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Kent Wong Inner circle Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2458 Posts |
For those who perform the Multiplying Balls, how many of you perform it to music and how many perform it to patter? For years, I've been doing my routine to music, but I thought I might experiment with a simple verbal presentation instead. If I could get a similar audience reaction, it may make the effect more versatile. Any thoughts or suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Kent
"Believing is Seeing"
<BR>______________________ <BR> <BR>www.kentwongmagic.com |
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SpellbinderEntertainment Inner circle West Coast 3519 Posts |
Hi Kent,
It is of course easier to have a graceful dancelike flow to the routine when done to music, and the music helps set your tempo and pace. That said, it is also an option to speak and use music very softly in the background as well. If you don’t want the music, I would set my words into at least free-verse (though it is fun to experiment with full-on poetry) so you have a rhythm to work with and the moves do not become too choppy or too extended. Speaking while doing manipulation is also a bit like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time, it takes getting use to the feel, and a great deal of practice to get your mouth and hands to work with one another instead of against each other. I think it is of prime importance to decide for yourself what the balls symbolize, and what their appearing, multiplying, and vanishing in some sequence means to you in the overall cosmic sense. If you know what the magic means to you, personally and deeply, it is easier to have something meaningful to talk about as you perform. I think meaning linked with universal emotion is the key, as most speaking voices and general non-specific “patter” are not nearly as pleasing a most music, and you need something that will enhance the magic rather than overtake it, if you use a story rather than music. Perhaps the balls (to you) are tiny planets each with their own civilizations, interacting in peace and war with other planets within their galaxy. Or maybe they represent the people you loved in your life and you can speak about how these people intertwined and came and went over the years. Just maybe (again for you) they are meaningful as balls which the fairy-folk play with and use to entrance or cheat mankind. It does not matter what they balls are, and what they do means, as long as they have an emotional hook for you to use and share with your audiences, and you discover a theme which can be expanded into monologue with a beginning, a middle, and a satisfying ending (for that is what good “patter” is). Once you have determined what the balls and their journey is about for you, begin to put that into words (prose or poetry or in between) and start exploring how those words coincide and blend with the moves of your routine. You’ll spend a great deal of time writing, rewriting, and editing both the story and the moves no doubt. Perhaps you’ll find a famous piece of literature or poetry which already says what you wish to say, and which has the emotional impact you wish to impart with the presentation. If it is in public domain you can use that as a base to create your piece. It can be funny, sad, beautiful, or ugly, so long as it connects you to your spectators, and makes magical-logic in the doing. In any case, this is the path I’d begin to explore to replace music with speech in a manipulation act, it has worked well for me with the Linking Rings, the Billiard Balls, and the Miser’s Dream. Best of luck, Magically, Walt |
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Kent Wong Inner circle Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2458 Posts |
Walt,
Thanks so much for taking the time and providing a detailed response. That's precisely the kind of information I was seeking. I actually developed a beautiful cups and balls routine in the exact manner you described. I took a well known tune and revised the lyrics to fit the routine. Since the original song was performed with a carribean group, I kepty the carribean theme. I even went so far as to adopt a carribean accent and costumed in Jamaican clothes. And so, the Jamaican Cups and Balls came to life. Now picture it. Here comes a Chinese Canadian magician, dressed in Jamaican garb and singing a song with a Jamaican accent while performing the cups and balls. It really seems to fit my performing persona and is a constant hit with every audience for whom I perform it. I guess that's what got me started thinking about the multiplying balls. I wanted to see if I could so something similar with that classic effect as well. Your advice suggests that it is possible and that, if I use a similar approach to what I have done in the past, it might play well. Thanks again. Kent
"Believing is Seeing"
<BR>______________________ <BR> <BR>www.kentwongmagic.com |
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Nedim Elite user istanbul/turkey 444 Posts |
Hi,
I think it will be hard to perform manipulation balls without music. We don't have so many chances for that!? magicially yours, Nedim Guzel |
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rtgreen Inner circle Portland, Oregon 1322 Posts |
Just check Tarbell. There is a whole patter routine there. That should give you lots of ideas to work with.
Thanks, Richard |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Check the charlie frye DVD #1.
