I've been trying to put together an stand up act so I could play at clubs and maybe on stage.

I've trying to figure out some tricks that can play big and pack small, and are visual too?

Here is a small list:
Fizz Master
Impromptu Hitman
Homing Card (like the one done by Fred Kaps)
Torn and Restore Newspaper

That is all I have, any idea on trick would be helpful. And the act I'm designing is a comedy act.

Nearly any effect with a TT ie. comedy, mentalism, many effects play VERY big, and of course, pack VERY small.

Cards across, Card on Seat (Sleight version)

Blair

Vanishing bandana, pom pom stick, mouthcoil, what's next?, Invisible deck. Just a few that work for me.

Rope stuff

Whit Haydns 4 ring comedy routine

Packs small and plays big:
Levent’s Color Changing Half-Dyed Silk Trick
See a Demo at
http://www.leventmagic.com/

Confessions of a Needle Swallower, Five Card Opener, Devin Baby Gag

Jumbo Cervon Monte packs very flat and is a good comedy effect. In fact, there are a number of jumbo monte effects that are good for comedy. Also Professor's Nightmare with a comedy patter and a comedy Cut & Restored Rope routine are good. Michael Finney has a good comedy C & R rope routine. There are also a number of other good rope routines that are on The World's Greatest Magic - Rope Routines DVD and that is very inexpensive. Also, I'll 2nd what Mark Miller mentioned on Devin Knight's Baby Gag routine. It's not only funny, but with the new improved ending, it's also a killer magic effect. An Add-A-Number mental routine could be good in comedy if the right patter is used and it's also a great effect. A thumbcuff escape is a good comedy routine. In fact, Hocus-Pocus just came out with a routine called Comedy Thumb Cuff Escape DVD which of course is on DVD. it would be vey small and flat and could play huge because I've done a comedy thumbcuff escape for years now and I even perform it on stage in front of large audiences and it plays very well. In fact I've had requests for that particular trick a number of times. And if people didn't like it or even thought it was just an average or "filler" type of trick, then believe me, it wouldn't be requested. The Vanishing Bandana (mentioned earlier doesn't quite pack flat unless you have the box that it uses flattened out. There is an effect very similar to the Vanishing Bandana from Paul Romhany called The Amazing Twenty Dollar Bill Trick which packs a little smaller and definitely flatter and it plays really well. Actually for that effect though, There is just one part I don't like. When the envelope is torn up (supposedly with their bill in it) I didn't like that idea because the bill is already folded up fairly small and the audience might think that it was hidden in one of the pieces of envelope that is thrown to the floor unless you were to take more time and tear it into much smaller pieces. Then again the routine is played along with a CD like in the Vanishing Bandana and you wouldn't have time to tear it up really small. Therefore, I decided to purchase a small handheld shredder that comes with small clear plastic bags that hang from it. When the CD says to tear up the envelope, I feign to be having trouble because tearing it up, so I put my finger up to my head as in having a 2nd thought, then I pick up the shredder and use that instead. Anyway the whole routine plays well for comedy and takes up very little room even with the shredder. There are so many different effects that play big and pack small that it's unbelievable if you just look (or ask as in what you have done, LOL!) Best of luck with your shows!

P.S. The small handheld shredder can be found at http://www.ziszor.com in case you did want to use that effect and my idea for the effect. It is my idea, but feel free to do that, I don't mind at all.

Silk to egg (comedy sucker version), comedy egg bag routine, 20 century bra/underpants, appearing straw deluxe baby gag routine, sponge ball routines/ watch steal as a funny ending, Chinese sticks, and I second the what's next, vanishing bandana mouth coil, and pom pom stick.


It really just depends on what age group, but from your post,"nightclubs" I'm assuming it's for adults.

What can you already do WELL? That's the key, DO WELL ALREADY?

Amen Pete!

There are lots of good tricks that pack small and play big.

Rather than offer one trick, I say go buy Tarbell (assuming you don't have it already). There is enough good platform/club act material in those books to last you two lifetimes.

What if your honest answer is "Nothing"? Or at least "nothing that isn't close up since that's all I ever practiced."

