Magic News Network

Appleton Museum: The Times They Aren't A-Changin' Much

The Outagmie Museum in Appleton, Wisconsin is offering free admission to encourage visitors during the Wisconsin Museums Week. 
They have also changed their name to History Museum.
They have not, however, changed their executive director, Terry Bergen.  Ms. Bergen, you  may recall, was at the heart of the fierce conflict between good and evil -- at least in the world of magic and Houdini history.
The museum produced an exhibit featuring Houdini artifacts and, unfortunately, decided to expose the great magician's secrets in the process.
Magicians from around the world took sides -- some on the side of good and others on the side of not so good. 
David Copperfield called upon the museum to reconsider the exhibition.  Despite his charm and persuasive manner, he was not able to sway the decision.  Houdini's secrets would be revealed in the interest in making for a more interesting exhibit.
The museum also declined Sidney Radner's continued contribution to exhibits on arguably the most famous Appleton resident.  The museum decided they could not afford Mr. Radner's open-ended offer to provide pieces from his world-famous Houdini collection.  Mr. Radner denied cost was an issue and expressed frustration that his offers were rebuffed.
You can re-live the struggle through Quinlan's Inside Magic's articles chronicling the debate here.
The magicians lost, the museum went forward with their plans and life moved on. 
Now, the museum offers free admission to encourage traffic.  They still have the AKA Houdini exhibit on display but apparently to smaller crowds.
Ironically, the Houdini exhibit is part of a twin-bill with The Times They Are A-Changin'.

You can read the short blurb about the free days in the Appleton Post-Crescent.
Check out our collection of guest essays on the subject here.

Technorati Tags: houdini, appleton, museums, magic secrets, david copperfield

Criss Angel Interviewed on Pain and Art

Reuters reviews Criss Angel and his new, appropriately title book, Mindfreak: Secret Revelations.
The reporter identifies a fundamental question one must resolve when considering an illusionist.  "Illusionist Criss Angel readily admits he has no magical powers, no psychic powers and no supernatural powers. So is he a fraud?"
Mr. Angel has the perfect response.
"A lot of what I do is 110 percent real. But I try to blur the lines between reality and illusion. Then I leave it up to my audience to decide."
Mr. Angel preaches to magicians and their audiences in his book and today's interview that magic should be more than "set tricks and girls in leotards in boxes."  It should be presented as an art form.
Mr. Angel's new book does reveal (or teach) 40 tricks with great instructions and fantastic photographs.  But teaching a young magician how to make a styrofoam cup float or to vanish a toothpick is not the same as revealing the true secrets of our profession.
The book does reveal the method behind his most gruesome effect: hanging by fishhooks whist being dragged through the Nevada desert skies.
The secret is all in the preparation.  "Yes, it did hurt," said Angel. "But I focus my mind on the pain so I get numb to it."
Mr. Angel writes that he did not use a numbing agent to ease tremendous pain he felt as his back was pierced with hooks and bolts and was then lifted 1,000 feet in the air.
The first three chapters are not for the faint of heart.  (The passages about his brother "burping" his skin after the stunt turned our stomach each time we read it).
Mr. Angel's recently announced deal with the Luxor Hotel will have him performing almost 500 shows a year for ten years.
He ends the interview with a typical Criss Angel quote, filled with paradox and intrigue: "In magic, I've never seen anything that can't be explained or reproduced and I believe anything is possible if you want it enough."

You can read the full article on the Reuter's wire service here.

Technorati Tags: magic news, criss angel, mindfreak

Magic Contest: Win A Chance to Attend Premiere of Magicians

The premiere of the new British comedy, Magicians, is garnering attention thanks to an apparently very cost effective public relations campaign.
Yesterday UK papers covered the use of local magicians to promote the movie in venues across the country. (Visit the video previews here).
Today, The Telegraph announced their special contest supporting the show. 
"To mark the film's cinematic release, the Telegraph is offering the chance to win tickets to a preview of Magicians in London on May 15, which will be introduced by Mitchell and Webb in person."
The paper posted the rules and requirements for the contest on its web site here.
From what we have read, Magicians involves best buddies, Harry and Karl (David Mitchell and Robert Webb), who together form the best magic act in England.
Unfortunately, "a guillotine illusion goes horribly and spectacularly wrong, [and] their friendship and their careers are finished."
Harry is without two farthings to rub together (presumably to make it appear there are really three farthings thanks to the miracle of the retention of vision phenomenon) but hopes to make a comeback by winning the lucrative International Magic Shield tournament.
According to The Telegraph, Harry faces "the world's oddest (and saddest) magicians - including his deadly rival Karl, performing under the guise of ridiculous psychic 'The Mindmonger.'
Harry apparently replaces his headless (we hope that did not spoil the movie for you) assistant with a new young lady with both beauty and a head. 
The contest seems fair and perhaps easy -- if you lived in the UK and had some familiarity with British television or movies. 
We will keep you informed of any news following the opening; and we will certainly alert you to the film's opening in the US or other countries.

