Hi!
I'm right now planning my street routine which I'm going to use this coming summer. I have a few tricks ready and som attention getters. Then I have Tabarys rope routine and Bill Malones bill in lemon.

I'd like to end with a bill in lemon routine, but what do you think? Tabary or bill in lemon? I am going to use both of them, I just want to know which one is the best to end with. Also, is Malones routine good or should I buy another one?


//Delmondo

Bill in lemon is a great closer. Definitely bill in lemon. The rope is more of a middle piece.

Bill in lemon also gets the money.

Malones routine is great.

FOrgot to mention:

I closed with bill in lemon for years. (Now I do the cups and balls)

I think the Tabary routine will be tough to make fly on the street. It's too long. Rope is usually more of a middle trick and should be a bit more fast paced.

I have never see Malone's bill in lemon but I have closed with Steve Spill's bill and lemon from the Spill Bar and Grill book and it kills. It is a super strong trick, great opportunity for comedy, and lends itself to the hat lines. Who could want anything more?

The only downside to the bill in lemon is it is harder to play for a bigger audience than say the cups and balls. BUT it can definitely be done. I say go for the bill in lemon as a closer, think about an abbreviated version of the Tabary routine for a middle, and open with something strong and fast that will establish you as a magician and let you get to know the audience. Dai Vernon's cups and balls is great for this. You can also close with it too.

Best,

Dan-

Ok, thanks, so I'll shorten down the rope routine, then I'm going to work on Malones bill to lemon. To attract people I'm going to do some cards, maybe hundy and some other close-up stuff. Should I add anything more to the main routine? I do cups and balls, but the idea of being surrounded really scares me when it comes to the big loads... Should I add the cups ad balls?

I was also thinking to buy a lota bowl as a runnign gag, will this work?

Thanks

I would ditch the hundy, and lota. Do card tricks that can be held at chest height.

Also remember, if you are doing this to get paid your personality should be as powerful and as entertaining as your magic.

On the street you have to have them engaged 100% of the time. This eliminates some tricks that might be very powerful but take too long to get there.

Think fast and visual. Card from mouth, insurance policy, ambitious card, are all great tricks. Something is happening all of the time.

The basic pattern for your opening if you were to do it with cards would run like this. Have a card selected, establish your character with some comedy byplay, lose the card in the deck, engage your audience in a humorous and likable way usually done by downplaying your character, reveal the card in a way that establishes you as a magician as well as an entertainer.

You could then do a rope trick and then close with the cups and balls.

That is what gazzo does Cards, vanishes a hank with a tt, and does the cups and balls.

Before you do anything I would suggest going down and study some other street performers. Watch how they gather a crowd, build the crowd, engage them as a unit, and get them to pay.

That is the hardest part about being a street magician. The tricks themselves no matter how difficult or esoteric they are are the easiest part of your show. Really, as long as it is a good trick, the trick doesn't matter.

A strong performer with a coloring book will out hat a guy with no presentation and a super x levitation and a subtrunk. As a matter of fact I have witnessed just that happening.

Sounds like you have some good tricks you just need to figure out how it all goes together. Coming here is a good start. Search the first year archives for this section and read everything you can. There is a blueprint for putting together a street show as well as a lot of great information as to why it works that way.

Then go watch the guys who are doing it. It doesn't matter if they juggle, play glass harp, walk a slack rope, or do a stupid egg trick. They are all just like you, variety entertainers. The same exact formula they use for stopping, gathering, engaging, and flushing them, will work for you too.

You are asking good questions but you are putting the cart ahead of the horse a little bit. You need to know why it works and then you will know what will work.

Poke around you won't regret it.

Best,

Dan-

I have been to blackpool (great britain) and saw doc eason doing the bill in lemon trick. I is somewhere on his dvd's. see how he builds and put out things. some 1 hold the lemon etc. the way he does it presentational wise, is great for the street and will play big because 4 people are involveld.