Seasons Greetings Magic Show

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1 1 151 West 26 th St. (212) New York, NY Seasons Greetings Magic Show Study Guide About the show This fun filled magic show celebrates the world s seasonal holidays with lots of fast paced colorful magic, a magic elf, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, upbeat music, toy soldiers, and magically appearing snow white doves- all set in a winter wonderland. The elf is full of mischief and during the course of her shenanigans learns the importance of respecting the property, feelings and beliefs of others. This show is presented in two formats. There is a 45 minute version for schools, libraries and other mid-size venues. An expanded one hour theatrical version is available for theaters and performance arts centers. Vocabulary words Menorah, belief, prediction, psychic, examine, property, graffiti, escape, gimmicked publicity, stunt, Ramadan, Kwanza. Learning about respect During the show, the elf learns that it is important to respect other people s feelings, property and beliefs. Have students match up the tricks to the lessons learned. Tricks 1) The Wiz kote Machine. This is the trick in which a borrowed shoes gets destroyed and is magically restored. 2) The Greeting Card. A greeting card is ruined by the elf drawing graffiti on it. With the help of a little "forgiveness dust the graffiti disappears. 3) The menorah candle trick. Disappearing and reappearing candle. Lessons learned A) Have respect for what other people believe. B) Respect other people s property. C) Respect other people feelings. Answers: 1-B, 2-C, 3-A. History Harry Houdini, whose real name was Ehrich Weiss, was born in Budapest, Hungary on March 24th, He immigrated to the United States and settled in Appleton, Wisconsin in He died in In addition to being one of the greatest magicians of all time, he was a master showman and an extraordinary escape artist. He used his escapes as publicity stunts to draw attention and sell tickets to his performances in theaters. One of his most famous tricks called the Metamorphosis is featured as the finale of the show.

2 Suggested activities Teach students some of the tricks from this study guide and have them perform them for other classmates or classes. 2 Find a book about magic in your school library and have students learn tricks from it and perform them for the class. After the students have mastered a trick or two, have a discussion about showmanship and acting skills. Talk about: Speaking clearly and loudly, making eye contact with the audience, using facial expressions and body language Have students draw a picture of their favorite trick from the show. FOR MORE INFORMATION BOOKS Blackstone, Harry. 200 Magic Tricks Anyone Can Do. Citadel Publishers, Borland, Kathryn Kilby. Helen Ross Speicher & Fred Irvin (Illus.) Harry Houdini : Young Magician(The Childhood of Famous Americans). Aladdin Paperbacks, (Ages 9-12). Broekel, Ray. Laurence B. White (Photog.). Abra-Ca-Dazzle : Easy Magic Tricks. Albert Whitman& Co., Frederick, Guy. Jason Hurst (Illus.). 101 Classic Magic Tricks. Sterling Publications, (Ages 9-12) Gordon, Lynn. Susan Synarski (Illus.). 52 Cool Tricks for Kids (52 Deck Series). Chronicle Books, (Ages 4-8). Kulling, Monica. Anne Reas (Illus.). The Great Houdini (Step into Reading : A Step 3 Book). Random Library, (Ages 9-12). Longe, Bob. The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Magic. Sterling Publications, 1999.

Stretching Paper An optical illusion 3 Here is an optical illusion that s easy to do and is a real fooler! The effect is that two paper or cardboard semi circles or collars are displayed.

3 Stretching Paper An optical illusion 3 Here is an optical illusion that s easy to do and is a real fooler! The effect is that two paper or cardboard semi circles or collars are displayed. They are shown to be the exact same size but when one of them is stretched it appears to be larger than the other one. The smaller looking one can then be stretched and made to look bigger than the other. To prepare carefully cut out the two collars below. They may be used as is or you may use one as a pattern and trace it onto a piece of poster board or use cardboard from a cereal or cracker box. (This is recommended so that the paper collars don t accidentally rip during the performance.) To perform, hold the two collars together and show on both sides so that the audience can see that they are the same size. Next lay one of them on the table. Take the other and pretend to stretch it out. Here is where your acting skills are used. Pretend to strain your muscles and make your face turn red as if you were exerting a lot of effort to stretch it. Of course you do not really pull on or stretch the collar. Just pretend! Place the one that you have apparently stretched on the table just underneath the other one, Just like they were before you cut them out, only closer together. The bottom edge of the top collar should be just touching the top edge of the bottom collar. When properly placed, the bottom collar will look larger than the top on. You may then take the top one and pretend to stretch it. Place it under the collar that was left on the table. Now it will appear larger!

