Entertainment Value

[RickEverhart]

I just returned from a corporate gig that my mentor and I split between the two of us. He worked the first hour and I worked the next two because he was off to another gig. I always try to learn something new from each and every experience.

It was interesting to see him out performing knuckle busting card material and then me swoop in and perform tons of rubber band, mentalism, etc. and a few card effects (some not requiring a lot of skill), but me playing them up and getting people laughing and have a great time.

It just proves time and time again that people simply want to have "fun" and be entertained. They don't care about your pass or 5 card pinky pull down. Sure its nice to do those things but in the grand scheme of things it didn't matter tonight nor does it ever.

I could be wrong, but simple definitely always hits hard. I had people at tables who didn't even know each other engaged and talking and giving high fives. It was awesome to break down the barriers.

Ultra Telethought wallet 2 was hitting hard tonight as was Free Will and Jeff Prace's Where Time Stands Still. The prophecy move flies right by every layman.

 

[DannyT]

I hear you Rick. Often I over analyze all my tricks and worry about small stuff that just passes by audiences. I told you about the Bar Mitzvah i did last weekend, i packed up like 10 tricks, when I did the same three for every group.

When I was younger I thought I needed everything to be perfect, which I was correct. But I focused on it too much when I could have been performing parties way earlier with almost the same end results that I have now.

 

[themontemaster]

One of my favorite examples of this is triumph. While there are many dozen different ways to manage the effect and most of them requiring fairly intense sleight of hand, I still hold that the sloppy shuffle triumph is the best and yet it is THE simplest of all the triumphs.

 

[RickEverhart]

I normally do sloppy triumph as well ALL of the TIME, but tonight I had to work round tables of 8 and the guests were eating so it would have had to been all in my hands and I like to do the full ribbon spread on the table.

Danny, you are right. You probably could have started doing gigs awhile back, but everyone is always afraid and doesn't think they are good enough. You learn by jumping right in and seeing what plays well and what doesn't. I've read so much out of books but learning on the job is 10X more effective.

I took about 8 effects tonight and used 6 so that wasn't too bad of over loading.

 

[Craig Browning]

Vernon, as much as he's known for his card work, almost always emphasized simplicity in the work, it is something nearly ever great showman within magic echoes. But let's go a step further. . . there are those in our world who've even put out magic courses that can't do basic slights. One very famous "world star" of magic could only work the Sponge Balls when finger-holes were cut into them. The reason being that he was good at working Thimble magic but was comfy with standard slights such as we use with sponge.

While most of you won't understand this, but the Zig Zag Lady when it was first introduced, drove everyone totally bonkers it was so "perfect" as an illusion. I kicked myself for at least two or three years because I couldn't figure it out and once I found the overly simple secret I kicked myself even more for not seeing it . . . granted, there are nuances to it that improve on the deception, but the basic technique was elusive . . . then again, that's the point.

I know very few slights and am exceptionally unskilled when it comes to cards and yet I've done table magic at Playboy Clubs and some of the top VIP sites in L.A. during my time -- proof that "skill" isn't always in the fingers but rather our ability to be ENTERTAINERS.

 

[RickEverhart]

Well said Craig. Thank you for your input and hearing that from you makes me feel even better about being an "entertainer" and not a card move monkey. By no means am I slamming skilled card technicians because I thoroughly enjoy watching card men, but some times people (including myself) think that you have to know and perfect tons of sleights before they can go out and work the crowds.

 

[Craig Browning]

Well said Craig. Thank you for your input and hearing that from you makes me feel even better about being an "entertainer" and not a card move monkey. By no means am I slamming skilled card technicians because I thoroughly enjoy watching card men, but some times people (including myself) think that you have to know and perfect tons of sleights before they can go out and work the crowds.

While I loathe cards for a number of reasons I fully respect and admire those that master them. The catch is, you need to be more like Maven or Berger and thus, be good at the tough stuff while being even better as a personality.

