A Trio of Awards for one of my favorite magicians…

•May 30, 2015 • Leave a Comment

11143568_10153379836169529_744494197762325492_nThree very distinct honors were bestowed upon Magic New Zealand’s editor Alan Watson recently and it would like to make note of them. Having worked with Alan for about eight years on Magic New Zealand I have become very aware of the time and effort that he puts into the publication of the wonderful magical resource that he created. I am very pleased that his hard work has not gone unnoticed within and beyond the magic community.

On May 17th, during the 47th Academy of Magical Arts Awards Presentation Alan received a very well deserved award from his friends and peers at the world famous Magic Castle. Alan and his wife Michelle were both present in the Saban Theatre in Hollywood when it was announced that Alan was to receive the Award of Merit from the Academy for his services to the magical arts.

The award that Watson was presented by Jon Armstrong was inscribed; “For his tireless work editing and publishing Magic New Zealand, a weekly e-zine distributed to Internet subscribers at no charge. Now well past its thousand issue, it has helped inform and connect tens of thousands of readers.”

It is unlikely that this award was a total surprise to Alan, given the fact that the AMA had gone to considerable expense and effort 11139373_10153379806304529_7331459112678096698_nto make sure that he and Michelle were in attendance for the star-studded event. He was however surprised and delighted when he also received a Presidential Citation from The Society of American Magicians during his visit presented by SAM President Kenrick “Ice” McDonald.

The Presidential Citation commended Watson in the following words; “For his extraordinary support promoting the goals and the values of The Society of American Magicians, his constant efforts to elevate and advance the art of magic, for his many years of performing as a professional magician, for his endless dedication and integrity through his newsletter, sharing important magic news and information across the globe. Alan Watson is a great source of pride to all who know him and all would do well to emulate as emulate as he epitomizes out motto: M-U-M, Magic – Unity – Might.”

The day after the AMA Awards Presentation Alan was on a plane flying back to New Zealand ready to receive yet another, even more prestigious, award. On Friday May 22nd, Alan and Michelle flew to Wellington in order for him to receive The Queen’s Service Medal for services as a magician. This Award was presented by His Excellency The Governor-General of New Zealand, Lt Gen The Rt. Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae and included not only a medal but also a note hand signed by HRH Queen Elizabeth the Second. You can view the investiture here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc5yWR-TdLc 

This was an amazing set of honors that Watson richly deserved. Those of us who know Alan realize that his selfless devotion to the art of magic start when he wakes in the morning and continue until the close of his day. I am delighted that this triple set of honors were bestowed upon him and showed how universally his work has been appreciated. I don’t quite know how it is possible to top this trio of awards, however if anyone can accomplish it then Alan is the man to do it. Congratulations Alan, your recognition was well deserved and we are all very proud of you.

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Talking about pocket management.

•May 7, 2015 • Leave a Comment

NickLewin-DW-0056smI always enjoy reading what Bill Abbott has to say about magic and the performance of it. He has a really fine line of show-ready effects to add to your act available on his website billabbottmagic.com and he also has a fund of great magical information that he makes available via his blog. He is one of the most focused thinkers around.

Quite often Abbott raises provocative and extremely interesting topics on his Facebook page too— there is a novelty! Yesterday I read with interest a thread that developed on the topic of pocket management. A very important factor that is seldom mentioned in magic literature and I wanted to discuss it briefly here. Thank you, Bill, for raising this issue on Facebook, I hope my thoughts on this subject may be of some use to my readers.

Bill shared a lovely quote by legendary magician Bob Sheets, “Most magicians look like 6 pounds of nuts in a 4-pound bag!” It Unknownmade me laugh out loud at the accuracy of the vision. In many instances, it is not uncommon to see performers so laden with props in their pockets that they just look weird and misshapen. Bill added on his timeline; “I’ve always loved the expression because it exactly describes the visual experience that audiences are subjected to when a performer overcompensates with props for a lack of careful planning and pocket management.”

I couldn’t agree more with both Bob and Bill on this extremely unsightly situation. If you have so many props distributed throughout your wardrobe that it is visually unappealing then you need to think about carrying them in some other way. I have seen every variation of ways to carry props: cases, bags, waist pouches, holsters, and even violin cases! A little thought can help create a very creative and effective solution that can improve your personal appearance enormously. It can also make the presentation of those tricks a lot more effective.

1896961_10152834943458460_2039070401720692221_n I personally believe that there is nothing slicker in magic than a performer who can entertain you using only props that are contained in his pockets. I call it the McComb show because for a long period Billy McComb used to walk out on stage in a beautifully cut suit and perform a full-length stage show with props that somehow fitted in his pockets/suit without a single unsightly bulge. I always considered it the pinnacle of elegant professionalism, and after many years of careful thought, I can now do the same. It is a great feeling!

