I sort of talked myself into doing a Harry Potter magic showed. Actually it's a magic show at a Harry Potter themed birthday party, with Harry Potter routines and references.
Some of it will be from my regular birthday show, but Harry Potterified (eg. My rising wand is now an ebony wand, with fixed mercury tips and a silkie fur core (what would be a better core? any thoughts?))
Some of it will be from the "Wild about Harry" DVD: brick wall (maybe), booktest (different technique and presentation), gringotts die box and owl mail.
Lastly, I'm very excited to finally have a good reason to the Potter themed Kismet routine from MagiTales.

Any thoughts tips or advice are welcome and appreciated. So far it's looking great, but of course I'm a bit nervous because it's mostly a new show.

-Courtney
Sea-Dog/C-Dawg

You've made a good investment buying the "Wild about Harry" resources. Also look at other ideas on the http://www.wildcolombini.com/cart/index.php?cPath=25 website.

Have you thought about using a wizard's hat as a change bag?

What about your own costume? Hat, gown? Will the other kids be in costume?
Could you do the show as a magic lesson at Hogwarts with the pupils' waving their own (black and white paper) wands? That's the way we've chosen to do it and it really worked much to our relief as it started as a one-off special request by the birthday parent.

Also Harry's magic doesn't always work which gives you some great comedy moments.

You're getting into the Harry Potter game a bit late. It's mostly died down from the extreme frenzy it was a few years back. Nonetheless, I still do a few HP shows now and again.

This is my Test of Quidditch Knowledge presentation I usually end my Harry Potter shows with. It is based on the old cords of Fantasia effect.

You will need

Two blue ropes about seven or eight feet in length
Six gold hoops. Mine are wooden embroidery hoops covered with mylar tape
Two black balls about the size of baseballs with holes drilled through their centers
One red ball the same size as the black balls. It too has a hole drilled through its center.
One small gold ball with silver wings that’s mounted on a hoop or ring so it can be strung on the ropes.

The Patter and Presentation


Now I don’t want to leave everyone with the impression that it’s all work, work, work, at Hogwarts. No, we have many extra curricular activities as well and play all sorts of wizarding games.

(At this someone will generally yell out “Quidditch”. If not pertend you’ve heard someone say it and comment.)

Quidditch? Who said Quidditch? You know about Quidditch? I’ve never had a muggle crowd know the first thing about the sport. Who here knows the most about the game?

(select two children to come up and help you. Place one on either side of you. Turn to the first and ask)

What is Quidditch played on? No, not a broomstick. That’s what you ride while playing Quidditch. I thought you knew about the game. No Quidditch is played on a pitch. Well actually not on a pitch. But in the sky above it.

(Take out two blue ropes about seven or eight feet in length and hand them to the first child for examination)

These two ropes will represent the sky in which Quidditch is played. Would you please examine these and make sure they are free from Hexes and Spells.

(Turn to the second child)

What do you play Quidditch on? Yes, a broomstick. This is mine.

(Take out a small broom. Mine is only a couple of feet in length.)

Don’t laugh. It’s a Nimbus One. It is all I can afford on a teachers salary. Would you please hold this for a moment? Don’t try to fly around on it here as the ceiling is far too low and you’ll bump your head.

(Turn to the first child and ask him for the ropes)

Were the ropes unencumbered with spell or charms? Excellent. I will now tie these ropes around the broomstick in order to construct a visual aid whith which I can test your Quidditch knowledge.

(Take the broom from the second child and tie the ropes around it ala The Cords of Fantasia. Hand one set of ends to each child and instruct them to keep the broom in mid air.)

Very good. Your job is to keep the broomstick in the middle of the pitch just like so.
Now does anyone know how many Goals there are in the game of Quiiditch?

(Someone will usually shout this out. If not tell them six)
Yes that’s right Six. Three on each side. Does anyone know what colour they are?

(pull six Gold Hoops out of your case as you say this)

Correct. They are Gold. If you hadn’t have gotten that it would have been a demerit to each of your houses.

Three go here. And Three Here

(String the hoops, three on each side onto the ropes but leave them hanging messily about the middle of each side.)

I thus have created something that looks nothing like a Quidditch Pitch. Here, let me fix that. Give me one end of your ropes. And you give me one end as well and I will tie these goals into the center of the field where they belong instead of hanging all Higgly Piggly about the middles.

(Take one end from each child and tie the ropes around the hoops ala The Cords of Fantasia and then hand the ends back to the children.)

Now, there are a number of balls used in the game. How many? Yes, four. That is correct. Now of these four balls two of them are the same colour. What colour are they?
Yes Black.