Check out the full article as well as the contest rules here.

You can see a sneak peek of the film here.style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;"

Technorati Tags: magic news, magicians, british film, comedies, contests

Magicians in the Park Three

The Hurricane Valley Journal from the beautiful Hurricane, Utah, goes front and center today with their profile of the May 17th "Magic Concert in the Park."
Stan Poole a/k/a Max the Magician, Randy McDonald a/k/a Mick McDonald, and Mel Wardean a/k/a Mr. Mel will perform their show in the Hurricane City Park.  The park, as locals know, is at the corner of Main and 200 North and will be a great venue.
The author of the article is quick to point out that there may be some discomfort in watching the show.  "(They) will keep the audience on their seat’s edge while performing their magic from 8 to 9 p.m."
Recall that proper posture is essential for good health and bad seating habits can take the "line" out of "alignment."  We urge audience members to please sit back in their seats and have both feet firmly planted on the ground. 
Mr. McDonald "is an escape artist who does linking rings, and eats fire as well as a strait jacket escape."
But Mr. McDonald has abilities beyond that of a mere magician.  According to today's paper, he can physically melt individuals with his music.
The visual image sounds interesting but slightly nauseating.
"He also has a carousal band organ he does magic in front of or in combination while it plays all of the old time music. He said the band organ is called the happiest music on earth, and he’s seen some pretty rough guys just melt into little boys when he plays it."
When we went off the booze, we lost about 240 pounds but there was very little melting.  We are now at our fighting weight but because we have been on the wagon, we no longer have anyone to fight.  Ironic and sad sort of.
"Max the Magician does approximately100 shows a year, with about 25 percent library shows and schools or an occasional birthday party. He has played libraries around the county, and is well-known throughout the area. Doing world class comedy magic, he does a 45 minute show typically for after dinner shows for company parties, customer appreciation dinners, or conventions."
Max the Magician appears in Vegas and will give Hurricane residents a chance to see a top-shelf act.
Unfortunately, the audience will not be able to see his wonderful dove production.  We agree dove acts are tough in an outdoor venue.  Even the best trained dove may be tempted to fly off.
Max wanted to bring a baby skunk to the show -- perhaps in place of the wayward birds. 
Kid's love skunks. 
Unfortunately, The Man wants to keep the kids from seeing and enjoying a real skunk -- red-tape prevented the skunk's appearance.
"Since baby skunks are illegal in Utah, it took him two years to go through the process of applications, and non-refundable fees with Utah Wildlife Division. He finally got permission to use a skunk for commercial use for his magic shows. Upon getting a cute, descented baby skunk from a licensed breeder, Poole raised it and worked with it all summer. However, late in the summer it got sick and died."
Check out the article for a full discussion on the pros and cons of using a skunk in your magic act.  Max has clearly thought this through.
Mr. Mel (Wardean) does not claim to be a professional but he has the right stuff to be a professional magician.  He performs with the skills of a pro and the heart of a devotee. 
"Wanting to do something to help the Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005, Wardean started nosing around in an effort to find other magicians to do a benefit show with him. He met Max the Magician at the Hurricane Library doing a show for children, and he knew some other magicians, so they teamed up to do two shows. They did one show in the afternoon and one in the evening on the stage of the Hilton Hotel in St. George. The funds went to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund."
Mr. Mel gives kudos to the Hilton Hotel for their willingness to donate a showroom for their benefit.
The show will be family-friendly and a great chance to see three very talented magicians in a very relaxed setting.

Read the full article here

Technorati Tags: magic news, magicians, magic show

David Blaine Rotates and Escapes

TMZ.com has the latest take on the David Blaine stunt / magic trick.  They term the event as "lame" and in keeping with prior "lame stunts and passing them off as a magical feat." 

Blaine's back and doing what he does best -- performing somewhat lame stunts and passing them off as a magical feat -- this time it's being locked into a gyroscope suspended 50 feet over a concrete parking lot and spinning for four days.

To his credit, he will attempt to pull a Houdini and escape a padlock before 6:00 AM on Friday. If he is successful,100 children and their families (chosen by the Salvation Army) will receive a shopping spree at Target.

