I'm working a show around "dangerous" magic, or magical weaponry. In the end we "play it safe" and do a little sponge ball routine. Near the end of the routine I'm likely to either make the balls keep getting bigger or produce a red silk or make them all vanish... Either way, I want to wind up making them dangerous. Yes, it's comedy and magic

Ideas? So far the best I've got is having an assistant dressed as a giant red sponge ball come out and stage punch me out or chase me off the stage. Another idea is to have a series of dodgeballs hit me from the wings and the audience.

If I come up with more details or ideas I'll post them. thanks, brain trust!

Are you going to do this on stage? I know this sounds like a silly question, but this does make a difference.

Ah, sorry, yes -- this is on an indoor (theater) stage. The act is rather tongue-in-cheek.

That does make a big difference!

I have a couple of ideas for the non sponge ball portion. I also have an idea that will work for the sponge ball segment.

In The Sponge Book from Magic, Inc., there is an expanding sponge ball routine in which a regular sponge ball expands from about 2 inches to six inches. The spectator will firmly believe the sponge ball expands in their hands. It's very easy to do. I performed it while working tables in restaurants for quite a while.

Another idea would be to have a vicious rabbit.

Don't really know if this fits in...

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......rum=37&1

Hello Superpixel
Have you considered making it becoming solid (ballbearing with a sponge ball coat) to do a bounce no bounce effect: a mighty dangerous change of nature, easy to prove (dropping) both visually and in terms of noise.

Go with the dodge balls, I'm still laughing.

A large black sponge ball with a fuse sticking out of it -you can then vanish it with a flashload "explosion".

Beat me to it, I was thinking about making it a Cherry Bomb.

You finish with a Goshman growing ball, assistant sneeks on stage and adds a fuse to it and lights it, and when you notice you vanish it...but you still have a lit fuse in your hand.

Hey, great ideas!

Bill, I totally forgot about the Sponge Book! I'll grab a copy because I'm liking the sponge stuff Also, I have a sponge rabbit and was thinking about the vicious rabbit bit as well...

Mandarin, not really, although I thought about one of those ping-pong ball shooters and painting the balls red, then using the wand as my "defense"

Lawrence, that's a cool idea! Especially if I can wind up dropping it on my toe

HerbLarry, if I can afford the dodge balls I might!

Gaddy & Manuel, I'm loving the bomb idea too, although I'm avoiding fire (believe it or not!) because of the venue, which is a very old theater mostly used for small dramatic stuff. Hard to imagine danger with no fire, but the fuse could be an acceptable substitute. Honestly flash paper is pretty darn safe out in the open... I could also use flash string and make that last ball vanish into a small flame...

thanks everyone!

Stuff them in your ears. Because you can't hear, you get hit by a speeding ambulance.

Michael, that might work for my street act

How about after the effect you rip open the sponges to reveal that they contained razor blades the whole time. Of course you could do the whole Coin in Bread method to get them in there. You could even do a switch on a clean ball for one soaked in fake blood then after them seeing the blades in the other balls squeeze the blood ball to close things up.


As always,
Dylan

Have a device which blow a fine flammable powder in the air hidden in a sponge ball. The pull a match from out of your collar and set lit to the ball.

http://www.grand-illusions.com/acatalog/Magic_Match.html

(Couild do it to the sound track great balls of fire)

Please read the tenth post:

A sparkler may be safer than a fuse. When your assistant walks onstage with a lit sparkler you can switch the last large sponge ball with a red balloon. Time it so when the sparkler is almost out the assistant pops the balloon...

A little danger in sponge balls? Hollow out yellow balls, fill with broken glass shards, squeeze balls and they change from yellow to red.

That would be an amazing no-sleight color change. You could even do it in the spectators hands.

All kidding aside, I think the cherry bomb idea would be cool. Make a small spongeball grow, add a fuse then switch it out with balloon using a little misdirection and make it "explode".

Cherry bomb trick as described has the added effect of vanishing your fingers. Great for July 4 celebrations.

Man, I DO love the bomb ideas -- takes me back to the old Pink Panther opening credits. If I can do fire, I may go there. I may still do it outdoors

The heavy/light balls should be pretty easy (and cheap!) to do, and I like the idea of razor blades, soaking them in blood. I might throw in a bloody thumb that drops to the ground when I try to make them "vanish"... Close hand, turn over, *plop* OW.

Lebowski, I like your idea too, which would work like the razor blades as well and the color transformation would be quite dramatic... perhaps with my other hand?