I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but its worth a try. I'm looking for a very very visual opener for my show. I have a friend that does the bowling ball drawing pad (Draws a bowling ball, squeezes the drawing and it appears) but I do not want to do that. I need something original. I want to be able to walk out onstage, with minimum or no words at all and have something that will establish me as the magician right away. Do any of you guys have any ideas for me? Keep in mind that I love the bowling ball appearance, I just don’t want to copy my fellow friends who also do this. Please help!!!

Hi Magicjg:

Tell us a little more about your performing venues.

Are you looking for something will play on a fairly large stage in front of a large audience? Or, something that will play in people's houses in parlour situations? And, how concerned are you with angles?

Ron

Parlor is good for now. I don't plan on doing a thousand seater yet, hahaha. Ummm angles: well like I said, the bowling ball effect is something I have performed and that istn 100% angle free, but its not too bad on them either. I want something that looks natural. With that effect, it just looks like your drawing a picture then bam there is a huge ball falling out of a peice of paper. I like that. Something that is very visual. My show is basically comedy too.

Here's another cheap bowling ball effect. It's done with a paper bag and you don't need to talk much at all to do it. You walk out on stage holding a paper bag and you then open it up. You can move it a around a bit, then you lift it with ease into the air, you hold it upside down, put your hand in it do anything you like, for the ending you lift the bag above you head turn it upside down look inside even put your head into the bag and then you can look away and out falls with a loud noise a bowling ball on to the stage. PM me if you need more info. about it.

One that I have been looking at getting for a while is Jon Allen's silent treatment. It is designed to be an opener and you don't speak for the entire trick. You can see it here:

http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=1504

Also, I have routined a version of the Gene Anderson newspaper tear for my opener as the flash restoration really gets a gasp and establishes the magic.

One last thing I have tried is the Vanishing ketchup bottle. It starts out as a gag and then ends as a legitimate magic trick. The audience doesn't know what to think of you, then you start doing what is percieved at first as a crappy trick and then boom, all of a sudden your magical.

Hope this helps.

-=Chris

How about gloves to flowers. All you need are some spring flowers and a pair of gloves. You may also try a silk production.

Thanks guys. I appreciate all of your ideas. Anything else? Keep them coming. I like what I have heard so far.

There's a production of a full size glass of water from an empty paper bag. It's an extremely strong effect. It's on one of his L&L DVDs.

On one of whose L&L DVDs? That sounds like a good effect, I'd like to check it out. Thanks, Jeff

I believe it is on one of Osterlind's DVDs.

Rich Marotta has something similar. He unzips a wallet, it opens up into a bag, and he reaches in and pulls out... a bowl of goldfish.

I believe he uses this as an opener.

Only YOU can determine what will be a good opener for you, your style and your venues.
Personally, I like doing flashy productions and manipulations to music for an opener. The audiences really like it too. You want to establish your magic quickly and this does it.
I also like opening with a zombie routine to music. It works out well too.

I believe you can get the effect Frank is talking about from Denny and Lee.

JG:

I've opened many times with either the appearing cane or the vanishing cane. BAM - fast, very visual, and gets their attention right away.

Jim

How about Michael Mode's Bowling Pin Production?

How about producing something (a rose, a dove, whatever fits your style) in a flash of fire. That would certainly grab their attention right away.

I haven't performed this yet, but my opener will be unfolding a flat hank, show both sides to be normal. Then drap it over my outstretched hand. Grab the center of the hand with the opposite hand and partially lift up the hank, then let it go, revealing the silhouette of something under the hank. Then pull the hank off, revealing a wine glass resting on my outstretched hand.

But since the wine glass is empty, I once again drap the hank over the now empty hand, pull the hank up, drop it, to once again reveal the silhouette of something else. I will then pull the hank off, to reveal a glass bottle of the liquid of my choice (coke), and then pour myself a drink.

Watching my self in the mirror, it looks very simple, elegant, and magical. No words are necessary.

The wine glass production is described in Wilson's Complete Course, and the bottle production is using a "Splash Bottle" apparatus.

John

The Bowling Ball in paper bag idea is Andrew Mayne's from his video. Kevin James has a great opener on his lecture video; he produces a silk, then a throwing knife appears from the silk. It vanishes in the silk, reappears, then he points it into the audience, takes aim, throws, and the knife turns into a kabuki streamer. I used it for a while, it's a real, crap-ur-pants opener for the front row!

Ben S