(Take out the two black balls which have hole in their centers. And feed them onto one end of the rope.)

And what are the black balls called? Yes Bludgers. And what do Bludgers do? They try to knock you off your broomstick. And who tries to keep this from happening? Right, the Beaters. And how do they do this? With little bats. Not live ones. That would be cruel. But with little wooden ones.

Very Good. Now there’s another ball used to score points. What is it called? That’s right, a Quaffle. You do know a great deal about Quidditch. And what colour is it?

(Take the Red ball which too has a hole drilled through its center and feed it on the other side of the ropes opposite the two black balls.)

Red. That is correct. How many points is it worth? 10. And whose job is it to try to score points with it? The Chasers. And who tries to keep them from doing this? The Keeper. Very well done.

One ball left which is?

(Take out the golden snitch and put it on the rope next to the Quaffle)

A snitch? What kind of Snitch? Yes, a Golden Snitch. A walnut sized ball that flies around the field. And whose job is it to catch it?
No, not Harry Potter. It’s the Seekers. Harry Potter is a Seeker, but not all Seekers are Harry Potter.
So how many points is the Golden Snitch worth? 150 and generally the game.

And now your final question. How many Fouls are there in the game. No. There are 700 separate fouls. Does anyone know the worse one?

(Grab the ropes by the center and extract the broomstick. Make sure you hold the ropes tightly so that none of the hoops fall off prematurely. Take the broomstick and run it through the centers of all the hoops.)

Having your broomstick go through any of the goals. Because if that happens it breaks the charm and the goals fall right out of the sky thus ending the game as well as my presentation.

(While holding the broomstick in one hand let the ropes drop. The hoops should stay on the broomstick while all the balls stay on the ropes giving the illusion that the rings have penetrated the solid ropes. This has been my traditional ending to almost every single one of my Harry Potter shows for the last decade.)

You might include some of the "spells" from the stories (e.g., "Wingardium Leviosa" when your wand levitates or "Reparo" if you perform some sort of restoration, maybe a torn-n-restored card or newspaper).

Regards, Steve

Hi Payne,

Great routine. I bet the kids love it!

Regards, Steve

I agree Payne! That's a splendid routine.

David

Payne, that routine is great.
Sadly, I don't think I have the time to structure it into my show but I will play around with it anyways. I really like it.

themagiciansapprentice,
thank you also for your suggestions. I was sort of surprised by the Harry Potter show request, so I don't have time and money to actually have a full costume and truly themed show (I guess it IS a themed show, but not a character driven show like I would do if I had the resources).
I also think it's a particularly interesting point you make that Harry Potter's magic doesn't always work. Of course in my magic shows MY magic doens't always (almost never) work properly but I hadn't tied it in that way.

Steve,
yes, good idea. I have tied almost all of the routines into the stories (at least to some extent)and I plan on going through to get a lot of specific references (just quick ones). I may try to work some appropriate magic words in with my 'official' magic words.

I LOVE IT!!! Seadog, If you want to dress up as a Hogwarts professor, you could easily transform a plain black choir robe into a Hogwarts robe. I am toying with the idea of dressing up as my favorite Harry Potter character (Snape) for the midnight release of the last movie on July 15. I'm going to attach a Slytherin patch that I purchased at the Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter to make it look official. A genuine Hogwarts robe purchased there will set you back a hundred bucks, but I know I saw choir robes for sale at Goodwill around Halloween for $10. Hopefully I can find one before July. Thanks for reminding me to commence my hunt. Just out of curiosity, how old is the birthday kid?

Payne, Shouldn't the excitement about Harry build again this summer when the last movie is released?

The kids are 7.
The choir robe is a good idea, I think I'll keep an eye out for one.

The spell 'Wyngardium Leviosa" is used to levitate objects, and would work well with the stiffrope, IT, or airborne.

Got D'Lites? Demo the spell "Lumos"!

A wizard's wand never works as well in the hands of another wizard (this is explained in the 1st & 2nd books)...use the breakaway wand!

"Reparo" would be a good spell to use with the torn&rest'd newspaper

And finally...the spell "obliviate" is used to erase one's memory. When I do Harry Potter-themed walkaround / set show (as 'proffesor Confundus') I state that if the kids can pass-muster I'll make them wizards, otherwise, I'll have to wipe their memories. And at the end, I say "Good! But NOT good enough I'm afraid!" And I hurl clusters of throw-coils at them shouting "OBLIVIATE!!"

I mentioned this in a PM, but the stuff I already have planned plus the really cool ideas I'm getting here make me think I might actively put together a fully fledged, character driven theme show.

I like the idea of obliviate in a mentalism style amnesia effect, maybe a slightly darker effect for older kids (not this upcoming show).