One of the very first things you need to think about is the physical pockets that are part of your working outfit. For a very small investment you can have a seamstress add pockets, divisions in pockets and other ways to make the job easier in concealing your working tools. It is a tiny investment that can pay big dividends. I personally choose my suits with the pockets firmly fixed in my mind. Generally speaking the changes I need to make are minimal. Your mileage may differ!

The other thing that needs to be mentioned in connection with pocket management is the vital factor of actually knowing what bob-sheets-on-stageorder you need to use the props contained in your pockets. Nothing looks worse than seeing a performer rummaging through his pockets to unearth a small prop that has been buried under a mound of bigger props. It just looks bad. A little pre-thought can almost always solve this problem.

Bad pocket management as just described doesn’t just look bad but can prove to be disastrous. I once added a trick to my second show that involved pulling a folded bandana (no NOT banana!) out of my pants pocket. I performed the show and much to my amazement and dismay at a subsequent point in the proceedings, when I reached into that same pocket to steal my Himber Ring — it wasn’t there! I quickly surmised the problem and realized that it must have flipped out my pocket when I removed the bandana. Fortunately, I not only had a spare ring in another pocket but later found my other ring lying on the floor at the position in the audience where I had removed the bandana. Lucky break!

I think the very first step in addressing the problem is to take a moment or two before walking in front of your audience and realistically appraising how you look. This is a simple action that allows you to decide if you need to explore the topic further. My general rule of thumb is that if a dove worker can go onstage fully loaded with eight doves and no bulges, then a close-up performer should be able to do a little strolling magic without looking like he is carrying his worldly possessions in his pockets!

 

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Visiting the Magic Castle

•May 1, 2015 • Leave a Comment

piet-yvonneToday, April 28th, I am writing this column from the beautiful California town of Irvine. Actually, I’m not really sure Irvine is technically any more exotic than its neighboring towns in Southern California, however to me it is! Tonight I am lecturing for IBM Ring 313– the John Fedko Ring. I am also enjoying spending a couple of days staying with my daughter Kat who lives and teaches in Irvine.

Tomorrow I will drive to the Highland Gardens Hotel on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood, put on a tie and jacket, and spend the evening at the World Famous Magic Castle. My old friend and former partner Piet Paulo will be joining me for the visit. Piet is a master illusionist, magical philosopher and a wonderful raconteur. I know we will have a wonderful evening catching up with our friends at the Castle.

It is very, very nice to be able to so freely say that it is the Magic Castle that I will be visiting. As NickLewin-DW-0063every member and many non-members know, the “Academy of Magical Arts” and the “Magic Castle” have been having something of a feud during recently times. The problems now seem to have been resolved, which in my opinion is a reason for celebration for magicians everywhere. As a proud member since 1974 I am delighted, as an AMA member, to be officially visiting my clubhouse the Magic Castle tomorrow night. I extend my thanks for sorting everything out to all of those who were involved in doing so. They seem to have done a great job resolving the key issues.

When you have such a unique, eccentric and successful entity as the Magic Castle, you certainly hope to see it continuing into its second half century in much the same way that it managed to become a runaway success by the end of its first 50 years. There is truly nowhere else like the Magic Castle in the entire world; Bill and Milt Larsen took a pipedream of an idea from their father and converted it into reality for us all to enjoy.

My favorite analogy for the Castle has always been the bumblebee, a curious little critter than by any laws of aerodynamics shouldn’t be able to fly, yet somehow still manages to flitter around in mid-air in a highly nimble manner. Having been a part of the Castle for over 40 years it has been a blast seeing it happily move from triumph to disaster to triumph while always remaining true to it’s own curious code. This place is far too special to risk messing around with its structure, DNA or fine print.

haunted-places-la-magic-castleMuch of the pressure on the grand old AMA/Castle structure has probably indirectly resulted from the enormous commercial advances that the Castle has enjoyed under the superb management of Joe Furlow. The Castle is literally bustling with success from the moment you walk through the bookcase. I have been a member long enough to remember when we had more serious problems than too many people wanting to show up and spend money at our club.

Under the stewardship of the current team of board members, owners and creators we seem to have reached an agreement that takes the Castle way into the future and doesn’t leave us having to clumsily refer to the Castle as the AMA clubhouse! To me any serious attempt to re-brand anywhere as unique as the Magic Castle never made an iota of sense. Let’s say it loud and proud, we have an amazing club in an even more amazing clubhouse.

