World Magic Seminar’s Close-Up Show — Two ShineInside MagicMagic News Updated Daily for the Professional Magician

Tonight, I went back to see both Tommy Wonder and Jon Armstrong at the World Magic Seminar. I was not officially allowed to see them ? I?m in group A so I should only watch on Group A nights. But I was willing to take the wrath of those in control just to see these two again.

A review? Sure, why not.

Maybe you are like me. Maybe not. Maybe you?ve read the hype about Tommy Wonder and wondered whether he was, as we say in the US, all that. Well, even if you?re not like me, I still felt the same way. You hear so much about him and his considerable accomplishments and you think, to yourself, how good can this guy be? He?s only human.

Last night, Monday, I got to see Mr. Wonder perform and I have to tell you he is worth the hype. He was incredible in both presentation ? sort of a self-effacing, humble style like Henry Evans ? and skill.

If you can talk the talk and do the walk, you?re doing well. Mr. Wonder is not only incredible but he is also much like Paul Daniels in that you could listen to him all-night.

His close-up work reminded me of the late Dai Vernon. His magic made sense and the props matched what he was trying to show. He wanted to tell us about how…

A review? Sure, why not.

If you can talk the talk and do the walk, you?re doing well. Mr. Wonder is not only incredible but he is also much like Paul Daniels in that you could listen to him all-night.

His close-up work reminded me of the late Dai Vernon. His magic made sense and the props matched what he was trying to show. He wanted to tell us about how someone pinched his wallet, ring and watch and he demonstrated the theft clearly and openly. (In the U.S., ?pinched your wallet? means so much more than what this apparently means in the European Common Market.) He then made each of these items re-appear on his hand, his hands and then, for the incredible conclusion, made the money re-appear in his wallet. Incredible.

Mr. Wonder?s style is effortless. You have the feeling that he can do real Magic.

I know you?re probably like me in some manner. By that, I mean, you like to read about Magic and Magicians. You read the magazines, you buy the DVDs, you go to the conventions. So, like me, you?re likely not impressed by anyone. I mean, we act like we?re impressed and we ?appreciate? the skills of the newest innovators but we?re not all that impressed. We don?t think they?ve got something we couldn?t read about, buy or learn at a lecture.

Mr. Wonder defies that kind of thinking. What he does is Magic. If you have a chance to see Mr. Wonder, live, grab it. He is worth calling into work sick. He is something you have to see to be un-believed.

Similar in skill but not notoriety, yet, is Jon Armstrong. Let?s go back for a second to the Robert-Houdin quote, ?A magician is an actor playing the role of a magician.? Mr. Armstrong defies this definition. He acts as if he is a magician trying to do magic and being surprised by the outcome. If Mr. Armstrong sold stock, I?d buy him. In five years, he?ll be worth so much that I will appear to be a genius to have bought options in him.

First, Mr. Armstrong is funny.

He is genuinely funny. He is funny in his actions and in his words. I have seen him two times now (the last two nights) and I realize he doesn?t follow a memorized script. He works off what the audience gives him. That?s a talent we normally associate with a tremendous comic not a magician. Magicians have scripts from which we might deviate as necessary. Mr. Armstrong works a crowd like one of the great stand-up comedians.

Plus, he provides incredible Magic.

Mr. Armstrong does a slop-shuffle card divination where he correctly recalls the phone number of an audience member that is to be envied. I am not too small a man to admit this: I have no idea how he could do what he did. He spilled cards all over the table, shuffled some up and some down and then cut the deck a few times. At the conclusion of the cutting, he showed that he had the face-up cards that exactly matched his volunteer?s phone number.

One of our traits as Magicians is that we don?t want to know everything. We want to be fooled. I was fooled. I have no idea how he could literally shuffle the cards so that they fall all over the table and are then slopped together could come into line to be a representation of the volunteer?s phone number.

I?m not joking about this. I mean it. I have no idea how this was possible. But he did it effortlessly last night and tonight and yet I cannot determine how it could be done.

We spoke yesterday about how we agreed with Paul Daniels? quote that a Magician should entertain. Mr. Armstrong entertains in spades. He is incredible to watch and entertaining to listen to. He seems to be completely out of control but clearly he must have some control or things wouldn?t work out as well as they do.

If you have a chance to see either Mr. Wonder or Mr. Armstrong, you must see them. Mr. Wonder is amazing despite his hype. Mr. Armstrong is incredible even though he does not yet have hype.

What a great Art we are in. How lucky I am to see both Mr. Wonder and Mr. Armstrong. I hope you share my luck and see both of these very talented men as well.