Something tells us he won't let 100 needy families suffer on the day after Thanksgiving, but Blaine did fail in his last high profile stunt by not breaking the world record for holding his breath underwater. Blaine attempted to break the record after submerging himself in a water-filled sphere for seven days. The stunt proved to be more challenging than he originally envisioned, and it nearly cost him his life.

The "magician's" other stunts have included standing on a 100-foot pole for 35 hours, and being buried alive in a clear plastic coffin for a week. Poof. 

We like TMZ.  They're often rough on celebs but today, not too rough. 

tags: magic news, david blaine, escape magic, public relations

Mark Kalin & Jinger Reviewed

Introduction:

We were tempted to be witty and clever when reviewing Mark Kalin and Jinger's show at the Magic Castle. 

But the fact that we resisted the easy and innuendo-laden path for the more noble and professional approach does not mean we have matured.  It simply means we are writing this while on public transportation and afraid the person to our right will find it more titillating and deserving of his attention than his less than furtive glances already indicate.

In a word, Mark Kalin and Jinger perform real magic really well. 

Sit back, relax, and keep reading: this may be a long review.  It has already taken longer to write and edit than the act itself.

We have separated the review into its constituent parts only to ensure we do not leave anything out.  But Mark Kalin and Jinger's act is greater than the sum of its parts.  We have never witnessed a tighter 45 minutes of magic ever or anywhere.

 

The Venue:

In our humble and poorly informed opinion, The Magic Castle's Palace of Mystery is a tough room to play well.  We have seen big illusions squeezed on to the platform and performers work through their best approximation of a scaled version of their regular stage show.  While traveling illusionists must constantly adjust to the venue du jour, this stage makes for tight fits and, consequently, less than optimal performances.

On the other hand, the Palace of Mystery is perfect for magic-loving audiences.  Every seat is perfect, no obstructions or awkward tier structure to block views.  The sound system is perfect and the lighting is always professionally done. 

We have a chance to see the very best in our business from the moral equivalent of a front-row seat -- even if that means they must perform in tight quarters.

 

 

Mr. Kalin and Jinger are known for their full-scale illusions and we wondered how they would cope with the restrictions posed by The Palace.

In a word, they owned the joint.

We have longed to see their Magic Underground theater in Reno, Nevada.  The couple built the showplace to serve as the perfect forum to perform and watch magic.

They note on their beautiful web site:

Real magic only happens when all the elements are perfect, the setting, the audience, the stage and the pace of the show. Over the years, we've had a chance to present our magic in many different settings, but it has only served to convince us of the perfect opportunity, the perfect showplace. We've finally found that home at Magic Underground.

We thought there could be no better place to see their show than in the theater they built.  We also worried we would never have a chance to see the couple live unless we traveled to Reno.

 

The Performers:

Mr. Kalin and Jinger are wonderful to watch -- a plus for performers.  We admit our infatuation and schoolboy crush could bias our opinion but it does not. (The crush, by the way is on Jinger -- although Mr. Kalin is no slouch). 

Mr. Kalin either truly enjoys what he does or he is the best of all possible actors.  His energy-level is high but not contrived or over-the-top.  We saw the second show of the evening and yet he bounded onto the stage as if it was the first -- not just of the evening but ever. 

Recall the enthusiasm you felt when first performing a new, well-practiced routine for family or close friends? You could not wait to get started and share the reason for your excitement. 

Mr. Kalin was that excited. 

There was no question he was well-prepared and what we were about to see had been rehearsed, blocked, and practiced; but tonight was different.  This show would be different than any they ever put on.  Mr. Kalin's body-language and persona said, "all of our practice and development was to prepare for this very show." 

 

The Production of Jinger

Mr. Kalin's first illusion ended with the incredible production of Jinger.

Jinger's appearance was magical on so many levels.

First, we had not previously seen this production and enjoyed the impossible vanish of a tall male assistant, and the appearance of Jinger.  Note this was not a transformation of the assistant into Jinger.  The assistant vanished, the apparatus was freely shown to be empty, and then Jinger appeared.

But the production of a magician's assistant -- even as lovely as Jinger -- is not enough to warrant our high praise.  When Mr. Kalin saw Jinger appear, he seemed genuinely delighted, surprised.  He must have known Jinger would appear at the end of the illusion.  After all, that is what rehearsal is for.  But the couple seemed genuinely happy to be reunited on stage for this all important show. 

Finally, Jinger's smile, poise, beauty, and complete ease on stage brought what appeared to be a natural and involuntary smile to Mr. Kalin's face.  His admiration for her was clearly shared by the audience. 

