BILL BREWE

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Apr 3, 2013 ... of the magicians Bill mentored ended up performing magic professionally. Bill Brewe died in ... available to S.A.M. members free of charge on the S.A.M. website. If you have an interest in this subject, be sure to download the notes and take a look. ...... Royal Road to Card Magic as he taught an ambitious ...
APRIL 2013

Bill Brewe Page 36

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 3

MAGIC - UNITY - MIGHT Editor Michael Close Editor Emeritus David Goodsell Associate Editor W.S. Duncan Proofreader & Copy Editor Lindsay Smith Art Director Lisa Close Publisher

Society of American Magicians, 6838 N. Alpine Dr. Parker, CO 80134 Copyright © 2012 Subscription is through membership in the Society and annual dues of $65, of which $40 is for 12 issues of M-U-M. All inquiries concerning membership, change of address, and missing or replacement issues should be addressed to: Manon Rodriguez, National Administrator P.O. Box 505, Parker, CO 80134 [email protected] Skype: manonadmin Phone: 303-362-0575 Fax: 303-362-0424 Send assembly reports to: [email protected] For advertising information, reservations, and placement contact: Mona S. Morrison, M-U-M Advertising Manager 645 Darien Court, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169 Email: [email protected] Telephone/fax: (847) 519-9201 Editorial contributions and correspondence concerning all content and advertising should be addressed to the editor: Michael Close - Email: [email protected] Phone: 317-456-7234

Submissions for the magazine will only be accepted by email or fax.

VISIT THE S.A.M. WEB SITE www.magicsam.com To access “Members Only” pages: Enter your Name and Membership number exactly as it appears on your membership card. 4 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

M-U-M

APRIL 2013

Magazine cover story page 36

Volume 102 • Number 11

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68 S.A.M. NEWS 6 8 10 11 25 24 69

From the Editor’s Desk From the President’s Desk Newsworthy M-U-M Assembly News Broken Wands New Members & Reinstatements Our Advertisers

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THIS MONTH’S FEATURES 26 28 32 34 36 42 45 46 48 52 54 56 65 66 68 68 69 70

The Focus on Funny • by Norm Barnhart Ebook Nook: Simon Says by Simon Lovell The High Road • by Mick Ayres Nielsen Gallery • by Tom Ewing COVER STORY Stage 101 • by Levent Tech Tricks • by Bruce Kalver Illusions of Grandeur • by David Seebach On the Shoulders of Giants • by Scott Alexander I Left My Cards at Home • by Steve Marshall Building a Show • by Larry Hass Informed Opinion • New Product Reviews Salon de Magie • by Ken Klosterman Remembering Bob Steiner The Dean’s Diary • by George Schindler Basil the Baffling • by Alan Wassilak Inside Straight • by Norman Beck Confessions of a Paid Amateur • by Rod Danilewicz

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M-U-M (ISSN 00475300 USPS 323580) is published monthly for $40 per year by The Society of American Magicians, 6838 N. Alpine Dr., Parker, CO 80134 . Periodical postage paid at Parker, CO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to M-U-M, c/o Manon Rodriguez, P.O. Box 505, Parker, CO 80134. APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 5

Editor’s Desk Michael Close If you’re lucky, at some point in your magical development you will have encountered a mentor – someone who offers you guidance, support, encouragement, training, and a helping hand when the path gets murky. For many of the magicians in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bill Brewe was such a mentor. Bill left a successful career as an attorney in the City of Cincinnati Law Department to concentrate on manufacturing custom equipment for professional magicians. A few years later, he opened a magic shop that became the focal point for young magicians who belonged to the Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring. Many of the magicians Bill mentored ended up performing magic professionally. Bill Brewe died in November of last year, leaving behind a living legacy of men and women whose lives were impacted by his mentoring. This month’s cover story features a tribute to Bill, assembled by Dale Scott. As you’ll read, the world of magic is a better place for Bill Brewe having been in it. Bill had a lifelong interest in silk magic; he produced some beautiful custom-made silk products. He also gave a lecture on silk magic. Thanks to Dale Scott, those lecture notes are now available to S.A.M. members free of charge on the S.A.M. website. If you have an interest in this subject, be sure to download the notes and take a look. In the February 2013 “Broken Wands” section of M-U-M, it was mentioned that a longer tribute to PNP Bob Steiner would appear at a later date. You’ll find that tribute on page 66. I didn’t know Bob, but I appreciated his steadfast efforts to debunk psychics and mediums. (Notice that I didn’t say phony psychics and mediums; that would have been redundant.) Bob was one-of-a-kind, and he will be missed. This month we say so long to Rod Danilewicz, author of the “Confessions of a Paid Amateur” column. Rod, whose day job is as a funeral director, has contributed sixty columns to the magazine, columns that featured commentary and practical advice. Rod began his tenure when John Moehring was editor of M-U-M, and he was one of the few regular contributors who were “grandfathered” in when I took over. He has been an editor’s delight, sending in clean copy like clockwork. In an email to me, Rod wrote, “The last five years have been a terrific ride. Every word was a labor of love whether it ended up in print or on the cutting room floor. Most part-timers get into magic for the ego trip. For me, the gift of being able to sneak off a couple of times a month to be surrounded by people who were laughing instead of crying gave me some sense of a world that was normal. I have you and John to thank for giving me a venue for giving something back to magic and for putting me on a first-name basis with magicians who shouldn’t even know I exist.” You might want to drop Rod a note to say thanks. His 6 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

email address is [email protected]. Thanks, Rod. Have safe travels. A couple of months ago, First VP Dal Sanders brought to my attention a fellow named Norm Barnhart as a possible columnist. Norm has been a full-time entertainer for thirty years. In the 1980s and ‘90s he did school tours in all fifty states, performing three or four shows a day and logging over a thousand miles of driving per week. He has worked Cub Scout banquets and county fairs, and he continues to do a lot of corporate shows. He also has experience as a writer. He wrote for LaughMaker’s magazine for nine years and was LaughMaker of the Year in 1998. He had a parade in The Linking Ring and has written feature stories for several magazines. Norm is also a published author of children’s books with four books to his credit: Amazing Magic Tricks (Beginner’s Level, Apprentice Level, Expert Level, and Master Level) published by Capstone and available on Amazon.com. Four more books are in the works. Norm’s column, “Focus on Funny,” will discuss creativity and comedy as it applies to family magic shows. In addition to ideas and tricks from Norm, there will be interviews with some of today’s top performers. This month’s column covers situational comedy. Welcome Norm. It’s nice to have you on the team. Jerry Schnepp, who was a past president of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and an old pal, died March 4, 2013. During the time I served as music director for the I.B.M. conventions, I would run into Jerry a couple of times a year. The year Jerry was installed as I.B.M. president, Voronin was one of the featured acts of the convention's stage shows; his deadpan expression and trademark bit of tossing of some confetti as he exited the stage got big laughs from the convention attendees. At the beginning of the Saturday night show, Jerry was installed as president, with his wife and two sons alongside him. Jerry gave a little speech and then exited stage right. As his family followed him off, youngest son Chris tossed a handful of confetti over his shoulder. It was one of the funniest unexpected callbacks I’ve ever seen at a magic convention. Aloha, Jerry. It wasn’t planned, but last month’s issue of M-U-M featured photos of the whole Close family. If you’d like to play a little game of Where’s Waldo, you might try to spot the photo of me that does not appear on the editor’s column page. You’ll find my review of a three-DVD video set in the “Informed Opinion” section. I rarely watch magic DVDs, and when I do, I never watch them from beginning to end. Usually, I’m searching for a specific bit of information. But, for purposes of reviewing them, I watched these three DVDs front to back – more than six hours of material. And I discovered something that I had forgotten: I can process information orders of magnitude faster when I read than when I watch. It’s the difference between a cable modem and a carrier pigeon. So here’s my point: Lots of folks (me included) have encouraged magicians to learn to read and we’ve offered reasons to do so. Here’s one I hadn’t thought of: Over the course of your life, think of the time you’ll save. 

President’s Desk Chris Bontjes I recently had the opportunity to see Masters of Illusion Live! in Indianapolis. The show featured Angela Acosta, Tom Burgoon, Farrell Dillon, Michael Giles, and Rick Thomas. The two-hour show was fast-paced, entertaining, and flowed smoothly. They played to a packed house in Indianapolis, as they have done throughout the country. The live show was put together by producer Gay Blackstone, who was also an executive producer of the Masters of Illusion television series. Following the show, I presented Gay with a Presidential Citation in recognition of her life-long devotion to the art of magic and her promotion of magic to the general public through the Masters of Illusion shows.

Convention

If you have not already done so, I encourage you to make plans to attend this summer’s S.A.M. national convention in Washington, D.C. The facilities are fabulous, the line-up of shows and lectures is incredible, and the hotel connects to a stop on the Metro (Washington, D.C.’s excellent subway system) making it a perfect starting point for sight-seeing in our nation’s capital. As always, the S.A.M. is presenting new and exciting magical events for the convention. One such event is a buskers’ show; the performers will compete for tips and all the money collected will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, aiding American soldiers who have been wounded in combat. Another new event is the late-night Underground Magic sessions. Following the closing of the dealers’ room, some of the best close-up performers will be on hand each night to perform, to answer questions, and to help you with your magic. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to work with some of our best performers! A complete listing of performers and a tentative schedule can be found on our website at www.magicsam.com. Just click on the “National Convention” link near the top right corner of our landing page, and then follow the menu links on the left side of the page for all the details. Registration costs go up as we get closer to the event, so be sure to register now for your best value.

Print Ads

You may have noticed that, over the past few years, the number of M-U-M advertisers has diminished. This is a trend in all print media. As the use of technology in the world increases, advertisers are tending to move away from newspapers and magazines. This is disappointing for many of us who like to look through the latest issue of M-U-M to find ads for the newest products and innovations. 8 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

You can help to reverse this trend. It’s easy. All you have to do is contact our advertisers about the products that interest you and mention their ad in M-U-M. When you mention the ad, you are letting the advertiser know that their advertising dollar is being well spent on ads in our magazine. Doing this supports the vendors who provide us with our magic, it supports the S.A.M. and our magazine, and it helps to continue the tradition of being able to find the newest and the best products in magic advertised within these pages.

Echoes of the Past

In his “The Prez Sez” column from the December, 1971 issue of M-U-M, President J. Gary Bontjes wrote, “The Houdini Hospital Benefit Fund is managed by our Editor, Les Guest. This is a special fund started by Harry Houdini to aid S.A.M. members who need a little extra help with hospital expenses. This fund is maintained entirely through your donations; payments vary according to the remaining balance in the fund. This is one of the many worthwhile things that we can do to help our fellow magicians. You can help by making a personal contribution. Your assembly might consider sponsoring a public show with some or all of the proceeds to be donated to the fund.” Nearly one hundred years after its establishment, the Houdini Fund is still giving help to magicians in need and is still funded entirely by donations. Some things, however, have changed since 1971. The fund is now managed by Dean George Schindler. Funds are now available to help any magician or allied artist regardless of S.A.M. membership. The Houdini Fund is now joined by a Disaster Relief Fund and the Magic Endowment Fund. All of these funds exist to support magic and to help our fellow magicians in need. All of these programs are funded purely by donations (which are tax deductible). All of these funds are ways that The Society of American Magicians uses to Get Involved and Pass It On! Please join us in this effort by making regular donations to one or more of the funds.

GIGO

GIGO is an acronym that stands for “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” It was trendy to apply the acronym to computers in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. It was supposed to point out that computers did not make mistakes – people did. The information that came out of the computer was the result of the information that went in. If you put “Garbage In,” you could expect to get “Garbage Out.” The same idea also works in reverse. If you put “Good In” to your computer, you will get “Good Out.” The same principle applies to magic. If we put “Garbage In” to our magic (poor quality props, lack of practice, etc.) we can expect to get “Garbage Out” (a poor quality performance). Likewise, “Good In” (quality props, good planning and practice), will result in “Good Out” (a high-quality performance). In fact, the GIGO principle is nearly universal. It is another way to say, “You get out what you put in.” In any endeavor, activity, or group, the value you get out is directly related to the time and effort you put in. The best way to get the most out of your magic is to put in maximum effort. The best way to get the most out of your membership in the S.A.M. is put in time and effort. Learn new tricks. Share ideas with your compeers. Serve on committees or run for an office (local and/or national). In other words – Get Involved and Pass It On! 

S.A.M. National Officers Dean: George Schindler, 1735 East 26th St., Brooklyn, NY 11229, (718) 336-0605, Fax (718) 627-1397, [email protected] President: J. Christopher Bontjes, 2313 Atwood Ct., Danville, IL 61834 (217) 442-6244 [email protected] President Elect: Dal Sanders, 3316 Northaven Rd, Dallas, TX 75229 (214) 902-9200, DalSanders@ StagemMagic.com First Vice President: Kenrick “ICE” McDonald, P.O. Box 341034, Los Angeles, CA 90034, (310) 559-8968 [email protected] Second Vice President: David Bowers, (717) 414-7574, [email protected] Secretary: Marlene Clark, 274 Church Street, #6B Guilford, CT 06437, (203) 689-5730, Skype: marlene.clark, [email protected] Treasurer: Eric Lampert, (215) 939-5555, [email protected]

Regional Vice Presidents

New England: CT MA RI NH ME VT Joseph Caulfield (603) 654-6022, [email protected] North Atlantic: NY NJ Eric DeCamps, (718) 896-5861, [email protected] Mid Atlantic: PA DE MD VAWV DC Phil Milstead, (703) 481-5271, [email protected] South Atlantic: FL AL GA MS NC SC Debbie Leifer (404) 630-1120 [email protected] Central Plains: KY TN OH IN MI Jania Taylor, (231)242-8242, [email protected] Midwest: IL MN WI MO ND NE KS SD IA Shaun Rivera, (618) 781-8621 shaun.rivera@ gmail.com South Cental States: TX AR OK NM LA Jeff Lanes, (713)850-1770, [email protected] Southwest: CA AZ NV HI Ron Ishimaru, (808) 428-6019, [email protected] Northwest: WA OR UT ID CO AK WY MT Michael Roth, (503)493-8316, [email protected] Canada Rod Chow (604) 669-7777 [email protected] Society of Young Magicians Director Jann Wherry Goodsell, 329 West 1750 North, Orem, Utah 84057 (801) 376-0353. [email protected]

Living Past National Presidents Bradley M. Jacobs, Richard L. Gustafson, Roy A. Snyder, Bruce W. Fletcher, James E. Zachary, David R. Goodsell, Fr. Cyprian Murray, Michael D. Douglass, George Schindler, Dan Rodriguez, Dan Garrett, Donald F. Oltz Jr., Craig Dickson, Loren C. Lind, Gary D. Hughes, Harry Monti, Jann Wherry Goodsell, Warren J. Kaps, Ed Thomas, Jay Gorham, John Apperson, Richard M. Dooley, Andy Dallas, Maria Ibáñez, Bruce Kalver, Mike Miller, Mark Weidhaas, Vinny Grosso

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Newsworthy Retired Policeman Works Magic in Prisons By Tom Stafford – Staff Writer Springfield News - Sun In the twenty-three years since he retired from the Springfield Police Division, Hermann Carr has been in and out of more than 130 correctional institutions from Ohio to Nebraska and Missouri to Wisconsin, returning more often than the average recidivist. Over that stretch, Carr has come to enjoy his time behind bars, as has his wife, Marcia, who assists in their magic show. “They’re just so friendly,” she said of the inmates. “It’s amazing how they respond. It just touches me, gets me.” The idea for going to prisons came to the Carrs in 1988; at that time he was in the last of his twenty-five years on the police force in which he met a generation of Springfield children in the Safety City program. “Marcia and I had a show in London, Ohio,” Mr. Carr said. “When we were coming home, we went by London Correctional Institution.” With retirement approaching and the prospect of time on his hands, he decided to boost his career by going to prison. The result has been performances in eleven states before appreciative, if captive, audiences. The Carrs harbor no illusions about the men, women, and children for whom they perform. “I know there’s a reason there here,” said Mr. Carr. “But these men and women, they’re so appreciative.” Nor has his wife ever felt threatened. In fact, she said, the inmates often are protective of her. “When he does something like put knives in my head, they say ‘Don’t let him do it, Marcia.’ ” They are as protective of the birds he uses in the act. “I might take and run swords in them and cut them in two,” Carr said. “They get all upset when you do that.” In fact, they said, as audiences, the inmates are no different than audiences outside prison walls. Being near them has also made him and Marcia audience to some of the sadder aspects of incarceration, even when deserved. Reporting for a show at a federal prison in Michigan, the Carrs saw a young girl leaving visitation calling out, “I got to see my Daddy! I got to see him!” “We had a show, too, where the families were there,” Marcia Carr said. “It was so sad to see the little children run up to their parents.” The more difficult audiences to reach are in juvenile detention facilities, where thirteen-, fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds can be 10 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

Updates From Our S.A.M. Members

sullen and hard-faced. Hermann Carr’s life in magic started in another kind of institution. “When I was in the third grade, I went to a school in Urbana that was called South Ward. One day we had an assembly, and they had a magician up there.” The next day he asked his teacher, Mrs. Horner, about magic, and she directed him to the library. He did some reading and put a show together for his class. “I have no idea what I did in the show,” he said. His strongest memory is a reminder from Mrs. Horner that every magician she had seen had used a cleaner handkerchief. Carr was an eighth grader with a spotless hankie in his tuxedo when he performed his first out-of-school show at a Grange Hall in Bellefontaine. The next year, he found encouragement from Edward G. Weller, principal of Roosevelt Junior High in Springfield. “Every time I would see him, he would say, ‘Hermann, do you have a trick for me?’” They eventually arranged for Carr to do a show in school. Because young Hermann didn’t have a girlfriend to assist him, Weller volunteered the office secretary, who rose to the occasion in the “Floating Lady” illusion. Carr’s early preparation for tough audiences came at Springfield High School when, against his homeroom teacher’s advice, he went to a place most students of that age tried to avoid: the office of Principal Charles Fox. Like most seeking an audience with Fox, Carr found himself talking to the secretary, Rosella Martin. And when he explained his plan, she said, “Yeah, he’d love to do something like that.” That led to a dramatic moment on stage. Having talked Fox into surrendering his bow tie, Carr said he couldn’t bring himself to cut it in two and returned it to the principal. As Fox began to walk away, Carr grabbed the collar of his shirt, which promptly came off, leaving Fox in a T-shirt in front of an audience that went silent in front of a man they didn’t usually associate with mirth. “He gave me a dirty look,” Carr said, leaving the audience with the impression that Fox might go for the paddle in his office that he regularly wielded like a magic wand. The principal then “looked at the shirt and he smiled,” Carr said, and the audience broke into laughter and applause. Soon thereafter, Carr met his future wife, Marcia, whose sister and mother had seen his act. Marcia started assisting him in high school. After graduation in 1955, they married, and she helped him do shows during off hours during his Army service near Fort Devins outside of Boston. Eventually, the Carrs returned to Springfield and started a family. Their children’s experiences were captured in a memorable remark daughter Marcie made to The Society of American Magician’s magazine, M-U-M: “Think what it is like as a small child to come home from school only to find your mom’s head in a guillotine and your dad about to push the blade down.” Accustomed to hearing the words “God bless you” after a prison show, Mr. Carr was struck by the prisoner who approached him in a Kentucky institution and said, “Thank you for letting my mind escape for a couple of hours. You don’t know what that does for me.” It was its own kind of magic. [Reprinted with permission from the August 26, 2012, edition of the Springfield News-Sun, Springfield, Ohio.]

ASSEMBLY NEWS

APRIL 2013

Volume 102, Number 11

Society of American Magicians Monthly News Go to:

www.mum-magazine.com

and use the easy submission form to file your report

2 MAGIC CONTEST SAN FRANCISCO, CA— At the February meeting, mages and guests filled the assembly room to watch our first intra-club magic competition show. Three members entered the contest and each gave an eight-to-ten-minute performance. Based on a random selection procedure, Corky LaVallee was first up. Wearing a white lab coat, Corky presented Rocky’s Testing Lab, in which he inspected several magical effects and concluded with a humorous blend of the handcuff escape and the removal of the lab coat. Hippo Lau followed with a clever demonstration of misdirection. He wove together two card routines, one a prediction and the other a transposition. As final participant, Stu Bacon adeptly performed a mentalist routine and then staged two amusing story-telling routines, one about Al Capone being swindled by a little old lady and the other about a Queen who tried to prevent the King from sneaking out at night. Emcee Tamaka entertained us between acts while contestants set up their props. The audience voted for their choice and judges Safire and Rob Shapiro evaluated the contestants for presentation, skill, and entertainment value. The winner of both the audience’s and judges’ choice was Corky LaVallee, who received an S.A.M. centennial Jay Marshall gold coin; he will now represent us at the next stage competition hosted by Oakland Magic Circle. Congratulations to Corky, Hippo, and Stu for their fine performances. If interest in an intraclub contest continues to grow, one will be held next year. The cookie vanishing routine was enjoyed by all present. —John Caris Assembly 2 meets first Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Community Room of Taraval Police Station, 2345 24th Avenue, San Francisco. Contact Tamaka Tamaka3715@ aol.com (415) 531-9332

h t t p : // w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / groups/249018441875771/ for more details.

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SAYING GOODBYE

PHILADELPHIA, PA— Our February meeting featured our annual auction. However, this column will fittingly pay tribute to two long-time members of Assembly 4 who left us all too soon within a thirty-day span. As February began, we learned that Fred Mitchell had passed away of a heart attack on January 28, 2013, at the age of 73. Fred, who was the epitome of kindness, was known throughout the international magic community as the owner of Fred’s Books. Fred’s Books was a fixture, not only at major magic conventions, but also at all of the local S.A.M. and I.B.M. meetings in the Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey area, where Fred offered club members the unique opportunity to purchase exceptional books – often at discounted prices. If Fred didn’t have what you wanted, he would track it down for you. As a dealer, Fred was always on the side of the customer. He also enjoyed performing over the years in the close-up round robin held during our annual Mini-Convention. Fred recently retired from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where he had worked for 28 years. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Darlene, their son Daniel, and his many friends. On February 3, 2013, word quickly spread among the Philadelphia magic community of the passing of Richard “Rich” Mach at the age of 60. Rich, who was employed as a Senior Electrical Engineer for JBT Corporation, had been battling cancer for several months. Particularly adept at card miracles, Rich rarely missed an S.A.M. or I.B.M. meeting and he was never spotted without a deck of cards on him. A gentleman in every way, he always greeted everyone with a smile and a handshake. In his final

months, only illness could keep Rich away from the many friends and the magic he loved so much. His family reported that he died with a deck of cards in his hands. Wendy, Rich’s wife of 29 years, and his son, Rich, had asked that Rich’s wake be a “life celebration” and invited his friends to perform magic at the funeral home. As such, many members of the S.A.M. and I.B.M. lined the funeral home and performed the kind of miracles that Rich loved best. We thank Fred and Rich for all of their contributions to Assembly 4 over the years and for enriching our club with their presence. —Peter S. Cuddihy The James Wobensmith Assembly 4 meets the third Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Bustleton Memorial Post, 810 (American Legion) 9151 Old Newtown Road. Contact www.sam4.org/ for more details.

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Happy New Year

2013

Omaha, NE— Although the Omaha Magical Society started the year with the annual Wizard’s Banquet, the program year started with a “Meet the Officers” evening in which each officer was to take to the stage and show some stuff. Before the program, Jeff Sikora commented on the successful banquet and the fact that we made a little money. He introduced Shaun Rivera, our new Regional Vice President who showed us how useful the magic in M-U-M could be by performing three effects from that source, starting with a flower vase illusion from the April 2012 edition. Shawn then updated us on national happenings. He also gave away some prizes to those who correctly answered his trivia questions. Our officers were led by President Bob Gehringer, Superintendent of Schools at Boystown, who baffled us with an effect that we all might have learned from a lecture from last season: pushing a

Scott Klinger’s Walnut Martini pen through a dollar bill He added his own twist. Tom Zepf, (Physics) Professor Emeritus at Creighton University, demonstrated that a solid could not pass through a solid. But then he showed us that it could, and then amazed us with some rope handling. Next up, Jerry Golmanavich explained how he was introduced to magic at an early age by a book called The Real Book of Magic published in 1951, and then was reintroduced to magic by Ron London while attending Purdue University. Jerry did one of his favorite effects, transforming a deck of cards into a box of candy. He followed with a cut and restored string, pulled an old effect out of mothballs, showing how a D-Lite could light up a rose. His act ended when Puddles the dog showed his training and then jumped off of his “stage.” Dean (and Treasurer) Walter Graham showed how a pouch could turn a white ball into red and then performed a classic effect using a space ship ball and goblet. He ended with a specialty: Cards Across. Scott Klinger, our new Sergeant-at-Arms amazed the crowd with his production of a walnut martini! A parade of performers followed, including Travis Newcombe with a paintball catch, Jeff Sikora with a card trick, Johnny “Impossible” turning Aces over, and the Amazing Arthur performing the only card trick he knows. —Jerry Golmanavich

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Assembly News Assembly 7 usually meets on the third Monday at the Southwest Church of Christ near 124th St. and West Center Rd.- right across from where Hooters used to be. Contact jerry golmanavich [email protected] (402) 390-9834 omahamagicalsociety.com for more details.

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Favorite Books

St. Louis, MO — As always, we have lots of fun after our business meetings; February 14, 2013, was no exception. It was Favorite Book Night. We had agreed not to limit it to physical books any more, since PDFs and DVDs are here to stay. Let’s not even talk about how the online information is changing or at the very least augmenting that, too. Let us embrace all forms of information that will help us learn and share this great wealth of magical knowledge.

Don Becker Larry Minth predicted which of four small balloons (red, yellow, green, and white) would be freely chosen by simply naming one. It was the red one, which had a trick of its own in that when punctured with a needle it refused to pop. It just sort of fizzed as it got smaller. Larry helped it along with his pocket knife. Randy Kalin performed several card effects from Roberto Giobbi’s Card College Light – very good stuff. While the tricks were mathematical, they didn’t look mathematical, which was caused by a combination of the tricks themselves and Randy’s good presentation. PNP Harry Monti did a color changing silk with the second silk “accidentally” showing up, then vanishing, and then reappearing as the color-transformed silk. It was the only silk remaining; the other having vanished without a trace. Harry did it flawlessly. No surprise there. Don Becker brought three books: Stars of Magic (original series), 21st Century Card Magic by James Swain, and The Card Magic of LePaul, and pointed

out the features that the books shared, which made each one outstanding in its own right. As always, we post photos on our website. —Dan Todd & Don Becker Assembly 8 meets at the Mount Tabor United Church of Christ, 6520 Arsenal, St. Louis MO 63139 Contact Dick Blowers [email protected] (314) 846-8468 Assembly8.com for more details.

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Grand Illusions

Dallas, TX— The night began with President Mark Jensen reviewing his newest toy, the Thumb Tip Flash. This rather expensive little item produces a bright camera-like flash from your fingertips. Mark also passed along a brief review of the new Roberto Giobbi book, Confidences, given in abstentia by club member David Elliott. Mark also thanked Diamond Jim Tyler for hosting the February Young Magicians Club meeting. The theme of the night was “Grand Illusions.” Derrel Allen started the conversation by displaying a few smaller illusions he owned, including a Square Circle and a gimmicked cigar box that he uses in some of his kid shows. Then the real program got started. An introductory video was shown of Kevin and Cindy Spencer (The Spencers) and their grand illusion show. Following the introduction, the club was treated to a live Skype interview with Kevin Spencer.

project Hocus Focus, which uses magic to help children “improve their abilities in planning, sequencing, organizing tasks and movements, fine motor skills, gross motor function/coordination, concentration, memory skills, communication, and social behaviors.” Overall, the interview was educational and inspirational. National President After the interview, the club Christopher Bonjes swearing watched a few additional in officers videos (both vintage and recent) of our very own Dal Sanders performing multiple stage called Dream Card. He was able to locate a selection without touching illusions. The Dallas Magic Clubs meets at the deck at all! Peter Lennis Crosspointe Community Center performed a few routines. In one, in Carrollton, Texas on the third a selected card is found to be the Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM only card left uncut after a deck is (visit www.dallasmagic.org for di- “shuffled” in the box with a gold rections). Contact Reade Quinton razor blade. The rest of the pack [email protected] (972- was shredded. A marked coin was 400-0195) www.dallasmagic.org mixed into a bag of treasure and was later found locked in a metal for more details. box that could only be opened with a key. Magic in February Finally, Peter performed a card to impossible location that was Springfield, MA— We simply jaw-dropping. A signed and held our annual after-the-holidays dated card was found in a greeting dinner in January, and it was a big card, inside a velvet bag, which hit! A big thank you to all who was inside Peter’s backpack… came, especially our guests and fifteen feet away from the perNational President Christopher formance space. Peter did not go Bontjes. near the bag, and a freely chosen Ed Kazar started off our member removed the velvet bag February meeting with a bang. and card from the backpack. Well First, he made two coins and a done, Peter! —P.J. Pinsonnault handkerchief pass through a solid Dr. I.R. Calkins Assembly 17 glass several times. He followed meets the first Friday of every this with some rope work, ending month at 7 pm at Pinsonnault Mowith a travelling knot that popped to-X-Equipment, 69 East Street, off the rope for a nice finish. Ludlow, MA Contact Rich Gilbert Next up, Tom Gentile performed [email protected] (413) a two-person mind reading stunt. 210-5725 www.assembly17.org for Rich Gilbert performed Myth, a more details. multiple revelation routine that went over very well. Each revelaJohn Guastaferro tion trumped the one before it, and Lectures Rich’s persona fits this routine very well. Pj Pinsonnault performed Los Angeles, CA— Back Bill Goodwin’s Hold the Mayo, from the Magi-Fest held in producing the four Aces; he used Columbus, Ohio, in January, those Aces in his own Copperfield where he lectured and performed, Collectors routine. Richard Pin- John Guastaferro presented his sonnault performed some offbeat lecture to the Southern Califorcard magic tonight. First was nia Assembly 22 on February 18, Killer Climax, followed by Paul 2013. Prior to the lecture, a short Harris’s El Warpo, in which the business meeting was called to audience is transported inside the order by Assembly President Jim card case. He ended with David Callen. Our Secretary, PNP Ed Thomas, provided registration Regal’s Disposable Deck. Leonard Nadeau performed an information for both the 2013 escape of sorts, though it was a S.A.M. convention in Alexandria, rubber ring that magically escaped Virginia, and the 2014 combined from a loop of rope that was tied to S.A.M./I.B.M. convention in St. Leonard’s wrists. Kyle Barbacki, Louis. Ed, of course, encouraged in his second meeting with us, all to attend if possible. Several performed a hands-off effect visiting magicians from the Los

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David Knight introduces Kevin Spencer via Skype A number of topics were covered. Kevin discussed the inspiration and concept of illusions, and the value of working with excellent people. He also talked about the value of dance and acting classes, and the wonderful advice passed on from greats like Doug Henning – “Be yourself.” Touring shows were also discussed, and how today’s economy, fuel prices, and ticket sales affect the success of a tour. Kevin briefly discussed his

12 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

Assembly News Magicos magic club were introduced, and then a first reading was conducted on the membership application of Greg Johnson. With business concluded, it was time for the lecture. John Guastaferro is a Los Angeles area part-time professional performer, with a full-time career in marketing and advertising. He performs for corporate and trade events as well as being a frequent Magic Castle performer. His lecture is scheduled for the Magic Castle in April. The lecture is predominantly card magic, at which he is very skilled. The effects in the lecture were all very entertaining and are part of John’s performance repertoire. Everything in the lecture is within the grasp of magicians moderately skilled in handling cards, assuming they devote the requisite practice to learn the effects. Particularly impressive was his opening effect, Truth in Advertising, The Invisible Opener, Multi-Mental (a multiple selection routine), and Guastaferro’s signature effect, Vino Aces (a four-Ace trick). John had a very nice set of lecture notes available (a sixty-page book) and two other books Ready, Set, Guastaferro and One Degree, from which the lecture was drawn. Considering his graphic arts background, all of these materials are very nicely produced. On his website he also has available some additional material including several DVDs. As usual, the activity around the sales table was lively and John remained long after the lecture with our members. —Steven L. Jennings Southern California Assembly 22 meets the third Monday each month at 8:00 P.M., St. Thomas Moore Parish Hall, 2510 South Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, California Contact Ed Thomas [email protected] (213) 382 8504 for more details.

23

WINTER WIZARDRY

WASHINGTON, DC— Our Washington wizards warmed up the cold night air at the National Press Club with winter wizardry at their monthly meeting in February.    Noland Montgomery started off the evening asking Larry Lipman to select a card from a deck which then was lost in the pack. Noland apparently could not find the card, but two other cards acted as a plunger to reveal the selection. Larry was the next performer of

the evening. Using background music, he did a torn-and -restored rope and linking rope effects. He also presented an effect in which the scarf selected by Laurie Curry matched a prediction.

