Applause Please 2: The Encore

Applause please 2 the encore by louie foxx

The new version of Applause Please is now available at Hocus-Pocus.com! Right now there are only five units available and they have them all, so if you want one, be sure to order one now!

I don’t know when I’ll be able to get more of these made. I probably won’t have time to make any more until after the summer.



Applause Please 2 the encore

Applause Please 2: The Encore Applause Please has been a hit of Louie Foxx’s show for about a decade! After releasing it to the magic community 8 years ago, the prop has gone through many changes based on feedback from magicians who use the trick and Louie’s pleased offer Applause Please 2: The Encore!

Louie has performed it for kids, adults and everything in between at libraries, school assemblies, comedy clubs, theaters, and on cruise ships! The basic effect is you use an applause sign that lights up when you step on the foot switch throughout your show. During your show something disappears and reappears inside the lightbulb inside of the applause sign!

The Applause Sign and base have been redesigned by MagicCrafter and built in high quality wood. The remote control units have been upgrade to be completely battery powered, so you don’t need to plug it into a wall, this makes it much more versatile than the original version!

Warm Up:
You show an applause sign and light it up by stepping on a switch and the audience claps. When you look away the sign lights up on its own and the audience applauds. The applause surprises you and you look back at the sign just as it turns itself off. This comedy “look don’t see” bit is repeated until the audience is warmed up and ready for the show!

Routine 1:
An applause sign is utilized throughout your show. During your show, you pour a bottle of juice into a folded up newspaper and the liquid vanishes! You step on the foot switch to turn on the applause sign and it DOESN’T light up. When you open it up the light bulb inside is FULL of the juice that just disappeared! You twist the end off the light bulb and pour the juice out!

Routine 2:
An applause sign is utilized throughout your show. You show a handkerchief, and it changes color from Red to Yellow. You then teach the audience how the trick works and reveal that there are two handkerchiefs. You demonstrate the trick again, while “teaching” how the trick works and at the end the red handkerchief has vanished! You step on the foot switch to turn on the applause sign and it DOESN’T light up. When you open it up the light bulb inside is the missing red handkerchief!

Bonus effect 1:
An applause sign is utilized throughout your show. At some point during your show, you make a red handkerchief disappear! You step on the foot switch to turn on the applause sign and it DOESN’T light up. When you open it up the light bulb inside is the missing red handkerchief!

Bonus effect 2:
You borrow a dollar bill and have it signed, it ends up inside the lightbulb of the applause sign! You get video of a routine that Louie did for a library tour almost a decade ago. The method isn’t taught, but if you own a thumb tip, you can figure it out and is included as another example of a routine you can do where an object reappears in a lightbulb.

You get:

– Remote controlled applause sign!
– Plastic lightbulb with 2 bases (one for liquid and one for the silk routines)
– Flash drive with instructional video
– 9v battery
– Evaporation liquid vanishing trick (sports drink style bottle)
– Dye tube
– Yellow and red silks

You get everything you need to put Applause Please 2: The Encore into your show right away!

This is currently only available from Hocus-Pocus.com

-Louie

Trying to be Classier

The other day my wife said I should try wearing vests when I perform. I happened to have one from a suit, so I gave it a try at a show:

magician with vest

I’m not totally sold on the idea of wearing a vest when I perform. I think I need something that’s a bit fancier (?) than this one, or one that visually pops a bit more. I think the outfit I tried makes me look like a waiter. Maybe I should add some piping that’s a different color?

Whether or not I continue down the vest path, the important thing is that I tried something new…

-Louie

The Moisture Festival Podcast – Peter Paul Van Camp

On this episode of the Moisture Festival Podcast we welcome in poet Peter Paul Van Camp. Peter tells us about how he got inspired to start writing poetry and how his desire to share it with people led him to move to Canada.

We discuss his love for birds, his short lived tv show and hear some great stories from 50 years in the entertainment industry. A great conversation with one of the more unique acts at the Moisture Festival. 

Magic With Recycled Materials

A couple of days I was doing my morning writing and my brain had stalled out and was really having a hard time, then I noticed a cardboard tube on the table. This is a small tube that is in the center of the bags for our dog’s poop.

