Hey folks
for a stage show on christmas what do you suggest fast tricks to be done on a stage
I mean by fast that no need to talk or introduce the trick , only performing along with a track of music
I have the dlite , vanishing/appearing cane , I might buy a quick change suit....

do you have suggestion for such situation ?

Thanks

Mark Wilson's encyclopedia of Magic book/DVD. You have next to nothing right now for a 3-4 minute silent act. Quick change suit will cost way too much for this and without really having a routine, will not play that strong.

Check David Ginn's DVDs for the way he performs "Silent Magic to Music." He uses inexpensive props, but manages to make the routine seem bigger and more magical than it really is.

Arthur Stead
http://www.arthurstead.com

You failed to mention the most important thing... who is your audience? Since you're posting this in the Little Darlings section of the Café, I'll assume that you're performing for kids. And given the parameter that this will be a routine to music, that pretty much eliminates crowd participation to a large extent.

There is obviously an abundance of routines that can work well here, depending on what you're trying to achieve. Kids won't really appreciate a quick change act as much as adults, and even if you did a quick change during your 4 minute routine, that would still leave you 3:45 of time left to kill! Instead of wasting $300-$400 on a quick change outfit, one idea would be to consider splurging one fourth the cost on a professional square circle ( http://www.magictricks.com/square-circle-professional.html ) along with many visual production items that are age appropriate and will look nice and visual with music and maybe match with the Christmas theme. And then focus on your routine so that it all comes together.

For example, you could walk out on the stage to a theme appropriate song like Jingle Bell Rock while holding your vanishing cane. If there is a Christmas tree in the room, you could pull the Square Circle out of a box from under the tree as if it's a gift and then start examining/discovering its magical powers along with the crowd. Use the cane to point to and show the Square Circle. Make the cane vanish. Produce a silk from the tube and proceed to turn it back into a cane with your appearing cane you own. Start producing items from the tube such as a long streamer of silks tied together (or use a mouth coil if you want to save money and space in the tube for bigger items), or better yet, you could produce Christmas Tree ornaments linked together and/or bells to go with the jingle bell music. You could then either produce a tiny Christmas tree from the tube with what looks like a red light ornament on it (dlite), or go over to a Christmas tree in the room and pretend to pluck a red lit ornament off the tree. Proceed to do your favorite visual dlite routine. One idea would be to use dlite to produce endless red lights and keep tossing them into a Christmas stocking for a Christmas theme type misers dream effect. Then turn over the stocking to have several tiny red sponge balls fall out onto the table. Maybe incorporate comedy elements by producing a rubber chicken or diaper from the Square Circle tube if you're after a few laughs. There is also plenty of room in the tube for an appearing pole and a production bouquet.

These are all random thoughts I'm having as I type, but my point is that it's easy to pull together a creative 4 minute routine if you give it some thought. Have fun with it!

- Gary

Eat a balloon and pull out a mouth coil. Do linking ropes, followed by a rope stretch.

Or have a word with the organisers, and do some gags. If I had just four minutes I don't think I would waste the precious time with tricks.

Eat a balloon and pull out a mouth coil. Do linking ropes, followed by a rope stretch.

Or have a word with the organisers, and do some gags. If I had just four minutes I don't think I would waste the precious time with tricks.

Actually, he does mention it, Gary. It's in the name of the thread, so you might have missed it. "Fast 3 to 4 min stage show for kids".

hady.87 - Don't forget to look in the "Finger/stage manipulation" area, the "Boxes, tubes, and bags" area, and the "Smooth as silk" area for more ideas.

I have performed magic with flower bouquets, square circles, silks, canes, niffen tubes, colour changing wreaths, blendos, silk through mirror, etc. to music. There are lots of possibilities.

- Donald

Bingo! A lot of this kind of material was also in his earlier books, "Colorful Magic", "Strictly Visual", etc.

Taking a lead from the old stage performers, many of them you begin their shows with a fast-paced whirlwind of the same kind of colorful, eye-candy magic. Productions, transformations, and vanishes of silks, flowers, livestock, etc. all helped set the tone of the show and establish the character of the magician. Many magicians today do similar things with their shows, beginning with a manipulation set to music to kick off the show.

