Category: Magic News

News from the World of Magic

Magic News, Magician Feature

The Year of Penn Continues

Inside Magic Image of Magician and Author Penn JillettePenn & Teller joined the select few included in the UNLV Entertainer & Artist Hall of Fame this weekend. Siegfried Fischbacher and Lance Burton attended, showing their support for the magic duo.

Former Nevada Lieutenant Governor, lounge singer and hall of fame member Lorraine Hunt-Bono presented the team their beautiful and pointy crystal trophies. Teller broke his silence to say "thanks" to the attendees.

Las Vegas Sun columnist John Katsilometes has deigned 2012 to be The Year of Penn:

I'd joked that 2012 was shaping up as the Year of Penn, given his ubiquitous-ness in the first 4 months of this year. Jillette even showed up at Marty Allen's 90th birthday party celebration at Palace Station on Saturday afternoon, joining a similarly odd collection of celebs and newsmakers onstage at Louie Anderson Theater that included Allen, Mayor Carolyn Goodman (presenting Allen with a key to the city), former mayor Oscar Goodman, Anderson and Allen's wife, Karon Kate Blackwell.

It does seem Penn is appearing in more places and garnering more television time. We have seen him on political talk shows, British stump the magician series and of course The Celebrity Apprentice. He survived last night's episode and thus continues his fund-raising for Opportunity Village, a Las Vegas foundation providing vocational training for our fellow citizens with intellectual disabilities.

"If I worked all the time I was on 'Celebrity Apprentice,' and gave all that money instead to Opportunity Village (laughs), they would do better," he says. "But I give them a lot of attention, no question about that, I have raised awareness. So you can't be too cynical about it."

Penn & Teller continue to entertain capacity crowds at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and offer the best magic per dollar spent in town.

Latest Magic News, Magic News, Magician Feature

Mac King: Better than Copperfield

Inside Magic Image of Person Watching Our Double Wide HomeThe big time professional magicians spend buckets of moolah hoping to entice just one more customer in the door.  And these are magicians who have talent far beyond even the best of the best in our local Rings or Assemblies.  

The advertising consultants we've consulted unanimously agree the best type of advertisement is also the toughest to create, word of mouth. 

We were impressed by the praise heaped upon Inside Magic Favorite Mac King in a pithy review posted on Trip Advisor this morning. 

Under the title, “Better than David Copperfield” a traveler from the Midwest penned just a few sentences that likely has more power than any paid-for advertisement Mr. King could muster.

Mac King, who looks like a blonde Paul McCartney, is much more genuine and entertaining than David Copperfield, who comes off as jaded and almost contemptuous of his audience. I laughed at King's silly jokes in spite of myself because he seemed like such a nice guy. This show is definitely worth the money and time spent. Go see it!

We hate to see two fantastic magicians compared against each other in this way and hope that readers of the Trip Advisor site are able to overlook this poster's negative impressions of  Mr. Copperfield's act.  Not to sound too much like your mother, but we love both acts and each magician equally.  They are each special.

Additionally, we never saw Mac King as a "blonde Paul McCartney" but have noticed that each time we have seen his show at Harrah's in Vegas, Paul McCartney was not to be seen.  We're not saying this is like a "Dancing Bear – Captain Kangaroo" situation where the Captain would always just miss seeing the much-heralded dancing bear thus leading some to suggest that it was the Captain within the costume.  Still, it seems more than a coincidence and perhaps this citizen poster has a point. 

We have taken the liberty of requesting DNA from Paul McCartney and will compare it with that which we have sampled from a goldfish we perloined from Mac King's show.  Once we have the former Beatle's scrapings, we will post the results. 

If Paul McCartney provides a sufficient amount of DNA, we will divide it into smaller bits and sell it on eBay to pay for the rather expensive DNA Comparator 3000 Plus we purchased for this journalistic investigation.  Why not just sell the DNA Comparator 3000, some may ask.  

