Professor QB
07-23-2011, 12:23 PM
The Ali Bongo Hat is a great prop I use in most shows.
http://i1.ebayimg.com/01/i/001/47/73/8a16_12.GIF
It is cleverly folded so that at you unfold the had it make increasing larger hats.
The final hat is green on one side and has a goofy looking monster on the other.
The hat is made Tyvek. That's that paper they make envelopes out of that cannot be torn. It really holds up well.
There are lots of routines. I am a big fan of David Ginn's routine with it.
:star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
A couple of things on the Ali Bongo hat that I do and I'm hoping that others will post ideas for us to steal...er...look at.
First, since the hat is a fun bit of business more than a trick it is vital that the kids be laughing. So, I spend more time bantering with the volunteer before using the hat than I do before other volunteer helper type tricks.
Second, the reveal of the monster is the climax, so, you want to milk that and make sure that the audience reacts big. Be sure the child is facing you as you put the last hat on him (or her of course). When you have the hat on him and turn him around so the audience sees him all at once you get a MUCH bigger reaction than if you just put it on him.
Finally, I always make sure that when I take the hat off the volunteer he can't see the face at first. I tell him I don't know why they are laughing at our beautiful hat, while I gesture wildly with my arms moving the hat (face side to audience green side to volunteer). It is important to really telegraph to the audience that the volunteer is not seeing the face side.
This builds tension in the audience as the anticipate the moment when the volunteer will see the monster.
It is only then that I "inadvertently" turn the hat so the volunteer can see it. Nine times out of ten he won't look at it right away because the audience is going crazy, so I turn him about 90 degrees to the audience (with his right shoulder facing the front of the stage and his left shoulder facing the back of the stage). The volunteer is facing stage left.
Then I stand stage left (where I can talk to him but I still face the audience). I continue to gesture with the hat making sure that the face on the hat is now visible to him and the audience at the same time.
Often he still won't see the face so sometimes I hold it right in front of him.
When the volunteer sees, he usually reacts in some way or points at it and it is then that the audience releases all their built up tension in laughter or applause.
I'd love to see how some of the rest of you use the Ali Bongo Hat.
http://i1.ebayimg.com/01/i/001/47/73/8a16_12.GIF
It is cleverly folded so that at you unfold the had it make increasing larger hats.
The final hat is green on one side and has a goofy looking monster on the other.
The hat is made Tyvek. That's that paper they make envelopes out of that cannot be torn. It really holds up well.
There are lots of routines. I am a big fan of David Ginn's routine with it.
:star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
A couple of things on the Ali Bongo hat that I do and I'm hoping that others will post ideas for us to steal...er...look at.
First, since the hat is a fun bit of business more than a trick it is vital that the kids be laughing. So, I spend more time bantering with the volunteer before using the hat than I do before other volunteer helper type tricks.
Second, the reveal of the monster is the climax, so, you want to milk that and make sure that the audience reacts big. Be sure the child is facing you as you put the last hat on him (or her of course). When you have the hat on him and turn him around so the audience sees him all at once you get a MUCH bigger reaction than if you just put it on him.
Finally, I always make sure that when I take the hat off the volunteer he can't see the face at first. I tell him I don't know why they are laughing at our beautiful hat, while I gesture wildly with my arms moving the hat (face side to audience green side to volunteer). It is important to really telegraph to the audience that the volunteer is not seeing the face side.
This builds tension in the audience as the anticipate the moment when the volunteer will see the monster.
It is only then that I "inadvertently" turn the hat so the volunteer can see it. Nine times out of ten he won't look at it right away because the audience is going crazy, so I turn him about 90 degrees to the audience (with his right shoulder facing the front of the stage and his left shoulder facing the back of the stage). The volunteer is facing stage left.
Then I stand stage left (where I can talk to him but I still face the audience). I continue to gesture with the hat making sure that the face on the hat is now visible to him and the audience at the same time.
Often he still won't see the face so sometimes I hold it right in front of him.
When the volunteer sees, he usually reacts in some way or points at it and it is then that the audience releases all their built up tension in laughter or applause.
I'd love to see how some of the rest of you use the Ali Bongo Hat.