If you were me, how would you rountining the following tricks?

I'm going to have a show (around 15 mins) in a restaurant (around 10 tables) on St. Valentine's date, for charity purpose. I've decided which tricks to do. But I'm still thinking about the order of the tricks. Your advice is needed. Thanks.

1)Trick to show:
(Because I'm coming from Chinese-speaking society, I don't know the exact English name of the tricks. So I add brief explanations after each trick's name when needed.)

-Bill in Lemon
-Restored coke (an appartently finished can of coke is restored)
-Torn&Restored Card in Impossible location (audience picks a card, tear it, take a corner; magician vanishes the rest of the pieces and the card appear in impossible location)
-Coin in bottle

The materials used are so different that I know I need good patter to link them up. Right now, my idea is:

1)Restored Coke (in this case, beer):
-Have two cans of beer on table, both opened.
-Say sth on Valentine's day
-Say "cheers" to every guests
-Pretend just happened find out the second can of beer is also finished.
-Ask a guest pick a can, magician's choice, restored my can of beer.
-Say "cheers" again.

2)Coin in bottle
-have a empty beer bottle on table.
-tell audience I've been drinking too much, having illusion...
-go into the coin in bottle trick

3)Bill in Lemon
-say, "I've too much illusion, I must have been drinknig way too much. I better stop drinking beer and have a lemon coke"
-ask waitor (stoog) for lemon and coke
-get into the bill in Lemon trick

4)Torn&Restored Card
-say, "Magicians are known to be good at playing card....tricks. But it's not the case if he/she is drunk."
-pick out a deck of card
-say, "anyone want to verify the abovementioned statment?......ok, no money is involved"
-get into the torn&restored card trick

Please comment on the above patter. Or, any better rountining/pattering suggestion?

Thanks all in advance.

Something about my experience.

I consider myself as a beginner, doing magic for only 1 year.

It's the first time I do stage magic in restaurant setting. But the above tricks had been done publicly more than 5 times.

Why don't you link torn&restored card in impossible location with the card into lemon? Two impossible location effects together are too similar, in my opinion, and you can get a strong reaction finding the torn card inside a lemon.
When they ask you how did you do it, you tell something about how you can magically compenetrate solid materials, like the card into the lemon... "I explain you how I do it, but it's strange, I actually don't even understand it at all... do you have a coin? ok... now look, it's solid, it's a normal coin, and so this bottle... *CLINK* *CLINK* but if I slam it in this way *SLAM* ...the coin drops inside the bottle... soo strange"
And at the end you thanks, and pretend to cough... you ask for a soda because you have talked too much and you are thirsty...look around and found this "empty" soda can inside a nearby waste basket...and do your final trick

Dave

PS: the right name for the coke effect is "Healed and sealed soda can"

I would do restored coke as the opener, followed by the coin in bottle, then do T&R and close with bill in lemon (this can be a strong closer).

Keep working the tricks in more informal situations before your show so you feel more natural with them and you will know better where their weaknesses are (angles, where misdirection is needed, etc.)

This to ME seems like the best order -- but do what YOU feel suits you best.

I don't know if that is reasonable or possible but I would start off with "Bill in Lemon" just like Roland78 suggested.
Then use the lemon to make some soda in an empty can "Restored coke".
Then you decide you like coke better than lemonade or soda and get a bottle of coke and get the coin into the bottle.

Just a thought that popped into my mind while I was reading...

Edith

Thanks all for yours valuable input.

I decided to add "fire to rose" as my opening, which suits the theme of St. Valentine's day. And I dropped "T&R card" since it is, as Roland78 said, very similar in nature to Bill in Lemon.

Thanks.

Bill in lemon is a closer.

Thank you david

I wouldn't worry about tying every single trick to the next with these kinds of things. Just keep the props in order. In other words when you pull your deck of cards out. Do all the card tricks you plan to do. Then put the deck away when you're done with them.

Don't worry so much about tying the entire act together What's more important is that each trick is entertaining. You're torn and restored card is one act. Your coin in bottle is another act. Each act has to have it's entertainment value.

To be honest I'd put the "torn and restored coke" in the middle of the show as a filler. This will actually help you tie one trick into another. By using something like this as a filler will give the act a short break. So you'd finish one trick. Go to take a drink and notice it's empty. Then perform that trick with the coke can as if it's impromptu. Then you start fresh with whatever object you grab next.

I'm sure you've heard this before but I think it's important enough to mention again. The act needs a strong opener. That doesn't mean it has to be a strong trick though. Do a search in the "New to magic" section for a post titled, "The first ten seconds." You have to do or say something right off the bat to catch their attention in a way that tells them that you're worth paying attention to.

You said something about opening with the fire to rose. That's a good strong opening as far is it being visual but I think you'll need a little introduction to that trick. Maybe even just a little music as you are introduced. I don't know what you know but give that some thought.

Then you need a closer. I agree that from the list you gave the Bill in Lemon would be the strongest finish.

Most of all just have fun.

Ron Jaxon

2 more days to go...

Thanks all. I agree that Bill in Lemon should be the closer. But my mentor has another suggestion as well. Let's put it here and listen for yours opinions.

1)Fire to rose
2)Coin in bottle
3)Bill in Lemon

Then, get out of the stage. When someone ask for more (or stoog will ask for it), do Healed and Sealed Soda Can, say cheers (happy St. Valentine's day) and finish.

It appears to suit the atmosphere, but I also worry that it's kind of anti-climax.

And Jaxon, thanks for your valuable comment. I read "the first ten seconds" long ago and also replied to it, found it very inspiring.

So, I'll open it in this way:
1. lighting starts dimming out
2. music
3. get on stage, my back facing audience
4. wait for a few seconds and start doing fire to rose

If I do healed and sealed as a filler as Jaxon suggested, then I need another "spare trick" for encore. In this case, I may do floating bill.

Yesterday I did on-site rehearsal, I checked the lighting and background for floating bill.

It leads to another question:
Among the 4 audience, 2 are magic hobbists, 1 is my close friend, 1 is the boss. Everyone said they couldn't see the IT. But when I asked one of them hold the IT for me, I could see the thread myself if I was very concentrated to look for it in specific angle.

I know the golden rule is playing safe. So, I am wondering should I drop this trick.

Just finished the show tonight. Some quick notes.

1)I dropped Floating Bill in the last moment. I felt uncomfortable using IT since I myself could see the thread if I really concentrated and looked for it in particular angle.

2)The "technical part" was OK. I mean I didn't get caught. Audience were amused.

3)I find the difficult part is to be entertaining. The stories/lines I told were not funny enough.

I find that to acheive point 3 is much more difficult than point 2. Other than learning from experience, anyone can point me to the right direction. ( I read "magic and showmanship", any other books or videos?)

Very good routine!!! So how did the show go???