Matt Hiller and Jim Flanigan produce giant silk Matt Hiller displayed his mastery of card handling with a mind-reading twist. An Eight of Hearts, which had been chosen by a spectator, was quickly revealed. Three other cards were revealed in a Triumph-style effect. Dwight Redman did a variation of Stewart James’s Further Than using blank prediction cards to produce a chosen card. Jonathan Walker presented a card effect to the theme that “absence makes the heart grow stronger” as he asked Laurie Curry to name one card. She picked the Queen of Hearts. He then showed her that the selected card had vanished.  Eric Feinberg opened a series of close-up effects with color-changing CDs, next did a zig-zag lady using a giant Queen of Hearts, and then showed a picture of Pinocchio, whose nose grew every time he told a lie.                      Laurie Curry demonstrated maneuvers with a giant sponge frog she obtained at the annual Kapital Kidvention held in Washington. Jim Flanigan concluded the evening with a card effect he called the Spooky Shuffle. He was able to find Matt’s mentally selected card. —Laurie Curry and Jim Flanigan Assembly 23 meets on the Third Wednesday of the month at National Press Club 529 14th Street Northwest. Washington, DC. For more information contact Jim Flanigan jflanigan@ aol.com (202) 494-7302 or go to: http://assembly23.blogspot.com/

25

Rope and Marked Card

Fairlawn, NJ— The meeting theme was ropes and marked, key, and crimped cards.

First up was President Phil Schwartz, or as he calls himself, “Fumblin’ Phil.” (He’s very modest.) He had John Henderson just think of a card. Phil cut the deck in half a few times and instructed John to reassemble it according to its suit and its value. Phil looked through the deck and determined that John’s card was the Eight of Clubs! The surprising finish came as Phil spread the deck. It was all blank cards! Phil explained this was Rick Castro’s The MindReader. John Henderson had a knot tied in the middle of two ropes and a silk tied onto them with two bracelets and a wand. By removing the wand, all were released! Then John cut a deck and used the top two cards to determine another card’s value and suit. John spelled that card and on the last letter, produced it! Bill Schmeelk cut the deck and John memorized one half and had Bill shuffle the two halves together. John dealt out six pairs face down and was able to identify their individual colors. Then he identified the suits of twelve other cards. John credited Si Stebbins along with Stewart James and Martyn Smith. Richard Bangs was next with his version of Jacob Daley’s Cavorting Aces. Then Rich did his own trick, Sidewinder, in which a Queen convincingly stretched to twice her regular length. Meir Yedid had three cards selected in a very fair manner, with a cut, a riffle and a peek. He named them all. This was based on a book test Meir used to do. Ron Wohl brought along fiftyseven marked decks! He showed us Deland decks, including Daisy, Star, Million Dollar decks, to name a few. Most interesting was the “juice” deck, which not even magicians could read without lots of practice. The amazing Danny Sylvestri had Bill Schmeelk freely select and sign a card from a shuffled deck, replaced in the deck in its card case, and Danny revealed it. The climax came when Danny showed a card previously placed in his pocket. It proved to be Bill’s signed card! Tony Gerbio did a version of the Panama Rope Mystery and a ring and rope routine. Tony said the cut and restored rope was the first trick he ever learned. The magic was as lively as ever. Come visit and see for yourself! —Del Dixon Assembly 25 meetings are held the third Friday of the month at the VFW Hall, 6 Veterans Place, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 Contact

Phil Schwartz quackmagicphil@ aol.com (973) 263-4419 www. livemagicguide.com/sam25 for more details.

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Mucho Magic Providence, RI— As the blizzard rolls into New England, we look back on some great times at RISM. Tony Karpinski demonstrated his beautifully crafted apparatus, including magazine racks, flexible mirrors, and Walter Gibson’s Rotating Production Box. It is easy to see that many hours of thought and labor go into each piece. There was also a chance to learn some magic as Sean Dale, Dave Hill, Ed Hill, and Cameron Ramsay each took the role of teacher. From Cups and Balls and Coins Across, to paper napkin roses, there was something for everyone to enjoy and learn. A fine Chinese buffet awaited us, as the club celebrated the winter holidays with food, prizes, and magic. Dennis Pimental, Joseph and Kathy Caulfield, and Baxter the dog presented some great magic. Lord and Lady BlackSword (The Caulfields) presented some great magic, including a baffling three-card prediction and Duke Verona. There was great animal magic, as doves and rabbits appeared and vanished. As the highlight, Dennis performed the Floating Lady, a beautiful illusion. Thanks to everyone who volunteers their time and talent to make RISM a great club! —Chris Natale Assembly 26 meets the first Tuesday each month from September to June at 7 pm. American Legion Auburn Post 20, 7 Legion Way, Cranston RI.

30

Teaching a Count

Atlanta, GA— Jim Driscoll was our emcee in the absence of Debbie Leifer. Dan Garrett had someone think of a card and he found the card emotionally. Dan formed a heart with his hands and a sponge heart magically appeared. The sponge heart split into two and, behold, the chosen card was the Two of Hearts. Terry Wenham performed Unduly Influenced You from his publication Elegant and Other Things of Beauty. Terry had a pack in which the backs were all different and all but two of the faces were the same. The pack was cut and two people looked at a card. The spectators were asked

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 13

Assembly News to cover their eyes and think stop. They stopped at their cards, which were the two different cards. Jim Driscoll used an old casino deck with cards from various casinos as a museum of playing cards. Jim used this deck in a matching effect. Mal Simpson asked four people to participate in a poker hand. He asked each to look at the cards in the middle of their hand, remember that card, and bury the hands in the deck. Mal asked questions about the cards and with his prodigious skill found all four cards. Jim Mangham played a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors with three spectators moving objects around; he was able to tell where each item was at the end. Rick Hinze took a gold dollar and switched the coin in someone’s hand. The dollar became a quarter, and then changed back to the dollar again. Joe Morrison had a blank deck and a regular deck. Cards were chosen and placed face down on the table. Joe pulled several cards from the blank deck; when revealed, they had printing on them and matched the chosen cards on the table. Martin Baratz presented a bit of hypnotism and influence in choosing a card. He asked someone to think of a shape on a card. When a card was selected, it was the one that had the writing of the shape on it. We then had a cameo appearance by Dr. Conundrum and his boy, Hans. The good doctor performed a jumping knot routine and Hans did a three-coin routine. Thanks to Dan Garrett and Merritt Ambrose for a taste of their new show. John Miller presented the Professional Development portion of our evening. John’s Teach a Trick was on the Elmsley count, the Jordan count, the Ascanio spread, and the Trabucco twist. John presented a history of each sleight and presented a trick that illustrated the sleights. —Carol Garrett Assembly 30 meets the second Tuesday of the month at Piccadilly Cafeteria, I-85/North Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, Georgia.

31

Romantic Magic at Assembly 31

Indianapolis,

IN—

February was the month for valentines and romance. Thus, our theme was “Magic From the Heart.” Our hearts were warmed with stories of valentine flowers, the two streams of life, dreams that

come true, and magic parasols. Jim Croop kicked off the evening of romantic magic with the Anniversary Waltz using the Doc Eason handling originally described by Chris Carter. He introduced it as two people, two cards, and two streams of life. Daniel Lee followed up with the Hula Fusion version of the same effect by Carl Andrews. They both were assisted by our very own romantic couple, Christian and Katalina Painter.

silks, we relearned the art of tying a square knot and then learned the mysteries of the dissolving knot and the pull-apart knots. Taylor is an excellent teacher and his oneon-one tutoring was “knot” in vain.—Dale Benson Assembly 31 meets the first Monday of the month at 7:00 pm. If the first Monday conflicts with a holiday weekend, we postpone the meeting by one week. Unless otherwise announced, the meeting location is the Irvington United Methodist church, 30 Audubon Road, on the east side of the city. Contact Steve Spence sspence@ mediationalternative. com (317) 507-4534 www.sam31.com for more details.

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Magic made from Wood Christian Painter assisting Jim Croop Mike Root told us the story of the valentine flower he had purchased for his wife, which, unfortunately, fell off the stem and could not be found. The story had a happy ending as the flower eventually reappeared and Mike was able to salvage his Valentine’s Day remembrance. Tom Winterrowd then shared an effect he has been doing for sixty years. It had to do with his breakaway parasol (also sixty years old) and mysterious silks that his wife found in her purse in place of the money she was looking for. Christian and Katalina topped off the evening with their version of Woody Aragon’s The Other Half. They called it dreams. We each were given four dreams (cards). After tearing them in half followed by a series of random discards and shuffles, the two remaining halves matched, thus demonstrating that dreams do come true in the month of romance. As a bonus, Christian taught us a coin trick, Impromptu Change, which appeared in the March 2013 M-U-M. A highlight of the evening was Christian and Katalina reporting on their recent trip to Japan. They were much impressed with the rigor of magic rehearsals, the expertise of the deaf magicians, and the magic bars for which admission is $100 per person for two hours. Taylor Martin was our professor for our monthly teaching session. This month’s lesson was from Volume 3 of Tarbell, pages 308-310. Using eighteen-inch

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Lynchburg,

VA—

Assembly 32 had a small, but devoted magic group gather for its February meeting. At the start of the meeting, President Patrick Hubble presented the S.A.M.’s membership packet to our newest assembly member Michael Kinnaird and he welcome Mike to all things magical. What followed was John Jennings with card control methods that were demonstrated for a teach-in part of the program. John continued his presentation as he transitioned to the theme of the evening, which was “Magic Made From Wood.” He showed a wooden frame (with two doors and empty inside) that then was closed; when opened, it had the chosen card inside. John also performed an effect with a box and silks, the workings of which was revealed to those attending. It was a homemade (out of wood, of course) flip-over box with a built-in dye tube. The box was passed around for others to study its construction. Compeer Bob Staton took the floor and borrowed a “marked bill,” which he then vanished from under a hank and had it appear in a small box. The most interesting aspect was that Bob used a box that was designed after the Lippincott Box, but with very clever revisions to the design that Bob made and constructed himself. His background as an architect was showing through. Before closing, Bob presented a counting card effect that he mentioned was still a “work in progress.” Patrick Hubble was up next with a nicely constructed produc-

tion box that could hold a sizable load (up to bunny size if needed). Patrick finished with a sleight-ofhand vanish of a clothes pin. Yes, a wooden type clothes pin. The last of the evening’s performers was Bob Wallin, who started off with moves using a wooden thimble, he then presented a very well made (Clarence Miller type) wooden finger chopper, and he ended with a deluxe model of the optical illusion boomerangs, one made from dark color wood and the other using a lighter wood. The meeting’s final entertainment came with Bob Wallin presenting his handling of the Wayne Houchin card effect, Indecent (just saying that a selected card ends up in a plastic bag, doesn’t do the effect justice – this is worth seeing). Bob had attended a Houchin lecture not too many months back and thereby had the video of Wayne Houchin himself performing the effect – which Bob played for the viewing of the members in attendance. Our Assembly hopes for many more good meetings like this one…knock on wood. —John Jennings Assembly 32 meets the third Tuesday at 7:00PM at Tharp Funeral Home, 220 Breezewood Drive, Lynchburg, VA. Contact John Jennings investigatefire@ aol.com (434) 851-6240 for more details.

35

READ IT AND WEEP FOR $500

Poughkeepsie, NY— Our February meeting brought back an old favorite from a past summer barbeque – Joel-Party. Derrin BerGer with the help of Frank Monaco, Terry Morgan, and probably a few other people who would prefer to remain nameless (or maybe blameless), put together another fun round of our assembly’s favorite game show. The first round featured Ron Levine, Darryl Bielski, and Kevin, one of our newest members. The game featured such topics as Tricks of The Trade, Names, Read it and Weep, Dumb Questions, and some other random categories. After a painfully slow start, the game eventually got underway. Everybody was neck and neck for far too long as question after question remained unanswered. Eventually it became a battle between Ron and Darryl. Kevin hoped a category such as Things You Light on Fire and Put in Your Mouth would appear, but it wasn’t his night. At the emo-

Assembly News tionally charged conclusion only one assembly member would be crowned champion and receive the prize of a year’s worth of assembly dues. Who was the winner? Well you should have come to the meeting to find out! The second prize was an actual prop from a Harry Potter movie – which I would have preferred over first place, but different strokes for different folks. After the game, Harvey Berg showed us a new effect he’s working on. As usual, Harvey developed something that is a lot of work to create, but has some interesting applications when used. All of the members attending gave him feedback on how the effect could be more magical or used for other purposes. It’s always fun to brainstorm such things. Thanks To Derrin and crew for putting together another rousing round of Joel-Party and to our contestants. Thanks To Harvey for honoring us with an early look at his next great effect. —Craig Kunaschk Al Baker Assembly No. 35 usually meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at the Milanese Italian Restaurant, 115 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY. Contact www.compumagic.com/ sam35 for more details.

37

Close-Up Teach-In

Denver, CO— Thirty-four eager members of the Mile High Magicians Society met up on a cold dark February night to learn an assortment of close-up tricks and techniques. Local fingerflinger Gene Gordon hosted the meeting and planned out five teaching areas and five teams of students who would systematically move from area to area. “The evening was a smashing success and a whole lot of fun,” said member Melissa Newmiller. Several others agreed. The fun started with a chance-to-

Gene Gordon teaches Bruce Erickson a card move

perform segment instated this year by Vice-President Matt Brandt, who wanted to accommodate those members who were working on an effect that was ready for an audience’s eye. Matt began with a modernized Coins Across routine and our newly sworn-in Sergeantat-Arms Andrew Bates performed a mentalist miracle with the help of a couple new members, Kaleb Mason and his mom from the audience. Matt Brandt then met up with his first group of students and taught some stellar coin moves, including a nifty finger-palm vanish and a pop-up move. Long-time lefthanded member Dale Clynke did a wonderful job teaching an array of rubber band tricks to the teams. He included Crazy Man Handcuffs, Rubber band through Thumb, and Dollar Down the Ladder. Secretary Connie Elstun was grateful to have another left-hander show her the Handcuff moves. Local magic dealer Doug Russell left his Wizard’s Chest post long enough to teach the membership an enchanted sponge ball routine that concluded with the invisible purse. Tommy Walker and A.J. Perera delighted in getting some hands-on assistance. Host gene Gordon proudly displayed his cherished copy of Royal Road to Card Magic as he taught an ambitious rendition of Designed for Laughter and The Sevens out of the book. Glenn Proux and Dean Tellefson were amazed by Gene’s card handling and skill. The final learning zone was dedicated to dinner napkin magic conducted and taught by Gregg Tobo. The table was prepared with an assortment of brightly colored dinner napkins and a copy of Stephen Minch’s book, The Magic of Milt Kort. The center of the table was filled with small items that the students could manipulate by making them appear and disappear within the confines of the napkins. Devoted members Bruce and Kitty Spangler enjoyed the experience. The evening was highlighted with an assortment of Girl Scout cookies available to snack on through the lessons. —Connie Elstun Assembly 37 meets the second Thursday of the month at Riverpointe Senior Center in Littelton Colorado. Contact Chad Wonder chad@Idomagic. com (303) 933-4118 www.milehighmagicians.com for more details.

38 January Magic Kansas City, MO — Our January meeting got off to a rousing start as usual, as many of us met next door to our meeting spot beforehand for some food and drink. Rod Sipe opened the meeting with some announcements regarding magic events coming up in the near future. Chad Bixby then gave us a review of the Amazing Kreskin’s show, which several members attended in a nearby town. Then it was on to the performances. Phil King showed us a great little side table, then did a teach-atrick of a David Regal effect. Dennis Burks had some showand-tell items, and then did a great little act consisting of the venerable Three-and-a-half of Clubs trick, a split deck effect, B’wave, and a cartoon deck. Chad Bixby followed with a clever card in mouth and Ambitious Card trick. John Hicks then performed a four-Ace production, culminating with a separation of the reds and blacks in the deck. He then did a baffling card location, and ended with a Triumph routine. Phil King performed a Spectator Cuts the Aces trick. Sean Rivera ended the meeting with some S.A.M. news and fooled us with a quasi-gambling demonstration. Afterward it was on to our favorite watering hole for more food, drink, and magic. Assembly 38 meets at the Westport Coffeehouse on the third Tuesday of each month. Contact Rod Sipe [email protected] for more details.

51

Rope Magic

Peoria, IL— President Jerry Tupper opened the meeting by welcoming guests Terry, Tim, Joe, and Yvonne. He then gave us updates on the public shows in April, the Heart of Illinois Fair performances, plus lecture and convention updates. The magic theme tonight was “Ropes.” Doc Lowery showed a green rope and a yellow rope. Knots tied in both ropes jumped to the opposite ropes. He also tied three separate loops of rope that became one large loop of rope. Jerry Tupper showed a routine that incorporated the Professor’s Nightmare, along with several

other segments, in which the long rope continued to divide and restore, and the ends and the middle continued to change places. Grant Golden began his part by giving away several packaged rope tricks to the guests as door prizes/ welcome gifts. He then taught two rope effects, a dissolving bow knot, and a silk off rope. Pieces of rope were passed out to everyone to follow along during this miniteach-in. Grant then showed a colorful assortment of ropes that blended into one long rope with the aid of an Abbott’s Casket of Pandora. Michael Baker began with a story using a four-ended rope. Next, he gave a few tips for doing the basic cut and restored rope. He then demonstrated how to flip a knot in a rope. Finally, he showed two Pavel effects, one had a large knot tied into a rope drop off leaving a short stub of a rope behind, and another in which 3 knots traveled from one rope to an invisible rope. To close out the meeting, everyone drew from the hat the name of a common household item, which is to be used in a trick at the next meeting. —Michael Baker Assembly 51 meets 7:00 pm, third Monday each month at Schnuck’s Grocery (conference room) in the Metro Center, University and Glen. Contact Michael Baker [email protected] (205) 612-3696 www.peoriamagicians. com/ for more details.

52

VALENTINE’S DAY MAGIC

SAN ANTONIO, TX— February 7, 2013, Brother John Hamman Assembly 52 held its monthly meeting at LaMadeleine Restaurant.  Vice President John Dahlinger called the meeting to order and welcomed members, wives, and guests.  Welcome to guest Alex Gutierrez.  The assembly welcomed back Wayne Kunkler as a “once again” member. The theme for this meeting was Valentine’s Day Magic; starting off the open performances was Michael Tallon who, with the assistance of Ray and Barbara Adams, did a card effect titled The Magic Hearts.  Joe Libby entertained us with Audio Mind Psychic by Kenton Knepper, and Ray Adams did a Valentine’s twist on the Black and White Surprise.  Don Moravits performed an impossible card effect called Impossible, and Doug Gorman did the

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 15

Assembly News Anniversary Waltz with the help of Ray and Barbara Adams.  Paul Mims performed Shortchange and John Dahlinger did a two-coin trick.  John Murphy performed The Son of a Thief of Hearts and Ed Solomon concluded with a Valentine’s story about Flossie and Gilbert. Lecture Coordinator Michael Tallon reported on upcoming lectures, including Murray Hatfield and Tim Sonefelt.  Tonight’s door prize winners were John Dahlinger and John Murphy.  Thanks to Don Moravits, Joe Libby, and Paul Amerson for donating the monthly door prizes this year.   Brother John Hamman Assembly 52 meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month at La Madeleine Restaurant, located at 722 N.W. Loop 410.  The restaurant is inside Loop 410 on the access road between Blanco Rd. and San Pedro. For more information, contact [email protected].

56

January/February Meetings

Dayton, OH— Our January

meeting was held at the home of Hank Borchers. Paul Burnham presented Bill Hagan his Assembly 56 Certificate of Membership. After the business meeting there was a break to enjoy some of Chef Hank’s world famous gumbo. The theme was “Mentalism.” Magic was performed by Hank Borchers, Fred Witwer, Millie Witwer, Bill Hagan, JoAnn Kinder, John Love, Scott Miller, Jeff Porges, Dave Davis, Oran Dent, and Paul Burnham.

Executive Officer, Paul Burnham presents Bill Hagen w/ Assembly 56 Certificate of Membership Our February meeting was held at a Fairborn Fire Station thanks to Carl Day. We had a quick business meeting and then Carl took us on a tour of the fire house and training

center. After the tour we enjoyed fantastic refreshments provided by JoAnne Kinder. The theme was “For the Love of Magic” provided by John Love. We had performances by John Love, Fred Witwer, Hank Borchers, JoAnne Kinder, Paul Burnham, MDS, and Scott Miller. A good time was had by all. —Matthew David Stanley Assembly 56 meets at various locations. Contact Paul Burnham [email protected] for more details.

59

59th Year

for Assembly 59

Portland, OR— December saw our club dark (although we hadn’t originally planned to be). January, on the other hand, was unusually active. We held our annual banquet at Portland’s University Club, and a fine gathering it was. President Danny Schreiber introduced the 2013 duly elected members of the board and presented a specially minted coin in honor of SAM 59 Honorary Life Member, the late Stan Greer, to the assembly as well as Stan’s wife and sons who were also present. A very special moment of the evening was when Past President Larry Seymore and PSM President Michael Sturgeon presented honors to Duane Duvall, a 58+ year member of the S.A.M., when he was named concurrently as Dean of Magic, both for Assembly 59 and the Portland Society of Magicians (PSM), our local sister assembly. This was the first time for a Dean to be named for either group. Duane is the only living founding member of Assembly 59, which started in 1954, fifty-nine years ago; he is still a regular participant in local assembly meetings in both Assembly 59 and PSM. A 3’ x 4’ vinyl banner with a picture of Duane from the cover of the June 1959 M-U-M was unveiled as part of the surprise announcement. Duane was presented with the banner, a beautiful large format award certificate in frame, and a book of letters of congratulations from M.I. Bontjes, Dean Schindler, and many others from magicians from around the Northwest and the world. There were awards to be presented, of course. The Jack Sorrels Award went to Brian Adams. The Duane Duvall Award for Notable Works in Magic went to Michael Roth. Tom Waldrop was the Showtime Performer of

16 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

the Year for 2011 and 2012. Danny Schreiber was the Most Improved Performer. Magical entertainment was provided by Lon Mandrake, guest and visitor from Vancouver BC, Tom Waldrop, Mel Anderson, Bob Eaton, Satie – Guide to the Mysteries of the Human Mind (aka Glen Bledsoe), Randy Stumman, and Larry Seymore. Art Manning acted as emcee. A week later we had our monthly meeting in which Curt Carlyle, master juggler, presented a minilecture on the value of writing jokes for magic performances. Showtime performers were Tom Waldrop, Eartha Green, Randy Stumman, Mel Anderson, and Art Manning. For one month, that was a lot of magic. —Glen Bledsoe & Michael Roth Assembly 59 meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month except Jul/Aug/Dec at The Beaverton Elks, 3500 SW 104th, Beaverton, OR 97005. Contact Glen L. Bledsoe glenbledsoe@ mac.com (503) 976-9151 www.sam59portland.org  for more details.

77

Duane Laflin Lauds on Making Magic Better

Massapequa, NY— The Long Island Mystics began our meeting discussing all the ways that our club can help our fellow neighbors in Long Island after the wake of hurricane Sandy. We were all in agreement. RVP for the Northeast Eric DeCamps took the floor to give thanks for the support of his new newsletter. For those who are interested in subscribing, just click this link: http://tinyurl. com/samcompeers Bill Gleason spoke on new medallions that were custom built for his new effect, soon to be shared. After the business meeting adjourned, we introduced the King of Silk Magic, Duane Laflin. Laflin’s lecture was 90% new with a focus on how to build a better presentation for our magic routines. Effects with sponges, rope, large card tricks, and a lot more, truly played big for us and I believe all of us took notes. The one effect that stood out from the rest was Duane’s handling of Silk to Egg that was designed around the working pro with no fear of getting it wrong and leaving anyone with egg on their face (or in their pocket). Of course, Duane performed his streamlined Silk Act for us with the prep before the

Duane Laflin adding color to our meeting act, which closed out the first half perfectly with color and beauty. Speaking of beauty, Duane’s wife Mary was on hand to greet all of their fans in style. The product table was filled with all of their newest books and DVDs. The second half, Duane showed the same routine five times with an improvement added with each new presentation. By the last go around, his message was driven home to all of us. “We must all strive to create memories of wonderful magic.” Next month we’re hosting Mike Bent’s lecture on a little bit of everything lecture with a focus on mostly kid show and family stuff! Until then, see you at the diner. —Lou Johnson L.I. Mystics Assembly 77 meets at 7:30PM on the second Monday of the month at The Community United Methodist Church Contact Lou Johnson [email protected] (516) 599-2612 www.limystics.org for more details.

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February-Money Magic Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, MI — We had our elections for the officers and the results are as follows: Dan Jones will serve another term as President. George Honer was elected as Vice President. Bob Goodwin was elected as Treasurer, and Bob Waite will serve another term as our Sergeant at Arms.

Dan Jones and Steve Hamilton- Money Magic

Assembly News Randy Smith was unopposed and will continue as Secretary. Congratulations to our newly elected officers. They will be sworn into office at our banquet on April 7. After the election it was time for some fun, with “The Question Ball,” a large ball with questions on it pertaining to magic, that Bob Goodwin brought in and shared with the club. The ball prompted us to share some stories from our magical careers. Then some of our members shared the money magic that they had brought with them, starting with Steve Hamilton doing a bill change, then Jim Folki with a coin change, George Honer with a two-coin routine done with the Hopping Halves, and Tyler Sousa with a dollar penetration. —Randy A. Smith Hank Moorehouse Assembly 88 meets second Wednesday 7PM Faith Lutheran Church, 1255 East Forest Ave, Ypsilanti, Michigan. Contact Randy A. Smith randy. [email protected] (313) 562-3875 www.aamagic.org for more details.

95

Magic Dinner Live 2013 Awards Banquet & Show

Vancouver, Canada—

A club record attendance of 240 made this year’s annual fund raising event the most profitable ever. With an incredibly funny feature magical entertainer, David Merry, the exceptional pre-dinner entertainment by the Assembly 95 Close-Up Stars, emcee extraordinaire Shawn Farquhar, a wonderful eight-course Chinese Dinner, and the best raffle ever with tons of valuable prizes donated by Lon Mandrake, Shawn Farquhar, Dennis Hewson, Anthony Young, and Rod Chow, the evening was a huge success! The regular assembly meeting for February followed a week later with the theme of “Magic from Around the World.” This was held at the home of new member Tony Chris, who is also a master chef. His culinary talents were well appreciated; the members got to enjoy a variety of unique and fabulously tasty dishes prepared by Tony with different ethnic origins. Starting off the magic was Dennis Hewson with a Chinese coin climbing up an elastic (or one could say the Great Wall of China). Juan Garcia changed a rare Canadian two-dollar bill to a jumbo two-dollar bill. Rod Chow performed Tony Chris’s marketed effect, Bon Voyage, a post card

prediction effect that is very commercial. Anthony Young showed two empty Chinese Rice Bowls from which he produced a number of coins, and then vanished them. From his close-up case (which looked like a ancient book), Ray Roch pulled out a couple of Hot Rods and made diamonds multiply from Africa. Henry Tom, back from his world

Rod Chow, Shawn Farquhar, Ray Roch & Lon Mandrake proudly display their awards cruise on Holland America & Seabourn, transformed a Coke bottle into a can of Coke that just happened to also be a cool music player that he bought in Hong Kong. Dave Watters presented a Letter from Santa routine with Rod Chow, ending with a personalized mini envelope. Jeff Christensen did a mind reading die routine. Lon showed another presentation of Bon Voyage by Tony Chris with a different prediction. Shawn, in keeping with the theme, spoke of the seven continents, passed seven stacks of shuffled cards around, and had cards eliminated until the final card matched the card originally selected by Lon. Glen LaBarre performed the Ancient mystery of the Chinese Linking Rings to rhyming patter. Tony Chris closed the evening with an Ancient box of Mystery from Egypt, and magically produced a glass of his special punch mixture. —Rod Chow The Carl Hemeon Assembly No. 95 meets the first Tuesday of each month at members’ homes. Contact Rod Chow rod@rodchow. com (604) 669-7777 www.sam95. com for more details.

104

Easy does it in Salem

Witch City, Salem, MA— Before our business meeting, Len Lazar conducted the Bill Towne School of Magic class on Money Magic. Students will be getting the night off at our March party meeting. Two guests were introduced on this evening: Mark and

Sylvia Boody. Good news was reported on several local fronts. SAMCON 2013 is beginning to shape up under the solo stewardship of producer Evan Buso-Jarnis. He announced favorable results in both securing the venue for this, our November 9 convention, and in negotiations for talent. Ailing compeers Dick Newcomb and Jim Locke were reported greatly improved. Our S.Y.M. 124 group currently boasts a handsome new website, courtesy of S.A.M. 104 member and S.Y.M. parent Blake Barr. The kids have also been recently enjoying pizza, ice cream, and other delicacies during their meetings. Their February meeting offered them a class on presentation and music taught by Jim Loscutoff and Kayla Drescher. Our guest lecturer for the evening was Duane Laflin, a highly experienced pro from South Dakota, where his stage shows are a tradition. Duane’s emphasis is in “getting more out of your magic.” These are arguably six of the most important words in any magician’s vocabulary and, in too many cases, words too easily forgotten. Duane’s philosophy is simply that fooling people is important, but entertaining them is essential.

Duane Laflin guides us back onto the path In a basic vanish of sponge balls employing a small box, Duane beautifully illustrated the value of performance over technique. As with virtually all of the effects to follow, the effect was eye catching, delightfully simple, and entertaining. Employing another box to demonstrate his treatment of Silk to Egg with the real egg kicker, Duane furthered his point. The Laflin touch had eliminated from the famous trick the troubling use of pockets and a need to conceal two eggs in one hand. It was clean, easy, and completely entertaining. One after the other, the effects continued; ropes, silks, and cards were unified by Duane Laflin’s theme: entertainment value over technique. Rather than shying away from the easier methods of

math magic and magician’s force, Duane embraces them, makes them bigger and more visual; this was a revelation in how to truly entertain. He made me look at my magic differently and, from later conversations with so many, I wasn’t alone. The lesson wasn’t wasted. Respectfully Submitted —Bob Forrest Information on SAMCON and Witch City Assembly 104 can be found at the website. S.A.M. 104 meets the first Wednesday of each month, September-June, 7 p.m., at the First Baptist Church of Salem, 292 Lafayette Street, Salem MA. Contact Bob Forrest [email protected] (339) 227-0797 sam104.com for more details.

108

Magical Happenings

Somerset, PA— The Somerset magic club met in January on a very snowy night. The attendance was low due to the storm, so we took care of the business part quickly so we could get to the good stuff. We also handed out the monthly theme for the New Year. The theme for this evening was new magic, or another way to put it, what magic item did you get for Christmas. All of the youth had new items that they were excited to show and perform. The adults also had some new items to share but because the storm was intensifying we wrapped up early. We look forward to each monthly meeting and looked forward to getting together again in February. Anyone who is interested in stopping by or traveling through on meeting nights are encouraged to drop by. —Dan Miller The James Swoger Assembly 108 meets at Wheeler Brothers, Industrial Park, Somerset, Pa. on the third Monday. The SYM meets at 6:00pm and the SAM meets at 7:00pm Contact Dan Miller miller magic@cent u r ylin k.net (814) 733-4978 for more details.

110

February Meeting

Harrisburg, PA— There were seven people who offered to perform after the meeting. Joe Noll performed Kovari’s Acrobatic Fish trick. John Sergott perfomed a card effect in which he and helper Eric Gerow found each other’s chosen cards. Ken Knott began what was for him a very different type of effect,

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 17

Assembly News a torn and restored card. Ken had a card freely selected and he began the tearing. Somehow a gremlin got into the works and Ken was forced to abandon his efforts. Nice try at something new Ken. Al Bienstock caused a signed bill to vanish it was found inside a can of cranberry sauce.  Rod Ries told his story of having met Dan Laflin at an Abbott’s Get-Together a number of years ago. Having seen a recent advertisement, Rod remembered what he bought so long ago. Showing us an empty tube Rod dropped a flaming string into the tube and produced a veritable fountain of silk scarves, in the center of which was a bouquet of dollar bills. Marlin Troutman showed us one of the first tricks he learned as a boy. Using a rope that was dyed half red, Marlin tied a knot in the white section and made it jump to the red half. Not only did it jump it could be slid right off the rope. Scott Corell showed us his new wand. It had a bunny tail on the end. In demonstrating how well the wand worked, the tail fell off. Scott tried three types of glue to get it back on and only succeeded in gluing himself to his other hand, his belt, the wand, and anything else he touched. The non-performing members decided that the order of finish was: First place – Rod Ries, Second place – Joe Noll, and Third place – John Sergot. Joe Homecheck Assembly 110, meets 2nd Thursdays, 7:00pm, Doc Holiday’s Restaurant, Limekiln Road, New Cumberland, PA Email: Secretay@SAM110. com for more details.