I’ve spent a couple of days brainstorming ideas with the tube, here’s my favorite:

I like it, the thing I want to change is instead of a wooden dowel inside, I think I want to use a metal rod. Using a metal rod will help with the switch as I can use a magnet as a hold out.

-Louie

Live Show Audio

When I was performing at the fair last week and had to deal with a sound system that only had one line in, I managed to make it work. I ended up using the Zoom recorder that I use for podcasts as the mixer. That’s a decent emergency solution, but I’d rather not have that expensive recorder cooking in the sun all day.

I ordered this little audio mixer and it seems to work well so far at home.

mini audio mixer

It’s not much bigger than two decks of cards and can run off of USB power. It’s got four channels, which is one more than I need. I haven’t tried it in a live show yet, so I don’t know how well it will work in the real world, but I’m hoping it’s a good solution!

-Louie

Tennis Magic

I was going through my list of ideas to record for Tik Tok and one of them was going to the park and recording my Tennis Ball to Confetti. That trick wasn’t a priority, until I noticed that today is National Play Tennis Day. Obviously that make the trick a perfect fit for the day!

@louiefoxx Tennis anyone? #tennis #nationalplaytennisday #magictrick #magician #louiefoxx #confetti #suprise #tenniscourt #ballmagictrick #bigfootshirt #magic ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

I really enjoy the trick, it’s fun for me to perform!

-Louie

Esoteric Kennedy AND Washington

Years ago Charlie Frye put out a little gimmick that let you spin a poker chip on your finger tip called Frye’s Chips. Here’s the video of it:

It’s a clever little gimmick that does exactly what’s in the video. I always thought it’d be cool to do it with a coin and not a poker chip. However I think the reason he did it with a poker chip is that it’s easier to gimmick a poker chip than a coin.

The idea has been in my head and a couple months ago I was at Hocus-Pocus digging around in some junk magic bins and found the card and coin for the trick Esoteric Kennedy.

Here’s the demo of Esoteric Kennedy:

The coin from that trick should work for the Frye’s Chips trick. Now I need to make the other half of the gimmick to see if it will actually spin on my finger!

In playing with the Esoteric Kennedy props, I thought that the trick really should be done with a dollar bill, as the coin and card really aren’t connected. I moved the gimmick from the card to a dollar bill:

It looks OK on a video, but I’m going to be 100% honest, the trick isn’t good for actual performance…whether it’s the original version with the card, or my version with the bill. The problem with the trick is that everything is gimmicked and nothing can be examined. You could switch out all of the props, do a Bobo Switch for the coin and top change for the card, but is all that work worth the trick?

I don’t think so…

That said, it’s probably fine for social media.

-Louie

The Moisture Festival Podcast – Skilldini

On this episode we welcome in via zoom the one and only Skilldini (aka Tim Wright). Tim discusses how he stumbled into working at a magic manufacturer, the skills he learned while working with them and how that led to a lifetime of funny stories.

We learn about his time making safety videos for fork lifts and he even gives us a little glimpse into some of his tricks (and safety demo’s.) A fun conversation that will make you laugh. 

Remote Controlled Chattering Teeth

Yesterday I finished up a batch of Remote Controlled Chattering Teeth! These are on their way out to Hocus-Pocus and you can order them there (I currently don’t have any in stock)!

These are a ton of fun in kid/family shows! The next batch that I’ll be starting next week are all spoken for and I’ve ordered parts for another batch, which will be ready to ship the first week of December (would arrive in time for Christmas…hint, hint).

If this is a prop you’re interested in, order now to get in line for the next available units! You can order here: http://www.magicshow.tips/remote-control-chattering-teeth/

-Louie

The Moisture Festival Podcast – Tom Murphy

On this episode of the podcast we welcome in (from Germany) the hilarious Tom Murphy.

We learn about how being a gymnast led to being an acrobatic skier and how the combination of those two led him into physical comedy. Tom tells us about his unlikely friendship with Patrick Dempsey and how that led to a role in one of Matt’s favorite movies. A fun interview across international borders with a moisture festival is great. You are going to love it.