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cosmicplay
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Posted: 12-07-2006 12:40 |
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| How do you introduce yourself to the kids, and what do you do as an opener?
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Aramis
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Posted: 12-07-2006 23:43 |
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Anything that's really funny. I tend to not follow the standard rule that your opener should be quick and straight to the point. It's true for adults, but for kids i'm not so sure. My favorite types of opener typically respond to the following criteria.
1. It is presented as being a game we will all play together, the game should be fun and there should be a very magical moment at the very end, which leads you the main body of your show.
2. It is filled with all sorts of gags. You're setting the tone of your show and you want to make it clear from the start that your show is going to be fun.
3. It allows for the magician to present his character. I'm sure you've come across a few effects in your life that you've told yourself "WOW! that's exactly the kind of trick I would do.
For 15 kids or less I love using the "elusive card". I'm trying really hard to find the proper credits. I used to have a video of this one, I should try and make a new one
For a larger group I do the infamous water monte, that video is still on the site if you want to have a look, I think it's easy to make the link between the effect and the aforementionned criteria. I hope more people can find other suggestions to add. But essentially that's how I look at it to find good openers.
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RolandHenning
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Posted: 12-08-2006 01:21 |
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| I do my soap bubble bit. You all know those little bubble bottles. I blow a few bubbles as I introduce myself. I tell, that magic is like one of bubbles. As soon as you try to find out how the tricks work, the bubble bursts. But if you just want to enjoy all the magic you just need a bit of fantasy. As soon as I say that I take one of those bubbles. (a glass ball) and do a sequence of vanishes and reproductions. Finally, the ball vanishes (bursts) and I'll start the magic. This kind of lures the kids in, not to questions all of the magic too much.
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keep_it
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Posted: 12-08-2006 05:11 |
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| i did a silk production the vanish thumbtip style. at the same time talking and introducing myself. then i did STS after with some captavating patter about velcro shoes or somthing. Everything else is easy from that point on, you have them hooked.
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PeterMarucci
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Posted: 01-29-2007 21:10 |
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Every kids' show for the past 20 years I have opened with the Miser's Dream.
My version of it accomplishes several things:
First, it immediately lets the kids -- and adults present -- know that I am a more-than-competent magician.
Secondly, it gets the audience's attention by forcing them to react.
And thirdly, it puts me firmly in control of the room, the audience, and the kids, letting us all have a few barrels of fun!
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Aramis
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Posted: 01-29-2007 23:28 |
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Hi Peter, I think that's great, I would have never picture the miser's dream as an opener for a kid's show, but if it's been working for you, and for 20 years, then all the best.
I'm not sure I understand your reasons though. You state that it identifies you to the kids and the adults as a more than competent magician. I fail to see how the miser's dream does this any more than any other effect that is well performed. I will assume you mean that it is a trick in which both children and adults will be able to appreciate the "magic" of the effect?
To tell you the truth (and I'm really not bashing your answer, I hope it doesn't come off like that, I don't have 20 years of performing experience behind me), I'm not sure I see how the miser's dream "forces" them to react anymore than any other effect, or how it allows you to gain control of the room MORE than another effect.
Again I really hope not to insult you, I don't question that the Miser's dream works well as an opener for you, I just wonder if those are really the reasons that have pushed you to go in that direction simply because it seems to me that almost every effect has the potential to get you the results you describe. Can you give us some additional reasons?
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feher
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Posted: 01-30-2007 00:29 |
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What I do is that twisting of the arm bit the Jeff Buton did on one of his specials. I do that because it gets evryone envolved. I always get reactions out of it from the kids and adults I have them do it to....lol Then go into a TT and silk routine.
Great topic
Tim
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Grey_Pomello
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Posted: 01-30-2007 00:50 |
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| I perform some funny gags with rocky raccoon. Actually its a cheaper version called Roxie but I call him Rocky anyways. Warms up the kids and makes them more conferable. They see me get silly and they enjoy the jokes.
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erlandish
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Posted: 01-30-2007 02:48 |
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There was usually a preamble with explanations for magic words, some comedy etc to get the kids comfortable, but for a while this was the actual opening effect I used.
Rising card. A beautiful assistant with long, long hair would be invited up on stage. Card is selected, returned to the deck, deck is shuffled and set aside. The magician then re-compliments the assistant with the long, long hair and then asks if he can take one. This gets a bit of a laugh until they realize I'm serious, and I go behind the girl and begin to search through clumps of hair trying to find the best one (no painful tugging or anything), although when I settle upon one, I tell her to get ready. I give a small tug just so she knows I do have some hair in the hand, and go "Ready? One..." [tug], "Two..." [tug] "THREE!" and I let go of all the hair and pretend to pluck one. The assistant looks at me like I'm a twit, and then goes and sits down, telling her friends that I didn't pull anything. The other assistant who's in charge of the magic wand puts a little magic on the hair, and he'll have to squint really hard to try to see the hair, at which point I pick up the deck and wrap it around and give it a tug, making the card magically rise up.
