So I did a gig @ local School tonight and had a great time. The Pizza Box got them into a frenzy again, and I decided to not use the 2nd pizza. Instead I went from the Pizza box to my square circle, that had a package of Pizza Goldfish, and a Fish Bowl with a rather large real goldfish inside. The Pizza being gone and trasformed into the snack goldfish was a smooth trasition into the square circle. I then palmed off 1 Goldfish snack and made it appear that I dropped it back into the load tube. And then bam, A live goldfish in a bowl was all I was left with.

Nice! I love to hear about ways that people are creative like this! This kind of stuff really inspires me to think in different ways. Thanks!

I'm sorry but I don't quite follow how the square circle routine is connected or a transition from the pizza box. I guess if the school kids enjoyed it, that's really all that matters. Did I miss something?

Pizza disappeared from pizza box, square circle produced Pizza gold fish crackers, "dropped" 1 cracker into the suare circle, ended up with a live goldfish in a fishbowl.

I think he's somehow considering the tiny fish snacks that are sometimes found on bars during happy hours to be a logical transition only because they were pizza flavored! If my interpretation is accurate, this is a major stretch and far from what I call a logical transition since nobody is going to see the connection.

But regardless, I do like the creative use of the Square Circle for simultaneously vanishing an animate object only to produce a live version of the same object - a live goldfish in a bowl. And I agree with Robin that the most important thing is that the kids enjoyed it.

- Gary

That was the point, the pizza flavored Gold fish just went along the lines that I said I loved pizza and that I was hungry.

OK, I did miss something...it is a package of pizza gold fish that I assume would have "pizza" on the bag. I agree with Gary that this is a major stretch. Most kids require a more visual transition than word associations. Changing a goldfish cracker into a live goldfish is a great visual. For it to be a true tie-in to the pizza box routine, I believe you would need to do something to make the pizza reappear. Otherwise it becomes two separate routines whose only relationship is the word pizza.

You seem to have a creative knack to go beyond the out-of-the-box routine, so I bet you can come up with a good visual transition.

Thank you, and I will be working on a better transition.

You'll have plenty of time to work on it during all your trips back and forth to the car lugging in your props

Whatever that means /shrug

There has been a long-running difference of opinions with kids' performers that some believe it is better to "pack little and play big" while others believe that bigger and more colorful props add to the entertainment experience. Mick was obviously weighing in with his opinion that the fewer trips to the car, the better.

Regardless of your opinion, it always comes down to the quality of your performance as being the most important consideration. If you have more than one show in a day and you have to travel, it certainly helps cut down on your set up and load out time if you pack light, so there are certainly benefits with either opinion.

Personally, I am one that likes a stage full of cool looking props. This probably was influenced by my early introduction to live magic when we had a traveling magician at school each year. I can remember seeing all the colorful and unusual props on the stage and wondering what kind of magic they would produce. You can't rely on a lot of props to make your show a success, but I believe that if you are a good entertainer, you can give the perception of added value to your show by setting the stage for a "bigger show." I don't mind making extra trips to the car if I think that it is worth it to deliver a better experience for my audience/clients.

So I think the bottom line is that either opinion can be right and it all comes down to what you feel the most beneficial method is for your shows. No need to criticize anyone's preferred method if it works for them.

So I told a good friend of mine about my routine, so he gave it a shot. He said the response was amazing, I guess the kids love the fact of making a real animal appear out of nowhere.

I think you are on the right track. Sometimes the most jarring and uncomfortable parts of a show are the transitions. Whether you have found the most powerful connections or transitions is not as important as the fact that you are moving in the right direction. (However, I still think that you are missing the boat by thinking that the goal of Pizza Box is simply to work them into a frenzy. I would encourage you to move beyond that line of thinking and more toward entertaining them).

As for "Pack small play big" it's totally personal preference. I would prefer to move my stuff in a single trip, but not if it is at the expense of a great show. As with most things, we have to weigh the inconveniences and the benefits.