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Ken Northridge Inner circle Atlantic City, NJ 2392 Posts |
If you had a week off to develop a new dynomite, entertaining, 10-minute routine for your STAGE performance, and you could only choose ONE of the following to put your time and study into, which would you choose and why?
1. A deck of cards 2. A few silks (and gimmicks like the silk poke, TT, etc.) 3. A length of rope (or two ) Note: You have a good amount of books, DVD’s and lecture notes on each subject to help. Remember, your trying to get maximum impact for your time invested.(Best bang for your buck.)
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com |
Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
My opinion... more versatility with silks.
Cards on stage seem to be limiting. Basic card manipulation, unless you already have the techniques in your "tool kit", are not something you are going to learn well in a week. Some routines, like cards across, cards to pocket, etc., routines that have potential for playability on stage, would work, but the options still seem fewer to me. 10 minutes of rope seems like a lot of potential confusion and redundancy. Even the better full routines I've seen don't run nearly that long. Silks can be used as objects for productions, vanishes, color changes, transformations, transpositions, and animations. They can also be used as secondary objects that provide cover for any number of other potential tricks.
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
Scott Compton Special user Hampton, VA 747 Posts |
Well, that should be the end of this thread! I think that Michael is spot on.
Month 2
Magic is an art. I am merely a tour guide.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scott-Compton-Magician/160270640674735 "You are the magic" Jay Ose to Albert Goshman |
Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts |
A great interactive Linking Ring Routine with a spectator assisting. It will long be remembered before the vanish of a silk.
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sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
Since it's stage magic you're doing, how about a Rising Card routine with a deck of Jumbo cards? Max impact, minimum work, and only a moderate investment of time and money. Packs small and plays big, too.
Rope is for cowboys, and while silks are neat (a silk fountain was actually my first thought) they are pretty expensive and a pain in the neck to iron and fold. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
"Rope is for cowboys..."
LOL!!! Rising card routine is an excellent suggestion! I've been doing that recently and it plays very well. Most of the routine is in the fun with the spectators while the cards are being selected. The actual rising is relatively short... at least in my routine. For that, I would change my mind. Looking at cost, ease of use, prep time, and maintenance, cards would be a better choice. You could get 10 minutes from the rising cards... more if you are Dr. Hooker! LOL!! I have no doubt that there would be a few other plot-driven card routines that could play for 10 minutes on stage, I just think the possibilities are more limited than silks. Silk fountain makes a nice finish, but it goes fast and you can sure see the dollar bills rolling by with each second. On the other hand, I get an easy 5 minutes with 2 silks and a Dye Tube. Pretty cheap. Linking Rings are a great suggestion for a stage routine, but I don't believe that was on the original list of possibilities.
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
SpellbinderEntertainment Inner circle West Coast 3519 Posts |
The flaw is "a week off" let's start with "two or three months off" minimum--
then I can comment on the rest? Magically, Walt |
George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
I'm with Michael on his first pass on this one: silks.
Just thinking out loud... start off with a pocket handkerchief and do the bit with the knot and the hair. That goes right into a short dancing hank bit (along the lines of Sean Bogunia's), and then produce a second handkerchief and go into a Zombie routine with the knotted one. The knotted one then attaches itself to the other one and becomes a sort of Blendo effect, except the knot is still there. Then slide the knot off the large silk just in time for that snap-out production from Keith Clark, go right into a silk fountain, then bundle up everything and vanish it all back into one handkerchief, which goes back into the pocket. The act would be mostly silent (a comment here and there), with very carefully timed music. I would use all white silks for this one.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
Ken Northridge Inner circle Atlantic City, NJ 2392 Posts |
Thanks guys for your thoughts. Just to clarify, I did not mean you have to polish off the entire routine in just one week. More less, learn the nuts and bolts so you could begin the process developing a memorable piece of magic.
George, You have great vision. I can see your idea being a real crowd pleaser and reputation maker. Since I use doves, a white dove would be the perfect ending. Thanks for sharing!
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com |
sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
Sorry, I didn't mean to disparage all the rope workers out there! <grin>
Actually, Whit Haydn does a very nice stage-sized cut-and-restored rope routine, mixed in with some pop-off knots, that he calls the "Mongolian Pop-Knot." It's a mix of three very old effects: the standard C&R rope move, the Professor's Nightmare setup, and a pop-off knot that is straight out of Tarbell (surprise!) and generally credited to the late Ed Mishell. Whit took these old chestnuts and created a very entertaining routine with them. So it can be done, you just need to use your noggin. But given a choice, I'd still go with the Rising Cards, which I think would be more memorable. If I had the right venue and assistance/assistants, I'd think about the Dancing Hank, which is also a great idea -- and you only need one silk! SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-04-24 13:09, Ken Northridge wrote: Yes it would, but you didn't mention doves!
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
Ken Northridge Inner circle Atlantic City, NJ 2392 Posts |
You're right, I'm breaking my own rules.
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com |
George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
'sokay. I won't tell.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
Lou Hilario Inner circle 2235 Posts |
I would go for silks because they are more visible on stage. I would do the sucker silk vanish and color change routines while talking.
If it were ropes, I would do the Pavel Walking Knot with a nice patter. If cards, I would use Jumbo cards with the rising effect of 3 chosen cards. I would have the audience examine the deck before and after the rising. Also, it really depends on what type of audience you will be catering to on your stage venue.
Magic, Illusions, Juggling, Puppet & Parrot Show ^0^
http://www.louhilario.net |
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