The Concordia—a wake up call to entertainers to be more aware and prepare to be more useful than just entertaining if we need to be.

•January 17, 2012 • Leave a Comment

The devastating speed and totality of the sinking of the luxury cruise ship Concordia recently was a shock to many of us who spend a lot of time onboard large cruise ships. It was really only a matter of time before something like this happened but the mind puts these things aside. The recent media on this disaster quickly puts it on the front burner.

It is still to early to sort out a definitive view of what happened that night, but nothing about it is very reassuring. As a veteran who has been working on cruise ships, on and off, since the early seventies I am aware that safety is no small concern with the companies who own and operate these ‘floating cities.’ However, at the very least it has made me realize how cavalier I (and many other entertainers) have become about important little details such as actually knowing exactly where our lifeboats are, let alone actually attending the passenger boat drills that our highly desirable passenger stature demand.

To passengers in general the boat drill is seen as something of a routine formality. Hmmmmm, I guess not. The fact that the Concordia sank so close to land saved many, many lives I suspect. Obviously you have to wonder why it was so very close to land that it happened, especially on a route it covered every week. The chaos that has been described is worrying, to say the least. The magician onboard elledgedly seems to have left his assistant stuck inside a Zig-Zag illusion! I won’t say what I think about that until I hear definitively if it is true or not.  If it is true then shame on him.

However, when disaster strikes, rational thought can jump out the window–or porthole. As a matter of fact, so can rational actions; what good is it rushing to your lifeboat station on the port side of the ship if that side of the ship is raised at a 45 degree angle and the lifeboats won’t lower? This seems to have been the case. What is needed is a very clear understanding of the layout of the vessel and a clear understanding of the situation that is unfolding. The first is easy to undertake and master, the second is a little tougher and more difficult if things are confused, chaotic and you are literally and figuratively in the dark.

What needs to be kept in mind is that if a situation such as this occurs it isn’t a case of ‘every man for himself’ but of ‘everyman THINK for himself’ and then try and improve the knowledge and plans of those around you. Those of us who live, work and make money on cruise ships have an added responsibility (aside from the natural, understandable basic role of saving ourselves) to try and be aware in contributing to the best possible dissemination of sensible information to those less conditioned to the geography of ships than ourselves.

Am I worried that I am sailing away again the day after tomorrow on a cruise ship? No. I am convinced that the majority of cruise ships are meticulously prepared for most emergencies—-God forbid they happen though. It might not occur within swimming distance of the coastline. It might not be as clear cut situation as emergency training drills tend to present when they are held. Let’s use this terrible example as a guideline to raise each of our personal levels of preparedness. I became an entertainer on a ship to make people laugh, I would feel pretty bad if, in an emergency, I couldn’t use my superior shipboard knowledge to save a life (as well, as my own) by doing so.

This is awake-up call. Let’s make sure it wakes us up a little………..     

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Stan Gray and Stanley Blumenthal. Castle members from the Golden Days!

•January 17, 2012 • 5 Comments

 

Many of the greatest characters I have met in the magic world were not the celebrities or the famous magicians. In fact sometimes it can be downright disappointing how ordinary the big name folks can be.

One of the blessings in our strange universe is some of the peripheral players who enrich the daily life of the performing magician. Some of them don’t even perform much magic, but make up for it by being audience members of the highest order.

One of the great meeting spots, or should I say watering holes, of this special breed of magic aficionados used to be Friday lunch at the Magic Castle. It was always a joyful exchange of gossip and good will and there were also the amazing beef ribs that were served exclusively on these occasions.

Two of my very favorite people used to attend these luncheons in the ‘70s with a regularity that made the workings of Big Ben seem erratic. These two characters were Stan Gray and Stanley Blumenthal and they were a splendid pair of jokers to add to the Castle’s deck of magicians.

Stanley was a cigar salesman by trade and the most enthusiastic supporter of magic you could ever find. Stan also supplied Das Vernon with all his cigars! If you were performing a gig in some local club or dive, chances are that Stanley would turn up (and pay his admission-no freeloader was Stanley) and be right there in the audience with a big smile on his face. He would laugh heartily at all the right places as if he had never heard the joke before.

