Fogel Re-Visited.

•July 25, 2013 • Leave a Comment

FogelIf you have been following my writings you are probably aware of the huge respect I have for the late, great Maurice Fogel. I wanted to write another brief column about this magnificent showman and try and define why he holds such a huge place in my heart both as a person and a performer.

If you never saw Maurice perform then you missed a very visionary entertainer who understood things that would not become standard thinking until several generations after his death. Fogel was more than just a ‘mindreader,’ he was an al-round entertainer with an understanding of his medium that is only now being appreciated by those of us who were lucky enough to experience his approach.

There was nothing about Fogel’s work that said, ‘Look how clever I am’, he appeared to share amazing abilities in a humorous and totally human manner. His incredibly dynamic presentation was tempered by a humorous approach that maximized the impact of his amazing feats. An audience could never have a moments doubt that this was a very real person who just happened to be performing unbelievable effects.

If an audience had a tendency to believe in psychic phenomena then they had every reason to believe that what Maurice did was genuine. For non-believers, Fogel’s humorous approach allowed them to enjoy what he did and retain a ‘wink and a nod’ about the nature of his material.  To put it another way, he had the best of each and every world.

The impressive result of the ‘Fogel Approach’ was to disarm and up-end the average audience’s expectations. That to me is the most effective way to make a real dent in the audience’s skepticism about a performers ‘hidden powers.’ Max Maven and Jon Stetson are just two of the contemporary mentalists who have understood this approach and used the insight to pay great dividends in their work, and I love both of them.

Maurice managed to be larger than life and yet very much part of your life, it was a very neat juggling act that was as effective as it was endearing. No one likes a fogel-in-search-of-the-sensational-1smart-ass, (though magicians love to buy their ideas) who puts their abilities beyond that of their viewers, and the same is true of any magician who takes himself too seriously. There is nothing more ‘icky’ than a magician who doesn’t realize his audience is a jump ahead of him.

Rather than appear obnoxiously proud of his skills, Fogel just appeared delighted that they were functioning and working. This created an invisible bond with his audience that allowed his spectators to become part of his triumphs.  This was the ultimate ‘win-win’ way to sell believability of the unbelievable. Mentalism is now the ‘approach de jour’ of professional magicians; Fogel was years ahead of his time in his choice from the magical menu. It would be amazing to see the impact of a Fogel performance now that what he did is the mainstream of magical entertainment instead of a sideline. He would kick ass big time!

What can you take away from my ‘Fogel Revisited’ Blog? Well, if you want to know more details about my frequently expressed praise about Maurice’s approach to Mentalism then you might want to read some of my previously published writings. However it would be even better if you seek out the routines and writings about this giant of magical entertainment–there is MUCH to learn.

I was proud to be a friend of Maurice; I learned a huge amount from this remarkable performer and what I learned is more valid today than ever before. English mentalist Derren Brown is a contemporary master of mental magic but he stands on the shoulders of Fogel, who was as ahead of his time as he was part of his time. It sometimes seems that every magician wants to be a mentalist now; to paraphrase the song Fogel was a mindreader before mindreading was cool.

He was a true hero to me.

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Thinking about TV.

•July 19, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Definisi-Dan-Jenis-Penerima-TelevisiI have been lucky enough to perform quite a bit on various TV shows during my career and I thought would write a few scattered thoughts on this aspect of performing. It is the goal of most magicians to take their magic on to the small screen, however not much is written on the topic.

Over the years I have appeared on a bunch of variety/comedy/talk shows and also appeared in dramatic acting roles, I have even done the odd sit-com or two as well. The very best work is the episodic and sitcom roles—why? A one word answer residuals. There is nothing better than finding a show you filmed ten years ago is still bringing in a little cash.

The thing about residuals is that the checks keep getting smaller and smaller as the years go by, but they keep coming in. Eventually the check you receive in the mail is worth less than the stamp that was used to get it to you. There used to be a bar in LA called ‘Residuals’ where you could pay for a round of drinks by trading in your check. The walls of the entire bar were ‘wallpapered’ with those checks.