We have seen many husband and wife magic acts. We have seen very few with the natural charisma and ineffable quality to be endearing rather than annoying or cloying. Mr. Kalin and Jinger have wonderful chemistry.  They share what appear to be spontaneous asides and inside jokes as any would any good friends.   

 

Wakeling's Sawing

The late Alan Wakeling's version of Sawing a Woman in Half is one of the most amazing effects we have ever witnessed.  We first saw Mr. Kalin and Jinger perform the seemingly impossible illusion on a television special, and then at the last Magic Live convention in Las Vegas.  Jinger is held to a steel surgical table developed by "Dr. Alan Wakeling" during the Civil War.  The straps holding her neck and feet to the very thin steel platform are threaded through holes and held firmly in place by volunteers from the audience. 

So let's review: Jinger lies down on a surgical table. Her neck is bound with a leather collar and attached to a strap (or "leash" according to Mr. Kalin). The strap is passed through a hole in the table and held tightly by a committeeman from the audience.  Is that fair enough? There are no boxes covering any part of her yet and as the volunteer pulls on the strap, Jinger is pulled to the surface of the cold steel table. 

At the other end, Jinger's ankles are fixed within another leather device, the attached strap is threaded through a hole in the table and pulled taut by another volunteer.  In the course of the next five minutes, Jinger's body is covered by two wooden cabinets no taller than necessary to accommodate her body.  The cabinets' side-doors are opened immediately after she is covered, the committeemen verify she is within the cabinets and that they have not allowed any slack in their respective straps. 

Immediately, Mr. Kalin pushes steel blades through Jinger's torso and the boxes are separated.  The effect is like nothing we have ever witnessed. 

From the first time we saw the couple perform this effect, we were baffled.  We had no idea how the effect could be accomplished and that was fine with us. We like to be fooled and were very happy knowing Mr. Kalin and Jinger were one of the few in the world performing this miracle and that we had a chance to witness it live.

Unfortunately, in perusing our neighborhood bookstore, we found a book exposing the effect's secret method to anyone browsing the shelves. We will not identify the title of the book or the author.  The author says Mr. Wakeling approved of the exposure.  We do not doubt the author's representation; we just were disappointed it was in such wide release.

Consequently, when we saw Mr. Kalin and Jinger perform the effect at The Magic Castle, we knew the method.  We were impressed by the incredible skill necessary to accomplish the effect and certainly the showmanship employed in its presentation; but it did not bring the same sense of amazement.  We were no longer mystified; only impressed by Mr. Kalin and Jinger's abilities.

 

The Spirit Cabinet

Next to "Dr. Wakeling's" sawing illusion, The Spirit Cabinet is our all-time favorite effect.  We were looking forward to seeing Mr. Kalin and Jinger perform the effect live but had no idea we would be sitting within the spirit cabinet next to Jinger during a final manifestation of the spirits.

As one of the two volunteers from the audience, we had the honor of tying Jinger's ankles together and her wrists to each other and through a wooden post.  We have rarely been as nervous.  There was no intent to tie to tightly but we also had no desire to make it too easy.

Mr. Kalin and Jinger perform The Spirit Cabinet superbly; on par with Glenn Falkenstein and Frances Willard -- our gold standard.  Ms. Willard and Jinger are authentic, compelling, and sensual figures within the cabinet. 

We were delighted but nervous when asked to sit in the cabinet with Jinger.  Fortunately, our eyes were covered with a very effective blindfold before the curtains were closed.  Almost immediately after the curtain could be heard closing, we were aware of spirit activity near us. 

Even without a blindfold, we doubt we would have discerned the method for this illusion. When the blindfold was untied, we found a bucket on our head and our pant legs pulled up to past our knees. 

We were asked by another audience member if we knew how the spirit demonstration worked.  We told her honestly that we had not a clue.

 

Conclusion

We did not expect Mr. Kalin and Jinger to disappoint. Chances are, we would have written a positive review even if their performance was average or even better than average.  But we doubt we would have written a review of more than 1200 words.

Mr. Kalin and Jinger performed the finest magic show we have ever seen.  Their dedication, enthusiasm, choice of effects, and unique charisma are just some of the reasons we feel secure making such an unequivocal statement.  How fortunate to see their performance in such a perfect venue.

As we drove back to downtown Los Angeles from Hollywood later that evening, we felt a pain in our jaw from smiling so much. 

It hurt but it was a good kind of hurt. 

