Repertoire Help

[icannotmakeapassword]

Hi guys,

I'm really close to my 1st gig here and I really need your help.

What's gonna happen is that I'll be doing walk-around magic at this carnvial. I have been called for auditions and I really need your help and input regarding my routine.

1st, I will start off with Lee Smith's Ice Breaker, found on his STEP DVD. Then I will continue to an ACR routine, ending with a card to mouth. After this, I will tell the audience that the first lesson a magician learns is to shuffle the cards. I shuffle them.

At this point, I will ask the spectator to name me his/her favourite card. For example, the sixes. They will name me another one, for example the aces. I will spread through the cards, asking them to take out the sixes and aces. While doing so, I will cull out the black and reds, separating the 2 without them knowing.

I will proceed on to do Daniel Garcia's .44, 1st separating the 6es and the Aces, next separating the red and blacks. I will put the red and black back, and then I tell them I am able to accomplish it with the whole deck, which was already setup without the spectator knowing.

So that's my routine.

What do you think of it? Too long? Too boring? I would love your input.

P.S This is done in a Street Situation.

Thanks!

 

[D ICE R]

culling half the deck is painful to do especially in performance.

As far as your performance I would suggest three sets of three effects.

I don't really feel the flow of your routine it seems like three effects and that is it, there is no story between them.

 

[Austin Fields]

Culling out half the deck is not only very hard, but can sometimes be unmotivated. What if you hit the Aces and Sixes within 25-30 cards? You'll have a lot of spreading to get through that might look pretty fishy.

As D ICE R said, there's a disconnect between the effects. You might be able to link them with patter, but it'll be a stretch. You'll also need more than one routine.

What stuff do you already know? Maybe we can help you come up with some better stuff.

 

[William Draven]

If you're going to do walk around then I recommend having more than four bits in your act. You should routine two acts consisting of between five and seven effects each. That way you can switch up material at any point in time during the evening and still keep the show fresh. Other items like the Hot Rod, Bill Tubes, Wow, etc can be incredible additions to your act, that will require very little sleight of hand skill to master. So if you're in a crunch for time, you can focus more on routining them, and not mastering their moves.

 

[rich23]

in my opinion the worst thing you can do is open with cards. everyone associates magicians with card tricks
so show them something different. you said it is an audition so set your self apart from the others,
maybe coins, rubberbands, ring and string,sponge balls draven said hot rod or bill tube. these are
very good effects. well thats just my opinion. Good luck.

 

[MalibuARMY]

If it is a "Routine" which you say it is and not really a full on show then do 3 tricks, no more no less. Make sure everything builds. Basically just listen to Eugene Burger.

 

[MalibuARMY]

in my opinion the worst thing you can do is open with cards. everyone associates magicians with card tricks
so show them something different. you said it is an audition so set your self apart from the others,
maybe coins, rubberbands, ring and string,sponge balls draven said hot rod or bill tube. these are
very good effects. well thats just my opinion. Good luck.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I RANT ON AND ON ABOUT NEVER DOING CARDS IN THE BEGINNING AND FINALLY SOMEONE SAYS THE SAME THING. I DON'T FEEL WEIRD ANYMORE.

But now I do because I just wrote in all caps.

 

[danielmontagne]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I RANT ON AND ON ABOUT NEVER DOING CARDS IN THE BEGINNING AND FINALLY SOMEONE SAYS THE SAME THING. I DON'T FEEL WEIRD ANYMORE.

But now I do because I just wrote in all caps.

for the future , check out Paul Gordon's site
he's a pro and only do card routine

 

[William Draven]

There's always going to be someone out there that will build a case for pro-card only magic in the professional setting. John Armstrong, Tony Picasso, and Paul Gordon are just a few. However if you ever get lucky enough to spend a night or two at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California take a few hours to just open your eyes and watch every gold pin lapel mounted magician member and show performer you see there. You'll be shocked at the frequency of card use you'll encounter. So in an industry built around being different how do you set yourself apart from everyone else when you are all using cards?

Answer that question, and you'll know whether or not you can open using a card trick or not.