Continue reading “Mac King: Better than Copperfield” →

Latest Magic News, Magic News

Houdini Returns: Medium Connects with Great Magician

Inside Magic Image of Headline

We read with great interest an article on the incredibly reliable Weekly World News web site, "Houdini Speaks from Beyond the Grave." The article is probably not totally true but says Houdini has made contact through professional medium John Edward. Houdini provides several predictions to prove his authenticity. Like we said, it is probably not true but still interesting.

We live by few rules as magician / magic writer persons. First, "if it bleeds, it leads." The shocking and graphic stories go to the front of the line. In this way, we are very much like Disney World. The more grotesque or disgusting a person is (either in mannerisms or odor) the more likely he or she will be permitted to cut ahead of others standing in the Florida Sun.

Our second rule gets us in trouble, sometimes. "When in doubt, don't leave it out." Some news sources will pass on stories that have only a single source, seem self-serving or seem highly unlikely.

If it wasn't for Inside Magic, you would never know what got passed over. We publish the stuff others won't because they have "standards" or insist on "some basis in reality." Not this major magic periodical. If it wasn't for this policy, none of the following would have found a voice on the endless maze of copper tubing we call the internets.

1. President Magic Will Be Criminalized

This seemed within the realm of possible when we printed it several years ago. Our source assured us that the hobby and profession enjoyed by millions was about to be made illegal and practitioners would face jail time. Imagine how embarrassed we were to learn that the headline was technically true but just barely. It was the president of a local fraternal lodge that made the statement. And that he actually said, "Magic should be taught to criminals as a practical skill to boost self-esteem and confidence." Whether he intended jail birds to learn escape techniques is still the subject of litigation and debate within the lodge.

2. Ching Ling Foo Not Who He Seemed

For pure volume, this article should rank high on our Google search results. Unfortunately, we were wrong. Ching Ling Foo was actually a magician from China and not really Billy Robinson, former assistant to Kellar and Thurston. Mr. Robinson used the derivative name Chung Ling Soo to hide his Anglo identity and perform until he was killed performing the Bullet Catching Trick &ndash not the Cups and Balls as we also erroneously reported. We agree now that it did not make sense that a person could be killed when his or her Cups and Balls routine went "Horribly Wrong" and that we should not have guessed at what happened.

 

3. David Blaine's Box Falls Kills Paul McCartney and Others

We had to go with it. Yes, we could have immediately verified the story by looking at the live web cam showing every second of the 44 days of boredom induced and experienced by the American magician's endurance test. But we were writing from our phone while waiting in line at the 7-11 convenience store. We note that several of the letters in Mr. Blaine's name alone take forever to type out on a cellphone key pad. We were lucky to get the story out at all.

Continue reading “Houdini Returns: Medium Connects with Great Magician” →

Magic News, Magician Feature

Teller Teaches Magic for Science’s Sake

Inside Magic Image of TellerTeller, magician and silent half of the Inside Magic Favorite duo Penn & Teller, offers his thoughts on neuroscience’s interest in what we do for a living.  His article currently appears on Smithsonian.com and is a delight to read.  (We use the word ‘delight’ advisedly – whatever that means). 

Teller takes readers through the seven essential principles of magic to support his thesis that neuroscientists are novices at deception. Magicians have done controlled testing in human perception for thousands of years.

Yes, there are some who decry the exposure (sort of) element but even this learned journal of all things magic cannot join in said decrying.  There is no way to describe how magicians manipulate perception without examples.  Teller does not expose more than he needs to illustrate and educate.  Yes, if you are one of the many who regularly perform David Abbott’s Floating Ball routine or the Cockroach Production, some of your audiences may be wise to your shenanigans but that’s probably alright. 

We did a quick comparative analysis of our two databases, Tricks Currently Performed by Magicians (trik_by_trikkrs.dbf) and Tricks Exposed on the Internets (trik_made_nakd.dbf) and found a statistically insignificant intersection of the two populations.  (Interestingly, the “I got your nose” trick is the most exposed in English versions of the Interwebs).  When we compared the results of the first analysis with our database of those who regularly read Smithsonian publications (nerds.dbf), the chance of meaningful exposure is minimal and unlikely to have any lasting effect on the ozone layer as we have come to understand it.