I regularly do HP shows. They are similar to my regular birthday party show but with some references to Hogwarts and a few additional effects thrown in. For example:
1. A modified "color Monte" using cards with Hogwarts symbols and patter I made up about trying to get into Hogwarts by finding the card with the Hogwarts seal. I never find it, but produce the kicker card with a golden snitch on it.
2. A "book test" in which I find a word in the first Harry Potter book. I dress three kids as "professors," another kid (ususally the youngest) in a Sorting Hat; and then the birthday kid is Harry. But before he can be Harry he has to have glasses, so I put three pairs of gag glasses (oversize, spring, etc.) on him. The professors each select a forced card which gives me a page number. The birthday kid turns to that page and finds the first word on the page that starts with the first letter of his/her first name. The Sorting Hat pulls a sheet of paper out of a prediction envelope he/she has been holding and, of course, it's the word. Great for a group photo of me in my costume with the kids in costume.
3. I do a foam animal change from turtle to rabbit (Trixi Bond effect) in the midst of a nesting wands routine. I describe this is like transfiguration.
4. PB&J routine is like the food appearing and disappearing in the Hogwarts great hall.

One thing: you've got to know your Harry Potter. You can't fake it. The kids will know.

Some good pointd there.

The "Wild about Harry" book includes four spells in latin (but not the dvd.)

Costuming is cheap - either use a borrowed choir robe or hire one (£15 here in the UK). The hat cost me £3 from a magic shop and is also a change bag.

You've got to know your Harry - I watched all six movies on dvd before doing a show. Andd a few other source books by JK Rowling. I do though deliberately get things wrong sothe children can correct me.

From the colombini material I also made a hot book, levitating feather, appearing broom (adapted a commerical one), find Dumbledore.

Search the web for graphics of the characters and four Houses.

We had so much fun with our first show that we kept all of the props and costumes. I do though want to make a Diagon Alley that a puppet etc could jump through.

When the last show is screened injuly things will really pick up, and again for the last video launch.

I do the Eskimo Yo-yo with my trick rope and say "here's Hedwig the Owl" if there is a mishap then I say "Oh I'm sorry that was Errol"

By the way , I just did the "Book Test" from "Wild about Harry" first time yesterday and it went over great! I offered a choice of books and got the appropriate tablet when I put the unchosen books away so no need for equivoque.

I don't have a H.P. show per se but I do occasionally reference the books.

-Mary Mowder

AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!
I always forget how bad I am at making props!

-"Through the wall": poster board and a printed photo (brick on both sides) looked good. I tried to cover it in self laminating paper, big mistake. I finally got the edges down so it looks okay, but next time I'll use mod podge.

-"owl mail": wow. tons of time cutting pictures, foam board, self-laminating paper, etc.. Finally ended up looking okay, but I couldn't get it laminated correctly. I made two ungimmicked pictures, but couldn't get them laminated right either!
...Finally spent $2.50 and 15 minutes to get two very nice (ungimmicked) 8 1/2x11" pictures.

-"booktest" well, this is easy; I have an ungimmicked version planned so there is nothing to make. I think this won't end up being included in the sho ( ), but I'll bring it with me just in case.

-"Gringotts die box" looks pretty good. From a slight distance it looks fine, and I found some cool graphics, but it's not as nice as I would like.

-"Kismet" so far so good.

I found a giant wooden knitting needle in my dresser that I got for a seance two years ago (right next to a giant pencil about the same size). It looks very much like a Harry Potter wand and I'll be using it in the book test (if I do the book test) to pluck the memory out of the child's hair and place it into my crystal ball.

You can buy "Through the Wall(Diagon alley)" and "Owl Mail" for $10 each from the Colombini web-site - look out for their special offers. last year, I got 24 tricks/dvds for $120 plus postage.

It worked out to be a bargain compared to the cost of laminating laser printed photos.

I made my own die box which th kids love - just added two laminated photos of the bankers.

I would have, but the party is too soon (tomorrow). I also wanted bigger owl mail owls.
Your right about the deals though, wow those really good prices. I suspect will be purchasing some of their stuff soon.

I made my money die box up the same way. I'm really looking forward to giving it a try, I have a great drawing of a goblin and one of a dragon and I found a galleon graphic as well.

I've also expanded my book test presentation:
-kid "picks" the word
-kid makes a picture in their mind and turns it into a mist on top of their head
-they then take the memory off of their hair with their wand (which conveniently is also a rolled up magician's assistant certificate)
-I reach for my wand ...ooops, it's a giant pencil
-Ah, there it is. Mahogany with a silly putty core
-I take the memory off their wand and take out a crystal ball (my portable pensive) and place it inside
-as the image is made clear I get impressions about the child and do a min reading (optional, probably won't do that tomorrow)
-The image is revealed slowly, piece by piece and finally revealed confidently but mis-pronounced

If this goes over well I can draw it out for quite a while, if not I can shorten it to a very short trick and move on.

