Can Someone Help Me With a Show
Hi there, I'm a beginner magician and need some help. I've been asked to do a short magic show at my school, and I need some beginner card tricks that play well on stage, since there won't be any close-up cameras on my hands.
I was thinking of doing the magic light bulb trick, since that can be seen pretty well from a distance. But what other card tricks could I do?
Thanks in advance!
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Hey Javier,
The first question is obvious: do you feel ready to perform a magic show?
If you're a beginner and not sure, it might not be a good idea to put yourself out there in front of friends and colleagues. Could you handle it if something went wrong? It's not the same as doing a single trick for a few friends who might crack a couple of jokes, compared to having a rough time in front of a mocking audience. I suggest you limit yourself to a routine you're confident in and have perfectly mastered, like a brief exhibition. Better to leave them wanting more than for them to get bored. Or, worse, to look ridiculous.
The second question: why cards?
If you're going to be on stage, they won't be seen well unless you use jumbo cards, and handling them is much more awkward than what you're used to. Something that rarely fails is a rope routine, Professor's Nightmare or whatever. You can extend it, you can change the script, you can learn it well in 3-4 intense days of practice, it leaves people amazed and, best of all, it plays big. On Magia y Cardistry, you have an excellent tutorial with the basic routine.
More questions: do you have a repertoire? Maybe something goes wrong and you need to quickly change tricks. Do you feel confident in front of an audience? You'll probably say yes, but when something goes wrong, or you get distracted, or hear an unfortunate comment, or your hands shake, you might get nervous and it won't go as you planned. Have you developed your character? Attitude is everything: the jokes, the scripts, the instructions to the audience, the image you want to convey, etc. Have you negotiated with the organizers? The timing, the angles, the lighting, your position, whether there's a table or not, etc. Then come the surprises, but you're the one risking your reputation. Better to err on the side of neurotic than to look ridiculous.
Maybe I'm wrong, I don't want to be a doomsayer, but if you say you're a complete beginner, it might not be worth risking it in a show with acquaintances, and it's better to keep practicing until you've perfected your routines. If you decide to do it, I wish you the best of luck, but practice everything really well.
Can you send me the tutorials for rope magic?
Hey, thanks for the help! Yes, I'm a beginner magician; I've only been at it for a year, but I've already got all the card magic basics down, and I know all of Canuto. Plus, I've already performed for decent-sized groups and for good lengths of time, though not on a stage. I feel confident I can put on a good show. I really appreciate your advice about the rope routine; I hadn't thought of that, and I think it could be a really great idea. As for presentation, audience management, and shyness, even before I got into magic, I'd already performed in plays on a stage, and I've already developed a decent character, so I don't think that'll be much of an issue for me.
Seriously, thank you so much for taking all that time to give me advice. ♥️
I just wanted to thank everyone for helping me out. I performed my show yesterday, and it was a huge success! Thanks again to all of you.
What routines did you end up doing?
I'm sure if you share it, you'll help a lot of magicians here!
Thanks, and here's to more success!
Bravo @Javier !!!! Congratulations! 🥳
Hey there!
For my stage card act, I perform:
The Trick That Never Fails (Mc Combical)
Siempre 6 (Juan Tamariz)
Transpo 13 (where cards transpose from one spectator's hand to another's)
A Jordi Caps routine (where one spectator guesses another's chosen card)
Card on the Forehead
"Siempre 6" by Juan Tamariz. There's a way to do it with gimmicks.
I sometimes do the opposite too: the "Never 6," which I learned from a Domina la magia video
For beginners, I'm a big fan of the Card-Toon deck. It's really easy to perform, the audience gets involved, it's charming, and a very strong effect. Plus, it's super affordable.