Price$39.95
Media TypeTrick
CategoryComedy
Date AddedSep 17, 2009
The Amazing Twenty Dollar Bill Trick
Hal Spear and Paul Romhany
(Based on 1 review)
- Paul Romhany
Explaining that he is trying out a new trick, the performer follows along to an instructional CD only to have the volunteer's borrowed and signed twenty dollar bill totally destroyed. The instructional CD is no help as it ends abruptly, telling the performer if he wants to learn the secret to magic Lesson number two - he has to buy magic lesson number three!
Left with no recourse, the Magician says he's going to let the volunteer keep the Amazing Twenty Dollar Bill Trick as pay back.
Now get this - the volunteer, who has been holding the box the Amazing Twenty Dollar Bill Trick came in the entire time, is asked by the Magician as a last ditch effort to check inside for the trouble-shooting DVD. The spectator opens the package, takes out the DVD case, opens it where inside is a sealed windowed envelope that says TROUBLE SHOOTING. But wait - seen inside the window of the sealed envelope is a signed twenty dollar bill. And yes - lo and behold - it is the spectators signed twenty dollar bill!
After our performer screams that he's returning the trick in the morning - the Voice Over pops back on for one last word - very funny, unexpected closer.
This is just the basic effect. The Amazing Twenty Dollar Bill Trick is filled with comedic twists and turns and is soo easy to do!
Comprehensive DVD with Paul's handling and bonus ideas.
Quality made CD with professional voice over including two shorter versions of the routine and the full seven minute version.
Quality made props.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Paul Romhany’s “Amazing twenty dollar bill trick†is an attempt to replicate the feel of the ubiquitous “Banana Bandana trickâ€. Admittedly, the banana trick has reached a certain level of saturation in the magic community. Paul explains why he no longer can or wants to continue to perform that trick and his reasons are very good.
However, the “Amazing twenty dollar bill trickâ€, does not quite get the job done. It has some great bones and I think with a little more thought this could turn into a very fine performance piece. However, in its current configuration it has a few problems.
One: One of the reasons the banana trick is funny is because the word banana is funny. Saying “bananaâ€, seeing a banana, and folding a banana is all inherently funny without even trying. Additionally, the fact that banana and bandana are confused at the beginning of the trick adds a very nice clever factor. There is nothing inherently funny about a twenty dollar bill.
Two: Once the banana trick begins, it is very clear to the audience that the magician is in trouble and they have no idea how he is going to get out of this predicament. With the Twenty Dollar Bill trick, the problem is a bit contrived and the fact that you apparently tear the bill in quarters does not really sell to the audience that you are in trouble. I think any reasonably intelligent audience will understand that you could simply tape the bill back together. Perhaps if the bill/envelope was placed in a shredder the effect would be a bit stronger in the line of “magician in troubleâ€.
Three: In the banana trick the audience has no idea how this trick is going to end. In the Twenty Dollar trick, it is fairly evident that the twenty dollar bill will be returned to the spectator in some clever way. Unfortunately, this comes off more like a bill to impossible location rather than a comedy magician in trouble skit.
The handling and props are all very well made and the method is clever. I just don’t believe that this will replace the Banana Bandana. With a different script however, this could be a killer effect.
However, the “Amazing twenty dollar bill trickâ€, does not quite get the job done. It has some great bones and I think with a little more thought this could turn into a very fine performance piece. However, in its current configuration it has a few problems.
One: One of the reasons the banana trick is funny is because the word banana is funny. Saying “bananaâ€, seeing a banana, and folding a banana is all inherently funny without even trying. Additionally, the fact that banana and bandana are confused at the beginning of the trick adds a very nice clever factor. There is nothing inherently funny about a twenty dollar bill.
Two: Once the banana trick begins, it is very clear to the audience that the magician is in trouble and they have no idea how he is going to get out of this predicament. With the Twenty Dollar Bill trick, the problem is a bit contrived and the fact that you apparently tear the bill in quarters does not really sell to the audience that you are in trouble. I think any reasonably intelligent audience will understand that you could simply tape the bill back together. Perhaps if the bill/envelope was placed in a shredder the effect would be a bit stronger in the line of “magician in troubleâ€.
Three: In the banana trick the audience has no idea how this trick is going to end. In the Twenty Dollar trick, it is fairly evident that the twenty dollar bill will be returned to the spectator in some clever way. Unfortunately, this comes off more like a bill to impossible location rather than a comedy magician in trouble skit.
The handling and props are all very well made and the method is clever. I just don’t believe that this will replace the Banana Bandana. With a different script however, this could be a killer effect.