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dblatt25 New user 54 Posts |
Myself and three other magician friends of mine are putting on a benefit show for our college in November. Here's the deal ... The Show is going to be in a theater for about 400 people. We need to do about 1 hour. Only one of us has done a show this big with stage illusions. And the other two of us do mostly close-up stuff with cards and coins and silks, etc... SO.. We need a format for the show. Any ideas would greatly be appreciated. Tricks, routines, music, ANYTHING. This is going to be a Major show and we have a very small amount of time to prepare.
Thanks David |
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mrunge Inner circle Charleston, SC 3716 Posts |
Card tricks will be out unless you use Jumbo cards since no one will be able to see them from the audience. Same for coins. Too small.
If you wanted to use cards, a good "Six Card Repeat" effect or something like Dan Harlan's "Hold It Buster" routine would work. You just want to make sure they can be seen from a distance. Things like pick a card, remember what it is, type routines are just too small for stage productions. You might consider some rope magic and involve a member of the audience. Comedy cut and restored, professor's nightmare, etc...work great and are easily seen from a distance. Make sure you wear dark clothing so the ropes don't blend in with your wardrobe. Linking Ring routines are good. Again, you can do a simple link and unlink routine and have an audience member try to follow along using another set, but they won't be able to since they won't have the k*y r**g. Silk magic works well. The larger the better. Zombie effects where you float something would work and can be seen from the back of the room. Paper balls over the head of another spectator always goes over with large crowds. One thing to keep in mind if you involve someone from the audience is to NOT make them look foolish. You can use humor, just don't make them feel stupid. It is better if, at the end of the routine, you make them look like the star for the effect they helped you with. Also, remember to give them specific directions as to what they should do, and when. They will be nervous enough so your guidance will go a LONG way to making you look more like a professional. Tell them where to stand, when to move, where to go, what to do, etc... The more direction you can give your assistant from the crowd, the better off you'll be. These are some examples to hopefully get you started. You might check out DVDs such as Jeff McBride's, "McBride On Stage" disks to get an idea of other effects that can work for you. Good luck with your show. I'm sure others on the café will have some fantastic suggestions for you as well. Mark. |
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CdnAndrew New user 80 Posts |
A spirit cabinet type routine is relatively easy to develop and pretty cheap (all I used was a curtain around a 'ring' [like a hoola hoop] and had two assistants hold it up. It plays pretty big, allows for some audience involvement (they can tie you up, examine things, etc) and it looks pretty cool. Depending on the approach you take to this, any sort of music works... something like "Ghostbusters" is classic, first, and is fun.
If you have access to Tarbell, there are TONNES of 'pack small, play big' effects that are really easy to learn and get going. A torn and restored newspaper effect might work, but it might be better served as a compliment illusion... perhaps to be used as a screen for a zombie-ball type illusion. |
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kOnO Special user 548 Posts |
I agree that you should check out Jeff McBride's Magic On Stage, Look at his Commando Act. Plays really nice and could be ready in your time frame.
Also check out Cellini's Magic that can be performed anywhere. This dvd is available from Koz's web site and has a lot of good ideas you could use. http://www.kozmomagic.com/ Also review the routines you already use and see if they could be modified for a larger show. Like a 3 card monte that can be done with Jumbo Cards. Cards accross. If you are a coin worker try and work out a miser's dream. Hope this helps and good luck with the show kOnO
It is a lot easier to get older than it is to get wiser.
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aqmagish20 Regular user 146 Posts |
One of you should learn a mentalism routine, that could use up 10-15 minutes without any major props. Depending on your budget, picto-transpo by Gene Anderson would also work well.
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Amon Regular user Chicago, IL 134 Posts |
Also the arm or head guillitine are great for large crowds and you can really play it up...maybe get one of the school officials to give you a "hand" and make sure you mess up with the fruit/ and carrots first..I use the arm guillitine to pack small and play big..and its really not too expensive. If you have some money to spend you could go with the head chopper. Also the bill or card in Lemon are great for large crowd...Mark Wilson's complete course in magic has a bill in lemon effect as well as many "build it yourself illusions". I personally have built the "tip over trunk" as well as the "levitation" illusion using Mark's book. Good luck! -Amon
here and now
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Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
Some card effects play rather well on stage. The invisible deck is one of them, even if you use a poker deck with large indices. I do multiple selections with people from the audience, in my standup shows, using a poker deck for the selections.
