I did not get to search for this since the search function is down.

I just bought the Professor Cheers Rope Routine and I am now looking into ways to routine this. I would like any ideas that anyone is will to share of the routine they use, i.e. what rope trick do you do just before it if any. I bought the Pro version so I do not have to do the trick first.

Thanks for any help you give.

Tim Gaines

Hello Magic by Tim from Louisiana, I'm MagicTim from Louisiana. I sometimes use Professor Cheers Rope Routine after I do part of tabary rope routine. The Tabary routine is kind of serious and seems impossible. I'll then give them an "explanation" of the trick showing I have ropes in my sleeves. I go straight into the Cheers rope trick. It's funny and unexpected. ~Tim

I used to use it as an opener. I'd walk out with the piece of rope danging just barely from my sleeve. I would gesture wildly as I explained that I was going to perform an "amazing rope trick". The rope would ususally wiggle out an extra few inches. I'd proceed to tell my audience that am amazing appearance was going to happen. I'd look down, act nervous, and act like I was pretending to cover with a comical, "Hey...uh...how'd that get there?" (always got a laugh) from there I'd just start pulling! The rest of the trick was all done with genuine surprise as if it has tied itself around my body when I wasn't looking!

Cheers,

-Chris

I use it as an opener too, I just let the rope fall and then make a joke about nothing being up my sleeve sarcastically ( <--Can't spell to save my life) then say "guess I'm not doing the rop trick then" . Later I do a rope routine with sleeves pulled up.

Any cut and restored or equal unequal rope's. Or as others an opening. I always use music when doing it. What's great about it, is the amount of different music you have to pick from. I'm an older, aging, well you get the point, and have use rap for one of the best comedy bits ever.

This is a trick that screams for physical comedy not one-liners and jokes.

Imagine that you have just finished your very polished ring and rope routine, or your “Fiber Optics” routine, or your wonderfully clever and witty Cut and Restored, or whatever (you get the idea!), and as you take your well earned bow to thunderous applause, a length of rope is seen hanging from your sleeve. Now you are set-up for a magician-in-trouble premise.

First you try to hide the end then try to remove it. You need to use broad gestures. Grasp the rope near the hand that the end is hanging from, then with a broad sweeping gesture, pull the rope across your body. Your arms are as far away from each other as possible. The surprise for the audience is the length of rope coming from your sleeve and the comedy comes from the expressions on your face and your body movements. Any words, joke, etc. will step on that laugh!

As you draw to the supposed end of the rope, you pull and pull and it causes the hand the end is coming from to slap your face (laugh).

You face front, let your shoulders drop in defeat. You take a big breath and tug again (apparently as hard as you can) while making a fist and holding the arm that started the whole mess, out rigid (as if you will not allow it to smack your face again).

You make that violent tug and your right leg pops up and you fall to the floor (or almost fall if you can’t take a Pratt fall). If you don’t fall you are precariously balanced on one foot and maybe even have to hop around to maintain balance.

Now, you do the “out of the pants leg” bit, speeding the routine up. As the rope gets to it’s supposed end you give a violent tug and the other leg pops up! You hop around the stage on one leg holding the rope above your head with both hands (it is a funny sight, one pants leg pulled up by the rope, the rope stretched in front of your body with it held above your head, and the other leg tucked up as if pulled by the rope. This is silly beyond words!)

Finally you pull the rope out of the other pants legs (using long sweeping pulls) and it of course gets stuck a final time. You tug, you pull, you grunt, you groan, and with a final violent and savage tug with a karate yell, you pull the shorts out!

I cannot think of any joke or line that will not step on the laughs that natural physical comedy of the routine brings.

By mugging (make faces) surprise, shock, consternation, etc. you will draw the laughs. Making some silly sounds (grunts, squeals, etc.) as you pull and “get stuck” will add to the silliness of the routine and will help draw the laughs. This routine falls flat without the effective use of your body and your face.

The routine should (remember this is my "should" and not a law!) start slow and build into frenzy. Music could be selected that follows that format (think Bolero, it starts slow and develops in intensity).
OK, that’s one man’s opinion (and one man’s routine) for what it’s worth.

I did it once..I have the rope down the end of the trauser.. stand infront of the stage and hop...that some of the kids should take it and start pull it... and they did...I stop them and try to hide it but I couldent do that so I start to look how far it whent..sad that my magical suit was made of this rope to hold it together and when I sad that the arm of the jacket fall aff then the legs and it ends up with the boxers

I once attended an award banquet and set the Cheer rope as I was asked to do a little magic, seemingly impromptu.

The banquet ran looooooooooooooooong... the speeches ran looooooooooooooog.... And the Host/MC said, "We had planned to have Pete do some entertainment for us tonight, but it's gotten late and we'll have him come next month, thanks and good night."

So, not only was I sweating, soaking from the heat and the 100 feet of rope under my clothes... I had to "unset" so I went into the mens room and started to pull the rope out and a group came in...

Now that was funny.

At the stevens magic web site in the past article section there is a funny version of this trick by karrel fox I think. He describes it to be used for an emcee. instead of the boxers tied to the rope you have a large tag with the name of the next act. You could adjust it to say that you have the name of the next trick written on it and have it a say "rope trick" or something like that.

Hi Harry,

Great routine, very funny, you've certainly inspired me to get more mileage out of this effect. Unfortunately in the past I have rushed it and not played it up nearly as much as I should have.

The one question I have is whether this is best performed to open a rope routine or close a rope routine. More specifically the Mongolian Pop Knot Routine. I mean if you open the routine with it, you loosen everyone up and get them laughing and then do some powerful magic with more humor. Or you do it at the conclusion, but if you do it at the end do you take away from your routine or lesson the magic of the routine?

Thank-you,
Joe

I don't script the routine too heavily, but use it as a running gag. Since it adheres to the "rule of threes" which some kid magicians (Ginn?) advocate (running a gag three times with resolution on the third), you pull it all out - with the shorts - on the third and final episode. If you start out with a rope hanging from your arm and leave it for a few minutes before going to one out your leg which almost trips you a couple of times, the sight gag may be sufficient without much patter.

Where do you guys recomend I find some instuctions for the trick.
I know how it works I just need the "setup".
Thanks
Larry

Larry,

You'll actually need the "prop" for it, which is generally available pretty cheaply at most magic dealers. You can go for the DELUXE version, which uses a harness to hold the whole setup SET-UP, then you can just put it on and perform. I still have the same one I bought almost 20 years ago. I did update the boxers from the plain white to some blue with yellow rubber duckies. I can set this up in about 2 minutes in a minimal space, which is amazing since I'm 6'3" and 240! I've set it up in some of the strangest places, too!

IF you do decide to make your own, be sure to get the right kind of rope, too. Some are too bulky and some are just downright uncomfortable.

I start just about all shows (shows where a jacket is applicable, that is) with this, and have for 20 years. Ask me about it next time I see you or the next meeting, whichever comes first!

Steve