World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

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Mark Jensen
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World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Mark Jensen » March 29th, 2004, 6:42 pm

Hi,

I know it's only opinion, but I would like some input into who you think the top 5 Egg Bag Performers in the world are today and a brief explaination why.

Thanks,

Mark

Jeff Eline
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Jeff Eline » March 29th, 2004, 6:50 pm

Only three because I've see these performances:

1. Jeff Hobson
2. Johnny Thompson
3. Denny Haney

And I think (not sure) they're all doing variations of Malini's egg bag routine. These performances are great because, like most good magic, it's not about the bag or egg. It's the performer and the interaction with the spectator.

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Carl Mercurio » March 29th, 2004, 7:02 pm

David Ben has a good one, based largely on routines by Ross and Ross (Faucett and Bertram).

I think they use the Sterling bag, which I believe is the same as the Mardo bag made by Martin. I also use the Mardo bag made by Martin.

There is a long, long thread on this Forum started by me about why I thought the Egg Bag sucked. Now it's a major part of my stage and platform act. The boys on the Forum set me straight. Or maybe I just finally worked out a routine I really enjoyed performing--one that as you say is less about the stupid bag and more about having some fun.

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MaxNY
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby MaxNY » March 29th, 2004, 7:06 pm

Eric DeCamps, without a doubt!

Brad Henderson
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Brad Henderson » March 29th, 2004, 10:53 pm

Bob White

Jeff Haas
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Jeff Haas » March 29th, 2004, 11:00 pm

Mr. Mysto!

pixsmith
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby pixsmith » March 30th, 2004, 7:24 am

Two different but equally entertaining routines --

Jeff Hobson -- terrifically funny and great interaction

Bob White -- that egg is nowhere in that bag -- until it is -- repeatedly

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 30th, 2004, 9:18 am

Jonathan Neal Brown!

I saw him perform his routine at Wizards. Very polished.

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Pete Biro
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Pete Biro » March 30th, 2004, 9:40 am

Hobson gets the most out of it
Johnny Thompson KO's with it
Harry Riser baffles with it
Charlie Miller KO'd with it
Ken Brooke KO'd with it
Persi Diaconis KO's with it
Jay Marshall, likewise

Note: The Malini bag is in fact one designed by Charlie Miller with Harry Riser, and Harry's wife Margi making the prototypes with input from Diaconis.

And, being humble, I add my name to the list as my routine plays extremely strong as well, as learned from Ken Brooke with help from Charlie Miller and Persi Diaconis.
Stay tooned.

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 30th, 2004, 10:51 am

Pete,

I have just aquired the Ken Brooke manuscript and there is your name with acknowledegment from the great man.

Can I ask, do you still perform this routine as described i.e. with two spectators up on stage or something else?

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Pete Biro
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Pete Biro » March 30th, 2004, 11:17 am

IMHO that is the ONLY way to do the routine. You need both for the byplay and to have them hold your wrists, etc.

Yes, I was involved in making the instructions. What I did was to make pencil drawings of Ken's hands as he did each move. Then we sent the drawings to Sid Lorraine, who did the final inking and improvements to my sketches.

Doing this with Ken was what really helped me to learn the handling.

Thanks, pb
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Steve Bryant
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Steve Bryant » March 30th, 2004, 11:52 am

I've seen most of the above routines and think that Martin Lewis's routine, using a spec's [censored], tops them all. Sooo funny. Of course, that doesn't qualify it as an EGG bag.

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 30th, 2004, 12:27 pm

Thank you Pete.

It is amazing how often when researching a classic effect that one ends up at a Ken Brooke routine.

I never had the honour to meet him but my father did when visiting his Magic Place. He would always sell him a great routine - then again by all accounts a great salesman as well. I have my original Chop Cup and Nemo Jumbo Rising Cards bought from him. (Which reminds me, I must start using nemo.)

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 30th, 2004, 6:38 pm

With a feeling of veneration and deep respect I add the name of Louis McCord.

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 31st, 2004, 8:38 am

Originally posted by tonga:
With a feeling of veneration and deep respect I add the name of Louis McCord.
Hi Tonga!

That is a name from the distant past. Did you see McCord perform? Not many of us around that did at this point. He died in what, '63? My memories are vague, which is good, I think. I remember the magic, but not the methods, and the memories are great!

Best, PSC

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 31st, 2004, 1:01 pm

I saw both Silent Mora and Louis McCord -- two different acts. I thought Silent Mora one of the great magicians. I thought Louis McCord one of the gret entertainers. I wnted him for a grandfather -- and I was close to forty when I saw him After more than forty years since then I still think warmly of him. He was a master entertainer.
tong 3/31/04

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Pete Biro
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Pete Biro » April 1st, 2004, 9:41 am

Glenn Haywood had one great routine using a golf ball instead of an Egg (I believe he learned this from Steve Shephard).

The finish of the routine where Glenn produce a shot glass of whiskey, held it under the guy's nose, then drank it, but then he produced a second glass and gave to the helper was priceless, with the gags and bits of business.

I believe Glenn published it in a set of notes years ago.
Stay tooned.

