Magic of Canada, Magician Feature

Lucas Wilson & Kelly Defilla Put the Heart in Magic

Lucas Wilson and Kelly DefillaMagic performers Lucas Wilson and Kelly Defilla are everything we love about our beloved craft.

The duo received a great write-up in The Norfolk News in advance of their shows next Monday at the beautifully appointed Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover, Ontario.

They returned from the bright lights and big city vibe of Las Vegas with a new illusion they cannot wait to share.  “We’re bringing a slice of Las Vegas to Port Dover,” Mr. Wilson told the reporter during rehearsal.

“It’s fun, quick, colourful – illusion after illusion after illusion,” Ms. Defilla offered.

She is the putative assistant but really the key to the show.  She does the heavy lifting behind the scenes, gets cut in half and puts her professional acting background to good use.  After seven years performing together, “we play off each other really well now,” she said. “And I think my acting training really helps with that, because I know how to be animated (on stage) and stay in that world.”

They were separated during the Christmas season last year when Ms. Defilla needed surgery to repair a “toonie-sized hole in her heart.”  A “toonie” is a rather large one-dollar coin.  That’s a big hole.

Ms. Defilla said it felt “weird” to know that the show was going on without her – a classmate from Holy Trinity filled in for her – but she was touched by the outpouring of concern and love their fans sent her way.

They are their own roadies, responsible for the load-in, tear-down and load-out as they tour.  Do they get tired?  Yes, but it is a good kind of tired – a “rewarding exhaustion.”

“One of the things we try to remember is this could be someone’s first magic show. There could be someone who’s about to fall in love with magic because we put 100 per cent in,” Mr. Defilla said.

“You have to put that kind of energy and excitement in, because you don’t want to let anyone down.”

If you are in Ontario, check out their performance next Monday, March 16, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover.  There are a limited number of VIP seats available for each show so act quickly.  You can visit their website to learn more about the couple, their magic and upcoming shows here.

We wish the duo the best of luck and will keep Ms. Defilla in our prayers.

Magician Feature

Copperfield Tugs Our Heart Strings – Again

Inside Magic Image of David CopperfieldJust in case you needed one more reason to love magician David Copperfield.  We read today of his efforts to make a terminally ill child’s wish come true.

According to a post this afternoon on IJR’s website, Aiden Davis is only 10-year-old but has been fighting cancer since he was three.  His wish was to see to see David Copperfield perform.

Mr. Copperfield apparently heard about the young man and his wish through a social media campaign.  He granted it and then some.  He flew Aiden and his family to Las Vegas and dropped in on them once they checked into their hotel room.

They traveled by limo (Aiden’s first) to the iconic Welcome to Las Vegas sign where the two posed for a memorable photograph and then headed out for sightseeing and finally a visit to Mr. Copperfield’s hidden warehouse/museum of magic.

They finished off the visit with Aiden getting the best seat in the theater, in a perfect position to see Mr. Copperfield perform.

Mr. Copperfield expressed thanks to Aiden and his family for the opportunity to meet and spend time with “an example of strength and courage for him and all who have been fortunate enough to meet him.”

Like we said, in case you needed another reason to love Mr. Copperfield.  We’re going to get some tissues and be thankful.

Uncategorized

Inside Magic Letters to the Editor

Inside Magic Image of a British CricketWe receive letters and emails from readers.  Often we share our responses with other readers.  Sometimes, we just read them and try to find our “happy place” while rocking back and forth and clutching our hair.  Here are some of the most recently received inquiries and our responses.  If you have a question, send it to question@insidemagic.com.  It may get published.

Dear Magic Man, Jr.: How do they do that trick where the ball floats and then vanishes or lights on fire?

Editor: Thank you for your question.  As you may know, we try to avoid exposing the secrets of magic here on Inside Magic.  So we won’t reveal the method but your question did cause us to look into the history of the trick you described so eloquently.

The effect was first found in a rough draft of Professor Hoffman’s Modern Magic under the title “Ball Flying and then on Fire before Vanishing.”  Hoffman got into a hard-fought battle with his publisher over the trick.  The book exposed many of the classic secrets of magic but the publisher was dead-set against exposing this particular illusion.

