MAGIC DRAWING BOARD CHRISTMAS ROUTINE

INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE TRACKS

“CHRISTMAS MAGIC” 8 min.

Return to AxTrax Web Page
FOR USE WITH THE AXTELL “PRO MAGIC DRAWING BOARD.”

DIV. OF AXTELL EXPRESSIONS! (805) 642-7282

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY: STEVE AXTELL

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR: BILL BOLEY

MUSIC, SOUND EFFECTS AND ENGINEERING BY: GREG JACKSON

RECORDED AT: TREEHOUSE PRODUCTIONS AND AXTELL ENTERTAINMENT

LEGAL NOTICE: By purchasing this routine you have the right to perform this routine and it’s musical

components in live performances only. Not for use on television or on Video Productions without written permission. Limited Warranty of 3 weeks to replace damaged media. No refunds on electronic media.

SEE OTHER AXTRAX AVAILABLE FOR THE MAGIC DRAWING BOARD AND AXTELL PUPPETS AT www.axtell.com

CD TRACK #1: Performance (Does not include your practice lines - use this to perform live.)

CD TRACK #2: Rehearsal (Includes your practice lines (YOU) that you will perform live.)

CDTRACKS #3-11: (Music only. For vents who want to do both parts and cue the music.

Cues are numbered in the script.)

#3: Medley 1

#4: O Christmas Tree

#5: Up on the Housetop

#6: Moving Eyes

#7: Specks

#8: Chestnuts

#9: We Wish You 1

#10: We Wish You 2

#11: Closing music

PAUSES HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE RECORDING TO ANTICIPATE AUDIENCE LAUGHTER

YOU CAN MODIFY THE (YOU) LINES TO FIT YOUR PERSONALITY. REWRITE AND BE CREATIVE!

SOUND ADVISE: You can perform this routine by playing the CD on a quality "boom box" portable stereo player in small areas, or over a professional sound system in large areas such as an auditorium or outside. Do not play on a small inexpensive CD player because the sound will distort when you try to play it loudly.

The CD should be played with plenty of volume. Kids will be laughing hard and will miss the routine if it is too quiet, and adults may keep laughter to a minimum for fear of missing parts of the program. The volume of the CD should be set about the same as if you were speaking over a microphone to be heard by the group, or louder.

It is best to have the CD played over a public address system and have the soundman preset the volume level to be compatible with the your microphone level.

Read your Magic Drawing Board instructions and learn how to operate the board before learning this routine. You will gain insight from the instructions that will help you with the acting out of this routine. To operate the mouth, press down on the lever approximately once per syllable, for example, the word “Hello”.

“HEL - LO!”

We are providing a medley of music for you to make some Christmas drawings with your audience members. This is optional of course, but it provides some time to draw and erase off the board, casually demonstrating that the board is nothing special, just a drawing board.

YOU: I need 2 volunteers to come up here. (Greet them) I am going to turn you into instant Christmas artists and have you draw a few things. (You could dress them up etc.) Warm them up by saying “wee, wee” (French artist talk), and by practicing flamboyant arm gestures (expressionistic style - anything to get them laughing). Good, now many artists use music to influence their drawings, so to get you in the mood for drawing Christmas things, I will put on some Christmas music for you. (Turn on CD)

#3: Medley (Deck the Halls, Joy to the World) – 1:00 minute

NOTE: This section is the audience set up. This establishes that the board is a normal drawing board that gives strong psychological impact to your performance later. (Do not make the mistake of queuing the audience to the fact that you will make Santa come to life, etc.) The simple fact that you had a couple of volunteers draw on the board, and then you erased the drawings will be all you need to do to add the power later.

Ask the first volunteer their name and have them draw one of the following objects: Star - Candy cane - bell - Angel - manger - Holly - anything but Santa or a Christmas tree. (Save these for you to draw). The sequence of this section should be: (1- Tell them what to draw, 2- Have them draw it, 3- Talk about the drawing, 4- Erase the drawing, and 5- go to the next volunteer.)

Some ideas: As they draw a candy cane you could say, “a candy cane reminds us about how sweet we should treat each other at this time of year!” For a manger say something like, “this manger that Harold drew reminds us that the baby Jesus was born on Christmas to save us from our sin”. For a drawing of a snowflake, say something like, “this must be a snowflake because this board is getting cold.....brrrrr...I better see if I can get it to melt brrr. (Erase it) Or you could have them draw mistletoe and hold the board over your head for a kiss. Be creative.

When you hear the music ending you need to have managed your volunteers to be back in their seats. If they are going too slow you should stop the CD before it continues into your next tree routine.

YOU: I’d like to show you something brand new that I just bought. It’s a “Music Marker”. Here, I’ll try it out for you.