115

Charter Presentation & George Schindler Lecture

Charlottesville, VA

— Assembly 115’s February 1 meeting was a magical night every assembly dreams about. Ours started with introductions by S.A.M. 2nd Vice President David Bowers. Mr. Bowers talked about how hard it is to start an Assembly. Mid Atlantic Regional Vice President Phil Milstead then proudly presented all the current members of Assembly 115 with a renewed Charter, including all the signatures and well wishes that were inscribed all over the charter. John Jennings, S.A.M Virgina State Deputy, then read a letter of welcome from sister Assembly 32

Assembly 118 meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Joseph Caulfield, Esq., Black Sword Estate, 126 Perham Corner Rd. Lyndeborough, NH 03082 Our venue rotates, so contact us first. Contact Robert Granville sam. [email protected] (603) 505 8749 http://sam118.com for more details. Assembly 115 Charter & Lecture Participants in Lynchburg, Virginia. This was followed by Current President of Assembly 115 David Clauss presenting S.A.M. membership certificates to our newest members, Susan Buckley and, in absentia, Bethany Hall. David then explained that S.A.M. Assembly 115 was very proud to be able to host an S.A.M. members only lecture by “The World’s Greatest Magician” and current Dean and Past President of The Society of American Magicians, George Schindler (and wife Nina). George Schindler began his lecture with a history of his start in magic and his philosophy of “Entertainment First, Magic Second” as the key to all magic. This theme was reflected throughout his almost thirty-minute live performance. His wit and hilarious repartee were the underpinnings of some of the best basics of magic ever seen. He proved the point that skill and technique are important, but entertaining is essential. His performance was met with a standing ovation! After a brief intermission, George then entertained everyone present with the explanations for (almost) all the routines he had performed. He showed us an incredible Sponge Ball routine, how to use a Pop-eyed Popper Deck, his awesome Zycho and Polaroid Money, a Card to Pocket, Card to Wallet, and Ambitious Card routine. His $100 bill Coin in Ring routine to Ring Flight was astounding. He talked about the top palm as one of the few sleights he learned and went into detail on the use of the corner-short card as a locator. He talked a little about Sealed Surprise in which a signed card appears inside a sealed deck of playing cards. Following the lecture George talked a little about his days performing in the Catskills; he shared a couple of stories of his long performing career with the group. Everyone attending enjoyed this fast-paced, two-hour

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lecture with lots of humor and entertainment; we will talk about this lecture for years to come. Our younger members will judge all other lectures and their start in magic by memories of (truly) the World’s Greatest Magician – George Schindler. —David Clauss Assembly 115 meets on the first Friday on every month at 7pm at the Forest Lakes North Pavilion Building at 1828 Timberwood Blvd. in Charlottesville Virginia 22911. If you are interested in attending, please contact Mark Davis at 434-962-3019. Contact Mark Davis whiteoakcanyon@ gmail.com (434) 962-3019 for more details.

118

Magic in New Hampshire

Nashua, NH— The February meeting was held at Black Sword Estate, hosted by Joseph and Kathy Caulfield. The Compeers present agreed the Estate was a convenient and congenial location to hold future meetings. Our assembly continues to keep busy performing for local charities and community events. We gave our annual performance at the Nashua Children’s Home this month. Our annual performance to help Merrimack Crimeline has been booked for April 13 of next year.

120

Jan 2013

Champaign,

IL—

Elections are this month. The slate is: President – Jim Percy, Vice President – Rob Higgins, Treasurer – Dennis Reed, and Secretary – Ken Barham. If you would like put your name on the slate, you must be a member of both the S.A.M. and the I.B.M. The club did a show at the Cunningham Children’s Home last month and it was well received by the kids. We discussed the 2013 Get-Together and Ken asked for some volunteers to sell ads for the program in the downtown Champaign area. In January, we met at the Italian Patio. Jim Percy opened up the magic with his Thought Bubble. Roy Stoutenborough asked about the S.A.M. ID card trick and was assisted through it by Chris Bontjes. Kyra Percy showed us Mac King’s Time Trick. Roy took to the floor again and a selected card appeared on his phone. Vic Tarquini vanished a ring that then appeared in his phone. Jim stepped up again and showed us his I-Force. Roy demoed his balloon twisting phone app. Kyra administered a test to several members to see if any of them were Smarter Than a Fifth Grader and showed us her Topsy Turvy Fork. Chris came back with Sliced With a Twist and Prof Higgins showed off his Nesting Wallets. —Ken Barham Assembly 120 meets at the Dallas Magic and Costumes at 101 E University Ave Champaign, IL 61820 Contact Ken Barham kebram@ aol.com (217) 841-5616 for more details.

127

New Officers

Ken Wilson, Jack Flanagan, Kathy Caulfield, and Robert Granville at Black Sword Estate

Wallingford, CT— The only business conducted was the election of officers for the year 2013. The nomination committee gave forth their slate of officers: Jeff Doskos – President, Dave Wyskiel – Vice President, Richard

Assembly News Hodes – Secretary, and Mike Gagne – Treasurer. A call for other nominations from the floor found none forthcoming, and a vote was taken, electing the above slate of officers to be the 2013 officers of Assembly 127. Magic for the evening: Dave Wyskiel, assisted by Dick Hodes, presented two prediction effects. A card Dick chose by counting down in the deck matched a prediction card in Dave’s wallet. Four cards that were freely chosen by John Kedves matched the numbers of the year Dick was born. Two more prediction effects followed from Bill Hoagland. First he did a wallet prediction effect with guest Frank Harrss. And then, with the help of Marlene Clark and Dick Hodes, he showed an unusual card divination. He asked Marlene to choose a playing card and then to count out loud from one to fifteen. Dick was asked to do the same, reciting the alphabet from A to M. Mentalist Bill then announced

John, Dave, & Dick the name of the card Marlene chose – the Seven of Hearts – apparently from the way the number seven and the letter “H” were spoken. Jeff Doskos asked Dave Wyskiel to announce a number; it was 27. Jeff’s prediction matched the card when dealt at that number in the deck. A very strong effect, which Jeff later explained to the members. —Tony Martin Assembly 127 meets at the First United Methodist Church in Wallingford, CT. Contact Tony Martin [email protected] (203) 287-0805 for more details.

129

February

Pensacola, FL— VP Beau Broomall presided over this month’s meeting in the absence of President Nate Nickerson. There was a sparse gathering, perhaps due to the impending severe storms predicted by the weather-

man. The teach-in for this meeting was given by Gene Burrell on his handling of the Hopping Diamonds. We can always count on Gene for a teach-in and something to be learned from him. A raffle followed with some new prizes to be had by the lucky winners. The winners took home some really good stuff to add to their box of tricks. The alphabet game was played by four of the members and all of us got a laugh as they struggled to come up with some answers to the theme of “Worst magician you just saw at the theater.” Jason Simonds showed us a really good Ace production followed by several other tricks involving Aces. Gene Burrell used his red D’Lites to illuminate a rose and produced a red heart necklace. “Basket of Tricks” Dave Kloman entertained us with his rapidfire magic and comedy. Jeremy Sperling place a sharp two-inch needle into the crook of his arm then closed his arm completely. You had to see this one. The evening was closed out with a contest to see who could tell the best joke. Seven members contributed to the game and it was just too close to call, so the winner was determined by drawing his number among seven playing cards. Ben Perry took home a nice prize as the winner. —Beau Broomall Bayview Senior Center, 2000 E. Lloyed Street, Pensacola, Florida. Meets the Third Thursday of each month at 6:45 pm. Contact Beau Broomall beaumagic@ bellsouth.net (850) 994-1060 gulfcoastmagiciansguild.com for more details.

148

EVERYONE PERFORMS ONE TRICK (OR MORE)

Elmhurst, IL— Due to the necessary postponement of a planned lecture, we hastily scheduled an evening featuring our talented members. Your scribe had flown up from Florida for a gig that happily took place the same week as our regular meeting, so he was able to take copious notes for this month’s report. Unfortunately, with his usual efficiency, he left the notes in Illinois, so this is being written from memory with apologies for any omissions. First up was Todd Jabaay who did finger magic – not fingers that manipulated stuff – he used his own ten digits that disappeared,

reappeared, changed location, and generally took on a life of their own. Don Clancy donned his usual bright red fez from which he produced silks in a variety of colors. Turning back the clock a few decades, he then brought out a black vinyl 45-rpm record in its slightly tattered cardboard sleeve. Threading one of the silks (a red one) through the spindle hole, the record turned red, then blue, then yellow, etc. Continuing the color theme he performed Martin Lewis’s Technicolor Prediction, demonstrating that he knew in advance which colored envelope would be chosen by which spectator. Fernando Flores, one of our resident coin men, did his usually impeccable manipulation of the shinny sliver objects he employs in his mystery making. Tony Noice presented and taught his version of the traveling signature effect based on Wesley James’s classic Forgery plot. Still another coin effect, the Cross of India, was performed and taught by Alan Koslow; it’s a beautifully direct and convincing version of the Coins Across. Finally, Martin Mercy presented his own take (using Tarot cards) on a Robert Neale principle. Martin calls his version Sole Survivor. One of the great pluses of the evening was the presence of Todd Jabaay’s guest, the beautiful Monica. Needless to say, each magician whose performance called for an audience volunteer requested Monica. She graciously assented every time, adding immeasurably to the event. —Tony Noice Assembly 148 meets on the Lower level of the Epiphany Evangelical Lutheran Church on the corner of Vallette and Spring Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126 Contact [email protected] (630 ) 993-3740 www.SAM148.com for more details.

150

Magicians’ Triple Header

Fort Myers, FL — Wow! There’s not much more to say about the group’s February meeting. One wouldn’t expect little ol’ Fort Myers to be right up there with Las Vegas as a mecca for top performers, but for a few weeks this burg on Florida’s west coast sure seemed like one. While members were still buzzing about the ingenuity and skill of January’s lecturer, Dan Harlan, another record crowd of more than

forty magish-ers showed up for this month’s meeting to sit dazed and dazzled through a two-hour presentation by David Stone. And in the afternoon of the same day Stone was displaying his talents, Darwin Ortiz lured a sold-out public crowd to a matinee of his one-man show at the prestigious Sugden Theater in downtown Naples. Members showed up the next night when Ortiz gave a special lecture at our meeting room in Fort Myers. The David Stone lecture started off fairly routinely, with what looked like a standard 3-Fly coin bit. But then it metamorphosed into a treatise on misdirection with a card case changing into the deck of cards, coins falling from the case and appearing in a flash of flame from a cigarette lighter, and the deck changing color before a coin beneath a silk became a bottle of wine along with (surprise) the performer’s shoe.

David Stone’s deck: Red? Blue? Both? Okay, you had to be there, especially when Stone explained how he had started the lecture with the bottle in a holder of his own design under his jacket, a glass of liquid in his back pocket, and a handful of loose ice cubes in a side pocket. None of the items came into play until he was well into the routine, and none of the loads caught anyone’s attention prematurely. As impressive as that was, he went further when – after a brief intermission to catch his breath – he showed how to swallow a threefoot long balloon and reproduce it from the middle of his chest. This time, the inflated balloon was hidden alongside his leg, but removing it smoothly was possible only because it was sandwiched between two pair of women’s stockings under his trousers. As he “dropped trou” for a few moments there, it looked like Benny Hill or a Monty Python character was on the premises. A round of applause went to Dan Tong, who already booked

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 19

Assembly News three fine lecturers in a row for this year’s meetings, and to Tony Chaudhuri and Eddy Lester who helped convince Darwin Ortiz to follow up two tiring daytime shows with that special nighttime appearance. —Don Dunn Assembly 150 meets at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at Myerlee Manor, 1499 Brandywine Circle, Fort Myers. Secretary, Dick Payne (239) 433-6885. Contact Richard Payne, sec/treas. [email protected] (239) 463-6885 for more details.

157

Much To Do

Beaver, PA— The Mystic Magicians of Beaver Valley (Assembly 157) have several events on the horizon: Winter Carnival at Pigeon Forge, Battle of Magicians in Canton, OH, and the S.A.M. convention in Washington, DC. A Teach-and-Learn session was presented by Tom Chidester on the Paddle Move with several members contributing. Eddie Ace emceed the performances of nine members. Ed Brandenstein produced scarves from an empty box; the scarves changed into a duck. He requested input on changes from the membership. Don Moody presented his Strongbox, in which he took everyone on a journey through time from New York to Denver with pictures. He had someone put his valuables into the strongbox and locked it with a combination lock. At the end of journey he needed the combination. He added four five-digit numbers on a calculator and came up with combination. This trick will be a raffle donation next month. Ray Lucas showed how to take six $1 bills, buy several things, and still have six $l bills, which turned into one oversized $5 bill. Jim Weyand did a Valentine trick with four paper hearts of different colors. A participant chose two, which were eliminated, then one. The chosen one had written on back “you will pick this heart.” Merlin Oldham had a person write his name on the back of a card, which was shuffled into the deck. He had another person write his name on front of card. Merlin went through the cards and showed that both names were on the same card. Bill Cornelius showed a bouncing ball timer. It bounced every time he counted. When he got to one hundred it did not bounce. Sean Evanick had a prediction.

He asked for a time of day and counted out twelve cards in shape of a clock face. He turned over the card at the chosen time. It was the one picked by the participant and was also the prediction. Doug Ries performed his invention of OMG, in which a die is thrown to eliminate five of six numbered cups. The surprise was under the last cup. This item has been picked up by Murphy’s Magic with Doug doing the production. Tom Chidester had a prediction in a large envelope. He showed a tablet in which the pages were in thirds. The audience picked a segment from each section to form a picture. His prediction was what was chosen. —Judy Steed The Mystic Magicians of Beaver Valley (#157) meet the second Thursday of every month at the Towne Square Restaurant in downtown Beaver, PA. Contact Judy Steed heyjude1943@msn. com (330) 525-5389 for more details.

160

Braving the Cold Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA—

Northeastern Pennsylvania gets it share of cold, snowy weather, but this year seems to be more harsh than normal. Even with the near arctic conditions and blowing wind, members of Assembly 160 showed that they are a hearty group. With a somewhat longer than usual business meeting out of the way, two performers stepped up, but not until returning member Burt Ebel presented the club with a challenge. Burt opened his briefcase to reveal that it was full of 8-balls. Not the magic oracle 8-balls we all had as kids, but real, honest to goodness 8-balls used in playing pool! Burt gave everyone in attendance an 8-ball with the challenge of turning it into something magical for our March meeting. The wheels began turning and the creative juices flowed as each of us pondered how to utilize our unexpected gifts. Jay Kraft opened the performance section of the meeting by explaining that most people think that it’s the magician who does the magic, but in reality, it’s the cards themselves that perform the magic. Jay showed four cards and placed one on the table. He then palmed one of the three cards in his hand, but wait. He flashed his palm and it was empty! Placing his empty

20 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

palm on top of the single card on the table, he made a magical gesture and now there were two cards on the table. He then showed that there were only two cards left in his hand Jay repeated this sequence several times, each time creating a stronger and stronger illusion. We’re waiting to see what great things Jay has in store for us after he turns thirteen. Dave Jaye had Burt Ebel made a free selection of a card. Dave then had Burt reverse that card and place it in the middle of the deck. Dave then asked Burt to return the cards to the box, preferring not to touch them himself. After a few moments of concentration, Dave named the card. Burt confirmed that all of the cards were different and that Dave never touched the cards. Dave then repeated the effect, with a twist. The second time, Dave showed that he knew which card Burt was going to select all along by showing a duplicate of Burt’s card reversed in a deck that was in Dave’s pocket the whole time. —Dave Jenkions Assembly #160 meets at 7:00 pm. on the first Thursday of every month at the Iron Skillet restaurant at the Petro Truck Stop, 98 Grove St, Dupont PA Contact Dave Jenkins djen9999@ gmail.com (570) 8222460 www. nepamagic.8m.com/ for more details.

161

“ROCCO” at Assembly 161

Scotch Plains, NJ— The month of February brought a visit from Rocco, who produced nearly everything except for a snowstorm, which Mother Nature had sent us over the weekend. Rocco Silano has been a friend for many years, because he is a fellow New Jersey boy. President Doug Thornton introduced him by recalling the fantastic experience he had travelling with Rocco and his crew to Stockholm, Sweden, in 2006. It was there that Rocco entered the FISM competition and took home a special prize for Most Original Act. He has captured the imagination of audiences all over the world, most recently performing for half a year in China and another six months at the Lido in Paris. The most compelling and obvious observation about Rocco’s magic is that there are no language barriers; he often brought laughter when, for example, he showed some un-popped kernels of corn

and then closed his hand. There was a loud bang and his hand was filled with popcorn. But that’s not where Rocco ended. No, the man is always thinking, adding a punch line to the ending. He closed his hand again and then produced an ear of corn. Rocco began his lecture with a brief performance. With casual charm Rocco made ordinary objects became magical – vanishing, appearing and transforming. Water that was poured into his hand turned into a snowball. He held out some loose, unshelled peanuts and suddenly they were shelled. He closed his hands and the peanuts were gone, replaced by a Snickers bar. He requested a woman to kiss a paper napkin and it changed into a full size lipstick. Rocco showed us his skills with cards, producing and vanishing single cards as well as card fans. It was delightful to see. Many of our members who have seen Rocco perform before remarked, “It never gets old.” Rocco then spent a lot of time teaching, including his method of sleeving. He kept the interaction loose, asking us what we wanted to learn next. He could have gone on for hours; he found time to answer all of our questions and took requests for various examples of performances. Rocco has a strong yet affable personality touched with bits of humor. We also got to see Roger Mayfarth demonstrate some clever presentations of D’Lites. He talked about the different versions available as well as his history with Rocco. You can find more information at www.dlite.com. It was a pleasure to have Rocco (and Roger) join us for a great night of magic. —Christopher J Smith Assembly 161- The David Copperfield Assembly meets at The Stage House Restaurant, 366 Park Avenue Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 on the second Monday of the month (no meeting July or August). Contact Christopher J Smith [email protected] (908) 850-8765 http://www.sam161.org/ for more details.

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Using Sound in Your Show Colorado Springs, CO — The purpose of the meeting was to share our knowledge of different sound systems, since our member run from rank novices to profes-

Assembly News sional entertainers. Larry Mahan described different public address (PA) systems that should be used whenever the audience has more than twenty people. From simplest to complex they were the Honey Tone Mini (guitar amplifier) if you already had a corded microphone, the belt pack Happie Amp Jr., or the better Happie Amp Jr. Pro. Both come with microphones. The iHome Bluetooth Wireless Speaker could be used if you already had a Bluetooth microphone. The Hisonic system comes with a amplifier and several microphones. The Happie Amp was the top end of the simple systems with several microphones and amplifiers. Wireless music connections, to provide background music, included the Belkin Bluetooth Music Receiver, DockBoss Air, and the Logitech Wireless Speaker Adapter for Bluetooth Audio Devices. Sound Control, for the consummately professional magician that wants to fully control sound, could be done with PowerPoint on a PC / laptop / notebook, DIY Soundboard on an Android phone / tablet, SoundSlate on an Ipad, and Show Tech (or the more modern MP3 Tech) stand alone system. Dave Wintermute demonstrated the simplest system of a MP3 player and a speaker. Larry Mahan showed his Hisonic system, Mark Weidhaas used his iPad and SoundSlate, and Frank Klein described how to choose music for particular performers or tricks. Tom Paine concluded the presentations with his Boombox V2 Vibration Speaker. He pulled something that looked like a 35mm film canister from his pocket. He unwound some cords and a quarter-sized disk from it. He then plugged the cords into a playing MP3 system and we could not hear anything. He then stuck the disk onto an empty cardboard box and we were blown away. Music came immediately from the cardboard box; he could increase the volume by opening the box. He then moved the speaker to a plastic cup (for directional music). When he moved the disk it went from music to silence then back to music as he stuck it on the next item. His biggest and loudest speaker was an empty foam ice chest. About that time, I brought my jaw back up from the ground where I dropped it. It was an amazing end to a useful meeting. —Dr Dave Wintermute

Assembly 170 (Pikes Peak Prestidigitators) meets on the 4th Tuesday every month in the Community Room of the Sand Creek Police Station at 4125 Center Park Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80916 – Come and visit when you can. Contact Dr Dave Wintermute [email protected] (719 ) 494-0171 for more details.

174

Magical Birthday Augusta/Portland,

ME—

Assembly 174, the Ralph Greenwood Assembly, and the Maine MagiKings met at 4 p.m. Sunday February 10, 2013, in Augusta at the Kennebec Community Church. The theme for the meeting was Instant Reset magic for workers. The meeting was attended by fourteen people. Professor Foggy Bottom, aka Robert Rand, produced his lively wife, Mary, from a UF Grant Victory carton illusion made in a giant cake motif. Mary appeared holding a giant placard that read, Happy 80th Birthday, Alan! (A tribute to our assembly’s Dean.) Dennis Labbe followed with three instant resets: an effect featuring three coins and multiple outs, a car key through dollar bill penetration that left the dollar unscathed, and a nice effect with three colored silks, lots of audience interaction, and a Himber-type wallet. Scot Grassette showed us his frog trick, in which a green silk magically transforms into an equally green rubber frog. VP Carroll Chapman showed a nice sponge ball routine, and a nice Out to Lunch handling, which resulted in the production of a mini magic 8-ball. Birthday boy Alan Drew showed us his $1.50 trick, and we are still trying to figure out what happened.. Then our special VIP guest, Deane Stern, was gracious enough to show us some very smooth card and coin effects. He offered to help members with works in progress and talked some theory. Deane is a real pro and the assembly very much wants to have a Deane Stern meeting this year. Your writer, President Wes Booth, showed a Crystal Dove Cabinet he is fabricating and asked the group to vote on the trim work. Then we presented Alan Drew with a cake and sang Happy Birthday; thanks to Abigail Chapman for the cake. We posed for a group photo, and the group signed a picture matte that will

display the finished photo in a frame. Eleven of us attended the aftermeeting at Longhorn Steakhouse, where we were joined by Kent Axell. The wait staff sang a song for our birthday boy and gave him a free ice cream float. Yours in magic and fun —Wes Booth Kennebeck Church, 5 Glenridge Drive,Augusta, Maine Contact Robert Rand rand.robert30@ gmail.com (207) 557-3868 Face book MagiKings for more details.

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Dick Gustafson in February

Hightstown, NJ— Our February meeting was the largest attended meeting of the year; we had the great honor of a workshop conducted by our club namesake, Dick Gustafson. Mr. Gustafson is a past National President and member of The Society of American Magicians Hall of Fame in Hollywood. He has performed on numerous TV shows, including the Ed Sullivan Show; he also has a Ph.D. in Chemistry. He’s more than a performer; he’s a genuine Renaissance man.

During the evening, Dick showed us his handling of a Dye Tube and the production of a glass of water, or just about anything, from a silk. Then, he showed how to hatch an egg in a silk cylinder, followed by a silk through microphone stand with a black thread instead of a reel, a snap silk production using a dowel, and the Cords of Phantasia – all this in one night. The workshop was not all about silks. Dick brought his set of jumbo Three Card Monte cards, an effect he regularly uses in his stage show. After performing the Linking Rings, Dick explained that if they want to examine the rings just answer, “It’s out of the question.” In summary, Dick reminded us that what the spectators really want is “they want to laugh.” —David Zboray Assembly 181 of Hightstown meets the first Thursday of every month, September thru June at the First United Methodist Church 187 Stockton Street Hightstown NJ 08520. Doors open at 7:00PM. Contact Stephan Sloan lands10@ optonline.net (732) 757-5337 http://www.magicsam181.com/ for more details.

188

Hearts and (Paper) Flowers

Dick Gustafson I had, as did several other members of our club, the opportunity to see Dick perform in his Amazing World of Magic show, a full-evening show featuring a talented cast, two dozen major illusions, and nearly five tons of props, costumes, scenery, and musical equipment at the Broadway Theatre in Pitman, New Jersey, in December. It is a fantastic show and one of the best buys in magic. He started his workshop by performing Sympathetic Silks, without switching silks, explaining that his years of performing have taught him that he “just likes the endings of tricks” and wishes he could perform only them, which is Dick’s way of explaining, as Shakespeare did, the importance of brevity.

Orem, UT— Our assembly had a busy month in February. Early in the month we co-sponsored a lecture by John Reid at Utah’s “Magic Castle,” a fabulous private residence in the east Salt Lake foothills owned by magic lover Brian Voiles. John Reid is talented magician and balloon artist. He began by demonstrating how to make mouth coils and offered several clever ideas for their use. He showed the proper way to make a paper napkin into a rose and explained how he uses it in restaurant work. A variation of the Rainbow Deck was very well received and he closed by challenging us to use our skills to make a difference in the world.. Our regular meeting night fell on Valentine’s Day, and many of the wives attended with their member husbands. The meeting began with a good discussion on performance fees and the need to share information about our shows with other performers for referral purposes. The theme for the evening was, appropriately, “attraction.” Card expert Curtis Hickman performed

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 21

Assembly News some excellent four-card assembly effects and shared killer ideas for magically leaving your business card. Ron Carrasco did a funny weather prediction effect with a picture off Punxatawny Phil, a wallet prediction of a chosen superstar, and a nifty number prediction using sixteen cards held magnetically to a board. While Native American music played in the background, Mont Dutson did a romantic mini-Blendo effect performed with beautiful patter about two lovers. David Goodsell followed with a poetic story in which love conquers all. Steve Dawson showed a silly “cling” peaches gag and vanished a borrowed finger ring which reappeared on a wooden spoon. Magical Dave Johnson performed his version of George Hample’s Beswitched, a transposition of a $1 and $5 bill. Kerry Summers closed the evening with a table that lost its legs, only to “grow” a funny new set and a fine version of Cuba Libra. His performance of this challenging trick was appreciated by all and proved that your S.A.M. assembly is a great place to audience test effects new to your repertoire. Assembly 188 meets at 7pm on the second Thursday of each month at the Courtyard at Jamestown, 3352 North 100 East in Provo, Utah. Contact David Goodsell [email protected] (801) 724-9758 www.utahmagicclub.org for more details.

194

Saying Thank You to Our Hosts

Yonkers, NY— The members of the Catholic Slovak Club of Yonkers, NY, provide us with our monthly meeting place, so each year we say thank you in three ways: We provide entertainment for their Christmas Party, for their Party ,and this month was our annual entertainment night for their members. The emcee was President Jim Stranges, who did a brief bit between each act using cards, ropes, and some comedy mentalism. The first act was Del Castile, who offered several effects, among which were the Mouth Coil, Milk Pitcher, and Topsy Turvy Bottles. He was followed by Frank Reyes, a relatively new member, who did Old Mother Hubbard, Grave Mistake, and the Pom-pom Pole. Next up was Ted

Lee who produced coins from his tie(!), the talking Dollar Bill, and then a bill count that, after several miscounts of bills, ended with $19 in bills plus four quarters. Fr. Brennan followed with Then There Were Four, the Malini Egg Bag, and a comedy presentation of Gwendolyn the Educated Duck. The closing act featured Jocko (Jack Pelapako) who did a hilarious vent act using the Axtell Mic-mouth. Jack just keeps getting better and better. The audience consisted of the members of our host club who were eager to participate and enjoyed the show very much. —Fr. Dermot Brennan Assembly 194 meets on the third Wednesday of each month (except July and August) at 7:30 PM at the Catholic Slovak Club at 43 Lockwood Avenue in Yonkers, NY. Contact James Stranges [email protected] (914) 478-1473 for more details.

206

Joshua Jay

AUSTIN, TX  — Assembly 206 hosted Joshua Jay for the club’s February meeting, the first for 2013. Mr. Jay flew in from New York as a guest of Assembly 206 and performed several dazzling feats of card magic and mindreading. He also lectured on technique and offered his sage advice regarding the importance of attracting more young people to the conjuring arts. Mr. Jay’s appearance brought several former assembly members back into the fold, and attracted several new ones, including students from a local high school. I.B.M. member Trixie Bond also gave the assembly a quick update regarding the ongoing preparations for Austin’s famous Magic Auction, to be held April 20.  Ms. Bond is the new auction chairman, taking over for the esteemed Ron Cartlidge. Ron is stepping down

Joshua Jay visits with Assembly 206 members during the February meeting. Photo by Mike Brewer

22 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

after eleven years of hard work running the unique event.  This year’s auction will be held at the Twin Lakes Fellowship Church in Cedar Park, a bedroom community on the outskirts of Austin. For out-of-town guests, the auction has negotiated a special rate at the nearby Comfort Inn, which can be reached at 512 259-1810. Be sure to mention “Austin Magic Auction” when making reservations. (For more information, check out the auction website, at http://austinmagicauction.com/)  The February meeting also was the first for the new 2013 officers, including Assembly president Mike Gold, 1st Vice President Mike Brewer, 2nd Vice President Dan Page, Treasurer Tammy Dietz, Secretary R.A. “Jake” Dyer, and Sergeant at Arms Will Mannis. In January, Assembly 206 gathered with friends from local I.B.M. Ring 60 for the clubs’ joint holiday banquet. Ring 60 named J.D. Stewart magician of the year. San Antonio’s Doug Gorman provided the evening’s entertainment. Assembly 206 meets the Third Monday at 7PM at the Omni Southpark Hotel, I-35 at Ben White Blvd. Contact Michael Tallon at [email protected] for more information.

215

A Hoosier in the Bluegrass

Louisville, KY— We were happy to welcome Troy Hooser back to the Louisville Magic Club in January; he has always provided us with some great new material and food for thought. Troy is adept at sleight-of-hand magic, especially apparent in his coin work, but he presented routines that are within the grasp of most beginners and hobbyists. Troy began with the Two Coin Trick, which was a series of neat productions and vanishes of silver dollars. Troy stressed that the audience use their creativity, because this routine can be done with any small objects. Later we learned more coin magic with a three-coin vanish and a threecoin production that uses the Triple Threat gimmick. He also demonstrated his famous routine Charming Chinese Challenge in which three Chinese coins penetrate off a ribbon one at a time.

He also showed a four-card production routine that ended with a color changing deck, and a linking rubber bands routine that had the surprise of a small padlock “locking” the bands together for a very magical ending. Other novel routines included a sponge ball routine using a box made of four large playing cards instead of a cup, and a fun little routine using a mini-mask (refrigerator magnet) that suddenly appears between the hands. The Mac King Assembly 215 is now meeting at the Kosair community center on Eastern Parkway in Louisville, Ky. Anyone wishing to visit Assembly 215 may do so by contacting: [email protected] for dates, times and places. The Louisville magic club usually meets on the first Tuesday of the month. Other meetings are scheduled as they become available for us. Contact Tom Crecelius medimagic@ cs.com (812) 633-7875 for more details.

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LECTURE ENTERTAINS AND INSTRUCTS

Lakeland, FL— Our February business meeting vanished before it began so we could enjoy our lecture for the night. Club namesake Jim Zachary introduced our guest David Stone from France. Cards and coins magically danced before our eyes as David entertained the capacity crowd. He not only shared the secrets but also some real world tips to take his tricks to the next level. The Lakeland magi were wowed by the artistry and entertainment value of David’s routines. When your travels bring you to Central Florida be sure to join us for magic year round.—Al D’Alfonso Jim Zachary Assembly 266 meets the second Monday of the month at 7PM at the Lakeland I-HOP, I-4 & US 98. Contact Al D’Alfonso [email protected] (321) 437-3814 for more details.

274

LECTURE BY ALDO AND RACHEL COLOMBINI

Boca Raton, FL — On Monday, February 4, we were treated to an entertaining lecture by Aldo and Rachel Colombini. Our meeting was opened by a moment of silence for our late president, Arnie Rosen.

