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Ryan Matney Regular user 189 Posts |
Mr Robbins,
I don't know what the name of this stunt is but I have been told that it is something of a signature of yours. It involves having four people from the audience sit on chairs with their backs to each other. Then they lean back and place their heads on each others laps. You remove the chairs and they remain suspended and balanced. Just wondering if you could tell me what the name of this stunt is and any history you may know about it?
www.pocket-tricks.com
The Close-Up Magic Shop |
Todd Robbins V.I.P. New York 2922 Posts |
My routine is called the Flying Ebola Bros., but just call it the four chair stunt.
I did not originate it. It's just that I do it better than anyone on the planet and better than anyone has ever done at anytime ever!!!! I hope no one things I'm serious about that last sentence. As for the origins, they are pretty murky. I know it was written somewhere in the 1970s and I have been told there were some variety performers in Chicago doing it in the 1950s. It is similar to what Napolean's troops did in order to sit down without sitting on the ground. The four chairs are place facing each other as if they were at a table. Four people sit sideways on the chairs in a rotated pattern so that their knees are right behind the back of the person in front of them. When people lean back, they are supported by the knees of the people behind them. You can then remove the chairs. It's hard to describe it but it's a fun stunt and plays well. |
Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts |
True, Todd, I know that I first performed it, believe it or not, in the fifth grade, back about 1964 or so, in Oak Park, IL (yes, I believe the late, great Jay Marshall was still living there as well, but he was in south Oak Park, I was in north Oak Park - it's a sizeable village) on a dare from one of my classmates. He said that it couldn't be done. I guess it was my first "bizarre" magic effect.
But my grandfather had mentioned seeing it back when Wild Bill Cody had tented his show at the corner of Austin Blvd near Lake Street in Chicago when my grandfather was a small boy. One of the people that worked the show used to do it "behind the canvas" after the show, for laughs. Lee Darrow
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
camikesrd Regular user Richmond,Virginia 103 Posts |
I saw Jim Rose doing it in his show mid ninteys I believe. When he got them
locked in position he poured water in each guys lap to make them look like they pisissed in their pisants.........Mike Walsh |
Ryan Matney Regular user 189 Posts |
Thanks Todd for the quick reply. I've often wondered about this stunt. I guess we can conclude it's older than can be traced.
It's hard to believe the variation you describe would work but then it's hard to believe any of it works until you see it! Ryan
www.pocket-tricks.com
The Close-Up Magic Shop |
Todd Robbins V.I.P. New York 2922 Posts |
Ryan,
I heard about a Russian circus that did the stunt, then after they pulled chairs out, they put a large round piece of wood on top on top of the four guys and had two performer come out and do a roller skating act on top of it! Personally, I don't like what Jim did with it. I think you should treat the people that come up on stage with as much as dignity as possible. You can have fun with them, but in the end, they and the audience should feel good about the experience. |
Chance Inner circle 1385 Posts |
When I am too tired (or injured with sprained muscles, etc.) from my normal 60-minute street show, I pull this gag out as my money maker. The crowds love it. I have a nicely dramatic piece of music playing in the background for the set-up of locking them all together, and then pause the music for the trick itself.
But from my experience watching other buskers perform this gag, there seems to be two kinds of performers: The ones who treat their volunteers kindly, and those that don't. Some acts just leave their guys hanging there until they get so tired they simply collapse; other (like myself) let them hang 10 for a minute or so, and then put one or more chairs back, making it very easy for them to stand back up. Me, I put ALL the chairs back, get everyone up as smoothly as possible, and line them all up to take a bow. If you don't mind giving it away here Todd, could you please describe your own set-up and reveal for this trick?.... |
Todd Robbins V.I.P. New York 2922 Posts |
I present it as teaching four guys how to become performers. I bring them up, and show them how to do a matador-like bow with one hand on the hip and the other high above their head.