The only piece of magic I ever saw Stanley perform was a curious bit of business where he removed the wrapper from a cigar and then stretched it out until it resembled a gigantic condom. If it sounds strange believe me it was! The little gizmos he used to achieve this result had something to do (I believe) with the casings used to manufacture sausages. I have about a dozen of these little gimmicks left that Stanley gave me and I keep them in a beautiful wooden cigar box he gave me too. I treasure them.

Stan Gray was a character of different sort and as brash as the day is long, but he shared the enthusiasm of his namesake when it came to his appreciation of the magical arts. Stan was a tour bus driver for the Gray Line- no family connection sadly! He used to entertain his tourists with a trick or two during their sight seeing tours of California.

Stan always said he did it because he made more money in tips but he never fooled me. Stan couldn’t resist a captive audience and a chance to entertain them. There was nothing that Stan could do to support magic that he didn’t do. Nothing was too much trouble if he thought that it would help out a fellow magician.

Now, I realize that neither one of these two gentlemen will be too familiar to most of my readers but they are the heart and the soul of what magic should be all about. Both have long since passed away but in this strange and quirky memoir of magic that I seem to be writing they both deserve a special mention and tip of the hat. If you did know either of them then I am sure you will recall them with a fond smile. If you didn’t know them you will just have to take my word for it that they were as deeply entwined in the fabric of magic as Shimada and Copperfield,

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The Las Vegas Magic Theatre.

•January 6, 2012 • 1 Comment

Last night we attended the press night for ‘The Las Vegas Magic Theatre’ at the Gold Coast Hotel. It was a nicely organized event that showcased producer Paul Stone’s idea for a new multi-night revolving cast magic show. Given the current state of business in Vegas it is a very bold endeavor to attempt this kind of show in a local’s casino and I wish him really well with his future goals.

The showroom began it’s life at the Gold Coast as a slightly too large Cowboy Dancehall and has been adjusted for various events since, most notably that perennially great little gem ‘Forever Plaid.’ The room is now split in two by a large curtain, which allows for close-up magic to be performed from 6.00-7.00pm before the audience enter the ‘showroom’ section and sit to watch the show. The format is old fashioned in its plan and execution, but that isn’t always a bad thing with magic. The feeling is very much that of an evening in the Magic Castle without the decor and ambiance that the Castle provides.

We didn’t get to watch much of the pre-show close up magic, hey—this was a press event with excellent free food and drink! However, I caught all the main show. Paul’s son Ben Stone who had the charm and energy to really keep the show together very nicely hosted it. He also displayed a fine singing voice that added some nice texture to the proceedings. He performed a great duet with the lovely Jasmine Trias from the ‘The Society of Seven.’ This segment should have been highlighted a little more rather than the manner in which it was interjected into headliner Murray’s show.

Ben also performed some good-natured comedy magic during a set in the show. The set was a little to long and could have used some tightening and shortening to increase the effectiveness of the evening. Less is so often more with an MC and Ben’s singing talents were quite enough to establish his credentials and ability to anchor the show.

Opening the bill was comedy magician Adam Flowers and dove act Michael Douglas. They were both fairly standard and would have made good performers for a Castle brunch show, however they didn’t really cover any new ground or re-explore/redefine old territory to add to the proceedings. There were a couple too many opening acts!

Stealing the show (as almost always happens in an all magic bill!) was the non-magician, in this case the comedy and juggling of Michael Goudeau. Michael was a riot and smoothly took his show from one big laugh to another. Michael was the featured act in Lance Burton’s show at the Monte Carlo and his smooth performance re-establishes how smart Lance was in his choice.  Assisting Goudeau was the very funny Tommie Laing, who was also very familiar to those of us who had seen Lance’s show. Goodeau really kicked the show into high gear and up a couple of notches!

We were sitting with old friend Mike Weatherford the variety reviewer for the Las Vegas Revue Journal. Mike’s immediate response to Goudeau was to wonder how long it had been since Lance (who was in the audience) had actually seen Michael perform his show! Later discussion with Lance indicated it had been about 20 years! Mike and I also just looked at each other when Ben Stone produced two sponge balls and simultaneously said, “I wonder how Jan is doing?” a spontaneous reference to the widow of long term Vegas magician Steve Dacri. We miss you Steve.

