Well , it's time to upgrade my routines for some Christmas Magic shows. It's fun to theme your act to a specific event, since this makes performing Magic a more interesting challenge.

I'm thinking of the peppermint nesting wands for the children's show, but I don't like the fact that the wands get thinner and thinner. This makes the magic seem too obvious. Any thoughts on this?

I am also looking for a 20th Century Santa Silk set or Christmas silk set if anyone can help me for a source on this. Please not P&A silks. Their stuff is nice, but pretty darn spendy.

It sure would be nice to have a sponge Santa or reindeer for a sponge ball finale. Anyone?

I'll soon be decorating my roll on table with a Christmas picture and use Holiday music in my act. I am also purchasiong a Christmas stocking change bag to enahnce the theme.

Any ideas for more Christmas themed tricks or routines?
Thank you
Cabrera

Cabrera,
Dust off (or make) a square circle, with the outside square covered in brick-type paper (the fireplace) and the inner circle covered in stone-type paper (the chimney). Then fill the load chamber with whatever Santa might bring "down the chimney."

In my Showtime column of November '97's Linking Ring magazine, I do a routine using a dove pan and "cooking the Christmas turkey (or goose or whatever) that is packed with gags and finishes with the production of a rubber chicken (yes, folks, he sinks to THAT level!).

As for the nesting wands, there is a type available that does not decrease in size; the wands are light plastic and open along one side (like a shower-curtain rod cut to wand length). They slide inside each other and hold their shape and size when pulled out.

Hope this is of some help.
cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

Hi Peter,
Thanks for the input. Do you happen to know of a dealer that sells the nesting wands (the good ones that stay the same size)?

Thank you!
Cabrera

Cabrera,
I bought a set on ebay quite a while ago. The person's seller name is jimfromsac. You could email him and see if he has them available still. If not I am sure someone else has them.

Peter pretty much hit the nail on the head as far as the construction goes, and depending on your ambition you may make a set yourself.

oliver

Wow Peter, That sounds like my Square Circle Christmas Routine that I posted here somewhere a while ago. OUCH!
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=17

I have two posts on this routine there.

Cabrera,

I use the red sponge ball, it represents that famous reindeers nose I try to send it back but it keeps turning up then with a vanish it is gone so he can get Santa to the Party on time. I (with permission of course) end with the snow storm and ask Santa to start ringing his bells as the snow starts to hit the ground you should see their faces when they hear the bells after the surprise of the snow. It is the pay off!!! Another big hit in my holiday shows is Axtell's magic drawing board with Steve's Christmas tape, this takes a good memory and some practice. But a real crowd pleaser!

I know I'm jumping in quite late in this conversation but I thank Cabera, Peter and Jewls for their input thus far. I too have used the Axtell Drawing Board Christmas routine to much success.

Here's a link from a discussion a few years back at MagicTalk:

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~roy/magictalk-wi......gic.html

I thought it contained many wonderful suggestions and ideas.

Hi Nalu-Magic,

Very kind of you to share and of course everyone that shared their ideas on this post. Thank You!

Hi Cabrera, The only nesting wands I've seen that stay roughly the same size are made of very thin plastic, and fit tightly inside each other. The downside is they are bot very strong and can split easily, especially if the kids drop them. I know they're They're sold by Kovari http://www.waterfallstudios.co.uk/kovarimagic/ as I've seen them on his stand at conventions.

I try and take whatever new trick is going to be introduced in next years show and give it a christmas theme,

IE, I made up a version of Rags the dog, (he has no nose we have to get him one) with Rudolf, and with my Black and White Silk to clown, the silk was changed into a santa silk.

Mind you I had a school phone the other day, they've booked me to do a christmas show as a treat for the kids, and wanted to know if my show had a christmas theme, it turns out they have one kid who's parents are Jehovus Witnesses and they wanted to know.
I said it's a christmas show, Santa is mentioned etc, though there is no religious stuff, I'm there to entertain not preach and I'm not religious anyway. it seems it's a case of I may have to either remove the references to christmas so this kid can attend or this kid will not be allowed to watch the show. I wonder how they keep this youngster from seeing all the other xmas stuff that surrounds us from August onwards. I'm waiting to hear what the parents say.

