May 2001Rant
This month has been a huge month for magic in Tulsa, OK. We had the pleasure of having two incredible magicians visit us to perform and lecture: wild and crazy, Jay Sankey, and the living legend, John Calvert. What a month (rather than go into full detail in this limited space about the respective lectures and material covered, I will create a new area on The Magic Portal to cover visiting lecturers. Watch for it soon)!
Jay and I first became friends during the 1980's but had not seen each other since 1987. We wrote back and forth for a few years, but then I moved and we fell out of touch. I managed to grab Jay for dinner right before his lecture, and we had a lot of laughs remembering the old days and comparing notes on what's happened to each of us since last we visited.
I don't think I have to tell anyone on this mailing list that Jay is about as creative as they get and as funny as he is smart. A more talented magician would be hard to find. From the huge amount of material he has published and effects released, there is no doubt in my mind that Jay stands in a class by himself. Over the past few years he has primarily made his living as a stand-up comedian in clubs around the world. Somewhere along the way, he spends time to hit the lecture circuit for two months, write a few books, be a cartoonist, and do some close-up work. An amazingly energetic guy. If by some chance you have never seen his work, start collecting Jay Sankey videos. They are as entertaining as they are mystifying. He is unpretentious and he will make you laugh till your sides ache. Jay was kind enough to supply me with all of his latest stuff, and I'll be reviewing it all in detail on my new site, MagicReviews.com (to be launched sometime in late June, I hope).
Jay's lecture was well received. He covered both old and new material, and it was a laugh a minute. Being familiar with Jay's work and philosophy, I have to say he just keeps getting better and better. He also fooled the hell out of me. I had a wonderful time seeing him and catching up on old days.
Then the day before the Memorial Day Weekend, John Calvert came to down. Originally scheduled for just a lecture, he decided to perform a stage show for us at the last minute. They went so far as to rent a small theater out for the evening. Unfortunately word did not get out until the last minute, and I'm sure most folks had already made holiday weekend plans. Only 50 people showed.
No doubt Mr. Calvert was disappointed, but he did not show it in his face. Actually, it was a wonderful show because it was up close and intimate. Everyone got a chance to shake his hand and assist him on stage or in the audience. At almost 90 years old, Mr. Calvert is certainly the oldest living magician to perform. He has performed around the world for royalty, Presidents, you name it. He pretty much opened Las Vegas for magicians in the formative years at the Desert Inn. He was a Columbia Pictures movie star and was associated with over 40 films -- the most popular being his black and white detective serial, The Falcon. He was sponsored by Coca Cola for 25 years which helped fund his huge show which he flew around the world and sailed across the ocean in his own jet airliners (which he piloted himself) as well as his own fleet of yachts. He is an amazing man -- a true living legend.
Despite his long list of accomplishments, Mr. Calvert is a down-to-earth, charming and dapper man as well as a highly spiritual individual. During his hour-long performance he did a half dozen routines which kept us on our toes. More details to follow on site.
Having had the unique opportunity to see these two gentlemen back to back, it really drove home some points about amateur magicians trying to appear to be professional magicians. So many think they can appear to be as great as a Jay Sankey or John Calvert simply because they do the same routines -- move for move, word for word. I think it goes back to an old line I read many years ago and which Mr. Calvert stated again last night: "We need to remember that we are not magical. We are merely actors playing the parts of magicians. If we believe in our magic, the audience may believe in it momentarily as well." I'll be writing more about this subject in my next GENII column (you are subscribing to GENII and reading my Rants, aren't you?).
Steve Schneiderman
The Magic PortalMAGIC REVIEWS
My vision for MagicReviews.com is to create a site where amateur and professional magicians can go to find frank and honest reviews about magic effects, books and videos prior to making their purchasing decisions.
Content will consist of expanded versions of my existing reviews currently found on The Magic Portal (these will move sometime soon and be expanded), a text-based index to other reviews in publication dating back to about three years ago, links to other reviewers and their sites, and from time to time, guest reviews.
To date, I have gained the interest and cooperation of GENII, The Linking Ring, M-U-M, and Magic Magazine. All have provided graphics and permission to include references to their print reviews. So this is a serious undertaking that will take some time to craft and launch. Your patience is required, but I assure you that it will be well worth it.
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It's so hard for me to even try to create a new effect for you this month after having seen and spent time with Jay Sankey and John Calvert. A truly humbling experience. I can't believe that anyone even reads my ezine -- what could I possibly have to say that would be of any interest to anyone. Anyway, here's a reprint of something I first published back in 1987 in one of the first issues of Ruminations, Magic That Makes You Think!
QUICK KELLY COLLECTORS
I think you'll find this method of performing a collector's routine very simple and direct. I like it because a minimum of handling is necessary and the transposition is lightning quick.
Start by pulling out three Aces and placing them on the table. Have two cards selected and cut them to the top of the deck. Getting a left pinky break below the face down selections, pick up the face-up packet of Aces and hold them over the deck for a moment, thereby adding the selections below them. Place the deck aside.
Hold the cards from above in the right hand with thumb at rear, index finger draped across and remaining fingers at the front (Biddle Grip). With the left thumb, pull the top Ace into the left palm. Pull the next Ace on top of it, but leave it sidejogged to the right an inch. Now perform a Kelly Bottom Placement with the right hand, and slide the bottom card of the right packet between the two Aces in the left hand. Briefly display the three Aces spread. Close the spread, and snap the packet at the deck. Immediately, place the packet on the table, and with just the fingertips, spread the cards to reveal two face down cards between the three Aces. The effect is that fast.
A similar handling is required to make three cards appear between four Aces, but I feel it requires a bit too much movement (two Kelly Bottom Placements), so rather than expand on the possibilities I prefer to leave a powerful two-card revelation alone.
Until next month, keep thinking.REFER-A-FRIEND
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