August 2017 Volume 107 Number 3
MASTERS OF ILLUSION BEHIND THE SCENES PAGE 36
MAGIC - UNITY - MIGHT Editor Michael Close Editor Emeritus David Goodsell Associate Editor Editor W.S. Duncan Du ncan Proofreader & Copy Editor Lindsay Smith Art Director Director Lisa Close Online Edition Coordinator Bruce Kalver Publisher Society of American Magicians, 4927 S. Oak Ct., Littleton, CO 80127 Copyright © 2015 Subscription is through membership in the Society and and annual dues of $65, of which $40 is for 12 issues of M-U-M. All inquiries concerning membership, change of address, and missing or replacement replacement issues should be addressed to: Manon Rodriguez, National Administrator 4927 S. Oak Ct. Littleton, CO 80127
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AUGUST 2017
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AUGUST A UGUST 2017 Volume 107 Number 3
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S.A.M. NEWS 6 8 11 34 35 35 69
From the Editor’s Desk From the President’s Desk M-U-M Assembly A ssembly News
New Members & Reinstatements Broken Wands Good Cheer List Our Advertisers
Cover Story Page 36
THIS MONTH’S FEATURES 10 The Dean’s Dean’s Diary • by George Schindler 10 Basil the Bafling • by Alan Wassilak
26 Life is Good • by David David Oliver 30 Trick from fr om a Member • by Chong Huang 32 The High Road • by Mick Ayres Ayres 36 COVER STORY STORY • Masters of Illusion Illusion 42 Magical Masterpieces and More • by David David Haversat 44 Cheats and Deceptions Deceptions • by by Antonio M. Cabral 46 No Smoke, Smoke, No Mirrors • by David David Corsaro 48 Backstage Backst age • by Paul Stone 50 Between the Lines • by Michael Michael Perovich Perovich 52 Mind Craft • Jim Kleefeld 56 A Brief Moment Moment in Time • by Gary Plants 60 Informed Opinion Opinion • New Product Product Reviews 68 Tech Tricks Tricks • by Bruce Kalver 69 Inside Straight Straight • by Norman Norman Beck 70 Personal Personal Magic • Eric Er ic Lewis Cover Photo Courtesy of Masters of Illusion
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M-U-M (ISSN (ISSN 00475300 USPS 323580) is published monthly for $40 per year by The Society of American Magicians, 4927 S. Oak Ct. Littleton, CO 80127. Periodical postage paid at Littleton, CO and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to M-U-M , c/o Manon Rodr iguez, 4927 S. Oa k Ct. Littleton, CO 80127. 80127.
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discuss those stories. Just remember, in any decision, the desires of the network override everyone else, including producers and magic consultants. My point is: be happy that magic is popular on TV right now; use that popularity to your advantage. And don’t get bent out shape if you see something you don’t like because it doesn’t Editor's Desk of t with your conception of what magic is. I guarantee there’s a Michael Close story behind it. The producers of TV magic shows walk a ne tightrope, satisfying the needs of the executives who make the By the time you read this, the fourth season of Masters of show possible while still honoring honor ing the art ar t of magic. Take my word word isn’t easy. Illusion will have already begun on the CW network. Magic is for it; it isn’t riding high on primetime TV these days: America’s Two-thirds of summer has sped by, but there’s still time to America’s Got Talent regularly features magicians (PNP Vinny plant yourself on a beach chair with a good Grosso recently appeared), Penn & Teller: Fool book. I’d I’d like to mention two that are worth your attention. Us has begun its fourth season, The Carbonaro Effect ’s ’s magical pranks were renewed for a H&R Magic Books has released volume six third season, and magicians often often show up on in Nick Trost’s Subtle Card Creations series. late-night talk shows. Magic’s current popularAs with the other books in this series and as the ity is a good thing for all magicians. title implies, the effects are based on subtleties One of the driving forces behind Masters of and low-level techniques rather than advanced sleight of hand. Illusion is Gay Blackstone, a name that should be well known to readers of M-U-M . In this Mr. Trost offers a variety of effects, month’s cover story, Gay lls us in on what it including coincidences, effects with court takes to put together a magic show for network cards, effects with a blackjack theme, pokertelevision. You can read more on page 36. related effects, four-Ace effects, routines based Of course, having this much magic on TV on cribbage, gin, and rummy (games that are generates a lot of Internet chatter. I lurk, but not usually the basis of card tricks), effects rarely contribute to these discussions. Since based on the Gilbreath principle, effects using I’m one of the two magic consultants on Fool Colm Mulcahy’s Triple Dealing principle, and Us (Johnny Thompson is the other), I’m intereffects using ESP cards. The card enthusiast ested in what magicians have to say about the will nd much to play with and perform here. show. What I’ve discovered is that magicians Nick Trost died in 2008 (shortly before often fail to understand exactly what they’re the publication of the second volume of this watching when they watch magic on TV. series), but he left behind a rich legacy of inWhile magic on TV provides excellent teresting and entertaining card tricks. Fans of exposure for the performers and keeps magic Mr. Trost’s earlier books will certainly enjoy in the public eye, it is important to remember this one as well. that TV magic is its own completely different While the previous book will appeal to a beast, with its own set of rules, ru les, requirement re quirements, s, specialized magic group (“card guys”), my and restrictions. Watching an illusionist on second book selection should be in every magiTV is not the same as watching an illusionist cian’s library – it’s that good. The book is Jim in a theater. Watching a close-up performer Kleefeld’s Kidshow Matters. Jim’s book is a on TV is not the same as watching a close-up compilation of his Not Just Kid Stuff columns, performer standi ng at your table in a restaurant restaura nt which ran for three years in M-U-M ; this or working the Close-up Gallery in the Magic material has been updated and reorganized. In Castle. Here’s Here’s the big difference bet ween those addition, Jim has added “bonus tricks,” simple two experiences: magic on television has, at some point, been one-page or shorter descriptions of tricks you can easily make up ltered. There is information you are not privy to. and use i n any show. Understand, I’m not talki ng about using the technology of teleIt is my contention that Jim’s Not Just Kid Stuff was one of vision to deceive (camera trickery, strategic editing, or stooged the nest columns to have appeared in any magic magazine, ever. spectators). I’m talking about the fact that in any program there This makes Kidshow Matters one of the best magic books, ever. are decisions made behind the scenes that affect what you see No matter m atter what type typ e of magic you perform, per form, you will wi ll nd infor on your big-screen TV. And, unless you’re part of the production mation that will make your show stronger and that will make you company, you’ll you’ll never know what t hose decisions were. a better magician. Buy it, study it, and refer to it often. You’ll be Magicians often ask me about things they have seen on Fool glad you did. d id. (See Jim’s ad on page 28.) yth ing you see on the Us. I’ll tell you what I tell them: Almost ever ything show has a story behind it. Most of the time, I’m not at liberty to m o c . y h p a r g o t o h p y b e v f y b o t o h P
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I realize that we all have individually different situations – jobs, travel, family, nances, location, commit ments, and the list goes on… What I am asking from each of you is to spend a little time each week to enhance the art of magic and the Society. Whether it is showing a fussy child a trick in the li ne at the grocery store, or doing a free show for a non-prot, or mentoring a new President's member in your assembly, you can help support our mission and our purpose. The T he nice thing is you get to choose how, how, when, what, Desk and where you do this. Can I count on your promise? Oh, and if want to serve to help at the national level, I am a phone call Dick Bowman you or email away. I promise I will respond. One of the promises I made to t o myself is to get to know more of our members, remember their names, and put a face to that name PROMISES…PROMISES… and their personality. I have been terrible at remembering those I am a great one for making promises. “Yes, dear, I will get to things (for those of you when I saw you a second time I couldn’t that directly.” “I promise I will follow up on that by tomorrow.” remember your name or where I met you or what you tal ked to me “I promise I will send that letter out today.” I do that, a lot ! How about, I apologize). After I retired from the Air Force, we lived many times have you heard a politician make a promise to do near Philadelphia. We attended a church where the pastor knew something that requires many others to also the names, faces, and specic facts about support or cast votes? We often forget those every person, member and visitor alike. We promises made by them ten minutes minute s after the were not a small church; we had ve thousand sound bite is over. members! Although I cannot promise to be How many times do you do that in a week? like Pastor Hyson, I will promise to do better We’ve all been there and done that – making on that front. Since I am writing this prior to promises where our heart is half in it. Or the Louisville convention, I hope I got to meet making a promise that you truly want to keep, lots of our members there and I remembered but just plain forget (trust me I am at that you! age)? Easy to make the promises; rememberLast year, Michael Carbonaro was the rst ing to keep them or follow-up on them is what recipient of the Coppereld Prize, funded and is sometimes tough to do. I am sure I am not awarded by S.A.M. Ambassador of Magic the only one in this boat. In general, promises David Coppereld and presented at the concon get mixed reviews from folks, normal and vention in Indianapolis. The award recognizes magicians alike. (Not that I am implying that an individual or group of individuals for their with Michael Carbonaro magicians are not normal; perhaps I should say outstanding achievement in the art of magic. laypersons and magicians alike.) I believe that we think we are Michael is a super nice guy and has been be en a pioneer of hidden-cam better at keeping promises t han we actually actu ally are. era magic, resulting in some amazing stunts and great reactions For the most part, magicians promise not to disclose the secret from the unknowing participants. It is hard to see the trophy in of a trick. We We promise to observe the established ethical stand ards the photo with such handsome guys (well one anyway…), but it and we honor our art by keeping the same code our fraternity also comes with a $10,000 prize. I am excited to see who w ins the brothers and siste rs have kept for hundreds of years. prize this t his year. What about the promises made to our Society? We are all in I will be presenting two Presidential Citations at the conventhis together, as a larger body of people working together for a tion in Louisville. One will be to Tom Gentile, a long-standing common cause. The Society’s mission is to promote an environ- member who has served the Society as RVP for nine years over ment for the worldwide magic community that fosters fellowship, three stints for his compeers in New England, and regularly preservation of the magical arts, ethical standa rds, education, and attends several of the assemblies in the Northeast . He also chaired personal growth. Coupled with our vision/pur pose to advance, the Houdini Commemorative Stamp Committee, been National elevate, and preserve magic as a performing art, to promote Magic Week coordinator, and has done anything asked of him harmonious fellowship throughout the world of magic, and to to support the S.A.M. When Tom makes a promise, he delivers. maintain and improve ethical standards in the eld of magic, this Additionally, I will be presenting a citation to Anthony creates a promise for all of us to help further the art of magic. Antonelli, who will now be our Ambassador of Good Will and We are a volunteer organization, meaning, for the most part, Cheer. Many of you know Tony, Tony, who has a heart of gold and corthe elected ofcers, national council, committee chairs and responds with many of our members who are under the weather. members, and appointees donate their time and effort to making Tony has had his own share sha re of setbacks in his personal persona l health, but the Society a better organization for all of our members. Each of he continues to soldier on to bring good cheer to our members. those volunteers makes the promise to support the S.A.M. With Speaking of getting well, our M-U-M proofreader, proofreader, Lindsay Smith the authority of the elected body and the appointments comes re- of Denver, was hit by a car in May while walki ng across a parking sponsibility for the individuals. I believe those who serve have lot. His broken bones are healing and a nd he is working the rehab hard the responsibility to keep their promise to the Society. I would to get back on his feet again. Please keep these two gents in your also like to see that effort ow down to each of our members to thoughts and prayers. promise to do more to help create the “magic” for others. I believe My promise this year is to help improve the Society and the art the more each of us works to do this – and I hope you promise of magic. Can you make and keep a promise to the S.A. M.? Please Please yourself that you will – the more fun and personal satisfaction do, and Have Fun! you will enjoy. enjoy. Cheers, Dick
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AUGUST 2017
S.A.M. National Ofcers Dean: George Schindler, 1735 East 26th St.,
Brooklyn, NY 11229, (718) 336-0605, Fax (718) 627-1397,
[email protected] [email protected] President: Jeff Quinn-Sikora, (402) 339-6726
[email protected] President Elect: Richard Bowman, (719) 527-0678, Professor1@higginsmagic
[email protected] .com First Vice President: Ronald Ishimaru, (808) 428-6019,
[email protected] Second Vice President: Steven A. Spence, (317) 722-0429,
[email protected] Secretary: Marlene Clark, 274 Church Street, #6B, Guilford, CT 06437, (203) 689-5730, Skype: marlene.clark,
[email protected] Treasurer: Eric Lampert, (215) 939-5555,
[email protected]
Regional Vice Presidents New England: CT MA RI NH ME VT
Thomas D. Gentile, 413-533-7653,
[email protected] North Atlantic: NY NJ Joel Zaritsky, (845) 546-1559,
[email protected] Mid Atlantic: PA DE MD VAWV DC Arlen Z. Solomon, 215-443-7908, 215-443-7908,
[email protected] South Atlantic: FL AL GA MS NC SC Debbie Leifer, 404-630-1120,
[email protected] Central Plains: KY TN OH IN MI Don Miller, 317-634-5411,
[email protected] Midwest: IL MN WI MO ND NE KS SD IA Randy Kalin, (314) 630-1300
[email protected] South Central: TX AR OK NM LA Jeff Lanes, 713-850-1770,
[email protected] Southwest: CA AZ NV HI Michael DeSchalit, (520) 790-0081,
[email protected] Northwest: WA OR UT ID CO AK WY MT Dan Rodriguez, 303-521-5120 Canada: Shawn Farquhar, 604-936-1234,
[email protected] Society of Young Magicians Director:
Jann Wherry Goodsell, 329 West 1750 North, Orem, Utah 84057 (801) 376-0353.
[email protected] [email protected] et
Living Past National Presidents
Bradley M. Jacobs, Richard L. Gustafson, Bruce W. Fletcher, David R. Goodsell, Michael D. Douglass, George Schindler, Dan Rodriguez, Dan Garrett, Donald F. Oltz Jr., Craig Dickson, Loren C. Lind, Gary D. Hughes, Harry Monti, Jann Wherry Goodsell, Warren J. Kaps, Jay Gorham, John Apperson, Richard M. Dooley, Andy Dallas, Maria Ibáñez, Bruce Kalver, Mike Miller, Mark Weidhaas, Vinny Grosso, J. Christopher Bontjes, Dal Sanders, Kenrick "ICE" McDonald, David Bowers
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Dean's Diary George Schindler
HOLDEN’S MAGI M AGIC C SHOP When I visited Max Holden’s shop in the late 1940s, Norman Jensen was the manager and my friend Frank Garcia was their demonstrator. I am sorry I never met Max Holden. He died in 1949 and had been ill earlier. Norman had a children’s TV show as “Mr. Magic,” and it took him hi m away from the shop. He resigned and Frank became the manager in 1949, 1949, hiring hiri ng me as his assistant. I took evening classes at Brooklyn College and spent the daytime in the stock room lling mail orders. Max’s wife Tess was on hand and referred to me as, “He’s a good packer.” She usually forgot my name.
I was very curious about Max; John Crimm ins, their executor, answered my questions. In I n 1896, 1896, at age twelve, William Maxwell Ma xwell Holden assisted his uncle Fred Henson, a vaudeville juggler. His interest in show business peaked and he moved from his home in Glasgow, Scotland, to the UK in 1905 when he assisted David Devant. He became interested in hand shadows; in 1909 he came to the U.S. He spent a great deal of time in Boston. Max developed an act with his rst wife Bessie (“Holden and LeClair,” 1910-1914). He remarried, and in 1917 it became “Holden and Graham.” They later added magic and smoke pictures, and the new act, “Versatile Original O riginalities,” ities,” took them to South Africa, Australia, and back to England. In 1925 they settled in the U.S. They added witty patter, songs, and dance. His friends the Davenports convinced him to open a magic shop. In 1929, he retired the act and set up his rst shop in New York. In 1936 he opened the shop in Boston, eventually adding a third store in Philadelphia. After the war in 1941, he postponed his dream of openi ng a chain of shops in Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles as his health was failing. His catalogs, books, and columns are part of our rich r ich history. histor y. Tess Holden In 1950, the Philadelphia shop closed and Andy Furlong came to New York. I left; a few cruise-ship and Catskill bookings set me on the path of a show business career. The store closed in 195 1953, 3, leaving leavi ng only Herman Hanson’s shop in Boston, which closed in 1966 after Tess sold it to Ronnie Gann.
Holden's Shop - Gary Frank Collection
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AUGUST 2017
ASSEMBL ASSEMBLY NEWS
AUGUST 2017 Volume 107, Number 3
Society of American Magicians Monthly Monthly News GO TO:
WWW.MUM-MAGAZINE.COM and use the easy submission form to ile your report
1 MAY AND JUNE EVENTS NEW YORK, NY — May and
June meeting events were highlighted by member performances. The May show featured David Kaye, Harrison Kramer, Nick Padilla, Richard Cohn, Matias Letellier, Herb Scher, and
Rene Clement Jonathan Hsu. The June year-end party part y and installat ion at the Pearl Studios had three close-up stations with rotating performers . Linda Robbins did her classic rope effects, Rene Clement and Herb Scher did coin magic. Ace Greenfader and Nick Conticello astounded us with card magic, and George Schindler presented his Coin in the Ring and Rising Cards. Drinks and desserts plus laymen visitors made the evening’s events a memorable one. There are no meetings during the sum mer months. Assembly 1 meets on the rst Friday at Various locations. Please contact Steve Gross
[email protected] 516676-3127 www.magicsampa1. com516 com51 6 for more details. d etails.
4 MAY AND JUNE PA� Our meeting began with a business meeting. Helene Schad gave the secretary’s report of April’s meeting. Sue McElvenney reported the current treasurer’s PHILADELPHIA,
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report. Nomination Committee Tom Ewing presented the names for next year’s board of ofcers and asked for any nominations from the oor. The nominations were in and voted for by the members. The results were: President Johnny Massanova; 1st Vice President - George Gee; 2nd Vice President - John Kostyal; Secretary - Sue McElvenney; Treasurer - Eric Lampert. Members at Large - Calvin Tan, Reba Strong, Helene Schad, Larry Grossman, Michael Sloves, Donna Horn, and Steven Snyderman; Sergeant at Arms appointed by Johnny Massanova is Dave Compton After a short break we were treated to a wonderful lecture by Steve Friedberg. He presented a lecture that he recently performed at the Magic Castle. It consisted of many card routines but intertwined with great insight on presentation and magic theory. It was enjoyed by all in attendance. Our annual annu al Assembly 4 banquet was held at the beautiful Eddington Room in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, June 15. The night began with a cocktail hour at 6:30 PM followed by a great meal. Strolling magic was provided by Reba Strong and honoree Joseph McHugh. Dinner was followed with the annual awards presented by Tom Ewing and outgoing president Michael Bonacci. Special presidential awards were given to Sydney Matthews, Reba Strong, Kurt Garwood, and Kim Matthews. In the close-up category, third place was presented to George Hample, second place was presented to Richard Greenberg, and rst place, the Jim Straub award, was presented to Michael Bonacci. In the stage category third place was presented to Kurt Garwood,
second place was presented to Mort Feldman, and rst place was presented to PNP Mike Miller.
Steve Friedberg giving a great le cture Then Michael Bonacci presented our honoree Joseph McHugh with a beautiful plaque and thanked him for his service to Assembly 4. Our top award, the Gustafsons Award, was presented to Helene Schad. The outgoing president Michael Bonacci called up his existing board members to thank than k them for a great year. Then he turned over the presidential wand and gavel to incoming president Johnny Massanova. Our show consisted of Tom Ewing as emcee, Mort Feldman, PNP Mike Miller, and Norm Klar. Thank you to Helene Schad for organizing and doing a great job again for our annual banquet. All A ll in all it was a great night of magic and camaraderie and a great night to close out a great year. —Michael Bonacci Assembly 4 meets on the third Thursday at Bustleton Memorial American Legion Post #810,9151 Old Newtown Road., Philadelphia, PA. Contact Michael Bonacci mbonacci@ comast.net 215-760-7930 magicsam4.com for more details.
8 MAY/JUNE ASSEMBLY 8 MEETINGS ST. LOUIS, MO LOUIS, MO — The members
have really enjoyed the past months’ meetings. On May 25, the topic of the meeting was “Entertaining Children with Magic.” “Silly Jilly” Schmidt and Jeff Lefton performed children’s magic for the assembly. Jeff performed three kids routines with commonly available magic props most members have in their closet. Silly Jilly performed several effects including her “gags.” The kids really liked her “squirting “squirt ing toilet.” Members were encouraged to bring friends with children since the routines were geared to children. The audience really enjoyed their performances. Afterwards, Silly Jilly and Jeff explained how they did some of their tricks and also shared where they could purchase the props. Then, Randy Kalin, the newly elected President, joined the two of them in a panel discussion. It was a well-organized, informative meeting regarding children’s magic. Jill, Jeff and Randy have all performed for children for many years and are all quite busy performing in the St. Louis area. Ken Dyne lectured to the assembly on June 9. The lecture was well attended and several attendees joined the assembly as new members. Ken rarely lectures because he performs his stand-up mentalism act regularly at corporate engagements and also on the world’s most luxurious six- and sevenstar cruise ships. He told the members that he would share several effects and also share his experiences from performing for the past fourteen years. He began by performing the Passed-out Deck. He has been opening his act with this effect for the past ve years. He feels that this effect is much better than the Tossed-out Deck (and he explained why). He then performed Mr. Golden Balls.
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Assembly News News During the break, he had these two effects and his book Bairn for sale. Both of these effects were manufactured to meet his high expectations. He gave the members a considerable discount on their purchases. After the break, Ken shared effects that the members could perform without buying any props. He He had members assist him when he performed Magazine Test of the Stars. It was an amazing effect! The members all learned this effect quickly since his explanation was so thorough. The assembly really appreciates the work outgoing President Steve Barcellona did for the assembly. He made sure each meeting was well organized and informative. The assembly knows Randy Kalin, the new president, will continue making sure all meetings are worthwhile and informative. —Sandy Weis Assembly 8 meets on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM at St. Louis Activity Center, 5602 Arsenal St., St. Louis, MO. Contact Sandy Weis
[email protected] 314378-4403 for more details.
9 JAMMING IN BOSTON BOSTON, MA� Following a brief business meeting which included the election of ofcers for 2017-201 2017-2018, 8, we held ou r second seco nd annual Assembly 9 Magic Jam: a stimulating sharing of information, ideas, and feedback. Secretary Dr. Alan Ashare started things off by performing Rope through Neck, and then explained certain handling subtleties and received a useful tip on misdirection in return. He also showed us how to make a knot vanish and reappear, as a bonus effect. The Great Scott (Galbraith) thoroughly covered his original variation of Card to Nest of Boxes using cards from the Uno game (for children’s shows) and a set of nesting Russian matryoshka dolls. Variously themed Russian nesting dolls are available locally and online for any magician wanting to explore their use as magic props. Alex Moorehead, supported by volunteer audience member First Vice President Kevin Butler, performed his interpretation interp retation of
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the classic Gemini Twins card discovery.
Showplace Theater, 32 Station Street, Brookline, Massachusetts. Contact Alan Ashare alan.ashare.
[email protected] 617-916-2266 for more details.
12 JUNE ASSEMBLY 12 PICNIC MEETING MIN NEAP NEAPOLIS, OLIS, MN� A June
The Great Scott & his Russian dolls Alan Wassilak began by demonstrating some color-changing card fanning ourishes using what was not meant to be a magician’s fanning deck, but was a novelty deck sold to children. It happened to be devised with each of the four corners of the back design a different d ifferent c olor. As a second offering, Alan shared his adaptation of a Larry White approach to the timeless 1089 number prediction. This resulted in some thought-provoking suggestions and valuable feedback. Second Vice President Bob Filene was up next, also using Kevin Butler for aid to help him with a two-phase Card to Pocket routine. It’s strong magic but not as difcult to perform as one might suspect. Visiting guest magician Randall Chin bafed us with an outstandoutstanding nger ring routine. Citing his sources for the elements of his routine (including a remarkable, original through-the-nger effect), Randall’s offering was a highlight of the evening. Our other guest, Yang Tian, a conjurer recently arrived from China, demonstrated a difcult but extremely deceptive onehanded card control which he attributed to Akira Fujii. Once mastered, it can be an extremely useful utility move. The Jam was capped with an encore by Alex Moorehead, doing an elaborate card force that seems quite fair in its execution, in a way that will throw off the wise ones. To sum up, we all gained much from the evening’s give-and-take. The Jam is a gem of a program. —Alan Wassilak Assembly 9 meets on the second Wednesday at 7:30pm at Puppet
meeting was added to our regular meeting schedule (September to May). To make it special, we started off with a social hour and picnic/barbeque prior to the magic. Thanks to President Tom O’Lenick who provided brats/ dogs and buns that we grilled outside our Eagle Magic Store meeting location. Members brought various chips, soda, water, adult beverages, deserts, and ice cream that were graciously shared. Following a brief business meeting, we debriefed about recent local lectures (Ken Dyne and Eugene Burger) and the regional AbraCORNdabra convention that many attended. The group also was reminded of the upcoming free lecture by Max Krause sponsored jointly by the S.A.M. and I.B.M. groups.
using the word “Hell” and formed a “Cross.” Finally, Paul Ladig showed a comic newspaper headline that he uses when he performs the Wrist Choppe r. For “Teach-a-Trick,” Tom O’Lenick demonstrated another Newspaper Test (clip (clip line type effect). First, the newspaper column was cut at the point chosen by Jerry Martin. He then picked a word from a few lines near the “cut point.” That thought of word was revealed by O’Lenick, as well as the sentence that contained the word. Historical reference: The original idea of a “Newspaper Test” was rst published in 1964 by Albert Spackman in the British magic magazine The Gen. Now a message from our sponsors! Greg Broder won the drawing for a performance prize donated by Steve Goshman of MagicbyGosh.com; Jerry Martin won the attendance prize donated by Paul Gross of Hocus-Pocus. com. Assembly 12 will be on hiatus through the summer months. Our next meeting will be on Friday, September 22. If your travel brings you to the MinneapolisMinnea polisSt. Paul area, please attend the meeting. Until soon, best magic wishes! wishe s! —Tom —Tom O’Lenick Assembly 12 meets on the third Friday at 7:00pm at Eagle Magic Store, , Burnsville, MN. Contact Tom O’Lenick tom@ tomolmagic.com 612-804-4799 Sam12.org for more details.
13 SURPRISE LECTURE FOR CLUB MEMBERSHIP
Performers (cw from up lf t) Tom O’Lenick, Larry Kahlow, Paul Cook, Kevin Smith with Paul Black and Jerry Martin. The theme for the month was “Newspaper Magic.” Paul Cook and Steve Peer each did clever variations of a newspaper clip line effect. Kevin Smith (with the help of Paul Black) identied the selected card by ultiultimately snipping four diamond shapes from a small piece of newspaper. Using a folded sheet of newspaper, Larry Kahlow was able to tear silhouettes of three chosen cards from the paper. Greg Broder shared a paper tear that created a Christian message
TX� The month of June kicked off the tenure of President Joey Byers, who opened the meeting by bringing up Past President Frank Seltzer to present the award for the 2017 DMC Magician of the Year to Russ Turner, who was not able to attend the annual awards banquet in May because he was performing a show! Dal Sanders, past national president of The Society of American Magicians, also presented a membership certicate and pin to Dan Estep, a long-time member of the Dallas Magic Club, who made the decision to nally join S.A.M! The June meeting also was a DALLAS,
AUGUST 2017
Assembly News News change from our regular meetings with a special lecture for club members by the one and only Todd Lamanske from Kansas City. Todd will be performing Teller: this season on Penn & Teller: Fool Us. The lecture just happened to fall on the same evening as Todd’s twenty-fth wedding anniversary. Luckily, his wife, Kim, was a great sport, and was selling Todd’s lecture materials during intermission. I hope Todd took her out for a nice dinner after the lecture!
DMC Club President, J oey Byers, being amazed by Lecturer, Todd Lamanske. Todd shared with the club his us e of the double-lift, the Prophecy Deck, D.S. Quarter, The Bullet and The Cell, the Flying Aces, Ring through Rope, and his Time Machine with the help of the Lippincott Box. He also showed the members a tool he created to have a perfect Mercury Fold every time. Todd closed the ne arly two-hour lecture with some words of wisdom to all of the night’s participants, “As magicians we have a duty to do our magic well.” Without a doubt, Todd lives by that mantra, the lecture was great! —Eric Hogue Assembly 13 meets on the third Tuesday at 7:00pm at Dallas Builders Association, 5816 West Plano Parkway, Plano, TX. Contact Joey Byers president@ dallasmagic.org 972-837-8543 http://www.dallasmagic.org for more details.
