Category: Magician Feature

Latest Magic News, Magician Feature

Copperfield Picks Next “Great Magician”

Inside Magic Image of Paw-Paw Lawton's Instructional DVD Teaches the Magic Trick Glorpy (a/k/a Hyrum the Hilarious Hank)

David Copperfield made the tough choice of successor, sort of, as part of the NBC Today Show’s Magic Mondays.

The finalists, in order of the last letter of their first name: Kayla Drescher, Jeff Prace and Ben Jackson.

NBC’s publicists claim “hundreds of aspiring magicians sent in videos of themselves performing magic tricks in TODAY’s quest to find the next David Copperfield. Producers teamed up with Copperfield to pick the three best to perform on Monday’s show.”

Ms. Drescher is a magic bartender from Boston and performed “a magic bottle cap trick, swapping Heineken caps with Sam Adams and Bud Light tops right before their eyes.”

Mr. Prace is college student created a stir by producing “a full pack appear from just a single stick.”

Mr. Jackson tore a picture of the show’s hosts and restored same.

Mr. Copperfield chose Ms. Drescher to win the show’s Magic Mondays trophy plus a trip to witness the master magician’s acclaimed Las Vegas show currently at his home in the desert, the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

Mr. Copperfield correctly observed, “[t]o have more women doing magic is a great thing.  We’d like to see more of that.”

Congratulations to the finalists and to Ms. Dresher for bringing home the big win.

Mark Panner, the erstwhile Inside Magic stringer, said a NBC producer returned his entry tape with a perfunctory note.  He performed Hippity Hop Rabbits in the 43 minute video.  He was proud that the “turn-it-around” portion of the trick lasted more than a half hour and featured a student audience from Mystic Hollow Elementary School.

“I think a lot of it is political,” Mr. Panner wrote.  “They didn’t want someone on the show who could show up the big star.  They knew I could milk their studio audience with the trick like nobody’s business.  Copperfield’s tricks are all over in a few minutes – that’s why he has to do so many in his shows.  It’s like five minutes and bang, on to the next illusion.”

We do not disagree that Mr. Copperfield performs effects more quickly and of a greater variety than Mr. Panner but do note that some audiences actually prefer more tricks per show rather than less.  Mr. Panner disagrees.

“Copperfield does like six illusions in the first 24 minutes of his Vegas show.  That averages around four or five minutes an illusion.  The audience never really gets a chance to see what’s happening.  Boom, Copperfield appears on stage.  Boom, girls appear out of nowhere and then vanish.  Boom, his motorcycle appears flying over the audience.  Boom, a duck eats a scorpion while Orson Welles talks about cards or something with a license plate with graffiti.  Continue reading “Copperfield Picks Next “Great Magician”” →

Magician Feature

Kevin Spencer: Illusionist, Educator & Filmmaker Needs Your Help

Inside Magic Image of Kevin SpencerKevin Spencer is a remarkable magician and human being.   He will be on Fox & Friends Monday, March 11th to discuss the making of a documentary Bag of Tricks: Exploring the Magic of Those with Disabilities.

The making of a film is an expensive undertaking and notwithstanding his own financial contributions to the project, he could use a little help.  He hopes to engage contributors through his very informative web page on the crowd-source site Indegogo.com.

The documentary follows the process of “self-discovery and self-determination told through the voices, faces, and hands of incredible individuals who struggle with some of life’s most difficult challenges.”

Mr. Spencer serves as an adjunct faculty in the Occupational Therapy Department of the University of Alabama in Birmingham.  He provides instruction to therapists, teachers and administrators on methods of integrating magic into their rehabilitation programs.   And, oh yeah, he is a world-famous magician with great touring show. Continue reading “Kevin Spencer: Illusionist, Educator & Filmmaker Needs Your Help” →

Magician Feature

Magician Brad Ross Went to Prom with Academy Award Winner Anne Hathaway

Inside Magic Image of anne hathaway and brad rossWe subscribe to Magician Brad Ross’ newsletter and appreciate his great tips and methods for getting paying shows.  One of his strengths is his ability to write as if he knows the recipient personally.

The second is a bona fide success in our business and thus knows of what he speaks.

