Love them or hate them as a magician, you have to realize that lay audiences are fooled and entertained by sponge magic. I remember the feeling I felt when I saw someone perform the sponge balls for the first time. I was in Houdini's Magic Shop in Vegas and I watched a demonstrator vanish a ball and it appeared in a spectator's hand. I was floored. Even if you never perform them, sponge ball magic is like cups and balls. The lessons you learn as you put together a routine, will serve you well as you grow in your magic. Misdirection, audience control, naturalness, all of these and more will become part of your repertoire as you study sponge ball magic. This new DVD set by Daryl is THE place to learn magic with sponges.
The set stars Daryl, who is, to me, one of the best teachers in magic. He has real world experience and is the 'real deal' when it comes to performing for lay people. Throughout the set, Daryl teaches, not only sponge ball magic, but tips on magic in general. Whether a newbie to magic, or a pro, you will find at least one thing on this set that you can add to your knowledge base.
The four discs cover overlapping information. For instances, most of the DVDs have a section on Vanishes. The information is not duplicated across discs and the volumes do not need to be viewed sequentially. Daryl covers effects and moves by Fred Kaps, Frank Garcia, Mark Leveridge, Dan Garrett, Pat Page, John Carney and more. Credit is given to each creator. I can't go into detail on everything that is covered, so I will do a quick highlight reel.
On Volume 1: keep your eyes open for a production of a sponge ball between the hands by mark Leveridge.
On Volume 2: Ball from Spectators coat with a killer subtlety by FLIP. Peter Samelson's method for sawing a ball in two.
On Volume 3: Cleaning and caring for your sponge ball. Daryl's routine for the sponge rabbits, "Pappa Rabbit Hits the Big Time," is worth adding to your repertoire. Daryl also teaches a great Benson Bowl routine. There is a routine called FLIGHT OF THE SPONGE BALL on this disc that fooled me.
On Volume 4: Balls from mouth is a great comedy bit. John Carney's single ball production looks like the ball just appears between your fingers.
The Master Course in Sponge Balls by Daryl is probably the best resource out there when it comes to learning about sponge magic. He has collected routines, vanishes and productions from sources both new and old. I enjoy collections like this that show the possibilities that exist with a certain prop and then allow the magician to piece together his own routine. A highly recommend this set. The best part is, it's relatively cheap!