The nesting wands, in my mind, are not "magic" but a funny prop. I've always got good laughs with them, especially if I had funny faces of surprise myself.

David Ginn has a "ball to star" sponge effect which might be useful for an xmas routine. I suspect you can contact him on via his webpage.

cheers,

j.

I agree J, it's the same with all the funny wands.

I printed on photo paper pictures of santa and pictures of a Christmas tree and covered my temple screen.

Diamond's Magic has a set of "Mis-made Santa Silks" and a similar set of Christmas Tree lighting silks. Check them out.

Also Hocus Pocus has several Holiday magic effects.

This month (Dec 2003) Genii Magazine has a Paul Osborne plan for a Santa down the Chimney 3-foot Illusionette that works on the Run-Rabbit-Run principle. (Nice Idea & Plan!)

I have a Santa Hat that flops back and forth as a comedy prop. Sammy Smith has the Big Red Nose, which is a comedy reindeer effect.

The Dollar Tree Store has blinking red noses as a comedy prop or as a back room sales item. (Santa-Rudolf-Frosty)

Axtell's Drawing Board can work with Frosty the Snowman, or Santa.

This months (Nov/Dec 2003) Funny Paper magazine has an article written by David Ginn: 21 Ways to Christmas-ize Your Shows. Very good article Plus other holiday ideas with balloons, for all faiths, etc.

You can the nesting wands at http://www.clownantics.com

If Santa is going to be at the party, think of a trick to have him appear, the Flash Appearance for example. Abbots Magic Shop have a trick that uses 3 panels to produce someone. I'm sorry, I forgot the name.

Another thing to think of is how you should present him after your show if you are not to make him appear.

A great production of Santa, and also easy to build, is to produce him from a victory carton illusion. This is described in detail in the Mark Wilson Course in Magic.

You would only have to make the carton panels look like Santas house in the north pole. Very easy to make and it packs down flat. It is also very easy to teach someone how to do it as well.

That is a great idea Kyle.

Thanks Mike.

I have done that before and it just works so well. It is easy to do and cost you nothing except for a large carton and time to make the prop look nice.

It packs down totally flat in your vehicle and it is so easy to train anyone to do it. This is essential because half the time the Santa never comes at the time you need them to in order to rehearse the effect.

If you design it to look like Santa's house, and play some "Santa is coming to town" music, then it is a great ender to any show.

Remember if you are going to make Santa appear, do it after your show has completely finished, as an encore, because once he appears for some reason people wil lose total interest in you and wont be interested in any sign off you may end your act with. I'm not sure but I rather suspect it's down to the big sack of pressies he has for the kids.

John Pert writes:
Uh, yes. But that's what they're supposed to be.

And what's wrong with a funny prop used occasionally in a magic show?

I doubt that anyone in any audience really believes the wands are "magically" appearing, rather than having been nested.

cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

Clive brings up a good point. Make sure your Santa production is the last thing in your show. The kids will lose total interest in what your doing once Santa arrives.

Peter is also right. The nest of wands is used as a comedy prop that accenuates the performance.

I have used Clippo and had it be my very long list for Santa, magicaly cutting it shorter and shorter.
I do an effect called cups of doom from Jam magic and I used magicians milk for Christmas and give it a Santa's milk theme while the milk is still out I get out my list for Santa because we are all waiting for him to arrive, lets see, eggs, milk, detergant oops worng list! I tear it up and accidently drop it in his milk!!! I fish it out and do the snow strom from China and shortly after the snow begins to fly Santa starts ringing his bells from the back of the room you should see the kids eyes!!!
Always ask if it's okay to make a mess first!
Happy Holidays!

Jewls:
That is a very creative and clever presentation. Well thought out and also fun and magical for the children.