The headliner of the show was Murray (Sawchuck) who performed a very strong set. Murray has charm, style and a quirky ‘daffy’ personality that is the launching pad for an act that combines low key and funny comedy bits with a very strong and slick set of illusions. He is an excellent performer with an instant appeal to any audience. I thoroughly enjoyed his very accomplished performance and could have used a little longer watching him work.

The evening was a very pleasant experience but the real test is as to whether this format will work in a local casino. The real magic (as in every Vegas showroom) is going to be to fill those seats on a weekly/nightly basis. The basic idea and execution of the evening are very reminiscent of a mainstream version of Jeff McBride’s ‘Wonderground.’ You might even refer to it as ‘Overground,’ but part of the flare that sets ‘Wonderground’ apart is that it is a monthly event which really establishes it as an ‘event’ on the scene. A multi-night weekly format is a lot tougher to remain a viable contender. However if there is a producer with the drive to make this work (and also the key ability to coax to vital ‘guest’ performances from local magicians) then Paul Stone is the chap to do it. Good luck, go get ’em Paul.

Incidentally, the photo (‘I’m magic’d out!’) of me and Mike Weatherford that accompanies this blog entry is POSED! We really weren’t drunk or exhausted. Well only very slightly………..

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Seven Magical New Year Resolutions for 2012.

•January 4, 2012 • Leave a Comment

At this time of year it is certainly a nice exercise to come up with seven resolutions for the upcoming year. I thought I would share them with our readers. Your job is to decide which are serious and which are not!

1  Throw away all the silks in my act that have frayed edges on them or weird stains in them. Part two of this resolution is to make sure that any rope I use in my act looks brand new and fresh. This is a cheap and easy way to subtly improve the act. I should also remake my tossed deck too, well, maybe that can wait another year. Should I replace my thumb tip too? I just got it really nicely broken in—damn, I probably should.

 2   Keep performing David Regal’s ‘Restored Credit’ trick on every occasion possible. The fastest, flashiest and most eye-popping piece of magic I have added to my repertoire in a long time. It was a great holiday present from my pal ESP Lodge—-thanks SP! On a similar note I had better re-make my set of ‘Extreme Burn’ bills having spent the hundreds involved in the last version I constructed. Note to self—-make it with $20’s this time so that I am less likely to spend them on a visit to the ‘Apple Chapel.’

3    Time to re shoot and edit my promotional video. 6 minutes is too long now, what ever happened to people actually wanting to know what you do in the show? I should probably re-Photoshop my 8X10’s to look a couple of pounds skinnier and a few years younger. This resolution cut’s out the normal eat less/better and exercise more one that usually hits my list.

 4   Cut out the extra ‘hack’ lines that have snuck into my act due to laziness and that spirit of malaise that Obama assures me has overtaken our country. Try and continue putting a new joke into the act for every show, however, remember to cut those old ‘comfortable’ but dated ones.

5   Keep in better touch with some of my oldest and dearest friends in magic. You figure they will be around forever, but it just doesn’t work that way. I must also make some new friends and learn to appreciate them as much as some of the giants in magic I have been blessed to know in my first 40 plus years in magic. Maybe it is time to finally discard Ken Brooke’s ‘11th Commandment’ about avoiding spending time with magicians, as they will mess with my performing skills for lay audiences.

6   As an addendum to resolution 5, I will start to perform at magic conventions and lecture to magic groups on a regular basis. I have a lot of very good and practical information to share. It is time to start doing it. The New Zealand Magic Convention later this year is a great start to this policy.

7   Stop being negative about the ‘Baffling Bra’ trick when I write my columns (I’m not changing the way I feel about it—just what I write!) and stop making unnecessary swipes at Franz Harary and Steve Wyrick, no—let’s not go too far!

Happy New Year!

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Carl Andrews: double threat virtual and real life magic maker!