Assembly News Christian Simpson showed us We welcomed two PNPs of the S.A.M., Warren Kaps and the classic Milk Pitcher routine, Brad Jacobs.  Warren is now a pouring the liquid into the permanent resident of Boca Raton.  newspaper and then vanishing it Brad was his guest.  Both of them, with a flick of the wrist. Jay Kraft, plus several of our members, also showed us a couple of the new belong to Parent Assembly 1 in card moves he has been working on, including the tent vanish, New York City.  The Colombinis have toured invisible palm, and the Ascanio around the world and entertained spread. These were all used in a us with many of their experi- traveling Aces routine. Very well ences.  They presented us with done. Jordan Benoit was up next many fine effects.  They included some excellent rope and predic- and shared with us the classic tion magic.  All their DVDs and Insurance Policy routine, which booklets were offered for sale at fit the theme perfectly. The policy the modest price of $10 each.  Par- was written in black and white, ticularly interesting was a match and the card reveal at the end was effect from Volume One on match a red King of Diamonds. Great job tricks.  There is also a Volume Jordan! Our last performer, Odes Two, which is on match puzzles. We all had an enjoyable evening. Odhner, did more of a teach-in for us and showed everyone how —Marshall Johnson The Sam Schwartz Assembly to cut a piece of newspaper so that 274 meets at the JCC in Boca when it was spread open it was Raton, FL the 1st Monday of big enough to drive a compact car each month from 7P-930P.  through. He stressed the precise Contact Marshall Johnson at cutting and to make sure you kibitz [email protected] or (561) with the audience while cutting to 638-0043 for further details. keep the routine entertaining. Yes! —S. Patrick Toman Assembly 277 meets on the third Friday of each month at the “Art Space Gallery” (18 N. 7th St. What’s black, white, Stroudsburg PA. 18360). Details at and red all over? www.pmmc.webs.com. Contact S. Stroudsburg , PA— The Patrick [email protected] classic riddle was our magical (570) 242-6821 www.pmmc.webs. theme for the month of February. com for more details. We are trying hard to think outside the box to come up with innovative magic club meeting themes. It’s not easy to come up with new Happy 5th ones after ten years of existence. Anniversary The magic should be black, white, red, or involve a newspaper! Venice, CA— We started S. Patrick was up first as our the night out with the founding emcee. He performed his version members honoring the fifth anniof Tenyo’s What’s Next using versary of Assembly 291. The first black dots on a white card that meeting ever was held at the Aukept appearing. S. then did a ditorium of Mark Twain Middle clever newspaper prediction School. Raul Fernandez gave us effect. He had a random section of our first place to meet and was our the paper pulled from the middle. first elected president. In honor, The page numbers were added we cannot forget Paul Hirsh who together and S. showed a predic- planted the seed for our assembly tion envelope that contained a slip in Les Cooper’s mind. He was of paper bearing the correct total. able to see the assembly come to Austin Alexander Miller was life and be part of it before his up next with his Celebrity Smart untimely death. Ass. This is the blank Smart Ass The past presidents of Assembly deck from Bill Abbott, and Austin 291, The Westside Wizards added the celebrity names in included: 2008 – Founding black ink on the white cards. A President Les Cooper, 2009-2010 volunteer eliminated random ce- – Raul Fernandez, 2011-2012 lebrities until there was only one, – Frank Padilla, Jr., and 2013 which matched Austin’s predic- – Bill Bedecarre. The Charter tion. He even threw in the baby signers were: Les Cooper, David gag for good measure. Cotelessa, Egbok Kobge, Raul

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Fernandez, Peter Fryer, Buzz Hays, Don Kenney, Irwin Kirby, Donald Kuehne, Stephen Levine, Tim Mannix, Craig Mulholland, Doris Roach, Matthew Savin, Alex Scianna, Wendy Sobel, Bill Turner, Bill Thacker, Tom Meseroll, and Paul Hirsch (in memoriam). The night continued with Christopher Cory’s presentation of making balloon animals. After that , President Bill Bedecarre presented a slideshow that showed the history to the present of Assembly 291. A wonderful cake was included in our celebration. For the rest of the night we enjoyed our monthly raffles and had a freeform impromptu show by different members demonstrating their magical skills. We also welcomed two new members: Raphael Monsch and Jeffrey Cowan; we hope you enjoy our time together as much as we do. Let this be the foundation for more magical years to come. Assembly 291 will be hosting the 80th PCAM at the Marriott Hotel in Burbank, CA August 1-4, 2013, which can be accessed by going to www.pcam2013.com. —William Dow Jr. Assembly 291 meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month at The Boys and Girls Club of Venice, Community Room, 2232 Lincoln Blvd, Venice. Parking at the Boys and Girls Club of Venice is limited but can also be found on Lincoln Contact Les Cooper [email protected] (310) 473-1820 www.westsidewizards.org for more details.

292

A REAL MIRACLE

Greeley, CO— Our February meeting included a miraculous “meaningful coincidence” (a Jungian “synchronicity”). We always try to give attendees handouts or their choices from quantities of used magic magazines (with young people choosing first). During a brief business meeting over lunch, Ron Dutton opened one of the give-away magazines to a particular page to show and recommend a deck switch. (No doubt there were hundreds of similar passages in the stacks of magazines brought to the meeting.) A little afterward, Lew Wymisner arrived. Later, during

the program, to everyone’s amazement he pulled out his own copy of the exact same magazine, opened it to the same page, and began showing and recommending the same deck switch…until he was stopped and clued in on the synchronicity! During lunch, we welcomed back James Dinnebeck. Also, we recommended the free Big Geek Daddy.com emailed magician videos. We enjoyed Lew’s updates and hilarious reminiscences. Lloyd Worley did a card trick for Teagan Brown, and then gave him the prop (a marked Phoenix deck). Our entertaining program theme was “I Can’t Believe I Bought This.” Rich Nakata opened with four scruffy tricks. Lloyd showed a useless Acrobatic Silks. Bryan Koch played the game, and then asked help with a work-in-progress inspired by Harvey Berg’s Ne Plus Ultra book test. Bryan’s complex mnemonics covered seven real Harry Potter books. Ron gave away three pathetic production items. Teagan told of a poor three-decks-of-cards deal. Lew contrasted two card fountains. He showed a bad one and demonstrated a good one made by the late Marcello Contento. Lew also contrasted a total-rip-off billet box, and the Chameleon Chest from Collectors’ Workshop. “The Great Loudini” provided a closing act, assisted by Marilyn Dutton and Teagan. He performed the no-switch Timeless wristwatch effect by Liam Montier with Andi Gladwin and Joshua Jay. A week later, several members went to see the smash-hit magic show of Adam Trent. He announced that he had performed on that stage in 1999 during a Magic in the Rockies convention. He then threw a spotlight on and recognized MITR principals Ed Hurtubis and Lew Wymisner in the audience. No wonder Adam is already an international star. The very next day Adam emailed each of our show-biz pros to ask for his suggestions to improve the show. —Ron Dutton The Dr. Ronald P. Dutton Assembly 292 usually meets at Kenny’s Steak House, 3502 West 10th Street (corner of 35th Avenue), at 11:00 A.M. (lunch optional), on the second Saturday of the month. Contact Dr. Lloyd Worley l loyd@worley t hew i za rd.com (970) 356-3002 www.SAM292. com for more details. 

Go to: www.mum-magazine.com and use the easy submission form to file your report APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 23

New Members & Reinstatements New Members Altman, Bob Hacienda Heights, CA Bates, Andrew Denver, CO Bauman, Jason North Babylon, NY Beal, Jeffrey Gastonia, NC Bieringer, Gary Greenfield, WI Brausa, Richard Topeka, KS Brown, Jeffrey Newport News, VA Buckley, Susan Ruckersville, VA Bullock, Gary El Mirage, AZ Butters, Randy Browns Mills, NJ Carll, Jenna Austin, TX Carlon, Mark Bloomington, IL Carlsen, Rune Fetsund, Norway Cohn, Jonathan Overland Park, KS Crawford, Ian Peterborough, Canada Davis, James Wantagh, NY Devacmaker, John Middlesex, UK Dinh, Vo Rochester, NY Dobbs, John Calais, ME Dreyfuss, Daniel Boca Raton, FL Duchek, Robert New Berlin, WI Dymek, Mark

Dorchester, MA Eddings, Richard Arlington, VA Evans, William Ellis Springfield, MO Feng, David Charlotsville, VA Fredericks, Jay Vancouver, WA Garcia, Peter Austin, TX Hall, Bethany Ruckersville, VA Helwig, John Columbus, OH Holtan, Daniel Arlington, VA Hughes, Elizabeth Kensington, MD Hutchinson, Grant Sacramento, CA Johnson, Greg San Gabriel, CA Kinnaird, Mike Lynchburg, VA Kobayashi, Luke Honolulu, HI Layton, Tyson Odenton, MD Liss, Jonathan Columbus, GA Mcdowell, Michael Nassau, NY Meyers, Barbara A Ottawa, IL Montero, Isaiah C Honolulu, HI Morgan, Jeffrey Burke, VA Morris, Scott A Bellmore, NY Muschweck, Carl Port St Lucie, FL Myer, Brandon East Hanover, NJ

Niccolini, Rob Ellicott City, MD Nicholson, Christopher Sterling, VA Perez, Kresnier Sugar Land, TX Pimpinella, Brennan Utica, NY Plumer, Trevor M Montebello, NY Quioan, Gregorio L San Gabriel, CA Rigby, Jim Arlington, VA Roskelly, Edward Long Branch, NJ Salinas, Raul Laredo, TX Saunders, David O Saline, MI Savva, John Burlingame, CA Selnick, Danny Alexandria, VA Simpson, Michael Franklin Square, NY Smith, John Cheadle Hulme, UK Staudohar, James Scottsdale, AZ Steigrod, Alan Boca Raton, FL Steiro, Rune Utsira, RO Norway Swaminathan, Kaushik East Brunswick, NJ Tsang, Angie Sunnyvale, CA Tyner, Roy Tulsa, OK Urbam, Gene Phoenix, AZ Ward, Jes Denver, CO Wilson, D Scott

Compete in the S.A.M. Contests of Magic At the National Convention July 3-6, 2013 There are two contests: The Dr. Paul Critelli Close-Up Magic Contest and The Father Cyprian Murray Stage Magic Contest. You may apply for either or both. If you would like to be considered for this event, your first step is to obtain an application packet. To do this, email me at: [email protected] with “S.A.M. – Contest” in the subject line. Please make sure to include your email and your full name, regular postal address, and your phone number. If you do not have access to email, send your request to:

Paul Critelli, 858 Iroquois SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 24 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

Englewood, CO Wylie, Jason Austin, TX Reinstatements Baker, Michael Peora Heights, IL Barnhart, Norman Chisago City, MN Booth, Wes St. Albans, ME Borland, Brad Peoria, IL Callet, Robert Las Vegas, NV Chartier, George Alexandria, VA Clark, Julia Independence, MO Dean, Julian Lindhurst, NY Dietz, Tammy Austin, Texas Fleming Sr, Frederick C Simi Valley, CA Galloway, Robert B Austin, TX Graham, William Fort Riley, KS Guy, Benjamin Manassas, VA Hallinan, Peter Redondo Beach, CA Hlava, Mark Palm Coast, FL Javes, Steven Springfield, VA Kampf, Philip Channelview, TX Kula, Carole Yvonne Concord, CA Kulmakko, Timo Helsinki, Finland Love, John Dayton, Oh

Mc Clure, Michael Frankfort, KY Mcdonald, Scott E Woodbridge, VA Menotti, Francis Philadelphia, PA Meranze, Walter New Hope, PA Mitchell, Craig Cape Town, South Africa Norris, Kenneth Edward Mclean, VA O'neill, Brendan Columbus, OH Quiroga, Guillermo Austin, TX Redenbaugh, Thomas Denton, TX Redmond, Tom Lawrenceville, NJ Roberts, Richard H Pittsford, NY Rosenberg, David Westbury, NY Sanders, Richard Omaha, NE Sandler, Sam Perkiomenville, PA Schmidt, Jill St Louis, MO Stroup, Jack A Manchester, CT Travieso, Jose Miami, FL Ulloa, Fernando Round Rock, TX Vines, Dr Paul L Mccalla, AL Weigand, Gary D Kent, WA Wright, Nancy Scottsdale, Az

All application packets will be made available electronically or sent out on or after January 7, 2013. Please note the following deadlines: * All requests for an application packet must be in my possession by or sent on or before May 20, 2013. * All applications and DVDs must be online as instructed in the application packet by June 3, 2013. * Do not put any act online or send it to me in any form before you read and complete and submit the application form. Good Luck! Paul Critelli Chairperson – Contest of Magic Society of American Magicians

Broken Wands Maureen Christopher As agent, publisher and friend of Maurine Christopher, it is with deep sorrow that I announce her passing. Maurine Christopher of New York City died at home surrounded by her friends on February 28, 2013. She was ninety-two and the beloved wife of the late master magician, author, collector, and performer, Milbourne Christopher. Mrs. Christopher had a distinguished career in journalism as a reporter for the Kingsport Times before becoming a reporter for the Baltimore Sun newspaper from 1943 to 1945. She was the daughter of John Davis Brooks and Zula Pangle Brooks of Russellville, Tennessee. She was a graduate of Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee, earning an A.B. degree in English and political science; she held an honorary Doctor of Letters from St. John’s University in New York. She married the distinguished Milbourne Christopher on June 25, 1949. Her many articles appeared in consumer magazines in the U.S. and abroad. In New York she gained prominence as Deputy Executive Radio-TV Editor of Advertising Age. Mrs. Christopher was instrumental in coordinating national newspaper marketing and produced the weekly syndicated radio programs called “Adbet” and “Stars of Advertising.” In 1971 she became nationally known for her book America’s Black Congressmen, published by Thomas Y. Crowell Co., New York.

Following her husband’s death in 1984, she continued his avid interest in his vast collection of magic memorabilia and established the Milbourne Christopher Foundation, sponsoring awards for exceptional people in the art of magic. She wrote articles for magic magazines, appeared at magic conventions, arranged auctions of her husband’s enormous collection and republished many of her husband’s magic history books. Maurine will be greatly missed. —David Haversat

Eldon D. Wigton Eldon D. Wigton, age 63 of Sunbury, Ohio, a.k.a. Dr. Eldoonie and the “world’s fastest magician,” took his final curtain call, passing away unexpectedly Sunday, March 3, 2013, at the Sarah Moore Home in Delaware, Ohio. He was born in Delaware on March 17, 1949. A graduate of Buckeye Valley High School in 1967, he participated in FFA and the 4-H group Brown Happy Farmers. He earned his master’s degree in agriculture education from Ohio

State University. Eldon taught agricultural mechanics first at Clark State and then at Delaware Joint Vocational School and OSU Newark before adopting magic as his full-time profession. Mechanically inclined, he could fix everything and enjoyed an interest in automobiles. Becoming a professional magician was a lifelong passion, which he began at the age of six. Magic was his life; he entertained children of all ages from local schools, birthday parties, festivals, and fairs. He participated in the White House Easter Egg Roll for fifteen years. In 1992, Dr. Eldoonie was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for performing 225 magic tricks in two minutes. His act was that of an “Old Time Medicine Man” accompanied by his rabbit Bugsy. He was never without a deck of cards or a coin with which he would willingly perform. Eldon appeared on a number of TV shows, was featured on Entertainment Tonight and on the cover of Ohio Magazine. He was also recognized by the Ohio House of Representatives for performing educationalthemed programs for schools and special groups. Eldon loved to travel and did. He performed not only nationwide but worldwide to many audiences. In 1983, Eldon drove his restored Model-A Ford “C” Cab Wagon from coast to coast while double blindfolded. He never revealed the secret. A lifetime member of The Society of American Magicians and current president of Assembly 83 in Columbus, Ohio, he was also a member of the local I.B.M. Ring 7 in Columbus and Northwest Ohio Magicians Association Ring 205. Quiet in nature, he was a private person, unless on stage. He enjoyed a sense of humor until the very end. He loved all people, but especially the audience and was blessed with a large circle of friends from college, the community, and the world of magic. He is survived by his sister, Belinda (David) Jackson of Galena, brother Melvin (Pam) Wigton of Sherman, TX, niece Melissa (Tom) Rankin, many cousins, including Margie and Fred Saull, who assisted with his care, aunts, uncles, friends, and fellow magicians.  APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 25

Focus on Funny By Norm Barnhart

Situation Comedy Stick around; at the end of this article is a very fun and funny Rubber Chicken routine. But first let’s dig a bit deeper into one of the great keys to adding comedy to your show. Situation comedy is classic comedy. It comes from a situation the performer is in and builds as he or she reacts to the situation. Kid show comedy for family audiences is no exception. Your comic success will come from your reaction to the situation you are in. Often this is classified as the “magician in trouble” situation. Lucy Ball, Laurel and Hardy, Jerry Seinfeld, and other greats of comedy would get roars of laughter simply by their reaction to the situation. Your homework is to watch and study the comic greats and observe the way they react to each situation. Study how the reaction builds the laughs. Here is the first way to add comedy to your act. Accidental Accidents: We love to see people in trouble. Millions of people tune in to the TV show America’s Funniest Videos to watch the mishaps and mayhem happening to others. Most comedy movies and situation comedies on TV are scripted around someone’s foible, fault, failure, or fall. We all stumble in life, so it is a great relief to see someone else taking the fall. The rush of laughter from the lungs may be triggered by our subconscious mind exhaling in relief, possibly because it is not us in that situation. Pratt falls are funny, but only in the right context. Imagine a set of stairs; grandma is slowly coming down, carrying a fresh banana cream pie. Halfway down she trips and goes head over heels down the final six steps. Funny? No! Unless grandma picks herself up and announces, “Go ahead and laugh; I got paid good bucks to do that stunt for MGM.” Hey, it turns out it was her old reliable Pratfall Number Seven. As long as the pie is not ruined, it is funny. In a magic show, kids and adults enjoy 26 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

seeing the magician in trouble. “Odd, I can’t find your card.” “Oops, I burned the bill.” “Phooey, the wand fell apart.” “Bummer, I busted your watch.” Somehow the magician struggles to overcome the odds and make the trick work in the end. It is classic story telling. Magician meets trick. Magician seemingly loses control over the trick. The trick works, and they live happily ever after.

The Beautiful Bird from the Hat Trick Here is an example of situation comedy with a bit of physical comedy added for the kids. You announce that you will produce a beautiful bird from a hat. A collapsing top hat is sprung open and a child volunteer holds it high above his head. You bring out a large foam magic wand and swing it with vigor in circles over your head. After you say the magic words, “Here birdie, birdie,” you freeze, holding the wand high above you. The wand then bends a bit and bops you on top of the head. You react in surprise; bring down the magic wand and look up above you with a puzzled expression, wondering what hit you. The kids are in the know, and they will point to the wand; they enjoy seeing you having a bit of trouble in this situation. You pretend to not hear them yelling that the wand hit you on the head. Twice more this happens; the kids laugh because they can see what is going on, but the magician is not sure who is rapping him on the head. Finally, the child volunteer is given a chance to wave the wand. The magician holds the hat and announces, “A beautiful bird will now appear from the hat.” However, when the magician reaches into the hat, he is shocked and surprised at the unusual outcome. It seems that a bird of a different feather – a ragged rubber chicken – appears! Oops, foiled again. As you hold it up, react with a face of astonishment or frustration and then freeze for a moment and let the laugh build. Remember, the comedy comes from your reaction to the situation. So mug it up. Phase II – build on the comic premise: You now examine the chicken.

Out comes a stethoscope to check for a heartbeat. Give the bird a few CPR chestpushes. Then look as if you want to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but the bird is just too yucky; so you just blow at it a couple times. Then hold it above your head and take a look under the hood. Just when you look up with curiosity, an egg drops from the bird’s bottom and knocks you on the noggin. This routine is classic kid show comedy with a nine-dollar chicken. This is a simple routine I put together, but certainly you can expand on it by playing around and adding more gags and bits of business. The top hat is the folding type and the thin type of rubber chicken is hidden inside under a black cloth flap that is pinned on one side with safety pins. When folded, the hat will keep the chicken hidden in place. If you do not have a collapsing hat, simply pin a piece of black cloth to the inside lining at the bottom of a black hat and conceal the chicken under the cloth. You can spin the hat a bit and imply that it is empty. The egg is soft plastic and is hidden in the chicken. You will have to slice the chicken to make it fit. At the right moment you squeeze chicken like a coin purse and release the egg. This is an “egg-sellent” comedy ending. Comedy Rubber Chicken to Dove: A very magical additional ending is for the magician to make the rubber chicken come to life. The comedy will come from the magician’s reaction of surprise when the live dove appears. If this surprise ending seems unexpected to the magician it will bring more comedy. First, we need a method for switching a rubber chicken for a live dove. A very easy way is to use a tip-over box in reverse. In other words, instead of a vanish, the tip-over box is used to produce the dove, which is loaded in the back panel. You show the box empty, and then tip it over to close the doors. The tip-over box is painted with a red cross and is called the instant ambulance. Just add some wheels from a toy shop. You place the rubber chicken in and after the wand is waved the dove comes forth from the box. 

EBOOK NOOK Excerpt From: Simon Says Written By: Simon Lovell

Description: Ebook, 260 pages Available From: www.llepub.com Way back in 1997, I reviewed Simon Says for MAGIC magazine. Here’s a little bit of what I said: “Simon Lovell is a wild-and-crazy transplanted Brit who has made many convention appearances, is an often-heard contributor to cyberspace chatter, and for several years has authored a column for Jim Sisti’s magazine The Magic Menu. But his main gig is to work for real people in restaurants, bars, and hospitality suites. Simon Says is the first large, hardbound collection of routines from his professional repertoire, and it contains some excellent, commercial material. “The book begins with a section titled ‘The Thoughts of Chairman Lovell,’ which consists of seven essays discussing various aspects of performing close-up magic in the real world. I appreciate the fact that the viewpoints Simon offers are couched as suggestions rather than commandments. This section contains Simon’s thoughts on approaching tables, opening and closing ploys, routining, resetting, tips, and flukes. There is also a fascinating discussion on the subject of invading the spectator’s comfort zone. You’ll find much of value in this opening section. “The fifty routines, gags, and bits of business that comprise the body of the book are divided into five sections. The majority of the effects explained are card routines. Simon includes all his patter, as well as giving you the psychology and theory behind each effect. In other words, you’re getting the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how.’ When a working pro tips this work, I sit up and take notice, because this is the type of information that I can apply to my own routines. Even if you choose not to incorporate any of the routines into your own repertoire, there is much to gain here.” You’ll find that the routine that follows, Heartless, is well within the skill level of the intermediate card magician. It has a surprising ending, and it resets immediately, which should find favor for those of you who perform under real-world conditions. The patter is typical Simon Lovell and it reflects his style and sensibilities. You will want to create patter that suits you. My thanks to Louis Falanga and L&L Publishing for allowing this excerpt to appear in M-U-M. —Michael Close

Heartless History/Comments: Heartless came about after watching two completely diverse effects. First, many years ago, I saw Steve Valentine (another Brit who’s invaded America to now live happily in Hollywood with his lovely wife Shari) do an effect in 28 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

which holes appeared in cards. His routine was different to my end result but it certainly got me thinking about holes in cards. The other inspiration was Paul Harris’s Solid Deception, which proved to me that you could give the appearance of a complete deck of cards while actually only using three or four ordinary cards within a gaffed-up deck. I’m proud to say thanks to these two very good chums of mine! Effect: The magician claims that each and every deck contains a ruthless, vicious, and heartless card – the very one about to be chosen! A card is taken, remembered, and returned to the deck. To a cute patter line, this card keeps rising to the top. Suddenly, the wonder kid reveals the three mates to the chosen card, getting four of a kind. If that wasn’t enough, the middles of all the other cards vanish, leaving the deck not ruthless – just “heartless!” Method and Routine: Apart from being a killer effect with a cute patter line, Heartless also carries the bonus of a three-second reset, which is done during the closing patter. It is such an ideal walk-around item that I often use it to close a set in that situation. Let’s split the routine into sections. The Deck: The deck isn’t hard to make up, but it is boring to do so. Trust me – this one is worth it. (When Louis Falanga saw the pre-video ideas for this book, Heartless was one of the effects that he picked out as being outstanding.) You’ll need a deck and a pair of sharp scissors (or an X-Acto knife). Remove any four of a kind from the deck (I use Queens, but it’s your choice) and cut out the centers of the remaining cards as in Figure 1. This will take you around an hour and will leave you, along with a sore hand from the cutting, set to go. Arrange the deck with a pair of Queens (same color) in the middle and the other two Queens on the top and bottom. Put the deck in its box and sally forth to amaze (after learning the routine, of course). The Moves: You will need to master a number of moves to perform Heartless but they are not that tough. A couple of evenings’ work and you’ll be zooming through this with the ease of a hamster spinning its exercise wheel. If you already know the moves, skip ahead to the routine proper. If you don’t know them, I suggest that you learn each one thoroughly before moving on to the next. The Heartless Cut: Because the main deck has huge sections missing from the cards, the four Queens have been turned into locator cards. They have been made into “thick” cards by the process of making all the other cards thinner! Try this with cards in hand. Hold the deck face down in your left hand. Grip the deck from above with your right hand (Figure 2) and riffle your right thumb lightly up the back of the deck. The two Queens in the center of the deck will give a distinctive “clonk” feel

as you hit them. They will stop the riffle in much the same way as if you were using a thick or short card. Cut the deck (in hands) at this point and complete the cut. You should now have two Queens on top and two Queens in the middle. You can now repeat the cut over and over to leave the same result each time. It should just look as though you are cutting a deck of cards. Two tiny tips on this. First, don’t riffle like a person possessed! Only a very light riffle is necessary for the deck to, almost automatically, split at the right point. Secondly, make sure (and this comes with practice) that you split the deck above the second Queen and not the first. In other words feel “clonk...clonk” before cutting the deck. This simple cutting action forms a cornerstone of the routine, so make sure you’ve got it down pat. The Tilt Move (or Depth Illusion): The Depth Illusion has been explained many times before, but here is a brief description for completeness. The action is to apparently place a card in the center of the deck while actually placing it second from the top. The deck is held face down in the left hand. The right hand comes over the deck, making a squaring action and, at the same time, the right thumb lifts up the back edge of the top card a little bit (Figure 3). The left fingers keep the “tilted” card in position as the right hand takes the chosen card and inserts it from the rear (Figure 4). From the front, because of the tilt, the card will appear to be going into the center of the deck. A spectator’s eye view is shown in Figure 5. Push the card home with your thumb (also shown in Figure 5) and as it squares in let the deck settle back in the hand, allowing the tilted card to sink back into place on top of the deck. Done properly, the illusion is that the card has been pushed into the center of the deck. The Snap-Over Color Change: This move is optional within the routine but, since it does make for a very pretty moment, I always include it. Hold the deck face down in your left hand and take a break under the top two cards (as if in preparation for a double lift). Turn the top single card over onto the deck, maintaining the break. With your right hand, take the two cards above the break (back to back) as in Figure 6. The change happens as the cards are placed back onto the deck. The right hand moves to the deck. As it does so, the

right first finger pushes on the double card, allowing it to snap free of the second finger. This results in the card quickly turning over as it is put onto the deck (Figure 7). This is much easier to do than it sounds. Just for the record, you’ll also need to be able to do a double turnover in this routine. This move has been explained in so many books that it really is a little redundant to do so here. I really think that, if you’re reading a book like this, it’s fair to assume that you can do one. Those are the moves; now on to the routine! The Routine Proper: I open by saying to a spectator, “Time to improve your gambling knowledge here, young sir! For example, did your mother ever warn you about playing cards with strangers? Did she ever warn you about playing cards with strangers who wore orange underwear and carried a hamster in each sock? I thought not. I’ll bet she also never warned you (I bring out the card case) about the very cards themselves. I’d like to show you why this last statement is so important with the help of this antique deck of playing cards. Actually they are only two years old but in ninety-eight years time they will be antique. So, what I just said was not a lie. It’s more a delayed truth. Sorry...I’m drifting again!” I remove the cards from the box and pop it away in my jacket pocket. As I do this, I say, “You see, within each and every deck of cards, there is one ruthless, vicious, and heartless one. Yes, a pasteboard demon that will stop at nothing to succeed...and nothing ‘sucks-seeds’ like a budgie with no teeth! Terrible old jokes thrown in at no extra charge, folks!” As the last awful gag is told, I casually flash the bottom card of the deck before placing the cards face down in my left hand. Then I give the deck two Heartless Cuts to apparently mix them up as I say, “You’re going to get that heartless card! It’s this one!” At this point, I riffle up the deck and split it as if I were going to do a Heartless Cut, but instead I offer him the top card of the left hand section by pushing it forwards with my left thumb. When he takes it, I replace the right-hand cards back on top to leave two Queens on top and one in the middle. I then ask him to show the card around and I say, “Show it to me as well. Yes, that’s her! Look at those steely eyes. This is the face of a serial card killer! Look after your corn flakes! Serial killer...corn flakes...cereal killer...I think that one’s sunk in now!” As I’m saying this, I set the top card of the deck for a Tilt move and take his card in my right hand. Now I do Tilt, taking a break below the chosen card as I let the APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 29

EBOOK NOOK Tilt gap close. I then say, “Wherever I put your card, she will, like a yuppie kicking her way through a street load of tramps, do anything to get to the top!” I now do a double turnover to show the card on top. I turn the double back down and say, “Do you know what you forgot to say? You forgot to say, ‘Wow... gasp, Mr. Magish! I don’t believe it!’ Don’t worry...I’ll give you another go!” I riffle up the back of the deck and split the cards at the single Queen in the center. I pull the right-hand cards to the right, letting the left thumb pull the top card of the deck onto the lower half (Figure 8). The right-hand cards are now replaced on top. I say, “It doesn’t take her long. She burrows like a mole on drugs; and once more (I turn the top card of the deck over) is back on top again!” I now look at the spectator and wait for him to say the “Wow...gasp” line. As soon as he says anything like it, I say, “Do you know how patronizing that sounded?” This is a good laugh, so I ride it before continuing, “But I don’t blame you. The Queen always rises to the top! It would be a lot more impressive to catch her in the middle before she gets to the top! I’m prepared to put my reputation on the line here and try that very thing!” I turn the Queen face down and give the deck two Heartless Cuts to seemingly lose the card; actually, the order of the deck is unchanged. I riffle up the back of the deck and split it at the two center Queens. Using my thumb, I push the top card of the left hand section forward as I say, “I’ve done it! Would you confirm that this is that ruthless and heartless little devil?” He takes the card and looks at it. As he does so, I put the right-hand cards back on top of the left-hand cards and I take a break under the top card of the deck. When he tells me that the card he has is not the right one, I snatch it from him, look at the face, and then say, “Don’t worry about this, sensation seekers! (I put the card face up on the deck, maintaining my break.) Every Queen in this deck is ruthless, vicious, and heartless! Your card went under cover for a moment (I take the top two cards of the deck in preparation for a Snap-Over Color Change). I can get her back (I do the change, putting the two cards back on top of the deck) whenever I want!” 30 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

I now turn the top card (the chosen Queen) face down. A quick check point is in order here as we approach the end of the routine. You should have three Queens on top and one in the middle. I say, “Now for the awe-inspiring finale! I’ll try to find all four Queens. Is there no end to this boy’s talent? Answers on a postcard by next Thursday, please!” As I say this, I riffle up to the single Queen and pull the right-hand cards back about three inches (Figure 9). The right fingers push the Queen forward as the deck is squared, leaving the Queen out-jogged from the front of the deck. I remove the card and turn it face up onto the deck, outjogged (Figure 10), saying as I do so, “Success! There’s number one!” Now I pull back the card below the face-up Queen and turn it up. It is placed on the deck out-jogged, but not as much as the first one (Figure 11). I say, “And another! This is all too much for a lad in my condition...sober!” I now pull out the next face-down card and turn it face up onto the deck in-jogged slightly (Figure 12), saying as I do so, “Three ruthless, heartless, and vicious Queens.”

[Notice how the three Queens are now covering the entire top of the deck. This is to allow you to be able to remove the fourth Queen without exposing the holes too early.] I lift up the back edge of the in-jogged card (the overhang makes this really easy) and pull out the last Queen, turning it face up onto the deck (Figure 13). I say, “Yes, four ruthless, heartless,

and vicious Queens! But I can tell that’s not enough for an audience of danger seekers such as you. You need to know about the character of the rest of the cards!” I grip the four Queens with my right hand (Figure 14) and say, “The rest of the deck isn’t ruthless or vicious.” Now I move the Queens to one side, allowing the rest of the deck to dangle on my first finger (Figure 15). I finish by saying, “They’re just heartless!”

Notes: The Ambitious Card section is not designed to be a state-of-the-art routine. It’s designed to show as many backs as possible before the finale. Although card men may be tempted to

put in other moves, I urge you to try it as written first. It moves neatly and swiftly to the finish and works perfectly as it stands. The effect, as I’m sure you can see, easily resets during closing remarks to the group. You just have to pop one Queen on top, one Queen on the bottom, and two in the middle before putting the deck away. This can be done so it appears as though you are just mixing the Queens back into the deck. This really is a “plum” routine. Try it out and you’ll love me forever! 