“Whilst we have no objection to giving away the secret to many tricks that make up the routines of working performers who depend upon secrecy to make a living, we object to lifting the veil on this vaguely described and likely never performed illusion.  It just does not seem, to us, to be in the cricket spirit.”

“Cricket” can be used as a synonym for “fair” or “appropriate” and that sense of the word is derived from the game of the same name played by unfathomable rules over the course of days and reported on the BBC shortwave broadcasts we hear at night due to a misalignment in our jaw and the resultant proximity of two silver filings.

But according to some scholars of a magical bent, the publisher was referring not to the game but insect.

At the time of Professor Hoffman’s writing, cricket fighting (or “Grasshoppering” as it was called on some of the colonial island nations) was all the rage in the British pubs and smaller arenas.  A “sport” similar to cock or dog fighting, the activity brought the bloody battle to those who could not afford the larger animals.  It was considered a more appropriate activity because anyone could find or breed crickets and thus participate.  Charles Darwin observed, “the elite pastime of raising cocks or terriers holds no sway for this man.  Give me a common tettigoniidae and a wager, and I am a happy sailor.” (See Darwin’s Dairies here.)

The Darwin quote points out an interesting twist on the story.  The British “cricket” is actually what we in the United States call a katydid or grasshopper.

In a typical cricket fight, participants would paint the backs of up to five crickets at a time and drop them into the circular arena with the entries of at least two other teams.  The battle would ensue for a period of time tied directly to the relative humidity of the venue.  On a humid night, the fight could be as long as five hours.  On a very dry night, the winners could be declared in five minutes. Continue reading “Inside Magic Letters to the Editor” →

Magician Feature

Malaysian Magician Zlwin Chew Profiled

Inside Magic Image of Zlwin ChewThe Malaysian Sun has a great profile on magician Zlwin Chew this morning.

He went from interested student to major player in Malaysian magic with performances for celebrities, royal figures and the former prime minister.  He has traveled throughout Asia and his YouTube performances garnered the praise of David Copperfield.

We loved his answer on failure:

“If you are a musician and you played a wrong tune, chances are most people will not realise your mistake. But if something goes wrong in your magic tricks, your mistake will stand out like an elephant in a room. So you cannot afford to make mistakes. You need to keep on practicing until you perfect your trick. As far as I can remember, I have only failed once. It happened in the early part of my career. The best thing to do is to learn from the mistake and move on.”

He debunks any theory that magicians are practitioners of Black Magic and says he wants to change the public’s understanding of magic and the role of a magician.

“They think magicians are people with torn jeans with a deck of cards who performed on streets or people with glittering jackets and a magic wand who performed at children parties.

“In the past, whenever I tell people that I am a magician, they will immediately say: ‘Good, you can perform at my children’s party.’  Malaysians do not respect magicians. They are so ignorant about magicians.  I have dreams to perform large-scale illusions in the near future.”

Read the full profile at The Sun here.

Check out Mr. Chew’s impressive website here.

Magic Stories

Flop Sweat – A Magical Metaphor

Flop SweatHis fevered brain was unmerciful.

“A grown man reacting like this?  What are you going to do, cry?”

His consciousness was becoming focused as it careened off the neural pathways on its way to activating the part of his brain where options were binary: fight or flight.  It was not a direct path, however.  His psyche made an apparently mandatory stop along the way to trigger the cluster of neurons that apportion shame and blame.  It was hard to believe there was an evolutionary benefit to having shame and blame sensors in the neural pathways but they were there.

The sweat – which, if he survived, he knew he would later describe as “flop sweat” – was spreading across his flushed face and he could feel his body rapidly heat up.  His vision narrowed to exclude almost all but the botched effect sitting before him on the table.  He had to physically lift his head to see the audience and then lower his head to again look at the prop.

What could he do?  He could fight – think of a way to get himself out of the botched effect, hope the audience indulged his mortal failing and move on.  Or he could take flight – give into the panic and embarrassment and walk briskly from the small stage.