#4: Oh Christmas Tree – 1:06 minute

After the short musical introduction of this song, place your marker in the top center of the board around 1/4th down from the top. (Leave room to draw the star on the top of the tree).

8 RASPY MELODY NOTES

As you hear the deep electric guitar play it’s 8 raspy notes, you draw a synchronized zig zag to look like the left side of the tree. See figure 1. Do this somewhat aggressively, so you represent the harsh tones.

7 TINY NOTES.

Place 7 dots on the tree to represent little lights or bulbs. Make them simple pecks so it looks like you are making the musical notes. See fig 2. Be very accurate. Then look up to your audience for a laugh.

8 MORE RASPY NOTES

Make the right side of the tree, synchronizing to the music......

7 MORE TINY NOTES.

Complete this section with 7 more musical dots. Now, with your best acting possible, pantomime like you

are preparing for something really difficult. Crack your knuckles, or warm up your arm , or switch markers

while giving your audience eyebrow raises.....etc.......

3 SLEIGH BELL RINGS

This is a timing queue so you can prepare to draw

4 DROOPY MELODY PHRASES

Draw one long line (of draping garland) beginning at the

top left, dipping down in the middle, going over to the right

side then back to left side, and finally back to right side.

You will hear the 4 different phrases of music here, and

each of the levels of your garland represent one phrase.

7 SLOW BELL NOTES

Draw 4 circles (Christmas bulb ornaments) on the tip of each of the 4 left branches. And 3 on the right

starting with the right top branch. As you touch the last branch with your marker, you pull it back quick and

gasp, “AHHHH!” then close your eyes tightly

and grit your teeth.......as if the glass bulb

was going to hit the floor.

Sound effect: crash! (LAUGHTER)

Open your eyes. Embarrassingly pick up the broken glass and put it in your pocket or on a nearby stand. Then place

your marker on the last branch at about the exact time of the.....

LAST SLOW BELL NOTE

Draw the last bulb on, and look at your audience with a smile (LAUGHTER)

LOW NOTES

Draw the base or trunk of the tree much like a simple 3 sided box. The first note is just the sound of

the marker touching the plastic, and then the three other sounds are the sounds of the lines being

drawn.

BRIGHT NOTES

Draw a 5 line star (one line for each of the 5 notes you year).

LAST BRIGHT NOTE

Strike your marker in the center of the star making a quick dot, quickly pulling your hand away from the picture and

allow your marker to vibrate a little while you take a bow.

(Applause here - if you’ve milked it right)

(Erase the board.)

#5: Up on the Housetop – 1:05 minutes (Draw Santa)

YOU: Thank you. Now I want you to help me make a drawing of Santa Claus. First I’ll draw a big circle to make his head.

NOTE: Now, ask them to tell you what else the drawing needs. Usually they say “eyes” next. If so, draw the two eye circles, then lower the board about 4 inches and reach across the eye areas, covering them with your arm and marker. Lowering the board makes it easier for the angle of your arm to cover both circles. Tilt the tip of the marker inward toward the center of your hand so they can’t see the end. (Your arm is hiding the circles as you pretend to be drawing the pupil of the far eye.) Wiggle your hand and marker pretending to draw the far pupil in the far circle. Under cover of your arm, pull the eye lever centered in the slot. The pupils are now exposed in the squares, but still hidden from the audience.

Next pull your arm inward toward the other eye, exposing the pupil in the first eye, and pretend to draw the next pupil in the next eye.

You are done with the only difficult maneuver in the routine - the pupils. If you find this too challenging, you can CHEAT (just don't tell me about it). HOW TO CHEAT: After drawing the circles, turn the board around with the back to the audience, so you can pretend to draw them both in (while sliding the lever over.) Please try to do the eyes the hard way it’s sooooo much better.

As you hear the music come to an end, you must have the drawing completed as shown.

#6: Moving eyes

Note: During this part of the routine, the 5 faster notes at the end of the musical cue will tell you that you must

now see the eyes move, setting up the final musical burst (and your shock!).

YOU: Now that we’ve drawn Santa, let’s draw some of his… (KIDS SCREAMING AS EYES MOVE)

What’s the matter?

NOTE: First move the pupils away from you then, toward you then away them finally toward you again. Remember that you don’t see it moving, allow your audience to see it, they will get quite excited and begin pointing.

…What’s the matter? (keep moving the eyes) (KIDS SCREAM EVEN LOUDER!)

(You look at Santa- his eyes stop moving)

What do you mean he’s moving? It’s just a drawing!

(Continue looking back and forth between Santa and audience, stopping his eyes every time you look at him)

Santa can’t move. This is just a drawing! (KIDS CONTINUE SCREAMING)

(Finally you look at Santa and you see his eyes move toward you. You react in shock).

His eyes moved!! I can’t believe it! This can’t be…you’re alive!