Sidewalk Shuffle is a good trick, but be sure to put some time into streamlining the handling. I'm not sure if Martin Lewis' new handling eliminates the problems with doing the trick consistently. Rope effects are great because you have plenty of oppotrtunity to test them, and they usually play well on a stage. Sponge balls can work well, if you use a large fishnet, the kind used to scoop fish from a fishtank, to display the balls. I used the Dick Stoner routine as a basis for my routine. Silk magic can work, if you find something that suits you. There is just a lot of things that can be performed on a stage that falls within the skill level of most close-up workers. That way, the performer can concentrate on how to present it on a stage. I even present the Mismade Bill on the stage, to a great response. Get people from the audience involved, so that they become the eyes of the entire audience. |
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Dave V Inner circle Las Vegas, NV 4824 Posts |
Here's something I saw at Mark Kalin and Jinger's show in Reno. They had a close up magician "warming up" the crowd with walk around magic, starting at the front row and if time permits, working his way up the aisle. Your two friends could work simultaneously while bantering back and forth among themselves. I'd mic both of them so the entire audience knows what's going on.
Basically, look at the show as "tag team magic" and except for when all three are working together on something, play up the transitions between solo bits.
No trees were killed in the making of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Rope, Cords of Phantasia (stage version of Nana's Necklace), Egg Bag, 20th Century silks, silk to egg, Chinese sticks, Duke's Dye Version, six card repeat, Magic Square (chek Lorayne's great simple way), Cards accross.
These are pretty much no skill effects.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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John Long Inner circle New Jersey 2826 Posts |
I like the Tag team idea, could really get things going.
I've done the Spirit Cabinet routine having spectators hold up a bed sheet. Wilson's book has some illusions that can be made out of cardboard Tarbell 8 has some Pantomime illusions, but might take a bit of practice & prep .. but you asked for a "format", not just a list of tricks. Tarbell 3 has some general ideas on routining Maybe a theme about life lived in the dorms (the spirit cabinet w/bedsheets could fit). Look for funny or frustrating things from your everyday life on campus, and find some effect to pair up with it. Getting locked out of your dorm room (some escapes/penetration) Having you roommates dog chew up your homework assignment(torn & restored newspaper) Difficulty paying the high prices for tuition or books ($11 bill trick, 6 bill repeate..) Studying for exams: book tests (the need to know what to study for) Taking multiple choice tests: mentalism tricks/locating right card/answer Beer Parties: use some slush powder/milk pitcher effects to show how some can just keep drinking Others topics that are common to school life that can be funny are dorm food, long waiting lines, boring classes. Have fun with it. John
Breathtaking Magic;
Not Breath Taking |
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Julie Inner circle 3936 Posts |
I realize we have had many, many, many, many, many, many plugs ("almost" to a fault) from the author in the past few weeks, but you might want to check one (or more!) of the threads discussing Jolly Roger's products/lecture notes...his self-contained vertical self-levitation is very practical and looks great...plus you can put it together for little $ with material from Wal Mart, Target, etc.
Julie |
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dblatt25 New user 54 Posts |
Thanks A lot guys, your advice is really getting the ball rolling. I really like the Dorm room stuff and the theme of college life. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again guys
David |
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Just make sure you can do the tricks well.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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Bennie90 Regular user Finland 169 Posts |
Paperballs over the head to the head master. Played big for me to 600 hundred peoples in my school's anniversary. They talk about that after 1,5years.
*going crazy with Jeff Mcbrides Art Of Card Manipulation dvds*
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akc22 Regular user 107 Posts |
Don't overlook tricks like the Miser's Dream. With 3 magicians, you could all be producing coins on stage, and in the audience, simultaneously. Since you are doing close up magic now handling the coins should be easy to learn. In "Showmanship for Magicians" Dariel Fitzkee decribes a miser's dream that appeared to have everyone in the cast of the show producing coins.