Tomorrow night I will be sitting in the Owl Bar, hopefully gossiping with my dear friend Milt, chatting with the Castle’s hidden weapon Jack Goldfinger, waving at board members and giving Irene and Erika a hug! What could be more satisfactory than to witness legitimate disagreements resolved and our magical home away from home reunited in such a relatively seamlessly manner. My first tequila and beer will be toasting our club and the people who keep it the most happening place in Hollywood

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Arriving in Las Vegas…..

•April 24, 2015 • Leave a Comment

AcornWorkflow-2014.02.20 02.38.18When I hear magicians complaining about lack of work I secretly suspect that what they need is a little more imagination to keep their datebooks filled. As my teacher Mr. Gurdjieff used to say,” It is no use sitting with your mouth open waiting for roast pigeon to fly into it.” There is usually something suitable awaiting your attention — if you just look hard enough for it.

In honesty, I think magicians are one of the most resourceful of all the entertainment genres. Most of them have been putting on their own shows and promoting them since they were kids, even if we were mostly recruiting friends and family. It kinda’ goes with the turf when you are a young magician who is eager to show off his talents.

I consider the current wave of independent one/two man magic plays and performances in L.A. a very healthy and exciting new direction for the magical arts. Combined with the national development of weekly magic events such as New York’s Monday Night Magic, Boston’s Mystery Lounge, San Francisco’s Magic Dinner Theatre and Santa Monica’s Magicopolis; a whole new vitality is being breathed into the magic scene.

During the ‘70s and 80’s my wife and I were always finding suitable rooms in Los Angeles and producing special one-night IMG_7245events that featured my often rather eccentric magic offerings. The first of our L.A. shows was in 1978 when we presented a Buddy Holly séance at the Ice House in Pasadena. It was a fun evening and got us rolling in the right direction. Lenny Bruce and Elvis séances were to follow in the very near future.

Throughout the ‘80s we presented long form editions of my show on multiple occasions in other L.A. clubs including; The Horn, Carlos & Charlie’s (now The House of Blues), The Playboy Club, The Laugh Factory, The L.A. Cabaret and The Laugh Stop. In fact for a while, every Monday, we transformed The Laugh Stop in Newport Beach into the Magic Stop. We replaced the pictures of comedians with photos of magicians and added a couple of close up tables and created a fun magic event.

In fact it was the success of our transformation of the Laugh Stop into a magic venue, on its dark night, that gave Michael Callie his first thought of building the rather nifty Magic Island in Newport Beach and later in Houston. He was amazed to see his comedy room packed out every Monday, that and a couple of visits to the Magic Castle convinced him that there was a real commercial potential in magic as an entertainment product.

Maxim BillboardDuring the ‘80s I spent a great many weeks headlining in many different comedy clubs in Las Vegas. It was during a one week gig performing at the Maxim Hotel that the room manager Cazzy Cadwell and I dreamt up the idea of me presenting a one-man magic show in the afternoons. The only afternoon entertainment precedent in town was a fairly tacky mini production show entitled Viva Las Vegas that presented shows at 2.00 and 3.00 PM week.

We met with a great deal of skepticism about the prospect of paying audiences turning out for our bare bones afternoon show. Heck, the show was just myself doing an hour’s worth of my comedy show. I was however lucky enough to have a very fine director to convert my act into a full scale theatrical show, his name was Tony Shepherd and a great deal of our success was due to the efforts of both Tony and my brilliant publicist, the late Florence Troutman.

Amazingly enough our show was packed out from the first week of our run. It had always been my theory that if a day-show in Branson could bring in an audience then the concept would work just as well in Las Vegas. My initial two-month booking ended up stretching out to a run of nearly five years, and I only decided to call it quits when I discovered the hotel was closing. I wasn’t unduly upset as it had been an exhausting run performing two sixty-minute shows a day, six days a week, 48 weeks a year for nearly five years. I was actually delighted to return to my corporate and cruise gigs.

img325One of the toughest things we had to do to keep the show running smoothly was schedule a suitable replacement for my vacation weeks. Many magicians considered the two one-hour sets at 1.00 and 3.00 to be a tough gig! Amongst those who subbed for me were Johnny Thompson, Tom Mullica and Paul Kozak. Then we had a stroke of luck when Mac King filled in for a week, it was instantly clear that he was a perfect match for that market/time slot, and instantly he became my perfect wingman. After I finished my run, Mac glided right into the slot and when the Maxim finally closed its doors he continued with the format at Harrah’s. Many years later his show is still running there and has proven to be a huge success. Mac has my utmost respect not just for his talent but his stamina!

