Can any one think of any good ways to get member of the audience involved in Juggling or Magic. Ones I can think of are Do as I do ( simon says) and then make them pick there nose or similar. Then also there is making audience member skip in a dake skipping rope being spun by you and another audience member?
Any other ideas guys?

I love doing Simon Sez. Of course I call it Harris Sez.

When I worked at Kansas' Oldest Bed and Breakfast(AKA
Lansing Correctional Facility) I even had a great came of Harris Sez with the men in the Maximum Security Area.


It was great to see them become involved in something fun without harm to self or others.

Audience participation is a great way to get the audience to become one unit.(with you as a part of the unit.)

Ideas include.(which I am guessing you may already do

1. Juggle over someone laying on ground
2. Juggle on your back as spectator stands above you.
3. Have audience sing or hum a familiar tune
a. Here in the states I use Take me out to the ball game(baseball) or hum the Jeopardy (game show) song.

As we write the champion has one over a Million Dollars.

4. Make reference to a familiar TV commercial.
5. Dress an audience member up
6. Dress your self up
7. Find some similarities between and audience member(looks, clothing) or opposites.
a. For me a balding man or someone with long hair
8. Have someone toss something to you from the audience.



Please tell us what you already are using.

I sent you some more stuff in a P.M.


Enjoy

Harris

I dress the audience member to make them look "in character" in a lot of my routines.

Regan

Hello Thanks for the Comments. I already use a kind of simon says game with an audience member.
and I also use a bit of fun and put some music on (Mission Impossible) and they dance to it. It is really hilarious. I also get members up to have a go at Juggling etc and many other things and involve them in magic tricks.
So quite a bit
Anyways
Thanks Guys
James Blaxall

A friend of mine does a motobike sketch with a man from the audience, they each have a kazoo ( to fake the sound of the engine) then he tells him to mount the bike (obviously hes the wrong way round but how does he know the bike is invisible!) then they race around the venue! its very funny just stick in some of your own gags and your away!

Kazoos are great. I bring mine out every once and awhile. Thanks for the reminder.

Harris

Do a clapping pattern (Do as I do). Clap twice then have them to do. Act like your gone to clap three times and hold your hand on the last one, see who you catch. On the last one, I clap and clap and clap then I stop and as the childs are still clapping, I raise my hands and say thank you , thank you.

I learned this one watching a preschool teacher get the groups attention.

"Everyone who can hear my voice, Clap once".

This can be repeated through the show....

Everyone that can see this scarf, clap twice.
.....
...

Everyone that can see this cane clap 449 times.....

..... Just sewious.......(smile)

Harris

How about having a volunteer stand with something in his mouth, like a straw, and try to knock it out of their mouth while juggling 3 clubs. Or better yet, put a cigarette in their mouth and try to light it while juggling 3 torches. Good routine to emphasize how smoking will kill you!

-P

How about having volunteers pass you the objects you are going to juggle. I do a 5 ball routine where 5 different audience members toss me the balls. If you are one for improvisation, you can turn this into a 20 minute routine.

-P

Is there any good books on audience paticipation routines within a family magic show

Check out pretty much anything by David Ginn...i'm new to this audience participation/warm up thing and I've found his stuff quite helpful...hope this is too

I juggle knifes. A very long routine with lots and lots of build up. I ask for help of the audience. The woman (always takes a woman for this one) is to hold a carrot, cuccumber etc. in her hand with a chainmail glove on. ("Just for safty") and I put on a chainmail hood. (Just for safty, though I never, well, rarley or seldom... well not very often, miss.) Then I aim at the cuccumber (or rather at the glove) She lowers her hand, I lower the knife and so on. After a while I chop it of. (the cuccumber - not the hand... hopefully) And thanks her by giving her the cuccumber.

It plays very well. Though you have to own some strange armor...

/Arkadia

Dosent Every one have chain mail gloves in there bag?
I did a show where I told a story, got a kid to play the part of the brave knight. Balloon sword and helmit. then a prity young lady to be the damsel, with balloon flowers. I myself turn into the villan with my own balloon sword. when we fight I have the kid do big "Highland parrys" and every time the blads hit the rest of the audance is to clap. It turns into a show of its own

Pokie-Poke: Yeah, doesn´t everybody? =)

Director Roman Polansky was in Europe filming a remake of El Cid staring Czech actor, Vlastimil Brodsky and Polish actor, Jerzy Radzilowsky. The two actors were fully clothed in armor and their faces shielded from view. Polansky was looking for Brodsky and asked his assistant "Which knight is Brodsky". The assistant responded,..."The Czech is in the mail".

ba-dum-bum.

Sorry. I couldn't resist.

Oliver

If you doing a children show ,there is more ways than I can think of with magic .
I do vent a lot . I always get the kids on stage a much as possible and have tricks that all the kids get into. I use the needle though the ballon and mess it up the first 2 times and the people love by the 3 when I make it work ,I give a out a great yell of yes it magic , and I can the really people into because they think I have fail and really get going when it work. People love that kind of stuff.
Alson

I think I got it from David Ginn, but the TaTaTa is one of the best audience participation pieces out there.