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akc22 Regular user 107 Posts |
This would also be a good time to work up a two person telepathy act. A lot depends upon your personalities, but this could be done straight or as a comedy piece. There are some simple codes and sequences you can learn, or create your own. Since you pretty much know your audience here you can focus on them.
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airship Inner circle In my day, I have driven 1594 Posts |
You also want to think about the ROLES you will each be playing.
Do you have different skill levels and/or personalities? How do you complement each other? For example, would one work best as a macabre magician, one as a mentalist, and one as a traditional prestidigitator? This would imply a show in three acts. Are you all equally competent, or is one of you definitely the 'master magician'? In this case, showcasing one while relagating the others to 'helper' status might work better. Is one of you more suited to comedy than the others? Could he be doing bollixed-up tricks that the others have to 'fix'? Like, for instance, bringing back a vanished spectator that the goofball seems to have lost? Would it work to have one of the three of you be a 'stooge' in the audience who is apparently victimized (for comedic effect, of course) by the magicians onstage? Do some brainstorming and see what each of you feels is his comfort zone. And remember that in many effects, the assistant is often the one doing the REAL magic behind the scenes, while the magician merely makes the flourishes and takes the bows!
'The central secret of conjuring is a manipulation of interest.' - Henry Hay
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Turk Inner circle Portland, OR 3546 Posts |
First question: Is the member that has done stage illusions before going to perform any stage illusion in this venue? Are you guys each going to go "with your strengths" or are you intending to learn new effects and/or a new magic genre in this short period of time.
Since you are among a "friendly" audience of your peers ands teachers, you might wish to involve them in 2-3 effects--if they can be brought quickly, safely and easily onto the stage. Most of the effects I have listed below can use audience volunteers, if desired. Here are a few ideas that occurred to me: 1. A few good rope routines. Maybe a simple cut and restored rope effect, a very visual ring on/off rope and perhaps a "Professor's Nighmare". You can also do some simple body or neck penetrations. And, at least for the cut & restored rope effect, you might want to consider using an audience volunteer. 2. A good bill in lemon routine. You'll need an audience volunteer. 3. Some good visual mentalism. I would suggest a good "Bank Nite" routine or a duplicate drawing design effect. Perhaps, a "book test" effect. All of these will require one or more audince volunteers. Richard Osterlind's Mind Mysteries, volume 1 has an excellent "Bank Nite" routine. Also, his ETMM series has some good basic "Annemann-style" mentalism. Easy to do and very strong. Whatever, you do, please make certain that the effects you select are well "within your range" of expertise with such a short amount of time to practice and perfect. Hope this helps. Mike P.S. I'll PM you with some other thoughts.
Magic is a vanishing Art.
This must not be Kansas anymore, Toto. Eschew obfuscation. |
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cjl467 New user Los Angeles 71 Posts |
I'm one of the three magicians -- the other who hasn't done stage things before. Thought I'd give some responses and thoughts of my own.
Quote:
On 2006-09-02 10:09, aqmagish20 wrote: I think my best original idea so far is a stage-version of a mentalism trick called "the hedonist makes up all the rules" off AoA (2, I think). I started a separate thread to discuss that particular idea. Feedback on that would really be appreciated because I have no idea how this might turn out on stage, as I've only done this version for small groups: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......;forum=2 Quote:
On 2006-09-05 10:00, Bennie90 wrote: I've been thinking a lot about doing a college drinking-themed paper balls over the head. Basically doing the standard trick with cocktail napkins, then going Greg Wilson-style and moving up to a shot glass and a bottle of vodka over-the-head. This would also involve one of the other magicians who would sneak on stage to catch. But I'm kind of afraid to make a fool out of someone on stage like that, as some of the jokes would probably comment on how "drunk" the spectator is already. Someone suggested earlier that it would soften the blow if at the end they did something that was a positive part of the routine. Any ideas? I'm also thinking that fibre optics might play well (but I think it's kind of a dorky routine for a college audience), and I've also seen people do card-to-pocket on stage successfully. Thoughts on those? |
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cjl467 New user Los Angeles 71 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-09-05 18:53, Turk wrote: An idea that definitely came up, especially for marketing purposes was to do a trick involving the president of the university. Flyers could say "See the President disappear!" or whatever. We discussed this and thought that a simple disappearance isn't that creative. Any other ideas? |
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