It got laughs, gives you an excuse to lead the applause (rather than wait for it) since it's for the girl, isn't tremendously difficult to do, and was a bit of a fooler. If you've got boys in the audience you get some laughs from complimenting the girl's beautiful hair (gags and puking noises and such), and it was always fun to "force" them into admitting she had beautiful hair (at my resort, a red signature in your pretend passport was a punishment, so I'd always ask "Doesn't she have beautiful hair?" in a pointed tone while gesturing with the red pen -- but a piece of candy might work as well -- plus, you get an excuse to make fun of the boy for giving the girl a nice compliment). The touching of hair is a potentially culturally sensitive thing, but if it's kosher, it's not a bad trick. Also, there are probably better card effects out there (if you must resort to using cards with kids) but if you're stuck, this one works and requires only a lovely assistant...
(No, I wouldn't open with that if I went back to kids shows today)
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doug_peters
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Posted: 01-30-2007 02:52 |
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I juggle my shoes 
And then I find a hacky-sack in my shoe, so I juggle it, too. Then another appears in my shoe...eventually, I'm juggling five hacky-sacks (all of which come out of my shoe). By the time I ask, "where do you suppose I could find another ball?" for the fourth time, every child in the place is screaming "IN YOUR SHOE!"
I then mention that the world's juggling record is not with balls but with rings. Kids don't immediately realize that the large metal rings that I bring out aren't the kind typically used for juggling... And, strangely, I never manage to juggle them because they always somehow get linked together.
When I started doing kids shows, the parents would watch the first minute and then all duck out. I haven't lost a parent in years 
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erlandish
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Posted: 01-30-2007 02:54 |
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| Oh, that's smart. That's a good presentation for the linking rings. Your idea?
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doug_peters
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Posted: 01-30-2007 02:56 |
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| As far as I know, it is -- but who knows?
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Aramis
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Posted: 01-30-2007 04:00 |
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| That, Doug, is the best intro I have ever heard of for a kids magic show. I'm curious do you have the same overall pacing for your kids show as you do for your video performances?
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PeterMarucci
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Posted: 01-30-2007 04:19 |
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Aramis writes, in part: " You state that it (the Miser's Dream) identifies you to the kids and the adults as a more than competent magician. I fail to see how the miser's dream does this any more than any other effect that is well performed."
"Well performed" are the key words here. I suppose almost any quick and highly visual routine would work equally well if it were performed well.
I like the MD because, at the opening of the act, the kids haven't truly settled down and I get their attention by saying (assuming it's a birthday party) something like: "There's magic in the air today!" And then, a little softer: "And there's a birthday in the air today, too." Finally, and softer still (by this time the kids are dead silent and waiting to see what happens): "There's something else in the air, too! Can you see it?" Loudly: "It's money!"
I then produce the first coin and go through the audience, interacting with the kids, pulling a coin out from behind their ears, off their heads, and so on and dropping the coins in a metal bucket.
This make me a non-threatening person (for the youngest ones) and allows me to interact with the older ones and makes them a part of the show. (If you don't do something like that, they will take part in the show ON THEIR TERMS!)
But, as you say, any effect performed well, can open the show. The "secret" is that it has to be done well!
Last edited on 01-30-2007 04:26 by PeterMarucci
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PeterMarucci
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Posted: 01-30-2007 04:19 |
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Aramis writes, in part: " You state that it (the Miser's Dream) identifies you to the kids and the adults as a more than competent magician. I fail to see how the miser's dream does this any more than any other effect that is well performed."
"Well performed" are the key words here. I suppose almost any quick and highly visual routine would work equally well if it were performed well.
I like the MD because, at the opening of the act, the kids haven't truly settled down and I get their attention by saying (assuming it's a birthday party) something like: "There's magic in the air today!" And then, a little softer: "And there's a birthday in the air today, too." Finally, and softer still (by this time the kids are dead silent and waiting to see what happens): "There's somethins else in the air, too! Can you see it?" Loudly: "It's money!"
I then produce the first coin and go through the audience, interacting with the kids, pulling a coin out from behind their ears, off their heads, and so on and dropping the coins in a metal bucket.
This make me a non-threatening person (for the youngest ones) and allows me to interact with the older ones and makes them a part of the show. (If you don't do something like that, they will take part in the show ON THEIR TERMS!)
But, as you say, any effect performed well, can open the show. The "secret" is that it has to be done well!
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