I thought I might throw this one out there to see what type of ideas come back !
I am working wth a client to produce approx. 8 shows in 2006 across the country (USA) - some are simply trade show situations and some are larger shows - The theme is western or horse shows.
I have been consulting with a few friends I the biz for ideas. Any others ?
We are already rehearsing a cutting a horse in half illusion but will not be able to have it at all the events. Besides, this thing is HUGE !!!!!
I thnk I'm looking into the direction to take an already marketed illusion and giving it the western look and routine.
Thanks

If I were you I would take metemorphisis and make it look all weterny .. and do the palanquin girl production and make a cow cirl appear I do that now but I make a normal girl appear

Thanks fo rthat - tyhe girls will already be in western attire - I'm pitching Dukes of hazzard look (short shorts ans crop tops ) I'm sure ther client will want Hee Haw !!! - but then again aren't they one inthe same....I might win all together !

Well, if it were me, here's what I'd do to find some material:

1. Decide what "Western" means in this case. Cowboys and Indians? Gold rush? The Ponderosa? Rodeo? Roy Rogers? "The Wild Wild West?" Contemporary California?

2. Do some research. Watch a few movies, look at some history books. Get some ideas for a specific period, location, and character. Keep the whole show consistent. The original Houdini movie with Tony Curtis has some interesting scenes of Harry's adventures while touring.

3. Once I have my character, figure out what the guy would do, and start looking for stuff that fits.

For example, you could be a post-war traveling showman with three or four trunks. One of them happens to be a Sub Trunk. The rest are just to house your props and scenery.

I know I'm not answering your question directly, but I'd suggest defining and homing in on your theme a bit more before picking material.

Keep us posted!

Bullet catch?

There was a "Hippity Hop" effect marketed a while back that was created by Paul Osborne. It featured Cowboys and Indians in place of the rabbits, and the covers looked like saloons. I think the kicker was The Lone Ranger. You may be able to find this, or commission one built.

David Seebach has a nice Western routine using Collecotors' Workshop's "Sidekick" prop that he'd probably share with you. Give him a call.

You beat me to it...I was going to suggest (Semi-jokingly, of course) a six-shooter bullet catch. I can see it now, "I will catch ALL SIX bullets in my mouth."

Here's an idea, that might work, but might be a little gross: A Lota Spitoon. Just imagine the faces of spectators as you produce a nearly endless supply of "spit." Maybe with a quick paint job and the ever-so-necessary word "Spitoon" written across the front, the Lota Vase on Hocus Pocus could work well for you. Or if you want it to be a little less disgusting, just paint 3 X's across the front and it could be and endless supply of good ol' western whiskey.

Are you looking for any particular type of effect?

Nick Fox

Hey, Steven, looks like you and I were typing away at the same time. Okay, Dukes of Hazzard it is!

Steve,

Tim is right. Bullet catch. If you can do as Penn and Teller double catch even better. Would be nice if the stage looks like an arena. Borrow horses if you had a chance. Dress up like in the old movie (Gunfight) with Kirk Douglas and Johnny Cash. Have some helper who wore Indian clothes.

Las

How about the effect where the "volunteer" does the target practice and ends up shooting the rose out of the vase, the cloth off the table and eventually the selected card?

Steven,

Check with the Tabman here on The Café about props for Knife Throwing, Tomahawk Throwing or Indian Arrows (All near misses of course!) There is also pistol and rifle shooting that breaks plates.

Otherwise, there is an old rodeo clown friend of yours who just might could help.

In 2002, Lucy and I appeared and vanished a live horse on stage and then had him reappear in the audience. (That takes a theater.)

All three of Lucy's stage horses are live unicorns now. (Isn't that magic?) But Peaches is circus trained if you need a real trick horse! She's white with blue eyes, as are the others. She is also a show off. A few days ago she circled Lucy in the pasture to stop her. Then she backed up and bowed to her! A real brat!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

WOW ! Thanks for the input !
My client is a horse materials supplier - basically the supply the industry with fencing, stalls, feed, and the likes.
We are already rehearsing the cutting the horse in half and have started the outfits for the girls, as well as me. I really like the subtrunk idea as well as the PM I got on the linkng barbed wire -
As far as those of you who recommended the bullet catch....are you trying to get rid of me ?
Tim...If I miss the catch, you can have the farm so to speak !
Thanks again guys.

That the Jumbo Side Kick Funny for sure but would be difficult to theme to western. But Maybe Not.

Here are few ideas off the top of my head.

Tip over feed box to produce products. Use the fencing with BA (ala Ralph Adams) to produce girls, Arrowhead illusion. Use feed pellets in rice bowls or sand canisters. Use arrow on bendable mirror. Pavel's walking knot tied betweeen two catcus or saddle horns.

Jumbo Sidekick is easier to theme western. A guy did it like that a Abbott's last year. Make a dollhouse that looks like an old bunkhouse and produce the girl (every cowboy's dream). Mummy wrap up illusion with Indian looking blankets . Farmer and Witch illusion done with cowboy and villian theme (white & black hats). 20th century bandanas. Using the lota (spitoon idea suggested earlier) use a foo bucket to vanish the competion's left overs.

This is should give you enough to think about. I just wish I could work some flowers into it.

Richard

I really like the Tip over feed box idea.

Jared

How about a cutting a girl in sixths or stack of boxes themed like an outhouse. It might be a crappy idea, so you can take it or leave it. <wink>

As I recall someone out there has linking rings made with "Barbed Wire" that would fit right into the show. I am assuming someone out there has a hat variation on the old shell game/cups and balls that you can do with cowboy hats. You might want to search the Café for "redneck magic" as there was a thread somewhere that had some ideas that might be transferable, especially if you are doing the "Dukes" motif as well.

OOooooh, you probably coudn't get it made in time, but I just thought: Image the "ring cage" illusion (assistant surrounded by rings attatched to a pole and she gets out of them) with "barb wire" rings. That could add a sense of danger that the illusion usually doesn't have.

Through the Eye of a Needle fits perfectly in a western theme. Also check out the LInking Barbed Wire, which I believe is available from Stevens Magic. I used to have a 'Country Music' themed magic act which would also fit the description of Western.
We took a Blammo Box, covered the outside with woodgrain vinyl paper and took the aluminum grill off the front and replaced it with chicken wire. So the entire prop looked like a big chicken coop.

Good luck with your project!

The Barbed Wire Rings and the Wolfs Wacky Weasel would keep the theme going.

Cut and restored Lasso????

While not as much magic, but could be a good 10 minute filler, would be the old fashioned medicine show pitch. John Ekin had a really good version that I saw.

Probably less likely to be used but if there was ever a desire to take a dangerous illusion such as Russian Roulette and make it comical, you could have someone come out as Clint Eastwood from "Fistful of Dollars" wearing the hat and wrap and ask if they were "feeling lucky."

What about the old shooting an arrow through a person?

Depending on how big a stage you may have, the old hangman illusion could be good to.

I believe the source for the barbed wire linking rings is http://www.hocuspocus.com