Hi, to start off this Blog i would like to share a recent experience.. hope you like it.. follow the blog and start contributing.
EMERGENCY MAGIC!!
It’s been a long time since I performed at a Birthday party... A really really long time... However when an old friend requested me to perform at a birthday event she was managing I had to oblige.
As per her brief, I was told that the audience would be about 15 children of the age of 3 to 5 years. So i searched high and low for my old props.. stuff that I had packed away for ages.. at the end of a frantic sifting thru dusty cartons and plastic bags, I found a lot of the props with which i started my career. A few silk effects, the colour changing plumes, candle to flowers, and other effects of the similar nature.
We arrived at the venue, which was the living room of a really large house. We were asked to set up in the adjoining study, which we did. The study reminded me of the study of professor Henry Higgins in the movie “My Fair Lady”. I had played Higgins in our high school musical in my final year.....but that is another story.... Anyway, during the set up, my eyes wondered over the thousands of books in the shelves of the study till one particular shelf caught my attention..
The shelf was stocked with magic books, many of which are out of print at the moment, the titles I remember are
History of Magic
The Illustrated book of Magic Tricks – Will Dexter
The Great Sorcar
Sorcar on Magic
Classic secrets of Magic – Bruce Elliot
Magic of the Masters – Jack Delvin
Magic for you
Wow!! When I enquired who’s collection this was i was told that the host had a avid interest in magic when he was young.
Anyway, the show was about to start, stuffed whatever had to be stuffed into my jacket and was all set. The emcee announced me and I bounded on stage. A flash of fire at my fingertips and a silk appeared followed by the rapid production of 2 parasols in bursts of confetti. I then looked at the audience ..... oh yes they were 3 year old kids alright all 3 of them and the rest of the audience were ladies aged 16 to maybe 80. Wow..... and here I am performing a show for three year olds. I rushed through my first routine just coz I had to get all the stuff out of my jacket...and then?
Ok David now what? Well my favourite routine that I do in all my shows.. the streamers from the mouth, or the Mouthcoil. Only from the kid show presentation, I shifted to the corporate show presentation. I had a rope and scissors in my trolley. I asked my assistant to get it and went into a comedy cut and restored routine, punching in tons of gags n puns. Then, I knew I would close with the snowstorm and I still had twenty five minutes to kill..... think man think. The rope..... I did to the davenport in again-out again rope escape using the remaining rope and my own jacket. I always carry my deck of cards so a few card tricks followed, the two card monte, a card revelation and card to mouth. I asked a volunteer to get a couple of books from the study and performed an impromptu book-test, bent a coin, and closed with the snow-storm.
Phew.. well the audience loved the show and it clearly showed as many came back stage to convey their feelings and a lot of my business-cards went out. It felt like the “good-old” days. When me and my assistant used to perform at countless b’day events and school programmes.
Well the reason for sharing this experience. As a magician, be prepared for anything. You must be prepared to perform magic anytime anywhere... Learn a few good impromptu effects that can be seen by a large number of people and have them ready in your arsenal always. I landed up for this show with a bunch of props that went untouched... and a few effects with little, no, or borrowed props saved the day!
Until next time...
Yours in Magic
Amazing David!!