 

[rich23]

for the future , check out Paul Gordon's site
he's a pro and only do card routine

This might come as a suprise but not everyone enjoys cards.
what would happen if you are perfoming and someone says to you
do something else i dont like cards.

 

[Austin Fields]

This might come as a suprise but not everyone enjoys cards.
what would happen if you are perfoming and someone says to you
do something else i dont like cards.

look at someone else I don't like your face.

 

[rich23]

look at someone else I don't like your face.

wow that was an adult thing to say.

 

[icannotmakeapassword]

What do you guys think if i open with CMH? But then I would still can't link it to a card transpo routine. Any help? What if I start with sponge balls?

 

[Austin Fields]

wow that was an adult thing to say.

Jesus take a joke, you're on a forum full of entertainers. I'd hate to be in your audience.

What do you guys think if i open with CMH? But then I would still can't link it to a card transpo routine. Any help? What if I start with sponge balls?

You don't HAVE to take their advice about not opening with cards if you don't have any ideas. Why not a whole theme about them and all the things the card they signed can do? They sign it, then it transposes with another card, then you do an ACR, finally you go to hand them the card and it's a different card with YOUR name on it, and in your pocket is their card*. The room explodes and enter the dancing elephants to close. It's a done deal.

*or other impossible location - See: Paperclipped by Jay Sankey

 

[rich23]

Jesus take a joke, you're on a forum full of entertainers. I'd hate to be in your audience.

Keep talking, someday you'll say something intelligent!

 

[YRAMagicMan]

What do you guys think if i open with CMH? But then I would still can't link it to a card transpo routine. Any help? What if I start with sponge balls?

If you want to open with CMH and link to cards. I would do something like this, CMH then Rubberband Haunted Deck (or some other band+deck effect) then the cards by themselves. This way you have some flow between props. Of course flow can be built some other way, like through a joke, or some other line of your patter.

As far as opening with sponges goes, if your routine ends with them disappearing, you have a logical reason to pull out another prop. The sponges are gone, therefore, in order to continue the show, you need some other prop. Pulling out cards after sponges may be a let down, unless your card tricks are as good as your sponge routine, or better.

I like to have a logical reason to introduce a new prop, and this can be created either by your sequence of effects, or by your patter. Either way, if you are going to jump from one prop to another you need focus on each prop and giving it the time necessary for the audience to feel you've completed an "act" with it. Otherwise you run the risk of either loosing your audience, confusing your audience, or looking terribly unorganized. None of those options are terribly attractive to anyone.

 

[William Draven]

Keep talking, someday you'll say something intelligent!

Really? How is this being constructive to the overall thread. Would you both kindly get back on topic. Thank you.

 

[danielmontagne]

There's always going to be someone out there that will build a case for pro-card only magic in the professional setting. John Armstrong, Tony Picasso, and Paul Gordon are just a few. However if you ever get lucky enough to spend a night or two at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California take a few hours to just open your eyes and watch every gold pin lapel mounted magician member and show performer you see there. You'll be shocked at the frequency of card use you'll encounter. So in an industry built around being different how do you set yourself apart from everyone else when you are all using cards?

Answer that question, and you'll know whether or not you can open using a card trick or not.

I never had any problem with "card tricks only"
everybody likes magic , if not , may be they don't like you !

 

[rich23]

Really? How is this being constructive to the overall thread. Would you both kindly get back on topic. Thank you

i dont mind staying on the topic, but if you are going to start insulting people for giving their opinion about the topic im not going to back down do not care who the F%$# you are!!!! Enough said. now lets get back on topic and stay their.

 

[William Draven]

i dont mind staying on the topic, but if you are going to start insulting people for giving their opinion about the topic im not going to back down do not care who the F%$# you are!!!! Enough said. now lets get back on topic and stay their.

Boys, Enough! Both of you. Shame on you Austen for starting it. And Shame to you for allowing it to continue Rich. If this keeps up, it won't be long before a mod steps in and shuts this thing down. I don't want to see that, but don't mistake me... I'll be the first person to report this thread if I see it going there. Let's not have a war of "last words" here people. Let's just focus on the subject at hand.

thank you kindly in advance for your cooperation and understanding.