As in most of my blog posts there is something of a hidden message here. One of the joys in being a magician is going out and finding a venue where you can slot into their schedule. Whether it is for a night, a week or multiple years it is quite possible to create your own breaks and opportunities in our business. Make the most of the showrooms that already exist in your neighborhood and present them with a package that really makes sense and will work for both yourself and them. Create a win/win scenario and you will never be short of a way to advance your career, make a little money and have some fun. Be creative with your business solutions as well as your magic!

 

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Some cool upcoming events.

•April 18, 2015 • Leave a Comment

206I was delighted to get so many responses to my story last week about that wonderful English magician David Nixon. I was pleased to learn how many other performers held him in equally high regard. My friend Tim Glander reminded me that an excellent book was written about Nixon by Dr. Eddie Dawes called, “Entertainer: With a Magic Touch!” For those of you wanting to learn more about David Nixon you can order the book from Amazon.

I always enjoy the chance to meet some of my readers in person rather than just over the Internet! I have a few shows and dates coming up that I wanted to mention. If you have a chance to stop by please make sure you take the time to say a big old Texan “Howdy.”

On April 23rd I will be performing at a really neat theatre in Austin called “The North Door.” The show is called “Magic Hour” and is produced by my friend Patrick Terry, who will be performing along with Andrew Goldenhersh and myself. The evening is to be hosted by comedian Cami Alys. The show kicks off at 8.00PM and is billed as an evening with magic, comedy, pizza and beer. That sounds perfectly suited to my tastes! Tickets cost $20 in advance and full details can be found at http://www.thenorthdoor.com

I am a big fan of Goldenhersh and his unique brand of magic and am really looking forward to working with him. Patrick is an excellent magician/mentalist who is starting to make quite a name for himself. It should be a really fun event for our audience. If you live in the Austin area stop on by for the fun.

On April 28th I am lecturing for IBM Ring 313 (the John Fedko Ring) in Irvine, California. I have been having a great deal of IMG_1177success and getting some wonderful reactions with my lecture and I’m looking forward to this event keenly. The evening kicks off at 6.00PM with my lecture scheduled for shortly after 7.00pm. Admission is free for members and guests are asked for a $10 donation. You can get full details about the on Ring 313’s website at www.ring313.org/

My lecture teaches some very cool tricks and then shows how to blend them into a well-balanced show. I usually also find time to tell some great stories about my mentors Billy McComb, Ken Brooke and Maurice Fogel.

On the evening of the 29th of April I will be enjoying an all to rare evening at the Magic Castle, where I will be socializing with my dear friend Piet Paulo. I hope to meet up with some of my LA buddies during the evening. If you are around come by and say “Hi.” I only seem to average a couple of visits a year to the Castle and I’m looking forward to catching up with as many friends as possible!

NL GypsyYarn-2On May 2nd I will be performing back home in Austin in “Magic At The Capital” at the historic Scottish Rite Theatre. The event is presented by IBM Ring 60, as a fundraiser for the upcoming TAOM convention in Austin. The show features a fine group of performers including, Ian Varella, Kent Cummins, Peter Hinrichs, Jeff Hapke and Scott & Kathy Wells. The show begins at 8.00PM and costs $15 for Children and $2o for adults. There is another, even family friendlier show at 3.30PM on the day.

This is magic the way it was supposed to be enjoyed, live and in a glorious 100-year old vaudeville theatre! Last year both shows were totally sold out so I recommend you applyfor your tickets ASAP. Visit the website http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1380923 to get further details or order your tickets.

In between all these shows and lectures I am putting the finishing touches to our newest release to the magic world“Gypsy Yarn,” which should cause quite a stir amongst performers who value extremely practical, visual and strong material. I have gone to enormous lengths to make sure that this release is something very special. This effect has been a feature of my show for forty years and I wanted to get every detail exactly right before marketing it. I truly believe I have!

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David Nixon. The English Gentleman of Magic.

•April 10, 2015 • 2 Comments

I was recently browsing the Academy of Magical Arts member’s only page on Facebook; I do this quite frequently, and I have become quite addicted to the debates and flares that go on in the postings. It frequently reminds me of the not always so good-natured conversations that once upon a time used to take place at the Castle’s main bar just as alcohol ceased being served at the end of the night!

Last week there was a post by Steve Valentine about one of his early magical heroes when he was growing up in the United Kingdom. I always enjoy listening to what Steve has to say and consider him one of the brightest lights in the magic world.