19 SUMMER MAGIC HEATS UP IN HOUSTON HOUSTON, TX� Our annual
Memorial Day picnic at the French Alliance was well attended; we had great weather, food, and mag ic. We We will have no July meeting due to the Fourth of July holiday. Scott Wells began the evening
M-U-M Magazine
by presenting pre senting the routine that he will be performing at the Magic Castle later this month. At twenty minutes of non-stop magic and comedy, he should do well. While his whole act is too long to document here, we can say the Scott is the World’s Most Interesting Magician, and he looked the part, too. Jeff Copeland shared some coin work from his new Tresor coin release. The moves were deceptive and original; most were not that difcult to learn with some solid practice. His Blackbird utility coin device is a must-have for solid coin workers. Devor shared some “coincidences” with a pack of cards and the help of Kim Lampkin, as cards were mixed, selected, and nally an indicator card drew attention to Kim’s original selection. Was it just a coincidence? Desmond Mitchell followed as guest Jacob just thought of a playing card, which was found to be inside Desmond’s Desmond’s boot. b oot. Chris Alonzo had Scott Wells randomly stop him as cards were dealt down off the top of the pack in what appeared to be a fair manner. Of course, they all turned out to be the Aces, which Chris then used to perform some additional card miracles, with the Aces ending up reversed in the center of the deck. David Rangel had Kim Lampkin call out any four of a kind and then handed out four $100 bills to some eager participants. The bills were randomly placed into the deck with the condition that if they were not placed next to one of Kim’s cards, the money was theirs to keep. David took all his money home. Shane Wilson took a card signed by K im Lampkin L ampkin and proceeded to move it around to various locations between the deck and the table, nally causing it to end up inside an otherwise empty card box. Danny Garcia shared a nice Oil and Water type routine with the nal separation including the entire deck. It was a great presentation, of course, from one of the best. Ventriloquist Phil Nichols introduced us to Corky the Cowboy and his hilarious antics. Just the movement of the vent’s eyes during the act was something to see. Hilarious routine! —Miles Root
Assembly 19 meets on the rst Monday at 7:30 at International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, 3030 North Freeway, Houston, TX. Contact Miles Root
[email protected] 832607-6678 houstonmagic.com for more details.
21 LECTURE BY JIMMY C. HARTFORD, CT� Jimmy C
came to lecture for us tonight. He does it all. He sings, he demos, he
Jimmy C demonst rates an effect explains, he inspires, and he entertains. Much of what he taught us involved effects you can make yourself with easily obtained items. —Dana T. Ring Assembly 21 meets on the second Monday at 7:00pm at Angelo’s on Main, 289 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT. Contact Dana T. Ring
[email protected] 860-523-9888 www.ctmagic.org for more details.
22 INSTALLATION AWARDS & SHOW LOS ANGELES, CA — Southern
California Assembly 22 held its eighty-sixth annual banquet on June 11, 2017, again at the Almansor Court in Alhambra, California. This event is always a highlight at the end of the assembly year. John Engman, President Emeritus of the S.A.M. Hall of Fame and Magic Museum, presided over the event as toastmaster. John would later act as emcee for our ban quet show. Prior to the banquet meal being served, the historic Turning of the Plate Ceremony was conducted by Steven Jennings, assisted by Kim Hallinger, to honor the memory of Ed Thomas, P.N.P., and Kent Morgan, both of whom passed away this past year. After an excellent meal and a
short intermission, the program began with a short presentation by Past President Steven Jennings on the history of Assembly 22 and a thumbnail biographical sketch on each of the ten assembly charter members. Steve then introduced each of the 2017-2018 assembly ofcers and directors and conducted their installation ceremony. Kim Hallinger, elected to serve her second term as assembly president, then briey addressed addres sed the gathering before turning the program over to John Engma n to emcee our ou r show. The show was opened by Michael Mezmer, assembly member and professional performer. Michael performed his “Danger Act,” which included the razor blade swallowing effect, a chain-through-neck penetration, and an escape from a highsecurity prisoner transport vest with chains, straps, and locks. The comedy magic of Michael Mirth was next. Michael is a Los Angeles area resident and a Las Vegas entertainer. He kept our audience laughing with gags and comedy bits and periodically bafed with some straight magic. Closing the show was Cheng Cheng, a college student from China who is studying magic with Dale Salwak. As you would expect from a Chavez College of Magic student, Cheng Cheng presented magic in the classic style. He opened with a Dancing Cane, produced large silks from his hands to climax in a Twentieth Century Silks effect, and presented a billiard ball manipulation routine. He closed with the Linking Rings. The presentation of awards and trophies to those members who have earned them during the past year was next. The assembly awards program dates back almost seven decades; a glance at names engraved on some of the trophies will reveal many luminaries of magic’s past. The nal event of the evening was a great rafe drawing. The hour was late when this enjoyable event was over and our members and guests walked out into a very pleasant Southern California evening. Another great night of Assembly 22 magic. —Steven L. Jennings Assembly 22 meets on the third Monday at 8:00pm at Westminster Gardens, El Sueno Room, 1420 Santo Domingo
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Assembly News News Ave., Duarte, Ave., Duarte , CA. Contact Steven Braun’s Triumph, mixing cards L. Jennings
[email protected] haphazardly before turning 805-581-9054 805-58 1-9054 for more det ails. them the same way, except for the selection and its three mates. Chicks dig skills! Noland Mont23 gomery tried to bake a cake in MAY AND JUNE MEETINGS his hat, but due to faulty hearing, frightened us (and adrenalineWASHINGTON, DC� The loving womenfolk) by producing suggested theme for our May a snake. meeting was “Object to ImLarry Lipman performed a jum possible Location. Performers bo-packet routine, changing ve included Laurie Curry, Lars rabbit depictions into bees, one Klores, Noland Montgomery, by one. His pleasure in violently Larry Lipman, Brett Banker, swatting the bee s should melt any Matt Hiller, William Slade, woman’s heart. Micah Goodwin Dwight Redman, Arnold Fuoco, separated Jacks from Aces and Cristian Vidrascu. three different ways, and visibly At our June meeting, Larry changed the Jacks into Aces. A Lipman offered Past President mesmerized date will not ee! Arnold Fuoco a plaque recognizColonel Mike Peckham had ing his contribution to our club. Matt roll spooky dice to randomly This month’s theme was “Tricks choose cards, eliminating all to Impress Dates.” but the selected card. Nothing Dwight Redman and Matt triggers female lust like macabre exchanged cards, picking mates settings! Matt Hiller showed off three times. How compatible! his grandfather’s tricky color Then, their random cuts yielded changing knife. Weapons turn the four Aces. President Lars ladies on! —Cristian Vidrascu Klores removed a physical knot Assembly 23 meets on the third off a scarf three times, before Wednesday at 7:00 pm at National revealing large holes in the pre- Press Club, , Washington, DC. viously intact scarf. Destructive, Contact Lars Klores klores@ therefore irresistible! gmail.com for more details. Arnold Fuoco “exposed” a secret: he drew a window on the 24 card case, opened it to peek at Teo’s selection, closed it, and MAY AND JUNE MEETINGS erased the evidence – leaving a normal case. The selection had a ALBAN Y, NY� The end of April and the rst part of May seductive message on its back. were extremely active times for Assembly 24. On April 30 we had the second of our Sunday afternoon lectures. We billed it as “A day with the Dean.” Thirty-six people turned out to listen, laugh, and learn from the one and only, George Schindler. Dean Schindler started by doing his Magic Castle Parlor act, and then explained most of the effects he used in that act as well as Larry presenting plaque to other effects including his Rising Arnold Cards and his Ambitious Card Routine, which ends with the Teo divined Matt’s letter from card to wallet. He talked about Al a few alphabet cards, before Flosso, Carl Ballentine, and other performing performi ng Rick Lax’s Lax’s Binary magicians who inuenced his 2, ripping the cards in half like approach to performing. He took a true bad boy, and nding two the time to answer any and all chosen halves. Cristian Vidrascu questions. By any standard it was toyed with the Sachs dice routine, memorable afternoon of magic. before proving the audience On May 9, Assembly 24 had could not follow directions with its regular monthly meeting. a three-phase Do-as-I-Do card Since both the president and the routine. Beware ladies, quick secretary were out-of town, Vice ngers! President Roger Borgen was in Brett Banker performed Brent charge and lined up Pete Beeble
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for a program that Pete called “Move-Mania: A Mish-Mosh of Magical Moves.” From all reports, Pete did an excellent job. His presentation was on moves and sleights with balls, ropes, coins, and cards. After a break, David Watson
excellent job. The meeting was both educational and entertaining, so a good time was had by all. —Jean Bruce Assembly 24 meets on the fourth Tuesday at 7:30 pm at S. W. Pitts Hose Company, 226 Old Loudon Road, Latham, NY. Contact Cliff Bruce cliffordbruce@earthlink. net 518-793-6776 for more details.
29 INITIATION TIME!
George gives Secretary Jean a sponge ball lesson. and Jonathan Downer volunteered to perform during the open-mic portion of the meeting. The June meeting found nineteen members gathered for an evening of fun and entertainment. During the business meeting, Treasurer Ken Marcinowski proudly noted that we now had forty paid members, a near record for recent years. Upcoming meeting topics and two more Fifth Sunday events were discussed. The group then sang Happy Birthday to Helen Patti, who had turned eighty-ve a day earlier. Cliff Bruce offered a minilecture on the topic of Two-inthe-Hand, One-in-the-Pocket. To demonstrate how versatile this particular plot can be, Cliff Bruce, David McDonald, Allan Alexander, and Jimmy Brown performed routines using the idea. All of the above routines used objects that were alike. Next Cliff addressed routines in which the objects are different. Starting with Eddie Joseph’s Back Again, Cliff demonstrated his own Seventeen-Cent Trick, which uses a penny, a nickel, and a dime. He also showed Severtson/ Dusheck’s Coke, Cola, and Un-cola routine using miniature soda cans. Following a break for refreshments, Mark Brennan emceed the open-mic session on “ancient magic” – tricks that have been around for more than seventyve years. Performers included Bob Connors, Dave McClements, Karl Johnson, and Allan Alexander. Everyone did an
WATERBURY, CT� We held our May 22, 2017, meeting at a different location (member Peter Melillo’s home) because we needed a more private location for our S.A.M. Initiation Ceremony! It had been seven years since our last ceremony, so it was long overdue. After a short business meeting, members retired downstairs to Peter’s “Spooky Magic Room,” while the upstairs parlor was prepared for the ceremony. After a short time, mysterious music began playing and all nine members led upstairs into the “Parlor of Mysteries” where they met the Illustrious Wizard (a robed Joe Lantiere). After an esoteric introduction,
Illustrious Wizard Joe Lantiere explains the meaning of the Magic Wand Arnold the Wizard taught the Neophytes such ofcial traditional S.A.M. secrets as the Mystic Cabala, the Amulet, the Talisman, the Palm, the Silent Challenge, the Sign of Salutation, the Mystic Battery, and, of course, the Wand. Through this special ceremony, we hope to have reawakened the magic within them; members attending will get ofcial par ticipation certicates! Guests are always welcome at Assembly 29! —Joe Lantiere Assembly 29 meets on the fourth Monday at 7:30 pm at Waterbury Fireghters Union Hall, 1551 Thomaston Avenue, Waterbury, CT. Contact Joe Lantiere
[email protected]
AUGUST 2017
Assembly News News 860-274-6115 www.sam29.com dealing down and shufing decks for more details. that ended up with their cards on top of the stacks. 30 Dan Garrett took to the stage DESTINATION: next and had West Evans put a MAGICVILLE! PASSPORT cork under a coffee mug. With REQUIRED the magic words “abra-viagra,” the cup was removed and the cork ATLANTA, GA� June 201 2017 7 was was found to be standing on end. the 939th consecutive meeting of Endless West Evans Evans demonst ratthe Atlanta Magicians Society ed a Three-Card Monte routine and the rst meeting with with Matt Kelley’s assistance. our new ofcers at the helm! Rick Hinze did a torn and restored President Merritt Ambrose and Fresh Fish Sold Here routine. Vice President Rick Hinze in- President Merritt Ambrose troduced a new Magic Passport did a fooler with a blank card program to the assembly. The turning into a prediction made passport passpor t is a small booklet, not earlier with the help of Murl unlike a travel passport, with a Harmon, and Secretary Clark handful of magic effects, tech- Kjorlaug fooled us all, once niques, or skills on each page. again, with a Tamariz effect. Each member of the club is —Endless West Evans issued a passport that is stamped Assembly 30 meets on the second off by a senior assembly member Tuesday at 6:15pm at Golden or ofcer as they complete a task Corral, 2136 Lawrenceville within. Past National President Hwy, Decatur, Georgia. Dan Garrett got to stamp several Contact Endless West Evans member’s passports on the rst
[email protected] night of the program. 6787916048 67879 16048 for more details. d etails. John Miller was appointed as Co-Historian with Bob Stultz, 31 and West Evans and Martin JUNE MEETING Baratz have volunteered for the historian committee to help get IN� the assembly initiation items INDIANAPOLIS, restored. Speaking of which, Dan Members of Assembly 31 in IndiGarrett, John Miller, and Rick anapolis had a fun June meeting Hinze will be chairing the In itia- featuring the installation of new tion Committee; and we hope to ofcers for the year and some have a ceremony sometime in the fun magic provided by the new near future for all members who ofcers. Vice President Taylor Martin have not been formally initiated into our secret magical fraternity. presided over the meeting Joe Turner was appointed club beginning begin ning with news about the Chaplain and Mal Simpson is upcoming picnic and shows at now head of the Paranormal In- the Indy Magic Monthly. Taylor vestigation Committee. Martin announced that the July 11 Baratz is the newly appointed Indy Magic Monthly Show will feature the return of M-U-M Sergeant at Arms. We kicked off the fun stuff with Editor Michael Close. the club dividing into groups and After the business meeting, our each group getting a bag with a ofcers were installed by Steve non-magical item inside. Each Spence, S.A.M. second vice group had ve minutes to come president. Karen Miller is the new up with a trick to do with what president of the club with Taylor Taylor they had inside. Everyone had a Martin serving as vice president good time with the improv and again. Mike Root will serve as it hopefully got some creative secretary and scribe with Dale Benson serving as treasurer. Don juices owing for everyone. For performances, John Miller Miller will be sergeant at arms. After the installation ceremony taught an excellent One-Eyed Jack sandwich routine; a personal and swearing in, Karen Miller favorite of his from Harry began the evening of magic performing performi ng a popular card Lorayne. Bill Lafay, who we affection- trick. Karen did Dan Harlan’s ately refer to as Bill George, did Card-Toon 2, which featured the a fooler with the help of Dan canon on the cards and she used Garrett, Mal Simpson, and West a fun patter about her recent visit Evans thinking of cards and to see the circus.
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before, and some had, but never used it. Wally raved about it enough that I’m sure people who have never played with it before, will now try it. Our main speaker for the night was our own Adam Izzo, who presented his lecture, “Everyday Improv.” He has done improv for several years now, and gave us the benet of his experiexperience. Most people know what improv is, but may have never thought about it for their own performances. It’s a valuable skill to have when dealing with a crowd, and not knowing what to expect. It’s a metaphor for life too, actually. He told us of different ways to be alert to things that may prove valuable later in our performances. He showed us the benets of how improv can be a Member s of Assembly 31 and IBM benet to making people Ring 10 held their annual picnic at better overall performe rs. Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis. We did several exercises that were quite different for those of us who have Steve Spence then talked about never done improv before. It was three magic books that he has going past our comfort zone, but read or is currently reading. He then you won’t improve unless then asked the club what they you try something different would like included in a book sometimes. Some of the diners if it was written about S.A.M. next door in the other room history. Some great feedback was may have been wondering what provided. we were doing. We were just On Sunday, June 11, Assembly having fun and learning some 31 and I.B.M. Ring 10 met to new skills. A good night was hold their annual picnic at Eagle had by all. Thank you Adam! Creek Park in Indianapolis. —Darr yl Bielski About thirty people attended and Assembly 35 meets on the second shared some good food and some Tuesday at 7:30pm at Milanese fun magic. Several of those in Restaurant, 115 Main St., attendance performed magic for Poughkeepsie, NY. Contact Ryan the group. —Michael R. Root Dutcher
[email protected] Assembly 31 meets on the rst 914-475-9328 www.sam35.com Monday at 7:00pm at Irvington for more details. United Methodist Church, 30 N. Audubon Road, Indianapolis, 37 Indiana. Contact Michael R Root MARCUS EDDIE,
[email protected] IMPROMPTU MAGIC NIGHT 317-502-0051 for more details.
Mike Root was next, performing Samuel Patrick Smith’s Deja Zoo. He then performed a series of rubber band routines featuring Crazy Man’s Handcuffs, rubber bands that jump from the top to bottom, and a broken broken and restored rubber band. After performing, he taught one of the rubber band tricks. Taylor Martin was up next and featured a unique and fun giant paddle trick with a fun vampire theme. He used a really beautiful, custom-made paddle.
AND CHRIS RANDALL
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DENVER, CO� Marcus Eddie
came to Denver and performed for us a lot of the effects he has POUGHKEEPSIE, NY� This created using found objects from evening we had two speakers. around the home or restaurant. The rst, Wally Liebenson, is a On the way in to perform he got former member of our club who a huge splinter in his nger and now resides in the Sunshine state. he pulled it out with his teeth; it He showed us the Si Stebbins was two inches in length! What stack, which he uses to great an effect. He also gave out his effect when he’s working. Some last breath mint only to have the people had never really seen it container ll back up again before THINKING ON THE FLY
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Assembly News News our eyes. Marcus oated a bottle of water, changed pennies into dimes, and showed us his progression of how he has improved an empty card box to produce not one but two decks of cards from the same box! Impromptu Night was a lot of fun too. Magicians brought in various tricks and let the members pick a trick off of the table; they had fteen minutes to come up with a routine to perform. It was nice to see some of the members perform for the rst time. We also had a guest from the San Francisco Bay area visiting and he even jumped in and performed. Thank you Suyash for sharing your talents! We had card tricks, silk magic, change bags that made a light bulb appear, cups and balls, street cons, quarters ending up inside a shoe and inside a sock! Burnt matches vanished out of the book then reappeared, a zipper transformed from one, to two linked, then un-linked, then became big
51 JUNE M AGIC AGIC IN PEORIA
PEORIA, IL� The June meeting began with discussions on several topics, including a review of the recent David Blaine show here in Peoria, and the upcoming Central Illinois mag ic Get-Together Get-Together to be held in Peoria in 2018. We are actively looking for a location, so we can settle on a date. At this point, several venues are being considered. June marked the third month of our quarterly attendance incentive award. Four times a year (March, June, October, and December) we have a drawing for $50. The only qualica qualication tion for eleligibility is to have attended every meeting in that quarter. Even non-members are allowed to win, but if they do, we automatically deduct the cost of membership dues. It’s a win/win! This month, Treasurer Jay Zentko had the lucky draw. Congratulations, Jay! Our magic theme was, “Magic learned from Tarbell ”. ”. We did this about a year ago and it was popular, so we decided to do it again. Of course, we don’t require Impromptu Performers everyone to strictly adhere to the theme enough to x x a pillow. Dissolving when performing, because we knots ended the night and at one love to see magic of any kind. But point broccoli appeare d! a monthly theme does provide us Chris Randall borrowed a $100, with a topic of discussion. which was signed; he vanished Attendance was small this it then went on to perform month, but four performers his version of the Professor’s stepped up to the plate to show Nightmare. Eventually he pulled some magic. First up was Mike out a lemon, cut it open, and the Couri, who typically shows signed bill was found inside! He magic from his repertoire. This also performed the Hover Card time, it was a card discovery he and explained how easy it really calls Act One. is to perform and showed the Long-time friend of the Peoria members some small nuances to Magicians, and newly reinstated make it look and feel better when member, Phil Raso, performed a performing performi ng this great effect. He technique techn ique he says is from Tarbell . recommended making a bunch He had someone think of a name of cards ahead of time; Chris for a ctitious boat, and write that has them all ready to go when he name secretly on a small slip of needs them. paper. The paper was destroyed, Assembly 37 meets on the yet Phil was able to mentally second Thursday at RiverPointe discern the name of the boat. Community,5225 S Prince St, He then demonstrated the entire Littleton, CO. Contact Glenn working behind this. Proulx glennproulx@gmail. Michael Baker performed a com 303-794-5208 http://www. trick that he initially thought was milehighmagicians.com for more in Tarbell , although he said he details. wasn’t able to nd it. It is known
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by a few names, including The Chinese Bottle, Prayer Vase, etc. Alluding to a genie that lives in the bottle, a rope becomes stuck in the bottle when the genie grabs the end. President Kyle Basset, aka Gambit, was next with a bit of psychic artistry, as a drawing was made based on mental images he was able to conjure up. Phil Raso then showed an unusual item he has: a shrunken dollar bill. Following the meeting, several of us moved ourselves to a nearby restaurant for more late evening magic discussion. June also marked the rst month in our appearances at the Peoria Riverfront Market. —Michael Baker Assembly 51 meets on the third Monday at 7:00 pm at Schnucks Grocery, 4800 N. University St., Peoria, Illinois. Contact Michael Baker themagiccompany@ aol.com 205-612-3696 http:// peoriamagicians.com/ peoriamag icians.com/ for more details.
52 INSTALLATION OF NEW OFFICERS BANQUET SAN ANTONIO, TX — June
2, 2017, Brother John Hamman Assembly 52 held its Installation of Ofcers Banquet at Pompeii Italian Grill. Thirty members and guests gathered for a great evening of fun and good food, topped off by our entertainer for the evening, John Dahlinger. It was such a treat to have John back with us, since he moved away to Katy, Texas, three years ago. Many thanks to those members who brought guests and also to those members of I.B.M. Ring 18 who attended. Additionally, thanks to out-going President James Dusek, who arranged the restaurant, to Doug Gorman for inviting John to entertain us, and to Ray Adams for conducting the installation ceremony. It was an awesome evening of magic and friendship. Incoming President Paul Mims presented out-going President James Dusek with an engraved pen-and-pencil pen-and-pe ncil set in appreciation for his dedication and faithful service to Assembly 52. Many thanks to James for serving as our 2016-2017 president. James was by far the youngest president our assembly has ever had. He started off in the S.Y.M. when he was about twelve years
old, and nally graduated to the S.A.M. and was a valuable and regular attendee. He also served as S.Y.M. S.Y.M. leader, mentor ing even younger kids. In addition, James served as sergeant-at-arms and vice-president of our club before becoming president. We’ve We’ve all enjoyed his humor and magic, and hope that he will always be active in Assembly 52. Thanks, James, for a job well done, and continued success as you pursue your college degree. Ray Adams, past-president of Assembly 52, conducted the installation ceremony. Our new board for 201 2017-20 7-2018 18 is Paul Mims – President, Mike Melito – Vice-President, Doug Gorman – Secretary Secreta ry Treasurer, and Don Moravits – Sergeant-at-Arms. Congratulations, guys. We are all looking forward to another great year of magic. Our entertainer for the evening was John Dahlinger, former Assembly 52 member. We want to thank John so much for his willingness to travel from Katy, Texas, to be with us and provide the entertainment entert ainment for our banquet. It was an honor for us to see him perform his award winning close-up act, as well as several other impressive and demanding routines. Great job, John! We all enjoyed your performance very much. Brother John Hamman Assembly 52 meets at 7:30 p.m. on the rst Thursday of the month at La Madeleine Restaurant, located at 722 N.W. Loop 410. The restaurant is inside Loop 410 on the access road between Blanco Rd. and San Pedro. For more information, contact Secretary/ Treasurer Doug Gorman at
[email protected].
59 COMEDY MAGIC CONTEST PORTLAND, OR� President Jay Fredericks opened the June meeting by congratulating Steve Johnsen on fty years of membership in the S.A.M.! We welcomed guests Keziah Peterson and Robert Amico, who are part par t of a production of Shakespeare’s Tempest with our own Danny Schreiber as magic consultant, and Anthony Bubb in his third visit with us and soon to be our newest member. Yay Tony! Then it was on to our Second
AUGUST 2017
Assembly News News Annual Comedy Magic Contest audience votes were tallied and coordinated by Mel Anderson, the winner win ner was Bob Eaton! It was who outlined the rules and intro- a fun show. Thanks to all who duced emcee Tom Cramer, well- performed. —Fra nk Dudgeon Assembly 59 meets on the fourth Wednesday at 7:00 PM at Beaverton Activities Center, 12500 SW Allen Blvd., Beaverton, Oregon. Contact Frank Dudgeon frankdudgeon@ gmail.com 503-810-6408 http:// www.sam59portland.org for more details.
82 IMPROMPTU EXTRAVA� GANZA
The winner Bob Eaton! Photo by Duane Duvall known area comedy magician. First was Bob Eaton who opened with a comical version of the Monkey Bar, with the monkey replaced by a rubber chicken. The rhyming patter was very funny. Bob then had a card selected from six cards with the names of famous screen stars and Reese Witherspoon was selected (sort of), which led to the production of a spoon, which Bob succeeded in bending. Great stuff. The fun continued with Tom Waldrop, who tied two knots into a silk, pulled them off the silk, and showed two holes in their place. Tom then put two sponge balls into a box and had the box held by a n audience member. A third ball went into his pocket and Tom introduced a small, rather droopy wand to do the magic. But it was too short, so Tom brought out a medium sized and a long droopy wand (made of rope) and did ProPro fessor’s Nightmare that resulted in a wand able to make the third sponge join the other two in the box. Mel Anderson appeared next in a great pirate getup, tri-cornered hat, eye patch and all, and performed a “Tale of the Sea in Poetry” – Cups and Balls with rhyming patter ala “Rub a Dub Dub, Two Men in a Tub.” Very creative. Finally Steve Johnsen showed us a six pack of Coke and took one of the bottles, put it in a paper bag, and made several attempts at making it vanish, which didn’t happen. Then the Coke bottle changed into a bottle of ketchup. Finally Steve gave up and smashed the paper bag showing the vanish worked after all. A very nice routine. The
M-U-M Magazine
SAFETY HARBOR, FL — Our June meeting was called to order by President Pre sident AnneMarie A nneMarie Nece at 7:30. 7:30. Nine members were present. pre sent. July 20 we will be entertaining enterta ining the kids of the Sheriff’s Ranch as part of our payback for the facilities. The big event was presentation of a thirty-ve-year certicate and pin from the S.A.M. national organization to Ron Nece. The evening was Impromptu Night! The attendees attendee s shared performance performa nce stories and ideas to improve several illusions. We thoroughly exploited the Hot Rod presented by Ron Nece. Windy resurrected a Glorpy and we all got a hoot as he tried to demonstrate it to an unruly bunch. It made me appreciate what a group of talented and interesting people we have in the club.In all it was a fun night for everyone so when in Florida, ya’ll come see us. —Don Beach Assembly 82 meets on the third Thursday at 7:30 PM at Sherrif’s Youth Ranch clubhouse, 3180 Enterprise Road East, Safety Harbor, Florida. Contact Don Beach
[email protected] 727593-1343 http://www.tampabaymagicclub.com/ for more details.
88 BACK TO... MAGIC SCHOOL! ANN ARBOR, MI — Our June
meeting was a whirlwind of teaching, learning, and magic all at once! Four of our members taught on a specic subject as the rest of the members and guests made their way from table to table for 20-25 minute sessions/ lessons. Members were able to
pick and choose which tables they visited. Treasurer Scott Mitchell taught a few basic forces that anyone can use in an impromptu session and demonstrated a few effects in which to use them. He provided links to his site where video notes could be viewed for free. Member Bob Goodwin displayed his prowess with number magic and mentalism, teaching and demonstrating a wide array of strong effects that can be performed using numbers. Vice President Mark O’Brien taught a bit about memorized deck magic (specically the Aronson stack) and discussing the methods used for memorizing a stack. He gave away a free Phoenix deck to each participant! Secretary Dr. Joaquin M. Ayala de Cedoz was the “King of Koins” as he demonstrated a few easy sleights that could be used individually, or strung together with a few demonstrated effects to create a solid performance set, lasting anywhere from one minute to even ten minutes! He provided various va rious sizes and types type s of coins for participants to use during the course but was too cheap to give away his silver coins. After the round-robin learning time was over, three members were prepared with magic to share. Karl Rabe demonstrated his very unique twist on the old Strat-O-Sphere Strat-O-Sphere using tenn is balls and a bicycle pump to “make it work” – a very funny presentation! Member Andrew Martin Portala talked about a magic app called Magic Wipe by Simon Pierro, and then performed a Phantom Tube where a long string of international silk ags was produced. Finally, President John Russell closed with an effect using one of the everubiquitous dget spinners. A card was selected and seen to be normal, until it was held near the spinning dget spinner...then the face was seen to be a swirly swi rly mess! —Dr. Joaquin M. Ayala Ayala de Cédoz Assembly 88 meets on the second Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Senate Coney Island, 34359 Plymouth Road, Livonia, Michigan. Contact Dr. Joaquin M. Ayala de Cédoz Chefayala99@ gmail.com 313-910-1041 www.aamagic.org for more details.