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 31

The High Road script writing, char acter development, and act construction for the modern conjuror By Mick Ayres

“Your value is in your rarity …not your commonness.” —Jenetzen Franklin, evangelist It is arguably provable that the finest conjuring happens when the guest is personally involved in making the magic happen. From the stage to the street, creating a “sponge-balls-in-the-hands” moment is the holy grail searched for by conjurers. When a performer captures that moment perfectly, the reaction from the guest is palpable, and that reaction immediately transfers from that individual to the rest of the audience. In the early 1990s, Juan Tamariz performed a card trick in front of hundreds of magicians at the first World Summit of Magic in Washington, D.C. His presentation offered an unexpected twist that caught his on-stage volunteer by surprise – so much so that, despite the limited visibility from the stage to the back of the packed ballroom, every member of the audience gasped and graced Juan with an immediate standing ovation, even though more than half of the hundreds in the room could not see the props from that distance. Creating those moments is one of the most difficult challenges we face as conjurers. Those moments only happen when our presentations shift the guest from being a cooperative observer to being an active participant. Consider the sponge ball example mentioned above. The guest begins participating as soon as she closes her hand around the ball. A moment later, when your ball vanishes, her participation continues as she wonders where your ball has gone while subconsciously tightening her grip on her own ball. She does not, however, suspect anything extra is in her hand because she hasn’t felt anything change; plus, the impossibility of that thought is difficult to accept. So, when she opens her hand and both balls jump out, the surprise is obvious on her face and in her response, “No way!” 32 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

Consider Jim Pace’s marketed effect The Web. It begins as a packet trick with drawings of cute insects but concludes with the shocking appearance of a large, hairy spider on the back of the guest’s hand. The effectiveness of The Web undeniably lies in a climax that no one sees coming. It can be a fantastic moment – but unless you know for a fact that your guest does not suffer from arachnophobia, you risk being viewed as a jackass rather than a conjurer if your guest faints dead away. It has happened. On a far less disturbing note (but with no less impact), Christopher Carter’s Anniversary Waltz concludes with two signed cards being fused into one, which is then left with the couple. This leaves both guests charmed and teeming with a renewed awareness of their relationship in a very positive light. As the guests ponder their experience in every detail, the emotion lingers, long after the performer has left the room. There, in those moments, can be found the real power of conjuring. Careful scripting, theatrical blocking, and precise choreography are tools we can employ to create these moments more often. Reactions on the level of sponge balls and spiders are elusive, but if you adjust your material to generate emotional reactions of any kind then you have taken a huge leap toward making your magic far more memorable. Creating emotion, then, becomes our goal. The question is: what emotion do we wish to create? There are six primary human emotions: surprise, love, anger, fear, joy, and sadness. Every other emotion is a derivative of one of these. For example, after experiencing the primary emotion of sadness, a person may feel ashamed or guilty. Understandably, magicians consistently strive to create effects that elicit surprise, hoping that emotion will transform into astonishment and wonder. However, surprise can also yield to embarrassment or even humiliation – a result the non-practical jokers wish to avoid – so our effects must be designed and scripted with

these considerations in mind. For these reasons when a magic effect that creates emotion beyond surprise does hit the market, it stands out and will be snapped up quickly. For magicians new to the game, those “gotcha” moments can be delightful and appealing, but as the years go by that class of magic loses its flavor, as veteran performers feel drawn toward intimate material that creates relationship or promotes dialogue. Perhaps it is for this reason that magicians become more intrigued with mentalism as they become older. Through its explorations of the human mind, a well executed demonstration of mentalism can entertain guests on a different level than the average magic trick. By divining the name of a loved one or by revealing the date of an important event in one’s life, a mentalist is tapping directly into private memories and emotions. Given these conclusions, perhaps we can more accurately restate the opening sentence of this essay by declaring there is a better chance a guest will respond emotionally when personally involved in making the magic happen. What follows is an in-the-hands demonstration that accomplishes this by offering a believable premise supported by a relevant script and simple method. The result is an amazed guest who, by trusting her own intuition, brings the experiment to a successful end.

Trust the Gut The conjurer proposes that humanity is gradually losing the ability to trust its instincts. A guest experiences a rejuvenation of those primitive talents when she loses a chosen card and attempts to find it using nothing but her intuition. This presentation relies upon you having knowledge of the top card of the pack. Often, when someone is absentmindedly toying with a pack they will unknowingly flash the top card and you can

begin the demonstration without pause. However, if serendipity isn’t available, just note the bottom card of the deck and bring it to the top with an overhand shuffle. As you mix the cards, say, “Have you ever wished your instincts were better? We’ve all had those unfortunate moments where we acted one way even though our intuition was telling us to do something else. Imagine how different our lives would be if we trusted our instincts enough to act upon them! We would be able to conduct business more wisely; our relationships would be more secure – even our finances would be more stable. Believe it or not, this instinct can be relearned – and you can practice it with just a pack of cards.” Hand the deck to the guest. “Please take these cards and fan them out so only you can see the faces. Decide on a card somewhere near the middle. Don’t take it out or anything – just let me know when you have one in sight. Now, to get the intuitive part of your brain fully engaged, hand me all the cards to the right of your card, so you now have an unobstructed view of it. Study that card a moment and then give your cards a cut…like this.” Use your face-down packet to demonstrate a fair and proper cut. After she completes her cut, hold your packet out so she may drop her cards on top. This innocent procedure does two things: it places her card directly behind your key card and it positions it in the top third of the deck – usually about ten to fifteen cards from the top. Say, “Trusting your intuition requires a mental commitment to the task. Have you any experience in being mentally committed? I have…many times. Anyway, create an image of your card in your mind and hold it there while I count to five.” As you slowly count aloud, turn the deck on its side and casually overhand shuffle cards from the face of the deck into your left hand. Shuffle freely until you get close to where you believe your key-card is located. Now run one card at a time. When you see the key card on the bottom of the right-hand portion, stop shuffling and throw the remaining cards onto the bottom of the deck. It’s okay if your guest watches all this; your key card means nothing to your guest, but it tells you her card is now second from the bottom. Surely you have finished your count to five by now. Place the deck face down on your outstretched

palm. Say, “Your mind is now focused on a card known only to you, and that card is in this pack. The question is: where? Our experiment begins now. From this point on, relax, trust your instincts, and be willing to act on them. Without thinking too much about it, please take a large block of cards from the top of this pack.” Once she has done so, spread the remaining cards face down and say, “If you truly focused on your card earlier, and if your instincts are guiding you, your card will not be here…” Close the spread and obtain a little finger break above the bottom two cards. With your right hand, grip the packet from above, transferring the break to your right thumb. Finish by saying, “… but among those you have taken. We’ll find out in a moment.” Extend your empty left hand palm up toward your guest with these instructions, “Please deal cards into my hand one at a time.” Once she starts, continue by saying, “Keep dealing. Just trust your gut and don’t be afraid to follow your instincts. When you feel it is time to stop, do so.” Keep your hand open and flat as she deals into it. Make no effort to straighten out these cards. Here, neatness does not count. Wait patiently until she stops dealing. Look directly into the eyes of your guest and say, “As you went back and forth dealing the cards from here to there, the subconscious part of your brain was considering each one as a possibility.” As you say that sentence, your right hand suits actions to words and gestures twice, going back and forth between the cards in your left palm and those remaining in her hands. Your left hand must remain absolutely still. During this gesture, however, the packet in your right hand will hover for the briefest instant above your left hand and releases the bottom two cards. Immediately move your right hand forward again in a continuation of the gesture. The loose and haphazard arrangement of the dealt cards naturally hides the appearance of the additional cards on top of the packet; the addition of the two extra cards goes unnoticed. This transfer is certainly bold, but it works because there is absolutely no heat on your hands at the moment. Your right hand is obviously not in a position to do anything and your left hand is functioning purely as a table. In fact, to the guest it appears that you are

taking pains to avoid touching the cards as much as possible. Also, the guest doesn’t know where this is going yet so she is relaxed, cooperative, and looking up at you. Raise your left hand to display the loose packet better. Hold that position. Say, “You have isolated these cards from all the rest by stopping at a point for reasons known only to yourself. Of course, there’s a possibility your instincts have misled you. Quickly look through the cards you are holding and tell us if your card is still there. No? That’s a good sign. However, it’s just as possible that your card remained in these you left behind at the beginning.” Give her the packet from your right hand and say, “Please examine these, too. Is your card anywhere among them? No? Then that’s an even better sign!” Point at the pile of cards that rests on your left hand and say, “Obviously your card must be here with these. That alone would be enough to call this experiment a success. But with practice (and maybe a little luck?) it is possible to fine-tune our hunches as we trust our instincts more and more. You felt a need to stop dealing for a reason known only to you. I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to know why your instincts spoke when they did. Please turn over the last card you dealt.” She turns over the top card and sees it is the one she focused on earlier. Now is your chance to test your ability to act genuinely surprised. “Wow! Congratulations! It’s nice to meet someone who knows how to do this better than everyone else.” When you take a clear premise and an engaging script and blend them with an against-the-odds finale, your magic will continue to deliver a strong response. Credits: The procedure for positioning a key-card next to a chosen card in this manner comes directly from Dai Vernon’s Emotional Reaction (Dai Vernon’s Inner Secrets of Card Magic).  Mick Ayres enjoys an eclectic career as a parlor conjurer, storyteller, and musician – and now as a columnist for M-U-M magazine. For the past thirteen years, he has performed over 1,300 shows annually, entertaining guests from all over the world at the exclusive Disney resort on Hilton Head Island… and he is still at it. He can be reached at (www.MickAyresWares.com). APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 33

The Nielsen Gallery Leroy "Piano": Dimensions: 1-sheet - 41" x 27.5" Lithographer: National Printing • Date: Circa 1910 • Nielsen Rating: Rare

LeRoy’s Musical Flight Great credit must be given to people who design the wonderful stage illusions that amaze and delight us. Kudos in particular to Servais LeRoy, who was the originator of the Duck Tub, the Duck Pan, the Jam Illusion, and Asrah (the levitation and mid-air vanish of a lovely assistant). With these credentials, perhaps he also originated the subject of this month’s column, the Disappearing Piano. As the accompanying lithograph illustrates, the effect was presented by the master magicians LeRoy, Talma, and Bosco, although no details are available on their performance of it. They undoubtedly did perform it, or they wouldn’t have gone to the expense of having a colorful poster created to advertise it. The lithograph suggests that the piano was lifted in the air before it disappeared – and certain versions of the trick included this detail. The Disappearing Piano was a very popular stage illusion 34 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

among leading magicians from the turn of the last century up to the 1960s. A review of magic periodicals shows Horace Goldin performing it as The Musical Flight (the same as LeRoy’s billing) and Howard Thurston offering The Phantom Piano. In each of these cases, both the piano and the player vanish into thin air. During the mid 1940s, “Dr Silkini” (Jack Baker) toured with his Asylum of Horrors spook show. While “Frankenstein” was the big draw, he also offered the floating and vanishing piano. Noted mentalist Bob Nelson said in his July 1945 Linking Ring column, “The floating and vanishing piano is still a mystery to this writer and others.” In September 1967, Indian magician P.C. Sorcar wrote to magical insider Sid Lorraine that he had just opened his show IND-DRA-JAL at the New Empire Theatre in Calcutta, and had added many new illusions including the Dream in Mid-Air (Thurston’s Asrah), the Cannon Mystery, the Vanishing Piano, and others.

Thurston’s method involved a collapsible piano. The audience saw a female musician seated at an upright piano. Both the player and the piano were attached with chains to an overhead curtained cabinet. The lady began to play; apparently, this annoyed Thurston. The cabinet, player, and piano were lifted into the air, a shot was fired, and the curtains fell away. The player and the piano had vanished. The piano apparently was a shell that the girl folded down into the platform during the time assistants were adjusting the curtains. A real person playing piano offstage provided the actual music, which stopped the instant the cabinet curtains fell. The girl hid herself within the platform. One photograph of Thurston performing this illusion asks with tongue firmly planted in his cheek, “Does the Piano go up His Sleeve?” Thurston offered this illusion during his 1914 season. Piano stool plans

stage near the footlights. A piano stool is now placed in its proper position and a young lady assistant is introduced; she seats herself and plays a musical selection. While playing, she is covered with a large sheet or throw. Once again, the magician reaches for his magic pistol and fires it at the shrouded girl. The sheet drops, revealing the lady has disappeared. The illusion involves a trick piano stool that has a framework that rises from the seat to take the form of the lady playing. Meanwhile she slips into a hidden compartment in the piano. So, how did LeRoy’s version work? Unfortunately, we have no detail; if the poster is any indication, it was either lifted or levitated and then disappeared in mid-air in full view of the audience. Informed readers know that posters rarely reflect the reality of any given illusion, and we must assume this is the case with LeRoy’s version. It is more likely that, similar to other versions, the piano was covered with a cloth or concealed within a curtained framework and then vanished.

Thurston and Piano (Photo from the Rory Feldman collection)

In his two-volume work, The Complete Life of Howard Franklin Thurston, Robert E. Olson recounts how the magician took the time that season to compile an inventory of his theatrical properties, scenery, and effects. This proved invaluable to future historians, who wondered how many trunks it took to carry a large illusion show. It took four trunks to carry the Levitation of the Princess Karnac; The Barrel of Diogenes took two trunks; the Bungalow packed in three trunks; and the Vanishing Piano required two trunks. One trunk contained the folding piano, legs, the platform into which it folded, and a stool. The second trunk contained a velvet-covered top and similar curtains. Thurston valued the illusion at $300. Given the current rate of inflation, this would amount to nearly $7,000 today. In Houdini’s Conjurers’ Monthly Magazine he describes a version invented by M.M. Wood in 1908 that only featured the disappearance of the piano player. A large player piano is rolled on

Leroy, Talma, and Bosco

According to Jim Steinmeyer, one of today’s premier illusion designers, LeRoy explained very few of his illusions in print and few records survive. Most of what we know is from the imitations that were produced by other people. Perhaps Thurston’s illusion was from his friend LeRoy, but LeRoy often had a level of refinement and detail that others left out of their versions. Regardless, it must have been an amazing spectacle in a stage show loaded with incredible illusions. —Tom Ewing APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 35

Bill Brewe Our Mentor

By Dale Scott & Friends

T

he doorbell rings out a mystical tune, and “this secret door opens.” A balding, wise, yet youthful man appears and with a wave of a magic wand, he changes your life forever! So many stepped through that door and so many lives were impacted by one of the most caring, gifted, and knowledgeable men in the history of magic, William H. Brewe. William H. “Bill” Brewe was born on December 26, 1932, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He saw the Thurston show when he was two-and-a-half years old, and he had to be taken from the theater when he raised a fuss because he was worried about the woman in the Sawing illusion. In the third grade, Bill received a cardboard magic set, and the bug bit. One of his first books was Blackstone’s Modern Card Tricks and Secrets of Magic. He spent a few years learning the methods for building magic apparatus, and he became adept at it. In the ninth grade Bill learned of Abbott’s Magic Company; he soon ordered catalogs from all the major dealers. In 1949 Neil Sweet came off the road as an assistant with the Blackstone show and opened a magic shop in Cincinnati. Bill was in his junior year in high school; Sweet’s shop was his first introduction to a live dealer. He and several other boys met there every day after school. At the age of seventeen, he performed a magic act (using five assistants) in the Walnut Hills High School annual musical variety show. In 1951, Bill graduated cum laude from high school and he entered the University of Cincinnati, where he majored in classics. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa and with High Honors in Classics in 1955, Bill entered the University of Cincinnati College of Law and received his doctorate in jurisprudence three years later. After briefly entering private practice, Bill went to work for the City of Cincinnati Law Department. He served in both the criminal and civil divisions from 1959 to 1974 36 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

and attained the position of Second Assistant City Solicitor – the number three man in the city’s legal offices. In 1974, Bill took a deferred retirement in order to begin custom manufacturing and selling equipment for professional magicians. In 1976 his business expanded into a full scale magic shop at 1685 Harrison Avenue in the Cincinnati suburb of South Fairmount. The store boasted the largest selection of professional magicians’ supplies and equipment in the tri-state area, possibly in the entire Midwest. Of his shop, Bill said, “No junk, toys, or kiddy’s sets. If it isn’t suitable for performance by a paid professional, I don’t sell it.” The store truly looked like a scene from a grand Hollywood movie, with a red carpet and glass cases filled with magical effects. Spanning another wall was a giant glass case filled with books. The shop featured gold-and-red velvet wallpaper and had a fully functional stage at the far end. In the 1970s Brewe did quite a bit of performing, but gradually the shop demanded more and more of this time and he limited his performances to shows produced by local magic organizations and an occasional benefit performance for charities or cultural entities. Bill helped found the Cincinnati Academy of Magic and Allied Sciences (CAMAS) and served as its president. He also served as president of the local I.B.M. Ring and the S.A.M. Assembly on several occasions. Bill died on November 13, 2012, at age seventy-nine. Every young aspiring magician should be as fortunate as we all were to have a person like Bill Brewe as a mentor. He freely shared his time, energy, and knowledge to many young magicians through “The Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring.” The Counts was the oldest organization for teenage magicians in existence. Meetings were held at Bill’s shop. The story of Bill and his impact on young magicians is best told by those who lived it. —Dale Scott

Bill and his mom Edith Brewe. Edith was supportive of Bill and his friends, she treated them like her own kids.

Hague Atkinson Member, Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring I still have the table he built for me to use during my summer at Cedar Point – with the well to ditch the Zombie. He was a brilliant magician and a great supporter of the art. Ken Klosterman Member, Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring The Klosterman Collection Bill Brewe and I attended the original Counts of Conjuring at the age of ten, seventy years ago. The organization was started by George Thompson of Cincinnati for young interested magicians up to the age of fifteen. It was short lived, unfortunately, but was brought to life again by Bill in the late Seventies. Bill probably did more for the advancement of young people in Cincinnati magic than anyone I know. But even for the older ones like me, his experience and input were valuable. His ideas helped win magic competitions; he tutored me on every magic TV commercial I did for seven years; and he pointed me in the right direction when I started collecting magic. I owe a lot to Bill Brewe. Who will pick up where Bill has left off? I keep my fingers crossed that someone will. Bill Brewe will be a hard act to follow.

William Maverick Commins Past President Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring When I first walked into the William H. Brewe Magic Shop, it was like being transported to another time and place. I, like so many others after me, met a true wizard that day. Bill gave up the practice of law to open a magic shop behind his home. When the newspapers asked him why, he stated, “I am giving up the practice of law to open a magic shop because I want to go into a more forthright form of deception!” I was very fortunate to have found a person like Bill to be a guiding force in my life. We attended many magic conventions together over a thirty-year period. Bill helped me produce my first large stage illusion show, which ran for two years for Princess Cruises. No matter what I needed or what I asked him to build me for my show, I never received a no. He was instrumental in introducing me to Neil Foster and encouraged me to attend the Chavez College of Magic. Bill always gave his time to anyone who wanted to learn about magic. Bill loved magic, and he loved helping young magicians learn the art of magic. Bill was not one who was driven by money. The list of magicians Bill helped and encouraged would be long indeed. I was lucky to have spent so much time with him and to have reaped the rewards of his counsel. I feel fortunate to call him my mentor and my best friend. APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 37

I often wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn’t met Bill Brewe and his love of magic. Well, here are the top three things that would not have happened: I would not have traveled the world with a magic show; I would not have met my wife Jennie; and I wouldn’t have my two beautiful children, Foster William (Bill and Neil’s namesake) and Grace. From all the magicians, young and old, who you encouraged to follow their dreams and to work hard to make them a reality, we, my friend, are your opus; we are the magic of your life.

being nervous, but he did talk me into buying my first “real” magic book – Expert Card Technique. The memories of my first immersion in the world of magic are only complete by remembering the kindness and sincerity of Bill Brewe.

Rick Edwards Member, Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring I’ll remember Mr. Brewe for a number of things. The most important, however, is the environment he created that allowed me to ‘belong.” Like most young people who lean toward entertainment and the arts, sometimes a group of peers can be tough to find. I will always appreciate the dedication Bill gave to cultivating a welcoming, educational, and fun environment. I’m certain that all members of the Counts from my era feel the same. Thank you Mr. Brewe! The magic community and your friends will miss you dearly.

Greg McMahan Past President Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring Unless I was wearing a tuxedo and top hat, I felt under-dressed when I entered Bill Brewe’s Magic Shop. The wall of books and amazing displays of magic always helped to reinvigorate my love of magic. Bill did so much to ensure that the next generations of magicians started with a solid foundation. His support for the Counts of Conjuring, of which I was president in 1976 and 1977, was instrumental in my choice to become a professional magician. For that I will always be grateful to Bill. I have devoted every summer during the past twenty years teaching hundreds of children their first magic lessons here in Atlanta. Bill’s legacy will live on in this new generation, because it was his mentoring that inspired me to make sure new magicians have a strong beginning. Thanks, Bill!

Homer Liwag – Copperfield Team Member, Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring Growing up in Cincinnati, Brewe’s Magic was the first magic shop I ever went to. I was eleven years old. The shop was just like you would expect a magic shop to be: a mysterious, dark, hard-to-find, ring-the-doorbell-and-wait sort of place. As a novice magician entering Brewe’s world, I was intrigued by the lush interior, the intense curiosity of the props, and the quiet, confident demeanor of Mr. Brewe. Bill was very nice to me without being any kind of salesman or pitchman who was trying to sell me expensive props I didn’t need. It seemed like he would rather have me pick out a good book and learn magic by earning the right to the knowledge. Maybe it was just me 38 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

Elliott James Actor SAG AFTRA Member, Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring What can I say about Bill Brewe? I owe him everything. Because of Bill’s love for the art of magic he demonstrated effects, spoke of history, watched, and critiqued for countless hours all the magicians who came to him; he asked for nothing in return, freely giving precious advice. We owe Bill so much gratitude for organizing young groups of magicians and for creating contests and shows for us to participate in; he molded us. Bill was my foundation in the performing arts. In life, one is blessed to be given a guru or a sensei. Bill was this – a grand master who was never officially recognized as such. All who knew him will testify to the fact that his name should have top billing with the other greats in the history of magic, for not only was he a teacher and historian, Bill Brewe was the pinnacle of performing excellence and timing. There is no way I can ever repay Bill Brewe for his unprecedented patience in dealing with the uncouth young man who was I; for that he should be considered for sainthood.

Gay Blackstone

Dale Salwak Chavez Studio of Magic, La Verne, California A little known story within the seventy-year history of the Chavez Studio of Magic concerns the number of individuals who have personally sponsored students for the training first developed by Ben and Marian Chavez and later carried on by Neil Foster and me. Foremost among all such sponsors stands Bill Brewe – a kindhearted, enthusiastic, fully alive-to-the-world gentleman whose passion was helping young magicians to find their way. He cared fervently about the art. He knew everybody in the industry. He was steeped in its history. Every one of the Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring he sent to Colon, Michigan, to study with his friend Neil Foster came away with a life changed for the better. Every individual he brought with him to enjoy the Abbott’s Magic Get-Togethers came away with the memories of inspiring performances onstage – most notably that of Neil. In reading the many tributes that have come in since Bill’s passing, it’s wonderful to find that all of them capture the spirit of the man and his legacy.

Bill was a go-to person who always had a smile. My first memory of Bill was after a Blackstone show; he had brought a group of teenage magicians to see our show. Harry, of course, wanted to eat after the show, so he said, “Come on, Bill; let’s go.” The look on the young magicians’ faces concerned me that some of them might have stopped breathing. Bill smiled and said, “I know a place.” I don't remember the place; it was probably a late-night diner that served soup, pie, and coffee (Harry’s favorite late-night foods). But I do remember that was only the first of many show visits with Bill and his students. We performed many corporate shows; frequently, in creative sessions, Harry would suggest a personalized trick for the event, such as a silk or banner with a corporate logo or design that would then be needed in a very short period of time. It was Bill that Harry would call; he never let us down. The banner or the silks would arrive by Fed-Ex, sometimes hours/minutes before the performance – but they always arrived. I am sure there are many stories regarding Bill’s generosity and thoughtfulness, but my favorite has nothing to do with magic. We were working in Cincinnati; after our performance on Christmas Eve we were going to travel to Wilmington, Delaware. The kids were with us and I wanted a Christmas tree. There was a knock on the hotel door; there was Bill and his mother Edith with a totally decorated Christmas tree. It was spectacular! We had it in the hotel during our time in Cincinnati; that tree traveled on the animal truck and we had it in the hotel in Wilmington. Bill Brewe was magic in every definition of the word. APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 39

Dale Penn Member, Cincinnati Counts of Conjuring

Bill mentors a young student

My fondest memories of Bill Brewe consist of many images that eventually shaped the course of my life. I was a minority kid without any magic club connections or affiliations. Bill welcomed me in anyway. I lived on the other side of town and the other side of the tracks. Bill invited my parents to drive me over to Brewe’s Place. I didn’t have much of a sense for the history of our great art form. Bill deftly pointed me to the greats from the past. I wasn’t sure about staging, structure, patter, routining, or storytelling. Over time, Bill helped me develop those skills. I couldn’t visualize myself on stage as “an actor playing the role of a magician.” Bill had a vision for what I could accomplish. I never thought I had the discipline or the chops to compete in magic contests or turn pro. Bill saw the seeds of what I might accomplish. I couldn’t construct the props I needed to perform the act I dreamed of. Bill’s masterful craftsmanship guided me every step of the way. Although I didn’t know it at the time, Bill’s guiding hand would show me a glimpse of what I might become simply because he truly believed in me. Bill Brewe’s encyclopedic knowledge of conjuring history, coupled with his willingness to mentor countless kids like me, made him remarkable and beloved. Don’t take my word for it; just ask anyone who made the exciting trek up that hill on the other side of town – to Brewe’s Place. [Note: Bill was by Dale’s side, every step of the way from his first contest win in Columbus at Magi-Fest, to winning the first-ever Duke Stern Memorial Award for the annual contest in Colon at Abbott's in 1973. When Boy’s Life magazine snapped that cover photo after the Abbott's victory, Bill was right there with Dale standing proudly in the wings!]

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Dale Scott and Bill Brewe

In closing, I feel it’s important to also highlight the extraordinary works Bill did with silk magic. He featured spectacular silk effects at his shop and his dealer’s booth at the magic conventions. These silks, ranging from twelve inches to twelve feet, were extremely vibrant in color and hand dyed by Bill. In fact, his unique routines, with original handling, were featured in many of the Counts of Conjuring award-winning performances. So, as Bill takes his final bow, he can rest assured that his life’s work was not only appreciated and highly respected but will live on through the countless lives that he touched. Thank you Bill. We all thank you! Bill Brewe’s final two words that he spoke to me, to be shared with everyone were, “You’re welcome.” 

Stage 101 By Levent

In this month’s column, we will cover the third rule from my list of “Fundamental Rules of Stage Magic”: “When palming an object onstage, you have only a few seconds before you must either produce the object or add a visible object into the fingers of that hand.”

Palming In order to best explain this concept, I think I should begin by discussing the palming of objects. The basic definition of “palming” is to secretly hold an object in your hand. Sometimes objects can be secretly held in the back of the hand with your fingers in a move that is oxymoronically called a “back palm.” For the most part “back palming” is outside of the purview of this essay; with rule number three we are primarily concerned with secretly hiding objects in the front (palm side) of the hand. There is a myriad of methods that use your fingers and or muscle groups of the hand in order to palm an object. The exact method used for palming is determined by the type of object, the context of the object’s use, and the performing conditions. For instance, when I perform my billiard ball routine, I use Fakini silicone balls that are fairly large (2¼ inches in diameter) and heavy, which makes them a challenge to hide in my hand. When in a theater with a deep stage, I perform the balls far upstage, so there are no spectators at my sides; this helps eliminate angle

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problems. In this case I can conceal the ball in a classic palm by constricting my thenar and hypothenar muscles. However, when I am forced to do the ball routine in a situation where people are seated near my sides, I do not use the classic palm because some people will certainly see the palmed ball. In that case, I keep the hidden ball in a finger palm with my thumb resting over the top of the ball in a technique that Roy Benson called “cupping.” Furthermore, when cupping, my hand is usually held close to my abdomen and the wrist is slightly bent downwards. The reason for the downward “break” of the wrist is because, in a subtle way, it visually reduces the apparent tension of the hand. This makes it harder for a spectator to discern that the hand is holding an object. Incidentally, the breaking of the wrist ruse was first observed and discussed by Dai Vernon. The two most common purposes of palming are to secretly hide an object (in order to make it appear at the appropriate moment) or to hide an object that had previously been vanished by means of sleight of hand. But when palming is combined with other ruses, it can have other uses. For instance, a magician might display a white ball, while secretly palming a red ball. By performing a sleight that switches one ball for another, he could make it appear as if a single ball had changed color. Or a magician could penetrate a gimmicked coin with a cigarette, while secretly palming an un-gimmicked (duplicate) coin. At the conclusion of the penetration, the coins could be secretly switched so that the magician ends up palming the gaffed coin as the ordinary un-gimmicked coin is passed out for examination. In both cases objects are secretly palmed, but from the audience's

perspective neither example is seen as a vanish or a production. Also, an object that is never seen can be palmed, as in the color changing silk, which uses a hidden gimmick called a Dye Tube that secretly contains an extra silk handkerchief of a different color. During the color changing silk trick the dye tube is secretly palmed at various moments, but the gimmick is never seen and the trick is never perceived as a vanish or a production. With diligent and intelligent rehearsal, the techniques of palming are relatively simple to execute. However, for a stage performer, the longer an object is held in palm position the more difficult it becomes to hide it psychologically from the spectators. When a performer communicates (verbally and/or in pantomime) with an audience, he gestures with his entire body. During these gestures it is unnatural to only show the back of your hand for an extended period of time. Another problem crops up if a magician makes a small item disappear by falsely placing it in a hand while secretly retaining and palming the object in the other hand. After the object is shown to have disappeared in one hand, it is only natural for the other hand (the one that is palming the item) to become suspect; if an object had truly disappeared, wouldn’t the magician show both hands to be empty? In order to eliminate these problems, magicians sometimes quickly reproduce the item to take the “heat” off of the hand that is concealing the object. For instance, a magician might make a coin disappear from one hand and before the spectators get wise to the fact that the coin is hidden in the other hand, the magician can quickly reproduce the coin from the other hand. Or a magician might introduce another

element of complexity to confuse the spectators. For example in the Cups and Balls, a magician might secretly load a duplicate ball under a previously empty overturned cup and then vanish a ball. Before the audience suspects that a ball had been palmed, he could lift the cup to show that the vanished ball had supposedly traveled under the cup. By revealing the (duplicate) ball under the cup, the heat is taken off the hand secretly palming the ball. There is, however, another way to take the heat off a palmed object, a method that uses a very old technique.

Wand Theory It’s generally accepted that the magic wand is the symbol of a conjurer's magical power. It is unknown when this first came to be, but in the Old Testament there is the story about the Pharaoh’s magicians transforming their rods into serpents. So it’s possible that an item similar to a magic wand might have had some religious or ceremonial significance in ancient Egypt. In any case, one only has to look at Hieronymus Bosch’s famous fifteenth century painting “The Magician” to see a magic wand sitting on a table alongside a set of cups and balls to confirm that by the Middle Ages the wand had become a standard part of the magician’s toolkit in the western world. Furthermore, the 1634 magic book Hocus Pocus Junior contains an illustration of a magician performing the cups and balls with a magic wand in his hand. But curiously the explanation of the Cups and Balls in that book contains no mention of the use of a wand. So it’s possible that in that period the use of a magic wand was strictly an affectation used for showmanship or misdirection. We do know that grand gestures and magic words spoken in Latin were common for magicians of the seventeenth century, as evidenced by the recommendation from Hocus Pocus Junior that a magician “must have strange terms, and emphaticall (sic)

The Magician by Hieronymus Bosch

words, to grace and adorn his actions, and the more to astonish the beholders” and have “such gesture of body as may lead away the spectators’ eyes from a strict and diligent beholding of his manner of conveyance.” But there is another aspect to the use of the magic wand as a magical tool, namely the ability of the wand to help hide a palmed object. This technique was explained by Robert-Houdin in his 1868 book The Secrets of Conjuring and Magic. In the chapter that teaches how to secretly palm several coins in the hand, RobertHoudin wrote:  “It is possible to palm four coins, or even more, at the same time, but the greater the number, the more constrained will be the position of the hand. Under such circumstances, the performer will find it necessary to hold the wand in the same hand, which will furnish a pretext for its contracted position.” I do not know when this technique was first discovered. But frankly I am suspicious about the fact that many of the illustrations of seventeenth and eigh-

Hocus Pocus Junior Cups and Balls

teenth century Cups and Balls performers include an image of them using wands, but the magic literature of the time omits the mention of the wands. I therefore think it is quite possible that wands were used for palming in that period, but the authors of those old books chose not to reveal all of

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 43

Stage 101 the secrets. logically mask the folded paper’s presence. A good illustration of the technique recommended by RobertThis is truly a fundamental rule that appears throughout the Houdin can be seen in a YouTube video of the late Al Flosso per- art of magic. In previous columns I have made much of how the forming the Miser’s Dream. Right after doing the old Twentieth great Cardini faultlessly applied these rules; rule number three is Century Silks trick with a boy on stage, Flosso discards the silks. no exception. For example, at the very beginning of his famous From the inside of his case he palms a large stack of coins in his act, he enters the stage with a cane tucked under his left arm while left hand and holds a wand in the same hand to help conceal the holding a folded newspaper in both of his hands. To all appearanccoins. By doing this ruse, Flosso can gesture es he is a slightly tipsy gentleman reading naturally with his left arm; the wand in the a newspaper. But in fact, the newspaper closed hand helps to psychologically preclude acts as a magic wand to mask the decks the presence of coins in his hand. I should note of cards that he is secretly holding in that during this part of his act, Flosso uses his the palms of both his hands. From stage empty right hand to prepare the boy’s shirt right his wife Swan approaches him with and trouser pockets for the routine. At the a calling card. Cardini turns to her and, same time, Flosso tends to keep his left hand using the newspaper as cover, he secretly (with the coins and wand) resting on the back transfers the deck in his right hand from of the child’s shoulders. The outward appearthe front of his hand to the back palm ance of this is that he is acting in a friendly position. Next, his right hand reaches out Houdin's Hands manner with the boy, but in fact Flosso is to touch the calling card in Swan’s hand. doing this to keep his left hand out of sight and out of mind, as it At the moment of contact he produces a fan of cards from the were. Flosso then turns to his case and picks up the empty metal back of his right hand. Then his left hand tosses the newspaper to pail with his right hand. Later, when he wants to secretly load the Swan to use as a receptacle to catch the appearing card fans. The coins into the empty pail, Flosso turns to his case and throws the moment he does that, his left hand (which is secretly holding a wand into it; he quickly places the overturned pail on top of the palmed deck) is not protected! So in order to mask the presence of palmed coins in his left hand, thus instantly getting the pail ready the palmed cards in the left hand, he reaches up with his left hand for his classic version of the Miser’s Dream. If you want to learn and grabs hold of the cane that was under his arm. As mentioned a move-by-move explanation of the entire Flosso coin routine, before, if you study Cardini’s entire act you will see that he fully please refer to my Ultimate Guide to the Miser's Dream DVD set. understands the fundamental rules; without fail he is constantly As described by Robert-Houdin and demonstrated by Al protecting palmed objects by holding other visible objects in his Flosso, a magic wand can be used to help hide a large, cumber- hand. And if he does not have a visible item that can be used some item, such as a large stack of coins. to mask the palmed object, then he quickly produces the palmed But in the case of the Cups and Balls, the typical ball is neither item. large nor cumbersome. So why did Cups and Balls workers use Take for example the classic Diminishing Cards effect, which the wand? The reason is that the mere presence of a wand in the I described in the April 2012 issue of M-U-M. That version used hand can just as easily help hide any small object, such as a ball. an ordinary deck of cards and was explained in Robert-Houdin’s An explanation of this concept appears in the 1876 book aforementioned book from the year 1868. When Cardini did the Modern Magic by Professor Hoffmann who wrote: trick he made the fan of cards in his left hand appear to become “The Magic Wand – This is a light rod of twelve to fifteen smaller and smaller. At the conclusion of the trick Cardini brought inches in length, and about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. his hands together and appeared to make a tiny fan in his left It may be of any material, and decorated in any manner that the hand. In fact, he secretly stole the entire pack of cards into his fancy of the owner may dictate. To the uninitiated its use may right hand. He then showed that the cards had disappeared from appear a mere affectation, but such is by no means the case. Apart his left hand. Cardini knew that his right hand (which palmed from the prestige derived from the traditional properties of the the cards) was psychologically unprotected, so (as per fundamenwand, and its use by the wizards of all ages, it affords a plausible tal rule number three) he reproduced the full-sized fan of cards a pretext for many necessary movements, which would otherwise few seconds later from his nose. But when Robert-Houdin did the appear awkward and unnatural, and would thereby arouse the trick, he had a small metal tray (which he called a salver) on his vigilance of the audience at possibly the most critical period of the table, resting on top of a drinking glass. After he secretly stole trick. Thus, if the performer desires to hold anything concealed in the deck into his right hand, Robert-Houdin picked up the tray in his hand, by holding the wand in the same hand he is able to keep his right hand. This tray acted as a wand that masked the palmed it closed without exciting suspicion.” deck. At the conclusion of the effect, the French conjurer acted It seems that, for some reason, spectators have a tough time as if his left hand was sprinkling tiny microscopic cards onto the conceiving that you are holding two objects in one hand at the tray while saying, “And now, you see, it has become so small, that same time. it is merely an invisible and impalpable powder.” To recap, as my Fundamental Rule of Stage Magic Number Wand Substitute Three illustrates, if you are palming an object you cannot conceal it for a very long period. There are methods to fully dispose of the The thing to keep in mind about this technique is that the item, which will be covered in a later column. But assuming that visible object does not have to be a magic wand. The presence of you cannot get rid of that item, you basically have two choices – any visible object in the hand acts as a kind of psychological mask either produce the item within a reasonably short period of time for the palmed object provided the visible object has a logical or add a visible object into the palming hand to mask the presence reason for being held in the hand. For example, if a mentalist of the item.  wants to secretly hold in his hand a folded piece of paper, he can hold a microphone in the same hand, which would in turn psycho© 2013 Levent Cimkentli 44 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

More Android Magic When I find some worthwhile magic apps for Android, I’ll write them up here. Some iPhone apps have been translated to Android, so I encourage you to check out the Google play store for things like Houdini’s Last Magic Trick, iPredict, and multiple versions of Coin/ Card in Phone. Here is one that stood out for me.