.. and not just for the ball routine.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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Nedim Elite user istanbul/turkey 444 Posts |
I love Charlie Frye. He has wonderful Dvds and wonderfull presentations. But I can't really remember if he has an idea for a ball routine?
magicially yours, Nedim Guzel |
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erichall New user South Carolina 69 Posts |
Richard mentions a great beginner routine with patter that I am working on in Tarbell. It illustrates a story with the balls becoming characters, coming and going etc. I will be interested to see how it plays. Charlie Frye has a great ball routine using a balloon to get it going.. no "patter line" if I remember right-
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Lawrens Godon Inner circle France 1108 Posts |
Harry Riser devised a close-up handling of the billiard balls routine in "The feints and temps of Harry Riser" by Ed Brown, Kaufman and Greenberg, 1996.
I used to play with the concept, one which allow you to perform the multiplying balls in front of you...Really good idea !! Then it's up to each one to develop a patter and character... Best wishes, |
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Eddie Torres Special user New York City 692 Posts |
Dan Harlan packs small plays big stage show has a talking multiplying balls routine in it. I do one without music, not rhymed verse either, just a very fast paced confusing story. It's not tough to do but you do need to write out your patter, I've found that just winging it doesn't quite work, not for me at least.
Eddie
Eddie Ivan Torres
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Nedim Elite user istanbul/turkey 444 Posts |
Hi Eddie,
Can we find that routine in a Dvd or can you give a link from youtube? magicially yours, Nedim Guzel |
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Eddie Torres Special user New York City 692 Posts |
It's on his "Packs Small Plays Big: stage show" DVD
Eddie
Eddie Ivan Torres
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Nedim Elite user istanbul/turkey 444 Posts |
Hi,
Thank you for the information. But can we finf the performance on youtube? magicially yours, Nedim Guzel |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
There are a lot of ball manip. routines on youtube.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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Eddie Torres Special user New York City 692 Posts |
Dan Harlan's ball routine isn't on there, not that I can find.
Eddie
Eddie Ivan Torres
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Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
My advise is to see as many of these routines as you can and write down what you liked about each routine, if anything. Then look at all of the routines in print and write down what you liked about these. Using your notes as a guide, with props in hand, write your own routine, about ten days after you did your research. You'll probably have to review your favorite routines, in order to come up with the needed details to make it flow, but you may find that your subconscious mind spits out a nice routine.
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Nedim Elite user istanbul/turkey 444 Posts |
I nearly watched all of the routines on youtube about multiplying balls. There are really great ones. But I just want to learn can we find Dan Harlan's act. But now I learned that we can't.
thank you, magicially yours, Nedim Guzel |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
If you're interested in Dan Harlan's routine then buy the video/dvd and, in essence, pay the man who came up with the routine.
I'm sure with all the time you've spent searching youtube to see it for free it would have paid for the dvd several times over. Plus you'd get the explanation and thoughts of the creator.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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Kent Wong Inner circle Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2458 Posts |
Wow! Thanks for all of the great advice and suggestions. I picked up the Harry Riser book over the Christmas holidays and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in either multiplying balls or cups and balls. His thinking is unique to say the least.
For me, the key reason I am staying away from music is that I don't portray myslef as a serious performer. My persona is very light hearted and whimsical. Essentially, I'm a very talented and likeable idiot who doesn't take himself too seriously. With that character in mind, I could either go with a Cardini-style routine or I could go with some type of humourous patter. But I'm also looking to maintain audio-visual variety in the show. As indicated above, I already perform my cups and balls with Jamaican costuming and vocals. Other parts of my show are ripe with humorous patter. So, a light-hearted musical interlude with humorous pantomime may be in order. The pantomime will be more of a challenge than any of the multiplying ball moves, but that skill (once fully developed) should also help to improve the rest of my overall stage presence. I'm going to look into some local pantomime classes to maximize my abilities in this area. At the same time, I'll continue reading as much as possible to learn about different thematic presentations of this classic effect. When I hear that magical "click" in the back of my mind, I'll start writing my mental script.
"Believing is Seeing"
<BR>______________________ <BR> <BR>www.kentwongmagic.com |
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Nedim Elite user istanbul/turkey 444 Posts |
I will buy the dvd. I just asked if its on youtube or not. I'm not looking everythin for free!!!
magicially yours, Nedim Guzel |
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