Then you have a long road ahead of you. You have to FIND EFFECTS THAT YOU LIKE and can perform in without thinking about the mechanics of the tricks. Even doing Close-up you know what kind of effects you lean towards, and that should give you a beginning point at selecting effects that larger audiences can appreciate.

Many so called close-up effects work well with larger audiences. It is then the presentation,patter, showmanship, and handling of spectators that needs to be adjusted. If nothing else, select from the Classics in Magic and expand from there, this will give you a good ground to add to for other selections.

I have suggested many a wonderful tricks or effects over the years here on the Café, and they are readily dismissed as the poster does not like the effect for whatever personal reasons.

The best advice I can give is to learn an effect that not anyone can perform, like for example the Linking Rings. Not many magicians like to perform the Rings, but if you have a fabulous routine, that no one else can just go out and buy and within minutes perform, then you have something no one else can do, because they will not spend weeks and months learning a sequence of moves and spectator handling to perform the Rings. Not to mention the research and of locating the material and picking out moves and maneuvers to create a personal routine that is all yours.

That is my thoughts on the having NOTHING to start from. Go to all the major magic stores on line and start reading all the effects, watch the demos, and choose what is appealing to your tastes. Get some Patter books and get some ideas what to say. Then after month of practice and rehearsal, show some people to get feed back how they received your demonstration.

Then pick another effect and start the process all over, in 6 months to a year, you should have enough material to present in a sequence that can be considered an act.

Rope Stuff is great.
The Pom Pom Pole is also GREAT if you have a good presentation to go along with it.

Last year I did walk round for a monthly cabaret night. Most of the acts were musical or comedy drama type stuff. I did walk round before the night started and in the break. The guy that put this all together asked if I wanted to have a stage slot. So I was a bit like you what now. So I looked at what I had and built an act from that. The tricks I used are listed below in order.
Appearing cane,
Fibre optics with ring and rope a well,
Egg bag with a volunteer,
6 card repeat,
Then I step forward do cards from mouth and gone. This can be all done from pockets and packs small plays big. Also apart from the appearing cane you can make this pretty much anywhere (yes I can make my own egg bag if needed).

I do agree it’s a long road but your find it a enjoyable way and building on the moves you already have is the way to go.

Good luck and let us know how you got on.

I guess the main thing is that make whatever you decide to do enjoyable for you and the audience. If your having fun, then the audience will have fun. Also, make sure you use an audience member on stage. As Mr HObsons states, " the audience is the best prop you will ever have, so use it!" If the audience sees a volunteer having a good time and laughing on stage with you, then the audience will pick up on that.

Eli

I think I made my point poorly. Let me try again. I am not a novice to the performance arts. My dad was an Equity actor and director. I grew up around theater folks. I started playing guitar and singing in coffee houses during the "great folk scare" as Dave Van Ronk called it around 1959 until I went off to college in 1964. I first got into magic in 1965 and seriously in 1980 or so when I got into Marlo.

Because my magic interests were what they were (mostly cards), and because I know very well the *craft* involved in projecting a character across the fourth wall, I am very doubtful that a magician who has been performing close up or walk-around can simply pick his favorite tricks and hope to be a success in a larger venue, from a platform or stage. That's all I really meant to say.

I'm not some newbie starting out though. I'm more of an oldbie whose neuropathy and COPD have forced me to face the fact that I will probably never be the performer I had once hoped to be, at the level I had hoped to attain. And that's okay too.

In the 1960's there was a Magician by the Name of Jack Powell, he only did card tricks, he was famous for shooting a card under a table cloth to the center of the table or in front of the person who picked the card. He then poured a glass of water on the table cloth, and the card appeared through the table cloth.

He did lectures in cities he performed in. His performances were at large coliseums and halls. He did card tricks for audiences over 3000 and 5000 audiences. He was on stage with nothing more then a deck of cards. He was very successful. If one can figure out the how to present a demonstration and has the confidence, anything can be accomplished.

Performing well has very little to do with the prop or type of magic you do. It has everything to do with the audience; you can entertain with just a glass of water and rope for many hours. The key is to focus your efforts on the audience not you. To be great you must first be great at connecting with lots of people quickly and winning them over. After that you could just do jumping jacks and they would love you.

It sounds like to me you just need to get out there and gig and do as many shows as you can. In time you will learn what it is that you have that they like.

Floyd