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Gary Kosnitzky
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Gary Kosnitzky » April 5th, 2004, 3:27 pm

I read this today in the Las Vegas Review Journal.
"Excalibur Hotel comedian Jeff Hobson performed his "egg-in-a-bag" trick with a different twist over the weekend. He pulled Holly Sheffer of Biglerville, Pa., out of the audience during Hobson's last bit in the show. The trick calls for an audience helper to make an egg appear in a velvet bag. Instead, when Sheffer opened the bag, the egg had transformed into a ring box. And Sheffer's boyfriend, Eric Straight, came on stage and proposed. She said yes".

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Glenn Farrington » April 6th, 2004, 6:43 am

I love Eric Decamps ending, Johnny Thompson has a solid routie with it but my vote for the best routine and audience reaction goes to Denny Haney!
Comedy's Easy...Dying Sucks.

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Matthew Field
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Matthew Field » April 6th, 2004, 8:27 am

I'd nominate Tom Mullica and Billy McComb along with Johnny Thompson, Charley Miller and Denny Haney. Jamy Ian Swiss also performs an excellent Egg Bag.

Matt Field

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Pete Biro » April 6th, 2004, 8:58 am

I believe Denny does the routine as written by Ken Brooke... a routine that is hard to beat.

I use it and break a major rule... close with a trick that has spectators up helping you.

But, I find it hard to follow.

During my show/lecture etc., at the coming Kramien Northwest Jamboree, in Portland, OR, I am going to do an "egg bag workshop" with the Miller/Malini bag.
Stay tooned.

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » April 8th, 2004, 11:45 am

I'd put my money on Ron Bauer.

I've seen RB perform his "Siamese Goose Egg Bag" from his Private Studies Series for the public and it kills.

If you're serious about learning the egg bag I'd check it out.

Tom

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David O
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby David O » April 10th, 2004, 10:01 pm

Bob White deserves more votes here!!

Unfortunately, he doesn't get around as much as some of the others mentioned (of those that are still with us).

I saw Bob fool, yes fool, a room full of competent magicians with an egg bag. Yes, he was entertaining and blew away a layman volunteer, as well.
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Steve Bryant
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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Steve Bryant » April 11th, 2004, 9:14 am

Tom Mullica also has an outstanding routine, detailed in Richard's book. (AND a brilliant cups and balls routine, for those reading the other thread.)

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Pete Biro » April 11th, 2004, 10:57 am

At the Koming Kramien Konvention I'm going to do a sequence with an egg and a paper bag (with a Jack Miller H.O.) that will be fun. Then, on the Saturday Show my goofy Malini bag.
Stay tooned.

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » April 11th, 2004, 1:11 pm

I'll put in my vote for Bob White. I think it was one of the most amazing things seeing him perform his egg bag routine.

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 20th, 2006, 9:28 pm

Ken Brooke was the best I knew..He had the best bag material and a lot of great moves and quips...

He taught me to have two audience members up on both sides and ask the girl...Do you see anything here? And then you go " what do you mean not much?"

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 20th, 2006, 10:32 pm

I've seen many and my favorite is John Carney's routine. I am not sure how it differs from Mr. Misto's routine but it seems flawless.

I think having the 2 spectators is key as well.


I was thinking over the past weekend about the following equation:

eggbag = chopcup

and wondered whether I could build a rotuine based on the chop cup.

I also never liked the rings, cups, eggbag for quite a while. Now they are what I enjoy the most.

I still have yet to be satisfied with the bag itself and started making them the way I like them.

Gotta love the eggbag.

Guest

Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 20th, 2006, 10:59 pm

Make sure to check out Benson's Bizarre Bag in the upcoming Roy Benson by Starlight (the printer finishes it March 31). Benson starts with one egg and ends with six loaded into the bag in front of the spectator's eyes. Brilliant.

Guest

Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 21st, 2006, 9:43 am

Also I have to add Mike Caveney to the list. His egg bag at the L.A. Migic History Convention also KO'ed everyone.

Guest

Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 21st, 2006, 11:29 am

Originally posted by Todd Karr:
Make sure to check out Benson's Bizarre Bag in the upcoming Roy Benson by Starlight (the printer finishes it March 31). Benson starts with one egg and ends with six loaded into the bag in front of the spectator's eyes. Brilliant.
I believe this was originally published in the "Phoenix" (or "New Phoenix") magazine. I remember finding this gem in the CDROM version of the magazine not long after seeing the Levent presentation on Benson at the last "Magic Live". Very clever and practical.

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Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 21st, 2006, 11:41 am

In his monthly "Dean's List" column in the February M-U-M, George Schindler lists the following 11 egg bag workers and gives his reasons for listing them:
Eric DeCamps, Bob Elliot, Denny Haney, Jeff Hobson, Eric Lewis, Malini, Billy McComb, Charlie Miller, Harry Riser, Johnny Thompson and Bob White.

Guest

Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 21st, 2006, 4:42 pm

Arthur Trace also does a wonderful job with the egg bag. He has framed the piece with a original presentation that is not only amazing, but also quite beautiful. If you haven't seen it check out the picture in April's Genii magazine.

Guest

Re: World's Best Egg Bag Performers?

Postby Guest » March 21st, 2006, 8:58 pm

One thing I never hear discussed very often is the fact that the Egg Bag can be done close-up. I used to do it for trade shows and it always got a fantastic reaction.

Tony Brent
Outta Control Magic Show
Orlando, Florida


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