The other kind of TV work that is always open to magicians is the role of technical advisor. Every TV series eventually has a ‘magic episode’ and these are great gigs– if you can get them. The very best piece of advice I can give you is to try and talk your way into a small acting role in the show you are advising on. To twist a Robert Houdin phrase, remember that sometimes an actor is just a magician playing the part of an actor.

Why is this a desirable event? Because your acting role can allow you to receive your fee for the advisory role on a union contract and you get residuals on it. One of the most lucrative gigs I ever had was working on Steven Spielberg’s TV series ‘Amazing Stories.’ My three-week salary as technical advisor was added to my 30 second acting salary and I received checks for well over a decade. Nice ones!

You may wonder about the entire union situation, well generally speaking you can get a union waver for your first gig or two before stepping up to the plate and sag-board-of-directors-agree-to-seal-aftra-merger-planjoining a union. In the USA the key union is SAG-AFTRA. If you get the opportunity it is certainly worth joining a union—sometimes just for the potential medical insurance plans. One word of warning though, if you switch to a SAG insurance plan you need to remember that if you don’t get enough union work you can loose your coverage. I know several people who have been stranded in this manner.

Filming a variety show is an easier bet for most performers, you will only get one check and it is usually (unless you are a big star) at a union minimum fee. However, you can sometimes parlay these types of shows into major career ‘stepping stones’ over time. Very seldom does a single show make much of a difference to your status quo though.

When you perform your act on this kind of show you should be prepared to receive quite a lot of input into the material you perform. It is someone’s (usually the talent coordinator) job to know exactly what you are going to do and say. When it has been decided upon do not decide to improvise, it will not be appreciated.The second Golden Rule of variety TV is to know exactly how long your act is supposed to run and do exactly that long. In spite of how crappy most television is, it is very exact crap. If you want a second booking then follow these two rules, of course it kinda’ helps if the set is good too…….

I was very impressed by a piece of advice that Jason Andrews gave in a recent interview with me about his ‘America’s Got Talent’ experience. Jason recommended being very careful when filming a show because you never quite know whom anyone is. He had a brief conversation with somebody and had no idea that it was his director!

Make sure you get a professional service to make a really professional copy of your show when it airs. It can be a long wait, and sometimes a fruitless one, if you are expecting the production company to supply you with a copy of your segment. Once your set is taped and ready to air the company will likely loose interest in your existence till the next time they need you!

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Marvyn and Carol Roy. Electric by name and nature, icons of magic!

•July 17, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Mr & Mrs ElectricThere is a tiny group of people in the magic that just make you feel better for knowing them. You sometimes don’t even know why they affect you in that manner—they just do. Right at the top of this select list of truly special people are Marvyn and Carol Roy. I really don’t believe you could find two people who better demonstrate this unique quality than Mr. & Mrs. Electric.

This is a column I wrote about Marvyn & Carol just before Carol’s passing. We lost one of the great characters in magic when we lost Carol. I thought there was plenty in the column to re-print it here on my blog site.

My earliest memories of seeing this dynamic duo was watching them on the family television set when I was a kid growing up in England. As a budding magician I remember watching in amazement at that seemingly never-ending string of lit bulbs emerged from Marvyn’s mouth. It was one of the coolest pieces of magic I had ever seen.

Even as a novice magician I was very aware that a real team was at work when the Electrics performed their wonders. Carol was the first female I remember seeing in a magic show who transcended the role of assistant and became a fully-fledged partner. I didn’t know what a fabulous character she was until I got to meet her in person.

Years later I was to get the opportunity to work with Marvyn and Carol in one of my first club dates in America. I was 21 years old and couldn’t believe I was to share a bill with this legendary act. It was particularly exciting to watch them perform their full-length show. It was a special delight to see them perform a perfect electric chair routine.

After the show we went to grab a late night meal at a local ‘Bob’s Big Boy’ and I got to meet the people behind the magical icons. Nothing in my magical experienceMarvyn Roy

had prepared me for the pure adrenalin rush of a post-show Marvyn Roy. His enthusiasm and expertise were all focused on helping this newcomer to see a vision and future for his show. It was a delightful avalanche of advice and magical wisdom.