•December 15, 2011 • Leave a Comment

I work in a very exacting circuit in the cruise market and although you seldom get to meet your contemporaries but you get to hear about them. I certainly have heard a lot about Carl Andrews and amazingly it’s all highly complementary which is rather unusual! The bookers and Cruise Directors all rave about his performance and the quality of his show. Other performers have uniformly told me he is one of the nicest, helpful and considerable guys on the scene.

While I haven’t seen Andrew’s live show, his impact must be huge to achieve the recognition that his show always seems to get. Standing ovations are not customary for magicians on cruise ships but they are for Carl Andrews. I can’t wait to see what it is that he is doing so right! There must be plenty to learn from his performance.

The way I first actually encountered Carl was on the Internet. However, it wasn’t a magic forum or by an email—it was as a creator and magical inventor. You see Carl has a double life—–nothing sinister here though, he is a top-notch live performer and also a computer wiz. He has created over 16 top selling iPhone magic apps that are being used by magicians around the globe.

Carl began his magical career at about the same time as his computer skills began to blossom in the early 80’s. They continued to develop side by side and have made him     one of the most influential magicians in the world. I mean that quite literally, as there are magicians performing his digital magic in more countries than I can name.

Andrew’s first app available on iTunes was iBabble, a fun but non-magic illusion. He was just getting warmed up, and has since created 15 more apps.  In fact Carl has gone on to create some of the very finest pieces of digital magic ever to grace a smart phone. They show his mastery of both of his interests and the way he can combine them into the kind of direct and effective magic that lay people remember and talk about.

Want to give a prospective client a business card in a way that will cause them to keep it? Well, check out Carl’s ‘BizCardMagic’ and you need look no further. If you want to maximize the effectiveness of the magical ‘real estate’ on your iPhone, I highly recommend picking up ‘Loose Change Magic,’ his masterpiece ‘No Freakin’ Way,’ and his latest authentic gem ‘True Lies.’

I don’t think it is ever appropriate to do more than one ‘iTrick’ in any given session for any single person. If ever less is more then this iMagic is the area where it applies the most rigidly. However, the ability to present the right trick at the right time, with nothing that even appears to be a prop, is a golden gift to any performer.

I was recently privileged to see some updates he has made to one of his earlier effects ‘Magic Draw.’ It was a stunning addition to an already great piece of magic. Obviously Andrews doesn’t have a mind that stands still—he keeps thinking, developing and improving his magic. I like that quality.

One of the joys with the way Carl markets his digital creations is his ability to price them right. A lot of apps are free or cost a dollar or so, Carl prices his just a little higher, that way that they are reasonable but less likely to be bought (and poorly performed) by a non-magician. Let’s be honest, if you could buy a series of great tricks from a magic shop for a price range of under 5 bucks, you would be ecstatic with the bargain. Log on to iTunes and let the joy begin!

A nice guy, a great magician and a computer wiz all rolled into one! Carl Andrews is a force to be reckoned with. He is a man of the moment with his foot firmly placed in the door of the future

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The ‘Magic Castle Lite’ and plenty busy!

•December 8, 2011 • Leave a Comment

Everyone in the magic world has been worried and concerned over the extent and scope of the damage to the Magic Castle in Hollywood that occurred recently. While the fire damage was considerably less than it could have been, as is so often the case, the water damage was a very real problem and has been causing the greatest concern.

I took the opportunity to visit the Castle last week and see how things were working out during what is being referred to as the ‘Magic Castle Lite’ phase of our beloved clubhouse’s refurbishing and eventual full scale re-opening. I am glad to say that while business was far from ‘as usual’ it was very functional and very, very busy.

My visit was on a Sunday night and the place was as packed as it possible could have been. In fact I’m guessing any visiting fire department official might have had an instant desire to start counting heads and exits! Maybe the reduced 10 Dollar cover and 20 Dollar buffet could have helped. In fact the buffet looked great and I might eat there a little more often at those prices! A couple of well drinks at 22 Dollars are pretty pricey additions to any evening and should help defray any losses in a regular reduction in the food prices.

The guests were checked in at the front desk but then entered the Castle through the side entrance to the lower area next to the library. The line for the buffet was long and seating limited and lots of guests were perched at weird spots, eating what looked like great food. The shows were confined to the Peller Theatre, the Parlour and the Palace and they ran very smoothly.