89 RING & STR ING MAGIC IN HAWAII HONOLULU, HI� The Jimmy Yoshida Aloha Assembly 89 meeting for June was attended by over twenty magic acionaacionados. They were rewarded with multiple rafes and several fun presentations plus training provided by President Michael “Kekoa” Erickson. The theme for the meeting was “Ring & String,” which allowed a half dozen presenters to display their magical talents. Kekoa opened the meeting and introduced a special visiting magician from Japan, Dave Letendre. We then took a timeout for a pizza break (thanks to Bob and Rungfa Festa) and cold water (thanks to Mike Lynch). After the break, Kekoa held an exciting rafe and then covered the evening’s theme by expertly dis playing several Ring & String effects.
SAM National First VP, Ron Ishimaru, entertains his fellow magicians with his version of a ring & string routine. Several magicians volunteered to make presentations, beginning begin ning with Dr. Dave Brown, who performed a unique ring on string under a scarf trick. Next up was Ron Ishimaru, who took a humorous turn using a rope and ring technique. Then came Bob Festa, who impressed everyone with a nifty presentation with ring and string. The nal local volunteer wa s Tom D’Agnes, D’Agnes, who presented a new rope and scissors effect that he had just learned. Assembly guest Dave Letendre then took center stage and shared a very slick three rings and rope effect that dazzled the audience. Kekoa followed-up by generously supplying gimmicks (ropes and washers) for all assembled…and
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Assembly News News then proceed to patiently teach tion between Thayer and Elliott. numerous techniques involving He also brought and demonstratropes and rings, which everyone ed the original 1933 Thayer Silk clearly enjoyed. Dave Letendre Cabby. then took the stage with a brief Dennis Phillips opened up but clever “sh story” lecture. the meeting show by showing After the presentations, Kekoa the props in the Joe and Georgi held a nal rafe that included Smiley Dove Act, Dove several happy winners. The Catching, a fall-apart box magical evening concluded with vanish, and a paper frames reclassic Hawaii “talk story” and appearance. Joe and Georgie local sales and swaps of magic performed up until 1995. Dan tricks. —Dr. Joe Page Stapleton did one of his signature Assembly 89 meets on the effects, Miraskill. Dan has taken rst Wednesday at 7:30 pm at the Stewart James card effect Kalihi-Palama Library, 1325 to greater heights. Dan apparKalihi Street, Honolulu, Hawaii. ently can weigh cards and know Contact Dr. Joe Page rainbow. how many of each color are in c o n n e c t i o n @ h a w a i i a n t e l . the pack. Greg Solomon, ever net 808-381-7820 https:// on the lookout for inexpensive www.facebook.com/search/ effects, showed a clever math top/?q=hawaii%20ma for more effect using cards with numbers details. and cut outs on them. He was able to know a selected number. 99 Jams Bailey III showed a dollar FUN WITH A TWO DOLLAR bill mysteriously penetrating penetrat ing BILL through rubber bands held by a spectator. ORLANDO, FL� President John Arroyo had a very Craig Schwarz called the polished Okito/Boston Box meeting to order with thirty routine. Jimmy Ichinana , card present. Tom Parking was with wiz, shufed a deck of cards us again and we welcomed back and his ngers got where each Don Arthur, one of the founding kind was in the deck. He then members. Craig also showed made the Kings migrate through the logo and t-shirt design he the deck and nish on top. came up with for the combined —Dennis —Denn is Phillips I.B.M.-S.A.M. convention. Bev Assembly 99 meets on the Bergeron’s Teach-in featured all third Wednesday at 7:30 pm the fun you can have with the at The International House of uncommon two-dollar bill on Pancakes, 5203 Kirkman Road, waitresses. ORLANDO, FL. Contact Craig Phil Schwartz presented Magic Schwarz
[email protected] History Moment #85. He spot- for more details. lighted Dr. James William 104 Elliott who was called the IRISH DESSERT AT THE “Card Wonder of the Nineteenth INSTALLATION INSTALLATION BUFFET Century” by the Mahatma. Born in 1874, he trained at Harvard and became a medical doctor. SALEM, MA� On Wednesday, Ass embly He preferred magic and worked June 7, the business of Assembly for Servais LeRoy as Bosco 104 was food, food, and more and later for Felix Herrmann. food – and ceremony. With the He left touring to perfect card year of ofcial magic business manipulation and sold secrets behind us and the summer ahead, to his effects for high prices. In our members were gathered, September of 1898, he published not in Diamond’s Magic, but a challenge in which any man at the East Sakora Restaurant, in the world could dispute his in Salem, Massachusetts. The claim to the title “Champion occasion that drew us to the Card Man ipulator of the World.” World.” location of so many past instalHe offered big money prize, lation banquets was, in fact, the a challenge that was never latest one. As we lined up for the accepted. Houdini edited the amazingly varied buffet of ev Elliott’s Last Legacy erything from seafood to beef, it 1923 book Elliott’s three years after Elliott died became clear that new manageof kidney disease. Phil showed ment was on the job. Many of us a nice original LeRoy Talma wondered what took us so long Bosco poster and drew a connec- to return.
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With second and third helpings having vanished without benet of silk, Past President Bill Jensen had the newly elected ofcers join him at the table that bore the hat, wand, and candles. Then, with cameras clicking and wax melting, the new year’s roster of ofcers was solemnly sworn in. They are: President “J” Hubbard, Vice President Jim Loscutoff, Second Vice President Bruce Lawson, Treasurer Debbie Loscutoff, Secretary Bob Forrest, and Sergeant at Arms Bill Marotte. Entertainment for the evening was provided in two parts; the rst by our own Debbie O’Carroll. The second handled by Dollee Mallare.
Debbie Hunts the Oosh
Debbie offered Celtic fantasies as her theme. She performed a whimsical series of sleights as Fairy Grandmot her, with a lemon bowl, a sugar bowl, and three “Lemon Fairies” that ended with the legendary “Banshee.” From here, Debbie revealed the legend of “The Oosh,” a sea serpent that lived in Ireland’s Loch Allen. The monster frightened sherman until the day Saint Patrick arrived and drove it out to sea. The ight of the eeing creature created a trench “…that became the River Shan non.” Debbie recruited volunteers to “walk with her to Ireland,” to visit Loch Allen. Using yarn, she transformed into a cadaver by having a k not head magica lly pop off; Debbie nished off the menace. With a nal, dede lightfully naughty tale about a naked man escaping sentencing thanks to a mirthful judge, Ms. O’Carroll then introduced Dollee Mallare, who told a story about a princess who was crestfallen when she broke her necklace. A Tear Bag and a magic word resolved the problem. A cute “Perfect Man” was produced, followed by Debbie O’Carroll
earning closing applause by performing performi ng a giant Celtic Knot version of a three ring routine with hula hoops, to the sound of a Tommy Makem instrumental. Charming. —Bob Forrest Assembly 104 meets on the rst Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Diamond’s Magic, 515 Lowell street, Peabody, MA. Contact Bob Forrest captainalbr ightsq1 ightsq1@ @ comcast.net 339339-227-0797 227-0797 www. sam104.com for more details.
110 JOE HOMECHECK ASSEMBLY HARRISBURG, PA� Our June
meeting began with Kyle Purnell sharing about his upcoming lecture, “Never Finished.” Barry Yiengst provided a reminder of the club’s family picnic to be held on August 13. The picnic will be held at the rear of 25 West Main Street, Mechanicsburg. Members are asked to bring along tricks to entertain. enterta in. Dick Zechman will provide the entertainment for the October meeting. Under Good of the Order, Michael Worsham shared of his experience at the Jeff McBride show and lecture that was given at Denny and Lee’s this past weekend. Michael said that the lecture was well worth it and that Jeff McBride will be on Penn & Teller: Fool Us in July. Michael also shared about his resent purchase of hats, and a nd he demonde monstrated their use. Lou Abbatiello shared that he and Rose would be attending attendi ng the upcoming I.B.M./S.A.M convention. We look forward to hearing about their experience. The business meeting ended end ed at 7:35 p.m. Following the business meeting we were entertained entert ained by President Barry Yeingst sharing B’Wave. Lou Abbatiello demonstrated the use of cards that he purchased at Barnes and Nobles that stimulate your thinking in “What do you see?” He suggested its use for children’s shows. Michael Worsham shared a trick titled Quarterly Report with the group. He then shared a prop he purchased at the Jeff McBride lecture ca lled The Fly, and got us all laughing. Jack Ritter showed everyone a pair of expandable wands he uses for children’s shows. Cute. Rodney Ries, with assistance provided by Rose
AUGUST 2017
Assembly News News
Mike Snyder and Marlin Mar lin Troutman Abbatiello, entertained us with a trick he titled Tea for Two in which he poured different colored water from a tea pot. He then made the tea pot vanish. The meeting ended with Kyle Purnell expertly demonstrating a “Pick a Number” card trick. All had a great time. Following the entertainment Barry Yeingst reminded us of the upcoming meeting line-up: August 10 bring along a prop to share, September 14 The Eddie Cleaver Competition, October 12 Dick Zechman demonstration, October’s benet shows at the VA Hospital Lebanon and the VFW Mechanicsburg, November 9 will be the Grab Bag Competition. —Mark Krotulski Assembly 110 meets on the second Thursday at 7 pm at John’s Diner, Limekiln Exit on I-83, New Cumberland, PA. Contact Barry Yiengst
[email protected] 71 7177-3833830857 for more details.
112 MONEY MAGIC AND MORE PLEASANT HILL, CA — At
a recent meeting of the S.Y.M. Loren Lind chapter, Diego Cervantes Cervante s looks over over an amazing book. (See photo.) photo.) Looking on are Rick Allen to the left, and Jerry Barrilleaux and Bob Holdridge behind him. Twelve-year-old Diego has made great progress in the S.Y.M. Assembly 112, which helps sponsor the S.Y.M., has presented him with a special book in recognition of his h is great effort and progress. The book, Birch the Master Magician , was donated by Rick Allen and the Stevens Magic Company of Wichita, Kansas. Our regular meeting of the Assembly 112 was dedicated to money magic. We were treated to a fantastic lecture on coin magic by a team of t wo excellent magicians, Christopher McCo-
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naughey and Michael McGriff. The pair discussed and demonstrated a number of sleights and moves involving the vanishing and production of coins and how to utilize these in performance. Christopher concluded the lecture with a lengthy demonstration of the techniques he uses to perform his version of the Miser’s Dream, followed by a question-and-answer session. Michael also exhibited his large collection of related resource material, books, and DVDs that are available for anyone wishing to further his knowledge of coin magic.
to be marketed Inner Sanctum – Phobias of the Inner Mind. Chris Bontjes presented his Hot Flip Flops and Prof Higgins changed a $2 bill into two ones and a onedollar bill into a ve. The next meeting will at Dallas Magic and Costumes. Come early and meet us across the street at Manzella’s Italian Patio for dinner or just to hang out and chat. See ya at the meeting, —Ken Barham Assembly 120, Andy Dallas Assembly, meets the third Wed. at 7pm, (except Nov. and Dec.) For location call Christ Bontjes at 217-442-6244 or Ken Barham Sec, 2318 Winchester Dr, Champaign, IL 61821. 217-8415616 561 6 email: emai l:
[email protected]
131 13 1 WORK IN PROGRESS
Young Magician Honored Later in the evening, several members took the stage to perform some of their favorite tricks with money. Among the performers were Zeb Dunn it (a.k.a. Bill Hatteroth), Bob Holdridge, Jerry Barrilleaux, and Larry “Zappo” Wright. The meeting concluded with our regular auct ion of some great magic props and the always fun rafe for a bag of tricks. Visitors are always welcome at Assembly 112 meetings, so drop in next time if you are in the area. —Bill Marquardt Assembly 112 meets on the third Wednesday at 7:00 pm at VFW Hall, 1919 Wendell Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA. Contact Bill Marquardt billmarq@sbcglobal. net 707-592-1285 www.sam112. com for more details.
120 ASSEMBLY 120 MEETING CHAMPAIGN, IL� The fund-
raiser went pretty well. If we do another one there we will need to bring better lights, but we had h ad a good turnout and everyone had a good time. Andy Anderson opened the magic portion of the meeting with his Ball through Hand. Kaizad Irani presented his soon
DANBURY, CT� Our Summer barbeque date is August 6 at Russ and Patty’s home. It is always a great time. Danbury Danbur y Top Top Hatters welcomed Willie Yee from Assembly 35. Willie has been in magic just over one year. He demonstrated a few card effects with a stacked deck, bent a borrowed and signed quarter, and performed a rubber penetration penetrat ion effect with thick rubber bands – far more effective than the thin bands. Will also gave out colored napkins for an origami rose fold.
New Club Banner at Newtown Lions Duck Race Russ demoed a number of pattern patter n folds and a nd scissor cuts in which a selected card appears. Magic Marty presented a gift from Jimmy C. that allowed a shot glass with liquid to be placed in it and twisted 360 degrees. The water was never dropped out. The new banner arrived and was used in our annual Newtown Lions Duck Race. —Magic Marty Steinberg Assembly 131 meets on the third
Monday at 7:30pm at Methodist Church, 5 Clapboard Ridge Rd, Danbury, CT. Contact Magic Marty Steinberg magicmarty@ aol.com 845-797-8363 for more details.
141 CONJURORS GET A LIFT! COLUMBIA, MD� On May 8, 2017, 2017, the Columbia Conjurors continued their year-long Rat-Pack obsession with the theme “Fly Me to the Moon: Magic with a Levitation, Flight or ‘Lift’ Theme.” Jacques Severe opened with a neat single nger “lift” method taught to him by Bob Little, in which a selected card hidden in the deck magically rises up and ips over. Guest Jay Miller then shared his latest Jay Sankey-inspired ring and rope routine, with a ring repeatedly appearing and disap pearing peari ng from his red shoe lace. Eric Hoffman shared with the group the new security guard test for local casinos, involving ve blank, red-backed playing cards; but then Eric revealed why most applicants fail, as he revealed that one of the cards was actually an Ace, then that all the cards were in fact blue backed, and nally that the formerly blank cards were now a royal ush! President Rob Niccolini entertained with his version of “Cue the Magic,” in which volunteer (and club guest) Steven Zhan became the magician, and through the use of cue cards (and a series of bad jokes) had an audience member select a card that was then revealed to be in an envelope on the last cue card. Finally, Secretary Matt Neufeld brought us home with a variety of tricks, including a rising haunted hanky with a ghostly eyeball, a deck-of-cards comedy gag, and a trick in which a quarter disap pears into a wooden block underneath a silk. In the end, all of the magic “raised” some spirits! On June 12, the Columbia Conjurors held their annual Teach-a-Trick meeting. Dr. Brent Morris, exing his math muscles, started us off with his own variation of Alex Elmsley’s The Book of Fortunes, called The Book of Corollaries, which Brent published in the February 2004 edition of Math Horizons. After “tuning a deck”
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Assembly News News to a volunteer based on three questions, Brent was able to use counted-out cards to direct the volunteer to a page in the article that replicated his choices exactly. Eric Hoffman followed with an explanation of his Nonsensical Card Trick, locating a spectator’s card from a borrowed deck, followed by John Gazmen revisiting how we can use some basic key card concepts to fool anyone. Finally, Peter Wood concluded with his walk-around sponge ball routine, reminding us that sponge balls handled well can be just as magical for adults as they are for kids. All of the Conjurors left with a lot of scribbled notes and some fun new ideas to work on over the summer! Assembly 141 meets on the second Monday at 8:00 pm at In the basement of the Parish House (on top of the hill) at Christ Episcopal Church, 6800 Oakland Mills Road, Columbi, Maryland. Contact Rob Niccolini robert.
[email protected] sam141.org for more details.
157 15 7 PICNIC NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS BEAVER, PA� The
Mystic Magicians of Beaver Valley (157) held their Rich Howard Memorial Picnic on Sunday, Sund ay, June 4, 2017, at Brady’s Run Park. It was a rainy day, but twentyone members and guests were in attendance. There was a ea market and pick-up show with Ray Lucas and Tom Chidester performing. performi ng. The Election Committee will be announced next month, as well as the last reading of the bylaw change. Jack Greenberg had a possible
lecture that needs additional information. He also announced the date for the GPMN Banquet at the Fez as Sunday, April 15, 2018. Bill Cornelius suggested doing another enticement reward for getting more to perform at meetings. After discussion, it was decided to start after the rst of the year. Nick Carifo, our California member who was in town, was the emcee for the performances. Jim Weyand brought a bag of ropes he was going to pass out to members, but they were not what he thought they were and is going to research it for next month. He then showed a box of the very rst magic tricks he had purchased in June 1960. Don Moody performed Rainbow Ropes, but they were all one color. Have three ropes, knot two, show three ropes tied together. Sprinkle “wooe dust”, becomes one rope, no knots. Bill Cornelius had three ropes, showing the ends. Tied two ends together. Shows other ends of three ropes, ties two together. Blows knots off. Rope in one piece. Jim Tate showed two rubber bands, twisted them, they are connected. Twists them again, they are separate. He also had a small white paddle. Reaches in air and gets black dot and puts it on paddle. Does it again. Makes spots all appear on one side, and then makes them disappear. —Judy Steed Assembly 157 meets on the second Thursday at 7:30pm at Towne Square Restaurant, 518 3rd Street, Beaver, PA. Contact Judy Steed heyjude1943@msn. com 330-525-5389 www.mmbv. club for more details.
170 SLYDINI, DAI VERNON, DEL RAY, AND ORSON WELLS PERFORMANCE COLORADO SPRINGS, CO —
Grilling in the rain.
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We had some special guests attend our May meeting. The Pike Peak Prestidigators May meeting was an opportunity to see some history and favorite videos from our members’ libraries. But rst, Frank Klein performed his Invisible Deck routine for Lisa Bishoff. Lisa had purchased a deck but it had no instructions. This is what being part of an S.A.M.
word “wys,” meaning wise, and the sufx “-ard.” So a wizard was basically a wise man. It was only after the 1550s that the word “wizard” gained its present meaning as one who has magical abilities. Dressed in full wizard regalia, George performed Barry Mitchell’s King Midas Touch routine. 2017 Assembly 170 Ofcers: King Midas is remembered in Bill Wysong (Member-atGreek mythology for his ability Large), Jason Gunnels (Pres), Mark Weidhaas (Sec), Je remy to turn everything he touched into gold. George’s routine is Chisum (VP), Dick Bowman presented from a beautifu l magic (Sgt-at-Arms), Lisa Bischoff book, and a nd as he opens ope ns the book, (Treasurer) not present he begins to narrate the story. George produces a k ing’s ing’s crown, Assembly is all about: members loads of cash, huge gold nuggets, helping members with hands-on a gold rose, a gold banana, a glass instructions. of gold water, and even gold During the evening, we credit cards. When King Midas were entertained by the touches his favorite daughter likes of Slydini and his rope and she turns into gold, the story routine and torn and restored then teaches an important moral newspaper. Del Ray demon- lesson. With George’s magic, the strated “The Bet.” Key and story has a happy ending. Peele performed as the Magic George also performed his Cop, and Paul Daniels performed version of Silks to Kings. He his Chop Cup. Orson Wells did once saw this effect and then a cold reading. Orson was an reverse engineered the method S.A.M. member; the assembly so that he could perform it in his secretary secreta ry has a copy of his S.A.M. own show. Talisman. Lance Burton’s Silk to Egg was performed with Johnny Carson. Scott and Muriell performed Sawing a Lady in Half. And Dai Vernon closed the evening of movie clips with his Cups and Balls routine. — Mark Weidhaas Weidhaas Assembly 120 meets 2nd Tuesday at the Sand Creek Police Station Community Room, 4125 Center George Hann the Wizard Park Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80916. Contact Mark Weidhaas at
[email protected] for After all workshops, we turn more information. the stage over to member performances. First to perform was Reba Strong. She started 181 with Meir Yedid’s OrigamagCOSTUME M AGIC AGIC ic White Crane, which as the name suggests starts as a folded folded HIGHTSTOWN, NJ� George napkin that magically changes Hann has been performing into a white cra ne. Reba’s Reba’s second costume magic for over twenty effect, performed with a chain, years, appearing as a wizard, a was taught to her by the “Wild pirate, and even Groucho G roucho Marx. Ma rx. Man of Hatboro,” Bob Little. During this month’s workshop, She nished her set with a nice he shared his experiences Starcle. from doing charity work for Rocco did his original constructhe American Cancer Society, tion of ACAAN. Rob Francis, the Boy Scouts, at children’s the Dork of Deception started hospitals, hospitals, and birthday parties. with a four-Ace production, Prior to the sixteenth century, which led into a color changing the distinction between magic deck. As an added bonus, Rob and philosophy was blurred. I explained the handling of his found that the word “wizard” is color changing deck in great derived from the Middle English detail. The nal performance
AUGUST 2017
Assembly News News was Wayne Houchin’s Carbon Paper by Topher Sutton. This is an effect where the heat of a burned card magically transfers to a selected signed card. After the performance, the members vote for the best performance of the night. Tonight, the “Coffee Cup” Award went to Topher Sutton for his performance of Carbon Paper. —David Zboray Assembly 181 meets on the rst Thursday at 7:00pm at First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton Street, Hightstown, New Jersey. Contact Stephan Sloan stephansloan10@gmail. com 732-757-5337 http:// magicsam181.com/ for more details.
188 FUN & FRIENDS UT� Our June meeting was a little low on attendance. Several members either forgot it or thought there was no meeting because we were hosting the Utah Valley Art of Magic festival at the local city library. But we did have a good turnout; about thirteen folks turned up, unlucky for some but lucky for us. Our mini-lecture was presented by Anthony White. He is current president of I.B.M. Ring 193 in Salt lake City and visits us often. His lecture was on kid’s magic. He stressed making the magic make sense to children. Use props they recognize, like making popcorn appear. He feels about 75-80% is having fun and laughter, the rest is the magic. He recommended we stay current with kid’s entertainment and adapt our props and routines to current popular themes. Ron Carrasco presented a great Samuel Patrick Smith “Bob the Bookworm” routine. Lots of fun for kids. Al Lampkin presented a routine about “Things I like.” He had a notebook with lots of things he likes on the pages. He balled up a paper ball and tossed into audience to randomly select two helpers. Scott Chamberlain held a closed paper bag and Chris Dutson peeked at one of the pages and selected cookies. Al unfolded the tossed-out ball to reveal “Cookies” written on it! Then the bag was opened and it contained cookies that were then given to the helpers. I PROVO,
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tempted to say it was a crumby trick, but it was chipper! John Linford chose a helper and asked him to draw a symbol from his childhood on the back of a business card. John drew an impression on another card and successfully revealed the images to be identical. Javier performed his version of Clipped by Jay Sankey. He showed a folded card contained in a paper clip. Had Josh select/sign a card and tried to reveal it, but wrong. The he icked the card and four heart pips popped out, revealing the Four of Hearts. Then he removed the clipped card to show it was the original signed Four of Hearts. Mont Dutson showed a routine from his current Build a Better World library show. It is “Today’s Tools,” available from Jim Kleefeld online. Pictures of many tools are shown, one mentally selected, and without looking or asking questions, Mont identied the tool selected. He really hit it on the head. Folks hung around after wards for quite a while talking and jamming. —Mont Dutson Assembly 188 meets on the third Thursday at 7:00pm at The Courtyard at Jamestown, 3352 N 100 E, Provo, Utah. Contact Mont Dutson montd84@ comcast.net 801-253-3595 www. utahmagicclub.org for more details.
194 A FINE FINISH TO A GR EAT SEASON YONKERS, NY� We began our
meeting by inducting another new member, Andrew Proto, a third grade school teacher and a serious magic part-time pro. That was followed by Dave Crasson performing a Broken Wand Ceremony in memory of Del Castile, a longtime and faithful member. We were pleased that his son Rob was able to attend. After Vice President Jack Pelepko read the qualications for assembly ofcers, we unaniunanimously re-elected all the ofcers of the assembly under the outstanding leadership of President Roger Burchard. We then had several members present “demos” of effects ef fects with shared instructions. Charles Hallock (aka “Charlini”) donned a shabby top hat and lit a candle.
Smoke issued from the top of the hat followed by a ame, both of which were soon extinguished by a bouquet of spring owers! (You had to be there!) Next, Rich Rattoti showed more of his classical magic with some ne coin manipulations including a coin to credit card. Fr. Brennan showed and explained two card effects, one a color changing deck to all blue cards after three freely chosen cards from a red deck were revealed. He followed that with the Acrobatic Card taught to him several years ago by Steve Cohen. Mario Marchese presented a wonderful version of the Cups and Balls and then shared that he is now working with David Blaine. Following a pizza and beverage party, part y, we witnessed witnesse d some ne examples of impromptu magic. Steve Burchard showed us how to get a bottle cap inside the bottle. Then Dennis Barlotta performed Slydini’s Slydini’s Coins through the Table in a way that would have made Tony S. very proud. Dave Crasson enlisted the help of Jack Pelepako, who held a cup and saucer on top of his head while Dave vanished the contents of a sugar packet only to have it appear inside the cup. David Ferst then showed a mental effect using eight sugar packets, Ted Lee did a Bill Count and Miscount with bills in his inimitable manner, and Jim Stranges completed the set with the Floating Dollar Bill. All in all it was a fun night of magic fellowship as we look forward to another great season in the fall. —Fr. Dermot Brennan Assembly 194 meets on the third Wednesday at 7:30 PM at Catholic Slovak Club, 49 Lockwood Ave., Yonkers, NY. Contact Roger Burchard
[email protected] 914548-5353 548-53 53 for more details.
200 MENTAL MYSTERIES SEATTLE, WA� This month’s
theme was “Mental Mysteries.” Members were encouraged to perform a mentalism-inspi red routine. Regardless of the theme, there was some great magic and fun. Inspired by the previous
month’s month’s performance performa nce from Brian Cook, Jim Earnshaw presented a nice Okito Box routine. Jim purchased purchase d his box and wand set from Brian’s Magic Crafter business. Louie Foxx showed the group a real digital fooler in which he took a picture of the spectator holding a random card they were unaware of yet were later able to freely pick the same card from a mixed deck. Rick Swaney presented a Bob Farmer effect called Deja Voodoo. Rick has obviously put a lot of work into the trick and the results were very magical. One of our new members, Aidan Adams, showed off a very nice multi-phase card to pocket routine that had well-timed misdirection and very smooth handling. Aidan will be fun to watch in the future. Larry Dimmitt involved the entire group when he solicited written words sealed in envelopes to reveal that a prediction he made matched the randomly selected choice. Michael Jacobs presented a nice card effect in which he was able to divine not only the selected card, but also the number of cards left inside the card box. Roger Sylwester presented a nice self-contained routine by Cody Fisher called Fifty-two Thoughts. This routine has a lot of funny moments and quite a magical ending. Mark Paulson used his mind powers to inuence multiple spectators to tell him when to stop his ring over a random word in a book. The word matched an earlier prediction he had made. Reymarx Gereda had the spectator grab a random amount of cards from a deck of cards and was able to divine every card chosen. It was a very nice mentalism piece. Sam Chamberlain presented a want-ad prediction in which he was able to divine where a spectator would have him cut though a piece of newspaper. Multiple cuts were made and Sam still was able to predict the correct ending.—Jim Earnshaw Assembly 200 meets on the rst Thursday at 7:00pm at Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA. Contact Jim Earnshaw jim@ earnshawmagic.com 206-2256715 www.emeraldcitywizards. org/ for more details.
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210 MAY CASTILLO DE LA MAGIA TOA BAJA, PR — Hola Hola from our
magical island, Puerto Rico. We began our meeting at 8 p.m. at Dennys, Isla Verde, Carolina. It was a small group, but we had a great, great time. President Shabum gave Joel our past dues so he can begin doing his role as treasurer of our assembly. We then began manipulation magic with cards and impromptu magic. It was then that Marcos arrived. We ordered dinner, but like always kept on doing magic. We planed what we were going to do in the future. Lectures, magician of the month, magic shows, and October magic week. —Professor Lulu Assembly 210 meets on the last Wednesday at 8.00 P.M. at El Castillo De La Magia, calle cristobal real E.G.18, Toa Baja, PUERTO RICO. Contact PROFESOR LULU
[email protected] 787-784-0283 787784-0283 for more details.