Some would argue our analytical approach to exposure should not be considered in isolation.  It is the principle of the thing, they will mumble while gesturing appropriately.   If we permit Teller to expose magic tricks no one else is doing or would do, we all suffer and magic is made permanently weaker.  As our grandfather, Thomas “Big Tom” Hardy once said, “No man is an island although some are easily compared to peninsulas.  If one suffers from tapeworm, does he not eat more food at the family trough than his brother unless they are Siamese (‘conjoined’) Twins?”  

Perhaps, but that only proves Teller’s thesis.

But magic’s not easy to pick apart with machines, because it’s not really about the mechanics of your senses. Magic’s about understanding—and then manipulating—how viewers digest the sensory information.

Should Teller be shunned for not really exposing magic?  Should we really look at the actual impact of his use of arcane and impractical “secrets” to teach?  Or should we just allow our knee-jerk, gut-feeling, envy-based bias to cloud our perception?

Continue reading “Teller Teaches Magic for Science’s Sake” →

Magic News, Magician Feature

Veteran Magic Bird Joins Illusionist Anthony Hernandez

Inside Magic Image of Magician Anthony HernandezIllusionist Anthony Hernandez welcomed a new cast member this week. 

The cockatoo, Merlin, is different in kind from other birds or even other magician's assistants.  

Merlin has worked for the last thirty years with the big names in the big rooms at the big hotels in Vegas.  Names like Tony Curtis and Wayne Newton are part of his impressive resume. 

The cockatoo worked with two generations of magicians.  His first owner was well-known magician Ralph Adams.  Upon his passing, Merlin and the rest of the senior Adams' props passed to his son, Ralph Adams' Jr.

Anthony Hernandez was a former student of the elder Mr. Adams' and received Merlin when Ralph Adams' Jr. retired. 

Mr. Hernandez performs weekly at The Welk Theater in Escondido, California.  Merlin will apparently soon join the Wednesday performances. 

Dawn Morgan works as Mr. Hernandez' assistant and animal wrangler.  "There's always four doves, a bunny, a dog, and now Merlin," she said. "We wanted a tiger, but somebody said you have to feed them live chickens, and I couldn't do that."

Merlin is a seasoned professional and by cockatoo standards just hitting his prime.  Mr. Hernandez said cockatoo is expected to live another 40 to 60 years. 

"He is really smart. He knows what's going on. All of our animals are family members —- Anthony and I have been together for eight years, and these are like our kids."

Mr. Hernandez performs a two-hour show every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the The Welk Theater in addition to a full schedule of other shows around Southern California.  A check of his website reveals the demanding — but likely enjoyable — schedule of an up-and-coming magician. 

Tickets for the Wednesday shows (and your chance to see Merlin) are $30 for adults and $10 for children, and can be purchased by calling 888-802-7649.

Visit The Welk Theater page here.

Check out Mr. Hernandez web site here.

 

Magic News, Magician Feature

Magician T.A. Hamilton Wows ‘Em in Kansas

Inside Magic Image of Magician T.A. Hamilton and his Lovely AssistantMagician T. A. Hamilton’s show “Magic Ka-Zam!” picked up some fans and great press in today's Emporia State University's daily The Bulletin. 

The publication described Mr. Hamilton's performance at the Granada Theater in glowing terms and credited the performer with raising money for two local charities.   

More importantly, for us anyway, he had some great lines that we will steal and use as often as possible. 

“I started doing magic at somewhat of an early age,” Hamilton said. “Not in the womb, but right after that.”

Mr. Hamilton has been around and worked with the best.   He worked with David Copperfield, a pyrotechnician for Earth Wind & Fire, Emerson Lake & Palmer and KISS, and was recently nominated for a performance at the White House.

He prefers the family shows, however.

“Family audiences are my passion,” Hamilton said. “I do corporate and school events, and I have fun doing those, but family audiences are definitely my passion.”