It was a delight to see Jamy Ian Swiss perform in the Peller Theatre, I was very impressed by his recent television appearance on ‘The Craig Ferguson Show,’ and watching him do 30 minutes of highly skilled, smoothly presented and deceptively relaxed looking card magic was a real highlight for me. This is the kind of specialized performance that you can really enjoy and admire based on its true magical skills. I thoroughly enjoyed watching, watching for and sometimes failing to see sleight-of-hand moves that I knew must have happened during the seamlessly constructed routines. Bravo, this was pure magic, presented in a slick and skilled manner that would bring a glow to any lover of ‘real close-up.’

Jamy’s show might have been slightly better served if his appearance had proceeded as scheduled in the Close-Up Gallery, however his sophisticated and polished performance skills made his highly specialized show a winner with everyone in the room, even if their viewing was slightly less optimal than the Close-Up Gallery would have allowed. If you love good card magic don’t miss this guy!

I sadly had to miss the appearance of my long-term friend Paul Green in the Parlour due to scheduling problems, but heard enough raves from visitors to know that he delivered the goods in his normal immaculate and heavy hitting manner. This guy is pure-pro all the way and always a credit to the magic world. Paul is one of the busiest pros in Los Angeles and achieves this by knowing his craft inside out.

The Palace was a quirkier affair. I was delighted to see the legendary Jim Steinmeyer perform two rare and arcane magic illusions. His scholarly and professorial presentation of these gems was the kind of thing that reminds you that the Castle really is a club for magicians. Frankly, I would have enjoyed a longer set as his segment was over all to briefly for my taste. When you entice one of the greatest minds in magic to give a rare public performance, I could use more of the show dedicated to the unique opportunity.

Performing the major portion of the show in the Palace was the relentlessly upbeat and smiling Alex Ramon. The crowd really enjoyed Ramon’s show and his experience with Ringling Brothers and the Disney touring magic show was highly evident. One tiny quibble, why follow Steinmeyer performing a re-creation of the still mindboggling Jarrett’s ‘Sawing Mystery’ with a similar box illusion that looked big enough in size to be the packing case for the tiny cabinet that made the Jarrett illusion so astonishing?

Other effects featured by Ramon were an update to the Die Box, involving an iPad, which rather overplayed the Lie Detector App involved, again proving that less really can be more. Much more effective was his introduction of a cute twist involving an iPhone into a rather standard Crystal Casket illusion. The highlight of Ramon’s act was a very effective sequence of magic involving a light bulb and a paper bag. It was a delightful routine that showed a great deal of originality and audience pleasing power. However, I would have gladly traded a little of his performance time for one more ‘forgotten gem’ from the mind of Jim Steinmeyer.

Over all, the entire evening proved that even functioning as ‘Castle Lite’ there was enough of everything needed to present the punters with a highly enjoyable experience. On a personal level, one of my highlights was standing at Valet parking after the show with ‘Card Guru’ Howard Hamburg discussing the exact quantity, quality and variety of passes used by Jamy Ian Swiss! Hey, sometimes a double undercut really just doesn’t do the job as well……….

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Another disaster story………a quite revealing one!

•November 23, 2011 • Leave a Comment

Especially for his birthday, I want to share this story about Alan Watson, my Kiwi brother and editor from Magic New Zealand, that kinda’ got me thinking about writing up some disaster stories. I don’t think this story is that much of a disaster—but a pretty amazing moment!

As my regular readers know, I am no great fan of the ‘Baffling Bra’ trick. Just a personal thing and not based on the fact that it usually gets a big laugh—so does whacking your thumb with a hammer—but I exclude that for reasons of personal comfort! However………

Alan was performing the ‘Bra Trick’ at an event recently and had a once in a lifetime (unless the comedy Gods are kind!) event take place. At the end of the regular routine, as the girl is starting to leave the stage, after the trick he has added a little ‘kicker’ line and says, “Wait till next time she goes to the restroom!” and pulls a pair of ladies underwear out of his pocket and shows them to the audience.

