Nothing pedestrian about busking!! I mean, maybe it's pedestrian by its very nature since you're standing in the street and all...but aside from that. It's not that kind of thing I would succeed at so I definitely applaud you, Jim!

So you're basically wanting to do the Miser's Dream into the container that you carry your props in?

I'm working on Paul Cummins's Tapalack. I screw it up about one out of every three times. I know the key to the mental part is relaxation, and not getting ahead of myself. I think having an out will allow me to feel even more relaxed. I need to plan my out when it goes wrong--even if the out is making "I screwed up" entertaining for the spectator. If you know the effect, I'm certainly open to suggestions.

Andrew-

Yes, that is my current plan. I will be working with a great magician who goes by the street name of Mickey Figgs. Last year we worked together, and I brought in a truck load of things, while he walked up with a cardboard box that doubled as his street table and held his props. A lot of buskers do that, as they can just walk away from the card box if the police come by. Will be doing a rope routine and thinking about egg bag. Finish with Miser's Dream using the galvanized pail it all came in. Very sparse for me, but I am interested in seeing if I can hold a crowd with so little,

I don't know Tapalack. Could you give a brief on what the spec sees?

Jim

Tapalack is a wonderful card trick with a mentalism flavor.

A dual experiment in mindreading. Spectator looks at a card in the shuffled deck, performer also looks at a card in the deck. Spectator removes the card from the deck that s/he believes is the performer's; the performer removes the card s/he believes is the spectator's. The cards are turned over. They are both correct.

Without giving it away, there is some mental work that is easy to mess up under pressure. I've given it a lot of practice (as opposed to rehearsal), and I can pull off that part flawlessly when not under the pressure of performance. When push comes to shove however, in performance, I am not always as sharp and quick as I need to be.

I know exactly of what you speak. I have come to believe that practice helps some, rehearsal a lot more, but nothing is as good as performing. With each performance the butterflies and pressure abate a bit until one can enjoy a relaxed performance.

As to Tapalac, I may have been having a senior moment- I think I have this! Without being able (for a few days) to research, I thought it was called Diplopia. A simply great effect which was way more valuable than I thought, as it taught me the greatest breather I have known. Am I going crazy, or what??

Jim

Diplopia is Paul Vigil's version of a Paul Cummins effect, Tapalack. Vigil has brought a lot to it, but after trying out both, I think the procedure in Tapalack is more effective. There are a few lines of script from Diplopia though that I now use for Tapalack.

Thanks, very interesting. May have to get Tapalac to see what it offers...

Jim

Hi, folks! The Columbus Arts Festival gig was a great success, thanks to Mickey Figgs. Three long days, but the thrill of doing a busking-type act in front of literally thousands. Plan to make some major changes to my rope work-the idea of having an entire act with just a few pieces of rope fascinates me, and it is just so easy t o see on the street. How zit going with you?

Diamond Jim

Hi Jim,

Glad you had fun.

An all rope show sounds a little one note to me unless it's a short busker show (and I'm big into Rope Magic).
Why not have some variety?

I've been working on my Library Show. I've done the first one (which went OK) so now I'm tinkering. I usually tinker till the end of the run, then never do it again.
SIGH...

-Mary Mowder

Yeah, you are probably correct, Mary- guess I was in my minimalistic mode... either that or the Cardini of ropes. Hey, that's the ticket- Cordini!!!

Jim

How about Cordini, unplugged?

-Mary

I think I ironed out the mental problem with Tapalack thanks to some comments I read on this board. I've built in a "slowing down" process into the script so that I don't have to feel pressured about doing the mental work. That has given me a lot more confidence.

On another note, I've been working on Daivd Regal's Leap of Faith which requires a g.....r's c.p which is angle sensitive. I've never used one before, so it's taken me a while to get it to the point where it is presentable. However, I had been practicing it as a sit-down effect. As soon as I tried it standing up, however, the whole thing fell apart and I have to re-script it so that the timing works out. Has anyone else had that happen where you have to re-script based on the performing conditions?

Yes, I used to do triumph as a tabled effect.

When I brought it up to an "in hands" effect it changed the patter a little but not too radically.

I wonder if a strong light(s) might help in the spectators position(s).
If the card in C.p position is in the shade you're good (as long as your body language isn't a giveaway).
I've never heard of this tool but it seems like it could be of some use. you might include a directed laser pointer for more accurate info.

You've got more nerve than I will ever have.

-Mary Mowder

I have had a number of occasions where going from sitting to standing etc. made way more of a change than I thought. I have also noticed that it does not take very long to get comfortable with the new angles, etc. and for the change to start getting easy to do.

I noticed this in flying some years ago. My SO decided to learn to fly, and I moved to the right seat to help teach her. Only a few feet to the right seemed like I was starting all over from scratch- but it came together very quickly...

Jim

Very cool that you can fly Jim.

Even in a plane.

-Mary Mowder

Hi everyone!

I'm sure you probably thought I fell off the edge of the Earth, but I have been practicing! Monday, 17 July, is our Omaha Magic Society annual competition. Below is a link to my routine. As always, I look forward to suggestions, but obviously won't implement them for this event.

In addition to John Ramsey and John Carney for the basic routine and the techniques,I must credit Joe Cole who worked with me on developing the story and wouldn't let me take any short cuts!

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4QuiEhLxFw

Hudson

Hudson-

A very nice routine! The tin can gave me a great idea for a seemingly impossible load- I plan to work on that. Thanks!

Some posts above, I talked about a series of Festival performances in which I was using an old metal pail with handle in which I kept all of my props- it looks totally straight forward. You might give some thought to something like that so as to have a logical reason to get your props out after the lead-in explanation. This avoids the specs wondering what is going to happen with the can, etc. so your story gets their full attention. I think it could also give you a plausible reason for the wand, and an easy place from which to get it. For next time, perhaps...

Regards,

Jim

Hudson,

Look through on mute with the scroll and stop at random places in the effect.

How do you like the look of the freeze frames? If you didn't know it was a Magic effect, what might you guess the man was talking about?

Try to make your "snap shots" convey the vacation fun and relaxation mood.

Have fun and smile.

Good Luck!

-Mary Mowder

Thanks Mary. I will take a look at it as you suggest.

The competition went well - a comedy act won, however a number of people in the club that I respect came up to me after and congratulated me on a good routine. I still need to work on it some more, but I am pleased with the base routine.

Thanks again!

Hudson.

Hi Hudson,

I thought the contest was in July.
Sorry for the useless advice.
I'm glad things went well.

I did one of my worst shows in a while yesterday.
Had a dyslexic problem during the temple screen and it had repercussions on the performance of the next couple of effects.
Even if I had a problem with the Temple screens I should have recovered faster.
I'm still shuddering inside.

I guess I can't fix the past but I can do better in the future.

-Mary Mowder