The magician that Steve was talking about happened to also be one of my earliest heroes in magic, the great English magician David Nixon. Steve’s posting contained a link to a fabulous clip on his Vimeo site that I followed with delight. The link is https://vimeo.com/123709180 and it leads to a ten-minute live television performance by David Nixon onstage at the London Palladium. It is a delightful exercise in mastering small magic and performing it to a large crowd.

The footage brought back a flood of memories and it made me realize the extent to which I was influenced by this exceptional $_35performer. To my delight, I discovered there were many more clips of Mr. Nixon’s television performances readily available on YouTube. I watched a whole bunch of them in pure delight observing what a true gentleman Nixon presented himself as while performing his impeccable magical feats. If you are not familiar with David Nixon I strongly suggest you view some of these clips. It is wonderful to experience watching so much magic performed by a magician who never once needed to sink to the level of being a smart ass or a jerk; this man was pure class.

I have written about David Nixon before in these pages but can’t resist once again giving a brief overview of his extraordinary career. As a very young man, Nixon became a magician inspired by seeing such legendary performers as Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant. Like so many of England’s top comedy/variety performers in the World War 2 era, Nixon’s career took shape with his participation in ENSA, where he performed for the British troops.

In 1946 Nixon became a fully-fledged civilian entertainer and magician. He was quickly accepted, appreciated and became a considerable success as a theatrical performer. Nixon’s easy charm and elegance made him a natural television celebrity and in 1954 he had his first big break when he became a panelist on the British version of ‘What’s My Line,’ and then went on to host ‘Candid Camera.’

davidnixonandbasFor the next two decades Nixon was one of the most recognizable faces on British television and hosted many different game shows, variety specials and magical series. For a considerable time Nixon was the single most popular magician in the minds of the British public. For many of his magic shows he was lucky (and wise) enough to employ the great Ali Bongo as his magical advisor and on-camera cohort. They were a powerful team.

During the ‘70s Nixon created quite an impact with his high tech televised segments that involved a combination of groundbreaking green screen video technology and sleight of hand. He was able to create some truly magical moments in his TV shows when he appeared to be interacting with a video projection of himself, much to the delight of his viewing audiences. I, for one, fondly remember and was deeply impressed watching the highly entertaining footage that was created with his blending of ‘camera magic’ and real-life sleight of hand.

Sadly in 1976 Nixon, a very heavy smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer and two years later died just before his 59th birthday. 513144634_640It is amazing how much magic he performed and how great was his contribution to the British entertainment world in his relatively short life.

I think it is fair to say that the enormously talented Paul Daniels has inherited and developed the mantle and role that Nixon held in the minds and hearts of the British public. Both men had the ability to hold the attention of audiences with their wit and charm as they perform almost any kind of magical feat. Each of these gentlemen has inspired generations of future magicians with their performances.

In 1970 on one of my very early engagements working on a cruise ship, I was delighted to discover that Mr. Nixon and his family were traveling as guests upon the ship that I was performing on. In those days one performed onboard and then quickly departed to present your show on another vessel, and I have no idea if Mr. Nixon saw my show. However, it remains, to this day, a source of great regret that I never got to meet my magical hero who had fired my imaginations throughout my youngest years.

Whether working solo, accompanied by the gorgeous Anita Harris or his wildly eccentric puppet sidekick Basil Brush, Nixon was the epitome of the urbane and elegant comedy magician. Thank you Steve Valentine for setting me to work discovering how great a video legacy Nixon left behind to preserve his memory. I hope that I might encourage a few younger performers to discover this master magician. Trust me your time will be well spent.

 I have been reminded by my friend Tim Glander about Dr. Eddie Dawe’s excellent boot David Nixon called “Entertainer with a magic touch.” You might want to check that out for a more detailed study of this wonderful performer.

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Ah, who remembers those Saturday Gigs? I do, I do…

•April 2, 2015 • 1 Comment

maxresdefaultThere was a really great “Glam Rock” band back in the ‘70s called Mott The Hoople. You probably never heard of them, heck, you probably don’t even remember “Glam Rock!” They were a pretty wonderful band though lead by Ian Hunter, who at 70 something is still rock and rolling. The band had a handful of hits, but nowadays are something of a footnote in musical history. However they still hold a very special place in the hearts of some of us, right up to this very day. Check them out on Youtube!

Before “Mott the Hoople” called it quits, they were briefly joined by David Bowie’s legendary guitarist Mick Ronson and recorded a couple of great final singles. My favorite of these tracks was an unabashedly sentimental track called “Saturday Gigs.” The song was an ode to the early days in their performing lives when the paid gig on a Saturday night managed to support them for the rest of your week. It made it possible to remain in “the biz,” and perhaps even make it big one day.