The result of ‘kicker’ is usually a big laugh, but on this particular occasion it nearly brought the house down. After he did it, the female assistant immediately pulled her skirt up above waist level and it was very apparent that she wasn’t wearing ANY underwear, she then screamed and left the stage! Now that takes the trick to another level………

If you could guarantee this kind of a moment every time you did the trick, I would have to reconsider my opinion of the trick. Nothing gets laughs like a good dose of the old shock factor! Then again, we might have to have someone re-invent the old chains of Burlesque theaters just to house the magic acts.

If you have any good ‘disaster’ or ‘once in a blue moon’ stories send me an email and maybe we can make this a monthly feature. We all need a good laugh over what we do in magic. I have always felt that a Magician who takes what he does to seriously may just be the Worlds deadliest creature!

email me at nicklewin1@mac.com    

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A funny thing happened on the way to the theater!

•November 20, 2011 • Leave a Comment

You can’t perform for many years without a disaster or two and I would like to throw this idea out to my readers and if you have any funny stories to share, why not email them to me and we can combine some into future blogs.

I have had lots of confusion and disasters during my performing years and often they were a lot funnier looking back on them! They range from the minor to the seriously embarrassing. One of the simplest and easiest to happen was during a corporate after dinner show and it is here that I will begin.

I am a bit of a fanatic about arriving early to shows, on this occasion I arrived quite a bit ahead of my scheduled performance. Entering the banquet room, I asked around for the person in charge of the event. I was eventually introduced to a young lady who was the event planner. I explained to her that I would set my props and then be ready to perform when the deserts had been cleared and the coffee served.

Having set my props, I began my wait and a short while prior to when I anticipated my performance was due to begin, I left the rear of the banquet room to use the restroom. I always live by Billy McCombs words of wisdom, which were passed on to him by the Duke of Edinburgh, “Always go when you can go—because you never know when you will want to go and you can’t go!”

Returning from my restroom visit, I made my way through the communal corridor that opened onto the various banquet halls, I observed a highly agitated gentleman pacing back and forth practically wearing a hole in the carpet. As I passed him he practically grabbed me and said, “Thank God you finally arrived!” Thank God indeed.

Yes, I had carefully arrived early and then set up my props, and was about to begin a show for an entirely incorrect bunch of executives in totally the wrong room! I rushed into the room in which my props were set and quickly found the party planner and asked her if she was really expecting a show. “No” she said, “I was very surprised but I assumed the hotel had arranged it.”

I had my props re-packed and shifted to the correct room in double quick time. Curiously enough everything was re-set just about as the coffee cups were being placed on the tables, I was then introduced to the audience, by a still visibly flustered executive, the same man who had found me in the corridor ten minutes before.

As I began my show I made eye contact with him and adlibbed, “A funny thing happened to me on the way to the theater tonight.” I was pleased to see a brief smile flash across his face, and the show went on to be a great success. I always wondered how the other audience would have enjoyed me. However, I performed in the room with a check in it that had my name on it.

Needless to say, in the future, I was always very careful to check the name of the banquet room. I do like that check at the end of my show!

Got a funny story? Why not share it with us all by emailing me at nicklewin1@mac.com

 

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A great book………….about a great man!

•November 10, 2011 • Leave a Comment

If you have any interest in Apple Products, then you should really read the new biography about Steve Jobs written by Walter Isaacson. it is called (wait for it!) Steve Jobs. It is a long and detailed biography and the only bio that I have ever restarted immediately just ‘cos I know I rushed through it too fast!

If you are reading it expecting a portrait of a saint——well, if you are reading it at all, you know that isn’t the case! Jobs was a fascinating man who combined so many contadictive qualities that they whirled around into a complex dialectic of contradictory forces that fueled one of the most influencial men in the last 100 years.

Was he a nice man? No. Was a he a genius? Yes. Without him you and I might have been totally eliminated from joining the digital era and the computer would have belonged to the government or the CIA. Amazingly enough for a man of such intense privacy, as soon as he knew he was likely to die he chose a suitable biographer and let him loose to tell the full story. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.

If you think Jobs rode people to hard then just try and grasp how hard he drove himself. He was no ordinary being and his legacy shows it clearly. His famous ‘Reality Distortion Field’ was just a tool to make the possible out of the impossible. Not only would he not accept second best, he wouldn’t even conceed that it was an option!

