Finalizing the Children's Hospital Show

[Brett H]

Considering that what I'm doing is voluntary and free for the spectator; I think I am doing quite a lot of worrying.

OKAY! Looks like I'm going to be acquiring a lot of Tenyo (YAY TAX RETURN!) within the month. And with that, I want to make sure I am making the most careful selection of Tenyo I can make. Basically, I want to make sure I don't get any tricks where it's just going to sit in storage (looking at you! Magical Burger!).

After rereading a lot of the ideas from when I first started pitching the idea of a children's hospital show here and in 2 other forums. I've slapped my head that the easiest and best answer is to make a strolling set and show that is solely based on interactive play.

I have been so hard-up on making a set and show that has some sort of positive or meaningful message that I've run myself completely into the ground with it; only to come around full circle and embrace the Occam's Razor of 'interactive play'.

So I've narrowed the strolling sets back down to 2. I had a 3rd one meant for little girls, but I realized that the 'little boys set' was rather unisex and could work anyway. On top of that, I felt that the little girls set wasn't as strong as I'd have liked it to be--even though I'd be making Lego Anna and Elsa appear.

The premise I am going to do in the hospital is present myself as a "magician's assistant" and make the child out to be the 'magician in the hospital that everyone has been talking about'.
From what I've read, a strolling set should usually be around no more than 5 minutes long--which is usually around 3 effects. I don't know how long any of these take and I rather don't care, I'm going off of the basis of 3 tricks.

So here we go:
LITTLE KIDS SET:

Super Cubio (I'll explain in a minute)
The Alchemist
Zone Infinity

The first trick is to establish that the child IS a magician, in this case, I'm going with Super Cubio (I'm intending to use Super Cubio as a part of the hospital show and I wanted to make sure that people would be able to see it, this also cuts down on space in the magic box), but I also have the option of using two other tricks (Magical Sneakers and Magic Pop-Up), but I felt that Super Cubio really fits the bill the best,
The idea here is to not have the cube work when I use it, but have it work when the child says stop.
I will tell them that I want to see them put a key through a coin--but we need to make a coin first: In comes The Alchemist. Nothing extra here other than have the child push on my hands to smash the ball.
Then they will do Zone Infinity with assistance. At the end, after they reveal that the coin is unharmed, I will do some sort of coin switch and do the trick myself and show that I actually punched a hole through the coin--sad face for me, but further establishing that the child is the magician in the room.

OLDER KIDS:
This set isn't so much interactive as the other set, from what I've read older kids WANT to be fooled more; and this set is more story/goal oriented. I still get to be able to establish myself as a magicians assistant--which, I believe, evades the fact that I can't get my own tricks to work. In this case, it does set itself up as 'magician in trouble'; but I'm showing incompetence throughout the entire set--but it's already established that I'm an 'assistant': not an expert magician; still learning *wink*

Security Lock
Clear Surprise
Ultimate Shocking Pen

The premise is that I need money for the snack machine. Security Lock here is sort of done in reverse--THEY can get the card out of the sleeve and I CAN'T. I'm pretty sure it can be done this way. But I can't get the card out of the sleeve to use on the snack machine.
Frustrated by this, I clip the 'locked' card and the Clear Surprise card together and try to 'withdrawal a couple of bucks'. what happens is that I pull out a $2 bill.
I lament about how I can't use a $2 in the snack machines (for you guys outside of the US, the snack machines only take $1 bills, $5 bills, and credit cards).
Now from here I could use Ultimate Shocking Pen or Ghost Card
With 'Pen, I go into a story about how I had security called on me at a Target because the cashier didn't believe me that a $2 is actually legal currency (even though it has the official security strip--which is an easy dead giveaway). And one way to test a real bill is to punch a pen through the bill. If it DOESN'T leave a hole--you have a real bill!
Now with Ghost Card, I am completely frustrated by the fact that I have nothing to use for the snack machine. I thumb through the cards looking completely defeated (showing the Ghost Card cards to the spectator). After I get through all the showable cards, I tell the spectator that I'm just 'going to eat a deck of cards' and quickly put it to my face and 'eat the deck'. At the end, I as if they 'want a bite' (showing the spectator the 'non-eaten' part of the deck)
If they say 'no': Okay, more for me
If they say 'yes': pull it back and say 'you can't eat a strangers food! You could have allergies!'

I like the Ghost Card presentation more, but the more I read about it's handling, the more I become leery about getting one. I like Ultimate Shocking Pen because it looks 'innocent' and it plays well, but I don't think it plays as strong compared to Ghost Card.
I'm going to get 'Pen, but I'm not sure if Ghost Card is worth it considering it's sensitive handling. For the record, it would be in a make-up case and probably padded down to hell and restricting all movement it could make if need be; I'm not sure if that would be enough or if it's not worth the time and trouble.

Now the children's SHOW is going to be of the same premise as the little kids set: Interactive play.
Virtually every trick (except for Crash Dice) will have some sort of spectator involvement. All the tricks I do on my own (Crash Dice and Magic Pop-Up) get botched somehow. But everyone who comes up (and everyone who gets involved with What's Next) is a 'magician' Here it is in the order I have it in my head:

Confined Cubes
Super Cubio
Crash Dice
Magical Sneakers (Color Test)
Burglar Ball (Thanks Botond!)
Magic Pop-Up
Third Eye
Ghost Lamp
What's Next?

Confined Cubes is meant to be used as a 'color test'. I'd constantly hold one cube in front of me and have them yell out the color I'm holding out; alternating between red/pink or green. Drop the red cube at the top, shake it; amazement happens.