At the moment, however, he was unable to make a decision.

He was frozen on stage, looking at the table and the visible evidence of his failure to sufficiently practice a new effect before adding it to his routine.  The shame and blame sensors were firing even if all other parts of the brain were quiet.

He was amazed that he could have these feelings of panic and indecision and shame at this point in his career, his life.  He was no kid, not even a young middle-aged performer.  He had been around for quite a while and performed audiences larger than this, on stages far nicer and for more money. So why was he on the verge of tears?

Time was stopped, it seemed.  Perhaps it was the same sensation experienced by the deer caught in the headlights or the gazelle being stalked.  This wasn’t life or death.  There wouldn’t be a scar or anything more than a good, humiliating war story that he could to choose to tell.

But tears?  Why would he cry about this?  Why would tears be a response to a public failure of his own making?  Wouldn’t tears just add to the shame and embarrassment? Was that part of the evolutionary plan – make the humiliating event thoroughly and irretrievably a moment of failure?

The audience was looking at him but apparently without judgment.  Perhaps they had not seen his failure or thought it was part of the routine? They would soon realize it was a failure that would cut short his performance.  Then the faces would reflect a different attitude, he thought.  That’s when the judgment will kick in and his shame, flushing, sweat and inability to calmly fix things would become obvious.  They would see that he was a fraud – not a good performer, worthy of their attention and enthusiasm.

He could survive this if he just had to deal with the flop-sweat, the feeling of embarrassment and a momentary lapse in what had been a smoothly running routine.  All of that could be explained and laughed about but if he couldn’t avoid crying, all was lost.

He felt his consciousness move towards one of the two impulses.  His battle would focus solely on not crying.  He took a breath, smiled, stepped forward and took another breath.

“For my  next trick . . .” he offered with a forced smile and a humbled tone.

Uncategorized

Performing Magic for the Tipsy without Judging

Inside Magic Image of Drunk AudienceSteve Martin, the magician and comedian, said one of the reasons he quit touring was because he hated performing for drunks.  There may have been other reasons as well but if that was the only rationale for getting off the road and living the life of a Hollywood star, we would understand.

We have performed for many audiences with one or two drunk members – some even outside of our own home and family reunions.  It never really bothered us philosophically or practically.  Our proud Irish heritage comes with a built-in ability to work with and around the inebriated.

Friday night we performed for about a dozen folks who were all at the same moderate-to-high level of intoxication.  They were an otherwise delightful and attractive crowd.  Ladies in their finest and men in their “I don’t want to dress up, but she’s all dressed up so I will do it but I won’t like it” best.  All but one of the guests were clutching their drink glasses as they watched with varying degrees of interest.

Our routine runs just about 18 minutes.  From the opening joke to the final card reveal, it clocks pretty much the same each time we perform it.  Sure there could be some spontaneous, momentary detour that adds a half-minute but we never go beyond 20 minutes.  Friday night, that 18 minutes lasted almost 30 minutes as we dealt with well-intentioned heckling, requests to “do it again but slower” and the restart of a trick because the audience member forgot her choice.

We know we should be indignant about the experience.  We should take to these virtual pages to complain about the group, throw shade their way for enjoying themselves on a Friday night in a manner that lengthened our show and ruined our rehearsed routine and made a mess of the timing.  But we just can’t.

They were, as we mentioned, all at the same approximate level of dysfunction.  No one was belligerent or offensive.  They were very complimentary of our skills during and after the performance and no one became physically ill on or near us.   Yes, the act lasted longer but perhaps in their time reference, it worked out to be 18 minutes.  Sure, they did not laugh right after we said our lines but they usually caught up with the joke within a minute or two – occasionally  repeating the line aloud as they laughed.

We are not condoning or encouraging irresponsible behavior or rude drunkenness.  We have performed for rude drunks and did not enjoy the experience at all – not even a little.  We have had altered audience members attempt to take cards from us or demand we follow their instructions as we perform.  That isn’t fun.