 

To a Bob Dylan freak like myself it is fascinating to see the influence that Dylan cast over Jobs. Dylan thrives on spontaneous intuition and Jobs thrived on the same thing. Their similarities are profound and to say that Jobs wasn’t a ‘nice’ man is like the boring old cliche that Dylan didn’t have a ‘good’ (by which most people mean a ‘pretty or an ‘accurate’) voice, it totally misses the fucking point. Here are two giants whose intuitive path to perfection was guided by honesty and disregard for the feelings of lesser beings. The world has so many pigmys and so few giants.

This is a great book about a great man. Download it and read it on your iPad and take the time to be amazed at how much Jobs achieved during your lifetime. If you want to be brutally honest, then ask yourself what you achieved during the same time.

 

A book to learn from about a man who transcended and transformed more in his lifetime than we can even dream of…….

 

 

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A little bit more about my Linking Finger Ring Routine

•November 9, 2011 • Leave a Comment

 I have been delighted with the response after my blog entry and mention in Magic New Zealand about the limited release of my signature Linking Finger Ring routine.

I have had a great many enquire about it and an astounding amount of purchases just from that announcement. If I may, I would like to take the opportunity to say a few more words about it and respond to some of the questions I was emailed.

New Zealand’s own Richard Webster, a mentalist and author I respect more than any other magician, was kind enough to send me the following quote about the routine,  “Your version of the Himber Rings is hilarious, mystifying, and one of the closest things to real magic I’ve ever seen.”

As I suspected there are many people out there in the magic world who would like to add this truly reputation making piece of magic to their repertoire. Many people have bought rings but then ‘hit a wall’ when it comes to actually finding a strong routine. I can get you over that wall and save you many, many years in your learning curve to performing it.

In the last 30 plus years I have developed a totally unique routine that, along with a handful of others, has earned me a fine living. The impact of the routine is achieved with a collection of linguistic and psychological subtleties that is not easy to teach. It requires enormous attention to detail in order to pass on the full routine. It is a truly stunning piece of magic and the impact on an audience is astounding. The effort both to teach, and to learn it correctly is well worth the detail and work involved.

The routine that I am offering is presented with exactly that degree of detail. This limited edition of the routine will come complete with the Book, a DVD, a CD containing the correct royalty free music cues, and a 50 minute Skype or similar one-on-one learning session. It also comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity and full performing rights. I believe anything less would fail to do it justice. Only these 100 sets will have full television performance rights.

I made my debut on American television with an early version of this routine on ‘The Merv Griffin Show.’ Merv described it as, “The most amazing piece of magic I have ever seen.” I performed the fully-fledged routine on a cable special that aired on Comedy Central and it received an ACE nomination for excellence in cable broadcast. Those TV rights mean something!

My performance of this effect at the Hollywood Foreign Press (the group who present the Golden Globe Awards) ‘Tribute to Orson Welles,’ was another milestone in my career. The producers hired me to perform this specific routine because they realized its amazing impact and decided it would be a fine tribute to Mr. Welles’ love of magic. I followed Peter O’Toole in the event and preceded Jane Fonda. I would like to claim it was me they wanted, but it wasn’t—–it was this routine!

I am limiting this package to 100 people and I am being very careful to make sure no single market has to many people performing the effect. You deserve that if you purchase the routine, just as every other purchaser deserves the guarantee of secrecy that needs to be signed to make the purchase.

This routine is not for amateurs but the professional performer who will take the time to learn to present it in the correct manner. While not a complex routine from the sleight-of-hand viewpoint, it has a structure and a dialogue that needs to be studied very carefully. My package teaches you how to perform it with devastating effect almost anywhere at anytime.

I am now able to say that the full routine will be assembled and ready for purchase by early spring of next year. I will soon be accepting firm orders and expect the entire publication to sell out very quickly. If you have a serious interest then let me know so that I can continue to keep you informed and up to date on the progress.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I am happy to answer specific questions if they are thoughtful and intelligent! Send me an email at nicklewin1@mac.com to keep in touch or to reserve your number and place amongst the 100 people who receive this package.

 

 

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