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swingjunkie New user 83 Posts |
Hey guys,
What have people managed to find that works well as a closer besides Cups and Balls or Bill in Lemon? I can do both, just trying to find something outside the box. Thoughts?
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troppobob Veteran user Crescent Head Australia 372 Posts |
G'day Swingjunkie
I remember this same question (or similar) being discussed at least once in the past. In one of thos discussions some one suggested: "THE BIG SURPRISE" For me this response was most helpfull as it helped me to "think outside the box". I had been and continue to close with my own version of a 3 rope routine - that 3 rope routine which was alredy strong and from that time went into a brown paper bag with large black writing on both sides "The Big Surprise" - the show builds up to the closer - which is shown repaetedly through the show and is a big surprise. Answer 1. a 3 rope routine Ansewr 2. A BIG SURPRISE Bob Latta (aka Troppo Bob) |
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Mario Morris Inner circle Mario Morris 2044 Posts |
Stupid Bean trick by Bro Paul
Animal Trap (You can read Master Paynes and my routine on my blog) Smash and Stab; I have closed shows with Card to mouth; Straight Jacket; Rope through neck; A bottle production; Pretty much anything if you put your mind to it - the question is how do you sell it to your audience? How big or small do you want to play? You are only limited by your own imagination! |
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Emil Jarrow featured the bill in lemon (vaudeville '30s he was getting #2000/week and was a "standard act". BUT, HE CLOSED WITH THE EGGS, TRAY AND GLASSES.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Yellowcustard Inner circle New Zealand 1334 Posts |
I close with a single rope trick which is basically fiber optics and the very ending is rope thru neck which starts my hat line 'dont try this at home do it on the streets people pay you for it'
I do agree almost any thing can work. An what will work for you migth not work for me.
Enjoy your magic,
and let others enjoy it as well! |
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Grasshop34 Veteran user Cincinnati, OH 308 Posts |
Great topic.
One closer that annoys me and layman I've talked to is the Snowstorm with some hack, fake, cheesy story about never seeing snow. I close my shows with a live rabbit production. I suppose that is cliche too but the kids love it. |
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ROBERT BLAKE Inner circle 1472 Posts |
First of all DON'T do what all the others do. most newcomers think that you have to close with the cups and balls. Why? because everybody does it. they even steal the 6 fruit finale from gazzo. I know that this works but for me that is a loss of creativity and lazyness.
what should a finale do? it has to be big and amazing so people want to give money. eggsample: EGG BAG. this can be great if you close with 2 people as in the ken brook routine, hold arms etc. mae this big and interesting. i close sometimes with my 3 linking rings routine. or if you want bigger do a 8 ring routine with spectators involved. GRand Mothers necklace but then through a jacket using 2 to 4 spectators to hold the ropes. rope through neck (jimmy talks a lot) 2 spectators holdng and stretching the rope. it is the involvement of multiple people with the danger aspect. make it big and important and don't do what everybody does. |
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
I have closed with C&B, but I don't do (or even know) Gazzo's routine. Not because it isn't worth doing, but because I'm aware I couldn't bring anything to it and I'd be a "Gazzo clone." I do Mark Wilson's routine with the small change that instead of lemons, I produce three larger balls and then a lime out from under the stacked cups.
However this thread is about closing with other tricks and, if the crowd seems to be large enough and enjoying themselves, I'll bring out the "big illusion" which is "Shanghi Shackle." (Also mentioning that it's going to be "bondage magic!") If I opened with my C&R rope trick where the rope keeps restoring before I want it to. As I pull out the props for the Shackle, I'll groan and say; "Oh great! More ropes!"
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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Mario Morris Inner circle Mario Morris 2044 Posts |
It is also possible to think out side of the box using Cups and Balls.
This is a passion of mine and If I can do so can you. |
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KendallScot Regular user Denver, Colorado 133 Posts |
You will probably hear this from others... Any routine you perform CAN be used as a closer. It all depends on how you present it. What you want to do is find the routine you do that gets the best audience reaction, then tailor it to be a closer. Script a hat line into it and try it out!