OK, I didn’t change my name to Link Lewin and make a career out of linking things, but I certainly thought about it! I certainly did go out the very next day and buy a Himber Ring at the suggestion of Marvyn. It proved to be one of the best purchases I ever made in magic. Who knows maybe I should rethink the name thing!

Several years later I had the opportunity to work with Marvyn and Carol in a series of shows at a very upscale mall in Vancouver. They worked so hard between shows preparing for the next show that I felt guilty as I re-stacked my Multiplying Bottles and set my linking rings. However the real joy was getting to renew our acquaintance and spend some time with Marvyn and Carol before and after our shows.

I recently read the wonderful memoir that Marvyn penned called ‘Mr. Electric Unplugged.’ I can’t say enough about what an inspiring and enjoyable book this is. Not many magic books grab your interest and hold your attention like this one. This book is so good that you begin reading at a feverish pace, until you realize you are half way through it and then you slow down so as to treasure every story. Thank you Mike Caveney for publishing this gem.

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Looking Ahead to PCAM 2013. A GREAT looking Magic Convention in Los Angeles in August.

•July 11, 2013 • 1 Comment

David RegalAugust 1st-4th will be the PCAM (Pacific Coast Association of Magicians) convention. It is being held at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Hotel a healthy ‘Toppit Throw’ from the Burbank Airport. I am very excited to be attending the event. The very first convention I attended in the USA was the PCAM and I had a blast, and I am expecting nothing less with the 2013 convention. For a smaller regional convention the talent line up is staggering, I guess the proximity to the Castle doesn’t do any harm in this area.

The event kicks off on Thursday the 1st at 3.00pm and then moves into gear between 7.00-9.00 PM with a Welcome Party that features a No Host bar and a Nacho Bar. A Nacho Bar—you have got to love Los Angeles! No word on whether the Nacho Bar is hosted or not, but it will include a Larsen Family Tribute.

Mental note to self—Don’t imbibe to heartily at either the alcoholic or nacho bar on that opening night party, there is a Dealers Show from 10.00-11.30 that night and I will be in it. I will be demonstrating some of the new items from my online magic store. I fondly remember how much fun and excitement Ken Brooke used to create at Dealers Shows when I was a youngster; if I avoid that second plate of nachos I hope to do the same.

The talent pool of lecturers is dazzling for this years convention and features, Tim Mannix, David Gabbay, Howard Hamburg, Max Maven, Johnny H, Ice MaxMavenMcDonald, Shawn Farquhar, David Regal and Paul Green. Read that list again and tell me that it doesn’t make you want to rush to http://www.pcam2013.com and see about registering for the event. That is a mighty distinguished group of lecturers. There are also ‘day’ and ‘event’ passes available for interested local magicians.

Two major evening shows are being held on the Friday and Saturday night featuring; Jimmy H, Andrew Goldenhersh, Shawn Farquhar, Rob Zabreky, Trever & Lorena, Paul Green and Ice McDonald.  There are many other great shows, contests and events to enjoy during the convention and they are all listed on the convention web site.

I am rather excited because my goal in attending the event is to do a live introduction of my new product line from Lewin Enterprises, my online magic home of the ‘Nick Lewin Ultimate’ line of magical releases. I have been busy lining up exciting props, books, DVDs and routines and this will be the first time I have presented them live.

I will be attending the PCAM convention with my wife and partner Susan; known to many magicians as ‘Mrs. Nick,’ joining us will be Rolando Medina. Rolando is head of visualization and chief ‘Maker’ for our product line. Medina has just relocated from San Antonio, Texas to Las Vegas, he is an awesome manufacturing wizard and we are proud to be working with him as our right hand man.

ShawnVisiting with us will be another key member of our team Steve Mitchell; we couldn’t spend four days in Burbank and miss the opportunity to dine at ‘The Smoke House’ with Steve. Mitchell is a master of graphics, marketing, design and anything else artistic. Without Steve’s involvement I would never have embarked on ‘Lewin Enterprises.’ Knowing Steve was right by my side to tell me when I am doing something dumb has been a wonderful and reassuring thing.

