If You Could Spend An Afternoon With Any Magician....

[Lavie Enrose]

If you could spend an afternoon with any Magician, past or present, to learn as much as you could from him/her, who would you choose?

Not at all an easy choice, but I think I would choose, Teller. I really like Teller's style of magic, and I think Teller is one of the greatest thinking, and talented, minds in magic.

I would love to sit down with Teller and discuss theories, new ideas, the state of magic today, magic history, the connection between magic and critical thinking, and run some ideas and routines by him to get some critical feedback. That would be my short list.

[Brown]

Teller is great.

I think I'd talk with Ricky Jay. Although he is famous for his card magic, the man is talented in so many ways.

[volant]

Paul Harris, going through each volume of AoA. Then we could go get some socks. /reference to trick

[Lavie Enrose]

I should mention that I also picked Teller so I could also meet Penn and Randi! :D

[SteveW]

Seriously, I spent many many afternoons with Dai Vernon at the Magic Castle - Larry Jennings too. I can't even begin to tell what I learned from those guys.

[Psiload]

Mark Lewis...

obviously.

[rebecca]

If I could choose any magician to spend an afternoon with, I'd choose David Copperfield.

Then I'd kick the snot out of him for the rest of humanity. God, what a loser.

[Ashles]

Derren Brown - I think the guy is very entertaining and I enjoy his schtick. (Anyone in UK check out 'Messiah' tonight - at 10pm ish).
I assume he must use some David-Blaine style judicious editing, but his tricks are pretty impressive.

Then I might buy myself a brand new pair of steel capped Doc Marten's and wander over to see how Rebecca was.

[Dr Adequate]

Hey, since it's fantasy anyway, why only one magician?

I'd have Derren Brown, Faye Presto and Paul Xenon. We could order pizza. Oh, and I'd also like to have David Blaine in a perspex box to throw eggs at.

Actually, why waste my imaginary money on an imaginary perspex box? No box means more money for eggs. I like those figures.

[Lavie Enrose]

Originally posted by SteveW
Seriously, I spent many many afternoons with Dai Vernon at the Magic Castle - Larry Jennings too. I can't even begin to tell what I learned from those guys.

Do you have any idea how fortunate you have been? :D

[Morwen]

Juan Tamariz. You guys wouldn't know him, but he's very very good at close magic. He's very skilled, ugly as anything, funny as hell, and he also looks like a very interesting person to know. Besides, his tricks are always original and his presentation is awesome.

[Lavie Enrose]

Originally posted by Morwen
Juan Tamariz. You guys wouldn't know him, but he's very very good at close magic. He's very skilled, ugly as anything, funny as hell, and he also looks like a very interesting person to know. Besides, his tricks are always original and his presentation is awesome.

That reminds me of this.

A Classroom Discussion with Eugene Burger (http://www.magicbeard.com/view.php?id=12)

Question: Who is your favorite magician to watch?
Eugene: I don't have a favorite, but with stage magic I really enjoy Jeff McBride, Siegfried and Roy, and Lance Burton, and with close-up magic probably many performers you've never heard of.

[rebecca]

Originally posted by Morwen
Juan Tamariz. You guys wouldn't know him . . .

Yes I would.

[Rouser2]

Originally posted by Lavie Enrose
If you could spend an afternoon with any Magician, past or present, to learn as much as you could from him/her, who would you choose?

Not at all an easy choice, but I think I would choose, Teller. I really like Teller's style of magic, and I think Teller is one of the greatest thinking, and talented, minds in magic.

I would love to sit down with Teller and discuss theories, new ideas, the state of magic today, magic history, the connection between magic and critical thinking, and run some ideas and routines by him to get some critical feedback. That would be my short list.

The Amazing Dunninger -- the "Mentalist." He always claimed he used no confederates but at the end of his life, admitted it was all a "trick." So I'd like to know the "trick." My guess is, the trick was, he simply lied about not using confederates -- that was the trick.

[Azrael 5]

Originally posted by rebecca
Yes I would.
So would I.Cant understand him but I know of him...;)

[Lavie Enrose]

Juan Tamariz! I did not recognize the name at first! :o

[dharlow]

Teller is coming out with a two volume book on David P. Abbott, reprinting many of his works. Abbott is, in my opinion, one of the more underrated magicians in the history of the art (inventing some very interesting effects such as the Talking Tea Kettle), and would have been a fascinating one to sit down to discuss the paranormal. Abbott was probably one of the most qualified to investigate mediums/psychics who ever lived, and one of the articles in Teller's book is a reprinting of his investigation of a puzzling direct-voice medium named Ms. Blake. Abbott conversed with several deceased members of his family through a trumpet held by Ms. Blake (in the light) and who conveyed fairly detailed information to him. He found himself rather baffled by the woman.