215 LOUISVILLE HOSTS STEPHEN BARGATZE BARGATZE KY� There were forty-six members and one guest present. In addition, there was one former member, Larry Keaton, who attended and rejoined the club after a long absence. President Jim Harris promoted the upcoming I.B.M./ S.A.M. combined convention. Cody Clark stated th at he would be doing a show in conjunction with Shakespeare in the Park and encouraged all to attend. Michael Raymer, Regional Deputy of the S.A.M., welcomed new member Barbara Harris and presented her with a certicate certi cate and pin. Michael also stated that this will be the rst time the club has produced a printed color brochure for It’s Mag ic, and he solicited members to purchase ads for the brochure. Brent Braun thanked the club for sup porting and mentoring ment oring him over the years and credits a lot of his success to his experiences with the club and the support of its members. Brent’s Position Im possible is now the nu mber-oneselling trick on Penguin Magic’s LOUISVILLE,
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website. announced meeting themes on a David Garrard promoted It’s regular basis. Magic and encouraged club Bob Ellis displayed a “spinner” members to purchase tickets to he got from England. He spun the support the event. He said we spinner and laid a selected card should be able to ll the ve- on it. When it was displayed, the hundred-seat venue and by ink on the card had been spun in doing so will provide the club a circle. Keith Pass followed that the nances for yet another sucsuc- with a routine with giant dollar bills. He tore two bills in half, cessful year. giving halves of the torn bills to audience members and destroying the other halves. He then tore new bills and showed that the new halves matched the torn edges on the earlier bills. Tom Bohacek kicked off his magic demo with his version of the Princess Card Trick, during which a mentally selected card was found. He then wowed the audience with a special reproStephen Bargatze duction deck of cards and a story about the U.S. Playing Card An entertaining lecture and Company’s card decks distributshow was provided by Stephen ed during World War II to POW Bargatze from Nashville. camps in Europe. The cards, Stephen provided anecdotes when soaked in water, became from his childhood and how he easy to split, displaying an became interested intereste d in magic in- escape map when the pasteterspersed with numerous well boards were laid out in a particudone and entertaining illusions. lar order. Stephen particularly enjoys working with kids and involved comedy in many of his illusions. The lecture was entertaining and well received by the members. —John Butler Assembly 215 meets on the second Tuesday at 7 PM at Kosair Charities, 982 Eastern Parkway, Tom assembles the Louisville, KY. Contact Michael escape map. Raymer
[email protected] 502-644-7829 www.lmcmagic. com for more details. Bob Malinchock displayed four sealed envelopes and had three 252 25 2 audience members each select COLORS an envelope. Amazingly, the three envelopes, when opened, FAIRFAX, VA�PRESIDENT each contained a dollar bill and Keith Pass opened the meeting a note saying the spectator was a with a report on t he Jeff McBride “winner.” Bob opened the fourth lecture he attended recently. and last envelope and found a Richie Klein, as is his usual piece of paper saying he was a style, celebrated the evening’s “loser.” “Colors” theme with an elaborate Richie Klein ended the silk routine that involved a evening’s magic with a routine change bag and a blue silk. that involved a playing card When the spectator said blue, folded up in a matchbox. The card he got a glue stick. On a second ended up as a work of origami try the spectator got a shoe when unfolded was no longer a instead of “blue.” The climax playing card. And the replacecame when the assistant pulled a ment had a large red kiss on it. string out of the bag and ended —Alan Wheeler up with a twenty-foot string of Assembly 252 meets on the multi-colored silk handkerchiefs third Thursday at 7:30 PM at fastened on it. Richie has set a Knights of Columbus Hall, kind of record in following the 3700 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax,
Virginia. Contact Tom Bohacek
[email protected] bohacek@gma il.com 703703-7547542005 for more details.
266 HOT MAGIC MAGIC IN LAKEL AND LAKELAND, FL� Our June meeting was full of hot magic magic and fellowship that started with our pre-meeting dinner. dinne r. Dean Bob Macey showed some goodies he got from his visit to Montreal and the Magicana Collectors Weekend. The biggest prize was Professor Hoffman’s Card Tricks Made Easy. It was a rare treat to be able to hold history like this in your hands. Scribe Al D’Alfonso also showed off The Magic Show Book , a kids’ magic book that is designed to do a magic show for your audience. It is not as elaborate as the Setteducati book from a few years back, but a nice job for someone growing an interest in the art. During our meeting we voted on a motion from Ed McGowan to change the name of our assembly, which was approved unanimously. We hope that by the time this report sees print it will have been approved by national and you will be able to read it above. We also discussed our upcoming lecture this year and the prospect to add a second. Our meeting was kicked off by Beverly Kenemuth, who delved into the May 2017 issue of M-U-M to “Contact the Spirits” with a mysterious spelling trick. Beverly’s work with the magic of M-U-M is is an ongoing delight. Al followed Beverly with Brent Braun’s Position Impossible, which blew the room away, not unlike I was blown away when I rst saw it. Ed stepped up with his own position impossible by counting down in the deck to nd Bob’s selected card. Professor Hoffman, speaking through Bob, delighted us with two tricks from his collectible nd, amazing us with the age of some magical principles that we take for granted. Resident psychic Ray Noble divined the owner of four sketches by doing a personality reading on the artists. Clean-up batter was President Jerry Kardos, who explained the mysterious power of three
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Assembly News
Bob Macey's Professor Hoffman nd. with a demonstration that had us convinced that he had psychic abilities, too! If your vacation plans bring you to Central Florida be sure to stop in and visit with Lakeland’s nest for pancakes and hot magic all year round. —Al D’Alfonso Assembly 266 meets on the second Wednesday at 7:00 pm at i-hop, Corner of Rt-98 & I-4, Lakeland, FL. Contact Al D’Alfonso keeper0499@ embarqmail.com 321-437-3814 for more details.
291 29 1 STEVE SILVERMAN DAZZLES LOS ANGELES, CA— Steve
Silverman’s pocket change is a little different from ours. For one thing, it doesn’t clink unless he wants it to. And, as he demonstrated at Assembly Asse mbly 291’ 291’s May lecture, his coins – especially his silver dollars – have the enjoyable habit of showing up exactly where you don’t expect them. In a captivating session, Silverman offered detailed instructions on coin manipulation, beginning with vanishes that ranged from thumb palms to edge grips and pinch grips. Moving to productions, he showed the pop-up, slide, and muscle pass variations, each favorites that he uses on an everyday basis. “I’m using all the palms, palms , baby!” Silverman joked while adding a hand wash to transfer his coins between hands, then combining his methods into an extended set of silver dollar appearances and disappearances. “You’ve got to have a story stor y to tell. You’re You’re giving the story; the magic’s giving the proof.” proof.” Silverman later performed his version of Spellbound, a difcult silver dollar/Chinese coin
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routine, to an Asian instrumental song about a lot us ower. His jumbo coin vanishes and coinsin-silk routines were entertaining examples of the fundamentals he taught at the outset. “Nothing earth-shattering,” he insisted, “just standard sleights with my own little twist on things.” After the break he returned with some card effects, led by his Santa Anita Opener, a mental routine with a color-change deck and a transposition in the same effect. Race To The Top, a four-Ace production, featured a ballerina center cut for the rst Ace, a swing cut to the second, Bro. John Hamman’s “bottom double drop-off switch” for the third, and a “double bottom drop” for the nal Ace. Any jaws not yet hanging open were treated to Four To One, a variation on a Darwin Ortiz trick in which Silverman incorporates his original idea, a “fan holdback utility,” bucking one bottom card away from the deck during a card fan to awaw lessly force a card…leading to other wonders, of course, and a well-deserved ovation from the Westside Wizards and guests. —Dan Cray Assembly 291 meets on the second Tuesday at Stoner Park OPICA OPIC A Adult Day Care Facility, 11759 Missouri Avenue, Los Angeles, CA. Contact Les Cooper
[email protected] ww w. westsidewizards.org for more details.
sional routines, Bob Mason’s Utter Confusion. Gary Erichson shared his creativity with both common and unique props that he is working with to combine into a color change ball-andsilk routine. Lloyd (Worley the Wizard) Worley asked if anyone could solve his Wisdomtoy dovetailed wooden drawer puzzle. He also showed a marked deck. Joe Gschwind demonstrated his interesting Buttery marked deck that can only be obtained at present from Eagle Magic Shop. Aside from a small one-way feature in the center of the backs, the unusual markings are all on the edges of the cards. The deck is a good value at $14. $14. Teagan Brown entertained us with an elaborate card manipulation and tap-dance routine, performed on his recently improved portable wood oor that really amplies the tap sound. In time to the tap-dancing, he did various card manipulations, including producing dozens of single cards, small clusters, fans, and nally cards-from-mouth. Gary Korneld showed an appearing billiard cue, and demonstrated demonstra ted the features of two custommade tables from Showtime Magic Products for stand-up performers. performers .
292 VARIED MAGICAL FUN
Teagan Brown June meeting featured a delightfully wide range of magical entertainment and props. Lloyd Worley ran a brief business meeting during lunch. Teagan Brown gave a show report; he is booked to be the closing act at a Denver comedy club. Members donated a number of door prize choices, including an appearing cane, one of Steinmeyer’s history books, and a large prop box decorated to look like an old book. Alicia Ambrose selected the prop box. Lloyd Worley facilitated the magic performances with the theme “Informal – a relaxing interlude.” Ed (Mr. Magic) Hurtubis opened, contributing one of his signature profesGREELEY,
CO� Our
To close, your story-telling scribe told an astonishing tale of trying to buy a particular piece of Native American jewelry by renowned silversmith Joseph Coriz of the Santo Domingo Pueblo. The process involved a series of magical synchronicities crammed into about twenty minutes, and becoming more and more miraculous. Then his wife, Marilyn Dutton, vouched for every word of it being true…and noted that she was wearing “The Necklace of the Synchronicities.” We really enjoyed a magical program with so much variety. —Ron Dutton & Ed Hurt ubis Assembly 292 meets on the
second Saturday at 11:00 A.M. at Kenny’s Steak House, 3502 West 10th Street (corner of 35th Avenue), Greeley, Colorado. Contact Dr. Lloyd Worley
[email protected] 970-356-3002 www.SAM292. org for more details.
297 A GOOD VARIETY VARIETY ! WINCHESTER, VA� Kicking off our June meeting theme, “Rope and Cord,” Jonathan Ford presented a very impressive series of rope, ring, and nut effects to include the Professor’s Nightmare, a nd various ring on / ring off penetrations. Tat Mills then managed to get himself locked up in shackles that instantly released before our very eyes when all unanimously provided the “magic” word.
Jon Ford and Tat Mills A very different approach to Shufebored was skillfully presented by Rusty Staubs with the help of several club members who shufed and shufed, face up/face down cards, to yield previously predicted outcomes. Bob Malinchock closed the trick section of the meeting with some oating bills, a Queen assembly, three-ring routine, and a new “Pick le Word” mental effect. Our meetings generally conclude with a discussion segment relating to an aspect of magic that would benet all our members, young, old, new, experienced. This month we discussed the attributes of a “good trick” and our own related experiences. —Bob Malinchock Assembly 297 meets on the second Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Incredible Flying Objects, 111 North Loudoun Street, Winchester, Virginia. Contact Bob Malinchock robert.
[email protected] 703669-9570 for more details.
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Life is Good:
Lessons For The iGeneration By David Oliver
THE VALUE OF PRODUCTION � PART ONE So, you have your tricks and effects rehearsed. The routines in your show have been scripted, scripted , and memorized. You have the ow of your show designed, and have put each effect in a certain cert ain order, based on the “W” method I taught in this column back i n June. And, just for good measure, as we discussed back in the February issue of M-U-M , you even have a fully stocked “M.E.A.T. Case” at the ready, in case of any emergency. Does this mean your show is ready? Does this mean you you even have a show, per sé? Not yet. These are all good things to have done in advance and to be prepared for. These are also a good start to putting together a “show.” “show.” But, there is st ill plenty plent y of work to do. We’re We’re not quite there, just yet. Let me offer this thought. When you go to the theater or to a concert, the performers do not simply stand in one spot and recite their lines or sing a song. If they did, even if they were good at it, the show or concert would seem incomplete. It may be good, but the directors, direct ors, producers, performers, and more important, the audiences who are there want more – sometimes, much more. What are they looking for? The answer is called Production Value. At a concert, it may be ashing lights, pyrotechnics, fog machines, or ame throwers. In a play or theatrical theatr ical musical, the stage sets may change, there could be curtains that come in and out of each scene, lighting would change the moods, and a variety of costume changes would draw the viewing audience into the world being created on stage. In a motion picture, the special effects and scenery along with ashy edits and background music all add to the nal product. These are all examples exa mples of production value. Production values could be dened as the combined technical qualities of the
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methods, materials, or stagecraft skills and go over three basic microphones you used in the production of a motion picture should consider using. or a live, artistic performance, that bring This Handheld microphones: an added or extra value to the production generally means any microphone held – simple right? in the hand and used to pick up human Considering the venues where we speech. Handheld mics are used in a huge usually work, and the inconsistencies of variety of settings, from musical perforthose venues, the addition of production mances and comedy shows to television values to our shows is vastly different to interviews. When you say “microphone,” those of a huge, theatrical production or most people picture a handheld mic. Some movie. Does that mean we cannot have, or are attached to cables. However, more add, production values to our performanc- often than not today, they are wireless and es? Of course not. We, as solo performers, transmit via radio waves. A handheld mic with limited resources and ever-changing can be used in the hand, clipped into a mic and challenging venues, need to gure out stand, or hung around the neck in clip. how to add some value to our productions. Handheld LD mics are a perfect beginner Let’s discuss how we can use or tool for most performers. When properly develop production value in our varied used, the solo performer can be heard, arenas. There are several types of produc- can direct the audiences’ attention, allow tion value. volunteers to be heard by the audience Sound: No matter how well rehearsed when asked a question, and even allow the your show is, no matter how well you performer to speak “off-mic,” “off-mic,” giving secret have structured the ow of your show, no stage instructions to the onstage helpers. I matter how many props you have, if your still use a handheld mic on a stand in all of audience cannot hear you, then your show my shows. It is there mainly as a back-up, is doomed. If they can’t hear you, they but, I also use it for audience volunteers won’t understand you. If they don’t under- onstage, as well as for the principal or boss stand you, they won’t enjoy you. If they to give preshow announcements (Photos 1 don’t enjoy you, you won’t be hired again. and 1a). So, one of the rst elements of production Lavalier microphones: In short, a value that we all begin to research is a p.a. lavalier microphone (or lavalier, also system. known as a lav, lapel mic, clip mic, body A “p.a. system” is short for a “public mic, collar mic, neck mic, or personal mic) address system” (some people think it’s is a small microphone used for television, “personal amplication system,” but, theater, and public speaking applications it’s not). It is usually a combined set of that allows hands-free operation. operat ion. It clips on equipment allowing amplication of your voice: microphones, ampliers, speakers, stands, cables, transmitters, and receivers. Anyone who’s ever been in a band or played a musical instrume inst rument nt knows what I’m talking about, and probably already owns most of what you’ll need. There are hundreds, if not thousands of p.a. systems available on the market at any given time. I will not be recommending any particular brand or system; I’ll just offer a few ideas on the elements of a good, basic system to Photo 1 get you started. Let’s begin with the types of micro phones; there are a re many t o choose from. In fact, there have been entire books written on this subject alone. I’ll keep it simple,
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Photo 1a your lapel, your collar, the center of your shirt, or your necktie. The lav mic will pick up your voice and a nd anything anyth ing withi n a range of about a foot or so very well. It can pick up the onstage volunteers’ voices, if you lean in relatively close to them. The lav is tiny, and usually not noticeable by the audience. If they do see it, it doesn’t matter. Today’s audiences are knowledgeable and savvy enough to know what it is and what it is for. You’ve seen them everywhere, and it probably never distracted you from the performer you were watching. The lav is connected by a very thin cable that runs under your costume, shirt, jacket, or dress and connects to a body-pack, wireless transm itter that is worn on your belt, in a pocket, or secured by some other means on your body. This transmitter sends the signal from you to an offstage receiver. Many lavs have a “mute” switch built into them that the performer can control onstage, turning it off and on at will. The lav is a popular type of micro phone for solo performers (Photos 2 and 2a – can you see the mic hidden hid den on my tie?). Another Headset microphones: popular type of microphone used by actors, singers, comics, ventriloquists, preachers, and, of course, magicians is the headset mic. You’ve seen them everywhere, from
Photos 2, 2a
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your computer games to the McDonald’s drive-through window attendant. A Photo 3 headset mic consists of a unit that wraps around the head (or simply behind the ear) and an amazingly tiny piece of tubing with a miniature microphone at the end that connects to a belt pack or body pack, the same way a lav does. The headset mic also allows for hands-free usage, like the lav. However, it produces higher quality sound than the lav, and is positioned directly next to (not in front of) the mouth, thus producing a crisp, clear, and normalsounding voice through the rest of the p.a. system. The performer can speak, whisper, or even sing, and there is little to no distortion. It also allows more control when speaking. I know that I wrote above that I would not recommend a specic brand or product. However, I have been using a Photo 4 headset mic from a company called Country man (their E-6 model) for for almost twenty years and have been extremely satised. It is tiny, virtually invisible to the audience, and much better than the headset mics that I refer to as the “Janet Jackson” mic or the “Madonna” mic, that are rather large and look as if you have a black sponge ball in front of your mouth (Photos 3 and 4 – you 5); others have multiple components, as can barely see the mic on the side of my mentioned above (Photos 6 and 7). For face). birthd ays, nursing homes, home parties, partie s, Much more information on micro- small function rooms, libraries, and phones is available: available: how how to use them, where similar venues, an all-in-one system may to put them, the difference between omni- be what you’re you’re looking for. Everything Every thing is directional and unidirectional. Do some built into one speaker unit: a microphone research; go to a music or band equipment receiver, music player, amplier, volume store and ask to try out a few. You’ll see and tone controls, etc. They usually have what works best for you. Do not position a lower wattage (50w – 100w or so), and them in front of your mouth; they should are loud enough to get your voice over the be to the side (headset) or below your chin sound and noise of the room. You’ll be in (handheld and lav). Explain to the sales- command of the room in no time. person that you are a public speaker, like For a high school auditorium, a stand-up comic, so you don’t need the full-range mic that an opera or rock singer would need. A competent clerk will steer you in the right direction. Amplication: A microphone won’t work unless it’s plugged into something. A basic p.a. system will allow you to plug in one or more items, such as a micro phone or two, plus some sort of Photo 5 music player (iPhone, MP4, iPad, laptop, CD player, etc.). The basic components are an amplier, speakers, speaker stands, cables, and mic stands. All of these are available at your local music store. As with microphones, there are hundreds of types of systems. Companies like Peavey and Fender specialize in portable sound systems. Some are all-in-one units (Photo Photo 6
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life is good
Photo 7
gymnasium, country club, club, outdoor outdoor party, party, or theater, you’re going to need a bigger system. A typical system includes the am plier/mixer combination, sometimes a subwoofer (for the low frequencies), and usually two or more speakers that sit on speaker stands. This is the type of system that I prefer. Mine is an 800w system. I run my headset mic, my handheld mic, and my music players all through this one system (mine comes from Peavey). It lets me ll the hall or theater with rich sound, and it comes from both sides of the stage for a fuller sound (Photo 8). In smaller venues, I only bring in one of the speakers, and it works just ne. Again, talk with
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Photo 8
the music store guys to nd a system to t your needs. Once you get a system, try it out in different venues, adjusting the tone, volume, angle of the speakers, etc. You’ll have fun learning in the process. Music: Now that they can hear you (which adds immensely to your production value), what about a little music? Music can denitely add some value to your propro duction. Perhaps it’s simply pre-show and post-show music you play thorough your p.a. system to get the audience into the mood before the show and to keep them happy as they exit. Maybe you use some eerie music, lightly playing in the background, when you perform your Sands of Egypt routine. Or you use that high-energy rock song for your fast-paced Rubik’s Cube Manipulation routine. Whatever your choice, music can add greatly to the value of your production.
Let me offer one suggestion that I always give to my students and colleagues when selecting a music piece. It doesn’t always have to be the type of music that you would listen to. The music choices should, in my opinion, be varied and t the venue, the audience, and (obviously) the effect. Be aware of your audience and what would be appropriate for not only the effect , but also for them. Open yourself up to many genres and styles, too. In my own show, I have ballads, movie themes, game show music, rock music, a few sound effects, and even some disco music. Some of the music plays quietly in the background to add atmosphere, and other songs are blasted a little louder to create excitement. It’s a nice mix, and covers a wide range of genres and types of music that my audiences like. If you only play country music in the background throughout your entire show, there may be people who don’t like country music. Mix it up to add production value to your show. show. [Continued next month.] Life is Good –DO Send your thoughts on production value to me (
[email protected]) (
[email protected]).. ©2017 ©2017 David Oliver, DoMagic™ Entertainment
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Trick from a member mem ber HE D ROP R ETENTION V ANISH B Y Y C HONG H UANG T HE D ROP R ETENTION V ANISH C HONG H UANG
For me, the most fascinating aspect of coin magic is how to vanish a coin. There are plenty of methods, such as the retention vanish, the Himber vanish, and other false transfers. Those great moves invented by our fathers in magic are inspirations to every coin magician. I drew inspiration from their work, and, fortunately, discovered something a few years ago. I call it the Drop Retention Vanish. Imagine you “drop” the coin into your left hand; the audience clearly sees that the coin is ipped into the left hand (Photo 1). When you wave your right hand over your left hand (Photo 2), the coin is gone. The key aspect of the move is this: the coin simply travels around the outer joint of your forenger, moving from the outside of your hand to the inside. When it arrives inside, pinch it in between the t he middle nger and forenger, or let it rest re st at your nngertips. The action is similar to the Coin Roll in Bobo’s New Modern Coin Magic, but you roll the coin around the outer joint of your forenger. To do that, hold the coin with forenger and thumb. Push the coin forward and open your middle nger. After the middle nger touches the coin, slide the coin inside your hand
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with your middle nger (Photos 3-6). You now have two options: 1) pinch the coin with your middle nger and forenger, which allows your right hand to open at (Photo 7); 2) rest the coin at your ngertips. To execute the drop retention vanish , you will need to make the following three movements happen as one continuous action: In a dropping action, your right hand, with the coin, moves downward toward the left hand. Your left hand moves upward toward the right hand, as if to catch the coin. When the two hands are about to meet, and while t he left hand “shades” the right ngers, execute the key move and close your left hand. Now you can wave your right hand over the left hand, and show the audience that the coin has vanished.
Practice Tips As you can tell the key move would be very obvious without the cover of the left hand. But if you combine the movements above and do everything in just the right timing, you will create the illusion that the coin dropped into your left hand. You do not want the audience to see the coin rolling back into your right
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hand. Drop the coin into your left hand for real a couple of times, and then practice the key move. Practice in front of a mirror; you will even fool yourself if you do it correctly.
Applications As a coin change: The left hand holds a contrasting coin in nger palm. The coin is hidden from the spectators’ view by means of the Ramsay subtlety (Photos 8 and 9). The right hand performs the key move. As soon as the coin is moved to the interior of the right hand, the left ngers ip the coin onto the left palm and immediately open (Photo 10). With a jumbo coin: Left hand holds a three-inch jumbo coin in a position similar to the gambler’s cop (Photos 11-12). The right hand performs the key move as the left hand opens up, letting the jumbo coin jump forward a little bit (Photo 13).
A performance of the Drop Retention Vanish can be seen here: https://youtu.be/KXLr1JvYaSA A performance of the two applications can be seen here: https://youtu.be/qP2uNM3fZbI
M-U-M Magazine
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The High Road Script Writing, Writing , Character Cha racter Developm Development, ent, and Act Construction For the Modern Conjuror
By Mick Ayres
“The speech of one who knows what he is talking about and means what he says – it is thought on re.” – William Jennings Bryan
On the brisk morning of November 19, 1863, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln mounted mount ed a brown horse and joined a multitude of people as they walked to the grounds where the Battle of Gettysburg had been fought. Four and a half months earlier, when the rie and cannon smoke had cleared from the elds, seven thousand ve hundred Union and Confederate soldiers lay dead along with ve thousand of their horses. This single conict brought home the message that this Civil War was costing our nation a great and terrible price. Now, President Lincoln had come to mourn with the devastated widows of the fallen. Edward Everett, a professional politician, stood before the gathered crowd and delivered a eulogy that lasted two hours. When he nished, President Lincoln stepped up and spoke for three minutes. During those one hundred and eighty seconds, Lincoln Lincoln reafrmed our ConstituConstitution’s proposition that all men are created equal; he vowed that a government of the people, by the people, for the people shall shal l not perish from the earth. However, there was one thing the President got wrong that day. He said, “The world will little note nor long remember what we say here.” Lincoln’s brief speech is now one of the most famous in history. As performing artists, we can learn much from Abraham Lincoln in this moment because, even on his worst day, he was a far better orator than most of us. Orating is the ability to speak clearly and condently by projecting your voice in a manner acceptable to the venue. Until the early 1900s, oration was a regular part of every education curriculum. In those days, leaders were measured by their character, their message, and by their ability to communicate it. Abraham Lincoln Lincoln had a rm grip on all
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three of those elements when he delivered the Gettysburg Address to an audience of fteen thousand townspeople, reporters, and dignitaries. He was not speaking from a stage in a theater designed with perfect acoustics; he was outdoors on a hill without a sound system. Even though he was concerned his speech might “miss the mark,” his lack of condence never showed and his message got through. Today, it is not u ncommon for conjurer s to perform in less than ideal circumstances, too. Things happen. The sound system fails or the client moves the performance area outdoors or the audience is far bigger than expected. If so, your ability to properly orate and project your voice is often the theatrical tool that will save the day. In my own role as a trickster, trickst er, tale-swap per, and a nd tunesm ith for Disney, Di sney, the performances are sometimes indoors but can be moved to a pool deck, around a campre, or in the shade of an oak tree at the drop of a hat. My presentations are specically designed to appear impromptu and spurof-the-moment so, as a rule, sound systems system s are never used. There are no acoustics involved in these outdoor venues, especially when surrounded by soft sand. A regular speaking voice will carry just a few feet before the sound drops right into the dirt, so knowing how to project my voice is critical. Understand this: projecting your voice well is not yelling. It is more accurately dened as control of your air and energy blended with a deep understanding understa nding of your topic, well-practiced enunciation, and unshakeable condence. At rst, vocal projection feels awkward and a bit like shouting, but with understanding and practice it becomes easier and effective. When a performer projects his or her voice well, the audience is not paying attention to the increased volume. Instead, they are focused on the message and relax in the performer’s control of the venue. In other words, the guests feel comfortable by knowing knowi ng their entert ainment is in good hands.
Fortune favors the prepared, so have something to say. Know your script. Rehearse until every “um” and “uh” has been eliminated. elimi nated. As a conjurer, everything everyth ing you say and do on stage is unique to your audience. With this foundation under your belt, you will naturally natur ally exhibit condence when speaking in front of a large group. That secure knowledge and clear intention will be perceived as passion by your guests. Before you step in front of the audience, do a few things to relax your upper body. Tension in your air pa ssages can make your voice tremble or sound rough. Take several deep breaths, roll your neck and shoulders a few times, raise your arms over your head, and stretch for a moment. Humming long notes will warm up your vocal cords; your breathing will now be deep, easy, and unrestricted as you speak. Open your mouth. Professional vocal coaches say that just opening your mouth more can solve the projection problem sometimes. Otherwise, your voice will not go far and the poor enunciation will make your words hard to understand. If President Lincoln had not enunciated his words with clarity, he would have lost the crowd’s attention in their confusion. A person who mumbles when speaking comes across as disinterested. Your guests will take it personally, because the only thing you are communicating is apathy. When I rst started projecting my voice, I practiced by reading readi ng long jokes and funny stories aloud to a friend who stood on the other side of the room. Try it and you will nd yourself emphasizing words and acting out the tale a little. Congratulations; you have added color and spirit to your voice. Stand up straight. If you are not using good posture when speaking, you are strangling your voice. Since your voice is created by the ow of air, it needs a clear path from your lungs and past your vocal cords so it can travel out of your mouth to be heard. Standi ng erect allows you to pull air in as easily as you expel it through your voice. When projecting your voice, stand tall with your head facing your guests.