During the Academy Awards Sunday evening, we received a tweet from Mr. Ross that read “My Prom Date Just Won an Oscar®!”

We did not know whether to believe him.

He had never lied to us but we found it hard to believe that his prom date was famed director Ang Lee.

We were pretty sure Mr. Lee was much older than the young Mr. Ross and didn’t go to school in New Jersey.

It took a few commercial breaks before we figured it out.

His prom date was the beautiful and talented Anne Hathaway (whom he called “Annie Hathaway”).

We saw Les Misérables and thought her performance was one of the best ever captured on film.  We sob at the mere hint of any melody from the musical but when Ms. Hathaway sang as noble but broken grisette, Fantine, we became inconsolable.

Fellow patrons were moved as well.  Most of them away from us and our small but growing pile of generic facial tissues. Continue reading “Magician Brad Ross Went to Prom with Academy Award Winner Anne Hathaway” →

Magician Feature

UK Magician Ev Boothby Impresses the Pros

Inside Magic Image of Ev Boothby Magician Ev Boothby a/k/a “Mister E Magic” has yet to turn 21 but has already experienced more in his young life than most.

He fell in love with our divine Art at the age six and was devotee of Inside Magic Favorite Tommy Cooper.

Due to family problems, Mr. Boothby spent much of his life transitioning to and from foster families before eventually living with his sister.

“I used magic as a way of coping with things,” he said. “It was hard as I always wanted to be at home with my mum, but you don’t really have a voice at that age.”

He dedicated much of his time in high school studying not his coursework but magic.  At the age of 14, Mr. Boothby won a local talent show and later began work performing for kids’ parties and charity events.

Mr. Boothby is now 20-years-old and told the reporter for Eastern Daily Press (UK), “Things weren’t easy. But if there’s something that you like doing, whether it is football, dancing or magic, then I think that, with hard work, anyone can make something of themselves.”  The bookings have picked up and he is busy most weekends performing at weddings, kid shows and corporate events.

If that was the end of the story, it would be a good one.  A young man faced with a tragic home situation uses magic to find appreciative audiences for his passionate performances.

But Mr. Boothby’s story continues.  In his spare time (and we do not know how that is possible with his schedule) the young magician established  The West End of Walsham, “an amateur dramatics group whose members range from eight to 80.”

The troupe put together a variety show and will tour in April.  Proceeds will benefit Ryan White, a pediatric patient battling neuroblastoma, a virulent form of brain cancer. Continue reading “UK Magician Ev Boothby Impresses the Pros” →

Magician Feature

Magician Lee Winters Featured

Inside Magic Image of Lee WintersYoung magician Lee Winters sounds like our kind of guy.  He loves magic, is industrious and gives back to his community.  It is entirely fitting that the Danbury News Times would dedicate considerable space to their Q&A with the Connecticut performer.

His professional name is MagicLee and his weapon of choice is a deck of cards.

Mr. Winters fell in love with our wonderful Art about seven years ago and credits the late Bill Andrews and the Stamford Society of Young Magicians with encouraging and mentoring is rapid development.

He practices every day, films his own installments for YouTube and shares our love for Shaun Farquhar’s amazing effect Shape of My Heart.

“Every time I see it, it almost brings me to tears, it’s that amazing.”

Of course there are those in the magic community who will attack this young prodigy for revealing one of the true classics, The Vanishing Card on one of his YouTube videos.  Yes, the secret has been kept from the public since Robert Houdin and known to very few – until now – but we cannot fault him for this blatant breach of magic’s sacred code.

In the course of the videos (see them here and here), he gives precise details in the angle of deflection for the card to be vanished (47 to 48 degrees), the definition of momentum (as well as the correct engineering formula for determining momentum from known velocity measurements) and even the special Natural Linguistic Programming intonation and word choice to present the effect for maximum impact.

We can hear the exposure is good crowd crowing:

“Yeah, but anyone could figure out the trick.  It is wrong to keep secrets from the public.  No one goes on YouTube anymore.  There’s always a trick to it because there is no such thing as magic.  Why shouldn’t all magic be exposed before the trick is done and then the audience would better appreciate the actual performance rather than be surprised and shocked with no real chance to recreate the events causing the surprise?” Continue reading “Magician Lee Winters Featured” →

Magician Feature

Magician Mac King Escapes for New Jersey

Image of Mac King in Cloak of InvisibilityInside Magic Favorite Mac King is to appear on Saturday, March 16th at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey for one nearly sold out show at 8:00 pm.  The theater is a long way from Las Vegas but just 1500 feet from the home of Albert Einstein.  We explore the obvious implications of this “coincidence” in our special investigative article today.