[Jeff Corey]

Originally posted by Psiload
Mark Lewis...

obviously.
All I want to know is why all youse use false names. My name used to be Mark Lewis until he stole it. I used to be the finest mentalist until I lost my mind, did you find it around here someplace? If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

[Morwen]

Originally posted by rebecca
Yes I would.

Wow! That's really great! I didn't expect this, my apologies fro assuming you wouldn't know him. This is really a very knowledgeable group; either that, or Tamariz is better know that I'd thought. Or both.

I'll check out some of the names that have appeared here. I like close-up magic and I'd love to know more performers.

[T'ai Chi]

Originally posted by Lavie Enrose
If you could spend an afternoon with any Magician, past or present, to learn as much as you could from him/her, who would you choose?


Dang, that's a tough one..

Houdini or the original Blackstone would be fun. Also "Bobo" from coin magic.

[Lavie Enrose]

Originally posted by Morwen
Wow! That's really great! I didn't expect this, my apologies fro assuming you wouldn't know him. This is really a very knowledgeable group; either that, or Tamariz is better know that I'd thought. Or both.

From: Morrissey Magic (http://www.morriseeymagic.com)

http://www.morrisseymagic.com/search.asp

[Lavie Enrose]

Originally posted by jzs
Dang, that's a tough one..

Houdini or the original Blackstone would be fun. Also "Bobo" from coin magic.

Yes, it is tough!

On second thought, everyone just make a list! :D

[Phrost]

Penn and Teller. Huge fan of theirs.

[Silicon]

Kellar or Houdini.

Magic was cooler then.

[Lavie Enrose]

Originally posted by Silicon
Kellar or Houdini.

Magic was cooler then.

Why do you think magic was cooler then? Just curious.

[Silicon]

Cooler as in The biggest celebrity in the world is a magician.

I mean, magic is still fun and interesting, but more of a hobby than anything else. As stage entertainment has faded, so has the magician.

On the big showbill of the 21st Century, The Magician has moved down below "Puppet Show" and "Spinal Tap". The corny routines of the stage illusionists haven't helped, nor has "Magic for Television" which uses tricks like entire audiences of confederates, dishonest editing and camera trickery.

That's what I mean "cooler." When I go to the Magic Castle, and I sit in the Palace of Mystery, I shouldn't (as I did on a recent visit) see a routine that relies exclusively on store-bought crap like the Dee-Light, a Pepper's ghost disappearing cabinet and Candle to silk, all set to the latest hit music from 1982.

It's as if Penn and Teller never existed, and people still think they can get away with crap like that. Oh wait. They can.

Magic (sad to say) has become the dorky kid with the glasses and the runny nose that all the other entertainments laugh at and give wedgies to.

[aofl]

Silicon: Don't hold back. Tell us what you really think.

BTW, to name just a few:

Teller, Houdini, Max Maven, Lennart Green...

DB

[Silicon]

heheh aofl.

Yeah, I have strong opinions about magic. :D


My favorite magic trick? Invisible Irma.

The best magic is one that achieves an effect other than just "how'd he do that?"

I don't think anyone in this era of robotics and digital technology is wowed by the mechanics that make Irma possible. Anyone who's seen a player-piano can't be too impressed, and those have been around for over a hundred years.

But the EFFECT is amazing. Irma IS a real spirit, and that's real magic for my dollar.


Real magic like Irma has gone beyond the world of the tuxedoed mysterioso.

Magic has entered the world of other entertainments as a tool. Just as pepper's ghost was an illusion in a dramatic play, today's magic brings Gollum to life in film, and Stitch to life in a Disney theme park.

People looking for magic today would be best served by visiting Disney World, Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

Where else can you converse with a walking Robotic Dinosaur, or have a one-on-one videophone call with Stitch, or be attacked by death-rays shooting out of the eyes of a crumbling temple idol?

You will see more memorable magic in an hour at The Adventurers' Club at Disney World than you are likely to see all evening at the Magic Castle. Years after someone's particular coin vanish has faded from your memory, you will still recall precicely what happened when you were initiated into the Adventurer's Club.


There is still magic today. But the great magicians of our era work for Weta and Disney.