I just added a new shell game set to my collection:
I’m pretty sure this was a home made set, as they look like nothing I’ve ever seen. The look like they started as candle snuffers, and someone took the stick off of them and glued a bearing over the hole. I like their weight, but don’t like how tall they are. The height and strange shape makes working with them a bit awkward.
They’re a great addition to the collection, but won’t replace my working set!
-Louie
When I perform at showcases, my agent has me use a preshow video. There’s a great reason for this, usually the MC sucks and the video sets the vibe for what they are about to see! I also use this for shows that have video as an option. It’s simple to keep it on a flash drive and give it to the tech crew where ever you’re performing.
Recently I was at a hockey game and realized that all sports do this.
It really hypes up the crowd. After watching the Seattle Kraken’s introduction production, it really highlighted how important this is. I was trying to imagine watching the game without it and how strange of transition from nothing to the game would be.
Go out and watch a sporting event and see how their preshow sets the mood for the game. There’s a lot that can be learned from sports that can be applied to your show. For example all of the transition music bits, and bits with people in the stands when there isn’t play happening.
Watch a game in person and imagine it without music. It’d be really strange and the energy level would constantly be going down. In my show I fill they gaps between routines with joke or music, which is essentially what happens at arenas, just on much bigger scale.
Go out and see a game and you’ll learn a lot!
-Louie
Woo hoo! I just got a text from Brian at Magic Crafter that a batch of the boxes for my Applause Please trick are finished!
I still need to add the electronics and a couple other things to them before they’re ready for sale. The bad news is that I’m out of town for a few weeks, so I won’t be able to work on them for a little while. I’m hoping to have them done by Thanksgiving.
If you haven’t seen the trick, here’s the promo video:
These will be available at Hocus-Pocus.com when they’re completed.
-Louie
When I was 21 years old, I started performing in comedy clubs. I really came up through the open mic system. As a young comic you’re taught that stage time is more precious than gold. The more you go up, the quicker you get better.
The other day I was at a booking conference for the fair industry and the bar at the host hotel had a comedy night the day I was there!
I sent a text to a friend to find out who books the room, then a text to the booker and I ended up doing a guest set in the show!
The needing to have stage time is still in my blood! This also had a positive effect at the booking conference. When you checked into the hotel, the front desk really pitched you the show that night as it’s “free to hotel guests”, so everyone attending knew it was happening. As word got around later that night that I ducked out of dinner to do some comedy, I had people coming up to me asking me if I really did that. It lead to me meeting some people I probably wouldn’t have! It also cemented in bookers minds who haven’t seen me showcase in the past as what I do and that I’m actually funny.
I’m glad I did it!
-Louie
When I travel I always try to visit a local magic club. The Fresno Magic Club is a great club and I always love visiting there! I brought three other acts that I was working with last week to the magic club.
I love seeing the different styles of magic and what people of different levels are doing. One thing I dislike is that with the streaming videos, you have a lot less variations in style based on region than you used to have.
I always love watching people of all levels perform in a safe space!
Magic clubs are close to my heart. They really helped me grow as a kid. If you have a local magic club, go out and support it!!!
-Louie
I was digging through a bin of junk magic and found a couple of sets of sponge sausages. The moment I saw them, I didn’t see sausages, I saw a balloon dog! I took the sponge sausages to the green room and got to work on making a balloon dog.
A bit so thread and I had a sponge balloon dog!
Luckily I was sharing a the green room with Dennis Forel, who is the one balloon figure guy and he approved of it!
After I made it, I did a quick search for “sponge balloon dog” and it looks like Alexander May put one out…and it’s pretty much the same concept. It’s made of sponge sausages!
I’ve been playing with making a blowing up a round balloon, popping it and it becomes the balloon dog. It’s fun, but probably will never has a spot in my show.
-Louie
On this zoom episode of the MFP (new term) we welcome in the amazing Felicity Hesed. We discuss her beginnings as an actor, her interest in theatre and how walking by a circus building one afternoon changer her life.
She tells us what she is doing to fuse theatre with circus and the organization she started to help support that vision. A really great conversation with an awesome circus advocate.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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I bought into the hype and picked up a Demi Deck while I was at Hocus-Pocus in Fresno. Here’s a quick review of it.
First of all, it works exactly how I thought it would work. If you think about it, there’s really only one way it can work. I wasn’t buying it to figure out how it works, but it’s an interesting prop.
Let’s get into actually doing the trick. I was doing it for the groups of people who showed up as I was packing up the show. I would tell them when my next show is and then offer to show them a quick trick and would do the Demi Deck. It got good reactions from the people.
Next there’s the angle issues. It’s pretty solid from the front, I probably personally wouldn’t take this out for a roving gig where I’m going to be surrounded. But for a group of 4 or so people in front of me, the angles are pretty solid.
Now here’s what I like and why I bought this trick. This reminds me of old school Tenyo tricks where the method is frequently more interesting than the trick. It’s just a gimmicky trick that’s fun to do!
Personally this will probably never be in my “paid” close up work. Is it something that I’ll show people who are at my house…yes!
-Louie
They’ve been unavailable for awhile, I just finished up a batch of the 16 oz size of Evaporation magic tricks!
This size pops a bit more onstage than the smaller version. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to offer these. They’ve been hard to get since 2020, and whenever I find them, I always buy as many as I can to gimmick!
You can get them at: https://www.magicshow.tips/evaporation-magic-trick-vanishing-liquid/ or your favorite dealer!
-Louie
One of the things I like about the two week gig in Fresno that I’m at right now is that I get to hang out at Hocus Pocus magic shop! It’s fun chatting with Max, Paul and Betty, they’ve got a cool shop!
One of the fun things they recently did was release a limited run of “hocus pocus” square circles.
These look great and work great! It’s a fun idea and they say they’re thinking of making releasing a special hocus pocus magic prop every year. That’s a fun idea!
Of course while I was there I visited some of my magic tricks
I think they have the last two of my Slow Poke coin tricks. I don’t think I can get them made anymore.
If you’re in the Fresno area, shoot them and note and arrange a time stop by!
-Louie