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Your shoulders should be held back, not slouched over. over. If you have to look down at something, then pause and do so; but look back at the guests before you begin speaking again. Finally, projecting your voice means just that; you are projecting your voice to a point further away than normal. This requires you to tightly focus your energy when speaking, particularly when it is necessary to speak softly. Professional singers do this all the time. By increasing the energy when singing softly, the quieter voice is still audible but not weak and the emotion is maintained. For conjurers, this technique creates intimacy; the guests natu rally lean forward to pay closer attention. As you practice vocal projection, your voice will become strained strai ned at some point. When that happens, stop and relax. Rest your throat, drink some tea, read a book, and come c ome back to it later. Be consistent and you will be heard no matter where you perform.
NOSTALGIA What follows is a pleasant diversion into mentalism for orators of poetry. Make a photocopy of the freeverse poem on the side. Cut it out, fold it, and keep it in your wallet. In presentation, the poem is passed about and a lady is invited to assist. Say, “In the spirit of nostalgia, I wish to take you back to memories from long ago. Do you remember the rst date you had? Do you remember how old you were at the time? Do not speak that number aloud because that is certainly a private memory for you; we all just hope your rst date was worth remembering.” remembering.” Continue by saying, “This poem was written at the turn of the last century in what is called ‘ free verse.’ verse.’ In other words, nothing rhymes. Please nd the line that matches your age at the time of your rst date. Now read that line silently. I like a good poem as much as anyone else, but I like it when the words rhyme. I want you to be the better poet. Look at the last word in your line. Do you see it? Please take a moment and think of any word th at rhymes with it.” Divining her word involves a limited-range force along with a small anagram. The request to recall her age upon her rst date will force her to read a line between 13 and 18. 18. If you you wish, you can guarantee this range by rst asking her to recall her high school years and then ask the rst-date question. Lines 13 through 18 in the poem have been specically written so the last word has only one possible rhyming word. Below are lines 13 through 18 with the forced rhyming word in parenthesis. 13 14 15 16 17 18
A winter lifeless beyond the season; (reason) Even music scarce comfort proved! (moved) (moved) Contentment itself seldom seldom certain. (curt (curt ain) O’ fond memories held – but just only (lonely) Til’ questions rise of thine own history (mystery) And your most truthf ul answer is ‘maybe. ‘maybe.’’ (baby)
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NOST NOSTALGIA 1 Life presents such grace and toil— 2 As love, though fruitless, fr uitless, brings joy. joy. 3 Chasms yawn to challenge challenge desires, 4 Tho’ laughter lls each room of home. 5 Mirth brings forth smiles and tears. 6 Memories Memories return retur n to visit again— 7 As Leviathan’ Leviatha n’ss tides rise and fall! 8 Long we all for for the war warmth mth of lore 9 That lingers as coals of cooled re. 10 Days are gone gone ‘ere we we waxed immortal immor tal 11 When tragedy lurked lurked ‘round every dawn— dawn — 12 We labored labore d to ken the world’ world’s weight. 13 A winter lifeless lifeless beyond the season; 14 Even music scarce comfort proved! 15 Contentment itself seldom certain. cer tain. 16 O’ fond memories held—but held—but just only— 17 Til’ questions rise of thine thi ne own history histor y 18 And the truest tr uest answer given is ‘maybe.’ ‘maybe.’ 19 The mind and heart assailed with doubt 20 But Spring gives forth new birth. 21 Hope leaps up and greets each day— 22 Are not those the times recalled? recalled? 23 Smile and delight o’er o’er triumphs, tr iumphs, 24 Dance and jig to the music of our kin, 25 These times are surely God-breathed! God-breathed! 26 Though trials will assail, none will remain— 27 Returning Return ing to you youth, th, contentment contentment reigns. By SAMUEL LORING AYRES (1835–1917) Stamford,
Conn. Served as U.S. Naval Engineer from 1860 to 1910. Promoted to Rear Admiral in i n 1906 for military contributions during the Civil War. War. “Nostalgia” copyright copyr ight 1965 1965 by Garden Path Press. Used by permission. per mission.
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the high road
To determine the correct rhyming word, memorize this simple progressive anagram shown here:
E curtain / baby O mystery N moved S lonely reason
Say, “By rhyming a random word from this free-verse poem, this means you are now thinking of a word you just made up. Hold that secret word in your mind and a nd I will do my best to pull it out, even if I have
to do it letter by letter.” In standard progressive anagram fashion, you call out the bold letters one by one. A “yes” response moves you down down the chart to the next bold letter. However, a “no” response moves you to the right for the correct word. If your guest answers “no” to the rst letter (E), then you know she is thinking of either “curtain” or “baby.” Respond by saying, “I see a room – perhaps a nursery – because I see a curtain blowing gently on a breeze towards a baby’s baby’s cradle.” No matter matte r which word your guest has chosen, this is a certain hit.
As a side note, the word “nostalgia” refers to a remembrance of times from eons ago. The bold letters in the anagram also spell EONS. Perhaps you will nd this wee mnemonic helpful as you recall the chart during your performance. performance. Nostalgia poem and effect are actually copyright 2012 by Mick Ayres. He can be reached on Facebook or at (
[email protected]).
New Members Members and Reinst atements NEW MEMBERS Apple, Dean, La Quenta, CA, Southwest Atchison, David, Orlando, FL, South Atlantic UT, Northwest Aude, Jack , Springville, UT, Berry, Benjamin, Loveland, OH, Central Beutler, Gary, La Puinta, CA, Southwest Biscarr, Biscarr, Gabriel , Anchorage, AK, Northwest Brown, Catherine, Chattanooga, TN, Central Bruno, Anthony, Bronx, NY, North Atlantic Bullard, John, London, KY, Central Buzza, Nathan, City Beach, Australia, International Cazier, Cazier, Mitchell M itchell Lynn, Palm Desert, CA, Southwest Dresser, Dresser, Martin Marti n M , Palm Desert, CA, Southwest Driggs, Kevin, San Jose, CA, Southwest Dworak, Dave, Middletown, CO, New England Gilbert, John Major , Palm Desert, CA, Southwest City, CA, Southwest Hann, Gary, Cathedral City, Hill, Matthew, Jonesborough, TN, Central Lafay, William, Loganville, GA, South Atlantic Mckiernan, Matthew, Louisville, KY, Central Murthy, Chandra, San Antonio, TX, South Central Oxrider, Oxrider, John Jo hn W , Banning, CA, Southwest Perdigon, Rene, Miami, FL, South Atlantic Priest, Bill, Rancho Mirage, CA, Southwest Sikora, Olivia, Elkhorn, NE, Midwest Sikora, Tammy, Elkhorn, NE, Midwest Suss, David, Rancho Mirage, CA, Southwest Watkins, Rob, Yucca Valley, CA, Southwest Wilkinson, Noel, Murray, UT, Northwest
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REINSTATEMENTS Antonucci, Lou, Denville, NJ, North Atlantic Del Castillo, Sebastian , Irwindale, CA, Southwest Evans, William Ellis , Springeld, MO, Mid West Gleason, Michael, Kingsville, TX, South Central Horwitz, Ross M , Tucson, AZ, Southwest Lane, Scott, Grafton, WI, Mid West Lee, Delbert, Yreka, CA, Southwest Michaud, Matthew, Manchester, NH, New England Michaud, Matthew, Manchester, NH, New England Pi ne Valley, Valley, UT, Northwest Renee, Mishelle, Pine Richman, Michael, Palm Dessert, CA, Southwest Silver, Jeffery G , Coral Gables, FL, South Atlantic Stevens, Bill, Sherwood Park, AB, CANADA, International Sullivan, James, Garland, TX, South Central
AUGUST 2017
Broken Wands
George W. Mathis George W. Mathis of Grosse Ile, Michigan, beloved husband of Barbara for sixty-one years, passed away on June 19, 2017; he was eighty-two. George was a long-time member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and The Society of American Magicians. He always enjoyed seeing good magic and attended many magic lectures over the years. He loved to laugh, always had a smile on his face, and was great with children. He was involved in clowning and collecting all types of magic. He was a master woodworker; he made furniture pieces and various magic props for himself and his friends over many years. He was the loving father of Jeannie Mathis, George (Michele) Mathis, and Wendy (Thomas) Drouillard, the proud grandfather of Nate, Miranda (Joe), George, Cory, and Cody (Chelsey), the great grandfather of Lucas and Ryleigh, and the dear brother of Millie Bardell and Helen (Wayne) Berke. George is survived also by many nieces and nephews. A Broken Wand Ceremony was held for George, his family, and friends on Friday, June 23, 2017. It was performed by members of the Ann Arbor Magic Club, where George was a Lifetime Member. He was also a member of Ring 22 in Clawson, Michigan.
Good Cheer List Please take a minute to spread a few words of cheer with a card or note to one of our less fortunate members. members. Send additions, additions, changes, or deletions to: Anthony Anthony Antonelly Antonelly,, Chairman, Good Will and Cheer Committee, (215) 820-3192 ext. 1512.
[email protected] or you can send mail to: to: 1512 Lake Rd., Feasterville, Feasterville, PA PA 19053 . DANIEL CUDENNEC “DANY TRICK”
GEORGE GILBERT LOTT
225, Stang-ar-Veil-d’an-Traon, Mellac-29300, Quimperle, France
1725 Great Hill Rd., Guilford, CT 06437
CHARLIE GROSS
24 Grove St.,Wayland, MA 01788
16745 Gertrude St., Omaha, NE 60136-3023
NAHMEN NISSEN
ROY HORN C/O SIEGFRIED & ROY
PO Box 1856, Colfax, CA 95713-1856
1639 N. Valley Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89108
JIM RELYEA
BOB KING
241 W. Lakeshore, Rockaway, NJ 07866
304 Suburban Ct., Rochester, NY 14620
PAT RYAN
DICK KOHLHAFER
43 Fairbanks Rd., Churchville, NY 14428
408 Century Vista Dr., Arnold, MD 21012
JACK WHITE
JAMES J. MORRISEY
4288 Arguello Arguello St., San Diego, CA 92103
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The CW’s Masters of Illusion Illusion Behind the the Scenes with Gay Blackstone
T
he CW’s current hit primetime series, Masters of Illusion, is in its fourth season. It airs weekly on Friday evenings. Putting together a television show like MOI is is an ongoing, round-the-clock process. We caught up with one of the show’s executive producers, the legendary Gay Blackstone, for for a behind-the-scenes beh ind-the-scenes chat about what it takes to put a show like this together.
magic acts, shows, and trends from England and Europe, looking for acts from there that will potentially match the CW’s demographics. Al Schwartz, another show producer, also watches online and searches for the people and acts we may have forgotten…people he worked with during his long tenure with Dick Clark Productions, Inc.
Tell us more about the magical acts ac ts that M-U-M: Tell M-U-M: How are magicians selected for the tele- appear on the show. vision show? Blackstone: Comedy is an important element in Gay Blackstone: The scouting for Masters of magic for us, but because the show is G-rated we Illusion is now a year-round happening. I attend sometimes walk a ne line. We want current and conventions and watch acts that I don’t know, acts edgy, but within the approval of network Standards that are off my radar. I also watch acts that I know, and Practices (S & P). We need segments that are but that are doing doing new and different different material. I go to one-minute to three-and-half minutes long. Please the Magic Castle weekly, and I attend magic shows don’t think because your act went “well” for nine everywhere! minutes, we are going to be able to make it work on the show. Performers need to learn to edit themM-U-M: How do you keep the show fresh and selves. Television is a different medium. Less is current? more. Blackstone: We can’t repeat the magic that has been done before; before; in three seasons, a great deal of M-U-M: So you have to be careful about what magic has been performed. David Martin, another material is chosen? producer on MOI , is constantly online watching Blackstone: Yes, most denitely so. When we 36
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Shawn Farquhar
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Murray SawChuck Sa wChuck
know we have something questionable, we will discuss it with S & P before we shoot it so we don’t lose the piece of magic. For example, this year we ran into problems with the differences in word meanings meani ngs between British English and American English for magician Billy Kid, who is from London, and Barr y and Stuart, who come from Wales. We must also submit photos for visual approvals. The producers do not have one hundred hund red percent control or approval. There are people I love whom the network does not. Their vote wins. M-U-M: Tell us more about lming the show. Blackstone: We always ask ourselves: How can we keep the same basic concept and yet make it different? We upgrade and modernize the lighting styles each year. We have gone from just illusionists and a little parlor magic to close-up magic with overhead cameras. We have close-up magic performed at a table table with audience members members onstage and street-style magic performed in the audience. We are now doing every type of magic! There are eleven cameras shooting all at once, in addition to a steadicam surrounding the magic, so the home audience becomes the eye. We do not shoot in a regular “show” format. I do not agree with Robert Houdin – that all magicians are actors; in fact, very few are. They are performers. 38
They are used to working live. That is their medium. They T hey do not know how to match a shot. This is one of the reasons rea sons we shoot with eleven cameras, to cover all the angles. Magicians perform to the audience members who are responding to them. We always have an audience. For the afternoon we have a smaller, paid audience, to help with the tricks and to respond. At night, we have a large invited audience every night from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. We, We, at that point, run ru n it as if everyone has just come to watch a show. show. It is fun for the audience, and we hope it’s fun for the performer. We have an entire crew who is there to make every act as successful as as it can be. We want the magicians to be happy and sensational – that is our ou r job. M-U-M: So what does a magician do once they get hired for the gig? g ig? What’s What’s the next step and what is your advice to those magicians selected? Blackstone: When you have been booked on the show and submitted what you want to do, then the producers talk tal k among a mong themselves, and it is decided AUGUST 2017
R.J. Cantu
Sos Petrosyan Jr.
Jarrettt and Raja Jarret
Xavier Mortimer Morti mer
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Jeff McBride McBr ide & Abigail Spinner McBride McBr ide
what you are doing on the show. Please show up with those props – and do not change them because you had other ideas. You do not know what other magicians have been selected to do. You You can always bring more, but always be prepared to do what has been decided in advance. Don’t tell me your name name for a trick; tell me the actual name for the trick, I know magic, from card tricks to illusions; I will probably know the proper name for the trick, so tell me the name of what you are proposing to do. A trick coming out of a red-lined pocket versus a blue-lined pocket does not not a different trick make. M-U-M: Tell us more about the cast for season four. twenty-ve percent Blackstone: This season twenty-ve of our performers are from outside of the United States. It’s like a little magic convention with its own camaraderie. All of us associated with Masters of Illusion are delighted to have a fourth season on the CW network, with talented acts from around the world, bringing magic to a primetime audience. M-U-M: What about Season Five? we are lucky enough to get a season Blackstone: If we ve, what would we hope for? We want more acts from around the world; we want more diversity of magic, and we are constantly looking for that. We want illusions never seen anywhere in the world. We want more magic! 40
Tony Chapek
[ Masters Masters of Illusion was rst produced in 1994; Harry Blackstone Jr. was the host. The acts were all European award-winning performers. It was produced and directed by David McKenzie, who is still the executive producer. Additional executive producers now are Gay Blackstone, David Martin, and Al Schwartz. Chris Merrill has directed the show for the three seasons to date on the CW network. net work.]] Photos by Kari Hendler, Hendler, Courtesy of Masters of Illusion AUGUST 2017
Magical Masterpieces and More By David Haversat
HARDEEN FLOWER PRODUCTION TABLE I am very pleased to own a lovely ower production table that belonged to, and was used by, Theo Hardeen, Houdini’s brother. It had an illustrious career by being one of the illusions Hardeen presented while on tour with a zany comedy and music review called Hellz-a-Poppin. The show opened September 10, 1938, at the Shubert Theater in Boston and was the Left: Bill Rauscher and Hardeen Hardeen Jr. Jr. - Right: Hardeen Flower Production Table brainchild of the comedic team of John “Ole” Olsen and Harold “Chic” Johnson. It was a madcap musical comedy that broke every boundary between the actors and the audience. It moved to Broadway, and eventually ended up at the Majestic Theater in November of 1938. It closed four years later December 17, 1941, after more than 1,400 performances, making it one of only three plays to run more than ve hundred performances in the 1930s. Some
Hellz-a-Poppin program (Hardeen used the table in this show.)
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Hardeen with Olson and Johnson performing perf orming the Sawing Illusion in Hellz-a-Poppin.
experts claim it was the basis for Rowan and Mart in’s in’s Laugh-in, a popular television show that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network. It is ranked number forty-two on TV Guide’s Fifty Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Like Hellz-a-Poppin, Laugh-In was characterized by a rapid-re series of gags and sketches, many of which conveyed sexual innuendo or were politically charged. Hardeen was an integ ral part of the show. He joined stars of the period, like Bar to and Man n, Charles Whithers, Whither s, Ray Kinney K inney and a nd the Aloha Maids, Roberta and Ray, June Winters, Billy Adams, and many others. Hardeen was assisted on both the Broadway show and a later nationwide touring version by Douglas Geoffrey, who was chosen by Hardeen as his successor and who later t oured as “Hardeen “Harde en Jr.” Jr.” The show was mostly comedy, but Hardeen presented his escape from a giant milk can, a comedy Sawing in Half, Substitution Trunk, and many other effects. The effect featured this month is Hardeen’s ower production table; it was used for comedic effect. This seemingly ordinary table allowed Hardeen to magically produce a giant bouquet of feather owers. All Hardeen had to do was hold a foulard in f ront, and the table did all the work. An inconspicuous foot pedal on one of the legs released a spring-loaded piston that shot the feather bouquet into the air, an obvious giveaway as to where it came from but perfect for the Hellz-a-Poppin gooness. Upon Hardeen’s death, the ower production table, along with many other Hardeen props went to Hardeen Jr., who performed them for many years. Other items included Hardeen’s Nest of Boxes and Houdini’s Flight of Time, in which eight alarm clocks on a stand on one side of the stage are picked up, thrown through the air invisibly, and then appear ringing loudly on the ends of ribbons on the other side of the stage. Hardeen Jr. and Bill Rauscher were very good friends; many of these props, including a belt buckle owned by Houdini with his initial “H” on it, ended up in Bill’s collection. Bill also acquired Hardeen’s ower production table. When Hardeen Jr. gave it to him he warned him to be very careful because you could be blinded by the force of the spring-loaded bouquet shooting from the table. Eventually it went from f rom Bil l to to M-U-M Magazine
Hardeen Jr. with Houdini trunks and leg irons.
Ray Goulet, where it was on display for many years in his Mini Museum. I acquired it from Ray Goulet earlier this year. Hardeen was not a well man in later years. In 1942, both he and Douglas Geoffrey were doing two-night stands for the R.K.O. syndicate. Doug did fteen minutes during the show, while Hardeen changed into a swim suit for the Milk Can Escape. Hardeen performed that effect until his very last show. Doug told me that Hardeen did not look well, suffering from stomach ulcers. Hardeen went into Doctors Hospital, New York City, after the May 29, 1945, 1945, show for what was cconsidered onsidered non-serious surgery. Things did not go well because of complications following the surgery. Hardeen died at age sixty-nine, June 12, 1945. Doug conducted The Society of American Magicians Broken Wand Ceremony for Hardeen at the funeral home.
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Cheats & Decep Deceptions tions (For Entertainmen Entertai nmentt Purposes Pur poses Only) Only) By Antonio M. Cabral
WHAT IS REALITY? One of my favorite heckles that I hear fairly often is , “Hey, my friend here doesn’t believe in magic.” Or sometimes, “My friend here doesn’t think magic is real.” One gentleman at a particularly rowdy club gig was even more straightforward: “You’ “You’re re the magician? I t hink hin k magic’s fake and it sucks.” Nice to meet you, too; thank you for leaving the house. It’s not really a proper heckle, because it always comes before I start performing anything. And it’s always said with some kind of cheeky or wry smile. It’s more of a pre-emptive heckle or some kind of taunt or goad. These days, when someone gets my attention and points to t heir friend to inform me that particular individual “doesn’t believe in magic,” I’ll often reply with, “What, are you trying to star t a ght or something?” Previously, my standard reply was “Me neither. That’s why I learned how to cheat!” But I’m always amused by some people’s desire or attempt to get a rise out of me by claiming what I do isn’t “real.” Recently, I had the tremendous pleasure of meeting a gentleman who is in the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. By his own ad mission, he’s not a big name, and unless you’re an old-school fan from Detroit, you wouldn’t recognize the name. He wasn’t a wrestler, but served as the manager (read: mouthpiece) for some well-known old-timers. Now, I’m sure the moment some of you read “professional wrestling,” the rst thing that popped into your mind was, “pro wrestling is fake and it sucks.” I happen to be a fan from my childhood. Do I think it’s real? I did at one time, sure. (I was a kid; I also used to believe in i n Santa Sa nta Claus.) Much li ke magic, mag ic, I got away from it in my teens, but then rediscovered it in college. Coming back to it, I developed a new-found appreciation for it, knowing it was more performance than sport. These days, the cat’s long left the bag on the idea that pro wrestling is anything resembling a genuine competitive sport.
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The biggest player in the game, Vince because the people creating the media take ta ke McMahon, rebranded his “product” as it seriously. The success or failure of the “sports entertainment” ages ago. But my silly, ridiculous, or otherwise “unreal” appreciation for wrestling as an adult is for rides on getting an audience past the the time when the guys in the ring made obvious fakery and foolishness and getting their living putting “butts in seats.” If you them to commit to believing, if only in the couldn’t get a crowd excited enough to moment, in the reality of what you’re atwant to see you beat the bad guy, or as a tempting to portray. bad g uy get the crowd c rowd wanting to see se e you When I was a kid and a heavy David get beaten to a pulp, you didn’t sell tickets, Coppereld fan, one of my favorite per and if you didn’t sell tickets, you did n’t n’t eat. formances of his was a straightforward So the job back then was to create a certain escape bit. He was handcuffed and locked reality for the fans. Whether you thought in a clear Plexiglas box; the box was lled it was a genuine competition or not, you with water, and there was a giant spike believed enough to tune to the TV show hovering over his midsection. He had or buy the ticket just to see what happened however many minutes to escape before the next. spike dropped down down and tur ned him into a As a young magic fan, I had a similar Game of Thrones episode. Looking back, attitude towards magicians on TV. Back it’s clearly stage magic, but at the time, then, it was David Coppereld and Doug he sold it as well as Houdini ever sold a Henning, mostly, with a little Harry Black- death-defying escape. Ricardo Montalban stone Jr. thrown in when he’d make an ap- was the host, and sold his performance to pearance on some PBS show. show. While I didn’t didn’t the hilt, wondering if David was all right, know any better as far as pro wrestling should we stop the stunt, etc. At just the went, I knew that magic was something right moment, Ricardo insisted the stunt a person could learn. You could learn a should be stopped, the spike slammed sleight-of-hand move; you could buy a down, and, after a beat of silence, David trick from the magic shop or order out of rolled through the curtain, having apparthe Tannen’s Tannen’s catalog. There were secrets se crets in ently dodged death by a hair. play, play, and if you could suss out the secret s, Flash forward to a few years later, you too could be the life of the party! But when Coppereld boasted that he would none of that dampened any of my enthusi- “escape from Alcatraz! ” What followed asm for the amazing st unts I saw on the big was a series of clearly staged “magic” bits TV magic specials. Whether it was “real” (he’s beset by a couple of Rottweilers, so or “fake,” the idea of teasing something he waves a silk cloth and produces a plate as huge as making the Statue of Liberty of steaks) that had none of the visceral g rip disappear or some death-defying stunt of what I expected from the bombastic was enough to get me to tune in, just to see build-up. what happened next. That’s one of the reasons I gravitated Any kind of performance requires towards wearing the sleight-of-hand/ the audience, whether or not they believe cheating concept on my sleeve. I’ve in what they’re seeing, to come along for confessed on more than one occasion that the ride. People spend billions of dollars I don’t sell “whimsy” convincingly. If I going to the movies or paying for cable take out a deck of cards and start telling subscriptions or streaming services to a story using the cards as a kind of puppet watch patently fake things. Had you told show, I’m going to lose my audience in a thirteen-year-old me that by the time I was heartbeat. But if I tap into something they an adult, the sci-, fantasy, and superhero already believe, i.e. the idea that with a genres would be as mainstream and suc- certain skill set I can clean up in Vegas or cessful as they are now, I’d have thought at any poker table i n the world, then they’re you were nuts (even though I love all of already “coming along for the ride.” That them). But the reason they have succeeded doesn’t mean they only believe in my rife is in part because the current audience stacking or bottom deals. I can show them is made up of dorks like me who want to a color change or Card Warp and they’re see this kind of entertainment, and in part just as gob smacked, even though it has
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nothing to do with cheating at blackjack. It simply means our interaction is based on something “real,” even if it then veers off into the ridiculous. I’m also the rst to admit there’s a world of difference between the theatrical card cheating I perform “for entertainment purposes only” and the cheating that happens in real games for real money. Every card worker gets asked if he or she gets to play poker with their friends. Those of us who delve delve into the hardcore technique tech nique get asked straight out if we’re criminals. Not in so many words, of of course; the actual question is, “Are you allowed in casinos?” The underlying question is, “Are you an actual criminal?” For better or worse, I don’t dissuade the notion when I’m performing. My close friends k now, of of course, I’ve never been a professional card player, let alone a professional cheat. That still doesn’t stop them from being nervous if I want to join in on poker night. Which brings me to an aspect of “belief” that’s at the core of all of these examples: the emotional component. What all of these examples have in common – magic, “cheating,” the movies, pro wrestling – is a connection to the audience’s emotional reactions. If you approach any of these with a strict, Vulcan adherence to rationality and scientic reasoning, they die on their feet. As the saying goes, “You can learn a lot by dissecting a frog, but the frog dies.” And while life as human beings predicates on t hat kind of analysis, an alysis, if you adhere strictly to that rubric, you leave no room for entertainment. Getting back to pro wrestling, when I was a kid Mike Tyson was the world boxing champion. I remember hearing that Mike Tyson was going to face so-and-so
for the title, and the real sports world was Looking back, the emotional manipuall excited for what they’d see. And then lation of those wrestling matches seems the bout would happen, people all over the obvious. I remember the biggest match US would pay thirty bucks for the pay-per- of my day was Hulk Hogan v. Andre the view, and Tyson would knock the guy out Giant. They played up every angle they in the rst or second round. People paid could: that Andre was supposedly undegood money, saw the man defend his title, feated and had never been body-slammed, and walked away disappointed because the that he was turni ng on his long-time friend, bout lasted f teen minutes. mi nutes. etc. And looking back on that WrestlemaHulk Hogan, on the other hand, was the nia 3 match, the part that gets me the most WWF World Champion, and would also is the rain of paper cups and garbage that always win because he was supposed to the crowd chucked down on Andre as he be a superhero. But going into t he big pay- made his way to the ring. That was the par t per-view event, the guy he was supposed that said to me, “the audience is coming to face would’ve been on TV for a month along for the ride.” My Pro Wrestling Hall beating people like Tyson would in the of Fame friend has better proof: he told me title bout. I later learned these were called a story in which he was supposed to run “squash matches”: the big monster heavy into the ring for the nish, and not only did would ruin whatever opponent got in the the crowd jump on him to stop him, but he ring with him. Then he’d get in the ring got stabbed in the process. with the champ, and they’d never go less That’s why it doesn’t bother me when than half an hour. Other wrestling orga- anyone tries to goad me with the idea that nizations, when they offered a title bout, “magic isn’t real.” I know my job is to would always have it go the full hour. And show you something not only impossible, along the way, because they were deliver- but preposterous. In fact, I’d I’d rather show ing a “product” as opposed to a genuine you something preposterous. The “imposcompetition, t here’d here’d be what they call “sto- sible,” once demonstrated, is by denidenirytelling.” You’d watch the favorite get an tion possible. The “preposterous,” on the early offense, then the bad guy would get other hand, carries with it the emotional the upper hand, and you’d start to worry component that, even though you just saw that your guy might lose. Then, as in every it, you can’t accept it. Hulk Hogan match, there’d be the “hulkIf you can, seek out a small pamphlet out” adrenaline comeback, and he’d keep my friend Curtis Kam put out a couple of the belt. Or, in other organizations, there’d years back called Wrestling with Magic. be a cheat-to-win, or a reversed decision, Part of it addresses some of the parallels or maybe even the challenger everyone between wrestli ng and magic; it’s a trewas rooting for would upend the champ. mendous read. Regardless of the outcome, the guys who were “faking it” delivered a better show If any M-U-M readers readers want to get in touch, for the crowd than the people who saw please feel free to contact me at antoniTyson deliver a very real knock-out punch
[email protected]. I look forward to in less than ten mi nutes. answering your questions.