I'm also bringing a solid 30 minutes worth of extra material just in case. I don't plan on using it, but it's a nice back up just in case things don't go as planned.

Bertie Bot Beans

Mark Setteducatti and I worked with Mattel on the development of Harry Potter Magic Kit concepts. This was an idea I have used and brought to them.

Effect:

The magi displays a number of blank pieces of parchment (index cards). He explains that while he loves Bertie Bot Every Flavor Beans, the problem is that - well, a bad contains EVERY flavor. He has, however, discovered a way to use magic to make sure he only gets good flavors.

The Wizard asks the kids to call out "yummy" flavors. These flavors are written down on 4 of the cards. On the last remaining, he asks for an icky flavor.

The wizard demonstrates his magical selection process/ritual. He takes one card and moves it from the top to the bottom, saying the magic words "I like it." It "stays in the bag." The next card is thrown onto the table. "I like it not." This is continued until one card remains. It is a "yummy" flavor.

The wizard's student is now given the chance to test his skills. The cards are mixed and the student goes through the "I like it" "I like it not" procedure. (S)he is left with one card.

The magi stops them from turning it over. "Let's see which one's you didn't like?" he asks. Turning over the discards, the assistant is relieved to see that the icky flavor has been removed.

"Go ahead, take a look!"

When the apprentice turns over the card, it says "EAR WAX"

"I guess there IS a surprise in every bag!" quips the Mage.

Method:

Needed are six cards. The cards must have some sort of discernible "back" for maximum effectiveness.

Before the show write "ear wax" on one of the cards and place it face down beneath the stack. (Ear Wax is a specific reference to a scene where Dumbledore gets that flavor, much to his dismay.)

Hold the cards, face up (save for the secret reversed card on the bottom), in the hand. As the audience names a good flavor, write the name onto the top card, turn it face down and place it on the bottom of the stack. Repeat this for 3 more yummy flavors, and one more bad flavor. I would recommend naming the bad flavor yourself so clever kids don't ruin the ear wax gag.

At the conclusion a back will show on top and it will appear as if you have shown all the cards. DO NOT call attention to the number of cards.

Demonstrate the selection process using a duck and deal procedure. At the end, you will be holding a yummy card. Display and place on top of the packet.

YOU MUST NOW REVERSE COUNT THE CARDS TO THE TABLE. If the trick fails to work, you forgot to do this. You can do this by dealing them onto the table, or running them singly ala an overhand shuffle.

Explain they must pick the flavor the same way, using the "I like it" spell.

ALWAYS BEGIN with "I like it."

At the end, show the discards, and then the surprise.


Ref:

The idea stemmed from Tony Curtis's A Night Out With the Ladies and its subsequent "know it all" version.

Please use this for your own performances. Please do not sell or make them. If you want to use the idea in any commercial venture, please drop me a line to make sure everyone who should be credited and asked are.

IDEA Two:

I have a lecture years ago, right after the books came out. I explored adapting ideas to the HP theme. One easy transfer is the Magic Arrow trick. Explain that the stair ways at Hogwarts are constantly shifting, making it a challenge for kids to get to classes on time. You have the Magic Pointer (or whatever) that allows them to navigate the ever changing maze.

I prefer Steve Beam's handling of the sign where it is flipped by the top two corners as opposed to the diagonal ones. This way, your hands never change positions. It's written up in the Trapdoor magazine. In the mean time, any handling will suffice. I presume it won't be any trouble piecing together a routine from that framework.

I like it, thanks for sharing.
I might try to make up a set and bring it with me as an extra to the show. I had thought of (but didn't get around to) working out a Robert Neale style elmsley count routine.

My thought when reading this (I think it would work, sometimes I ge confused trying to visualize) was to have either a talisman or say a spell first, then do the first part and get the yummy flavor.

Then have the helper do it (without the talisman or spell)and get the yucky flavor.
You then top change (or other) the yucky card for a yummy card, place it face down on the table and either hand the talisman to the helper or say the spell over them. You could then lead them through a very brief light hypnotic guided visualization and have them turn over the card, ...and it's yummy! YAY!
They can now keep the card and it will bring sweetness into there life (I know, I know, it's cheesy).

Well, that was my thought. It seems like it would be a good idea in my head anyways, I'll give it a try. Even if it doesn't work I like the original routine.