One of the downsides of being a headliners on the Las Vegas strip is . . .

Okay, actually we cannot think of many, or any downsides per se.  We suppose having people trying to force business cards for escort agencies into your hand each time you enter your place of work would get old and risk paper cuts but other than that, it seems like a pretty good thing.

And to be fair, Inside Magic Favorite Mac King is not complaining about being a favorite of both resident and tourists.  It is just an unfortunate truth that being a headliner means you have to appear live on stage at the venue for which tickets are sold lest you lose your headliner status and risk class action lawsuits by disgruntled putative audience members.

(By the way, according to our recent review of Clark County, Nevada’s civil court docket, there has not been a lawsuit against a headliner by a disappointed ticket holder that was described as “gruntled.”  It appears only the disgruntled are willing to pay the filing fees and cost of serving a summons to seek recompense for their alleged damages.

Interestingly,  we came across a lawsuit brought by a family who attended the Cirque du Soleil show “O” and found it wanting.  For some reason, the ticket broker told them the front row seats were for a show starring Oprah Winfrey.  The suit was dismissed at a preliminary stage of proceedings.  We were amazed that they stayed for the entire two-hour show apparently waiting for Ms. Winfrey to appear in the midst of the aquatic fete that is O.  See, Family Van Der Wallen Jag v. Cirque du Soleil, et. al., (Nev. Nov. 23, 2012)).

Mr. King performs ten shows a week and if he were performing them all on one day, he would have plenty of time to see the world but apparently his contract with Harrah’s requires him to take the stage at the beautifully appointed Main Showroom twice a day on five days a week; Tuesday through Saturday.  (We did the math, performing a show at 1:00 and 3:00 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday equals ten shows.  We were pretty certain Mr. King’s representation was correct but it is also good to check things for one’s self). Continue reading “Magician Mac King Escapes for New Jersey” →

Magician Feature

David Copperfield Donates Rare MLK Recording

Inside Magic Image of David Copperfield Magician David Copperfield has always been a good guy in our book and the later film adaptation of our book now appearing in New York and Los Angeles art theatres — the kind where they serve you blush wine to sip in the dark whilst you eat your popcorn and sit in the odd-shaped chairs scavenged from a distressed office furniture auction.

But he has proven his goodness by something he did not do.  Mr. Copperfield happened across a very rare recording of an interview with Martin Luther King Jr. made in December 1960.

Tennessean Stephon Tull found the tape in some of his father’s old boxes a few months ago.

“No words can describe. I couldn’t believe it,” Mr. Tull told the Associated Press. “I found … a lost part of history.”

His father was intent on writing a book about his personal encounters with racism and the interview was apparently conducted in support of the book.  Dr. King shared his definition of nonviolence and supported its practice to overcome the social scourge racism represents.

Here’s the magic part.  Inside Magic Favorite David Copperfield bought the tape recording from a New York collector.  He could have exploited it for quick cash or grabbed some headlines with news of his acquisition.  Did he?  No, he did not.  And that’s why we like him so. Continue reading “David Copperfield Donates Rare MLK Recording” →

Magician Feature

Magician Brad Ross Practices What He Teaches

Inside Magic Image of Brad RossMagician Brad Ross is unique in our book.  Granted, our book is itself unique and difficult to read due and questionable images, but Brad Ross is unique nonetheless.

He is a young man with the maturity of someone our age would be assumed to possess.  He is also one of the few active, working performers to offer a course on how to improve bookings and gain positive attention who actually appears to have great bookings and very positive press.

Today’s article in the Daily Record (NJ) proves our point.

Mr. Ross will be performing this weekend at the beautiful David and Carol Lackland Center at Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey.   His performance is part of the theater’s Family Fun Series and set for 2:00 pm this Sunday, January 20th.

The show was originally set for November 20th, last year but Hurricane Sandy intervened.