One member of our team who will not be in Burbank is Miko Montgomery, who is our head of Video Production. Miko is a really gifted filmmaker who I am thrilled to be working with. We just completed a DVD detailing the Slow Motion Newspaper Tear I have been closing my act with for thirty years. The video is just great and makes a really classic magic effect possible without most of the learning curve you would expect. The DVD will be available for the first time at PCAM 2013 and available online soon after.

If you are going to be at the convention stop by my dealer’s booth and say “Hi” it is always a pleasure to meet up with old magic friends, and to make new ones. I will be writing a detailed run down of the event in ‘Vanish’ magazine and a couple of cameo interviews in ‘MNZ.’

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Ted Salter. The Man with the Magic Marker.

•July 8, 2013 • 3 Comments

Ted Salter's Castle Caricature.If you have ever visited the Magic Castle in Hollywood you have admired this man’s work even if you can’t quite place the name. In fact I am fairly willing to bet that 95% of the visitors the Castle receives have never heard of Ted.

I hope I captured your interest with my snappy opening paragraph because there isn’t a lot that is flashy in my memories of Ted Salter. However in his quiet and unassuming manner Ted has left an indelible mark on the Castle with his wonderful portraits of magicians that grace the walls of our clubhouse.

In fact quiet and unassuming isn’t a bad way to begin describing Ted; then you could add kindly, gifted and multitalented. Ted was a successful freelance graphic artist who transplanted himself from England into a small friendly office on Highland Avenue in Hollywood.

A lover of all things theatrical, Ted was as pleased as punch to contribute his talent to the Magic Castle. Every now and then an 8X10 was sent to his office and a short while later he delivered one of his drawings to the upstairs office at the Castle to be added to the impressive collection that he had previously donated.

Ted was an artist in a wide variety of fields. His wife Eileen had accompanied Ted in many of his theatrical endeavors. They were the kind of couple who could davenot only create and write a musical production but they could build the scenery and perform it too.

My favorite ‘Salter Production’ was their annual New Years Eve Party. I write that title in capitals advisedly as this was no small event. I suspect they began work on it by February or March at the latest each year. It consisted of games, entertainment and enough excitement to fill half a dozen regular parties.

When you had the opportunity to visit the Salter’s home on a less busy evening it would often end with Ted removing a picture (painted by him of course) from the wall and revealing a movie projector that lined up with the only blank wall in their home. You could then settle back and enjoy one of his collection of classic British and Hollywood movies. Ah, the joys of film in a pre-video era!

Jack & DoveAfter the birth of my second daughter Ted asked me to drop around to his house. To my amazement he had built an incredible miniature theater for them.  It was a prototype and he was donating the full design and blueprints to the ‘Mirth Maker’ magazine but he wanted to make sure it really worked!

Eventually Ted retired and they moved from Hollywood. Finally his original artwork ceased to arrive in the Castle office and one more special touch was missing from our unique clubhouse. Before he left Los Angeles though he had one more surprise for me. He built an amazingly intricate and beautiful dolls house for my daughters. It is still in our garage and every time I see it I remember with real affection Ted Salter. He was another of the unsung heroes that contributed to making the Magic Castle in its heyday such a special place.

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Goodbye Amos and a Vegas Bravo……….

•July 5, 2013 • Leave a Comment

AmosI want to start this column with a goodbye to one of the nicest people that ever graced the magic world—Amos Levkovitch. I have never seen a greater impact from the passing of a beloved figure in the magic community. From the outpouring of spoken and written tributes to Amos, it is apparent that everyone agrees that this was really one of magic’s true gentlemen.

I first became friends with Amos in 1984 when I was the technical advisor for Steven Spielberg’s TV series ‘Amazing Stories,’ An opening shot was created that featured my character producing a dove onstage. It was a really complex shot that began as a close-up and panned back to encompass a fabulous studio replication of the ‘Magic Castle.’