Handkerchief Control 4 The effect that the audience sees is that you show a handkerchief and pull it up through your hand. The handkerchief stands by itself.

Now pull the handkerchief up through your left hand as in the second picture.

4 Handkerchief Control 4 The effect that the audience sees is that you show a handkerchief and pull it up through your hand. The handkerchief stands by itself. You wrap an imaginary hair around the handkerchief and it moves mysteriously back and forth. To perform hold the handkerchief as in the first sketch, in your right hand. Now pull the handkerchief up through your left hand as in the second picture. Pull the handkerchief up about four inches in your left hand and it will stay when you take away your right hand as in the third picture. Now with your right hand, wrap an imaginary hair around the handkerchief, and then with your left thumb you can move the handkerchief back and forth as you see in the drawing. Stars and Circle Trick The effect is that a circle and two stars are drawn on a rectangular piece of paper. It is then torn into three pieces and the pieces are placed in a hat or a bag. The magician is blindfolded and is asked by the audience to pull out either a piece with a star or a circle. To the amazement of the audience, the magician gets it right every time. To prepare note figures A, B, and C. Draw circles and stars in the corresponding positions on a rectangular piece of paper. To perform show the paper with the drawings on it. Tear it into three pieces and place them in the hat or bag. Have someone blindfold you and request either a circle or a star to be pulled from the bag. The secret is that the circle will have two ragged edges. The stars will only have one ragged edge. All you have to do is feel for the correct number of ragged edges!

5 151 West 26 th St (212) New York, NY presents The Balsters= DUCK SOUP Study Guide DUCK SOUP is a fun-filled magic show in which Tim and Robin Balster dazzle audiences with their display of prestidigitation! This fast-paced spectacle features large illusions such as the "Broomstick Suspension," an amazing defiance of gravity; "Metamorphosis", Houdini's mysterious masterpiece; and ADuck Soup,@ in which kids learn to follow instructions. Below, Tim and Robin have provided some suggestions and background informatio to help you integrate the performance into your curriculum; adjust activities according to the age of your students. VOCABULARY WORDS Review the following vocabulary words before or after the show; or have children look up the definitions. evaporate psychic examine escape recipe ingredients chef Extra credit (for older grades): metamorphosis, prestidigitation gimmick publicity stunt FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS During the DUCK SOUP trick, we talk about using lists and following instructions. In the case of DUCK SOUP, we use a list of ingredients and a recipe as our instructions. Use this -- and the Aresults@ of our recipe -- as a springboard for a discussion on how important it is to read through and understand instructions before beginning something. Also, talk about the importance of making and using lists so that things are not forgotten. MUSIC One of the pieces of music that is used in the show is Aram Khachaturian=s ASabre Dance@ from the ballet Gayaneh. Before the performance, play this piece for your students and tell them to listen for it during the show. After the performance, ask them if they recognized it and if they can remember which trick the music was played during. (HINT: it is played during the show=s signature piece, DUCK SOUP.) HISTORY HARRY HOUDINI ( ) was born in Budapest, Hungary. When he was four years old, the young Ehrich Weiss (he later changed his name to Harry Houdini as his Astage name@) came to the United States with his family; they settled in Appleton, Wisconsin. In addition to being one of the greatest magicians of all time, he was a master showman and an extraordinary escape artist. He staged spectacular escapes as publicity stunts in order to draw attention (and thereby sell tickets to his performances in theatres). We perform one of his most famous tricks as the finale of our show: the METAMORPHOSIS. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES Have younger students draw a picture of their favorite trick from the show. Older students can describe the trick in writing. (How do they think the trick was done?) Teach students some magic tricks from this study guide (see pages 2 & 3) or find a book about magic in your school library. After the students have mastered a trick or two, have a discussion about showmanship and acting skills. Using examples that they remember from the performance, talk about: speaking clearly and loudly, making eye contact with the audience, using facial expressions and body language, using music to enhance the performance, etc. Have students perform them for other classmates or as part of school assembly or talent show.