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No Smoke, Smoke, No Mirrors Mir rors Real World World Marketing Ma rketing For Fo r The Working Magician Mag ician By David Corsaro
I recently gave a lecture to an S.A.M. assembly. The lecture was half magic and half marketing. At the end, a gentlemen in (what I would guess was) his sixties came up to me and asked an interesting question. He said, “Even though I have been in magic for twenty-ve years, I only started performi ng professionally last year. And while the advice you gave about how to market yourself was great, I am too old to dive into social media marketing and things like that. Do you have any advice for someone in my position?” My rst reaction was to reference the famous saying about an old dog and new tricks. But I stopped myself and instead suggested that we talk further at the diner (isn’t that where all assembly meetings wind up anyway?). At the diner, we began talking more about the type of magic he did and constructing a strategy for how he could do little things to create, build, and market his own personal brand. While the list we created was obviously customized for him, there were several ideas and themes I think could be used as a guideline to help everyone. So here is a ten-point checklist of things to think about as you are marketing yourself. This is not a list of “how to” market yourself. But rather these are things that you should be thinking about to apply to all aspects of marketing, whether it is designing your business card, deciding what shows to take (or turn down), or even what type of material you may want to consider when you perform. Be honest: These are two simple words that can make or break your brand and your marketing. I cannot tell you how many magicians have Skyped with me or asked me marketing questions with a complete ignorance of who they are and what their opportunities can be. If you live in a small Nebraska town that is twentyve miles from the closest major highway, you are not going to get paid $200 an hour to do table hopping at the mom and pop restaurant restaura nt (and I wish I was making maki ng up that example). We all have dreams of working the glamorous parties and signing
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autographs, but think about who you are, where you are, and what opportunities exist for you when shaping those dreams. Look in the mirror: Do not take Michael Jackson’s advice and look in the mirror and make a change. Instead, look in the mirror and reference back to the rst point above. If you want to do corporate work, do you physically look like someone a company would want to associate their brand with? I am not suggesting suggest ing you need to look like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, or Doc Dixon (that is just in here to see if he is reading this column). Instead, I mean are your nger nails clean? Do you own a nice suit that is well pressed? Even if you are doing kids magic, are your props clean? Does your deck of cards look new or do they have torn edges? Believe it or not, these things matter and they matter big time. Before anyone sees you do a single trick, do you and your props look like something of value? If not, invest in making yourself look like a brand people would want to associate with. Draw circles: Take out a piece of paper and draw a small circle. In the middle of that circle, write down your ideal performing situation. T his could be a place place or a type of clientele. It could even be a specic fee. Next draw a slightly larger circle around that smaller one. In this new circle, write down other performing situations that, while not your ideal dream, would still make you very happy. Then draw another slightly larger circle and write down all of the other places and people whom you would be very happy performing for. Continue doing this with more and more circles until you have drawn a very large circle around all of the other ones. In this last circle, write down a venue/location/ people that you would perform for, but only as a last resort. When you buy a new book/DVD/download/prop, book/ DVD/download/prop, what circle would you place it in? When someone calls to hire you for a party, what circle is it in? The further away you go from the middle circle, the more you are compromising and the less time and effort you can put into your true objectives (that middle circle). Your message: Take some time and think about the most common questions
you can asked from your audience, clients, etc. And I do not mean the “how did you do it” or “can you make my wife disappear” questions (although I can make a strong argument for having a good, wellrehearsed answer to those questions, but we can get into that later). Instead, I mean the questions about “how did you get into magic” and “where do you learn magic” and “where else do you perform?” These are questions less about the trick you just did and more about you. These questions come from a place of genuine curiosity. Many people have never stood six feet from a real magician before and they are generally interested in who you are. So write out the common questions and then write down really good responses. Write down responses that are honest, not too long, and that include any information you think is relevant. If you can nd a spot in your response to mention marketing nuggets (anything to help them think of you for their next party), then do so now and memorize it for the next time you are asked. Community: While you can always tackle problems and renements by yourself, having a trusted source of friends/family can help. Some people have found these trusted communities online. But for that guy at the diner I mentioned earlier, and for anyone else who does not want to do it online, nd your community around you. Watch your friends at the magic club and try to pick up on which ones are providing honest feedback to each other (versus just saying “that’s great” no matter how bad the magic may be). If you perform for friends and family (non-magicians), look for the one who says, “That trick was just okay.” Believe it or not, that is the person you want to bounce ideas off of. Build a community of people you can trust, and pick their brain on everything from your clothes to your tricks to your marketing. I am not suggesting that you have to do whatever they say, but having people who are not just yes-men can open your eyes to new ideas and possibilities. Put yourself out there: I did not meet my wife by hiding under my couch and waiting for a beautiful woman to come nd
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me (although that gives me a wild idea for a new dating app). Instead, when my buddy said, “Do you want to come over one night and meet my girlfriend’s friend?” I said yes. You are not going to get hired for shows by doing nothing but sitting at home working on your diagonal palm shift. And I do not care how good you are at search engine optimization and online marketing tools, if you are not out in the public eye, then you are missing your best opportunities for your brand. Remember those concentric circles from before? Where do you physically have to b e to have t he best shot at hitting that small inner circle? Analyze data: I love data. I loved the Moneyball philosophy of baseball, and I believe that numbers do not lie. I have collected so much data from every show I have ever done, that if someone mentions a date, a venue, a client, or even a trick from a show, I have a way of searching for it in my database. I have written in previous columns about ways of using this data for your marketing advantage. So for now, I will just say you are never too old to begin collecting this data. Even if you want to just use a paper and pencil, every time you do a show (ofcial or impromptu), I suggest writing down as much as you can about it. Who was there? What tricks did you do? How was each one received? Trust me, the only way you will feel as if collecting this data was a waste of time is if you
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never open it up and read/learn from it. Good. Write that down, too. Start now – right now: Finish this Enjoy yourself : Believe it or not, this paragraph, grab a paper and pencil, and is supposed to be enjoyable. We all love start working on each of these points. If magic and we should all (I hope) love the you think you will start this tomorrow process of building our brand to help spread when you have some free time after lunch, magic around. So t he ideas of being honest you won’t. I am not suggesting you need and creating your community should be to nish everything and complete an entire something that makes you happy. If you plan around a round these bullets right now. now. But I get stuck on one thing and get frustrated, believe you cannot ca nnot start a marathon until step away for one minute and then go back you take the rst step. So even if you just to it. Remind yourself that you are unwrap write the numbers one through ten on a ping a present. Sure the ribbon might get piece of paper and jot down the rst thing stuck and it is delaying your gratication that comes to your mind after reading each of seeing what is in the box. But you are of these bullets, you will have started the still just moments away from your goal. journey. And if you are having real trouble with one Wash – rinse – repeat : Once you have of these bullets and it makes it difcult to written your thoughts on each of the above move on, show it to your friends. Email it points, put the t he paper aside. Set your phone to me (see my contact information at the alarm for twenty-four hours from now. end of this column). When that alarm goes off tomorrow, come I hope these bullets help you to frame back to your li st and read it. it . Then ma ke at your game plan. Now, Now, go be awesome. least one change to every single item. If (If you have any specic questions you think an item is perfectly worded and relating to a marketing challenge you are frames exactly what you want to get out of facing, please email me at timetobeaweit, bring it to your community and show
[email protected].) them. Be prepared for disappointment. David Corsaro is a part-time profesBecause the odds are they will disagree sional magician working the restaurants with some element of what you wrote and clubs of New York and New Jersey. down. You might show them your data and He hosts the popular web series, Time to reference how well your Ambitious Card be Awesome (www.timetobeawesome. routine went last week at the party they com), and has lectured on marketing to were at. And they might disagree and say magicians at conventions all over the it was not as amazing as you wrote down. country.
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Backstage: The Inside Stories of a Show Producer By Paul Stone
MIKE HAMMER
Many of the magicians I have featured in my articles over the past eighteen eighte en months have been household names na mes in magic, stars st ars in their own right, and, sadly, most of them are no longer with us. This month’s column is about someone who is very much alive and thriving, and who is, in my opinion, one of the best kept secrets in magic. Some of you will already know of Mike Hammer, although I suspect more of you will not. So for their benet I’ll tell you that Mike Hammer headlines his own one-man comedy magic show at the Four Queens Hotel & Casino on Freemont Street in downtown, Las Vegas. His show is hilarious, fast moving, and edgy, but never offensive. Aside from a few short TV appearances, Mike has for the most part remained under the radar, even though he has now been starring in his own show for seven years! This in itself is a signisigni cant achievement in a town where magic shows come and go with alarming regularity. To have lasted so long in such a competitive and challenging market and to see his audience gures climb year after year is nothing short of amazing. So why is Mike Hammer successful in Las Vegas when so many other magicians have failed miserably? For a start, Mike is a talented and skilled magician, but more important, he is also a
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brilliant brill iant comedian wit h exceptional timi ng; he works an audience as well as anyone I’ve ever seen. But anyone who understands show business well will know that success doesn’t happen overnight. Mike Mi ke has paid his dues and honed his craft over thousands of shows. Raised in Chicago, Mike became interested in magic when he was twelve years old; like many before him, he started out learning close-up card tricks courtesy of Jean Hugard’s Royal Road to Card Magic. He began his performing career at just fourteen years old at children’s birthday parties in Chicago. “My mother used to drive me there, drop me off, and wait until I‘d nished, because I was still too young to drive,” Mike said. Mike’s show included magic and balloon modeling; he vividly remembers actually blowing up all the balloons himself because there were no balloon pumps in those days! Mike quickly progressed to performing his act at family parties part ies and at local festivals. By this thi s time ti me he had put together his rst proper stage act with the classic Silk to Egg, a rope routine, and the production of two canaries from a Dove Pan. But Mike soon realized that keeping and looking after live birds was not for him and he wasn’t good at it. In Mike’s words, “They survived somehow, but no thanks to me!” Their days in his act were numbered. When he was sixteen, Mike saw Eugene Burger perform in a local restaurant in Chicago. He was so impressed he decided he wanted to do this, too. During this time Mike was a regular visitor to Jay and Frances Marshall’s Magic, Inc., where Bruce Bernstein, an excellent mentalist, regularly could be found demonstrating behind the counter. Mike attended as many lectures at Magic, Inc. as he could. Mike was also heavily inuenced by watching Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and Howie Mandel’s Mandel’s visual prop p rop comedy; he also listened to audio tapes of Don Rickles. All this helped shape Mike’s comedic talents. Mike graduated Northern Illinois University with a degree in marketing, but he never had what he calls a “real job.” Mike paid for college by doing shows for local party planners. After graduating, he began touring colleges and working comedy clubs around the Chicago area, acting as emcee at many of the shows. This valuable experience of working an audience was to stand him in good stead in years to come. Hammer and Rickles
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The Bar-Flys
Spike and Hammer
A few years later, while working a promotion for a bar, downtown Las Vegas. However, the show was scheduled for 1 Mike met Robb Weinstock, another close-up magician. They p.m. Back then, Freemont Street St reet wasn’ wa sn’tt as a s busy as it is today, t oday, hit it off immediately and decided to put together a double act so it was an impossibly tough time to perform a magic show. under the name of Spike & Hammer. They studied footage of Nonetheless, Mike gave it a go, even going on Freemont as many double acts as possible, including such legendary en- Street himself, handing out coupons and doing street magic to tertainers as Bur ns & Allen, Abbott & Costello, Costello, and Laurel & entice punters into the showroom. He often performed to less Hardy. than twenty people, most of whom came in for free, in an effort Surprisingly, in their new double act Mike became the to promote his show. Mike was determined to make the show straight man and Robb did the comedy. They were successful, work, even though he had to do corporate gigs to subsidize the particularly particu larly on the t he college show circuit; they also performed a show at the Four Queens! lot of corporate gigs. However, they decided to make the move Eventually, by mutual consent, he split with his agent and to Las Vegas to try to take advantage of the lucrative corporate instead made a deal directly with the Four Queens. He tried out and convention opportunities there. various new show times, before nally settling on 7 p.m. Mike was a natural comedian and was now increasingly By now, now, Mike had become accustomed accu stomed to how the downtown downtow n adding comedy to his onstage character. A chance meeting operated, and, using his marketing expertise (proving that with Jeff McBride led to him suggesting that Mike and Robb college wasn’t completely wasted), his audience numbers and couldn’t both do the comedy and that one of them needed to popularit y grew steadily. ste adily. Now, Now, seven years on, Mike M ike regularly regula rly be the straight man. This was eventually going t o become b ecome an lls the showroom. issue. On a personal note, I’ve been fortunate enough to see By this time, Mike had been introduced to Johnny Mike’s show many times. While Johnny Thompson continues Thompson and Fielding West. Johnny became their magic to advise Mike on the magic content, I spent several months consultant and Fielding worked on tightening up the comedy working with Mike on the show production. His show now is lines. With their help, Mike and Robb shot a TV pilot called arguably one of the most entertaining and best values for the Bar Fly’s; Fly’s; the concept centered arou nd two magicians at t he bar money in Las Vegas. If you are in Las Vegas, check him out; I picking up girls. Even though t hough both Lance Burton Bu rton and a nd Michael promise you won’t won’t be disappointed! disappoi nted! Close made guest appearances, the show was not picked up. Mike Hammer is testimony to the fact that talent and hard Shortly after, Mike and Robb split up and Mike once again work do pay off. No one deserves his success more than he became a solo performer. does. And I nearly forgot to mention, he is a likeable and In 2010, a local agent approached Mike about performing modest guy – a rare commodity in show business, indeed! an afternoon show at the Four Queens Hotel and Casino in
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Between The Lines Fif t yy-T Two Books for the t he Well-Read Mag ician By Michael Perovich
MENTAL MAGIC Some time back I wrote in M-U-M : “…an “…an illusion is something that app ears to be one thing but is in reality another; a delusion is something we truly believe but no one else does; a mirage is something we all see but isn’t there; a magician is someone who does something that can’t can’t be done; a mentalist is someone who tricks us with something that we’re we’re not sure if h e can do or not; a juggler is someone who does something we know can be done but we can’t can’t do; and a ventriloquist is a performer who fools us with something when we know exactly how it works.” As murky as all this is, perhaps nothing is quite as difcult to cubbyhole as Mental Magic. If you perform this branch of our art well, there will be a large percentage of people who believe you actually have some mysterious ability, some power that can’t be explained. This can lead you to becoming jaded, dismissive, or, worst of all, seduced into manipulating your fellow man. A lot has been written about this, and all manner of moral pronouncements made, but for our purposes, it is something you will have to come to grips with on your own. We’ll try to look at things objectively, accepting and proclaiming these effects are intended for entertainment purposes, and are, after all, only tricks. But even this statement isn’t quite true, as we shall see. You can trace these sorts of effects back at least 150 years or so to the Fox Sisters, the Davenport Brothers, Robert-Houdin’s second-sight, and the Casadega Lake Free Association camp near Lily Dale, New York. There were a number of thoughttransference acts in vaudeville, and acts we generally describe as mentalism
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from Dunninger to Kreskin to Darren Abbott’s writings have been reprinted Brown have befuddled audiences down in modern times as House of Mystery by into our time. Todd Karr with commentary by Teller. Perhaps mentalism doesn’t require as Fascinating stuff. much of a reading depth as other branches, The Life and Mysteries of the Celebrat but we can at least sample a few of of the texts ed Dr. “Q” was published in Los Angeles that have appeared down through the years in 1921 and covers a variety of informadevoted solely to this subject. tion on acts associated with hypnotism, Spirit Slate Writing, authored by crystal gazing, séances, telepathy, and William E. Robinson, was published in illusions. Over the years, the Thayer Magic 1898. Mr. Robinson was an assistant to Company published and constructed man both Alexander Herrmann Herrm ann and Harr y uscripts and apparatus attributed to Dr. Kellar, but not at the same time. He earned “Q”, who was, in fact, Claude Alexander his place in magic history as Chung Ling Conlin. The Life and Mysteries of the CeleSoo by brilliant performances, a legacy of brated brate d Dr. “Q” “Q” discusses talki ng teakettles hauntingly beautiful posters, and having and other effects based on induction, radio his life snuffed out on stage while per- waves, and other examples of burgeonforming the Bullet Catch trick. ing technical advancements as applied to Spirit Slate Writing does not conne skullduggery. itself entirely to slate effects, but includes The rst mentalism focused book that table lifting, spirit wrapping, spiritualistic makes our list of fty-two is Practical ties, séances, and more. The book gives us Mental Effects by Theodore Annemann. insight into the panoply of effects already This book is lled with effects culled from well established at the turn of the nine- the pages of his magazine, The Jinx, a teenth centur y. monthly journal dedicated to ESP, telekiYou can view a copy here: nesis, and spirit manifestations. While you http://tinyurl.com/y9aqkn6y will nd such effects in Tarbell and and other David P. Abbott’s Behind the Scenes works we have mentioned, let’s consider with the Mediums rst appeared in this one the most valuable modern book to 1912, providing us with both history and fully devote itself to this subject. methods associated with mediums and Annemann was a complex gure who spirit séances. Abbott was famous for his committed suicide and wrote far beyond talking teakettle, with which he fooled a Practical Mental Effects. There were parade of magicians who visited v isited his home. many pamphlets, magazine articles, and More an enthusiast than a performer, dealer effects, several of which you may
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rather easily still encounter. Max Abrams attempted to put all of Annemann’s many creations in one place in Annemann: The Life and Times of a Legend , a 1992 book that typically takes more than one person to lift. Here you can spend endless hours with the man whose name remains synonymous with mentalism. Other well-regarded texts whose centerpieces are mental magic include Gems of Mental Magic by John Brown Cook and Arthur Buckley (1947), Al Baker’s Mental Magic (1949), and Magic of the Mind by Lewis Ganson (1960). Gems of Mental Magic brings us effects designed for platform and stage and has some interesting concepts of a type not covered as well elsewhere. Al Baker was well known for both his cleverness and his humor, but much of his creative energy was spent on tricks designed to not only fool but also threaten an audience’s long held beliefs. The use of billets is covered here in some detail. The Ganson book is largely culled from the pages of his Gen magazine; it does a neat job of categorizing effects into various types. The other classic we add to our list is Corinda’s 13 Steps to Mentalism (1961), a compilation of lessons originally published individually. This book is considered a little more challenging for the performer, but the t he effects are well worth the effort effor t to to learn them. The book covers a wide swath of material in detail. You’ll have plenty here to access and draw from. I haven’t haven’t read Richard Ost erlind’s books but I’ve watched several of his DVDs and a nd they are excellent. Here you’ll be exposed to his approach, which, if not unique, is pretty prett y close to it. It should be noted that Mr. Osterlind also has a six-DVD set that works through Corinda’s 13 Steps to Mentalism.
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Mental magic plays differently and performs differently from the rest of magic. It is dependent on the theatrical abilities of the performer, seldom involving sleight of hand to any great extent. There is a lesson for us here. You could theoretically perform a mental effect with classic sleights like the top change, the pass, and a in which half dozen Marlo moves, but no one does. a spectator Why? Perhaps it’s because sleight of hand whose wrist is depends on manipulating the audience by held by the performer misdirection and/or great digital dexterity. unwittingly leads the performer to a Few, if any, do this as imperceptibly as hidden object. This can actually be done, they might imagine. Audience members even with a handkerchief separating the often sense something has happened, even two parties. The basic instructions for if they don’t know quite what. This may executing this phenomenon can be found pass in a card ca rd t rick, but t he slightest slig htest indi- in Contact Mind Reading by by Dariel Fitzkee cation of such an irregularity in a mental (1935). effect and its very essence is threatened. You can download a copy here: http:// If you want to put across your otherworld- tinyurl.com/y8ub3cdz ly abilities, your movements must lack Some may discover they have a talent for the very things that make sleight of hand cold reading – telling people about them possible. There must be no razzle-dazzle, razzle- dazzle, selves by sensing their feelings, appraising and no sense that if one had been looking their body language, and other Sherlockian closer one could have gured it out. The tells. These types of things take lots of exmentalist must be sure, secure, focused, perience and lots of audiences aud iences to practice and at ease with his persona. It is most on. You might try Ian Rowland’s The Full often his power to capture the audience Facts Book of Cold Reading: A Compreand lead it along a path unencumbered by hensive Guide to the Most Persuasive Psycomplex handling that leads to success. chological Manipulation Technique in the For this to transpire, sleight of hand is World. He is droll, amusing, and creative. largely verboten. Traversing further along this path leads We’ve discussed mental magic being, us to the works of Banachek, in particuas one would expect, based on trickery. lar his trilogy of Psychological Subtleties . But there are performance techniques in Sufce it to say, if you learn to carry out which the mentalist pretty much does what these demonstrations with success, there he claims. An example is muscle reading, is little reason why you shouldn’t consider yourself a genuine mentalist. I think I’ll quit here; I’m scaring myself. The two books book s we’ve we’ve added to our classic list this month, both of which are available at reasonable prices, are: #27 Practical Metal Effects (1944) – Theodore Annemann #43 Thirteen Steps to Mentalism (1961) – Tony Corinda
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Mind Craft
By Jim Kleefeld K leefeld
FORCING One of the essential components of “real” mentalism is something that is well-known and understood by almost everyone: precognition. If there truly is such a thing as advanced mental power, it surely includes the ability to be able to see what will happen in the future – to predict what events would occur. Knowing ahead of time what is about to happen, whether in a narrow and specic way or as an assem blage of large vague war nings that t hat is open to interpretation, is a human concept that goes back to ancient myths and legends. Seeing the future is something almost everyone has thought about – some more than others. When people come to see the show of a mentalist, they almost surely hope he will be able to see into the future and foretell events. Many probably suppose that true precognition could foretell the exact lottery numbers needed to win the Power Ball, or which teams would win the March Madness basketball brackets, or whose horse would come in rst in every race. Besides the universal prospect of becoming rich, people often want to know their own i ndividual future. Where will I be in ten years, or should I y to Cozumel, or who will I marry? On a broader world sense, will the country’s economy strengthen, will medical care become easy and cheap, or will terrorists terror ists attack our city? As a mentalist, you can use people’s expectations to your advantage by presenting routines wherein you predict a future event. However, it might prove fatal to your reputation if you universally claim to be able to predict anything anyth ing for anyone at any time. This is why you must set careful parameters paramete rs in your presentation by specically dening the limits of your mental powers. You could establish limits by using certain artifacts or imposing a time or a distance condition. You might precede
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your prediction with a statement such as, “This may not work, but if you stand still and concentrate, I might be able to see what is about to happen,” for example. No matter how you set up conditions for a prediction, one of the ways to cause that to occur correctly is to force the outcome. But in mentalism, using a force can be tricky. Many books and articles propose feats of mentalism that use a deck of cards. You could mentally predict what card will be chosen and then force the Three of Clubs, for example. Most of these ideas are mental magic, not mentalism. They are suitable for a magic act in which there are many different examples of effects, including mental feats. Most such tricks, however, are not believable in a mentalism show because of the association of playing cards with magic. Mathematical forces are another eld that has generated many examples and ideas, but those often suffer from t oo much procedure. If someone has to think thi nk of a number, add ten, divide by two, subtract ve, etc., would she not suspect that you are directing her towards something specic? Your routine loses a lot of the power that comes with a completely free choice if you invoke procedure. A third problem in forcing is the use of psychological forces. Ask someone to think of a two-digit number under fty in which both digits are odd and different, and they will usually think of thirty-seven – usually. Ask someone to draw a house and put something next to it, and they will most likely draw a tree – but not always. As Banachek has pointed out so wonderfully in three volumes, these are psychological subtleties, not forces. There is no guarantee you will get what you want from the spectator. Equivoque is a commonly used force that can lead a spectator to an exact choice from among many. It can be strong and failsafe. But it can also look contrived if you are not well-versed in linguistics or have not dened your approach tightly enough. In order for equivoque to work, you must convince the spectator that each avenue is
a free choice and is necessarily dictated by a logical path. Joshua Jay’s Jay’s Inferno Infer no is a good example of logical equivoque. In mentalism, you may need to force something specic with a reliable method. All of which leads me to the following force. Clean, sure-re and simple, its only drawback is that it introduces a believable, if somewhat unusual physical prop, not everyone’s idea of perfect mentalism. I think the trade-off is worth it. You set a prediction card face down and display a piece of folded paper with numbers on it. Tucked inside the folded sheet is a strip of paper with six pictures of fruits. You hand your spectator a pair of scissors and have her cut the papers in two, cutting any one of the numbers in half. You remove the inner strip from the folded sheet and show that she cut, say, an apple in two. You turn over the prediction card and it is an apple, exactly the one she chose. The secret behind this is that the folded paper has six numbers evenly spaced, but the strip inside has the same pictures off-set by half a space. So when you cut through both papers you are cutting a number in half, but inside you are cutting between two pictures. A half-picture on either end of the strip makes it appear as if that is the one that was cut. Figure 1 shows the arr angement. To the left is the prediction card, which you can have in an envelope or just face down on the table. A numbered paper cover slip is folded; it holds a single strip inside with six pictures. Notice how the strip has a half-picture on either end and ve equalequally-spaced pictures in the middle. The red dotted lines in the illustration show the various positions where the spectator might cut – these would not be printed on the strip. When I print my sets, I do leave the dotted lines through the middle of the numbers on the cover slip because it gives the spectator a guide so they will cut the folder apart in a straight line. The set-up gives the impression that the inside strip has six pictures that line up with the six outside cover numbers. If that were the case, the result would be as
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shown in Figure 2. However, since the pictures are off-set by half, the actual actu al cutti ng results are as shown in Figure 3. The two slips would have a half-picture on either end, no matt er which number the spectator cuts, as long as she makes a straight cut up the dotted line. To present the effect, have several prediction cards and a pair of scissors handy. Look at the spectator as you sort through the prediction cards without showing her the faces. “We’ve been chatting for a few minutes, and I just got a premonition about something. Pardon me while I choose one.” one.” With this procedure, you are implying that each prediction card shows a different outcome and you are selecting the one that will work at this moment with this person. Table the prediction card face down and put the rest away. “If it is all right with you, we are going to try a little experiment involving fruit. I had something delicious for lunch today, but I was running late, so I cut it in half.” Bring out the strip inside of the cover slip. I usually call it a “numbered envelope” because t hat implies im plies its only pur pose is to hold something else. “There is a picture of that fruit inside this envelope, along with ve others. Before I show you yo u what is i s inside, I’d like you to choose any number on the envelope.” Let’s suppose she says three. “Okay, I’m going to han d you the scissors a nd I want wan t you to cut the envelope in half. Just cut c ut a nice straight line right through the middle of the three. (Pause.) Or, if you want, you can change your mind and choose a different number.” Hold the envelope back a moment to give her t ime t o decide. “Let me know when you have decided on a number.” Hold the envelope out towards her by both ends and let her cut it through any number she chooses. After she cuts, tip both pieces of the folded cover strips back towards you and let them come together. Turn them upside down and let the two parts of the paper strip str ip inside utt er down to the t he table. This procedure implies that you are being careful not to disturb the paper, but it also lets the two pieces become a bit disoriented. You do not not want her to see t hat the half pictures come straight st raight out of the envelope at either end. “Here are the two parts of the paper that you cut. Can you line those up and tell everyone what picture you cut in half? The M-U-M Magazine
Fig. 1
Fig. 2 apple? Then I guess I foresaw correctly. that hired me and one logo of their com Please turn over that card I chose earlier.” earlier.” petitor. Guess which one got sliced and Let her ip the prediction card and see the diced at every show? matching apple picture. When I performed a show for a local [Note: For this particular routine, Ohio historical society, I used a strip with a “live” sample would be appropriate. eight pictures, each a president who came Instead of having a prediction card with a from Ohio: William Henry Harrison, picture of an apple, you could have a small Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, box on display. At the end, open it and James A. Gareld, Benjamin Harrison, show that inside there is a real apple cut William McKinley, William H. Taft, and in half.] Warren G. Harding. A spectator tried Of course, this prop with pictures of to blindly choose the one president who fruit is just one example. Any images can was assassinated by cutting one of the be used on the inside in side strip. I have made up eight numbers. Of course he always got sets with animals, hand tools, pictures of McKinley. I would close by explaining desirable birthday presents, sports helmets, that Gareld was also shot in an assassinaassassina books, and company logos. Whatever you tion attempt, but died eleven weeks later of use as your source items, make sure the complications from infections. objects are similar in size, since all of the By using a cover slip with blank spaces images should be about the same size. You and actual numbers inside, you can make don’t want a two-inch high picture of an two predictions. Make up a slip with eagle next to a two-inch high picture of a randomly mixed single digits as shown hummingbird. in Figure 4. Now write a prediction that Also make sure that you have a valid the spectator will choose 3, cross that out, reason for having the spectator cut and then write 5. The 5 will t urn out to be something in two. Note in the example correct, but you can use either the 5 or the above that I deliberately mentioned cutting 3 to demonstrate which line the spectator my fruit in half. For a corporate gig, I used chose to cut. Unless she cut on the lines ve variations of logos for the company in the number 1 or 6 position, any other
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mind min d cr aft
spot can be counted to as either a 3 or a 5 depending on which end you begin. If she did choose the 1 or 6 space to cut, just ignore where she cut and show her that you changed your answer to reect that you knew she would eventually choose the number 5.