The only problem with this scenario was that I had never produced a dove before, and never wanted to, I still have nightmares about the feel of their nasty scabby claws on my finger. Amos came to my rescue and taught me what to do and gave me the dove to do it with. In Hollywood tradition he became a technical advisor to the technical advisor and even ended up with an onset job as a dove wrangler! We have been friends ever since and like so many others I will miss him greatly. He was a wonderful performer and an even more wonderful person. Farewell my friend.

Last Saturday I caught a great variety magic show here in Las Vegas at ‘Planet Hollywood.’ The event was ‘TV Magic Week’ in The David Saxe Theatre, and it ran The castfrom June 25th-30th with daily shows at 4PM. The show was a sixty-five minute high-energy romp of magic, illusion, masks, animals, fun and even some great sleight of hand close-up thrown in. The time sped by and the pace of the show never dragged, this was an excellent decision and allowed the capacity audience to enter very enthusiastically into the energy of everything.

Talking about energy, veteran Las Vegas entertainer Russ Merlin did a magnificent job hosting the show. He didn’t waste a word or a moment in his role as MC, and then closed out the show with his ‘one of a kind’ act. Russ’ act features four onstage assistants, four very bizarre masks and a lot of theatrical ‘stage whispering.’ It is hard to describe the act, but even harder not to laugh at it. While you couldn’t call it a magic show, that may be it’s closest relative! Great job Russ.

Other acts on the bill included the exotic bird trainer Clint Carvalho, fresh from a recent appearance on ‘America’s Got Talent,’ whose good-natured show had the audience in the palm of his hand. Maybe what I mean is in the claw of his parrot’s foot! The precision of their various stunts was both impressive and humorous. I am a sucker for a good animal act and this one is as honed as any you are ever likely to see.

Leslie McKinney One nice touch in the show was the inclusion of a big screen close-up sequence from Armando Vera. He did some very impressive card and coin work that added a real dimension to the performance. It was very clean and commercial work that made a big impact on the audience. Armando showed a great deal of ‘savvy’ in his choice of material and a lot of discipline in his construction of this segment.

Leslie McKinney and Lorie, performed some highly effective grand illusion in their segment of the show. The couple were smooth and original in both their performance and presentation. As a magician I appreciated the design of McKinney’s various props, they all had something unique about them and looked and functioned just a little differently from what one might expect. A really sweet interlude in his show was when Les performed a Miser’s Dream onstage with two young ladies from the audience—it was a show stealer. Leslie and Lorie performed a very accomplished set and were another fine addition to a highly professional show

So in its usual manner, life goes on in the magic world. We say goodbye to a beloved member of our community and watch another show created and filling a showroom.  ‘TV Magic Week’ was the kind of bill that Amos would have fitted into perfectly and his iconic dove work would have been a huge plus point to the production. However, as I said, “Life goes on…”

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A few thoughts on microphones….and things connected to them!

•June 28, 2013 • Leave a Comment

This photo montage of me performing in Sedona was created by the mega talented photographer  Bob Chttp://www.bcphotography.com

Nick Lewin Poster

 

One of the best friends that a performer has is his microphone armed with a microphone you are suddenly not one of the audience, but somebody of authority. The easiest way to invite heckling is to work with no microphone and the best way to overcome a heckler is to have volume on your side.

The best thing about a good microphone is that it allows you to use a much more conversational tone with the crowd and not sound strained or awkward. That mic, however, is only as useful as the sound system it is hooked up to and the monitors that let you hear what the audience is hearing. Often speakers need to be ‘re-angled’ pointing away from the stage so that you avoid feedback.

There is a tiny borderline when you have to decide whether there are enough people in your audience to justify/necessitate the use of amplification. This is actually the exact spot that draws the distinction between a close-up and stand-up show. I usually work much larger shows but I would say the dividing line is at around forty people—there are no fixed rules though.

 

 

Contemporary microphones divide into three basic flavors

1     Handheld (wireless or wired)

2     Lavalier  (or body mic)

3     Head Set.

In a perfect world, a headset gives the best over all performance and is the least likely to feedback at the crowd. If you are used to working with a headset then youJason Clip pretty much forget you are wearing it. The key element is just to make sure that you have a brand new battery installed in the unit immediately before show time.

