Hey Guys-
I will be doing a big show in early June at an inauguration banquet in Indianapolis. I will be doing a standard stage/parlor type show and am probably opening with a version of the mummy wrap. I am looking for a closing illusion/trick (possibly a disappearance) to end the show with. Since I do not normally do shows as large as this (medium sized stage with curtains possibly) I do not have a big closing type illusion. I have VERY minimal building experience and would like to keep this "illusion" very low cost as it will be rarely used. Does anyone have any ideas for a closing illusion I could perform? Thanks in advance!
Magically,
Michael

Don't laugh but Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic has a few wonderful effects that can be put together for almost nothing.

Check out Darwins Inexpensive Illusions Book. Some great stuff there!

Best,

Tim

A vanish as a closing effect is one of the toughest illusions to pull off. That's because once they get over the surprise of your vanish from sight, the minds of the audience are busy working out just where you could have gone to and how you got away.

The usual solution is to have the performer reappear immediately in some other place so that the illusion becomes more of a transposition or bilocation, rather than a straight out and out vanish.

If you vanish completely as the closing illusion, and then are seen walking around after the show, the illusion you wanted to create is somewhat destroyed. If you are going to disappear, do it and don't come back. However, that makes it awkward to accept applause, pick up your check, etc.

In The Wizards' Journal #6, there is a retention of vision vanish used in connection with "The Fabled Cloak of Invisibility" that leaves the audience with the illusion that you simply became invisible and are still walking among them as "the invisible man." You can end it there by "walking off stage" as the "invisible man." You can also end by removing the cloak of invisibility and reappearing if you wish, which is the original opening effect of "cloak."

Jim Gerrish's PVC Pipe book has several vanishing Illusions: Book 1 item 5 is The Garden Gate Illusion that gives you a stage setting usable in a variety of appearances and disappearances, but it might be more than you want to carry and set up. Book 1 item 7 is the archway, which can be used either for an appearance or vanish, but if used as a vanish, you are left with the mental dilemma described above (how did he vanish and where did he go?).

PVC Pipe book 2 item 9 is the Vampire Cape Vanish, but it needs another person to cause the vanish, who then becomes (in the minds of the audience) the "vanisher" which should be YOUR job. Another mental dilemma.

PVC Book 3 item 9, The Spirit Cabinet, could also be used as a vanish, but leaves the original dilemma.

All of these dilemmas (except for the Vampire Cape dilemma) can be resolved by simply accepting the fact that you can't just vanish as your final illusion, but instead should transport yourself to the back of the audience or somewhere similar so that you can resolve the problem for the audience and they will stop thinking about how you disappeared and work on the more difficult problem of how you got from point A to point B.

Michael,
I did a stand-up show for a resort in the Poconos for a while. I did a "striptease" behind a 2-fold screen, then reappeared in the audience. It was a great closer. Inexpensive and played big! PM for the details.

Ben S

Hey Guys-
Thanks for all the responses so far! To Spellbinder, the closing I had in mind does not necessarily have to be a vanish. You brought up some great points about problems with with a closing vanish. I certainly don't want to ruin the illusion or end the show with the audience contemplating. Ben, your closing sounds like a really neat idea as well. Thanks guys for all the help!
-Michael

Mark Wilson CCIM one of the illusions (I think its the mystery mummy) was actually performed on a cruise ship I was on. This big magic show on a ship with 1200 passengers, and the idea comes from a 12.95 book, amazing!

So I hope your version went well!