The act “Magic Ka-Zam!” features comedy magic and is geared toward audiences of all ages.

He ended the performance with Zig-Zag and a levitation featuring his lovely assistant.

“What I do is I lead my audience down the garden path,” said Hamilton, “and then, I turn the sprinklers on.”

Classic line.  If we're ever asked we'll credit T.A. Hamilton as the inventor — but only if we're asked.

Check out the full article here: http://www.esubulletin.com/2012/03/01/10507

Be sure to visit his home on the web here: www.tahamilton.com

Latest Magic News, Magic News

Kate Moss Hooks Up Magician Hans Klok

Inside Magic Image of Dutch Illusionist Hans KlokMagicians are natural magnets for super models.  This truism has been known to masters of our non-dark arts for centuries. 

Robert-Houdin entranced the lovely Josèphe Cecile Houdin who just happened to be the daughter of big time watchmaker  Jacques François Houdin.  David Copperfield was dating super model Claudia Schiffer before that ended and he met French supermodel Chloe Gosselin. 

Tony Spain was seen on several occasions with that woman who played the phone operator for the Craft-Matic Bed commercials (The lovely "Operators are standing by" woman).

The tabloids are all agog over attractive person Kate Moss and her professed fan-like feelings for Dutch Illusionist Hans Klok.  According to one of those UK tabloid-looking newspapers, "Kate Moss is a fan of 'The One Show'.'  The 38-year-old supermodel urged her close pal, fashion designer Stella McCartney, to hire Dutch illusionist Hans Klok after spotting him on the BBC One evening programme.  ("Programme" is British for "program").  Mr. Klok tKate Moss asked him to be the magic attraction for her show."

Ms. Moss is not alone in her attraction to Hans Klok.  He previously worked with  Carmen Electra and then Pamela Anderson in his Las Vegas magic show.

The One Show is a program ("programme") on British televison ("telly"). 

Hans Klok's  is also starring in The Houdini Experience at London's Peacock Theatre ("Theater") until Sunday March 25. 

Go to www.sadlerswells.com/show/Hans-Klok-The-Houdini-Experience for tickets.

 

Magic News

Houdini and Art in Madison Wisconsin

Inside Magic Image of the Great HoudiniFor a dead guy, he sure does get around.  Houdini packed 'em in at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art last Friday as "Houdini: Art and Magic" opened.

According to press reports, a talk by the show's curator was standing room only and the galleries were packed. 

The Jewish Museum in New York assembled the show and it is making its sole Midwest stop on the way home from a very successful run in Los Angeles. 

Critics noted that the show is "a bit of a departure for MMoCA, which tends to focus more straightforwardly on modern and contemporary art, but the show is already proving to have wide crossover appeal."

While visitors can enjoy watching rare video clips of the star's greatest escapes, they can check out  more conventional art  from the world of sculpture and painting.

One critic notes:

Heavy chains in Petah Coyne's sculpture, Untitled #698 (Trying to Fly, Houdini's Chandelier), recall those with which Houdini bound himself for feats of escape. The piece's suspension from the ceiling brings to mind the many stunts he performed while dangling over crowded city streets. Coyne's work compels the viewer with its brooding, mysterious presence, rather than a literal representation of Houdini.

Some of my other favorites included Jane Hammond's large-scale paintings, one of which shows Houdini on a tightrope, performing his needle trick (in which he swallowed sewing needles and then pulled them from his mouth on a string). In this case, the silhouettes of women in pre-Civil War dress hang strangely from the string. The simplified, graphic composition of Hammond's painting calls to mind posters for his appearances, some of which are on view here.

Read more at The Isthmus here.

Magic News

Magic’s Demise Predicted — Again

We have been reading The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards and enjoying every page. Jim Steinmeyer could have made his living writing books and wouldn't have needed to be the prodigious inventor of so many game changing illusions. We are fortunate as a community that he lost his way and fell victim to Magic's seductive call.