Some pain is worth enduring.  Do not miss Mr. Kalin and Jinger -- in fact, affirmatively seek out their next live performance.  Life is so uncertain and there is no sense putting off such a wonderful experience.

Quinlan's Inside Magic Review:  Five out of Five - Our Highest!

tags: mark kalin and jinger, magic reviews, magic show, spirit cabinet, alan wakeling, magic castle, magic exposure

Mark and Shelia Cannon's Great Escape Convention Featured

We received great news from Mark and Shelia Cannon this morning and wanted to share it with you -- in case you have not yet received M-U-M or are not a member of the Society of American Magicians.

Mr. and Mrs. Cannon are more than tremendous performers, they are wonderful and giving people to our art form.  We are lucky to have them in our profession.

 

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Sheila and I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season.

We wanted to be sure to let you all know to be sure to check out this month's (December) issue of M-U-M magazine. 

 

It features a GREAT TWO-PAGE REVIEW OF THE 4TH ANNUAL ESCAPE ARTIST CONVENTION!  It is written by David Goodsell (Please be sure to tell him thanks when able).

 

The article includes pictures of EVERYONE in their strait jackets with Robert Baxt EmCeeing, Kevin & Kristen performing their wonderful Full-View Water Torture Cell,  Mr. Hall Eisner of FOX TV trying out a strait jacket, Joe Fox and Sheila locking some guy in a packing crate, etc. 

 

And the mentions in the article are even better.  Those include:  Bill Shirk winning the Silver Cuffs and performing his act, lecture and showing of "Modern Day Houdini", Kevin and Kristen performing their spectacular Water Torture Cell as well as lecturing on "Bumping", Robert Baxt doing such a great job as MC, Thomas Solomon with his dramatic "Cabinet Obscura", Margarette LeClair performing her charming "Mirror Cuffs",  Matt Marcy with his hilarious "Blender of Death!", Joe Fox presenting the bizarre "Escaped Artist" act on opening night, Sheila, Joe and some "Hayseed" in a wooden box, etc.

But it also goes into detail about Criss Angel stopping by, and the contest winners including Joe Marotta for the handcuff picking, Mark Lundblad for Padlock picking, and Joe Fox for the Special Escape Challenge. 

 

It also mentions that we had folks form Argentina, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Mexico, and of course, the USA.  A main theme of the article is how our escape convention had such a terrific press coverage on TV, and presents the challenge to magic convention producers to start booking escape artists!

 

Anyway, we thought you would like to know.  This really isn't an ad to join the S.A.M., but if you aren't already a member you may want to consider it, as MUM has been really good to us. 

 

Check out www.magicsam.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mark and Sheila

www.cannonsgreatescapes.com

Magic Tags:  Magic News,  Magic Conventions,  mark cannon,  cannons great escapes,  escape artist,  society of american magicians

Was Houdini A Spy?

It was a few weeks or maybe months back we told you Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brooks were consulted by The Times of London about an upcoming "expose" of Harry Houdini.

The Times wanted Ms. Dietrich and Mr. Brooks' thoughts on the book's premise: was Harry Houdini actually a spy? Was he murdered for his spying? 

You can read our earlier article featuring the proprietors of the

Just Say No to Knock-Offs!

Last night, we read the story of two men with a group called Pirates With Attitude ("PWA").

The Feds (as opposed to the "Well-Fed," which describes us) claimed that the PWA folks were hacking software to take of the copy protection and thus allowed anyone on the Internet to download the software for free.

This was premium software. PWA thought that because they did not charge for the downloads, they shouldn't be prosecuted of theft.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed.

They stole, they got caught and now they go to jail.

It got us thinking -- it could happen -- of a novel method to protect magic inventors intellectual property.

We don't know why this idea hasn't been suggested before – perhaps because it is either too obvious or unworkable.

Dorothy Dietrich's Houdini Museum Featured on Discovery

From our very short and limited involvement with television network production (Court TV covered most of our first trial) we know there is an economic and strategic bias against covering stories unless they are in one of the top three television markets. 

It is tough to blame the network producer.  They need to bring the project in under budget. A story from Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles is easier and less expensive to produce than one from, say, Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

So, given the choice between two comparable stories, the twenty-something producer will cover his or her bacon by shooting the story in the major media market. 

This economic bias is exactly why we are impressed with Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brooks.  Despite the fact that their Houdini Museum is not within a top-three market, their work and the museum are frequently featured in world-wide television coverage.

In support of our theory we offer the news that the Canadian Travel Channel's Magic Road Trip begins this Friday and will feature the duo and their contribution to magic history.