As always, there are many ways to can have the spectator cut, remove the use this type of force. Because it is fool- slips, and concentrate on her selection so proof, you can use it as a prediction, a you can read her mind. Or you can have premonition, simple mind-reading, mind-read ing, or as a pre-printed prediction to prove you have an example of spectator suggestibility. Let precognition from a previous vision. Or your persona and established character you can write your prediction as you begin dene how you want to present this. You to establish short-term clairvoyance. Or you can size up your spectator and make a prediction of her behavior based on her body language langu age and manner isms. In a mentalism show, a force can be benecial. As you dene your material and construct shows to present, it is helpful to have something like this that you can force. But most decent presenters use a wide range of effects as well as a range of methods in their programs. By employing a variety of methods such as forces, psychological subtleties, and purloined information in your show, you lessen the risk that your audience will garner your secret methods. You don’t want them to track down and label the realistic basis behind Fig. 3 your supposed extra-mental prowess. One last thought. I have tried for years to track down the source of this ingenious cut-in-half idea. Bob King taught it as a card revelation in a lecture tour in the mid ‘70s. Bob Gibbons sold a commercial implementation of it in the mid ‘80s. Tenyo created a variation in 2007. I have not been able to nd a version prior to Bob King’s and he is currently out of contact with the magic world. If you know of an earlier source, drop me an email at jim@ JimKleefeld.com. Of course, if you do know where the idea came from, it would be up to you to let me in on it. I cannot Fig. 4 force you.
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AUGUST 2017
A B r ie ieff Mo Mome ment nt i n T i me By Gary Plants
TOM MULLICA Back in the early to mid 1980s, my magic buddy Evert Chapman and I made several trips down to Atlanta, Georgia, to attend the Atlanta Harvest of Magic convention. This great little convention was put on by Jim and Diane Maney. One year, Diane convinced me to perform during the close-up show. What she didn’t tell me at the time was that I would be on the show with two other performers – Albert Tom Mullica, Johnny Thompson, Pressley Guitar, and Alan Okawa at TAOM 2013 2013 Goshman and David Williamson! I still have nightmares. Whenever we visited Atlanta for the Atlanta Harvest, we always made it a point to go over to 3166 3166 Peachtree Road and visit the Tom-Foolery Magic Bar Theater to see one of the greatest bar magicians in the world, Tom Tom Mullica. If t ime allowed, Evert and I often attended Tom’s show twice while we were in town. At a ve-dollar cover charge, why not! After you purchased your tickets, you were free to look around the little waiting room. The walls were covered with photographs of Tom with many of his friends from all over the world. One unusual photo I recall was an x-ray that supposedly Mullica si gning photos showed Tom’s stomach full of cigarettes. It was a great photo and looked very real. show: jokes, one-liners, sight gags, eating remember very well an incident that The Tom-Foolery Magic Bar Theater cigarettes, his Egg Bag routine that ended happened at one of the shows that Evert held approximately fty people. There was with the production of a glass and a bottle and I attended. Tom had a heckler in the one row of about fteen seats at the bar; of beer, his Apple Trick, Card in Mouth, audience. After several attempts to handle a few feet behind those seats were about and so much more. And then there was his the situation, Tom stopped the show and twenty-ve to thirty elevated seats. This expert use of music throughout his show, asked the man to leave. At rst the man is where we usually tried to sit because completely controlled by Tom at all times. refused. Tom insisted that the show would it gave the best overall view of the show. Tom’s show scored ten out of ten. not go on until the heckler left the theater. There was also a small, “standing room Tom was in complete control of his Eventually the man got up and left, but I only” area. Two of the seats at the bar were show. He wanted to have fun and he remember that the audience never really called the “hot seats.” They were for two wanted his audience to have fun as well, reconnected with Tom the rest of that spectators, usually women, whom Tom but he wouldn’t tolerate any kind of dis- night. But it was Tom’s show and he ran it would use as assistants during the show. ruption from the audience. This was even as he saw t. Tom was a master showman; he had mentioned in the program you received Two routines always stood out every you laughing constantly through the entire when you entered the Tom-Foolery. I time I saw the show. One was The Apple
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Trick and the other was a routine called Nicotine Nincompoop. The Apple Trick is a card to impossible location (an apple) that you had to see to believe. It wasn’t the magic trick that was so wonderful, it was Tom. By the end of this routine everyone in the bar was in tears. Thank goodness this trick was recorded for posterity. Nicotine Nincompoop was Tom’ Tom’ss signature trick in which he would eat anywhere from fteen to thirt y cigarettes. Combined with the music, Tom’s acting, and the impossible ending, this was a miracle to the nth degree. When you saw this you were entertained and totally fooled! If you never saw Tom perform at the Tom-Foolery, run as fast as you can and purchase the video from Meir Yedid here: http://tinyurl.com/y7eylqpy The video leaves a bit to be desired, but it is the only video record of Tom at the Tom-Foolery. It is well worth the asking price to see Tom working in his bar. By the way, Tom’s om’s bar was built with the assistance of his good friend, J.C. Doty, who was a master craftsman and built many of the special effects in Mullica Mullic a Advertising Adver tising Card
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a br ief mom momen ent t in ti me
the Tom-Foolery. Doty’s LF language was also something that I yelled to Johnny, “Johnny, come over here a minute. I want you to always looked forward to hearing while there in Atlanta. see something.” Tom handed Johnny the pictures and said “Take In September of 2013, the Texas Association of Magicians a look at these.” Johnny looked over the photos and got a gleam Convention was held in Dallas. Tom Mullica was one of the in his eye. He took his rst nger of his right hand and pointed featured performers. per formers. I had recently scanned many ma ny of my negatives negatives several times to the photos and then said, “This is the Tom Mullica from photos that I had t aken thirty thi rty years year s ago at the Tom-Foolery. Tom-Foolery. I I remember .” .” That was a very special moment; those photos are am not a photographer, but I got very luck y that night nig ht and had ve among my most prized possessions. or six really nice photos of Tom at work behind his bar. I picked out three of my favorite photos, had 8 x 10 prints made, and took them with me to the convention. After one of the afternoon presentations Tom was available, so I went over to him, showed him the photos, and asked him if he would mind signing them. The look in his eyes when he saw these pictures was worth a million dollars. He asked me where I got those pictures and I explained to him that I took them at the Tom-Foolery back in the early 1980s. When he saw one of him with a bar towel covering his entire face, glasses on, and cigarette in hand, he said “What the hell was I doing there?” He looked at each one of the photos for quite a while and then he very kindly started signing them. As he was signing them he said, “I normally don’t don’t write wr ite this thi s much on photos but these are special.” Just as Tom nished signing sign ing the last photo, Johnny Thompson walked wal ked by. Tom Tom
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AUGUST 2017
Informed Opinion - L atest Product Reviews Compiled and Edited by W.S. Duncan MEMORANDUM BOOK BY WOODY ARAGON Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price $60.00 REVIEW BY ANTONIO M. CABRAL
When I was coming up, as an up-and-coming card man, memorized decks were steadily breaking into the mainst ream thanks to the publications of Simon Aronson and his work on the subject, and the popularization of his stack via Michael Close. Before that, there was plenty of work in print about it, but it only took root in the minds of the seriously dedicated scroungers. Darwin Ortiz made the claim in his Annotated Erdnase that Aronson’s stack was “perhaps the most ingenious of all” stacks based on the tricks built into the stack. But then Juan Tamariz published Mnemonica in English, which was the English-langu age revelation of his vast explorations into his personal memorized stack and memorized stack work in general. By that point, many card folk were eager to embrace the memorized stack, but always cautious about the memory work or potential math involved. The publication of the Tamariz book opened up a whole new avenue of work for people intereste d in the memorized stack. At the same time, it threw a new argument into the works, namely “which stack is best.” In the past year or so, as of this writing, the memdeck workers have had two smorgasbords drop in their laps. The rst was Pit Hartling’s In Order Orde r to Amaze , which is a tremendous collection of memdeck ideas; much of its success is due to the fact that it doesn’t fully rely on any one stack. The other new resource is Woody Aragon’s Memorandum. On the one hand, the Aragon book spends time proselytizing proselytiz ing for Woody’s Woody’s variation of the Tamariz stack. But beyond just trying to foist a new arrangement on the card guys at large, Memorandum offers up an amazing selection of devious ideas that, if applied to anyone’s stack work, will pay dividends. In comparing the Aragon and Hartling books, the rst thing that comes to mind, as I hinted hint ed at, is that the Hartl ing book is more stack-independent. The ideas in In Order to Amaze are largely ap plicable and intended to be applicable to any st ack. Memorandum has a great deal of stack-independent information, but it’s buried in and among items that were designed specically for Woody’s variation of the Tamariz stack. To that end, Aragon is very up front in his introduction that this is not an attempt to write another Mnemonica. He considers that book to be the “Encyclopedia of Stacked Decks,” and encourages the reader to start there. At the same time, I really admire and wholeheartedly agree with his approach to attempting to learn a stack. He suggests, but doesn’t insist, that the reader learn
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the Major System of mnemonics in order to get a stack in his or her head, and points out the alternative methods mentioned by Tamariz in Mnemonica to get the stack in one’s head. To that end, he actually provides a series of cartoons sprinkled throughout the book designed to link the cards and numbers in his stack, which is the true essence of most memory systems. Beyond that, Woody Aragon’s Memorandum stack is designed with a number of fascinating features that facilitate not just performi ng with it, but the learning learn ing process. For example, he states that once you’re anywhere close to comfortable with the stack, start using it. Many memdeck workers (myself included) have pointed out that some of the simplest tricks from a method standpoint stand among the strongest tricks you can do with a memorized stack. I’m actually a little salty that he beat me to the punch elaborating t hat point in print. p rint. Another idea he puts forth, which I applaud, is that the sooner you start working with the stack, the better. Simon Aronson has said of his stack that there’s plenty built into the stack that you could perform a whole set of tricks that don’t rely on memory at all. Aragon has taken that a step further by building a ton of powerful tricks tr icks and ideas into just half of his stack. That means, if you take the time to work on it, once you commit twenty-six cards of the Memorandum stack to memory, you’re set to deliver some very powerful t ricks – a boatload of poker deals and related tricks, some mentalism-made-easier effects, and above all the incredi bly strong concept conce pt of working with only half a memori zed stack. sta ck. Aragon mentions th at he has another memdeck book coming, but I College series. posit that he missed the chance to write writ e a Memdeck College Once you cram the full stack into your skull, you have some further blockbuster poker deals, as well as a killer Sympathetic Cards and more of Woody’s non-stack dependent work. Where things get interesting, and where other magicians I’ve talked to have gotten very excited, is his “Siamese Deck” concept. One of the strongest uses of a memorized deck is in conjunction with another, separate, completely shufed deck. Woody Aragon has reduced that concept to a single deck, related to the MeneTekel Deck and the previously-mentioned half-stack work, and uncovered some astoundingly devious ideas that will fry audiences of magicians and normal people alike (assuming neither has read this book, of course). If you’re interested in stack work, you might be champing at the bit to ask if this is nally the best stack . The answer a nswer is: I can’t answer that for you in this review. In fact, I’d suggest if you’re still asking that question, then, no, it’s not. Simon Aronson has said that the “best stack” for you is the second one you choose to remember, but regardless, if you’ve not yet yet memorized memoriz ed a stack, this t his isn’t really the book for you. As much as I’d love to recommend this book to beginning stack workers based on Aragon’s approach to learning how to work with a stack, this is more of a postgraduate memdeck worker’s worker’s book. If you’re you’re just coming around to biting the bullet and memor izing a stack, you’re actually in luck. Between the Aronson, Tamariz, and Hartling material, you already have plenty of information to get you performing miracles. On the other hand, if you’re ready to push things past that and really fry your colleagues, you want this book. Recommended to the experienced stack worker.
AUGUST 2017
OUT OF MY HAT: THE MAG M AGIC IC OF DAVID DAVID GARRAR GAR RAR D BOOK BY ROGER OMANSON
entertainment matters to laymen. After the Close-up section, Omanson explains some of Garrard’s parlor and stage work, including platform magic you can make, and several great tips on presenting illusions. His tip Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price $40.00 paperback, $75.00 $75.00 hardbound on how to motivate raising the assistant’s legs in a broom suspension is pure gold, and could only have come from someone who performed this thi s illusion regularly and thought about how it looked. REVIEW BY JIM KLEEFELD The Charlie’s Angels routine was one of the highlight s in the book So here is what happened. I for me, and if I had a show with three beautiful assistants, they received a paperback edition would be rehearsing that material tonight. Besides David’s great of Out of My Hat for for review, and magic, sprinkled throughout the book are great tricks donated sat down to read it. I skimmed by some of his f riends l ike Mac King, Dan Garret G arrett, t, David D avid Ginn, Gi nn, over the chapters, glossed over Steve Bargatze and others. All are good tricks by seasoned pros. the headlines, and then read In addition to the ne clear photographs that illustrate the for about an hour. Before I had book, David has lmed many of the trickier trickie r bits and handlings handli ngs gotten half-way through, I got and posted them online. Your copy of the book will come with up, went to the computer, and a password so you can watch David execute these moves and ordered the hardbound edition. perform the effects; a ne bonus. Did I mention that the book’s book’s I bought a hardcover version layout, typesetting, and format are clean and professional? It is because my copy will have to an easy read, with plenty of effectively used white space, sharp last. I will be rereading it time photographs, and a well-organized well- organized st ructure. ruct ure. and again for fresh ideas, smart Everyone should get this book. There is tru ly something in i n it for tips, and clever routines. After everyone in magic. Card tricks, close-up, new handlings of classic only an hour I could tell that this was an exceptional book with plots, platform, stage, illusions, sound philosophy and theory, a classic routines that I would refer to again and again. bit of history, and biographies of current and near-cur rent famous David Garrard has been a professional performer and an avid performers – all presented with a soft, easy manner that ows student of magic almost all of his life, and it comes across in easily into your brain cells. You may not feel the need to get the the material. I’ve seen him work live and I can tell you that he is hardcover version to keep as a permanent perm anent reference for your shelf, smooth, classy, and polished, with an outstandi ng repertoire. He is but at least get the paperback pape rback version. You You will be b e glad you did. a masterful masterf ul performer of close-up, card magic, platform and parlor shows, and illusions. If he has any shortcoming, it might possibly DOVE WORKER DVD be that he does not consider himself a writer – no problem, this BY CY book of his material was writ ten by his very competent friend, the Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies late Roger Omanson. Omanson’s text is clear, succinct, and to the Price $80.00 point. He explains the t he effect, t he preparation, preparat ion, and the method met hod for dozens of tricks in an efcient manner. There is neither padded REVIEW BY MARC DESOUZA uff nor extra-length meanderings, just a good, simple explanaexplanation of how the tricks work. Okay, eighty bucks And what ne tricks they are. ATM is an almost unbelievable for a single DVD – transposition transp osition of a signed bill (that is inside a sealed envelope) with are you kidding? No, a card that is openly inserted into an otherwise empty card box – they are not, and it is a transposition; they change places instantly. Both the envelope worth every penny and the card box have one item inside and are otherwise empty. I (and far more) to any do not normally change my close-up repertoire, but I am adding dove worker out there. ATM. As if that wasn’t enough, there are nineteen more excellent Even if you don’t do card tricks in the rst section. The Coin section contains eleven dove work, please read beautiful beautifu l routines while Miscellaneous Close-Up has a dozen on. First, as with every more workable pieces. There is a story effect based on the board product I have seen from Lukas Crafts, it is rst class: great video game Clue, a coin vanish that uses a toilet paper roll tube, and and audio (although there is no spoken s poken word). I have two technical a few well-thought-out variations of Triumph, Ambitious Card, complaints. Sometimes the text superimposed on the screen is and Spellbound. Texis is a cut-and-restored paper effect that is difcult to read due to the background. More attention should reminiscent of Gene Anderson’s Hell-O but simpler to set up and have been paid to this. Second, menu navigation is tough. After execute. I honestly liked almost all of the close-up, although I every snippet of video, you need to go back to the menu. As to the probably wouldn’t do the one with wit h plastic googly eyes or the one length, this is longer than the average two-DVD set, clocking in at with a Groucho nose. a hefty 210 minutes. And they are 210 thrill ing minutes. mi nutes. Yes, Yes, there As you read through each section of the book, you will come is a lot of detail, but you will learn much. The Koreans have taken across short interludes consisting of two types: pleasant biog- the lead in the eld of stage magic for at least a decade; this DVD raphies, and dened ethics. These are short, one-page-or-less will show you some ne examples of why. essays on either David’s friends in the biz, or his philosophy of I don’t know who CY is, but he is incredible. This is cutting performi ng. Each is worth reading. David reminisces remin isces about his edge stage magic and I would consider this to be the nest teachi ng relationships relationships with Dan Garrett, Mac King, Doug Henning, Lance aid for learning dove work in existence. And I am not alone. My Burton, and more. His essays include tips on such topics as why it good friend (and a ne dove worker in his own right) Mike Miller is important to be ethical, how to perform for magicians, and why (PNP) was extolling its virtues on our ride to 4F this year. I was M-U-M Magazine
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eager to have a look at it after hearing such praise, and it does not ing thread in these effects is that they all use some sort of card disappoint. gaff and basic or no sleight of hand. All the card gaffs needed are Back in my youth I did dove magic. I was inspired by the likes included with the DVD. They match standard Bicycle poker-size of Channing Pollock, Fantasio, Nino, and one of my mentors, Lee decks. (You will have to provide the deck.) Grey, the owner of Ka nter’s Magic Shop. Since I gave it up, I have Liam is known for his clear and concise teaching of magic and learned much more from some of the best. I tell you this so you he is in his element here. For our enjoyment on this video Liam understand understa nd I know a thing or two about the subject. The detail collects, teaches, and tweaks six of the best of Tucker in the card in this DVD is amazing. There are only two major omissions: genre. In addition to having a good teacher, the DVD uses the he does not discuss the specic manufacture of the dove bags he usual ne broadcast-quality production values we have come to uses, and he doesn’t tell you the specic wires he uses for the expect from Big Blind Media. There are only the simplest sleights bags. To To be fair, most dove workers with a modicum of experience used, such as a double turnover, or a card force. This puts everywill understand what is needed just by watching the DVD. Other thing within reach of most magicians. Even beginners will have than that, everything is very detailed. everything explained so they will be able to eventually perform CY takes you from the beginning through the different set-ups, each routine. from your stage dress to how to wire the dove bags (what we Not only are all the effects very very strong, but they are quite visual. generally refer to as loops) for each of his different handlings – A couple of the effects use blank cards, but other than that, the and there are bunches. In conjunction with each specic effect, audience should never be aware that gaffed cards are employed. he shows the proper wiring and grips. He performs and teaches a The only exception is a routine in which a spectator is handed a number of dove productions from silks, some of which are the best gaff to examine, which becomes part of the magic effect itself. I have ever seen. Some of them look like li ke real magic. He has a color All six effects are great. The handlings are simple and direct, changing rose sequence culminating in a dove production, an egg and the thinki thi nking ng is ingenious. My two favorites, for now, now, are Time to dove, production of dove from a shower of cards, and several After Time and Fade In/Fade Out. It’s one of those happy events handlings for the double dove production. He has some amazing where the audience reaction far exceeds the effort involved. candle productions in combination with dove productions, the You may possibly fool magicians with this material, especially best of which i s a slow appear ing candle that looks like a camera if they are never aware that gaffs are being used. But you will trick. There is a lovely handling of the triple color changing cane, amaze lay audiences every time, and that (just like the Hokey again culminating in the production of a dove. There are several Pokey) Pokey) is what it’s all about. Recommended. handlings for the dove split, the production of a dove from an egg SUBLIME SELF WORKING CARD TRICKS DVD bag, and a great sil k changing to a dove. He has a section dealing with the so-called invisible harness BY JOHN CAREY system, and he details how to make what appears to be a very safe Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies harness. If you look at the trailer for this DVD online, you will Price $30.00 see some original and startling productions that are taught in a separate section of the DVD. REVIEW BY DAN GARRETT Even if you don’t perform with doves, there is a lot of material on here that is applicable to most stage workers. There are some This latest release by the prolic Mr. great sequences taught along with the details of making all of Carey teaches ten card routines the gimmicks required for everything on the DVD. Some of the of the “self-working” variety. silk work, the rose routine, and the slow motion vanishing and For those fans familiar with appearing candles would be great additions to any stage act, even John Carey’s work, no review without the birds. is needed to entice them to There is so much detail and so much of value on this DVD that purchase his latest work. The I would urge every magician to purchase and watch this several adjective “sublime” in the title is times. This one gets the highest recommendation I could possibly apropos. give. I can’t wait to see more from this guy. There is no such thing as “self working” of course. However, there are no GAFF-TACULAR DVD sleights at all i nvolved here. There is not even a false shufe, BY STEPHEN TUCKER although you may certainly utilize that skill if you have it. The Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies shufes used by both magician and spectator are genuine. Carey Price $27.00 $27.00 has revitalized the popularity of the Jay Ose False Cut, and it is used extensively here. Sometimes the performer lets the spectator perform the t he false cut herself, wit hout being any the w iser. REVIEW BY DAN GARRETT Only regular cards are used, either one deck or two. Sometimes The UK’s Stephen Tucker Tucker has now reti red extra props are brought into play, such as three dice (ungaffed), a from the world of magic, but his coin (a common gaff), and a special card that may be easily made clever thinking remains present up from the template provided on the disc. One effect requires a in today’s close-up universe. little “something extra” that you can easily provide. The Gaff-tacular DVD is The effects are mostly card predictions and coincidence effects. hosted by Liam Montier, who There are a couple of ACAAN (Any Card at A ny Number, but you performs and explains all the knew that, didn’t you?) tricks. These are not truly under the strict effects. Montier has collected conditions of the ACAAN premise, but they seem to be in the eyes six of the prolic Mr. Tucker’s of the audience. There is even a mental coin effect using three clever card effects. The connect- invisible (!) coins. Everything is either impromptu, or requires
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minimal preparation. We get ten out of ten solid effects in all, each complete with a unique presentation by Carey. John states that this material is not designed to fool magicians. It is designed to have a maximum impact on real audiences. It accomplishes that very well. Many magicians go through phases in how they determine to make a purchase. At rst, most of us buy tricks or videos because they fool us. But as we grow wiser, we buy tricks because we think they will provide an amazing and fun experience for our audiences, whether t hey fool us or not. This release by John Carey ts that more important aspect very nicely. Recommended.
FANTASTIC 3 TRICK BY KRIS RUBENS Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price $29.00 $29.00
down the back is now blue, for no apparent reason. In WTF two spectators select a card, the card is replaced, and the deck is shufed. The top card is turned face up (Queen of Hearts); it is not one of the selections. The top three cards are spread and a face-down card is seen sandwiched between the two face-up Queens. The card is now one of the selections, which is removed and examined. The card is replaced and the packet is squared; when re-spread , the card is now the second selection. selection. The rst selection can be reproduced in a wallet or another location if desired. I would say that at a per-effect price of ten bucks, I would rather escape from the Fantastic 3 and seek truth and justice elsewhere.
THE ACE HUT TRICK BY LANDON SWANK Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price $24.95 $24.95
REVIEW BY DANNY ARCHER REVIEW BY NORMAN BECK This DVD from Kris Rubens came in Mr. Swank is a magician from a thin white cardboard Las Vegas, but his name was new sleeve with black text. to me. I found out he has been on Inside were a DVD and America’s America’s Got Talent, so there’s a an envelope with two chance you already know his work. gimmicked cards (cards On the cover of the DVD are the treated with a “special following words: “The contents of spray”). I watched all this DVD are authorized for home three tricks and explanations; I was underwhelmed by what I saw. use only.” What does that mean? The performances were pedestrian at best, and the camerawork Can I learn the trick and perform it wasn’t any better. At times it seemed like they selected the worst anyplace? Can I only do it at home? possible camera angle to show you the sleights Kris was try ing Or does it mean the actual DVD to execute. As one who has been in front of the camera a time or itself is for home use, and not what two, I know that video is not always a friend when it comes to you learn from it? I have a bit of a problem if it means you can misdirection and the performance of magic. Still, I believe if you buy it but not perform it. If you are a re going to put restrict ions on were present at the lming, you would have seen the moves just your product, make su re you spell out exactly what you mean. But as well. There was no attempt at a presentation, and the patter, at enough about the ne print. best, described the act ions he was performing perform ing (except (except for when he The Ace Hut is a story deck, like the well-known effect, Sam said, “When I snap twice,” and then snapped a single time). Why the Bellhop. Unlike Sam the Bellhop, you never have to say a does the selection change color (for no reason)? Who knows? I word when you perform The Ace Hut. The trick is done to a predidn’t care. recorded song that is sung by a guy named Toby Joe Reilly; the The sound is acceptable, the video is just okay. Not a lot of pro- idea and the song are great. Landon tells you in the explanation duction value was put into this project. The tr icks start so abruptly, that Toby had heard him do the poem, and put it to music. The I had to go back to make sure I didn’t miss something (and the song is soulful and bluesy, with a New Orleans feel. (It made me DVD navigation was also a bit n icky). There is no mention made think of “The House of the Rising Sun.”) You could learn the of ringing in or disposing of the gaffs, and the trick Open Predic- poem and say s ay the words, but you won’t be as good as a s the t he singer si nger tion (which isn’t the Paul Curry effect of that name) screams to and you will spend more time on it. On the DVD Landon gives be examined. examined . There is no discussion of t he “special spray,” spray,” and two versions, one with ourishes, and one without. The stack you whether this is an item already on the market and available to need changes depending on which option you choose. magicians. There are only three tricks taught, and with better I did not like Landon’s Zarrow shufe at all. I think that many handling and presentation, the effects could be made into good people do it better than he does. T hat is a small gripe though; all magic. Those two items you will have to supply on your own. To in all The Ace Hut is a ne routine that is taught well over the complete my review, below is a description of the three effects course of ninety-six minutes. I thought in many places Landon taught on the DVD. spent more time than he needed to explain things. Open Prediction begins by placing a single card onto the table. The video is shot without an audience, in a studio that is stark; The spectator then selects a card, which is dropped onto the what you get are the bare bones. Often you can’t see what the selection. When the two cards are turned over and spread, they faces of the cards are, and at one point you have white text with a are mates. white background, which makes it hard to read the stack. FortuA red-backed card is selected, signed, and sandwiched face nately, he also puts the stack on the DVD jacket so it is not really down between two face-down Jacks. Catch Me if You Can a problem. continues by turning the three cards face up and spreading them I would buy this. In the right place and for the right crowd, it to show the signed card has vanished. The deck is spread and a would play very well. If I keep keep writi ng, I will end up doing just single face card is seen... the selection. When it is turned face that. Please take a look at The Ace Hut. I think you will like it.