One really nice thing about a headset is that it should position the microphone in exactly the right place to ensure it sounding good—this sweet spot is just below and to one side of the corner of your mouth. Make sure you have some band-aids or flesh colored sticky tape on hand to help secure the mic in this position.

Lavelier microphones are a little more temperamental about their sound quality and picking up your vocal. Generally speaking the actual microphone is either attached to the lapel of your jacket or the front/center of your shirt. The more central the mic is situated the better the sound because it fluctuates less when your head is turned to side.

If you are going to use a wired hand held microphone it is a good thing to make sure in advance that there is plenty of lead attached to it. You don’t want to discover there isn’t enough cord during the performance. You should make sure this is taken care of when you have your sound check. You can also set the height of the microphone stand.

A hand held wireless microphone is generally a pretty solid mic to use and keeps death defying feedback screams to a minimum. If you use any hand held unit then you will need a microphone holder to wear the mic in the correct position. This position, incidentally, is approximately one hands width below your chin.

BillyI always have a microphone holder in my pocket even if I am using a head set, in case there is a problem with your main unit. I always stipulate that a back-up microphone is available (and turned on) at the side of the stage. This is a wise move that will make you look like an ‘uber-pro’ on the occasions when disaster hits the soundboard. You not only look prepared but you are prepared.

I talked about the correct style and usage of microphone holders in my recent book on the ‘Himber Linking Finger Rings’ and was surprised at how many people commented that they didn’t own a really good microphone holder—to me it is one of the most inexpensive but vital utilities that a performer can own.

I have been using a microphone holder for many years, which is based on the classic Johnny Paul design. I have adapted it and added some great touches that result in making it totally adjustable in every manner. I am just releasing the holder through my online magic store and via my blog site. It is available in a variety of colors and has a very cool silk carrying pouch. I am already getting raves about the effectiveness of the holder.

For a very modest fee you can obtain the ultimate microphone holder and be prepared when you plan to use it, and sometimes more importantly when you don’t! It is lightweight, sturdy, fits any microphone and works perfectly. If you need one then let me know, it could become one of your favorite purchases—even if you own a $2000 headset!

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Beating the ‘inner mechanical magician’ within….

•June 25, 2013 • Leave a Comment

img_0649At age thirteen I had been performing magic for a few years and felt very ‘at home’ doing it.  OK, let’s be honest, like every other thirteen year old I thought I was the greatest thing to hit magic since Houdini!  I was living in England near the South Coast town of Brighton and was a proud member of the Sussex Magic Circle.  This oddball collection of magicians met every other Thursday in a small hotel on the waterfront.  We swapped stories and tricks and generally indulged our mutual love of magic. It was a delightful way to enter the world of magic.

One of my favorites performers was a gentleman named Stan who performed as a mentalist and I learned a very important lesson from Stan; whenever Stan was about to do the dirty work or move, he would cough.  It wasn’t a big cough, just a little dry cough, but the moment you heard it you knew something was about to happen.

This was the first time I really noticed the mechanical nature of a fellow human being. He didn’t want to cough; in fact he had no idea that he did cough. It became a fascination to me watching Stan perform his mentalism, just waiting for the dry little cough that signaled his guilty action.  Month after month I watched him perform and cough. How could anyone be so foolish that they didn’t know that they were giving the game away by a small mechanical habit?

We will now flash forward to two years later: when my first real mentor was teaching me my first real magic I gave me an unexpected existential shock. I was in the middle of a lesson with Ken Brooke on Dai Vernon’s symphony of the rings when Ken stopped his tuition and very seriously said; “Nicky every time you link the rings you close your eyes!”  I thought at first he was joking but quickly realized he wasn’t.  I argued that this wasn’t possible and went over to the looking glass to prove to myself that this wasn’t the case.

I ran through the routine with my eyes glued to the mirror but never noticed any closing of the eyes at key moments.  Ken had it all wrong.  However the truth suddenly dawned on me and I realized the reason I couldn’t see my closed eyes was because at that particular moment my eyes were closed!  It was like a light bulb turning on in my head.  The reason we don’t notice mechanical reactions is because they are mechanical.