The chorus of this song began, “Do you remember the Saturday Gigs? We do, we do…” Well I do too, and in a sentimental vein I thought I would write about two of my early Saturday gigs. I’m sure many of our readers have similar stories in your memory banks. For our younger readers you can take it as an invitation to realize that every gig, however potentially disastrous, might one day become a happy slice of nostalgia.

One of my very first friends in magic was a school chum called Jimmy Stevens who is now a respected radio disc jockey back in England. I was about 13 years old and living in Wimbledon at this time. Jimmy taught me to perform the Zombie Floating Ball effect, and it remained in my act for many years. Like most youngsters in magic we planned to perform a show together and figured out we had the perfect venue. Every Saturday morning a local cinema had a special kid’s event. It was part movie shorts and part live entertainment for the benefit of a screaming bunch of youngsters seated out front of the little stage that was set in front of the movie screen.

Now, with many additional years experience as a magician I would be terrified to face an audience like that! At the time, it136532_f520 seemed like the perfect place to perform. We planned to present a 45-minute show and were convinced it would be an extremely appropriate length of time to entertain the mass of youthful “Saturday Morningers.” How little we knew about the practicalities of performing is demonstrated by our bold and faulty assumption that we had any chance of holding the audience’s attention for anything like that length of time! Many performing years later I now fully appreciate just how long a 45-minute show can be.

The manager of the cinema wisely stepped in and squashed our plans of a mammoth magic performance and said that four or five minutes was the most time that we could be allowed to perform. I remember steaming with righteous indignation at this totally highhanded action. After all we were ready, and had practiced and rehearsed for hours in preparation. I complained bitterly to my father and implied that in my opinion the manager deserved to be fired for his actions. My dad didn’t quite think so though, and what did finally happen was the “gig” was cancelled. I was mad.

Looking back on the event I am so pleased that our show was curtailed in this manner. Quite how disastrous the 45 minute show could have been can still make my skin crawl. There was nothing kind about those cinema audiences of young potential hooligans— think “Lord Of The Flies.” It could well have been painful enough to have caused me to lose the entire commitment to performing that has dominated my life ever since. So finally, 50 years later, my thanks to that wise and savvy cinema manager.

My second “Saturday Gig” has a much happier ending and took place when I was about 15 years old and a highly seasoned and vastly experienced children’s entertainer (LOL) now living in Sussex. I was hired to perform at a kid’s birthday party in a beautiful home in the countryside. It was the busy pre-Christmas time of year and by the time I arrived at the gig I had already performed at two parties that afternoon.

The kid’s party was running late (no surprise there) and the Churchill’s who had booked me to entertain at their son’s party asked me if I would mind waiting in the kitchen until the birthday tea had been finished, the cake cut and the presents opened. When I arrived in the kitchen a rather sweet old lady whom I assumed must be a maid or ‘charlady” asked me if I would like a cup of tea. I said, “Yes please.” She put the kettle on to boil and pretty soon we were sitting together, chatting and enjoying a “cuppa” and biscuits. In the course of our conversation I discovered (once again) that things are seldom as they seem.

The Mrs. Churchill who had booked me (for the princely sum of three pounds) to entertain at the party was the wife of Randolph Churchill the son of Sir Winston Churchill England’s legendary Prime Minister and Statesman. The birthday boy’s name was Winston, and the old lady who brewed me my Typhoo tea was none other than Granny, or to put it another way, the widow of the great Sir Winston Churchill himself! Her friendliness and kindness was an object lesson that I will never forget. You just never quite know what is going to happen on those “Saturday Gigs.” The lesson is to enjoy and learn from every one of them.

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Wondershow hits Austin…..

•March 19, 2015 • Leave a Comment

IMG_1177Well to be honest the really big deal coming up in Austin, Texas is the mammoth South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) that is preparing to take over our idyllic little city, fill up our hotels, crowd our restaurants and make the freeways busier than ever! I am one of those jaded folks whose main goal is to miss all this additional excitement as much as possible. Of course I am also the guy who lived in Las Vegas and spent most of his time trying to avoid visiting the Strip.

There is however a rather nifty little magic touch being staged in the city during the craziness this year, and I am looking forward to attending it. On March 20th and 21st there will be two performances of Wondershow. What you may ask is Wondershow? I guess the easy answer is that it’s a modern vaudevillian show with an emphasis on the magic arts. It also features music, comedy, juggling and storytelling. The show is a hip update on a traditional format and promises to be a whole bunch of fun.

Producer Patrick Terry created the first of his acclaimed Wondershow productions in 2013 in New York City. It was very IMG_0781successful and for first time the production will be transplanted from the Big Apple. I suspect it will find a receptive home here on the “Third Coast” at the Vortex Theatre. Hey, our local creed is “Keep Austin Weird” and I think this hybrid variety show will do its bit to increase some of the weirdness factor.