Android Teleportation Mateo Marquez has a nice little routine with his Magic Card Transporter trick. A phone is a device that transmits and receives, and you explain with a deck of cards how that is possible. A card is selected (let’s say the Nine of Hearts) and placed under your Android phone. On the screen you see a Receive button. When that is pressed, a progress bar goes across the screen. When it is finished, the Nine of Hearts is shown on the screen.  Now you press the Transmit button. After the progress bar ends, the screen now shows a Three of Spades. When the phone is removed and the card is turned over, it has now changed into the Three of Spades. Nothing surprising here for magicians, but it is an excellent little routine that uses the phone as a misdirective prop.  The one thing that I don’t like is that Mateo chose to explain the secret in the demo video. Download the app and have some fun with it. Available in the Google play store for free.

A Must-Have Non-Magic App Wunderlist is a lifesaver for me, not only in my personal life, but also in my magic business. It is a list-making program for to-do lists, shopping, or literally any type of list. I use it to figure out my tricks for a given performance, or supplies that I need for a particular show. The great thing about the lists is that they can be cloud-based, so you can share them in real time with other people. Let’s say your team is sent out to find a list of props for your show. Everyone has the same list. As they find the items, they cross them off their list and the items

automatically get crossed off on everyone’s list! In my everyday life, when my wife sends me to the grocery store, she shares the grocery list with me. While I’m at the store, she can add things she forgot to put on the list. Those items will instantly show up on my device. It’s great until I keep stepping out of the checkout line to get that “one more thing!” Imagine doing a scavenger hunt with teams who share the same list. I’m sure there is a magic trick here somewhere. Wunderlist is an app I use every day. It’s on all of my devices. It is available for iDevices in the iTunes App Store or on Android Devices in the Google play store. It’s Free!

I Always Forget a Face If you are someone who forget names, here is an app to help you remember them. Names to Faces does just what it says. You can take a photo of a customer or grab it from their Linked In or Facebook page and add his or her name and company to it. This app stores the information and you can look them up again by their face. It’s a way to remember customers. Let’s say someone calls you for a show that you did two years ago. Look him up to recall what he looks like so when you come to the show, you can spot him in the crowd. This app is not for everyone, but some of you will thank me for finding this. Names to Faces costs ninety-nine cents in the iTunes App Store.

Wonderfied! By now, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone film is out in the theaters. If you want to have some fun, head over to http://apps.warnerbros.com / bur t wonderstone/ wonderfyyourself/us/ and have your photo put into the poster of one of the characters. Some very funny results occur.  Mike Miller, PNP is Wunderfied

Found a cool gadget, app, or website for magic applications? Share your discovery with Bruce to include in a future column. Email him (SAMtalkBruce @cox.net). APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 45

A Little of This...

A Little of That

Please allow me to commence this month with some odds and ends that have been “percolating” in my mind for awhile. These are observations I like to share with magicians because I have come to learn that I sometimes view magic from a slightly different angle than other performers in my field. In my early teen years I was interested – equally – in magic, filmmaking, acting, and radio and TV work. I would have been happy making a career in any of those fields. Magic became my main interest by my later teens, but I still pursued a degree in theater from the School of Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin. So, to this day, I continue to look at magic for its entertainment value; I am amazed by the number of magicians I see who can execute magic, but who cannot entertain an audience. To see this for yourself, make a point of seeing other magicians perform not with your magic buddies, but with your friends who have no knowledge of magic at all. One of the first times I did this, decades ago, was to see a very famous magician in Appleton, Wisconsin. His name is not a household word in America (and never has been), but I would guess every magician in the world has heard of him. And most had read about him before seeing him in magazines like M-U-M, where his skills and expertise were extolled. If you’re relatively new to magic, and if you hear wonderful things about Artist X, and if you read accolades about his skills, accomplishments, and great inventions, I believe you are predisposed to like him. In a way, you have been brainwashed; whatever he does onstage must be great because he is that great Artist X. But I attended his show with non-magic friends. And we all agreed afterwards that he – and his program – was nothing to write home about. He was accomplished in his handling of his very nice apparatus, but it was not a show that could boast enthusiasm, personality, or any high points. He remains one of the most respected names in magic today, but I believe the emperor has no clothes. To improve your performance you might have been tempted to respond to an email I received some months ago that asked: Attention Stage Magicians! Does Your Show Feature At Least Two of These Effects? Modern Art: Rarely performed properly Origami: Used at kids’ birthday parties Sub Trunk: You will never do it as well as the Pendragons Snow: Just how many small kids have asked magicians what snow looks like – seriously? Then You Are a Magic Clone There was a lot more text, but I found the sender’s entire concept to be very insulting...well, except for the comment about Snow. Come on, isn’t it about time that you all come up with your own original presentations? The ad pointed out that producers 46 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

by David Seebach receive hundreds of audition videos from magicians and they’re all doing the same few illusions. The producer says, “I’ve seen that before,” and discards the DVD and the act. Now this may actually be true, and it brings me to a point that has puzzled me for a long time. The producers who assemble entertainment acts for shows, reviews, cruise lines, theme parks, or whatever should be performance professionals. They ought to realize that it is not what the act does, but how the act does it that is important. It is true that you likely will not execute the Sub Trunk as rapidly as the Pendragons, but almost everybody in America today – in fact almost everybody in the entire world – has never seen the Pendragons. And for those who did witness the Pendragons’ lightning-fast exchange years ago, will they watch someone else do the Sub Trunk today and remark, “Oh, it was pretty good, but that couple I saw twenty-five years ago were much faster?” I don’t think so. The subject of my last column was the traditional Doll House Illusion. At a show I presented last summer, the well-known Past President of the I. B. M., Dr Richard Mossey, was in the audience. We spoke after the show and he commented about the illusion and the gasps and shouts of surprise that the unexpected appearance of the assistant elicited. Of course, it was not an audience of magicians or producers; they would all have seen that done before. The producers, or “gatekeepers” as some of us refer to them, think they know a lot about magic and show business. My decades of working with them have made me think they do not. Magic is usually outside their area of expertise. They want helicopters and tigers and motorcycles and never-before-seen illusions. The illusionist meets-and-greets the ticket-buying spectators after the show and hears: “How did you tear up that newspaper and restore it?” “I’ve never understood how those rings go together and come apart; I’ve seen it a hundred times.” “Now was that actually a real egg?” For the most part the American public has never seen a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat, a woman sawn in halves the traditional or thin-model way, or many of magic’s other great mysteries. If you can truly perform these feats with actual entertainment value and showmanship, the public will enjoy it, but producers might overlook you. My point is that producers are jaded. They truly have “seen it all.” But they forget that their target audience, the people who are vacationing in Orlando, spending a weekend in Atlantic City, relaxing on a cruise, or spending a night at a local or nearby theater hosting a travelling show, has – in fact – not seen it all. Personality trumps props every time, except when an act is needed in a fast-paced review show where the requirement is a splashy eight minutes. We’ve all seen fellows who are very good at shoving boxes around onstage, but not much else.

If you’re bold, put your money where your mouth (or ego) is: Self-produce your show. Take all the risk and reap all the profit. You likely know more about magic than they do, and you know what has worked for you in the past. I am happy to report that I recently saw a popular act that truly has it all together in a commercial, crowd-pleasing fashion. While in southern California recently I visited the Magic Castle and saw Mark Kalin and Jinger, who took over all three spots in the Palace of Mystery. Their repertoire included Alan Wakeling’s version of Sawing in Halves. Mark and Jinger must do this better than any act anywhere. It’s a real mystery and oh so entertaining. Jinger shouldn’t be referred to as Mark’s assistant; she is the Gracie Allen to his George Burns. She has a personality that is unique: sexy (but not in any manner offensive), sly, and very appealing. Another high spot in their show was the Linking Finger Rings, which elicited gasps from the crowd. They appeared to be doing much of David Regal’s version of the routine, which was interesting because David was appearing at the Castle, too. He did not perform the Linking Finger Rings. We also saw the magician who is the host of TV’s Cupcake Wars. I hope I have that title correct; it’s a show I’ve never seen. He has also appeared on the Ellen talk show. He came across very well with clever, original material. We saw one other performer who was not as inspiring. The highlight, though, was Mark and Jinger. I have seen them numerous times on TV and once before, live, in Las Vegas. None of those previous performances equaled what I saw at the Castle. That should not be construed as anything negative; rather, this recent show was so very good. They are truly a world-class at-

traction. It wouldn’t be a trip to California for me without spending time at Owen Magic in Azusa and visiting with owner Alan Zagorsky, a pal of mine for more than three decades. If you think the illusion-building business is moribund you have not seen the shop area of their facility in Azusa. Two Stretching a Woman props, two Paper Doll Machines, two Enchanted Gardens – all in production and sold to foreign buyers. A large Guillotine, a $25,000 coin trick, and Coin Wands to produce Australian money were all also in various states of construction. There was amazing inventory, too. Where else could a wellfinanced individual go and outfit an entire illusion show with merchandise that is in stock and ready for delivery? As ever, there were cartons of the venerable Blue Phantom, a famous parlor piece still produced as in the days of Floyd Thayer and Carl and Emmet Owen. It remains a solid seller. Of course, nothing is cheap at Owen’s. But, for the performer who values quality and workmanship, and who wants a prop that will last a performer’s career, the investment – over a lifetime – seems modest. You may, of course, drop me a line and let me know your views. Perhaps you agree with me; perhaps you’ll take exception. Who knows? It may be the subject of a future submission here in M-U-M.  David A Seebach www.davidseebach.com [email protected]

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 47

On the Shoulders of Giants Stage M agic and Theory from Denny Haney By Scott Alex ander

Denny’s Card Manipulation Routine “He may conceal a king in his hand, while the memory of it fades.” —Sting An effective card manipulation routine, much like the lyrics to a great song, can be truly beautiful and poetic. Yes, we are concealing cards in our hands, but this is not the effect with which we want to leave the audience. We want to create an impression of magically reaching out and producing cards from the air, not that we are cleverly hiding them. There is a fine line between displaying our skill and creating the illusion of magic. In his book Routined Manipulation Finale, Lewis Ganson states, “In a magical [card manipulation] act, the applause of the audience should not be gained by their appreciation of a skillful method, but for the magical effect and the manner in which it is presented.” Keeping this type of thinking in mind is what has made Denny’s card manipulation sequence a real feature in his act and an audience favorite. Poetry is a matter of proportion. The perfect words in the perfect order and the subtle turn of a phrase are what make poetry beautiful. Every word is painstakingly chosen to fit in the right sequence to create a mood. So it should be with card manipulation. Denny has carefully chosen every move, every gesture, and every vanish and production. The final composition is the right amount of magic, tempered with the right amount of flourishes. These combine to create a beautiful effect. Ganson also relates, “It is most necessary to keep these additions to a magical act in the right proportions. If the performer bills himself as a magician, then surely his audiences have a right to expect a predominance of magic in his act. If there is an over-abundance of flourishes, then he 48 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

will be regarded as a juggler.” Denny puts it this way: “Keep in your mind that you are pulling cards from the air; they are not coming from your hand. Only when you touch that spot in the air do they become visible. That’s the magic of card productions. Everything you do with your card manipulation should be special. A lot of guys doing it today are doing it as a throw-away, automatically going thrrough the moves like a robot, expecting the audience to appreciate it. Take your time and sell every moment; just the matter of closing a fan with one hand, or the act of pulling a little imaginary hair to close the deck makes the audience laugh and enjoy it. To me, card manipulation is a beautiful thing to watch when it is done correctly. If you have ever seen Channing Pollock do the really slow card manipulations, you know it’s beautiful. Speed is not the point. This was the way it was done until years ago, when this kid named Jeff McBride came along. He was doing the productions at a breakneck pace. He put excitement into card manipulation because that was his style. He started a bunch of imitators who learned to do them like Jeff did them. Personally, I think that style only works for Jeff. Today, so many of the young guys are speeding through, dropping cards on the floor, and shooting them everywhere because it is all they know. But often, the audience has no idea what the effect is supposed to be.”

No Littering Personally, whenever I see manipulation acts scattering cards on the stage, I can’t help but think about the 1970s commercial of the old Indian crying by the side of the road. (Oops, I just dated myself.) It seems that at magic conventions we love to give trophies and prizes for littering. Nearly every card act today is a serial litterbug. They spill cards out of their hands in a fast-and-furious manner and let them scatter on to the floor with no regard for them or, for that matter, for the acts that follow them. Denny has always used some

kind of receptacle to dump the cards into. One time, during his not-so-long-lasting show titled The Lighter Side of Vietnam, Denny even used an army helmet on the Nielsen cane. Having a container is simply a nice gesture to other acts that may have to follow you. It also keeps the stage looking neat for the rest of your show. According to Denny, “I just don’t like dropping anything on the floor. It’s not elegant. Plus, I don’t want to bend down and pick ‘em up after the show.” One thing that makes card manipulation acts so appealing to an audience is that people are familiar with playing cards. They know what they are. A lot of the newer acts are just using what appear as colored rectangles. The audience simply assumes that they are some kind of tricky things that help the magicians do what they do. This type of stuff, while clever and creative for magicians, misses the boat with the audience. Denny recalls that there was once a time that Norm Nielsen used torn up pieces of sheet music as manipulation cards, but abandoned the idea because the audience couldn’t identify what they were. When Norm switched back to cards, the act got more response. The audience had a point of reference to the objects they were seeing manipulated.

Keep in Mind There is a certain attitude and image Denny creates when doing card manipulations. Again, as you read thrrough the routine, it is important to note that the cards should be made to appear as if they are pulled out of the air. In Denny’s mind, he spots the cards in the air, reaches out, and then pulls them back towards himself. Also, he doesn’t simply reach out into the same spot all the time. He reaches here and there, up and down, varying where he sees the cards before he plucks them. Also keep in mind that because this routine is done mostly facing stage right, you must be aware of sightlines for the people on your left side. You should make sure they can see your right hand when it is producing the cards. To this end, Denny’s

time with the Chavez course taught him to drop his left shoulder down, leaning down and away from the cards, allowing visual access to the right hand. “Johnny Aladdin did it with his back almost completely turned to the audience, producing cards over his head so that more people could see it happening,” Denny recalls.

Denny’s Card Manipulation Sequence Double Fans: After the exhibition card fan and diminishing cards sequence we covered last month, Denny begins by springing the fanning cards into the Nielsen Cane/Hat table and simply reaches into his pocket and removes the Nielsen Manipulation Cards. Denny didn’t always use the Nielsen deck. He used regular poker-sized cards and stripped the backs off as was done in the old school, until one day in 1979. He was on a three-week tour of Canada with Jack Goldfinger of Goldfinger and Dove. Denny agreed that since they both did manip routines, he would opt out and let Jack do the cards. After the show, Denny noticed the odd brownbacked cards and asked Jack about them. They were soft and pliable and handled really well. Jack told Denny how great they were and gave Denny a deck to play with. After that tour, he kept the Nielsen cards in. Denny’s routine is great in that it uses only one deck of cards and no body loads. It is simple and direct. He does no lefthanded productions, although at one time he used to do all the interlocked productions, multiple-hand productions, and all kinds of fancy stuff. He was even the one who taught Jeff McBride the interlocked production, as Jeff will be the first to tell you. But Denny eventually simplified his routine, realizing, “I just have to give them the impression I can pull cards out of the air at will. That’s enough. Once I have done that a few times, they get the point. There is no need to get fancy or over-prove anything; that stuff is just for magicians trying to impress other magicians.” Denny begins by cutting the deck in two and making one-handed fans in each hand. He rubs the fans together, coalescing them back into one pack. He then springs them from hand to hand to show that they are all just single playing cards. Arm Spread and Catch: Taking all

the cards into his right hand, he spreads the cards up his left arm from the fingertips to the crook of the elbow by using a springing action, much like springing the cards hand to hand (Photo 1). This gives a nice even spread that makes the cards easy to control. With the cards balanced on his arm, he then makes a gesture with his right hand, motioning for the cards to move. He curls his left middle finger up and the cards begin to rise up into a pyramid configuration on his palm (Photo 2). The cards begin to turn over, just like a turnover spread on a table. With his right palm Photo 1

Photo 2

facing outward, he brings his right thumb to the last card nearest the elbow and lays it gently on the deck for stability (Photo 3). The left fingers continue pushing the cards completely over toward the body. As the cards roll back toward the elbow, the right thumb stops them. The left arm gives a gentle upward toss of the entire spread; at the same time, the right hand moves away from the body, scooping the cards and catching them between the crook of the right thumb and the fingers (Photo 4). This is a “knack thing” and just has to be practiced until you can nail it. Once you have it down, you put in the acting ruse of making it look extremely dicey, as if Photo 3

Photo 4

you almost missed it. This is an exciting moment for the audience; they are rooting for you to succeed, while secretly hoping you fail. It is one of those delicious theatrical moments that adds excitement to the act. When they applaud, Denny acknowledges the audience in thanks. As he does this, he top palms about half the deck into his right hand. Production, Vanish, and Reproduction: Denny turns to the left and holds half the pack at its top short edge with the thumb. The back of the cards are facing the audience. He performs a one-handed reverse fan. As the fan is produced, he turns his whole body to the right. This brings the faces of the card fan to the audience. During the turn, he masks the right-hand palmed cards with his leg. He now reaches to the right with his right hand and performs a production of the right-hand palmed stock. This is a move from Edward Victor. The cards are curved in the hand, faces toward the palm. With the cards palmed and the back of the hand facing about three-quarters to the audience, he grasps at the air with his first finger and thumb as if getting ready to grab something. This pinching action suggests that the hand is empty (Photo 5). The cards cannot be seen in the palm because most of the back of the hand is toward the audience. In a grabbing action, the right hand is revolved palm up

Photo 5

and the right thumb comes under the stock, producing a fan of cards seemingly out of the air (Photo 6). Denny now does a one-handed close of the fan in the left hand, and does a behind-the-fan vanish of this packet behind APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 49

on the shoulders of giants

Photo 6

the fan of cards in his right hand. The left hand stock is held in the palm facing the audience; the right hand fan comes in front of the packet to provide shade as it is stolen with the right fingers behind the fan. As soon as the steal is made the left hand revolves with the back of the hand to the audience, as if it were still holding the packet. The fan is moved away from the left hand and waved with a magical gesture as the left hand is opened and shown on both sides. The packet of cards has vanished. The hands come together; the left hand closes the fan and keeps that portion of the cards as the “vanished” packet is palmed in the right hand and travels to behind Denny’s right knee. Denny immediately spreads the fan behind the knee and pulls it out into view as if he has just produced it from there. He notes it is important to spread the cards out of view behind the knee, making it look as if you produce the already-formed fan (Photo 7). The cards are now formed back into a single deck.

card, revolving the card from the front of the hand to the back while apparently showing both sides of the hand empty. He then proceeds to vanish four more cards in this manner. On the last one, he repeats the back-to-front palm, showing both sides of the hand again. During these vanishes, it is important to follow the imaginary card up into the air with your eyes. In your mind’s eye, picture it dissolving into space. After all, this is what you are trying to communicate to the audience. Denny now produces the five vanished cards one at a time. For this he uses the Cardini Single Production. Howie Schwarzman advised Denny to use this technique, because getting a flash of the back-palmed packet is minimal compared to other handlings. The Cardini production is made by extending the forefinger backwards, opening up a place for the thumb to reach over behind the back stock, and pulling over a single back-palmed card (Photo 8). Denny reproduces four of the cards; as a last subtlety, he grips the final palmed card in his right thumb crotch and angles his wrist back away from the audience about forty five degrees (Photo 9). By doing this he can now spread his four right-hand fingers wide open and wiggle them to show nothing is concealed. The corner of the card is held

Photo 7 Photo 8

Five-Card Vanish and Reproduction: Next, Denny does a version of the Thurston Five-Card Vanish and Reproduction. Turning his body to the right, he brings his left hand (with the deck) up to about a foot below his right hand. A card is taken in the right hand at the fingertips and waved up and down once; it is quickly back-palmed on the upstroke. The hand then gently floats downward, which gives the vanish a moment to register. Denny then performs a back-to-front palm of the 50 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

Photo 9

in the thumb crotch. This is a “ballsy” move, but it really gives the impression of an empty hand (Photo 10). The card is then re-gripped by the pinky and first finger in back-palm position and the hand

Photo 10

is revolved, back palming the card once more. Denny produces the last card and then gives it a boomerang spin in the air, catching it as it returns. He then throws it, with much gravitas, into the hat. This is a terrific applause cue that allows the audience to release the tension that has been building through the last sequence. During the applause, he bottom palms half the deck into his left hand and lets it hang naturally at his side. Split Fans and Singles: One of the prettiest and most difficult card manipulation moves to do well is a Split Fan Production. Denny does four of them in a row here. There are way too many nuances to describe an effective split fan production here. There is plenty of literature on the matter. The Ganson Routined Manipulation books are a good resource. Denny, like Ganson, recommends that once you separate the stock to conceal, do not immediately back palm it. Back palm it during the action of tossing the cards away. This helps to prevent the audience from catching a flash of the stock being flipped behind the hand. Once Denny can feel (by the thickness) that he has about ten cards left, he begins producing single cards. Often magicians feel that split fans are more impressive to laymen. Denny takes the opposite view. He feels that the audience reacts much more to single card productions, if done properly. Looking into the air, Denny produces one card, and lets it fall into the hat; he then produces another and lets it go. Now he begins to pick up the pace: card after card pops into view, each one coming faster and faster. This is when the audience begins a wave of applause. As soon as he hears the applause begin, he smiles a huge smile in profile. This lets the audience know that he is appreciating the applause and makes them want to applaud even more. When the applause begins to crest, he turns his face to the crowd and lays out a big smile and a head nod of thanks. This pushes the

applause even further. To milk the last bit of applause and really put a punch on the ending, he wildly spins the last card produced into the air, boomerang style; as it comes back towards him, he punches the spinning boomerang card out of the air. As it bounces off the back of his left hand, he produces a fan from the cards he had kept in his left hand. He takes a beat and lets it register, waiting for the applause to subside. Birdcage Vanish and Cards from the Mouth: Now Denny does the Birdcage Vanish and the Cards from the Mouth straight out of Tarbell. Gasp! Yes, Tarbell! The deck is held between the palms (Photo 11); an upward tossing motion is made and the deck is snapped to the palm of the right hand by simply curling in the two middle fingers (Photo 12). Immediately, the right hand is brought to the mouth and the cards slipped inside as they are simultaneously spread with the fingers of both hands as if they were cascading out of the mouth into the hat. This is an offbeat, funny ending that gets a great laugh and

way. There is some real subtext going on here in Denny’s mind. He seems to be saying subliminally, “Hey, I hope you liked that, because it was really friggin’ hard and it took a lot outta me.” It is a great “scenery-chewing” theatrical trick used by a lot of artists.

Photo 11

The Takeaway

Photo 12

ensures that the audience is on Denny’s side. He pumps the applause at the end of the routine by loudly saying, “That’s it!” This is done in an oddly humble, yet proud,

If you decide to take this card manipulation approach from Denny, make sure you put the act in a special place in your show to highlight it. Give it enough practice and rehearsal, and pay attention to every detail. Know every look and every gesture before you pick up that deck of cards. Use the tricks and tips Denny has passed on here to get the audience to appreciate and savor every little moment. Squeeze out every bit of applause with your staging and facial expressions. Make it special, beautiful, and poetic. Tell the audience it is something you love and they will love you, too. Be a manipulator not only of the cards, but of the audience as well.

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 51

I Left My Cards at Home By Steve Marshall

Christopher Hart

Christopher Hart is said to have the most famous right hand in Hollywood. You might recognize his hand from all three Addams Family movies where he starred as the lovable and mischievous Thing, or possibly as the more sinister and evil hand-on-a-rampage in the movie Idle Hands. Before his acting career began, Christopher was a member of the Magic Castle’s elite junior program. He worked at Hollywood Magic as a demonstrator, and even spent some time working for David Copperfield as a magic roadie. Christopher has a unique and creative act that, coincidentally, includes a disembodied female hand that floats behind a cloth and ends up inexplicably crawling around his body in a most amazing and astonishing way. Having such an act has kept him in high demand for many years, performing on TV shows and in theaters around the world. He has twice been awarded Stage Magician of the Year by Hollywood’s Magic Castle, and Princess Stephanie of Monaco personally awarded him the top prize at the Grand Prix Magique held in Monte Carlo. When he gets some free time from his 52 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

busy schedule, Christopher enjoys doing charity shows for organizations that help children with medical issues or life threatening diseases. “Charity shows, for these types of organizations, are one of my favorite things to do, because I feel like I’m using my magic in a really positive, life changing, supportive, and loving way. I once did a fundraising show for a group that helped kids with cancer; it was really amazing to see these kids who were battling cancer light up and smile because of the power of magic. To me, that’s the most rewarding kind of stuff to do,” Christopher said. “My favorite kinds of charity shows to do are ones for kids. I once did a fundraising show in Hawaii for the Shriner’s hospitals for children. Those places are amazing because they don’t charge the families for the medical care given to the kids. I went into the hospitals and saw kids who were scared; but I was able to bring some joy to them through the incredible art of magic. I also left some magic sets with them so they could continue the magical experience after I left.” Even aside from the charitable work, Christopher is constantly amazed at how the art of magic impacts people’s lives, leaving lasting impressions. “One time after performing at the Comedy Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, California, a woman came up to me and told me that I had given her the music sheet after my torn and restored music sheet routine years ago; she had kept it in her scrapbook. It turns out that she was there on a first date with the man she is now married to and the music sheet that I gave her turned out to be a reminder of a very special evening. Things like this remind me that what might just be another show for me can touch someone’s life in a way that’s very special for that person.” These days Christopher has been able to appear at a few magic conventions, something he hasn’t been able to do for many years, giving a whole new generation of young magicians a chance to see his wonderful act. He is also currently working on a new lecture that he hopes to be presenting soon at conventions around the world. (A Note from Steve: Since I also wanted

use this column to shine a spotlight on the S.A.M. Endowment Fund and all of the great benefits that it encompasses, I would like to tell you about the Houdini Fund this month.)

The Houdini Fund Magicians who have fallen ill or have been injured may be helped through the Houdini Fund, an integral part of the S.A.M. Magic Endowment Foundation. The Fund will assist any magician or allied artist who is in financial need with extra expenses normally not covered by insurance, such as nurses, oxygen, wheelchairs, and other similar medical requirements. Funds are also granted for comfort assistance, such as in-hospital TV rentals, newspaper delivery, outpatient aides, and additional drug assistance. The Fund has paid for transportation to and from medical facilities. These are grants and not loans. Payments are kept confidential.

Self-Contained Vanishing Candle By Christopher Hart Okay, Mister and Misses Magician: raise your hand if you have a Fantasio vanishing candle sitting in your magic drawer that you haven’t used in a while. (You can all put your hands down now.) Get it out and be prepared to use it, in either a silent or talking routine; you’re about to learn a totally self-contained appearance and vanish. Christopher Hart always felt that the appearing and vanishing candle was a strong effect but was seldom seen outside of a silent manipulation act. He wrote and created this application of the vanishing candle for use as a talking routine in the long-running comedy play that he appears in, Triple Espresso. You will need a vanishing candle and a piece of ribbon twenty-four inches long by three inches wide. Fold two inches of one of the ends up and sew the edges together forming a small pocket in the ribbon. Insert the collapsed candle into the pocket with

the wick end sticking out. Now, starting from the other end of the ribbon, roll up the ribbon towards the pocket until it reaches the top of the candle (Photo 1). You now have a self-contained packet that you can place in your pocket, lay on a table, or stash wherever else you choose to keep it.

Photo 6

Photo 1 Photo 3

In performance, pick up the packet in your left hand with the candle side facing you; let the ribbon unroll away from you. Clip the ribbon between the left index and middle fingers just above the candle, with the long part of the ribbon hanging over the front of your hand (Photo 2). This is a great position; because of the pocket in the ribbon, your hand looks totally empty and clean.

Photo 4

Photo 2

Photo 5

Bring your right hand up and grab the base of the candle and the short end of the ribbon. At the same time your left index finger and thumb grasp the metal wick portion of the candle and begin to pull it upwards, letting the long part of the ribbon ride up between your left index and middle fingers, covering the extending candle (Photo 3). Continue pulling the candle up until it is fully extended behind the ribbon (Photo 4). Now let the ribbon fall, which exposes

the candle that has appeared (Photos 5 and 6). You can now take out a lighter and light the candle if you wish. To make the candle vanish, lift the ribbon up in front of it; blow out the flame, let the candle collapse, and at the same time let the ribbon fall, showing that the candle is gone. You can now once again open your hand into the position in Photo 2, showing your hand to be empty. Now fold up the ribbon, toss it into your other hand (since

the candle is secured in the pocket you can handle the ribbon quite freely), and put the ribbon into your pocket or wherever you wish to ditch it. Christopher has created several story lines for this effect. (The one that was created especially for Triple Espresso cannot be printed here.) Another presentation that he used during a summer run in Lake Tahoe told the story of his uncle, who showed up at young Christopher’s birthday party and made a magic candle appear. After the candle appeared the patter went: “My Uncle said, ‘If you make a wish and blow out the candle your wish really will come true.’ So I made my wish. I wished I was a magician...and the candle disappeared. I guess it really worked.” Christopher told me that when he made this for the first time he used a thinner ribbon. When he went to the fabric store to buy more, they only had the wider three-inch ribbon. He bought it, thinking he might have to cut it down for his needs. However, when he made the pocket and tried it, the wider ribbon provided an unexpected advantage; it curled slightly inward at each edge and helped to block any unwanted sight lines from the sides as the candle was being extended.