The Great Zoobini (here in the Café) helped me out tremendously when I hit Pearl Street in Boulder Co. He watched my show and talked to me after it. I was closing my show with my street version of Bill Abbot's "Smart Ass". I was certain that was the best closer I had. Well, after watching my show he asked me, "Why aren't you closing with your escape routine? That got your best reaction". I thought about it, went home and re-wrote the show and worked on it. It is now the best closer I could ever do! (Thanks again Zoob!) Like you, I don't do the C&B because it is overdone in my opinion. I agree with Robert above... Make it BIG and important and don't do what everybody else does.
Kendall Scot
"The art of a magician is to create wonder. If we live with a sense of wonder, our lives will be filled with joy" **Doug Henning** "I drank WHAT?"" **Socrates** |
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
I don't know about that. According to Henry Hay (who knew far more than I'll ever learn, some trick are natural openers and some are natural closers. Granted you can stop doing your show after any trick, but that doesn't make that last trick a "closer."
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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KendallScot Regular user Denver, Colorado 133 Posts |
That is indeed true, Ed. I suppose I should have clarified that a bit. Any trick CAN be a closer, but some are far better suited than others.
You know, that sounds like an interesting challange! I wonder if I can take ANY trick and turn it into an EFFECTIVE closer for a show... I'll have to think on that a bit.
Kendall Scot
"The art of a magician is to create wonder. If we live with a sense of wonder, our lives will be filled with joy" **Doug Henning** "I drank WHAT?"" **Socrates** |
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Mario Morris Inner circle Mario Morris 2044 Posts |
I think its great to look at diffrent finales I have performed many diffrent closers in my time and have seen countless of idears
On the other hand Saying "I don't do cups and balls because it is over done" is over done Copying one mans routine is over done, not thinking creatively is over done, looking at cups and balls and not seeing the endless posibilites is over done. The cups and balls are only limited by your own imagination! I am suggesting here not to chuck the baby out with the bath water! When you learn cups and balls the benefits outway the negetives. It does not have to be your closer but in my opinion cups and balls is the superior discipline to learn slight of hand and more to the the point misdirection. Also to make it unique this is a great exercise for one imagination if you like an interesting challange! that's why I put out my DVD Cups and Balls, Clap and Cheer it teaches just that. In the meantime looking at diffirent finales is a good subject but I think it is short sighted if your motive is cups and balls are overdone! You could simply replace Cups and Balls and say cards are over done, ropes, coins lets just end it all now Magic is overdone! |
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KendallScot Regular user Denver, Colorado 133 Posts |
Very true Mario, I did not think about it before I wrote it. In no way did I mean Cups and Balls is inferior and should not be learned or performed. What I should have said is, "The Gazzo Cups and Balls routine is used as a closer far too frequently and because of that, I choose not to perform Cups and Balls as a closer". I guess "I don't do the C&B because it is overdone in my opinion" was easier to type.
:-) Seriously though, I meant no disrespect to anyone who performs the Cups and Balls. I love my routine and perform it in a lot of my shows. But just not in my Busking show.
Kendall Scot
"The art of a magician is to create wonder. If we live with a sense of wonder, our lives will be filled with joy" **Doug Henning** "I drank WHAT?"" **Socrates** |
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Yellowcustard Inner circle New Zealand 1334 Posts |
Mario Morris you just put something straigth in my head. When I lived in London I saw many cups and balls routine. Most were great, but I got tired or watching them or I would see a busker setting up check for a table and cups and not always stop. And one day it hit me that if I see a magician busker set up and not have cups I was ready to stop. And they would probably use cards, rope, coins like every magician. But at the time I worked out I dint know what card effect or what rope effect and so on. Also the patter would be more varied.
But your post points out there are many ways to do cups and balls like there are many ways to do a rope trick. And we need to put in the creativity. May be we just get a bit blanket covered with that one way of doing stuff and it hard to break the mold. I have just looked at a old note book were I did some thinking about cups and balls. At the top I put steel and silver paul gertner as something different. Then I noted down one side things that I dint like about cups and balls and on the other side I noted things that clanged that here are a few Using a table- Indian version on youtube doing it on the floor. Same old props- Steel and silver, Darly impromptu chop cup (he used a mug) There are a few others but I stop there. May be it is worth a fresh eyed approach and thank you Mariofor helping me find another piec to the puzzle. Some fresh notes added.
Enjoy your magic,
and let others enjoy it as well! |
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MagiCol Special user Dargaville, New Zealand 929 Posts |
"The Gazzo Cups and Balls routine is used as a closer far too frequently and because of that, I choose not to perform Cups and Balls as a closer".