I give the stunt a flashy name and get the audience to go,"Oooo" everytime they hear me say the name. I give the four guys a show biz name and then set up the chairs. I put the four into position, do a bit more build up and then remove the chairs. After the chairs are out and the applause dies down. I just stand there, look at the audience and say nothing. This deadness gets the biggest laugh as it makes the audience think I'm going to just leave them in that position. I then tell the guys how to get out of it by just slowly sitting up. When they do, it just melts, they slowly collapse to the floor and it looks very funny. I then help them up and get them to line up for a bow. They do that big show biz bow and I shake their hands and thank them as they leave the stage. The applause usually dies down before the get back to their seats, so I shout at the audience in mock outrage, "You call that applause!" This gets them a second round of applause, which is usually bigger than the first and covers the time it takes to get them back to their seats. |
Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
Todd's presentation is a great one!
I've used this stunt as a party game, when working with kids. We've gotten up to 53 chairs. And it's so much fun! Show 'em how, and turn 'em loose!
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
Todd Robbins V.I.P. New York 2922 Posts |
Harley's right about doing it with kids. But then again, Harley is right about everything! That's one of the reasons I like having him as a friend.
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
Todd, I'm not ALWAYS right! But once in a while...
BTW, I have a collection of wood scraps, just waiting for the end of the gardening season. Maybe a little firewalking in November?
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
Todd Robbins V.I.P. New York 2922 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-06-02 11:39, Harley Newman wrote: It's very possible. |
MField2000 Special user Hastings, East Sussex, England 590 Posts |
As usual, Todd is underselling himself.
In his presentation, the first several minutes are spent in Todd teaching four ordinary guys how to become stage performers. They need a good name. Then they need to know how to take a professional bow. This is absolutely hilarious. When the quartet take the flashy bow at the end of the stunt, after picking themselves up off the floor, the fact that they remember what to do when they hear the proper cue is just priceless. I am sure they tell the story of their participation in the Flying Ebola Brothers' act to everyone they know for weeks on end. What more could you ask? Bravo, Todd. (By the way, this is the guy who often comes out on stage and spits a 5-foot fireball out of his mouth. If that doesn't get their attention . . . ) Matt Field |
Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts |
My apologies for not completely telling the full story the first time out. This is a very serious bit and, if done incorrectly, can cause injury. I am living proof.
I failed to note in my earlier post that when I did this the first time, I did not know how to get the people OUT of the situation, which caused me to receive a black eye from one of the participants who fell at the end of the bit - I never did the stunt again! I leave things like this to the guys with the training to do it properly - like You! Believe me, I was NOT trying to put the stunt, you, or anyone else down. This is NOT an easy bit to pull off! Again, my apologies for not telling the full story the first time out. Lee Darrow
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
Todd Robbins V.I.P. New York 2922 Posts |
There are a number of ways to get people out of the thing. I let it collapse slowly and it does no harm to anyone.
You can also put the chairs back in. That can be a bit tricky if the thing has sagged. If you are strong enought you can put you hand into the center, have the four participants grab hold and you pull them up to standing. It would seem that this would be a kinder way of getting them out, but it much harder than the slow collapse. By the way, after the collapse, I am right there to make sure they are okay and to help them up if they need it. I did the bit last night at Monday Night Magic and it was one of those great moments where that guys were laughing hardly throughout the whole thing and the audience got caught up in the experience. Moments like that make it all worthwhile. |
Todd Robbins V.I.P. New York 2922 Posts |
I've been tempted to work up a routine that starts with couple of the psychological forces such as the 37/86 number forces. Then bring up four people who "received" the thought I was sending and do the Touched on Hoy rountine by Luke Jermay. After that, perhaps the Dr. Q pseudo hypnosis routine and end with the chair suspension rountine that we have been writing about in this thread. If figure that would play about twenty to thirty minutes using no gimmicks and only four chairs. Since the chairs could be borrowed, it could be the perfect impromptu stage act.
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Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts |
I LOVE IT!!!
Lee Darrow, C.H.
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
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