Steve’s Stuff This is one of those great ideas that I’m sure a lot of my readers will be able to use. I really like the self-contained aspect, which makes it so easy to pick up everything and get it into position. Christopher also said that, with the right story, this could make a very nice, emotional, closing piece as well. APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 53

Building A Show By Larry Hass Intermission

My project in this column is to study magic shows by the leading magicians of today. This month I focus on a full-evening platform show by Eugene Burger. I thought it might be especially interesting to consider this show because it is unusual for Eugene to perform “full-evening solo.” So how did he put together a ninety-minute show? You are about to find out! The Magic Beard: An Evening with Eugene Burger, Saturday, January 22, 2000, Salem, Massachusetts. 1. Influence: With total freedom, a participant selects the exact two cards Eugene intends, because “People really are very much alike!” 2. First Interlude (monologue): “Wishes” [The ideas: hating accordion lessons, teachers telling him to do something worthwhile with his life, Don Alan’s influence and close-up magic, realizing “sensible people get paid for playing” (Alan Watts), and wishing deeply he could be a close-up magician. This leads to...] 3. Close-up Set (two people seated on stage at a table; Eugene performs standing) 3a. The Haunted Pack 3b. A Dishonest Transaction (U.F. Grant’s Slow-Motion Bill Transposition) 3c. The Inquisition (Eugene’s signature version of Card Warp) 3d. The Magic Beard (cigarette productions and vanishes) 3e. A Bizarre Ritual (A participant selects a Tarot card and holds it between her hands; there is a flash of flame and her card now has a pentagram-shaped hole burned through it.) 3f. Shot Glass Surprise (production of a small glass of coffee) 4. Second Interlude: “Dreams” [The dream world is a magical universe, the central metaphor of magic is transformation, and Bob’s Neale’s “Life Magic.”) 5. The Last Dream: Blank cards in the shape of tombstones magically reveal Eugene’s name and the date of his death. 54 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

6. Paper Play (Cecil Lyle’s Paper Hat Trick) 7. Thought Sender: Eugene sends the participant a thought and she names a card; Eugene reveals that card is the only red card in the blue deck. 8. Third Interlude: “Symbols” [Magic as symbolic expression.] 9. Cosmic Thread (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) 10. Fourth Interlude: “Lessons” [Five lessons that magic teaches us: a. Things are not always as they seem; b. Life is filled with surprise; c. Magic reminds us to “get bigger dreams,”; d. Life is a great mystery; and e. Magic awakens us to the idea of other worlds.] 11. Eugene recites Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem “The Ballad of the Harp Weaver” 12. Doctor Slade and the Visitors: Eugene’s stunning slate routine. Final message from the spirits: “Good Night!” An Interview with Eugene Burger (January 18, 2013) Larry: Why did you choose to start with Influence? Eugene: A trick I usually close with? [Laughter] Well, I have found Influence to be especially strong and deceptive, even for magicians. I wanted everyone to know we weren’t going to be fooling around! Further, there are some great laughs in the routine and it says a lot about what the audience is in for. Also, I started with it because I wanted to create the following picture: me entering from the back of the house, walking up the center aisle, inviting the woman to join me (which she was happy to do because I had asked her in advance), and escorting her to the stage. I like this picture very much and I repeated it at the top of the second act. L: The Last Dream is a piece you no longer perform. Why did you close the first act with it? E: My second interlude was about dreams, so The Last Dream was a natural choice; it also has that perfect closing line: “Folk wisdom also says that telling a dream transfers the dream from the teller to the listener – pleasant dreams!” I enjoyed sending everyone off to the intermission feeling a little creepy. L: This also foreshadows the spooky

closing of the show: “The Ballad of the Harp Weaver” and Slates. Why close with those? E: Slates is the biggest piece in the show; it is emotionally intense and big. And I have found the poem creates an excellent build up to it. After the poem, people are at a pitch, right at the edge, and Slates takes them over the top. I know people have told you – after I have performed it at one of your programs – they were so scared they wanted to leave [laughter]. One of the things I wanted for this show was a movement from small to big in terms of the style of magic, but also the size of the themes in the interludes. When readers study the show order, they will see how I slowly moved from applied psychology all the way to the spirits, from close-up magic to stage magic, from my receiving lessons as a youth to my giving lessons at the end. This build was central to my intention for the show; yet there is also a great deal of texture. L: Let’s talk about your use of monologues. It is such a distinctive part of this show, and it is brave to share so many ideas. What led you down this path? E: I needed the time! [Laughter] See, my early work as a close-up magician led me to create individual routines that were not very long. And I did not want to take the stage and just perform one trick after another; that would be too dreary. So when I think about show building I try to weave individual pieces together into a longer show with texture. So the monologues were created to share thought-provoking ideas, to convey who I am as a performer, and yes, to fill time. L: What might you say to magicians who are intrigued by this idea of adding a monologue to their show? E: They might try it one night! They might jump in and see what they learn. Then they can add more if that seems right, or subtract some. However, before they “jump,” they need to sit down with a blank piece of paper and think about which of their genuine interests might be interesting to others. For me, it is philosophy and symbols and spooky things, but for others it will be different. The key thing is for people to really be and to share themselves. That’s what needs to go on that piece of paper so they can edit it and eventually rehearse it...just as they would with any of their routines. 

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APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 55

INFORMED OPINION Latest Product Reviews Compiled and Edited by W. S. Duncan

We have a couple of really different items this month. Jim Kleefeld has a review of a wonderful three-DVD set that covers the real work on performing for kids, Joshua Kane recommends an accessible tome on NLP, and there are two DVDs on the Cups and Balls, plus the usual assortment of card tricks. History buffs will want to check out Jamie Salinas’s review of Blaine’s Decade of Magic.

UNREAL Book By Bruce Bernstein

Available from: www.BruceMBernstein.com Price: $65.00 Review by Joshua Kane Bruce Bernstein is well known to working mentalists as a creator of commercial material. If you are serious about mentalism and do not already own all of Bruce’s work, then you will want to buy this book. Even if you already own several of his manuscripts, you will still want to buy this, because at $65, Bruce Bernstein’s UNREAL may be the best book value of 2012. This compendium contains the majority of Bernstein’s published works on mentalism, which, if bought separately, would cost more than $300. Everything can be performed with common objects, or items that most mystery workers would already have or find inexpensive to purchase. The book itself has been beautifully produced by Gabe Fajuri. The paper is lush and is signature sewn; the hardbound cover is provided without a dust jacket and is foil stamped with original art by Bernstein. The material ranges from packs-flat-and-plays-big to intimate close-up. Highlights include Eat at Joes, which is featured in many trade show acts, and the Jigsaw Puzzle, which is an effective design duplication and the first logical utilization I have seen to date of its method. The material throughout will play well as written and is easily adapted to an individual’s style. The illustrations have all been updated and are clear and helpful. The essays, which were written just for UNREAL, are insightful, and left me wanting more. My criticisms are few. I wish that a work of this caliber had been better checked for typos. The book could use a bit more white space and breathing room: it is so richly packed and devoid of chaff that working your way through the volume requires a real commitment. The effects have been organized by category, which, while making it easy to locate effects by theme, denies us the pleasure of experiencing the work in the order of its original release. At times methods that we have not encountered are mentioned in effects without directions as to which page to turn to gain the necessary information. Bascom Jones’s Magick had similar issues in its original hardbound publication where, instead of publishing the collection as reprints of the issues, the material was categorized and the process of the growth of the routines by response of the readers and contributors was removed. I would 56 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

have preferred that Bernstein had published UNREAL as a collection of the original volumes. In many ways, they were like classic record albums in that they had their own arcs and intentions. This powerful grab-and-go volume has enough material to build multiple acts and could satisfy your need to buy any other source for a while. It is indeed one of those rare desert island volumes, a must-have that belongs on your shelf alongside works by Richardson, Cassidy, and Maven.

Your Vote is Magic Book By Lyn Dillies

Available from: www.yourvoteismagic.com Price $14.95 Review by Margaret Steele Recently, a number of books by women in magic have been published. Memoirs by Celeste Evans, Adele Friel Rhindress, and Adelaide Herrmann now have good company with a new book by America’s premier female illusionist, Lyn Dillies. As the title implies, Your Vote is Magic is more than a memoir. Lyn is passionate about the democratic process; in 2008, just prior to the U.S. presidential election, she designed and staged a spectacular illusion intended to inspire Americans to vote – the simultaneous production of an elephant and a donkey for an audience of thousands. Your Vote is Magic is the fascinating back story – complete with lots of photos – of events leading up to the successful performance of the illusion. Written in a chatty, friendly style, Lyn shares her life story – the painfully shy girl whose life was transformed when she discovered magic at age twelve. Early on, Lyn’s talent for magic was matched by her ability to think big. Aided by her extremely supportive family, Lyn developed a grand illusion show, which she’s successfully toured for years. More recently, she developed another illusion show called Magic at the Symphony, which she performs with orchestras all over the country. In putting together the event, Your Vote is Magic, Lyn gave herself a nearly impossible challenge of planning, producing, coordinating, promoting, financing, and ultimately performing an enormous event with dozens of codependent elements, any one of which could – and almost did – cause the whole project to fall apart. The result is a nail-biter/page-turner in which, up to the last second, you’re rooting for Lyn to pull it off, even if (like me) you’ve ignored the spoiler alert and already watched the perfor-

mance of the illusion on YouTube. If there’s a downside to this book, it’s that the title, Your Vote is Magic, might limit its appeal for some potential readers. With its inclusion of the history of voting and women’s suffrage in the U.S., this fun and entertaining book should be required reading in high school civics classes. But the book is about much more than voting. Lyn’s love of animals is an ever-present theme. I was fascinated by the training of Emily (elephant) and Abner (donkey) – two species that don’t ordinarily hang out together – and was impressed with how patiently and gently they were coaxed to learn roles that required split-second timing and precision placement. Mostly, the book is about Lyn, and how she made a big dream into a big reality. Every little girl – especially those aspiring to be magicians – should read this book. Magicians will get an insider’s view of what it takes to produce and perform a super large-scale illusion (but don’t expect to learn the method). For me, this book has provided inspiration. Now, when I’m facing a project that seems overwhelming, I just say to myself, “Look what Lyn did!”

The Nine of Diamonds Book Edited by Mark Beecham and Neil Stirton Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $40.00

Review by Antonio M. Cabral A good session is a beautiful thing. Being able to trade and bounce ideas off a group of like-minded magician friends is a terrific learning experience in the development of a close-up magician. The Nine of Diamonds is the fruit of such group thinking, from a collection of Scottish magicians who call themselves “The Nine of Diamonds,” after the playing card known as “the curse of Scotland.” While not groundbreaking, it’s a pretty good sampling of some solid thinking, at a fraction of the cost of flying to Edinburgh to sit in with the group itself. Of the group, the only member I’d heard of before reading the book is Ian Kendall. There are also a few items contributed by or credited to some names you also might know, such as Jason Alford and Jack Parker (if you’re a card trick junkie, that is). The book as a whole is very conscientious about its crediting and the sources for the various moves, many of which are helpfully explained in the first chapter, before you get bogged down in any tricks. There’s Mark Beecham’s Regurgitator Revelation, a flourish for making a pair of cards barf up a third, that’s begging to find its way into a Cannibal Cards routine. There’s an item from the late Jack Parker called the Touch Reverse, which is a clever switch-out of a card, that is put to good use in a Point of Departure effect by Éireann Leverett later on in the book. There are also a couple of stacks, one original (by Paul Lesso) and the other the Bart Harding stack, that might interest folks who want to get on the stacked deck bandwagon but prefer calculation to memorization. (The stacks also have other features some might find useful.) The rest of the book is a sampling of tricks, ranging from the impromptu (Chapter 2, Okay Show Me Something) to those requiring some extensive preparation (Chapter 4, Some Assembly Required). In between there are a handful of coin tricks (two from Ian Kendall) and one stack system designed for the Zener ESP

deck – again, no revolutionary thinking, but some very good ideas. Along the way, in between chapters, the group offers some possibilities as to the origin of the term “the curse of Scotland” that might amuse you. (Sadly, there are no references to Jerry Sadowitz’s kid show patter.) While it’s not an essential addition to your library, and a little costly (likely due to the exchange rate), it’s definitely the kind of thing the card trick junkie would enjoy tinkering with while having a pint in absentia.

NLP & Magic – Other Secrets... Book By Benoit Campana Available from: www.Amazon.com Price: $35 Review by Joshua Kane Benoit Campana’s little book is a gem. It clocks in at under a hundred pages and is short enough to be read in a night and absorbed over several evenings. NLP, which is short for NeuroLinguistic Programming, is an advanced communication model that, when appropriately applied, can enhance our ability to connect, understand, and build rapport with our audiences, ourselves, and those we work and live with. The primary texts on NLP by Bandler and Grindler are dense transcripts of their workshops and can be difficult first encounters for the novice. Most pop culture books published on NLP are about influencing others to respond to our needs and goals. They are often about sales techniques; some writers have abused the techniques in the name of seduction. Campana focuses on how we can apply the model to better the conjuring experience for others. He provides examples of how to apply the techniques to our craft and explains the basics of the techniques with clarity. The tenets of this compact guide are ethical and deceptively impactful. Campana brings twenty years experience in NLP to bear upon the work; it is a testament to the breadth of his knowledge that he can make the information both concise and comprehensible. NLP & Magic is an enjoyable read and I recommend this book. With it you will not need new tricks, because you will be able to make the ones you already do much better. At $35 the price is a bit higher than ideal; non performance-related works on the subject are available for less money. However, if you have previously thought about learning about NLP but have been put off by weightier tomes, then there is value in purchasing this volume, which provides an elegant introduction to a worthy subject. NLP & Magic is a welcome addition to the mystery entertainer’s toolkit. Using its principles will make you more welcome as a performer.

The Cardwarp Tour Book By Jeff Pierce

Available from: http://www.jeffpiercemagic.com Price $45.00 Review by Payne If you love Cardwarp, you should buy this book. If you want to learn Cardwarp, you should buy this book. If you hate Cardwarp, you should probably buy this book, because if you haven’t APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 57

familiarized yourself with the contents of this volume, there are a couple of routines in it that will fry you when that kid in your club who buys everything shows them to you at the next meeting. While far from being a complete treatise on Roy Walton’s outstanding contribution to the art of magic, The Cardwarp Tour contains more information on the history, versions, and variations of Cardwarp than you’d ever thought was out there. Between the covers you will find twenty-five routines, ten scripts, two essays, and the original routine that started it all, plus a previously unpublished variation by Cardwarp’s creator Roy Walton. The book is profusely illustrated with four hundred black-and-white line drawings. Of special interest are a dozen or so routines that employ gimmicked or gaffed cards, a couple of which will really appeal to those who are constantly on the lookout for “magician foolers.” For the purists who shun such tawdry playthings as gaffs and gimmicks, there are plenty of versions employing standard playing cards, bills, and business cards. What more is there to say? There are more methods and presentations than anyone will ever use in a lifetime (as well as a couple of great little essays on Cardwarp). Sure, there are a couple of iconic presentations absent from the book – Eugene Burger’s excellent and macabre version being one of them. But the author has included a fine bibliography informing the reader where these missing routines, handlings, and variations can be found. This is a great book about a great trick. What more can one ask?

phase by Juan Tamariz) and several other gems. The third disc is “Sleight of Hand.” It’s hard to single out one or two routines on this disc. I liked the All Backs routine combined with Paul Harris’s Re-Set. And there is Woody’s Swindle Shuffle (based on a Paul Curry routine), a full discussion of Dai Vernon’s Triumph, and much more. There’s a very nice deck switch and a rapid card separation technique cleverly titled Separagón. Every routine or idea is a highlight. The final disc, which is titled “Stacked Decks,” offers tricks that are accomplished with either a Si Stebbins stack or other simple stacks. They do not require the memory work of memorized deck effects. Not that there is anything wrong with memdeck work, but that technique usually takes weeks to master. The effects presented here are less demanding, and may be learned right away. Woody also hits the mark with his magic theory. It is thought provoking. He always credits his inspirations. Through interviews we gain more insight into his way of thinking about magic. We also expect the highest production values, video quality, and editing from anything produced by Luis de Matos and the Essential Magic Collection, and of course, that’s exactly what we get. For further inspiration and study, I’ll be planning some more trips to Woodyland. If you want to be entertained and to become a better magical entertainer with playing cards, this 4-DVD set, while not inexpensive, is a marvelous investment. You will have many things to ponder, practice, and perform. ¡Calidad magnifica!

Woodyland 4-DVD Set By Woody Aragón

Essentials in Magic: Cups and Balls DVD By Daryl

Review by Dan Garrett

Review by Payne

A couple of years ago, the close-up performances of Woody Aragón took the fast company at FFFF by storm. Woody had everyone eating out of his hand, with his infectious laugh, impish personality, and mind-skewering magic. He made everyone laugh, and then wonder, “How in the world did he do that?” The first DVD of the Woodyland set is titled “Live Show,” and we see Woody’s charisma immediately win the audience. Some of the best magic is on this first disc, including a very nice three-phase Oil and Water routine. Each phase is scattered through the show, with a surprise callback at the end. Everyone who buys Woodyland should at least learn the middle phase called Optical Oil and Water. Very tasty! The first section of the second DVD is “Interactive Magic,” in which you can participate at home. These effects may be performed on television or even on stage. You may recall that Max Maven has created a healthy number of wonderful interactive effects. They have their uses in many situations. I’ll wager that when you see Ring Divination on the disc, you will laugh out loud. The other section on Disc 2 is the “Automatic” section, describing some wonderful self-working tricks. Actually, as Douglas Adams might say, they are “mostly” self-working. You’ll find three brilliant variations of ACAAN (Any Card at Any Number) involving no memory or sleights. This disc also contains some great thinking on the classic Ten Card Poker Deal (with a final

This is yet another in Daryl’s series of instructional DVDs targeted at the beginning magician. Therefore, if you have even the most rudimentary knowledge of the Cups and Balls or have mastered the basic routine that comes with the SS Adams version of this classic, you already know pretty much everything that is discussed and demonstrated on this DVD. However, if you are bestowing a set of SS Adams cups on a novice or up-and-coming magus, then this disc would be the perfect accompaniment to that generous and well considered gift. Daryl walks you through a very basic Cup and Ball routine that requires no sleights whatsoever. He explains the various types of cups that one can use, as well as the various types of balls that may be employed. He then teaches a variation of the basic routine that uses a simple vanish and provides instruction on how to load a single large ball at the end. There is nothing new here, but there doesn’t need to be, because this is intended to be someone’s very first introduction to the trick. The DVD is well produced, clear, and concise. I would have liked to have seen Daryl talk a little more about the different styles of cups and their accompanying terminology, such as shoulder depth and attic space (and their importance when choosing a proper cup). This is something the young user will soon discover when he or she tries to hide a ball in the limited

Available from: www.EssentialMagicCollection.com Price $150.00

58 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

Available from: www.daryl.net Price $9.95

attic space between the paper coffee cups Daryl suggests using for the routine. But apart from this minor and petty criticism, this DVD should get any beginning magician off to the right start, especially at this price point.

The Art of Presenting Magic to Children 3-DVD Set By Danny Orleans

Available from: http://www.dannyorleansmagic.com/ Price $129.00 Review by Jim Kleefeld Danny Orleans is a magic treasure. He’s intelligent, knowledgeable, talented, and a nice guy to boot. Orleans is a versatile performer who has worked steadily in illusion shows, trade shows, and school shows, as well as restaurant and close-up venues. Now he has finally tipped the work on children’s shows. His years of experience and background in education really show in this three-DVD set that literally teaches you how to handle kid audiences. It is a very solid work and well worth studying by anyone who does shows for children. First, you get to watch his contemporary kid’s show, filmed from arrival at the venue, through set-up, pre-show, warm-ups, and then the complete act. Orleans was filmed live presenting a successful general children’s show in a large library meeting room for about two hundred children and parents. This is not from a home movie camera on a tripod; it is a clear and excellent multiple-camera video from a professional recording team. Watching his handling of the kids is a treat, and you will immediately gain some practical tips. It is obvious he enjoys performing with children, not just talking at them and showing off fancy props. He treats them kindly and with respect. He asks rather than tells. He shares the magic and lets them revel in it with him. What adds immensely to this set is a commentary track in which you can watch the show with Orleans’s and educator Michael Brandwine’s voice-over comments about what he is doing and why. They point out exactly why he says the lines he does, why he positions himself and the children just so, and why specific patter is important for audience management. They explain over fifty important psychological strategies he uses during the show that make it fun and successful. Besides the great show video and the significant educational commentary, the DVD set has an extended interview of Orleans by Eugene Burger that gives some real insights into topics like trick selection, performing live, and children’s behavior. There is also a detailed explanation section in which Orleans explains each of his tricks, and even two bonus ones not seen in the show. He also gives a detailed explanation of how to make a magic table that is cheap, lightweight, portable, classy, and easy to use. On a third DVD, there are numerous extras, including videos of Orleans in shows from 1980 and 1988, and lots of literature. The printed pieces include twelve reprinted Genii and MAGIC magazine articles, complete illustrated instructions on how to make five of the magic props he uses in the show, two professional brochure layouts, and a ten-page listing of kid’s show audience manage-

ment strategies. The strategy list correlates with the live show, so you can read the printed information along with watching the show to see and hear exactly what methods are helping to keep the assistants or spectators in control. You will not find any surprising new tricks in Orleans’s show. His repertoire consists of the classics: Magic Coloring Book, Zombie, Strat-O-Spheres, Miser’s Dream, Breakaway Fan, Nesting Wands, and Vanishing Crayons. But these are tightly scripted and finely honed, and after watching Orleans present them, you can easily apply his principles to your own tricks. I have made my living doing exactly the kind of shows Orleans demonstrates here. I’ve been a professional educator and I have published educational textbooks on child management. I’ve studied, taught, lectured, and written about kid’s show magic for thirty years. I’m not bragging, I’m giving you background so that I can tell you that I learned a few things from this great product. The Art of Presenting Magic to Children is a great set, and worthy of study by anyone who presents a stand-up kid’s show.

Ei8ht DVD By Mark Wong Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $35.00 Review by Antonio M. Cabral Laymen still blessedly cling to the belief that magic is a world full of secrets and that each magician has a treasure trove of arcane knowledge and techniques that we wouldn’t reveal, even to each other. The truth, of course, is that there’s a vast literature of tricks in print and on film – some easily obtainable, some not, mostly lousy with card tricks. It’s a godsend to anyone who is looking for new performance material or the enthusiast looking for new toys to play with. It’s a nightmare for anyone looking to foist another entry into the literature on the buying public. The offering needs to be good, or at the very least original. Mark Wong’s Ei8ht, in the apocryphal words of Samuel Johnson, is both good and original; unfortunately, the good parts aren’t original and the original parts aren’t very good. There’s nothing particularly bad about any of these tricks, and to make up a working repertoire they’re perfectly fine. But these eight tricks are a basic offering for the beginning-to-intermediate card worker, and most of them can be found elsewhere. And I don’t get any indication that Mark Wong realizes this. There’s a screen at the end of the disc that states, “Credit to all the magicians who inspired me with all the effects in this DVD.” The problem is, unless I’m missing some crucial piece of navigation, he doesn’t name any of them. He should. I can. Ambitious Aces, for example, is identical to John Carney’s Sanverted from Carneycopia. In performance, Wong leaves off the Daley’s Last Trick ending, but then in explanation puts it back. BoomerBand is a pop-out production of a selection or four-of-a-kind from a rubber-banded deck, which, depending how you consider it, is either Bert Fenn’s Rubber Band Surprise (most readily found on Easy To Master Card Miracles 4) or the version of Shoot-Out Poker found in Schindler and Garcia’s Magic With Cards, another ubiquitous beginner’s text. Equator is a sandwich APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 59

trick using the LePaul Useful Acquitment reverse, an idea of Bernard Billis (according to Card College 4). So that’s half the material right there, readily found. I’m not saying these ideas are stolen, so much as basic and unoriginal. The remaining routines aren’t as readily traced, but they’re not particularly good, either. Most of them feel like the result of an afternoon’s playing around with one’s first set of standard gaffs. Apparition appears to be some kind of Brainwave effect with a red/ blue double-backer, but for extra measure there’s a divination and a color-change thrown in. In performance, Mr. Wong apparently improvises a repeat of the color-change, which doesn’t improve anything. Clean up all the clutter and you’d have a much better trick (Michael Vincent’s Brainwave, My Way, come to think of it). Spring Card Production is ostensibly a flourish, but the routine it’s used in is basically Paul Curry’s Color-Changing Deck; again, half an hour of fooling with a red/blue double-backer and most card workers would figure this out. Plus, the response he gets from the young woman participating is underwhelming. Claymore wants to be a mystery-card type effect, but you end up sticking the card back in the deck for the reveal, which kills the point of isolating the mystery card in the first place. Finally, Pick-Pocket is a good idea (the Joker is placed in the participant’s pocket, where it transforms into the selection), but the execution seems designed for only one person at a time. Plus, I’m not convinced it couldn’t be done better just using a double lift. Mark Wong isn’t a terrible magician, not at all. He has a nice touch with cards and fine chops, and he obvious enjoys performing for an audience. But if this DVD is any indication, he’s simply not at a level to put a DVD out for the rest of the magic community. With proper access to a library and some mentoring, I bet he could be, though. Until then, pass on this DVD.

In My Mind 2 DVD By Luca Volpe

Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $25.00 Review by Dan Garrett

Luca Volpe is an Italian mentalist who has published material previously. English is not his first language, and he speaks it with an accent that is sometimes hard to understand. On this DVD there are six complete routines of mental magic. Some are close-up effects; some can be performed on platform or stage. Television performance rights are reserved. If you are going to perform on TV, you probably would not choose to do Volpe’s routines, so this won’t be a problem. Most of the six routines didn’t really grab me. Four of them are based on card tricks, put in the guise of mental magic. I can find flaws with all of them, but I’ll just mention a few. I should also mention that the explanations were a bit wordy and repetitive. The opening effect has the selected card turning blank. It’s as much card magic as it is mentalism, but it’s the opening effect, so no problem. The second routine is a two-envelope Bank Night type of effect. With random chance offering a 50-50 possibility of success, this effect seems much weaker than the opener. I’m not sold on the method, either. John Archer’s methodology is much cleaner. 60 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

I was excited to find a routine titled The Two Drawings, since this plot is currently of interest to me. Even though the effect was performed with business cards printed with various symbols and icons on the back, it was essentially a card trick that used a principle that will be known to many of you. The two participants are simply instructed to each draw a design (which is forced upon them) and they match. Disappointing. Double Coincidence is another card trick under the cover of “mentalism.” The method is different, but involves two highly gaffed decks. There are better ways to achieve the desired outcome without gaffs. Volpe admits that there are quite a few alternative methods to achieve the same end. The Key of Fate routine shows a little more promise, with multiple effects built around 7 Keys to Baldpate. But again, the method is a bit complicated. There are easier ways to get there. And only three keys are used, lessening the impact of the outcome. If it were not for the addition of the three chairs prediction and the multiple audience participation, this effect would also be lost. Most of the presentations are theatrically flawed. I won’t hold Mr. Volpe’s accent against him, although it makes some of the script, such as it is, hard to follow. The methods are not difficult, so almost anyone who purchases the DVD will be able to perform all of the effects. Unfortunately, more than a few items must be purchased or specially made. The second half of the video is taken up with the Bonus section on Volpe’s Mind Card. This is a business card with seven built-in effects. I liked the method for secretly marking the cards for a Pseudo Psychometry effect. You get a PDF file with the business card template, but you will have to insert your own contact information using image editing or PDF editing, which won’t be easy if you don’t have the right software. Also included are the icons he used for The Two Drawings. There are at least two of these symbols that I would personally redesign. But overall, I liked Mind Card. I would suggest that you pick the elements of Volpe’s card that you like best and design your own card from scratch. My Mind 2 contains some interesting and clever methods. For almost all the routines, there are better, simpler, and more direct methods in print. The presentations are not earth-shattering compared to those of some of the better known mentalists. For the price, this DVD is a fair investment for both the magician and the mentalist. However, not a lot of new ground is covered. I feel that there are items of interest on this DVD for the beginner in mentalism, if not for the professional. But there are much better resources out there than this offering.

Street Magic Secrets 1 & 2 DVD By David Penn Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Retail Price $39.99 Review by Jamie Salinas On the recent television shows that feature magicians, most of the magic performed is a version of close-up magic called street magic. This style has become very popular. It usually takes place in informal settings, often with an impromptu feel. This two-volume DVD set will teach you many effects in this style of magic. On each DVD there is a performance section and an instructional section. The performance section shows Mr. Penn on location at a shopping mall and at a restaurant. After watching the first DVD, it is very apparent to me that this DVD is designed for the beginner or novice street magic entertainer. All of the magic performed on the first DVD is material that I have seen, read,

or learned early on in my magic career. This does not necessarily mean that it is bad magic, but some of it is the type that is found in mainstream media available to the general public. The second DVD contains more of the same, but this time with an emphasis on mental magic. Although David performs the effects well and gets some good reactions, much of it is the type of material that I do not care for: magic that has some sort of “process,” such as add the numbers together, then subtract this, etc. The classic 21 Card Trick is also included on this DVD. If you do not know what this effect is, then this set may be for you. David is a very good performer and is a very good teacher of the effects. All of the tricks on this DVD set use simple props such as cards coins, matches, or a pen and paper. So the question is, “Is this a good DVD set or one I should pass up?” The answer depends on you. If you are new to magic and want to learn some effects you can do almost anywhere and at anytime, this is a great place to start. If, however, you have been studying and performing magic for some time, you will probably want to pass on this DVD set.

David Blaine – Decade of Magic DVD By Virgil Films Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Retail Price $24.99 Review by Jamie Salinas On May 19, 1997, most of the world (including myself) encountered David Blaine via his first television special. The magic was raw, basic, and extremely visual, with the magic speaking for itself. Like him or not, David changed the world of magic and redefined the style of magic called street magic. This two-volume DVD set is a compilation of three of his specials, Vertigo, Drowned Alive, and What is Magic? In Vertigo, David performs a feat of endurance by standing for thirtysix hours at the top of a twenty-twoinch wide pillar one hundred feet in the air in New York’s Bryant Park. In Drowned Alive, David is submerged in a large round tank full of water for seven days and seven nights as well as attempting to hold his breath under water for over eight minutes and fiftyeight seconds! The final special on disc one is What is Magic? on which David performs a version of the deadly bullet catch. In each of the shows, David takes to the streets of several unique locations to perform his type of magic for whoever he finds. Although this is not an instructional video, you can learn a lot about this style of magic by watching David as he lets the magic speak for itself. All of the magic performed is simple in concept and easy to follow without a lot of process. This set does not include his first special.

The second DVD has David’s Ted Talk (in which he presents some inside information for his training for his stunts), Soweto (a clip of David performing on the streets of South Africa), swimming with the great white sharks, his experience of fortyfour days with no food only water, and the world record breath hold. These videos give you a behind-the-scenes look at David’s stunts, performances, and preparations. Each of the television specials is very entertaining and features some great magic. If you are a David Blaine fan or if you are a fan of close-up magic and endurance stunts this is a must-have set for your collection. Decade of Magic is not an instructional video set, but as I stated earlier, you can learn a lot about the performance of magic and the simplicity of David’s style. Priced at $24.95 this is a great buy for the magic enthusiast or David Blaine fan.