I am particularly excited that the show stars one of my very favorite magicians Andrew Goldenhersh. If you have never seen Andrew perform you have missed a wonderful experience. I am firmly on record as hating straitjacket escapes—with the enthusiastic exception of the gloriously left field and brilliantly executed one that Goldenhersh performs! In fact to call it a straitjacket escape is to sell it as short as describing the Magic Castle as a magic club.

IMG_1173 - Version 2If you have never seen the award winning Andrew Goldenhersh in action then he is worth the price of admission to Wondershow all on his own to catch his performance.There are, however, other goodies to entice audiences to Wondershow this weekend. Also being imported for the event will be Marcus Monroe—a rock star amongst jugglers, and Vinny DePonto, an innovative conjuror hailed by the New York Daily News as “delightful and terrifying.” Producer/creator Patrick Terry will be hosting the event.

I suspect that the next Wondershow will be back in New York and if you miss seeing it in Austin then watch out for it when it is back on its home turf. It is always exciting to see magic finding new homes in theatres and showrooms across the country. The best way to spread the word about what great entertainment magic can be is to expose more lay people to it. I applaud everyone for doing his or her bit towards this end.

In recent years Los Angeles has been the home to many creative and highly successful theatrical magic events. It is refreshing to see the scope and nature of the events being offered to show goers. Not withstanding the incredible success of full blown productions like “The Illusionists” and “Masters of Illusion,” it is heartening to note that lay audiences are no longer locked into the biggest is best philosophy that once dominated magic shows. I think we all have a lot to thank Ricky Jay (not to mention his 52 assistants) for in this regard. Thank you Ricky.

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Be Prepared! Every performer needs to be part Boy Scout…..

•March 13, 2015 • Leave a Comment

A couple of years ago Lewin Enterprises (home of my online product line) started to market a really great microphone holder. It fits any sized mic and is easily adjustable to be the perfect distance from your mouth. Which is exactly one palm’s width below your chin. It even comes in a colorful silk bag so that it doesn’t get lost in dark backstage areas. It is made in the USA, and I am very proud of it! Whenever you need a “hands free” mic experience this product gets the job done perfectly—no matter what microphone you are given to work with.

photo I am fully aware that in this day and age most savvy pros carry their own wireless microphones. I certainly do, it is in many people’s opinion the best available a Countryman E6 Isomax microphone. However, inside its carrying case I keep one of my microphone holders that I slip on my neck behind my shirt just prior to showtime. I suggest doing this on my website and had to chuckle about how many working pros instantly and fully understood how vital this precaution can be.

Last night was one of those shows in a blue moon when this procedure really paid off. My technical rehearsal in the afternoon went great and my microphone sounded great. The backstage sound check just prior to showtime was perfect. However, the moment I opened my mouth for the first time onstage all hell broke loose. There were enough squawks, shrieks and loud electronic noises to scare a heavy metal band! The backstage tech brought out a replacement transmitter/mic for me to switch out, but having done so the same problem repeated itself. It was the most painful way to spend that all-important first four minutes of a show that you can imagine.

After doing all the usual lines, “How is that new sound equipment from McDonald’s working out for you guys?” etc. etc. I 1014567_10201204538173690_1998318154_oinstructed the techie to fetch me a hand held microphone. I then flipped out my microphone holder from under my shirt and single handedly placed the hand held wireless mic into it. It is such an unobtrusive unit that many people, including my sound guy, had no idea how the microphone so effortlessly remained suspended there! I received a big round of applause from the audience and it saved the day. The show began with a nightmare opening and then went on to receive a standing ovation at the end of my performance. I was never a Boy Scout but I do revere their motto of “Be Prepared!”

Just for the hell of it, let me add that everything I use in my act such as lighters, pens, cards, and small props has a duplicate item easily at hand in my case. Some items that can’t be easily duplicated if they are knocked over or broken have entire additional tricks available on hand to replace them. I can’t begin to tell you how many times this has smoothed out a potentially ugly moment in the show.

IMG_6353Even when things go as smoothly as you could wish the sense of confidence and ease of mind that this kind of preparation gives you is astounding. There are so many other things that can potentially go wrong when performing a magic show why not eliminate the obvious ones right from the start. It could well do more to instill the contagious sense of confidence you are grasping for than that expensive new battery controlled prop that you are lusting after. You know, the one that is going to thrust your act into overdrive and propel you into the big time. As long as the battery works!

