summer camp magic show – MagicShow.Tips

My Summer Library Show

Now that I’ve had a chance to do the summer library show a bunch, it’s gotten tweaked and changed. It’s now in its (mostly) final form, at least the trick list is. I’ll keep adding gags, etc to the show, but the set list is solid.

Here’s what the show looks like from the front.

I only use the table cover when they give me a giant table and don’t have something smaller for my prop box to sit on.

I use a rope for my front row, but move the rope a few minutes into the show. I’ve learned over time, that noting will keep the one or two kids that are going to cross the line from doing that. As I say, “scooters gonna scoot” and nothing short of a fence will stop that.

Here’s what the show looks like from the back:

Early on, I didn’t like the Milson Worth Silk Cabby in the show. It’s too much of a magicy prop for me. The prop’s use is justified in the show. The effect is a small scarf turns into a 20 foot streamer. There’s a lot of silliness/clowning that can be done with a silk cabby, and it’s a great prob (it just doesn’t fit my normal show aesthetic). What fixed the routine is that I added a hotdog production from the streamer at the end and that’s what made the routine click! It when from my least favorite routine to one of my favorites to do!

Here are the props that are on me during the show:

The PopSchticle by Whit Hayden is a prop of opportunity, and not something written into the show. I don’t use it often, but look for places where I can “organically” add it, like when I ask a kid a simple question and they tell me a long story that’s unrelated to the question. It’s a great prop for things like that!

So that’s what my library/summer camp show looks like.

-Louie

Adding Tech to Library Shows

For my library and summer camp shows this year, I added a screen to my table.

There’s not much to it. It connects to an iPhone that’s running IQpro and controlled by a Flic Button. The main reason I’m using it is to get used to running IQpro.

I want to be more comfortable using production elements in my show, and obviously the best way to do that is to use them!
-Louie

Magic Show Prop Box

For my show this summer that I’ll be doing at libraries and summer camps, I wanted to dedicated prop box for it. I found this old RC Cola box at a junk shop. The guy wanted way too much for it, but I talked him down to where it made sense as I didn’t want it as an advertising collectible, I just wanted it as a box.

Once I got the box home I covered it with black fabric, added metal corners and changed the hinges. Here’s what it looks like now:

This was a quick, easy way to make a prop box for the summer magic show. It doesn’t need to last for years, just 3 months!

-Louie

Hat Coil preparation

I’ve got a few summer camp shows this week. Yesterday I mentioned that I use a Hat Coil in my summer camp show.

Last night I was getting them ready, so here’s how I prep them. I start by removing the inner brown cardboard from the hat coil. Then I take a bit of the middle and I crumple it into a ball. That ball then gets shoved into the middle of the hat coil. That makes it easier to pull out when I’m ready to produce it.

Next I cut off some of the outer layer and throw it away. I use tape to secure the end. The reason that I do that is because the hat coil slows down a lot towards the end and the last bit just takes forever. By cutting off a little bit is makes it a little punchier:

It takes about 10 minutes to do 7 -10 of them, so it’s pretty quick.

Now I’m good to go for the week!

-Louie

Summer Day Camp Shows…

When I was a lot younger I used to do a ton of summer day camps. By a lot, I mean 2-3 a day all summer. Now I do about a dozen or two a summer. I really enjoy doing them, however I’m trying to get 5-14 day contracts and having a single day camp show can get in the way of booking those longer contracts.

Here’s my case from one that I recently did:

While this show isn’t what I would consider what “my art” is, it still has a lot of things in it that I find interesting. One of those is my hat coil routine. It runs about 5 mins and is what currently is closing the show. There’s not much to it, it uses a hat, electric deck, two loose cards and a hat coil.

A while ago I had a use for hat coils and had bought a bunch of them, then stopped doing the routine, it just wasn’t playing how I wanted it to. So they sat for a while and I decided I wanted to get rid of them, so I started throwing a couple in my case to try to find a use for them. Over a few years I eventually came up with a routine that works.

One the surface, hat coils are expensive at about $4-$5 each retail plus any shipping. However, I had bought a bunch of them initially, so I didn’t pay that much for them. Now whenever I’m at magic swap meets, frequently I can find them and pay virtually nothing for them. Enough old time magicians have these in their collections to keep me doing this routine for a while! Even if I have to pay retail, the routine is worth it!

-Louie

Acoustic Set…

Today I’ve got a show for a day camp, but it’s slightly unusual. Right now all of my props are in Montana, but I’m a home in Seattle. This isn’t a lost luggage situation, it’s intentional. The show is for about 20 kids, so I don’t need sound and I left my PA and mics with my show.

It’s always strange doing the show without music. Over the years, I have developed a lot of bits that use music in my show and figured out that many of my bits play much better with music. I do have a PA here, but really don’t need to lug it out for this gig. Also it’s a fun little challenge to perform with less production elements. It makes you work a little bit harder to connect with the audience.

I’m a big fan of getting out of your comfort zone as a performer every now and then.