“I got the magic bug that early,” Mr. Ross told the reporters. “I knew right away that was what I wanted to do.”

He was not able (or not willing) to overcome the magic bug’s influence on his life and now at 28, he is a veteran of the stage, screen and the Disney Live tour.

Does he enjoy it still?  “I wake up each day loving what I do,” he says. “I’ve never had a career outside of magic.”  Perhaps that is the key to his success — that and abundant talent.

“I’ve performed on five continents and in 16 languages,” says Ross. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you have to roll with the punches. Anything can happen live.”

Mr. Ross will take time after the show to help teach kids some simple tricks in a special workshop.  Perhaps to infect a new generation with the magic bug. Continue reading “Magician Brad Ross Practices What He Teaches” →

Magician Feature

Magic Helps Make Perfect Match

Inside Magic Image of The Charlatan by Jim MunroeEveryone on the Inside Magic editorial staff is registered with the National Bone Marrow Registry and we urge you to do the same.

We were convinced it was the right thing to do when one of our loved ones was attacked by leukemia.  The doctors can swat it away for a while but often it returns to further weaken and rob and finally kill.  It was a bone marrow transplant that provided the best offense against the ugly cancer.  An effective bone marrow transplant requires an essential matching of key traits between the donor and the recipient.   Where there is a sufficient match, the doctors will give it a try.  Where the marrow doesn’t match up, no attempt is made.

Considering that a bone marrow transplant is often the best, last hope for a patient, news of a match is received with great joy while word that no match can be found is devastating.

Even if a match is found, there is no guarantee the transplant will be successful, that the patient won’t succumb to the destruction of his or her own immune system — the necessary first step in the transplant process.  Even if the patient survives until the transplant takes place, complications can still bring disaster.

But, the odds are always improved by increasing the number of potential marrow downers to consider.

Indiana magician Daniel Cullen directs a stage show titled “The Maze” described as “a mystery performance that features a unique brand of mentalism not seen in typical magic shows with a unique blend of illusion, intuition, psychology, humor, mystery and danger.”  Mr. Cullen works with magicians Jim Munroe and Zak Mirzadeh to bring the production to college campuses to entertain and promote the cause of Be The Match — a national bone marrow donor registry.

“For the most part, Jim is the main performer of the show and it’s based around his experience with cancer,” Cullen told the Washington Times-Herald.  “We work with Be The Match because of that. We’re the number one recruiters for Be the Match.
Continue reading “Magic Helps Make Perfect Match” →

Latest Magic News, Magician Feature

Wayne Houchin Interview: Answers and Truth about Attack

Inside Magic Copy of Wayne Houchin's Promotional ImageMagicians worldwide were shocked by a Dominican Republic television host’s attack on Wayne Houchin last on November 27th.  The story rightly received almost instant world-wide circulation and condemnation.   Breaking news reports and vivid video gets the word out but can also allow for unfounded speculation and poor reporting.

Mr. Houchin and his lovely wife Fran sat down with the folks at The Magic Broadcast to offer a definitive recounting of the events and aftermath.  The interview is professional and worthy of your time.  In just over an hour, the Houchins dispel some of the more irresponsible reporting and rumor trading, explain their purpose in releasing the horrific video tape, express gratitude for the out-pouring of love and support from around the world, and detail their plans for the future.

Mr. Houchin provides an incredible chronology of the moments leading up to the assault and his adrenaline-fueled reaction to being lit on fire.  The event triggered his “fight or flight” mechanism which he said was more of a choice between fight, flight or freezing in place.

He felt like he was being consumed as he felt burning across his head before spreading to his shoulders.  He also felt an understandable sense of panic.   The adrenaline caused his perception to change.  He felt time slow and his focus intensify.  He stopped panicking and asked himself, “where are you running to?”  With incredible presence of mind, he reminded himself, “the decisions you are about to make will determine if you will survive.”  He performed a quick poll of his integrity:  “Systems check: breathing, thinking, you can move your body, you’re conscious.”  He reminded himself “we are not our bodies; we are the ‘knowers’ of our bodies.”

Check out the interview at The Magic Broadcast website.  Continue reading “Wayne Houchin Interview: Answers and Truth about Attack” →