Jay Sankey is a true magician's magician and is widely considered to be one of the most original thinkers and finest magic teachers alive today. He is also one of the most prolific magic creators on the planet. Visit http://www.sankeymagic.com for more information about Jay and Sankey Magic.
My advice is, if you don't already do SOME kind of sponge magic you are NUTS! Almost nothing is stronger than when people open their hand and those extra sponges appear. It always takes them "right back to wonder."
I worked with classic red balls for years, but I got sick and tired of playing hide and seek with them when they rolled off the table. I also got sick of the clown nose comments. This is why I further developed sponge magic.
I have spent many years developing material (plenty of classic sleights and several different routines) but the handling I do most often is a quick "Miser Dream." I slip my hands into my back pockets, grab the jumbo earplug in the left hand and one of the small earplugs into my right. Then I quickly pretend to "find" several earplugs on other people's elbows, ears, etc- and each time I pretend to put in into my left hand, but of course just hold out the same one earplug in my right.
To finish, I produce the earplug from my own ear (or wherever) and jam "everything" that is in my left hand into a spectator's hand. I just tap the back of their hand with the one small earplug and just stand back and SAY NOTHING - the longer they wait, the more tension builds and when they open their hand - BOOM. Talk about feeling like a REAL magician!
This is also a great trick for serious hecklers. They make some dumb comment and I say something back. And then when they make another dumb comment (which they almost always do) I just say, "I don't think you're listening," and I pretend to spot something in their ear. Finally, I just say "Ohhhh, that explains it!" and pretend to pull the jumbo earplug out of their ear. Without saying a word I've been able to make the heckler the butt of a great magic sight gag, with all his friends busting a gut. It's clear sailing for the rest of the show!
There are other great magicians who have created effects with stuff OTHER than sponges. "Lazarus" is a wonderful bar effect where the classic "do as I" routine is performed with matches.
"Re:Cap" is a very fresh transposition between a borrowed coin and the CAP of a salt shaker standing at the end of a table. Magicians constantly floor folks with this stunning opener for years.
There are a lot of different things magicians can do with sponges. Look around for a sponge magic trick to work into your routine. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the reactions you get from your audience.
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