Hady,

We really need more information in order to provide a better answer for you that is a solution for you and for the client.

1) have you been performing for a while? If so, how long?
2) is this as a new routine for an already set show?
3) who is the client and is this for a certain booking you already have? If so what is the nature of the booking (family Holiday show, civic group event, parks and recreation event, show at a home)?
4) do you have a show already or would this be your first?
5) have you performed for kids before?
6) what would the age of the kids be in the audience you are performing for?

These questions really are important to answer so that we can better help you with solutions and ideas that fit what your needs are.

Kyle

Get an act before you take on bookings or offer to do shows. Seriously.

Dear Arthur
I searched over youtube but I didn't find the performance about silent magic to music .
do you have a link please ?

Hady,

Thanks for answering the questions. Much appreciated. It does help mje get a better idea of who you are, where you are and what you do as well as giving a better answer for you.

Ok so looks like a show that is a variety show and you are doing a spot in it? Is that correct? iIf so, then you would be best off doing an act. I would make it at least 5 mins (if ok with them) cause 4 is just too little time to really be able to put something together.

If the above is correct, you would want to do a magic act. By this I would not mean short routines. I would mean an act that flows one into the next and done to music. The music I would use is upbeat holiday music like Mannheim Steamroller or try Trans Siberian Orchestra. Then have your magic visual and with flare with a great ending.

So this is how I would go about it. That is that tit is based upon you being aan act in a larger show and doing only a 5 min spot in that larger show.

If you have further questions, let me know.

Kyle

As an alternative, I suggest Arthur Stead's "Make It Magic Christmas" CD for some royalty-free songs with a holiday theme.

http://www.arthurstead.com/Make_it_Xmas.htm

- Donald

Thanks for the referral, Donald. Our Make it Magic Christmas CD is indeed perfect for Holiday Shows, with 18 songs written and arranged especially to enhance magical performances.

Hady, go to http://www.ginnmagic.com and check out his products. The Live Kidbiz Package (book and DVD) has a performance of "Closing Magic To Music". But I know David has other videos or books describing "opening" with music as well. Better yet, email or call him and ask what the best source is for what you're looking for.

Hey Hady,
A lot has to do with who you are entertaining, like Gary says.
With that said- I do a silent routine to music from Dan Harlan's Manipulation (pack small, play big) dvd.
I've altered it a bit from what he does- but the routine is basically from his dvd. Plays well for all ages- lots of visual magic that isn't hard to do. Lots of MPM (magic per minute).
Dancing cane (teaches you how to gimmick your vanishing cane) then color changing cane- then to silks. Vanishing candles and such (from a candelabra) I end with a nod and making my cane re-appear.
I don't do this for all of my shows- it is an elegant routine. when I perform for kids, the magic gets out of control so this doesn't really fit my style. but under the right circumstances- it really plays well. And if I had to perform one set for 3-4 min without talking, and to music- I would do this.

Another thing I liked about this dvd- (the manipulation act) Dan Harlan does a lot of routines to music. I never really performed to music before this dvd but it inspired me to try and add music to my show. Arthur stead, who is on this post, is a great resource for adding music to your magic.

You don't have a lot of time . Do the silk blow tube where you magically tie three silks together. Then throw them into a change bag and change them into a 36" Santa Claus silk. Do this to a fast paced Christmas song.

Jim

David Ginn has about 150 magic product videos on youtube (search DavidGinnMagic). Most are talking, but some are to music (for example, #81 - Ultratube). And his DVDs have more magic / other magic on them, including explanations.

I'm sure there are thousands of performances on youtube of magicians performing magic to music. You'll probably have to do your own searching (and the name of the video isn't likely to be "silent magic to music"). There might be some under "Le Plus Grand Cabaret Du Monde", a tv show that has performances by magicians and variety acts, for example.

You could also look at some of the posts in the "You Oughta Be In Pictures" area of the Café, where there are Café member submitted videos. Most will be talking, but some might be performances to music.

- Donald

P.S. Just to be perfectly clear, I'm not endorsing the idea of copying someone else's routine without their permission. But it is nice to watch other performers for inspiration.