We don’t want to romanticize the experience.  It wasn’t as if we were performing for a private party in a salon owned by Jay Gatsby where the champagne flowed and all were imbued with an ebullient joie de vivre without the painful bloating and gas.  These were people who were having a nice evening and came together to see a show they seemed to enjoy.  The performer didn’t mind working his act a little differently – a little slower in some respects – to help them enjoy what they were seeing.  No harm, no foul from our point of view.

Plus, we were finally able to confidently perform really tough (for us) card sleights without the slightest fear of being detected.  It was good for all concerned. Does that mean we are enabling bad behavior?  We don’t think so.  We’re just happy to have had the chance to perform for people who seemed happy to have us perform for them.

eBay Items

We’re Selling our Lassen Expanded Set

Inside Magic Image of First Illustration from T. Nelson Downs' Modern Coin Manipulation - Now Available at Inside MagicOur loss will be someone’s gain.  We have put up our beautifully hand-crafted Todd Lassen Expanded Morgan set.  Made from uncirculated 1921 Morgan Silver Dollars, the set cost us more than $400 but is now available on ebay with a Buy It Now Price of $375.00 and a starting price of just $50.00.  Such a deal.  Such a wonderful set for the professional coin magician.

Check out the auction here.

Magician Feature

Magician Troy Von Scheibner Lauded in UK Press

Inside Magic Image of Avid Readers of Panther PrideAccording to press reports, the entire pop band One Direction asked UK Magician Troy Von Scheibner a very valid question, “What is wrong with you, why have you eaten a balloon?”

We realized as we wrote this sentence that if we failed to mention that Mr. Von Scheibner is a magician, the teen-fave super-group’s question would likely not have garnered such prominent placement in a major metropolitan daily.  It would be just another group of musicians combined for purposes of hitting the top of the charts and asking questions about the eating habits of young people.  Like when the Beatles famously asked 19-year-old Mobile, Alabama car wash cashier Harriet Williamson, “Why do you only eat the tops of muffins?” or the Asian Touring Edition of Les Miserables inquired of Japanese supermodel Nozomi Sasaki, “Why do you eat so little in the way of green vegetables.”

Hardly news.

But because Mr. Von Scheibner is a magician, the question reveals that he performed a trick for the loveable lads that make up One Direction.  He did not really eat a balloon – we think.  He just did a trick that gave the impression that a balloon was eaten.

It is a well-respected journalistic technique employed by Susannah Butter, the smitten writer for The London Evening Standard.

Ms. Butter is impressed with the young performer and star of his own television show, Troy.   She admits she is frustrated by his skills and her inability to uncover his secrets but she clearly fancies him.

Troy Von Scheibner is the closest thing to a superhero London has. He uses his powers to help others. “I was outside a party with Thandie Newton,” the magician tells me. “She asked for a lighter. I didn’t have one but I made one appear. She kissed me on the cheek and I thought, ‘I’ll never wash my face again’.”

We do not know Thandie Newton but she must be very attractive or famous or both to cause someone to risk acne and general scruffiness from a single, tobacco-smoke infused kiss.  For you younger magicians, remember that audiences will judge you on your appearance and hygiene so make good choices and form good habits.  Mr. Von Scheibner notes later in the article that he was kidding about not washing. “Presentation is part of the job done so I’ve always made sure I look the part – nails clean, hair done.”

And as for smoking, as someone once said, “cigarettes and kittens are wonderful and safe until you pop one in your mouth and light it on fire.”

Mr. Von Scheibner seems to have a good head on his shoulders and is unlikely to have it turned by the fawning of amorous media types or smoking damsels in distress.  He became intrigued with magic after watching David Blaine and clearly enjoys the attention our craft brings him.

At school he was known as “Magic Boy”, and if anyone teased him about it he won’t admit it. “I stopped performing for people at university because when you are known as the magic man everyone wants you to do tricks all the time. Sometimes I just want to chill so I kept it on the low.” Does it impress women? “It does. Girls are like: ‘You must be so good with your hands’. I don’t deny it.”

Ms. Butter ends her article with a purr: “Von Scheibner, I salute you – next time I need a cigarette lighter I will try my hardest to conjure you up.”

