Talkmagic.co.uk

Jing · Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 8:49 pm Post subject: Cups and Balls

What do you think of the cups and balls, as a routine and story? It's certainly a classic and some people believe magicians should be graded on how well they perform the trick.

For me, most magicians don't seem to give it much depth, it's showy to watch but it is just the magician standing there performing, saying look what i can do, watch me trick you. I'd like to see a bit more magic in it...

I like Rene Levand's Crumbs and cup trick which is the simplest of tricks but very entertaing. I also saw Tim Ellis, do a chop cup routine, worked around an american diner and i liked that way of thinking. His finish was to turn the cup upright and produce a milkshake from it.

What do you think of the cups and balls? What ways do you perfrom it? Any interesting stories or patter or ideas?
I like to see your views...

Alan Jackson · Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2004 12:05 pm Post subject:

Prince Charles performed the Cups and Balls for his Magic Circle audition.

bananafish · Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2004 12:15 pm Post subject:

My favourite is still Tim Ellis's "Runaround Sue" version, set in a 1950's style diner. It is all wonderfully choreographed to music, and the final load, had to be seen to be believed.

http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic2362.php&highlight=

Sadly - it looks like the link to the movie clip is no longer there. If anyone can refind where the "seemagic" site is now, I wuld love to watch it again (and again...)

Michael Jay · Advanced Member Joined: 14 Jul 2004 Posts: 1107

Off Topic: I am presently researching the "See Magic" site. I had it indexed in another area and a member pointed out that the site was not open anymore. Life is so filled with coincidences...Life is really strange (this was brought to my attention just today, in fact). If anyone finds any information on the See Magic site, please let me know.

Mike.

magicandrew · Junior Member Joined: 11 Sep 2004 Posts: 12

if you are willing to just get any ordinary obgects around the house that fit into the cups and balls. the play around with them and suddenly you develop routines like i have. produce 3 jugggling balls out of the cups and then juggle them make them disssappersr and reapper under the cups.
the cups and balls is by far the most easy and flexible trick that u can use. Smile

magicdiscoman · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2004 11:30 am Post subject:

when i was doing the cups and balls trick i used three different chop cups and a set of dice, finishing with three jumbo die.

magicandrew · Junior Member Joined: 11 Sep 2004 Posts: 12

wow!!
that just goes to show that with ordinary objects u can still perform miracles.
i preffer using ordinary cups instead of chock cups.
i use a lot of slight of hand instead.
but sounds like arelly cool routine i might try it
Thanx Surprised

magicdiscoman · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2004 4:15 pm Post subject:

each of my final load die were 3 set multiplying dice so i had a folow on if i wanted.

magicandrew · Junior Member Joined: 11 Sep 2004 Posts: 12

great.
have the cups suddenly lift of the table and the dice multipliing under it. Surprised

Paulajayne · Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2004 12:47 pm Post subject:

With Cups and Balls get the people involved,

Get them to hold the invisible ball and throw it at the cup.

Let them use the wand to tap the cups.

Paula

truffler · Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:31 pm Post subject:

Hi mate,
I've been performing the cups and balls on the street for a while now (me pic on magic week at the mo doing just that). i recommend dai vernons routine as a base to build on because you can get the audience involved easily and if you play with it enough you will find your own adaptations. I think that some routines are visually more impressive but this offers a lot more scope for entertainment. i recommend trying it in front of an audience as soon as possible because it's an easy one to keep putting off. A great trick to use at the end of a routine. People love it.

SlipperyPenguin · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 10:07 am Post subject:

Hi guys..

Having seen some cup and ball routines.. can anyone suggest the best to buy in terms of learning for someone who has never done this.

I quite fancy playing with the cups and balls routine (I really like the lemons appearing) but really have no idea how this is done or what trick props (if any) are used.

So.. can anyone suggest a version that I can buy (equipment.. dvd.. book etc) that will get me started so I can really start to baffle people with it.

Thanks

Slippery

Mandrake · . Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Posts: 13585 Location: UK (60:AH)

As a start, you might want to have a look at http://store.yahoo.com/ammarmagic/cupandbalpro.html and check out his individual Cups and Balls offerings but bear in mind that the book, The Magic of Michael Ammar, also contains C&B routines. One of these days I'll get round to trying it but, like you, I'm still trying to figure out which are the best cups and balls props to but - there are so many and they all seem to boast advantages over each other!

daleshrimpton · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:21 am Post subject:

The thing with the cups and balls is it is an effect that has gone into folk law.
Audiences know what to expect, and have done for at least a thousand years, so therefore they do not need a story.
Besides, having objects go from one cup to another, vanishing , and appearing is so visual , no verbal description could improve on it. In fact a tale of say, how an emperor hid his pearls beneath golden cups, could make the effect a bit twee.( although the example I have just given does have promise...Hmmmmmm.)

You must remember that, in all probability the cups is a version of an old gambling scam, and has only become a magic trick in the last 500 years or so. The paintings of Bosch, and the engravings of Hogarth quite clearly show that this is more than a possibility.
It may indeed be that the shell and pea game, is a lot closer to the original effect than ammars cup routine.
this may explain why there are records of cups performances going way back, but they don't mention any other effects. The performer, was not a magician, but a confidence trickster.
And i can imagine that the magician, introduced the effect to his act, in the same way many card men now demonstrate the 3 card Monte. To warn his patrons about the evils of street gambling, and the inevitable parting with their hard earned money.

magicdiscoman · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:53 pm Post subject:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0894716239/qid=1097592576/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-8892462-4635055

in a word, well a few i can't recomend highly enough mark wilson's complete course in magic it still is my bible and has a whole section detailing the cups and balls routine from start to finish as well as tricks on cards and silks and illusions, well everything realy.