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Sentinel_Spheres
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_Man_(Phantasm)

So where is this haunted hotel are they doing this for short time or is it always considered a haunted hotel traction.

It could be a "witch ball."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_ball

It's going to be a one night only show this October, Impulse. Just a show, not part of any haunted attraction. I like offering fun things for families at Halloween. There are very few offerings that are family friendly.

I think the lost and found approach may be the best approach for me. Thanks for all of your ideas!

Hope you have a great show and a frightful Halloween.

Use Michael Jackson's Thriller and have a couple people dress up like zombie's and dance to it like a dead person would (stiff and disjointed). Then do the routine. That way, if your zombie routine fails the audience will still walk away amused and satisfied. The magician doesn't always have to be the star of the show.