Editor’s note: we normally would have an image of Mr. Von Scheibner accompanying this article but were unable to find any available for editorial use.

Check out the full profile here.

Latest Magic News

Ringling Bros. Forces Elephants into Retirement

Elephants Doing their Job for the ManWe don’t know where you, dear reader, come down on issues related to animal acts.  No matter what side of the festooned teeter-totter you rest your ideological load; it is interesting to note that Ringling Brothers has announced they are phasing out their use of elephants.

Some see this as a win for animal-rights, others as a passing of a glorious era of circus history.  We prefer to see it as another effort by the Man to suppress the worker.  True, Karl Marx makes only three references to elephants in his Das Kapital (and one of them was a 19th century equivalent of a shout-out (a “Was geht ab, Elefantenmensch?“) to his buddy John Merrick, the so-called Elephant Man).  But Marx saw this coming and warned the proletariat to be hip to what was sure to go down.

Marx pointed out that labor is the essential capital in all economies.  That is axiomatic in all businesses as well.

In a circus – especially a traveling circus – elephants do the lifting and moving of six or seven men.  They wear specially-fitted harnesses to erect tent canvas on the main poles, moved huge sleds of equipment and – if the Disney film is to be believed – put out fires or help humans shower with the spray from their apparently very clean trunks.

If the Man can replace expensive labor with cheaper labor, the costs are realized on the bottom line and the Man wins.  If the more expensive labor is provided by the elephant, the elephant loses.

The elephant has lost its job for the same reason white-collar workers approaching their mid-50s lose their jobs – there are cheaper alternatives.

According to figures we just made up, it costs the same to feed one elephant or seven men.  And unlike elephants, there are no advocacy groups pushing for better treatment of the human labor force.  In fact, psychological studies we are inventing out of whole cloth show that on the spectrum between cute animal and human,  the closer one gets to the human side, the less concern or empathy is felt for the subject.

We are not above the temptations facing the circus and admit we used a variety of animals in our acts over the years.  When we started out, we used doves but found they were of limited value.  They did not help us set-up or tear-down the act, could not (or more likely, would not) lift any objects heavier than twine, often refused to wear the expensive and custom-tailored harnesses we provided and they made a mess at inopportune times in hard to clean places.

We moved to rabbits, then weasels (both alive and dead), then cats, then dogs and finally Portuguese Pot-Bellied Pigs.  All but the last species proved unworthy of our trust.  The pigs were slightly larger than their cousins, the Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pigs, far more industrious and true to their breeding had the ability to sting with their dangling tentacles.  The pigs took to the harness well and were very smart.  In fact, they were so smart that we were forced to discontinue our relationship with them after they subleased our home whilst we were on a business trip, screwed-up our credit by falling for a Nigerian investment scam in our name (either a smart or not so smart move, we’re not sure) and got our new car dented during a late-night Taco Bell run.

The Man wants the lowest cost labor source and will do what is necessary to procure and keep that source.  If it means firing some elephants just before they qualify for pensions, force them to buy insurance on the open market and apply for unemployment insurance, the Man doesn’t care.  There are plenty who will take that job.  If it means hiring younger, less intelligent or experienced animals to do the work for less money and fewer benefits, the Man is all over that idea.

We understand there are 18 elephants currently earning a pay check, three hots and cot from Ringling now set to be turned out to a central Florida pasture.  They likely have not read the news reports and have no clue they are about to be canned.  The circus, it appears, will let them be surprised on that final day.  They’ll be getting ready for the first show and the Ringmaster will stop them as they walk towards the arena entrance, “Whoa, big guy! Where do you think you’re heading? That’s for performers only.”

The elephant will look confused and try to swipe its keycard on the scanner like it had done for so many years only to find he is now locked out.  He will turn towards the Ringmaster and with doe-like eyes seek clarity.

“We’re going in a different direction,” the Ringmaster will say with a somber, conciliatory tone.  “It’s not you. We need to cut costs across the board.  Even I had to take a cut in pay.”