Years later when I read G.I. Gurdjieff’s description of the mechanical nature of Mankind it made perfect sense to me.  Whether it was Stan’s cough or my closed eyes we didn’t notice it because our actions (and especially our reactions) were mechanical as soon as we stopped thinking about them.

If we couldn’t see what we were doing it was because our eyes were closed or we were too busy coughing and if this was true with the little things chances are it was equally true with the bigger things.

There is a Zen story of a Japanese master who would ride his donkey around the village at a great speed while searching for something.  If any one asked him what he was looking for he would reply that he was looking for his donkey.  This story is generally interpreted to mean that when you use your nervous system to search for the ‘truth’ you will never find it because your personal truth is contained within your nervous system. It is the donkey you are riding on and searching for.

The wonderful English philosopher Alan Watts used to frequently talk about the inability of a tooth to bite itself, a fingertip to touch its fingertip or the tongue to taste itself. Even more relevant to this example he would point out that an eye could never see itself unless looking in a mirror. If you have never come across the late Mr. Watts then you should check out his website and sign up for his pod cast which will guarantee you at least fifteen minutes of searing sanity every week. His website is located at alanwatts.com or his pod cast can also be subscribed to directly from iTunes.

As a magician we spend many hours standing in front of a mirror trying to make the impossible look not only possible but also ordinary and matter of fact. The performance of good magic relies on very careful and honest analysis of every movement and nuance of our physical body. It takes a long time to observe the coughs and blinks that exist just below the surface of our awareness.  When you discover the little things that give away your mechanical nature then it leaves you open to observe the BIG things we do just as mechanically.  This was a great lesson in being a magician and introduced me to a new angle on truth that I would explore and understand more fully when the time was right.

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To show or to ‘over show,’ that is the question.

•June 21, 2013 • Leave a Comment

NickI thought I would write a column about the very simple and important topic of ‘showing things’ during a magic show, because it is really rather an important area. It is also a thing that needs to be done right, if they can’t see it then they won’t like it. However as the article progresses we will look at what exactly is too much when it comes to this topic.

One of the ground rules of a successful magic show is everybody getting to see what is happening and when it has happened. The key part here is to make sure that there is enough light that the item you are displaying can be seen. This sounds obvious but does need a little pre-thought. Displaying something in the dark doesn’t count.

When you are exhibiting something in a cabaret style setting or at an after dinner show, there are often strangely placed shafts of light from above that can really assist you in your goal. Those beams of light (which don’t turn off) that do so little to add atmosphere in a show, can be invaluable if you want to let the audience really see something clearly. Make sure you use them.

Other important factors in clearly displaying an item to your audience is how high in the air you hold it, what color is behind it and whether you really concentrate on the object as you display it. Always remember that the audience’s eyes follow what the performer is looking at. If you are in a position where your viewers might not be able to clearly make out what is being displayed then feel free to describe exactly what they should be seeing.  The old McComb theory of—“Tell them what you are going to do, when you are doing it and when it is done.”

That was a few words about ‘showing’ something, and for me the dead easy definition of showing something is ‘making sure it is seen.’ Let’s move on to another aspect of this same topic—‘over showing.’

I have seen many performers (including some rather famous ones) get so caught up in the physical process of showing an object, that the action of displaying it becomes a major part of the routine. Sometimes this is at the expense of taking the focus from the object that is involved in the action. Once a performer gets happy with his actions then he tends not to change them—even if they are wrong.

The correct way to display something for your viewer’s attention is to do it simply and clearly with the very minimum of unnecessary movements and actions.  Your goal is to show something and not to draw attention to yourself showing it. Ken Brooke used to insist that I ‘got’ the weight and feel of every object I performed with and if at all possible to toss in smartly in the air and catch it. Nothing makes a glass look empty like spinning it hand-to-hand in mid-air.

With manipulative magic, the too slow set up of an effect is often due to the performers consideration of his ‘character’ and how he might react. Hmm, maybe a cardsshort magic act needs to be equally driven by impact and character. Could you tighten up the preamble and add an extra trick to the show? Wouldn’t that be just as effective in making your character an integral part of the show?