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INSTANT T TRICK BY THE FRENCH TWINS
THE PRESIDENT’S CHOICE TRICK BY SANSMINDS CREATIVE LABS
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price: $39.95 $39.95
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price $34.95 $34.95
REVIEW BY DAVID GOODSELL
REVIEW BY DANNY ARCHER
Do you drink tea? Then SansMinds is back with another effect you know it comes in small using U. S. currency, in this case a one paper envelopes, 2½ x 3 dollar bill. A card is selected and lost inches in size. Tear off in the pack. The performer brings out the top, reach inside, and a dollar bill and explains that good old you will nd a paper tab. George Washington will help nd the Pull out the tab, which is missing card. As they stare at the bill, attached to a string. At the they can see George’s mouth visibly other end you will nd a open. The bill is then thrust in the pack small, porous, paper bag of tea that, when dropped into hot water as the ends are rifed, and when the bill and bobbed up and down by the tab, makes a cup of tea. is pulled away, a miniature miniatu re version of the Here’s the effect of Instant T: A card is selected from a deck selection is seen hanging from George’s and the rest of the pack is put away. Holding the card with one mouth. The bill can be examined right away. The effect resets hand, back of the card to the audience, the card instantly vanishes, in ten seconds, can be performed surrounded, and requires no leaving the performer holding a paper tab with a string, on the advanced sleights. end of which is a paper tea envelope, as mentioned above. Still The DVD video, sound, and navigation are of the quality we holding the tab, the performer holds the paper envelope close to have come to expect from SanMinds’ releases. Also, as we have the spectator, asking him to tear away the envelope. Instead of the come to expect, there will be some arts and crafts work to be expected tea bag, on the end of the string is a folded playing card. completed to construct the nal gimmick. It will cost you a couple It is the chosen card. of bucks (three bills are required to make one gimmick) but all the This effect, by The French Twins, is visual and totally unex- work needed uses things you probably already have, and of course pected. Scanni ng the videos available from The French Twins they supply you with the needed special items. The construction website and on YouT YouTube ube will show that, while it can be performed perfor med is taught silently using video and text. It will probably take you close-up and on stage, it is, perhaps, best suited for street magic. about fteen to twenty minutes to make the required gimm ick. Vanishing a card and producing it from a tea envelope seems a bit With the gimmicks in place, you can do this trick as an opener. unusual in a formal setting, but is perfect for the casual ambience They do explain a simple method to ring in the gimmick that of the street. Many variations are possible. A corner can be torn doesn’t use any sleights. More experienced performers will have from the card that will match the missing corner of the folded their own techniques. card. The card can be signed. It can be something other than a While I have not had a chance to make the gimmick (and card, such as a ring or a key. honestly, I have a friend who is much better than I am at making What you get for your forty bucks is a box of Yellow Label tea these types of things), I can see this playing very well for a lay containing fty tea envelopes, tabs, strings, and a nicely made audience. They mention giving the nal bill away as a souvenir, gimmick that makes the ash change possible. We understand but no mention is made of how to acquire more mini m ini cards (you that six dollars will get you thirty rells. So, the price is quite receive sixteen mini cards with four different values). They do reasonable. Instructions are available on line – no DVD. The in- cover how to clean up and remove the gim mick from the pack, a nd struction videos describe the routine, how the gimmick works, with all the heat on the card hanging from George’s mouth, you how to force a card, and how to do the Mercury Card Fold. There should have the time to clean up. They also discuss how to do this are also instructions for performing the trick without forcing the routine with a borrowed bill, and how to store, transport, and care card (for a signed card version), but the instant transformation is for your gimmicks. The effect is so visual and novel, that I think so startling that it overshadows the possibility of a force. By the you can’t can’t go wrong by choosing The President’s P resident’s Choice. Choice. way, each of the fty tea envelopes has been specially prepared to THE GENTLEMAN GENTLEM AN JACK GIMMICK PROP make set-ups quick a nd easy. What are the negatives? The transformation requires a sharp BY ALAKAZAM MAGIC movement of the hand. When you watch the instructional videos Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies you will see at least one instance in which the instant transforma- Price $69.00 tion doesn’t quite work, and a second such movement is requi red to complete it. This happens very quickly, however, and the change REVIEW BY JIM KLEEFELD is still so startling that the glitch will likely pass by unnoticed. I did it ten times and had a problem only once. There is a switch Many years ago, I bought the Bendix Bombshell, a Himber involved that will take both thought and practice, because it can wallet, from RAR Magic. I loved the high quality leather, the be awkward, awk ward, and if i f so, will appear suspicious. Spend some time ne manufacturing, and the excellent booklet of routines. I began on this and you will be ne. using it, and to this day I still carry it in my suit jacket pocket. The transformation is difcult within two or three feet of the Alakazam’s new Gentleman Jack Gimmick is an offshoot of spectator, as you will observe. The twins step back a few feet just that company and that concept. Peter Nardi bought the rights to before the moment of transformat ion. RAR Magic and all of the props in their stock, so this wallet is an This is different. dif ferent. Well done, French Twins! We rate it B+/A-. B+/A-. original RAR product from their warehouse, not a refurbished or
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duplicate made to be similar. It is a high quality leather wallet, sewn to exacting specications. Mine works smoothly and feels fresh, clean, and comfortable, like any high quality prop should. The Gentleman Jack Gimmick is a Himber wallet, and thus can be used to switch or replace items. What is different about this one is that is it a small, square, hip -pocket wallet, not a tall, thin jacket pocket style. As I said, I still car ry my original Bend ix Bombshell in my suit coat, but in fact, I rarely wear that coat to do close-up magic any more. I do wear pants, however, and I am used to carrying a wallet in my hip pocket, so this new one ts the bill (no pun intended) quite nicely. It is not quite supple, but it is slick and it handles easily, opening and closing quickly and easily. In fact, a key handling point is that you can pick up the wallet with one hand, ip it open, ip it closed, and ip it open again while secretly switching compartments. The wallet is thin and about four inches square, with two credit card slots and a ap on the left. The right side is at and smooth with no slots or pockets. There is no zipper feature like the Bombshell, so you can only switch sides, not reach through from one side to the ot her. You You get several Post-It notes to stick on the at side so it does not look suspiciously blank. The note pad not only disguises the blank side, it also allows the wallet to act like an Add-A-Number pad. One of the included routines relates a standard book test procedure in which you have three spectators write and add ra ndom numbers in order to ar rive at a page number in a book. Besides the number force/book test routine, the clear and succinct forty-ve-minute DVD teaches you a couple of card tricks. Both are relatively well-known routines and principles, but the instr uctions at least give novices novices a starti ng point for examining examin ing the wallet’s possibilities. There is also a clever idea for using the wallet as a crib. In this case, you can open and show the wallet to appear ungimmicked, secretly read your notes or crib sheet, and then hide it again so the audience never even suspects you have secret notes to yourself concealed somewhere. (And, while I am here, let me applaud the inclusion of an actual DVD with instructions on it. Prop tricks, especially relatively good ones, need more than a quickly typed lin k to a download that may disappear someday soon.) I see no real aws with the product itself, other than in the way you might want to use it. It is thin , and because of that you will not be able to hide very much inside of of it. Like any Himber wallet, you must load the two sides with identical paraphernalia. You have to put something in there so it looks like a real wallet, but if you put too much inside, i nside, then both bot h sides become fat. It is hard to hide h ide the duplicate spaces if you make the wallet thick. A credit card, one or two business cards and maybe a bill or two are plenty. So plan your routine accordingly. And while you are planning, I urge you to condition the wallet by loading it and carrying it around for a while so that it looks used rather than brand spanking new. The Gentleman Jack Gimmick is nicely made and a fair bargain at under $70, especially i f you have a need for a two-way out or an invisible switch of something at, like a note or a playing card. M-U-M Magazine
THE MARKSMAN DECK PROP AND ROUTINES BY LUKE JERMA JERM AY Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price: $35.00 $35.00 REVIEW BY DAVID GOODSELL
Luke Jermay has written nearly three dozen books and has appeared in more than twenty countries. He is recognized as one of the leading personalities in mentalism and psychic entert e ntertainment ainment.. His Marksman Deck is a superb addition to the toolkit of the trade. This is a marked deck, inspired in spired by the deck created by Theodore DeLand more than a hundred hund red years ago. The back of each card will enable you to tell what that card is, where the mate of that card is located in the deck, how many cards were cut off the deck at that point, the card that is just j ust above it, and what t he total value of the cards is in that cut-off packet. Each of these bits of information is exploited in the routines explained in the instructional video. The cards themselves are U.S. Playing Cards Mandolin backs. The markings are easy to read (especially using the very deceptive techniques Jermay explains and demonstrates in his online video instructions), but are still not obvious to the spectators, who will not be looking for marks anyway. If you use glasses to read, you will need to use them here as well. The deck is also designed for Juan Tamariz’s Mnemonica stack, which opens a world of powerful memorized deck routines. As Jermay demonstrates demonstrat es and emphasizes, a combination of routines using the markings requiring the stack followed by a simple shufe or two and then using one or two effects that do not require the stack is very disarming. Add to this a deck switch at the appropriate time and you can develop killer routines. The power of this deck becomes evident as Jermay demonstrates ve different tricks on his instructional video, each of which uses one or more of the marks. A “dowsing” theme uses the mark that tells the location of the mate of the selected card. Intuition is the theme used as Jermay writes three numbers on a pad af ter a spectator spe ctator has lifted lifte d a packet of cards from the tabled deck. The numbers written show that he has divined the number of cards in the packet, the number of red cards in that packet, and the sum value of the cards in that packet. In Easy to Read, Jermay shares several ideas about revealing chosen cards by simply reading the backs directly. Calling Cards is just that; the spectator lifts a packet from the deck and Luke “calls” the suit and value of each card in turn. The Card Memory effect can be done after the deck has been shufed, and it really does seem that the performer has spread the deck and memorized the new order of the deck. The video instructions are excellent, with Jermay sharing a wealth of information, tips, and techniques. “The deck does all the work,” he claims, and that almost seems to be true. At the same time, he refers to it as “a deck of possibilities,” which will become evident as you watch the videos v ideos and begin working work ing wit h the deck and your own creative juices begin to ow. You can easily put together a twelve-minute, or twenty-minute, or, as Luke Jermay did on the Vanishing Inc, performance video, a forty-minute show using just this one deck. You will quickly realize that what you have is not a deck for ve tricks, but rather
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a creative tool with which the possibilities are unlimited. We love STEAM 2.0 UTILITY DEVICE it! Michael Weber calls it “an absolute bull’s-eye!” and Richard BY ALI NOURA Kaufman thinks, “This must be one of the best ever designed.” Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price: $44.95 $44.95 I agree. The deck comes sealed and packaged in a clam-shell box with contact information on the inside cover directing you to the REVIEW BY JOSHUA KANE Vanishing Inc. website. Online you will nd the ninety-minute ininstructional video along with a printable thirty-four-page instrucGaining information in a clantion booklet of technical notes that accompany the performance destine fashion, with logical video available free on the Vanishing Inc. website. Add all of this timing, is an imperative in together and you have exceptional value! mentalism. In an age when electronic clipboards are sold at VISION GIMMICK AND Sharper Image, today’s mentalONLINE I NSTR NSTRUCTION UCTIONAL AL VIDEO VI DEO ists must appear cleaner than BY MICKAEL CHATELAIN clean to avoid being dismissed with “Oh, it’s just electronics.” Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price $24.95 $24.95 I rst became acquainted with the principle used in Steam 2.0 about fteen years ago. HistoriHistori REVIEW BY JAMIE SALINAS cally, the method is credited to Card magic often Marc Salem. It was unpublished has similarities in and shared with only a small inner circle. A marketed version sleights and tech- was distributed in 2010 by Ali Nouira; it has reportedly also been niques to the methods explained in a monograph by Chris Matthews. In short, you ask a used by gamblers. spectator to write something on the back of a double-blank, white Some of these tech- business card. She places place s it face down on the table. We are told niques require an that with Steam 2.0 the writing can be done while you are out of insane amount of the room; you never directly touch the card; and she can cover it practice, and some with her hands. hand s. Yet Yet you are able to reveal what was writ ten. There of the gimmicks are are no electronics, no reections, no carbon paper or classic imimincredibly elaborate. Mickael Chatelain has created a nice, easy pressions, no magnets, magnet s, etc. variation of a gambler’s utility item and applied it to magic. While you do not need to touch the card, you will need, in most In the rst routine, a deck of cards is examined and shufed of the routines included, to touch an envelope that at one point by the spectator. spect ator. The spectat or then wr ites down the t he name of any covers the card. And the timing of that touch is at such a bad playing card. Wh ile the deck is held face down in the t he performer’s beat it has been edited out of the demo video and at least one hands, the magician uses just the tips of his/her ngers to feel the of the demos on the instructional download. And they have you faces of the cards, as they are dealt to the table faced down. The taking the envelope back to write on it, which makes little sense. magician stops at one card and it is found to be the named card. The envelopes, which are part of the gaff, are in my opinion draIn another routine, a card is simply touched by a spectator as the matically too small t o be effective. They just cover cover the card, which magician spreads the pack face down. The card is shown to the means that you have to deliberately position the envelope on top spectator as the magician looks away. The card is replaced faced rather than casually toss it. That careful placement combined with down in the pack and at this point the magician knows the identity the later ill-timed removal for me triggers more red ags than of the freely selected card. the Chinese Army. The most elegant uses of the principle create What you get is a gimmicked card and a link to an online in- the impression you never get near the card. Fortunately, there are structional video. The gimmicked card comes in either a red- or other routines taught in the instructions that do have that feel and a blue-backed Bicycle card. It is well made and should last you a may inspire you to other uses. long time. The instructional video is very basic because English The routine Money Hustle has the theme of a wager. Paper seems to not be Mickael’s native language, but he does a good job currency is used and the effect is strong and logical in its arc. explaining how to perform the two routines, and how to handle There are conditions in which it does not work as well as one the gimmicked card. would hope and the materials, particularly the right pens, have The routines are fairly easy to do, and suitable for the walk- on occasion been difcult to obtain, because an ingredient in the around and close-up magician. You will need to watch your pens has at t imes been on the banned list in the USA. I have used angles, but you will be able to perform these routines in most en- the principle successfully in performance and, having been enthuvironments in most conditions. siastic about other Paul Harris releases, was curious to give this To sum it up, this is a well-made utility item (based on an old product a look and purchased it. Frankly, I was disappointed; I felt technique) that is used to identify a selected card. There are other this was a step down and not a step up. They do not tell you how non-gimmicked card methods for accomplishing the same effect, you can replenish the necessary materials locally and instead have but Vision makes the process direct and straightforward, str aightforward, without chosen to sell you rells, albeit at a reasonable price. any extra uff. It is a good solid effect but not a closer in my Contributions have been made by Andrew Gerard and Doug opinion. Mickael also teaches you how to start and end totally Roberts. Instructions are given on how to adapt the “special” pen clean so that everything can be examined. The $24.95 price to a US Sharpie pen. The ad copy on Murphy’s website promises makes this a solid investment for the card worker who does not “A bonus set of fty STEAM 2.0 bil l gaffs for an out-of-your-wal out-of-your-wal-mind using gimmicks. let ‘money hustle’ presentation.” They were not included in my
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AUGUST 2017
package, nor in a friend’s box on the other side of the countr c ountry. y. If you know the method, you can pass this one by. If you are already happy with your methods to clandestinely gain info, then also pass. If your curiosity curiosit y is still piqued, and you want something somethi ng that feels very “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” the forty bucks will likely not break your budget and you might discover something fun to play with. There are better, more reliable methods that do not require such a large variety of specialized papers and pens.
MOVE TR ICK MOVE BY DANNY WEISER AND TAIWAN BEN
it looks like any other pen you’ve steel-wooled the printing off of, you’re probably going to lose it, too. What I’m saying is: be careful. If you do manage to get to your venue without losing the secret something or the pen itself, you need to know that the reset is instant (as long as you don’t lose the piece), but the angles aren’t the best. This should only be performed to a couple of people standing directly in front of you – situations I don’t have to worry about, because I’m old and won’t ever be performing this for anyone.
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price $34.95 $34.95
THE SOLUTION BOOKLET BOOKLET AND ONLINE ONLI NE VIDEO BY MICHAEL MURPHY
REVIEW BY PAYNE
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Magic Supplies Price $26.95 $26.95
I’m getting old. When they announce the nominees for the Grammys, I no longer recognize the names of the bands. I don’t know why anyone would go see a Transformers movie. And I really don’t understand the thinking behind Move. Move. If you haven’t haven’t seen the promotional video for Danny Weiser’s and Taiwan Ben’s latest foray into the world of magic, then you probably don’t don’t understa nd my confusion. Here is what Move does. You show a Bic-style pen. It can even be examined by the spectator, because there is nothing to see (unless she has a magnet on her person, which for the moment we’ll assume she doesn’t). The magician retrieves the pen, and, once back in his possession, using the most mystical looks he can manage, slides the clip of the pen cap down the barrel, where it magically clings as if being held by an unseen force, or perhaps a magnet. The clip can be slid slid back up to its original position on the cap, or caused, with a ick of the wrist, to magically jump back into place. After this, the pen can once again be handed out for examination, whereupon nothing will be discovered (unless, of course, the spectator has access to a magnet). Yes, as I said, I don’t get it either. But wait…those of you who have endured the online video are wondering why I’ve left out the most magical and mystical part of this fabulous routine. That being where the clip visibly moves along the barrel of the pen as if being pushed along by an invisible nger. While this feat is quite do-able and taught in the online instructional video, the substance required to achieve this mysterious movement is not included with the pen. It, (or should I say, IT) is, however, a fairly common material readily found in most magician’s kits. IT, however, is something I myself do not possess. But I can see, at least according to the video, how IT might work. Though I do have concerns as to exactly how invisible IT might be when held next to an all-white pen in most lighting conditions. But as I said, I’m getting old and therefore can’t really see why anyone would want to move the clip portion of a Bic pen around. But I’m sure many of my younger readers are chomping at the bit to add this potential miracle to their ever expanding collection of guerilla magic. So for those who might have a use for this mysterious pen, here are the particulars. Yes, it is examinable before and after, though you have have to ring i n and ring out a certai n something. This certain something is also very small and easy to lose, which is something you are more than likely to do. The pen, too, is special. But since M-U-M Magazine
REVIEW BY MARC DESOUZA
If I had to describe this item in one word, it would be “cheeky.” If I added two more words, they would be “potentially “potential ly devastati ng.” This scant booklet (only fourteen pages and quite padded at that) contains a secret concept…a gutsy, yet brilliant concept for the fearless performer. The idea is dual reality at its very best. But it is not for the faint of heart. Fortunately, many mentalists are just the kind of performers who will grab this t his one and run with it. A mixed Rubik’s Cube is shown. shown. It is fur ther mixed and given to a participant to hold behind his back. He is asked to turn the cube several several times. He is given the opportunity to tur n it some more, if he wishes. When he brings the Cube out from behind his back, it is solved. Am I telling you exactly what your audience will see? Yes, I am. Is there a little more process than I am detailing? Just a bit. Murphy gives you the exact script and handling you will use in four pages. He gives you another page and a half of additional thoughts. Otherwise, the rest of the booklet is taken up with background, history, and a nd thanks. t hanks. Fortunately, Fortunat ely, there is i s a link lin k to a webpage that contains more details. Do you need to know how to actually solve the Cube? Not really, but it is helpful to know how, because you will invariably mess up the Cube when practicing. There are websites that will guide you through solving your Cube and they work great, but if you are going to do Cube magic, you should know how to really solve them. On Murphy’ Mur phy’ss page, he teaches you how to set up your Cube and how to do what you need to do to make the effect work. He also provides another thirty thi rty minutes of discussion about the effect, along with Steven Brundage performing the effect on The Today Show (along with a couple of other Cube effects). This is a real performer doing this effect for real people on a TV show. show. This thing really real ly does work. Finally, he provides video of Master Cuber Tyson Mao teaching tea ching you how to solve the Cube. Michael Murphy has provided everything you need to perform this incredible effect. All you need is a Rubik’s Cube, Cub e, some study, practice, and the guts to do it. This one is not for everybody, but I think I have told you enough to make that call for yourself. As such, I highly recommend this booklet for those with the right stuff.
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Read You Like a Book
Visiting the Houdinis
I talked about this app in the past and recommended it. I recently performed the effect at a corporate performance; it was the effect the attendees talked about the most at the cocktail party after the show. In fact, the game that I created during the effect became the game during the party. I thought it was worthy to mention again. Magic Trick #3 is a book test. You can use any book. Take out your iPhone or Android phone and go to the calculator. Have random numbers multiplied together, ending up with a page number. It can be different every time. The magician gives out a book and the spectator opens to the corresponding page nu mber. The T he magician tells the spectator to look at the rst and last words on the page and, amazingly, reveals those words. The book is not gimmicked in any way. There is no memorization needed. I will warn you that you are going to spend hours inputting the words from the book that you choose. Trust me; the effect will be worth it. When I rst downloaded this app I felt that the weak spot is the fact that you only reveal the rst and last words. Why? There has to be a reason for this. I came up with the perfect presentation. Buy the book 50 Shades of Grey. You now have an excuse to buy it! After Afte r you do all the homework homework to make the effect work, you are ready to perform. Here’s Here’s my presentation: Tell the audience th at you are known for your photographic memory. Once you read a book, you remember every page. In fact, while you were waiting to go on, you noticed that someone left a book in the dressing room. Show them 50 Shades. To demonstrate your ability, throw the book out into the audience; whoever catches it joins you onstage. Bring out the iPhone, handing it to the spectator, and open up the calculator. After selecting people to give you random numbers to multiply, have the volunteer with the book give you the total and then go to that page. Now explain to the audience that because of the subject matter of the book, you can’t recite everything on the page. It would be a little embarrassing. Instead, you will recite the rst and last word of the page. Depending on the words, doing this can be very funny. If you add the words “yada yada yada” ala that famous Seinfeld episode, you’ll end up with a big laugh. Things like, “tied...yada yada yada...satised, naked...yada yada yada...giggling. yada...giggling.” ” Censoring the middle section gives you an excuse to only name the rst and last word. I have performed this numerous times and rarely got the same page to predict. Again, it will take a lot of prep to get this effect ready, but once you do it, it will be worth it. I spent a week setting it up while watching TV. Magic Trick # 3 is available for $5on the iTunes App Store and on the Google Play Store for Android.
Harry Houdini is alive and well on the truly fantastic blog Wild about Harry. John Cox, an extreme fan of Houdini, talks about every aspect of Houdini’s life. He probably knows what Houdini had to eat at every meal. I f you visit Wild about Harry, You will spend hours there looking into every article. I mention him again because of his recent visit to the Houdini home in Harlem, New York City. The townhouse has recently been put on the market; Mr. Cox travelled across the country to spend a few hours inside the sacred halls. His photos and report are rst rate. Be sure to take some time to read his report. I was fascinated. Visit www.wildabouthoudini.com/ and look for the ar ticle “Inside Houdi ni’s ni’s 278.” 278.”
By the Numbers My grandfather was a math whiz. When he went grocery shopping with my mother, he would mentally a dd the prices of the items as they were dropped in the carr iage. At the checkout checkout he always knew the total. He would always do mental calculations because he knew all the tricks. A new app, Mathemagics – Mental Math Tricks teaches you many of these mental math tricks. Well laid out and explained, Mathemagics’ fty tricks will turn you into a human calculator. calculator. Mathemagics – Mental Math Tricks is available in the iTunes App Store for $3.
Burning Through Money Our favorite prop company, Fred and Friends, has a set of napkins that look just like real hundred-dollar bills. If you are doing a switch and want to burn the bill, these napkins are perfect replicas of folded-up or crumpled-up hundred-dollar bills. They burn slightly slight ly slower than ash paper and leave some ashes for you to deal with. Because you only need a piece of the money, you essentially get four uses per napkin. Filthy Rich Cocktail Napkins are available at Amazon.com at a price of $10 for a set of twelve. Found a cool gadget, app, or website for magic applications? Share your discovery with Bruce to include in a future column. Email him (SAMtalkBr
[email protected]). Pricing and details are not guaranteed gu aranteed a nd are accurate at at the time of writing this article. Prices and features are subject to change.
AUGUST 2017
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M-U-M Magazine
BY NORMAN BECK
I'M BEHOLDEN TO YOU
You never know when something that you do every day can suddenly turn your world upside down; it can happen so quickly. Three weeks ago my girlfriend was at the YMCA to swim. She walked down some steps, stumbled on the bottom step, and fell. The fall caused her to break one ankle and badly sprain the other one. Last Friday, she had surgery on the broken ankle; she is conned to bed and cannot leave the house. The problem is that we eat out all the time. Food is our passion; pizza and take out are not at the top of our dining list. The food world, like the magic world, is small. In Dallas there are thousands of places to eat, but only a few are a re at the upper upp er end. We like to t o frequent freq uent those places. Word got out about her situation. Three restaurants offered to bring food to our house. One place didn’t even ask if they could; they just showed up. Last Monday night the doorbell rang at 7:00 p.m. The Chef and GM of one the top steakhouses in Dallas showed up with food. When I say “food,” I mean lobster, burrata salad, cream corn, and chateaubriand steak – enough food for three meals for us. They did this for free; there was no bill and nothing was expected on our part. It was a gift. We dine out all the time; after a while, a person soon forgets the meals that are consumed. But when a top place in Dallas brings you food, you will never forget that act of kindness and generosity. In the future, when we’re deciding what restaurant to go to, the memory of them showing up is going to tip the decision in their favor. As magicians, we can often do the same thing. Years ago, a client from a big oil company compa ny in Tulsa had hired me me to do magic for his company on more than one occasion. Talking to him, I learned he had a son who was autistic; he was having a birthday. I offered to come to his house and do a show for one person: his son Jeff. I wanted no money. Even when he offered to pay me, I said no. The show was ne and I missed out on a few hundre d dollars. Think about this. Let’s say that I am a locksmith and you lock yourself out of your house on a Saturday night at midnight. You call me; I come over, let you in, and charge you a hundred hundre d bucks. We are even. But let’s say I do it for free. We will never be even. In your mind, you will always be beholden to me. Often it is better to not take the money so they can remember the favor. I know a dentist who, if he has to x a tooth on a weekend, never charges for it. Across the street from my ofce is a tire store; if you have a at tire, they do not charge to x it. They don’t care where you bought the tires; if one goes at, they x it for free. In talking to the manager about it, he informed me it is the best advertisement they have found. If you need to buy a set of tires, you will remember that they xed your at for free. Money may make the world go around, but the currency of favors spends better and lasts longer. I have room for one joke: What is the difference between a clown in a red costume on a unicycle and a man in a business suit on a bike? Attire.
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Personal Pe rsonal Mag ic By Eric Lewis
Effect: A marked penny is wrapped in the center of a borrowed handkerchief. The fabric is set are and the penny falls to the table. The mutilated handkerchief is thrust into a glass, which is held by a spectator. The ashes are wrapped in a piece of paper and are vanished together with the marked penny. When the handkerchief is shaken out, it is fully restored and the penny is found in i n the glass. Preparation : In the inner side of your left sleeve have sewn a length of at elast ic about an inch and a half from the edge of the sleeve. It is sewn in such a way as to make four small pockets (Figure 3). Cut an ordinary white handkerchief into ve-inch squ ares (Figure 1). 1). Take one, place an a n A merican penny (one cent piece) in the middle and twist the fabric around it (Figure 2). Cut the ends off evenly and push the wrapped penny into one of the loops in your sleeve (Figure 3). Do the same with three more squares and ll the remaining loops. By replenishreplenishing your little arsenal from time to time, you will always be prepared to perform the effect four times. Routine: When performing the effect, have a small piece of newspaper crumpled into a ball in your right coat pocket, together with a couple of matches. See that a glass and newspaper are handy. Borrow the coin and handkerchief, and have the coin marked. Show the penny at the tips of your left thumb and forenger and let it be seen that the hands are otherwise empty. Throw the handkerchief over the coin with the center over it. Grasp the coin through the fabric with your right hand, give it a twist or two, and then pull the handkerchief through your left st gathering the folds together. Leave the wrapped coin in the palm of your left hand and close your ngers on it (Figure 4). Adjust the folds below it and with the right thumb and forenger, steal one of the fakes as shown in Figure 4. Draw it upwards over the left palm, the left index and middle ngers opening a little to let it pass and carry it forward to the top of the left forenger. Grip it there by closing
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the left thumb and ngers on it (Figure 5). The action should be the same as seizing the original penny and handkerchief and drawing them forward. Assert that the metal in the handkerchief will absorb the heat from any ame and that the fabric will not burn. To prove this, thrust your right thumb and forenger. hand into your coat pocket, nger palm the Bundle up the handkerchief and the ball of paper and bri ng out a match. marked coin and thrust them into the glass. Strike the match and move the ame As you do this with your left hand, the slowly backwards and forwards under the right hand reverses balls and gets the one coin; the fabric will not catch re. Then with the ashes into nger-palm position. look at audience while remarking how Place the empty ball of paper into the glass curious this is. The ame is allowed to on the handkerchief. pause so the handkerchief (the (the small square Dispose of the paper ball by getting of fabric) catches re; the coin drops to the “wooe dust” from your pocket. Pick up table. You try to blow out the ame, but do the coin, examine it, and describe the mark not succeed until the fake has burnt almost (which you previously noted). Vanish coin to your ngertips. by any suitable method. Apologize, saying you remember the Open paper ball to show the ashes have metal should have been larger. Tear off a gone. Crumple it and put it in your pocket, small piece of newspaper, press its middle dropping the “vanished” coin with it. Then against the charred edge of the fake, gather have the owner of the coin take a corner the ashes and un-burnt fragment, squeeze of the handkerchief and pull it from the them into a ball, and secretly add them to glass, so the real marked coin drops into palmed ball, holding both at tips of right the glass.
AUGUST 2017
