Advice for a Magic Castle Audition.

Jan 16, 2014
18
0
California
Hello! Im a 16 year old magician and I'm planning to audition for the Magic Castle Junior Society. Currently I have two routines under 5 minutes but I'm unsure which would give me the edge to be accepted. The first routine is simple (Forced card, a control move, color change, and triumph like move, with The Advocate by Daniel Madison ending it), the second routine is more a card cheat routine (Shuffling cards which then reveals a perfectly ordered deck, deal 21 with a bottom deal, bottom deal four aces in a poker demonstration, and a bottom deal with a upside down joker on the bottom after the judges shuffle dealing the four aces, and The Advocate to end). Im unsure what the judges are looking for and judge on so any tips or stories would help!

Some Specific questions i have are:

-Flourish during the routine?
-How should I act? cool and collective or flashy and showy?
-Anything i should know before i perform?

Thank you!
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
64
Northampton, MA - USA
First things first. . . don't sweat it!

Be as casual as you can but stay in character then do the routine that best defines that persona.

You don't have to show off so much when it comes to knuckle busting, they want to see how you are as a showman as well as technician and the technical side doesn't have to be anything overly advanced; in other words, if you can't do it clean, don't do it.

Do material that isn't "off the shelf" . . . routines that are more original in nature and even in handling; they love to see someone that thinks outside the proverbial box.

Trust me when I tell you that you can't be shaken as much as I was the night I auditioned. . . my main routine was Cups & Balls and sitting in the front row of the panel was none other than the Professor (Vernon).
 

c.t

Apr 17, 2013
125
0
Australia
First things first. . . don't sweat it!
Trust me when I tell you that you can't be shaken as much as I was the night I auditioned. . . my main routine was Cups & Balls and sitting in the front row of the panel was none other than the Professor (Vernon).

I think i wouldve fainted to be honest
 
Jan 16, 2014
18
0
California
First things first. . . don't sweat it!

Be as casual as you can but stay in character then do the routine that best defines that persona.

You don't have to show off so much when it comes to knuckle busting, they want to see how you are as a showman as well as technician and the technical side doesn't have to be anything overly advanced; in other words, if you can't do it clean, don't do it.

Do material that isn't "off the shelf" . . . routines that are more original in nature and even in handling; they love to see someone that thinks outside the proverbial box.

Trust me when I tell you that you can't be shaken as much as I was the night I auditioned. . . my main routine was Cups & Balls and sitting in the front row of the panel was none other than the Professor (Vernon).
So would you recommend the card cheating routine? I plan to make it very showy similar to how Richard Thomas does his card cheat routine. Just not 30 minutes long like his
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
64
Northampton, MA - USA
I can't say in that I've not ever seen you work but I would suggest that you work up material that plays to your age. Can you pull off a street smart kid that can run such a hustle or do you have those Colin Key's type of baby boy looks? If the latter is true, then you need to adjust and take a different route, one that is better suited to your appearance and general image/personality.

Find a center within yourself that you know works for and with who you naturally are and you'll find your winning routine.
 
Don't get your heart set on passing. The Jr's program is aggressively hard to get into and I understand, whether this is true or not I can't confirm, that they fail many young magicians intentionally the first time just to see if they come back to audition again.

Just go in, and do your best. Give it all you can and that's all anyone can ask for.

The Magic Castle wants to see sleight of hand not gimmicks. If you can do any sleights, that's what they want to see. Do not show them gimmicks. They are notoriously unimpressed by these. I don't know about the Jr. program but I know for the adult auditions they love to see classic stuff like cups and balls, or linking rings.

On a side note, much like Craig's audition story. I auditioned with a Cups and Balls routine strait from Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. I mean my routine was exactly move for move his. None other in my audience that evening was Mark himself. First time I met that man.

Best of luck man. Don't sweat it.
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
Also don't think that you are the worst if you don't get in. It's most likely going to be like entering a magic competition. As Michael Ammar would say"It's all really subjective."
 
Apr 17, 2013
885
4
Since I live in Texas I didn't have to go there on audition in person. As a non-resident applying for full membership they suggest sending a DVD or a link to a video, and since I'm not a fan of having videos of my magic on-line i went with a DVD. I did three things. I did a a Sam the bellhop type effect since it shows off multiple card slights. Next I did a simple coin effect. Again showing multiple slights with coins. Finally I did my version of cups and balls, and I did it as one show one take in front of a group of people.
 
Searching...
{[{ searchResultsCount }]} Results