Illusionists often seem to me to spend a great deal too much time displaying items whose significance has already been grasped by their viewers. There is a certain amount of ‘prop rapping’ and ‘blade banging’ that needs to be done when presenting an illusion, however I have seen the process of displaying the props take up so much time that they actually weaken the effect by making the running time longer than it truly needs to be. With illusionists there is also the more subtle business of choreography to consider. Now I have no problem with an elegant choreography that keeps things moving at a brisk pace, but I certainly see plenty of half-assed choreography that just detracts from the show by slowing it down.

Maybe you don’t need that bit of business when you pick up each sword individually, run your finger down the blade, throw it in the air, catch it, twist and turn before thrusting it into the box. A lot depends on how many damn swords there are!

The journey between artistic and boring can be a mighty small one to lay audiences.

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The ‘groovy’ 17th Annual Dry Heat Golf Tournament and All Star Comedy Review.

•June 15, 2013 • Leave a Comment

IMG_3239Once again it is nearly time for one of the years truly fun events—The Dry Heat Classic. The 11th 12th and 13th of July are the dates for ‘The 17th Annual Dry Heat Classic Golf Tournament and All-Star Comedy Review.’ It will feature all the fun and spectacular entertainment that makes it such a wildly successful and enjoyable event each year.

The event is brought to you by The Michael Finney Foundation, and has resulted in nearly a million dollars being raised for a variety of great causes over the years. The event is planned, produced and hosted by one of the nicest teams in magic Michael Finney and his wife Lori SooHoo Finney. They do a truly amazing job of making it fun to be part of such a worthwhile event.

Once again the event will be held at the beautiful Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino in Chandler, Arizona. The beautiful showroom there will be the venue for the various shows associated with the event.  This year the ‘Dry Heat’ has a 60s theme that warms the heart of an old hippie like me. Finally a chance to wear one of my many headbands in public without worrying that I might be considered to be doing an Amazing Johnathan impression!

As always the tournament will kick of with a Gala Celebrity Chef’s Dinner/Silent & Live Auction. I was there two years ago and can still taste the cornucopia of exotic dishes prepared by some of the finest restaurants and chefs in the Phoenix area. There were great items in the auction and we ended up the delighted owners of a beautifully framed and signed David Copperfield photo for the wall of my magic loft.

Friday and Saturday the actual Golf Tournament takes place at the Southern Dunes Golf Club and Whirlwind Golf Club. The evenings are devoted to two great comedy and magic shows at the ‘Ovations Live’ Showroom back at the Wild Horse Pass Resort. As always the performers are a ‘Who’s Who’ from the entertainment world. These shows are also open to the public for the modest ticket price of $25.

The two headliners of these two comedy concerts are Ritch Shydner and comedy legend Gary MuleDeer. I have worked with Ritch in the past and on any given day Gary MuleDeerhe may well be one of the funniest comics in America. As for MuleDeer—well, I may be one of his biggest fans and in spite of having seen his act numerous times I am already in overdrive about seeing it again. If you have never seen Gary perform you are in for a treat.

There are numerous other performers slated to appear in these two shows including, Larry Wilson, Rick Michel, Jim O’Brien, Kenton Knepper, Jack Mayberry, Bruce Baum, Fielding West, Kenny Bob Davis, Stephen Bargatze, Oscar Munoz, Nate Bargatze, David Gee, Scott Henry, Tom Parks, Denny Johnston, Greg Wilson and a host of others. Oh, I’ll be up there onstage myself!

‘The 17th Annual Dry Heat’ takes place just a few days before the kick off for the IBM Magic Convention in Phoenix and is a special added bonus for convention goers who arrive in town a little early. One of the many things that Michael and Lori really ‘do right,’ is the fact that separate tickets can be purchased for most of the separate functions and events. I would draw your attention to Michael’s website www.michaelfinney.com which will give you details, times and prices for the various events. The number of the Ticket Box Office is 1.800.946.4452 extension 7370.

Buy that new tie-dye tee shirt you know you really want, put on your headband and be a part of this groovy event that has done so much for great causes in the last 16 years. Be there or be square!

Dry Heat 2013

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