AmbiDeckstrous Trick By Jonathan Pickard

Available from: http://Magicbox.uk.com  Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Retail Price $29.95 Review by Curtis Kam AmbiDeckstrous is an effect based on the artwork that currently appears on the back of the boxes of standard Bicycle playing cards made by the U.S. Playing Card Company. There is a picture of two playing cards; one is face down and it partially covers a face-up Ten of Hearts. The package you get contains one gaff that will allow you to apparently change the identity of the face-up card in the picture. The change occurs without much fuss or bother and requires minimal resetting; the trick can be done just about any time during your set. The gaff itself is fair-to-passable in quality, with the image appearing slightly blurred. But it works well enough in normal lighting situations. If the effect appeals to you, then this is a simple and reliable way to accomplish it. The written instructions are oddly inconsistent in that the author feels it necessary to explain basic moves like the Hindu Shuffle Force and the Braue Reverse, but assumes that you already know how to perform a deceptive double lift. Never fear, however, the author also provides links to video tutorials on YouTube for most of the moves you might need. (While Mr. Pickard says he is not affiliated with the people who made these tutorials available to the general public, he does link to them in his YouTube channel.) He also teaches Wes James’s Coming Up in the World loading technique, with credit, but presumably without permission. I like effects like this, in which something truly impossible happens and a permanent change occurs. That’s why I was disappointed by the reactions I got when I road-tested this. In a series of street magic performances for strangers, AmbiDecktrous was a solid effect, but not something that people seemed impressed by. I don’t know why, but I suspect it was because I was calling attention to something that they had never cared much about, and then I changed the thing that I had just made them aware of. There is probably a better way to present this effect, but you won’t find it in the instructions. APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 61

Al Schneider – Cups and Balls DVD By Al Schneider Available from: www.llpub.com/ Price $34.95 Review by Payne I have mixed feelings about this DVD. While I am not overly enamored with any of the routines and presentations demonstrated on this recording, I still feel that any serious student of the Cups and Balls should have a copy of this DVD in their library. I was more intrigued with Mr. Schneider’s approach to the Cups and Balls than I was with the end product. And I feel it unlikely that any intermediate to advanced student of the discipline will add any of the routines on the video to their repertoire. But I am sure many, after watching Mr. Schneider’s work, will find themselves rethinking their current presentation and will consider adding one or two of his sequences into their present routine. I know I’m certainly going to revisit my opening sequence to see how it might be improved by adding some of Mr. Schneider’s handlings. Of the six routines on the DVD, three are “traditional” routines employing three cups and three balls. There is also a single cup routine, a Benson Bowl type of effect, and a presentation with three bowls and three sponge balls that is supposed to be reminiscent of a Japanese Tea Ceremony. Of these routines, the final two involving the bowls and sponge balls are the weakest of the lot and look as if they were added as filler. This seems evident due to the fact that Mr. Schneider flashes during several of the sequences and badly telegraphs the final loads during the three-bowl routine. It looks as if he’s only performed the effect a few times. But then, none of the routines on the DVD are especially polished nor look as if they’ve been performed extensively before a non-magician audience. Not that they need to be, as it is the thinking and routine construction that makes this DVD worth watching. The DVD appears to be an exercise in problem solving. Mr. Schneider gives himself a set of parameters to meet and then creates a routine that addresses them. For instance, in LA Street Cups, the first routine on the DVD, he challenges himself to develop a presentation that is self contained, has a surprising no-steal final load, and is instantly repeatable. While the routine he comes up with certainly meets the criteria, it is not, regardless of what the title might suggest, a street-worthy presentation. Though it might play in a sidewalk or doorway pitch as a pleasing bit of filler, it certainly isn’t going to generate much of a tip with its skimpy final load production of a single large ball. It would, however, be a good routine to use in a table-hopping or walkaround situation because it resets instantly and really does not employ any body loads or steals. His one-cup routine is similarly designed and equally suitable for a strolling situation as long as you have a table to use. The other two presentations are more formal and require you to be seated at a table. While these too do not require body loads, lapping is involved and angles are an issue because you are loading from your lap. In one routine a clever close-up mat is used that also doubles as a servante. It allows you to cleanly get into the routine and deposit the necessary final loads unseen into your lap. You could use it in a strolling situation as long as you could sit down at each table you visited. 62 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

The final three-cup routine, Crystal Connection, requires you not only to be seated at a table but you need an additional set of two matching cups for the final loads of loose crystals. This would only work in a formal close-up situation where you are in complete control of your performance space. All of the routines are short, direct, and to the point. They all rely on a new move developed by Mr. Schneider that he calls the Tweezer Palm. It is a move that is simple to do but difficult to master. I have yet to duplicate the naturalness exhibited when Mr. Schneider executes the move. I am impressed by this DVD and would recommend it to intermediate and advanced practitioners of the Cups and Balls. I would recommend beginners and novices to steer clear of it until they have a better foundation of knowledge to which the information on this DVD can be added.

Al Schneider – The Linking Rings DVD By Al Schneider Available from: www.llpub.com Price $34.95 Review by Payne There are two routines outlined and explained on this DVD. One uses five rings, the other uses six (well, nine really, but the audience is only aware of six). Both routines are basic and straightforward. In the five-ring routine there is a nice handling of the old falling ring illusion. Mr. Schneider also shares his handling of a five-ring count that shows each ring separate at the end of the routine – a count that draws heavily on the handling and subterfuge found in the classic Odin count. This routine has also been designed for a single performer, because it requires no assistance from a member of the audience. It would be a suitable routine to do as an interlude in your act, even set to music if you wish. The six-ring routine is a little more interesting. It starts with a three-ring sequence. An audience member is then brought onstage and three more rings are brought out. These are then linked in various configurations. These are then all handed for examination to the spectator, who finds them all quite solid and devoid of any trickery. The magician then brings out a silk handkerchief, which he employs in a series of penetrations that show the magical quality of the rings. After this sequence, a further series of linkings and unlinkings is demonstrated with the previously examined rings. The whole routine ends with all six rings being linked in a chain of six after which they are then shown, one at a time, to be single and separate once again. Not to unnecessarily tip anything, but you need to know that this routine requires a switch, which is why it also needs a set of nine rings to perform. The switch is accomplished with the use of a box. The use of the box is justified by removing the first three rings (assembled in the shape of a lantern) from the box. If you like, you can even have a bit of flame burning in the center of this configuration as the rings are removed. The other three rings used in the routine as well as the handkerchief are also contained in the box. So there is plenty of justification for the box in the routine. But you still need to cart around a fairly large box if you wish to perform this routine as demonstrated. A non standard set of nine rings made up of a chain of three, a double, three singles, and a

key ring is needed. As with his cup and ball DVD, I wouldn’t recommend this video to the beginner or novice performer because it does not demonstrate the fundamentals of handling the Linking Rings. This DVD is also lacking in stellar performances because Mr. Schneider walks through these presentations with all the gusto and flair of a weary magic shop demonstrator. There are a few moves and sequences that might be of interest to the seasoned worker. If you’re currently building or revamping a Linking Ring routine there are some ideas that might be beneficial. But if you are trying to learn a good basic routine with the rings, there are better resources out there.

One Gimmicks and DVD By Matthew Underhill

Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $40.00 Review by Antonio M. Cabral One is a charming piece of micro-magic designed for those moments when your close-up performance would benefit from a little schmaltz. If you often find yourself with the opportunity to perform Anniversary Waltz or any of its brethren, you might find One an interesting opportunity for variety. Whether it’s worth the price upgrade is up to you. In One, the performer approaches a couple and has a card selected, which conveniently is a Heart (in this case, the Four). One person signs the front of the card; one signs the back. The performer puts one person’s initials in one of the corner pips and the other person’s initials in the diagonally opposite pip. Then, in a grand but tiny metaphoric gesture, the performer visibly drags one initialed heart over to the other, leaving one corner empty and two hearts canoodling in the opposite corner for all eternity. The card can then be handed out as a souvenir. This is a very good trick; it is visually pretty and goes for the jugular in terms of presentational meaning. You’re provided with twenty specially-printed Fours of Hearts (sadly, only in Mandolin Back design) and twenty movable/removable heart pips. Using the removable pip isn’t strictly necessary, but it provides a very nice moment when everything appears as it should just before the magic happens. Otherwise, you can just use the speciallyprinted cards to perform a version of Dai Vernon’s Picking off the Pip, which this effect essentially is. There are a few alternate handlings taught on the DVD, none of which are difficult to learn or perform. It takes a little practice to learn how to automatically handle the gaffed card to hide things while looking like you’re not hiding anything, but it doesn’t require any bizarre grips or funny handling. Sadly, the method doesn’t allow you to have the couple each initial his or her own heart before transforming the card, but the participant’s signature across the face goes a long way towards covering that sin. There’s even an intriguing variation offered in which the card is torn across the middle and the heart is dragged across the chasm to join its beloved. I’m not sure how to justify any of that presentationally without being awkward, but it’s a heck of a trick. You’re going to use up a gaff each time you perform this; it makes no sense to perform this if you’re not giving away the card at the end. To that end, refills sets are available for $20; you get

twenty gaffs per refill. Keep in mind that these aren’t available in Rider Back, so you’d have to stock up on Mandolin Backs just to perform this trick if that is not already your deck of choice. On the other hand, if you already perform Anniversary Waltz or any of the other “romantic fusion” effects, a deck of double-facers is around $8, which gives you over forty gaffs for your trick (as well as a couple of same-both-sides cards and some McDonald’s Aces sets). But if your audience has seen another close-up magician, they may likely have seen Anniversary Waltz performed; it’s nearly as popular as Ambitious Card at this point. Since the point of the trick – any trick, really, but especially this genre – is to create a unique moment for two people, you may want to pony up the extra dough to do something they’ve very likely never seen before. The choice is up to the individual performer. In any event, One is a very good and unique addition to the “nothing says romance like a card trick” genre, and worth checking out if you like playing Cupid.

Automatic Torch to Rose & Rising Trick By Sumit Chhajer Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $25.00 Review by Payne This is pretty much as described. A burning torch instantly becomes a rose...of sorts. Botany has never been the magician’s strong suit. This is why we still attempt to pass off mangy feather dusters as bouquets of flowers and tissue-paper-clad springs as corsages. So to us a stick with a fake flower stuck on top of it is indistinguishable from a rose. This, of course, helps sales. I doubt the more accurate name of Torch to Stick with Fake Flower on End would sell nearly as well. This is a stage or platform piece, best used, I suppose, in a manipulation act. I could see an effect like this used to light a Fantasio candle or two before visibly turning into a rose. But while I could see this trick as an addition to one’s performance, I can’t in good conscience recommend this version of it. The old adage of “You get what you pay for” is perfectly illustrated by this substandard and potentially dangerous prop. First off, it is only a torch in the loosest sense of the definition. The wick on this thing is about the size of the head of a Q-Tip placed end to end. For platform or cabaret work this might provide a sufficient size flame, but for stage work it is sadly insufficient. Yet, as small as the flame is, it still is not dependably extinguished by the appearance of the rose. On more than one occasion when I was trying it out, I produced a flaming flower (which I must admit looked cool). But the last thing you want to be seen doing onstage is franticly beating out a burning rose. Fortunately for me this is no longer an issue, because the teeny tiny torch head flew off after only a few uses. Since there was no way to reattach it and my few meager attempts to replace it with a suitable substitute were met with failure, I now own a stick to rose-like object. This actually makes it performable in more places, because the use of fire in any form has been prohibited in most performance venues these days. If the possibility of an unplanned fiery mishap doesn’t keep you away from purchasing this trick, then perhaps its curious construction will do so. The body of the torch, which is made from a steel rod about the same gauge as a wire coat hanger, is bent in the shape of a J. The end of the J has a single leaf attached to hide a necessary finger hold. This makes it look like a rose no one outside of a magic shop has ever seen. A vase would be a logical place to put a rose after its appearance but the hook of the J makes APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 63

that all but impossible. So even if it wasn’t a fire hazard, the shape of the prop is a hindrance to a reasonable action. And yet, this review isn’t completely finished. I’ve yet to cover the “rising” feature. For those who aren’t satisfied with transforming a meager flame into a flower-like object, this J-shaped rose will actually rise in your hand. Don’t confuse “rise” with “float.” It doesn’t float. But instead can be made to rise up in a manner ever so similar to the old rising wand trick. The same methodology can be employed to make the rose go down, an effect that due to the ever-present force of gravity would only be impressive on the International Space Station. If you want to tempt fate and actually buy this to put in your act, here are the specifics. It’s fairly angle proof. Though it’s easily reset, it’s awkward to get into. It is best to walk onstage with it or remove it from a case (probably with both hands unless you can construct some sort of holder for it). You can’t just pick it up off of a table nor have an assistant hand it to you. But really, if you want to make a torch turn into a rose I’d look around for a better built one than this.

Connection 3-DVD set By Jon Allen

Available from: www.penguinmagic.com Price $79.95 Review by Michael Close There’s an old joke that goes like this: First guy, “What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy?” Second guy, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” Sadly, the second guy’s answer is often how spectators view magic. The magician says, “How many coins in this hand?” The spectator thinks, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” British magician Jon Allen addresses this problem on his new three-DVD set Connection. Through examples from his own performing repertoire (both stand-up and close-up) and in conversation with host Dan Harlan, Jon shows how to alter effects and methods to more effectively engage a spectator, both emotionally and intellectually. To this end, he succeeds; there are some really good routines and some valuable thinking here that turn the audience from merely “spectators” into “active, involved participants.” There are a few glitches, however, and I will address these after I discuss the high points of the DVD set. 1709 Walk-About (Disc One) is Jon’s handling of the classic Anniversary Waltz routine. Anniversary Waltz has become a popular effect because of the emotional connection it makes with the two people who sign cards. It also leaves the two helpers with an impossible object as a memento. Jon’s in-the-hands method makes the routine practical in strolling environments where no table is available. Unique Coin Bend (Disc One) uses a well known gaff to accomplish a coin-bending effect. What makes this routine special is the presentational hook Jon uses, which makes the effect an emotional experience for the helper. The World’s Funniest Joke (Disc Three) is a packs-very-small-plays-very-big stand-up routine based on the Bank Night plot. Jon’s presentation is novel and eliminates the sting of losing that is inherent in this type of trick. Oralgami (Disc Three) is an ingenious presentation for the Hundred Dollar Bill Switch that does more than just solve the 64 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

problem of “Why don’t you give the hundred dollar bill away?” It also lets those of us who live in countries whose currency is made of plastic (and thus unsuitable for this trick) the opportunity to perform this effect again. The Wedding Trick (Disc Three) is the effect that best exemplifies the idea of establishing connections with your audience. Jon has taken a card effect that most of you are familiar with and has turned it into a memorable performance piece. It is a perfect effect for a wedding reception or an anniversary party, and with a little extra work you can leave the two participants with a souvenir they will keep for a long time. As I mentioned above, interspersed with the effects Jon discusses various topics with Dan Harlan, including how to establish the level of connection (Jon tips a great opening line for table-hoppers here), the creative process (“wouldn’t it be good if”), the importance of asking yourself “why,” how to design a performance that comes full circle, the benefit of using different props, and how to handle the inevitable stupid questions that people sometimes ask. (Jon’s solution to this problem is wonderful and may well be worth the price of the entire DVD set to the working performer.) There is much of value in these Allen/Harlan discussions. The items mentioned above are strong enough that they justify the purchase of the DVD set. But there are more tricks and more discussions included. (Each DVD is over two hours long.) The problem is (and now we get to the glitches I mentioned above) that these other routines (while often clever) have very little to do with the topic of “connection.” Here are some examples: Palm-Up Bill Switch is exactly what the name implies: a bill switch done with the hands at waist level and the audience looking down at the hands. There is (to my eyes) a bad moment in the switch: a completely unnatural acceleration of the folding process as the two bills are exchanged. And, there is no discussion of the lack of logic of borrowing a bill, changing it into a hundred, and not giving the hundred to the spectator. Jon demonstrates a Ring off String routine and a long routine with rubber bands. Regardless of how clever the moves are (and there is a really great idea for genuinely breaking and restoring a rubber band), these routines are just “adventures of the props and the hands.” Executive Decision is a clever method for a small-packet Out of this World that doesn’t need a table, but where is the connection? To me, the worst offender is a concept called Adlibitious Card. Jon mentions that when a performer does the same tricks over and over the delivery of the patter can become rote and robotic. In an effort to keep things fresh, Jon suggests having a participant sign a card with a word of her choice, rather than her name. Jon then improvises patter that ties in with the word. (What I’ve just explained in two sentences takes Jon and Dan ten minutes to discuss; I’m not sure why.) Unfortunately, at least as seen in the performance offered, the presentation merely becomes a demonstration of word-play and puns (puns that had to be continually explained to the three women watching the performance.) While the intent may be personalization and connection, this plays as “look how clever I am,” which I’m sure is not the intent. I think the way to solve the robotic patter problem is to be a better actor; it is possible to say the same thing show after show and still make it sound fresh and spontaneous (take Mac King, for example). Here’s the bottom line. The information offered in Connections is valuable and the price point is reasonable for a three-DVD set. If you follow Jon’s advice and experiment with his routines, you will engage your audience in a way that goes beyond, “Look what I can do.” I just wish the entire project had stayed closer to the intended theme. 

Treasures from the Salon de M agie By Ken Kloster m an

Okito’s Pigeon Vanish

Within the Salon de Magie are a number of pieces of apparatus from the creative mind and workshop of Okito (Theo Bamberg), the next-to-last member of a dynasty of magicians that began with Jasper Bamberg (who was popular in the time of Napoleon) and ending with David (Fu Manchu), Okito’s son, who died in 1974. Of all the Bambergs, Okito was the most prolific when it came to conceiving and building illusions. While multiple copies of his effects survive, the piece featured this month is one-of-akind. Okito favored magic with animals in his stage show and devised a unique pigeon vanish for his own use in the 1920s and early 1930s. According to Okito’s own writings, he built the Pigeon Vanish in 1912, used it frequently, and when he eventually tired of the trick, gave it to his son David. The trick’s title describes the effect. Removing a dove from a yellow cage, Okito placed the bird into an elaborately decorated red box with Chinese decorations. Then, piece by piece, he disassembled the box, showing each side of every part fairly as he did so. Not a single trace of the dove remained. The method is purely mechanical, but Okito’s staging of the effect made it an artistic

bit of theater. The concern for detail and the meticulous work that went into the items Okito built for sale to others, as well as those for himself, derived from his personal standards. He built tricks not simply to look pretty, but because that’s how he wanted his own props to look and feel. Beauty was obviously a concern, performing wear-and-tear was another. These props were made to hold up under the rigors of the road. The Pigeon Vanish is not very large. The cage is 8½” by 7¼” by 7”. The box is 14” by 12” by 8¾”. Both pieces bear a brass plaque engraved “Theo. Bamberg,” and there is a letter of authentication by Okito. The effect went from Okito to Fu Manchu and then to Victor Barbour, Joe Berg, John Reynolds, Charles Dodson, Bruce Chadwick, and finally to the Salon de Magie. 

This Okito Portrait with red background measures 48” x 62” and dated circa 1920s. This poster is uncommon. According to Nielsen Magic there are at least a dozen of these out there among the collectors.

APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 65

Remembering Bob Steiner, PNP W hen the announcement came that Bob Steiner had passed away this past January, everyone who worked for the S.A.M. national council during the past thirty-five years immediately reminisced about their stories of him and their dealings with him. Everyone had a remembrance about Bob. He was a polarizing figure, who could best be described as opinionated, passionate, funny, and challenging. Always maintaining the same smile on his face, he could make you laugh or rip you apart. After that, he was your best friend. A couple of years ago, he started suffering memory loss and health issues that caused some financial problems. Many compeers tried to help out with financial contributions, visits for aid, and watching over him. Many offered their homes, but Bob didn’t want to be a burden. One day, no one could contact Bob; he had gone missing. Members of San Francisco Assembly 112 used their resources and eventually found Bob. They brought him home to watch over him and take care of him. I tell you this background to show that Bob’s love of The Society of American Magicians throughout his life came back to help him in the end. It is a true story of Magic-Unity-Might. The following are a few letters that were sent for this article. Reading them will give you a sense of the man and what he accomplished. —Bruce Kalver

A

lthough many of you saw the abrasive side of Bob, I saw another side of him. He genuinely cared about other people and especially wanted to help other magicians. Another thing

Compiled by Bruce Kalver, PNP

that really stood out about him for me was his reaction whenever someone started to tell him a racist or sexist joke. Many of us who do not approve of such humor quietly listen to such jokes without any visible reaction. Bob, however, would never let the person finish the joke. Ever. Past National President and current National Chaplain, Reverend Michael Douglass, summed up some of Bob’s contributions as follows: “With a background as a CPA and a member of MENSA, he had a keen, finely tuned mind, and could be counted upon to notice details that others might not see. He was always up for a challenge, whether running for Congress in New Jersey, tackling mind-bending conundrums, serving with the likes of James Randi to debunk faith-healing charlatans, or just enjoying the perfection of a new magic effect. He authored a book, Don’t Get Taken, which exposed con games, and he toured the world exposing those who used magic principles for supernatural claims.” One of those world tours included a trip in1984 to Australia where he assumed the name Steve Terbot and posed as a psychic so he could show how people could be hoodwinked by charlatans. He (with the cooperation of the host, who was in on the hoax) went on a popular national television show to reveal, after he had duped the whole nation, that he was really Bob Steiner, a magician. By the way, he had not charged fees or collected any money as a psychic. And as a not-so-indirect result of his appearance on that show, a supposed Australian psychic ended up being successfully sued for the equivalent of $50,000 by a follower who “saw the light” while viewing Bob’s performance on television. This whole adventure was one of Bob’s proudest achievements. In 1982, he and Robert Sheaffer founded the Bay Area Skeptics, a local skeptics group that is still operating. Although we had been friends for years, I never knew much about Bob’s personal life away from magic. He never talked about his family or lack of family. And, although I did know that he had been born in New Jersey, only in the past year did I learn his exact birth date: March 6, 1934. I miss my friend and will long remember our epic phone calls and conversations over the years. May he rest in peace. – Don Heynen, Editor of The Conjurer for Assembly 112

Bob Steiner in 1984 when he appeared on national Australian television show as bogus psychic, Steve Terbot

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How can you discover the “real” Bob when he very rarely let his hair down? Let me tell you about a few of the things I remember. He loved playing Merlin in his robes at street fairs. He was fascinated by mentalism and prediction effects. As an accountant he was always aware of numbers. He perused each restaurant bill when we ate out in a group and could tell in a minute what each person’s share would be. His test for proficiency in eating Chinese food was being able to pick up a single grain of rice with chopsticks. Perhaps he was a “little” OCD: the cabinets in his kitchen had spices, cereal, and canned items arranged in alphabetical order. Bachelor Bob had three sons by an early marriage, but the S.A.M. was his family and he considered us all his brothers and sisters. Bob Steiner loved our conventions; although he bought only one ticket to the banquet, we always made sure to set aside a second one, for he was sure to find someone to escort for the evening. He wrote a book about his atheism. I asked him, “How is it going?” His quick reply was, “Thank God, it’s doing very well.” We’ll miss you Bob. – George Schindler, Dean

M T

he funniest thing about Bob Steiner was how serious he was. With love, respect and admiration – PNP Andy Dallas

y daughter was married in the Salt Lake City Mormon temple. This is essentially a family-only event. A reception at her in-laws’ home in Denver was followed a few days later by one in Oklahoma City (where we lived at the time). Bob surprised us by flying from San Francisco for that reception. Not the wedding, just a reception. He was surprised at our surprise. “You are my friends,” he said. Yes, his pockets were full of magic. Knowing Bob well, we cautioned, “Bob, go easy on the magic.” “No problem,” he replied. Completely disregarding my caution, every time I saw him at the reception, he was performing. To my surprise and, well… amazement, his magic kept my daughter’s new mother-in-law delighted for a half hour. His kindness and his esteem for friendship is what we remember best. – Jann & Dave Goodsell, PNPs

O

F

ind the August 1998 issue of M-U-M and read about the new president whose credits and amazing background are truly unusual. We all remember Bob and his devotion to the S.A.M, his work with the OIC, the anti drug abuse program, his love of the S.Y.M. and love for Assembly 112 in Concord, California. Bob was an accountant by profession and a skeptic at heart. He belonged to MENSA, a group of people with high IQs. He wrote a great treasurer’s guide for assembly secretaries. He hated the IRS. He ran for Congress as a Libertarian against taxation. In 1982 he wrote an anti Santa Claus article for Atheism Magazine. But all of these accomplishments are already recorded in our magazine.

ne of the early years that I was S.A.M. convention chair, Bob approached me and said, “I’d like to do a lecture at the convention. It’s all about scams. As a matter of fact, I’ve written a book about it.” Knowing that Bob was never shy about how great something he was involved with was, I was tentative. But he was persistent. There was a small hole in the schedule and a small room available, so I eventually said okay. The room was jammed; Bob sold a lot of books, and everybody was happy. About seven years later, Bob approached me again; the consummate salesman pitched, “You know, I’m a CPA and I have a lecture I think would be of tremendous interest to some of our members: Tax Accounting for Magicians.” I said, “I bet you have a book on it.” “As a matter of fact, I do,” was his quick rejoinder. After discussing with Bob the vertical nature of the subject matter and the small audience he would probably get, I again agreed to give him a room that held only about fifty people and scheduled him in spot opposite some other function. Come time for the lecture, the room was SRO; Bob and his book were instant hits. Bob, we miss your gravitas – and your ability to see the funny side of life. – Brad Jacobs, PNP 

The Dean's Diary By George Schindler was the emcee of a show that evening that included an array of talent such as John Engman, John Zweers, Kim Hallinger, Dan and Harriet Strauss, Bill Hullinger, and Cecil, who made his farewell perforThe Day Cecil Played mance before moving to his new home. Mark Matsumoto did some close-up magic the Castle in the Micro Magic Room before refreshments were served. 1994 was a memorable year for me; The exhibit was in a glass case it was the year when I received the great mounted next to a door that led to a storage honor of being inducted into The Society area where the early minutes of Parent of American Magicians’ Hall of Fame. I Assembly 1 were kept. These minutes was asked for photos and memorabilia for were from the years before the S.A.M. their files. I sent them many photos and became a national organization. I was copies of some of my books. in great company; my glass It wasn’t until January of case was located right next to 1995 that Nina and I were the Milbourne Christopher able to fly out to California to exhibit. officially accept the award. A few years later, Nina A special evening at the Hall and I were performing in the was dedicated to the event; Palace at the Magic Castle. there was a full house, which I was asked if we would included a few members consider doing an extra show of our family, to witness a for the Sunday brunch. I never very dignified ceremony felt that our closing Chopper performed by Michael effect was suitable for chilDouglass, John Zweers, dren’s audiences, and there and John Engman, who were lots of kids expected presented me with a plaque. I at brunch, so a quick phone brought my original “Cecil” call went out to John Zweers. puppet, which they accepted That morning he drove to the for a display case already in bank (where the museum was preparation. My old puppet located) and removed and was quite worn. I was rescued Cecil. The puppet already using a newer one arrived at the Palace in time Cecil - 1995 in my act. Michael Douglass for one more “comeback”

68 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

Cecil - 2013

appearance in our act. Zweers was waiting in the wings to recover the rabbit; he returned him to the hall. No one had ever realized Cecil was “moonlighting” that day. We were all happy to hear that the material in the Hall of Fame Museum was not damaged by the “fire” incident that caused the removal of the collection, which had to be put into storage for these past few years. Happily, the Whittier Historical Museum agreed to exhibit a large number of items until July of 2013 while the search goes on for a new location. I received photos of the opening events and was delighted that sitting at the bottom of one of the cabinets was Cecil, once again in the limelight. 

INSIDE STRAIGHT

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S.A.M. PHOTO CONTEST

Pictured here (from left) are top level fundraising achievers Rod Chow, Shawn Farquhar, Ray Roch, and Leon Mandrake proudly displaying their incentive rewards.

Congratulations to Rod Chow on winning this month’s S.A.M. gear photo contest. Assembly 95 in Vancouver, British Columbia, rewards each of their top fundraising achievers with a prestigious gold S.A.M. logo tie bar (available from S.A.M. Gifts and Insignias). Thanks Rod, not only for a great photo, but for a great way to use S.A.M. gear as rewards for your assembly members! – Steve Marshall

BY NORMAN BECK

Reading Between the Lines Books – I love them. I actually have a book buying problem. All my close friends like to read; when they find a good book they let me know about it. I shop at Amazon on a daily basis and spend a good deal of time in Barnes and Noble. If you are ever in New York City, go to the Strand; in Portland, the store to visit is Powell’s Books, and in San Francisco it’s the Green Apple. I once saw a quote that read, “You will be the same tomorrow as you are today, except for the people you meet and the books you read.” I take this to heart; I make it a point to meet people and read every day. Mark Moskowitz put out a film called Stone Reader; it’s about his quest to find the writer Dow Mossman. After watching this documentary, I have never looked at a book the same way. The first thing I look at before buying a book by an unfamiliar author is his or her bio. If the book is about teaching a skill set, the bio will many times cause me to give the book a pass. I do not buy books from people who write about skill sets. I buy books from people who actually make a living based on the skill sets they use every day. The fact that someone has written a book about how to sell or run a business and yet has never actually done so would lead me in another direction. We see this in magic books all the time. I am much quicker to buy a book written by a working pro over a guy who sponges off other magic guys. I want to know about the person who wrote the book; for me, a real eye-opener is who the author thanks on the Acknowledgements page. I have long said that if you introduce me to a man’s close friends, I will know all I need to know about him. This isn’t written in stone, but if you tell me the tricks you do, in most cases I will know what type magician you are without even seeing you perform a single trick. (Yes, you can fool me with this; it is not a hard-and-fast rule.) I always Google the people that an author thanks. You can gain a true insight into the depth of the research, the type of person the author is, and how serious or flippant a book is without ever reading a page of text. I also find that this is a good way in if you ever want to contact a writer that you might be interested in. In reading, I have encountered a new word; it is actually a very old word, and it’s one that all magicians should know – sprezzatura. Please look it up and have the same joy that I did upon finding it. As a side note, I actually saw it in print for the very first time in The Lost Carving: A Journey to the Heart of Making by David Esterly. The book is by the number one wood carver in the world. He actually uses the word sprezzatura in the book; when I saw it I burst out laughing and smiled to think that the use of the word was true of both magic and woodcarving. I will, in fact, never look at the world in the same way again. I will at some point meet Mr. Esterly and we will become friends. “Why?” you might ask. That is what I do. I read books and meet people; any person who would both find the word sprezzatura and then use it in his writing is someone whom I have to meet. I have room for a quick joke. A Texan visited Niagara Falls. He was asked if he had anything like that in Texas. “No,” he responded, “but I have a plumber who can fix it for you.”  APRIL 2013 - M-U-M Magazine 69

Confessions of a Paid Am ateur By Rod Danilewicz

My first column appeared in M-U-M in April of 2008. This is number sixty. That’s five years and sixty thousand words in print. Several thousand more words never made the cut in numerous rough drafts. When this all began, John Moehring, the former editor, guaranteed me my allotted fifteen minutes of fame. I’ve milked that for over two million minutes as the crow flies. I think the five-year mark is a good place to step aside to make room for someone else to have their say. Over the years, a column or two managed to hit a nerve and generated a large reader response. While most of those who wrote agreed with me, it was always some other guy in their club that I was describing. Very few part-time magicians ever saw themselves in my mirror. John’s original intent was to have me nudge my fellow part-time dabblers in the craft into changing some of their ways for the betterment of both themselves and the overall image of magic. A couple of things that happened last month have convinced me that continuing to meet a monthly deadline after five years is not going to change much of anything. First, my local club devoted most of our March meeting to a brainstorming session as to how we might attract and retain younger members. I didn’t hear anything I haven’t heard before. I also read an article in another magic publication written by a young magician who sincerely believes the Internet is where the future of magic lies. The style in which he presented his arguments leads me to believe we are never going to close that generation gap. We allowed it to get too wide and we no longer speak the same language. To us, a friend is someone who would co-sign a loan for us. To the new generation, every pen pal they have on Facebook is a friend. It appears we have no common ground. Magic is not going to die. It didn’t die with the demise of vaudeville or Chautauqua and it will not die when real live magic 70 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2013

shows are replaced by virtual reality on the Internet. It will continue in some form even after the Internet has been replaced by something else somewhere down the road. Neither you nor I can stop change (I hesitate to call it progress), but we can get our two cents worth in to mitigate that change. Whether we are successful will require a different approach on our part. Our loudest argument to date has been to lament the loss of brick-and-mortar magic shops. The new generation perceives this as us refusing to accept their ways or their world. This tug of war has been going on since Aesop’s Fables were written. The reason it persists to this day is because our justification has always been, “Because I said so, that’s why.” If we want the new generation to listen to us, we have to explain to them where we are coming from. It’s not really about brick-and-mortar stores, or full-service gas stations, or drive-in movies at all, is it? It’s about the fact that another piece of life as we knew it is going away. In the process, a few more inches of our comfort zone are being eroded. It’s about fear. We are afraid that if every facet of our past life ceases to exist, there will be no proof that we ever existed, either. There is still a small chance that both sides can come to a meeting of the minds. We will have to go to them instead of waiting for them to come to us, and we will have to take that first step with hat in hand. If we wish to be remembered, or want to remain a part of the future of magic, we have to get past the ego problem that has plagued our fraternity for so long. If there is a common ground, it’s the love of magic that is shared by both sides. We are going to have to stop focusing on the material side of things and share that love. If we approach this new generation of magicians and explain that we need their help, they may actually stop long enough to listen to our pitch. We can acknowledge that their ways are different from ours; but magic has a rich history that will be lost if their generation has no knowledge of it. We need them to come to an occasional

“Magic will continue in some form even after the Internet has been replaced by something else somewhere down the road.ˮ club meeting or convention – no strings attached. Just hang around long enough to pick up enough fuel so the torch we are asking them to carry forward will continue to burn brightly. Let’s stop deriding them and show them we have faith in them; they might think we’re not such bad guys after all. As a funeral director I am well aware that the world got along just fine before we burst upon the scene, and it will continue to survive after we are no longer around to yell and wave our arms in a vain attempt to keep the sun from coming up each morning. The new generation is very capable of doing it without us. If that’s what we want, we only have to continue to sit back and wait for them to come to us. My thanks to John Moehring for giving me those first fifteen minutes of fame and to Michael Close for allowing me to continue under his watch. A special thanks to all the followers of the column and to those who felt strongly enough about my ramblings to take the time to sit down and send a letter. I may take on the challenge of a monthly deadline again at some point in the future, but it’s going to have to pay at least twice as much as I got for this gig. This is not really my stop, but I feel like getting off here and walking for awhile. Thanks for the ride. 