Hey guys, I need some help here.
I got 1 year to purchase and practice a trick for my grade 12 talent show. I have no idea what to do for the show. I only want to do one stage trick. If any of you have any ideas, please let me know !!
Thanks

Dale,

I mastered the Floating Rose over one year and won my school talent show.

You've got tons of options. Cups and Balls, Floating Rose, Lemon Game, tra la la la la. Lots of stuff.

Good luck!
Robert Bloor

Robert's right, you can 't go wrong with the Flooating Rose. Maybe first you should decide how much you want to invest in the effect. That will narrow down things a bit. Next, you have to find something that stands on its own as a routine. I would think about your personality to narrow it down even more. Are you mysterious, funny, romantic, dramatic? Are you going to need music? find the music as soon as you can so that you can work on the routine as it will be for the show.

Good luck and have fun!

Hey, thanks for the first 2 tips guys! Already helped me out. I do have the "Zombie" but I'm not comfortable enough doing that in my presentation. Any more suggestions please?
Also, anyone know of some good music that I can use? I want something that will make their hair stand up, and make their back tingle. You guys know what kinda music I'm talking about? haha
well, Hope to hear from you guys soon. Thanks.

Keep in mind you will doing it on a stage, so most closeup effects won't work. I would look into some parlour and stage effects. Though they can be more expensive...it is what you need if you are on stage.

I trained my son to do the Zombie, and as an ending when he placed the zombie back on the table he picked it up, whipped away the cloth and it was a Rabbit.

He won first prize with that.

My youngest won first prize juggling. The surprise was he put on a hood and juggled (magically) blindly. Convincingly, there was a problem with the music and he turned his head in that direction for a couple of seconds (He was not looking at his hands or the balls) and the music came back on. That re-enforced he was doinging it blindly. He kept the secret when all his friends and teachers asked if he could see through the hood.

A well done routine with manipulative skills with cards is nice but cards don't appeal to everyone. Linking rings done well or better yet a comedy skit with linking hangers plays well.

A knock-out winner is a skit that is really funny, the "Magician in Trouble Syndrome" type of effect. (Not an actual effect)

Let's evaluate the Audience:
If it is made up of mostly classmates (teens) then what is it they love most... Music plays very well so what you need is to do a routine to an acceptable modern day song. (A Trance tune with fast moving manipulation skills won a magic convention stage contest, he was really good, and 14)

Evaluate the judges: Teachers? A comedy eductional skit will work, obviously clean and done appropriately.

Your selection should end with a PUNCH Surprise causing the audience to make a vocal response or an involuntary applause. (The rabbit production was not expected.)

Consider what you do well, consider what the audience wants or likes, keep in mind the age group, the music which is a must use, (It brings forth emotional subsconcious feelings good or bad dependent on selection), Dress sharp (cool) but not classical (unless this is what you want)

These are a few suggestions. Good Luck and let us know how it turns out. Also when you make you selection, ask us, we might be able to give you a pointer or two!

Have you considered comedy? Mac King uses some very basic props and routines, yet it is his humor and comedy that entertains. I had tears in my eyes just laughing at him.

Dale,

Have you considered doing with what you've got? I mean, even I get caught up in the "I've got to have the latest, badest, coolest trick to make me look good for this next show"! When in reality, I do pretty well with what I already have. Think about it and have fun. That's what it's really about.

Break a leg
Robert Jones

Astinus is right, if you are wanting to capture the audience comedy is always good

If you want to win this there are two things you must do:

1 - Win the audience approval.
2 - Win the judges approval.

You can win the audience approval first by doing an audience search w/music for your volunteer.

Then do a killer trick. I did the Floating Rose. Check with your school media center or event the theatre department to see if they have an InFocus type project and camera.

That's what I used. I projected a close up of the Rose onto a screen nearby me.

While this step isn't totally necessary it will...

Impress the judges. They like to see someone who really goes an extra step to take care of the audience.

Good luck mate!

Robert Bloor

Real good advice Robert!

And if all else fails remember this...

If your talent show contestants are anything like I competed with - 99% of them will dance (poorly), sing (Simon would cringe), or play an instrument (ugh?),

That said, by doing magic you're already different enough to stand out. A few finishing touches and you'll be on your way man!

Robert Bloor

Hey, try some big illusion like disecto etc. That is what I did.

Heh...how about needle through the arm?

Two years ago, at a talent show, I did a little bit using a change bag, some silks, and a magic coloring book.


Last year, at a talent show, for part of "my" performance, I used D'Lites. Those got some real good attention because they showed up well.

Linking Rings!

If you want to have a chance at winning do something that's actually impressive!

Good luck mate!

Robert Bloor

BTW Steiner - when is the show? (did I miss that already?)

As for music, this is going to sound weird, but try "You Can't Deny It" by Fabolous but get the instrumental (which is the version without the words just the beat).

None of the talent shows I've ever been in have had "winners." However, one year I performed the Tabary Rope Routine and it went over better than I ever imagined. It was really well received.

Good luck, Steiner!

Talent show, talent show....Hmmmm I would go with humorous for a talent show. Just because it's humorous doesn't mean that it can't be mysterious. As mentioned earlier...kids will be singing, playing instruments and the like so you're already different.

If it were me I would probably do a bill to impossible location (lemon/peanut). I did that for a college festival and it played EXTREMELY well. You borrow two bills and immediately rip them in half and give one half of each to the two people you borrowed them from. The two other halves of the bill are placed in a silk in a glass. A third person selects ANY peanut from a bag and holds it high. You make magical gestures and the bills inside of the silk are now the inside of a peanut. The peanut that the third person is holding is broken open fairly at the fingertips and inside is seen two halves of two bills which match up to the bills that the audience members are holding. It can be found on the Ammar Easy to Master Money Miracles volume 3.

I'm not very good at the zombe, but I think that it is a good trick. GOOD LUCK!!!