8 The Balsters= DUCK SOUP page 4 Study Guide BOOKS FOR MORE INFORMATION Blackstone, Harry. 200 Magic Tricks Anyone Can Do. Citadel Publishers, Borland, Kathryn Kilby. Helen Ross Speicher & Fred Irvin (Illus.) Harry Houdini : Young Magician (The Childhood of Famous Americans). Aladdin Paperbacks, (Ages 9-12). Broekel, Ray. Laurence B. White (Photog.). Abra-Ca-Dazzle : Easy Magic Tricks. Albert Whitman & Co., Frederick, Guy. Jason Hurst (Illus.). 101 Classic Magic Tricks. Sterling Publications, (Ages 9-12) Gordon, Lynn. Susan Synarski (Illus.). 52 Cool Tricks for Kids (52 Deck Series). Chronicle Books, (Ages 4-8). Kulling, Monica. Anne Reas (Illus.). The Great Houdini (Step into Reading : A Step 3 Book). Random Library, (Ages 9-12). Longe, Bob. The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Magic. Sterling Publications, ON THE INTERNET There are many websites about magic, but a good place to start is MAGICTRICKS.COM which has information about tricks and history, plus a glossary of magic terms (in addition to information on ordering from their catologue): Also check out the many links listed at ABOUT.COM=s section on Magic and Illusion:

9 presents The Balsters in THE WIZARD S APPRENTICE Magic Show STUDY GUIDE ABOUT THE SHOW Harriet Peabody enrolls at Willard the Wizard of Wisdom s school and becomes his apprentice. She learns that to become a wizard, it will take a lot of hard work and the three P s: patience, persistence, and practice. Through Willard s amazing magic tricks, she also discovers that the Dewey Decimal System is a great way to find the library books she needs. Meanwhile, an evil wizard named Lotar wants to get his hands on Willard s magic bookmark, which automatically finds any magic trick desired. Willard advises Harriet to study the techniques of Harry Houdini in case Lotar tries to trick her. She uses her new-found library skills and defeats the evil wizard with Houdini s Metamorphosis trick. Willard congratulates her people who can read, believe in themselves and work very hard always achieve great things and live happily ever after! VOCABULARY WORDS Review the following vocabulary words before or after the show; or have children look up the definitions. Apprentice Decimal Escape Hypnotize 151 West 26 th St. (212) New York, NY Metamorphosis Prestidigitation Persistence An expanded version of this study guide, including additional activities, is available upon request. HISTORY MELVIL DEWEY ( ) was born in Adams Center, NY. Melvil was one of the most famous American librarians. While attending Amherst College in Massachusetts, he began to create his system for organizing library books. By 1876 the system was complete and it is now known as the Dewey Decimal System. He became chief librarian of Columbia University of New York in He established the first school for training librarians at Columbia in He also founded the American Library Association and the Library Journal. From 1889 to 1906 he served as director of the New York State Library. HARRY HOUDINI ( ), whose real name was Ehrich Weiss, was born in Budapest, Hungary. He immigrated to the United States at the age of four and settled in Appleton, Wisconsin in He would later change his stage name to Harry Houdini, in tribute to the famous French illusionist Jean-Eugene Roert-Houdin. In addition to being one of the greatest magicians of all time, he was a master showman and an extraordinary escape artist. He used his escapes as publicity stunts to draw attention to and sell tickets to his performances in theaters. He could escape from just about anything ropes, handcuffs, locked boxes, even a jail cell! In 2002, the United States post office released a postage stamp featuring Houdini. He is considered to be one of the best-known performers of the 20 th century and to this day his name remains synonymous with magic and escape.

