Hey guys,

Just a quickie, how mnay effects or routines do you think is adequate to perform in a 45 minutes stage show?

Yours

Murby

Murby,
What is your initial impression of how many you would do?

I think that it really depends on what type of magic that you do. I mean do you do comedy,mentalisim,large illusions,etc.?? What type of act you do will really dictate how many different effects you do. I have seen magicians that do comedy magic and not do more than 8 or 9 effects. I saw one magician do about 15 large scale illusions. He just blew through the illusions and it was not very entertaining because of the speed of the act.
And what Frank said is a good question also,"how many would you do"?
Just my 2 cents here.

Steven

If you want to perform like "The Napoleons" it would be over 45.

FWIW

Cheers!

Murby, my 45 min. show has 5, sometimes 6 effects in it. The whole key is not haw many effects you do, but how entertaining you do the effects.

Peter

Hi murby:

I do seven or eight. Of course, they differ in length too - I have one routine that's almost 10 minutes, and another one that's less than 2 minutes.

Ron

That's a difficult question to answer. My routines have various time duratios and the number of effects in each routine is different also. Some routines may have only one effect, but some have many. The latest routine I have created has 7 different effects in it and it lasts about 5 minutes.

For a 45 minute show, I would probably average around 7 to 8 routines, but it would be difficult to even guess the average number of effects that would be included.

Everyone's style is different so it is going to vary.

Regan

Hey guys,
Thanks all for the responces, I personally have 6 effects in my 45 minute show. This post was merely to see if my number was average. Not that it matters as entertainment is the main element, but now I know I'm not off track and not lonesome in my own boat

Thanks again guys for the input, it's always appreciated.

Yours

Murbz

My thought is to rehearse your show under a stop watch and make adjustments from there.

Bob Phillips

My 45 minute show has 6 magical effects, and 2 or 3 comedy bits as transitions between effects. I also do a 30 minute show with the same number of effects, but I talk much faster

I once saw Terry Seabrooke do his Bill to Wallet routine for 15 minutes or so. It was hilarious and very entertaining

Michael

Wow, it looks like I'm really burning them up. I have 13 in a 45 minute show. Maybe I should slow down the routine a little.

I think one thing that burns them up so fast is the way I sequence them. Example:
1) I'll use a crystal cube to produce a red silk and a white silk.
2) I'll use the silks for a TT disappear/reappear.
3) I'll then introduce a change bag and a blue silk and do a mis-made flag.
4) Continuing with the change bag I'll exchange the flag for a deck of cards.
5) Make the deck of cards disappear and reappear in a covered plastic box across the stage.
6) Once I take the cards out of the box I re-cover it and do Bill Abbott's "The Thing" to introduce a levitation.
7) Bill Abbott's "The Thing" has been sitting on a Losander table so I continue the levitation part of the show with a levitating table.
….. and on and on.

I think this makes a nice sequencing of effects but it appears I may be really burning up more effects than I need to. I haul in several cases of props plus a table and sound equipment. Looks like there is a good possibility I could stream line a little.

I would be open for any suggestions.

Until we appear again,
Kipp Sherry

Kipp,

It would be difficult for me to offer suggestions on this subject without actually seeing your show. To me there is a big difference in effects and routines. If you read my post above I said 7-8 routines in a 45 minute show. My routines are different, so that could go down to 5 or up to 8 or 9.

As I mentioned in the other post, the number of effects I use in each routine varies alot. I have some routines that are basically built around 1 routine, and I have other routines that use many effects to accomplish.

In a routine I just developed, I use 7 different effects and it lasts about 5 minutes. Each effect has different phases also, so it could even be considered a higher number of effects. It would be difficult if not impossible for me to give an accurate number. I would have to go by each individual show. In the main show I am doing now, I am using from 15-20 effects with 5 or 6 routines.

Then there is the question of what is considered an effect also. I did not count any type of comedy wand bit, etc.

Regan

Regan,

Thanks for the response. I see the errors in my ways. I was counting effects, not routines. So I also have less routines in a show, even though I use multiple effects in a single routine. Got It! But there for a while I thought I was working to hard for the money and maybe stealing some of the entertainment value from the audience. I think I'm okay now. Thanks!

Sorry to get us off topic, I know this is about storage of props and not routine development. I'm back on topic now.

Until we appear again,
Kipp Sherry

First of all A show should be one long routine which blends together. In my shows I like to use props but change them a little bit. For example...If magicians were to watch my show..They would see me pull out cups and balls (of course they have seen them) Well, I like to take them and put a twist on the end of the routine and make them my own.

My show requires props that I blend together into one big routine.

I hope you understand, It was kind of hard to type it the way I want it to sound.

-John

There are no rules.

I'm trying to come up with about a thirty or forty minute close-up or parlour act.
How long should my opening effect last? I like JC Wagner's Poor Mans Matrix it seems to be very strong for the laymen.

I do 8 tricks for a 45 minute show but I have also watched others use 12 for a 30 minute show it depends on the trick and your patter.

Your opening act should be a veryfast attention getter. you want to draw them in very quickly and wanting more. (atleast this is my opinion )

Pete already gave you a good answer. I have several different opening routines. Mine vary in length from around 3 minutes to 5 minutes.

Regan