Now the elephant will watch as the other acts file past him to enter the ring to begin the show.  Some will look at the elephant with pity – knowing what is happening – others will look on with confusion.

Perhaps tears will well in the big eyes as the mighty former employee sways and looks longing at the ring, its big ears perking up at the sound of the band beginning the anthem.

Slowly, and predictably without violence or any resistance, the big elephant will turn away from the entrance and walk towards the van in which he will travel to forced retirement.

“Think of it as a blessing,” the Ringmaster will offer for no reason other than to placate his own dark, complicit soul.  “No more early mornings, heavy lifting or late nights.”

The elephant will barely acknowledge the Ringmaster, perhaps leaving a large, appropriate gift in the sawdust behind him as he moves into the brisk air and his new life.  He will likely be pre-occupied with his own feelings of guilt or shame or disappointment or anxiety and will therefore not notice the six or seven new “temp” workers joining the circus on this their first day.

Magic Castle News

It’s Magic! Coming to Sacramento

When wIt's Magice visit the Magic Castle, we notice the great posters advertising It’s Magic! through the years.  They line the Parlor of Prestidigitation boasting amazing performers.

Imagine our excitement — unless you have other things you wish to imagine — to read that It’s Magic! is alive and has announced its dates for the Harris Center for the Arts in the Sacramento area.

We read this press release and pass it along for all of our loyal reader(s).

It’s Magic! is in its 59th year; each season presenting the world’s top magic and variety performers in a production designed for the entire family. Stars from all corners of the globe including Las Vegas, Europe, Asia and Hollywood’s Magic Castle dazzle audiences with their amazing acts. The Los Angeles Times calls It’s Magic! “…a must for magic buffs of all ages!”

It’s Magic! has two performances on Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 2 pm and 6 pm. Tickets are priced at $21-$34; Premium $45. Tickets are available online at http://www.harriscenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

This live stage show is unique in that it features many of the top professional magicians worldwide, with each act carefully selected to represent the variety of the art of magic. Many of these performers are internationally recognized award-winners, direct from exotic showrooms around the world as well as Hollywood’s famous Magic Castle. Parents who came to see It’s Magic! as youngsters are now bringing their children and grand­children to see this amazing line-up of famous magicians.

The tradition of an all-star magic show started in 1956 when two young entrepreneurs, Milt Larsen and Oliver Berliner, produced a show called Hocus Pocus ’56 at the magnificent (now demolished) Carthay Circle Theater in West Los Angeles. The following year, the show was renamed It’s Magic! and moved to the 1300 seat Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles’ swank Hancock Park area.

At first, the shows played for a very limited time only. However, as the number of fans grew, the number of performances was expanded. The success of It’s Magic! proved there was a genuine interest in the ancient art form of magic. This, in turn, gave Larsen the idea of forming a full-time private club for magicians and magic enthusiasts. Thus was born the Magic Castle, which opened its doors in 1963. Many credit this show as the spark that rekindled the resurgence of the art of magic in America.

In 1965 Milt produced It’s Magic! as a solo venture with his brother Bill as Associate Producer. It’s Magic! then moved to the Variety Arts Theater in downtown Los Angeles in 1977 and played annually until the mid­eighties. Since its inception, Southern California audiences were treated to such legendary magicians as Harry Blackstone (senior and junior), John Calvert, Senor Wences, Richiardi, Chang, Mark Wilson, Frakson, Tenkai and Dai Vernon. The show also provided the springboard for newcomers like Lance Burton, Mark Kalin, Shimada, The Pendragons and Harry Anderson, all of whom have since become stars.

This year’s lineup features magicians Danny Cole, who was named the Rising Star of Magic by World Magic Awards (1999), Mystina, a British magician who incorporates dancing and gymnatics in her breathtaking illusions, and Tom Ogden, a family friendly magician who has performed for celebrities and politicians from Johnny Depp to President Ronald Reagan. Also featured are Alex Ramon, the first magician to grace The Greatest Show on Earth Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Zing Zang Zoom, juggling extraordinaire Dan Raspyni, and more – each carefully selected to show the many nuances and artfulness of magic.