Especially, think about the "far to frequently" part. Too frequent for who? Sure, we magicians have become jaded [perhaps] to certain routines or street magicians and to us it's a case of "Not that AGAIN" Let's keep in mind that we perform to entertain our participants/spectators. Their personal exposure to street magicians range from seeing street magic frequently through to those who have never seen a street magician at work. If you're one of just a few at a given pitch there's a better chance that a particular closer, or any trick, hasn't been seen performed before. For those spectators who have seen the trick, sometimes they delight in enjoying seeing it again. Those who find it 'boring' may well move on and not give anyway. I think of Jimmy T saying - [refers to Jimmy's book] - "A busker must travel to be great. Pages 108, 109 : Your show needs new faces...to make money and get fresh feedback" Instead of ditching a good closer because other people often use it, how about taking your show to places you haven't performed at. There's always going to be some watchers to whom a trick is new.
The presentation makes the magic.
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KendallScot Regular user Denver, Colorado 133 Posts |
MagiCol, I said that statement in jest. I included the "smiley" to signify that.
Yellowcustard brought up a point that is closer to what I was trying to make. I do understand that at least 50% of my audience probably has not seen a magician performing on the street before. I know they would love the Cups and Balls. However, I perform on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder Colorado during the summer. On any given day, especially weekends, there are 5 or 6 magicians performing. Of the ones I have watched, MOST, not ALL, end with Gazzo's Cups and Balls or a routine very similar to it. And at least one ended with the Bill in Lemon. Now, a spectator is never going to say, "Hey, are you doing Gazzo's Cups and Balls or maybe Michael Ammar's?" I doubt it. What they DO say is "Ah, the trick with the 3 cups and balls... I've seen this" This is not to say that anyone performs it badly or should or should not do it. I prefer not to. That's all. This entire discussion was directed to the Original Poster's question regarding this. The main reason I am sensitive to this is I have my own 3 rope routine that combines Professor's Nightmare with a little Slydini, Fiber Optics and my own touches. It starts differently than any other rope routine I've seen. I've put years into it and love the routine to death... Really! I do! I used it for my mid-show routine on the street for a long time. But, a while ago I started getting comments and overhearing people (mostly kids I believe) saying "Oh, I've seen this before... I know what you are doing" Something like that. Now, it does not matter that I'm doing my own version or my own routine with it, all they see is 3 ropes and they jump to conclusions. Because of this, I worked in a new and different routine that does not use ropes. Just like Yellowcustard mentioned, some people see a familiar prop and MAY not stop to see what happens. So, I felt that to keep my show as fresh and different as I can, I dropped the "Mystery of the 3 Ropes" routine. Maybe not all the way, I love the routine and will still do it now and then... As for traveling, I did so extensively way back when I was young and single. At this stage, traveling for Busking is kinda out of the picture at least for a while. My favorite comment I heard right before the season ended last year was from a couple of business types who watched my show. As they were walking away one said, "Well THAT was different!" and his companion said "Yeah, I liked it" Let me repeat: In no way am I saying that other magicians should NOT perform Cups and Balls. I'm not saying Cups and Balls is bad! I am not trying to insult anyone. I am merely trying to state that different is GOOD!
Kendall Scot
"The art of a magician is to create wonder. If we live with a sense of wonder, our lives will be filled with joy" **Doug Henning** "I drank WHAT?"" **Socrates** |
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Mario Morris Inner circle Mario Morris 2044 Posts |
Thanks KendallScot for sharing your thoughts, I felt they are constructive.
Its a good topic. Mario |
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KendallScot Regular user Denver, Colorado 133 Posts |
Thank you Mario,
There are very few people on this or any forum who's opinion I respect more than yours. In the world of Magic and especially Busking, you are a giant amoung men. Or at the very least a regular-sized guy amoung midgets... Seriously!
Kendall Scot
"The art of a magician is to create wonder. If we live with a sense of wonder, our lives will be filled with joy" **Doug Henning** "I drank WHAT?"" **Socrates** |
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magicjoe22 New user 9 Posts |
I have closed my show with Ricgard Sabders Fiber Optics.
It's a multi phased impressive rope routine. The thing I like about Is you can stop anytime you like and the have still seen a great trick! |
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