Super Cubio is to have everyone involved in the same fashion as the kids set: I can't make the cube stop, but everyone in the audience CAN.

Crash Dice is presented as me being able to change the color of the dice. I 'sneeze' and the dice explodes into 8 tiny dice.
Because I 'broke it', I can't continue with the trick and call up the next 'magician'

Magical Sneakers: Color Test will be done. I have had a lot of practice with this one and I know for sure that kids WILL LOVE IT. Especially if they are the ones able to pick the ONLY matching pair. Color Test is a surefire winner.

I will try to do Burglar Ball--not effectively; and have a 'magician' come up and show me how to do it. They will be able to push the ball through the box. From my experience, I have had any problems in setting it up in front of others--especially if it's just going to be one person being the closest to seeing anything. And they will get to push the ball through. To this day, I haven't had anyone figure out what's really happening. Usually once that ball makes it's audible *PLINK*, all can be forgotten and the realization kicks in that THEY just made magic happen.

I will try do do Magic Pop-Up. And it will be unsuccessful. It will be done the way you see it done on the Tenyo commercials and everywhere else you see it. I will tell them that I already KNOW what color they will pick and the answer is within my envelope. Except when I open the envelope, THIS will be my 'prediction'. I figure all kids will know what Pokemon is and if they know who Pikachu is, it makes the whole 'fail' even better.

Wanting tosee an ACTUAL prediction happen, I'll have another 'magician' come up with a spectator and do Third Eye.
For the record, this is a work in progress.
Spectator will be called up first and they will pick a card--but will NOT reveal it to the spectators. Instead, I will write the answer on a large piece of posterboard, which only the spectator and I will be able to see at that point. I will turn the posterboard over and call up a 'magician'. I'll set up the cards on the stand and they will use the Third Eye and find the card. Once they get the card, I'll have them say what the card is. I'll turn the posterboard over and (hopefully) further prove that the 'magician' did indeed make an act of magic happen.
Again, work in progress.

Ghost Lamp will be used as a game of 'hide and seek'. One child will pick out a card and we'll write it on the other side of the posterboard and we'll hang it for everyone to see except for the two children up with me.
Once this happens, THAT child will go and sit back down. The child still up with me will be 'it'. They will take the Lamp and 'seek' the card that the first child picked. Lamp comes on, card revealed is the same one written. SHOULD work out fine.

The last one is What's Next. I just discovered the trick recently, but the idea is to have everyone who DIDN'T get to come up to sit in the front and be the only ones who get to shout and participate in this one.


I also had the idea of using Soft Coins in the show, but I figured that 3 quarters would be too small to see. The room I would be doing this in can only hold up to 15 people, so I'm not sure if the quarters COULD be easily seen in such a small room.
I also wanted to use Trisector, but alas, I have not been able to justify using it; which kind of sucks.


After all of this (yes, it's a bit of a long read), I have questions.
Since I'm still considered a Tenyo-Rookie, are there any tricks in which I should avoid (because I'm actually going to listen this time--I'm not going to pull another 'Magical Burger')? Tenyo I should add or use instead?
I'm still discovering Tenyo videos of tricks I haven't given the time of day until recently (Third Eye and What's Next to name a couple). So I'm open to anything pitched--well almost. Let's just keep away from the Elite Series, Ultra Tube, and Floating Lady.

And for the record, I'm actually going to stick to this premise of being the "Magician's assistant". It's a simple premise and character, it's easy, and it even had an interchangeable-trick/modular aspect to it (like if there's only 3 kids I'm doing a show for, I can do just 3-5 tricks and call it a day--and I could do virtually any of them in any order).

If you made it this far, THANKS FOR READING!

[SimonC]

There must be steam coming off our keyboard Brett! as you said at the start you are doing all this out of the kindness of your heart so you're already onto a winner. the only way to find out for sure is to get stuck in, try t out, see what works and what doesn't. I test all my tricks out on my form group, 30 13year olds who will happily let me know if they think something sucks/if they can see any dodgy gimmicks etc.
god luck!

[Brett H]

There must be steam coming off our keyboard Brett! as you said at the start you are doing all this out of the kindness of your heart so you're already onto a winner. the only way to find out for sure is to get stuck in, try t out, see what works and what doesn't. I test all my tricks out on my form group, 30 13year olds who will happily let me know if they think something sucks/if they can see any dodgy gimmicks etc.
god luck!

Funny you mention it, the 'D' on my laptop actually popped off a little over halfway through typing.

You're right, I think I should take the plunge even though I have reservations on a few of them--the majority of them I'll use and I think it'll offset that notion. Thank you!

Oh, and have you had to use Dragons Altar on anyone else in your classes?

[SimonC]

yes I've had a lot of fun with DA in my classes but it comes off more of a skill challenge than a magic trick. goes down well tho as a few of them get pretty close who h makes it all the more frustrating

[Brett H]

Have you tried Security Lock on your class? Seems like it would be a good stumper. Little risky that you would have to let them handle the sleeve. But in theory...

[David DeTenyo]

Brett, I admire the work you put into this. Performing at a children hospital must be wonderfull. Give me some time to read to your routine though and I'll leave my comments.

[Brett H]

Brett, I admire the work you put into this. Performing at a children hospital must be wonderfull. Give me some time to read to your routine though and I'll leave my comments.

I appreciate it! It's been a fun challenge trying to make it an all-Tenyo thing. its also fun to look at Tenyo and see if they can be presented and performed in completely different ways.

The biggest choke point has been not being able to afford a whole lot of Tenyo because I ran out of stuff to sell. Which is why I keep running a lot of nut all ideas across the boards.

Idle hands!