It is useful to make a very thorough list of everything you use during your act and tape it to the inside of your working case. You can then mentally tick off each item prior to showtime, and this helps to ensure that unnecessary surprises won’t hijack you during your show. Performing to real live audiences, instead of the mirror in your living room, can throw many a twist and turn in your direction, without having to worry about the ones you could have avoided with just a little advance preparation.

Yes, you can buy one of my newly designed and updated microphone holders for 30 bucks from my website. In fact I suggest, like a huge number of top pros, you do! I have no shame or hesitancy in plugging it here—just yesterday it saved my ass and it might well do the same for you… There is a link on this blog site!

However even if you don’t want to purchase an Ultimate Microphone Holder you might want to reflect a little on my other Real World words of advice, simple as they are, it has taken me decades of performing to fully formulate them!

You can visit my online store at www.lewinenterprises.com

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A visit to the World Famous Austin Magic Auction

•March 6, 2015 • Leave a Comment

11041799_10205984081786344_8729863762883244809_nFebruary 28th was the date of the occasion of the most recent Austin Magic Auction. It was a cold and even somewhat icy day by Texas standards, not that the East Coast of the USA would have thought so. Folks might even have been breaking out the spring clothing. It was a wonderful day for magic buffs attending the event. Susan and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones

For over three decades our local magicians have been perfecting this event and have got it running as smoothly as a freshly tuned BMW. The Society of American Magicians Assembly #206 sponsor and produce the event, which is executed by a friendly and incredibly efficient team of volunteer staff and auctioneers. The charming Trixie Bond was here, there and everywhere in her position of Auction Chair, directing the action and putting out any potential bonfires before they began to smolder.

For a $10 admission fee attendees are given a chance to bid on an amazing collection of magic props and a gigantic selection of IMG_1012silent auction items. From posters and rare books to comedy props and illusions everything was available. It was a magician’s dream to wander amongst the items and look for a special bargain on that prop that you just had to add to your collection.

An auction is only as effective as its auctioneers and there was a fine team in attendance on Saturday who were entertaining the crowd and doing their bit to keep those items moving quickly from their old owners into their new homes. This year the auctioneers were C.J. Johnson, Scott Wells, Grant Walsh, Kent Cummins, Jim Gentil, Oscar Munoz, Brad Henderson and Matt Dillahunty. Veteran stalwart of the event David Hira was unable to attend this year and his absence was duly noted and his boundless energy missed.

As well as a healthy quantity of Genii Tubes, Botanias and Sliding Die Boxes there were some nifty oddities available. A tin of Pea Soup, personally signed by Linda Blair (of Exorcist fame) was snapped up by for a $200 donation to the Heroes Night Out charity. It was the perfect unique and quirky memorabilia item for the man who has everything but recognizes a great charity when he sees it!

IMG_1008A small percentage of profits from each item (starting at a 12% rate) went towards the funds needed to mount this year’s TAOM Magic Convention that will be held in Austin from September 4th-7th. The convention has a wonderful line-up this year and promises to be a highlight on the magic circuit. The sub-heading of the convention is “Magic, Music, Weirdness & Women” which certainly has the Austin spirit way in view! A very special evening at the incomparable Esther’s Follies starring Ray Anderson is just one of the many treats being offered

I am excited to be participating myself at TAOM this year with a special show and a lecture. I have a special fondness for the TAOM convention, as it was an appearance at one in San Antonio that began my deliriously happy migration to the Lone Star State. I recommend you visit their website and check out all the wonderful events they have planned by clicking on http://taom.org/2015/ If you are looking for an unusual and uniquely friendly magic convention to attend this fall—add this one to your calendar.

Given the boundless energy of these Texan magicians I suspect they already have a little part of their attention looking beyond the10404279_10205984081986349_1023719443925098640_n convention, and are planning ways to keep the standard of the 35th World Famous Magic Auction as high as this last one. You can keep track of the dates and details on their website http://austinmagicauction.com It is almost a mini magic convention all on its own. You can hear more about it on Scott Wells’ excellent Magic Word Podcast at http://themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/austin-magic-auction

Well, I am off on the road for a few weeks and will be in Chicago, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tokyo and Los Angeles! With luck and a good broadband connection I will be sending out a couple of blog entries along the route. I must say that being a professional magician can certainly help you see the world! If you are crazy enough to want to participate in this kind of schedule check out my book “Cruise Magic 101, How to make a great living working on cruise ships.”

A gratifying number of people who have read my book are now enjoying careers as shipboard entertainers and making good salaries. The book is available through my online store!

Cruise Magic Ad.

Cruise Magic

 

Cruise Magic Ad.

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