After Kellar's passing, there was a heated contest between Houdini and Thurston to assume the position of Dean in the Society of American Magicians. The debate was ugly and filled with attacks founded and otherwise to prove or disprove worthiness to the throne. One of the knocks on Thurston was his alleged violation of Magic's sacred rule against exposure.

Audiences could purchase candy in specially printed containers that taught basic magic tricks. Some of Magic's elite branded this activity evil and worthy of disqualification. Others saw no problem with the general principle of teaching very basic tricks to young people. The case apparently turned on a bizarre technicality: because the candy was being sold, there was no offense. If the same candy had been given away in the boxes, the case would have gone against Thurston.

In the midst of the debate, the magician and historian Henry Ridgely Evans penned his essay "Is Magic Decadent?"

Ah, for the good old days, when magic was a genuine mystery, and one had to learn it from a professor of sleight-of-hand; when books and boxes of magic did not exist, and stage secrets were as closely guarded as the formula of certain patent medicines.

Magic has been on the cusp of ruin for centuries and apparently the advent of mass production of magic kits and publication of magic books indicated the last days in 1923.

In an article published this weekend in the online journal, Salon, writer Santiago Willis voices concerns almost identical to those of Evans. His article, The Internet Makes Magic Disappear runs parallel to Evans' concerns and is familiar.

Magic depends on secrecy, magic shops controlled access to secrets, brick and mortar magic shops are shuttered by the internet outlets, youtube.com exposes all to everyone with a computer; and therefore, magic will die out from over-exposure.

The writer notes New York City had 16 magic shops in 1960, three in 2003 and now only two. Willis quotes Jamy Ian Swiss for the proposition that the decline in brick-and-mortar shops portends the erosion of one of our art's essential support structures.

We cannot disagree that youtube has permitted really bad magicians to expose what could be really great tricks. But magic has been with us for a very long time and it has never been just about figuring out the secret. Magic in its truest form focuses on the performance, the give-and-take with an audience of one or a thousand, and the experience shared.

Continue reading “Magic’s Demise Predicted — Again” →

Magic News, Magician Feature

Penn Magic Club Featured

Secular media fails to give local magic clubs the attention they deserve and so it is nice to see The Lansdale Patch (Pennsylvania) cover a recent meeting of the Lansdale Magic Club held at the local library.

The article featured amateur Royersford magician Ryan Adamowicz describe as having the the "rapport a magician should have with his or her audience." "The typical, corny humor you expect with a magician was right before your eyes."

We have so many shibboleths in our field to discern the magician from non-magician. Magicians call handkerchiefs "silks," rolled newspapers "cones," and the creation of flowers, silks, balls or animals, "productions." Even the order of words can be a give-away.

The Magically Amazing Ryan performed his favorite trick – the balls and cups. It involves shiny metal cups, miniature tennis balls, disappearing and reappearing, transportation from one cup to another – the usual spiel.

The feature does a great service to Mr. Adamowicz, tracing his career from age five when he encountered the Houdini Magic Kit through present.

"I've been doing magic my whole life, but for the past three years, I've been doing it more steadily," he said. "I'm getting shows, getting out there."

Mr. Adamowicz gives a nice plug to Lansdale's magic store, Kurt's Magic World. The reporter notes it is one of the last brick-and-mortar shops in the Philadelphia environs.

Kurt Brasch is the owner of the eponymous Kurt's Magic World and serves dedicated enthusiasts with fellow magicians John Walton and Marlin Hess.

Mr. Brasch moved the shop from a local mall to his current location 200 W. Main St. in Lansdale, PA, because he wanted "a real shop." He said the store has seen business from as far away as New Jersey and New York. Like any "real magic shop," Kurt's Magic World takes time to help customers (and potential customers) personally. "We get people in all the time: 'Can you help me with this?' 'Can you show me how to do that?'" Mr. Walton said.

Mr. Brasch started the monthly Magic Club at the library and, if the last meeting was representative, has launched or re-launched the careers of many magicians.

Continue reading “Penn Magic Club Featured” →