10 DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM Here are the basics of the Dewey Decimal System. Books are categorized by the subject, and are labeled with a three digit number. The first digit of the number determines what the main Dewey category the book belongs to: 000 Reference works (encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines) 100 Philosophy and psychology 200 Religion 300 Social sciences (law, education, customs, and everyday life) 400 Language 500 Basic sciences (mathematics, chemistry, biology) 600 Applied sciences (technology, medicine, engineering) 700 Arts (architecture, painting, music) 800 Literature (poetry, novels, plays) 900 Geography and History (atlases, local history) Each of the main categories is then broken down even further: The second digit tells you what subdivision a book belongs to. The third digit gives even more specific information regarding the subject matter of the book Additional digits following a decimal point narrow it down even further. The spine of a book in labeled with its Dewey number. Often the first three letters of the author s last name are listed below the number. The books are placed on the library shelves in order by their Dewey numbers. RESOURCES Your local library is an excellent place to learn magic. Most libraries have a wide variety of books on magic. Here are a few we recommend: Blackstone, Harry. 200 Magic Tricks Anyone Can Do. Citadel Publishers, Gordon, Lynn. 52 Cool Tricks for Kids (52 Deck Series). Chronicle Books, Kulling, Monica. The Great Houdini (Step into Reading: A Step 3 Book). Random Library, Tarr, Bill. Now You See It, Now You Don t: Lessons in Slight of Hand. Vintage Books, There are many websites about magic, but here are a few good places to start: There are also many books with library skills activities, and one of our favorites is: Lee, Carol and Janey Langford. Learning about Books & Libraries: A Gold Mine of Games. Highsmith Press, A good website to check out on this subject is:

12 Stretching Paper An optical illusion Here is an optical illusion that s easy to do and is a real fooler! THE EFFECT is that two paper or cardboard semi-circles or collars are displayed. They are shown to be the exact same size but when one of them is stretched it appears to be larger than the other one. The smaller looking one can then be stretched and made to look bigger than the other. TO PREPARE, carefully cut out the two collars below. They may be used as-is, or you may prepare one as a pattern and trace it onto a piece of poster board or use cardboard from a cereal of cracker box (This is recommended so that the paper collars don t accidentally rip during the performance.) TO PERFORM, hold the two collars together and show on both sides so that the audience can see that they are the same size. Next lay one of them on the table. Take the other and pretend to stretch it out. Here is where your acting skills are used. Pretend to strain your muscles and make your face turn red as if you were exerting a lot of effort to stretch it. Of course you do not really pull on or stretch the collar. Just pretend! Place the one that you have apparently stretched on the table just underneath the other one, just like they were before you cut them out, only closer together. The bottom edge of the top collar should be just touching the top edge of the bottom collar. When properly placed, the bottom collar will look larger than the top one. You may then take the top one and pretend to stretch it. Place it under the collar that was left on the table. Now it will appear larger!

13 Handkerchief Control The effect that the audience sees is that you show a handkerchief and pull it up through your hand. The handkerchief stands by itself. You wrap an imaginary hair around the handkerchief and it moves mysteriously back and forth. To perform, hold the handkerchief as in the first sketch, in your right hand. Now pull the handkerchief up through your left hand as in the second picture. Pull the handkerchief up about four inches in your left hand and it will stay when you take away your right hand as in the third picture. Now with your right hand, wrap an imaginary hair around the handkerchief, and then with your left thumb you can move the handkerchief back and forth as you see in the drawing. Stars and Circle Trick The effect is that a circle and two stars are drawn on a rectangular piece of paper. It is then torn into three pieces and the pieces are places in a hat or bag. The magician is blindfolded and is asked by the audience to pull out either a piece with a star or a circle. To the amazement of the audience, the magician gets it right every time. To prepare, note figures A, B, and C. Draw circles and stars in the corresponding positions on a rectangular piece of paper. To perform, show the paper with the drawings on it. Tear it into three pieces and place them in the hat or bag. Have someone blindfold you and request either a circle or a star to be pulled from the bag. The secret is that the circle will have two ragged edges. The stars will only have one ragged edge. All you have to do is feel for the correct number of ragged edges!

HARRY HOUDINI TRUE OR FALSE

HARRY HOUDINI TRUE OR FALSE Harry Houdini was one of the most famous performers of all time, but what do you know about the man behind the magician? Test your knowledge below! 1. Harry Houdini was born