I remember watching Al Goshman work in the dungeon area of the Magic Castle; he was sloppier than anyone I'd ever seen work and yet, the audience never caught him. They were so entranced by his personality, bad jokes and all around silliness that all they had was a good time and no clue. But Albert was a master of misdirection which is why he could get away with the sloppiness most trained eyes wouldn't just notice but shudder over.

I think the best lesson to look at however, is the clown that blows a wad of cash on some big illusions, believing that's all you need to be a Magician.

Big boxes are probably more difficult to present effectively than the Cups & Balls in that a good 90% of the weight lays on the shoulders of the performer. . . the crew deals with all the technical stuff that makes the illusion happen but the "Magician" has to sell the effect and that takes a heck of a lot more than just owning an expensive fancy cabinet. On top of showmanship qualities the stage Illusionist has to have a small truck load of technical knowledge when it comes to sets, lighting, prop placement, costumes and a number of other elements just to exploit every possible advantage available to him when it comes to creating deception; deception of thickness when it comes to prop tables and deception of fairness when it comes to showing "all sides" of a prop.

I've been blessed to have watched and even get to know some of the greatest cardmen and manipulators of the mid & late 20th century and they have nothing other than my respect. But not all of these people are good entertainers . . . not even those we deem to be Gods.

 

[RickEverhart]

I would have loved to have seen Goshman live. I heard his misdirection due to his personality was unbelievable to the people as they were fooled time and time again.

Good point about being good with the tough stuff but even better with personality.

 

[Toby]

Rick, why arent you doing a sloppy shuffle triumph in the hands? I perform in a restaurant with all kinds of tables every single day for 6 hours and I do sst often, I just spread the cards in my hands.
Btw I love this thread because I will do a massive post/podcast on something simmilar that will give people an opportunity for a job as soon as I go back home next week.
Stay tuned

 

[RickEverhart]

Toby, I just normally like to end in a ribbon spread right in front of them on the table, but yes, by all means I see how you could just do the hand to hand ribbon spread and it still probably plays fine.

Thanks for the love on this thread as well.

 

[Randy]

While I loathe cards for a number of reasons I fully respect and admire those that master them. The catch is, you need to be more like Maven or Berger and thus, be good at the tough stuff while being even better as a personality.

I remember watching Al Goshman work in the dungeon area of the Magic Castle; he was sloppier than anyone I'd ever seen work and yet, the audience never caught him. They were so entranced by his personality, bad jokes and all around silliness that all they had was a good time and no clue. But Albert was a master of misdirection which is why he could get away with the sloppiness most trained eyes wouldn't just notice but shudder over.

I think the best lesson to look at however, is the clown that blows a wad of cash on some big illusions, believing that's all you need to be a Magician.

Big boxes are probably more difficult to present effectively than the Cups & Balls in that a good 90% of the weight lays on the shoulders of the performer. . . the crew deals with all the technical stuff that makes the illusion happen but the "Magician" has to sell the effect and that takes a heck of a lot more than just owning an expensive fancy cabinet. On top of showmanship qualities the stage Illusionist has to have a small truck load of technical knowledge when it comes to sets, lighting, prop placement, costumes and a number of other elements just to exploit every possible advantage available to him when it comes to creating deception; deception of thickness when it comes to prop tables and deception of fairness when it comes to showing "all sides" of a prop.

I've been blessed to have watched and even get to know some of the greatest cardmen and manipulators of the mid & late 20th century and they have nothing other than my respect. But not all of these people are good entertainers . . . not even those we deem to be Gods.

I recall Whit Haydn mentioning that Vernon had excellent taste in magic and was exceptionally skilled, but was a mediocre entertainer.

 

[RickEverhart]

Interesting...I would love to sit and watch old footage of Vernon and some of the greats in live situations. That would be a great DVD set. If someone compiled live footage / performances from all the old masters.

 

[Randy]

Interesting...I would love to sit and watch old footage of Vernon and some of the greats in live situations. That would be a great DVD set. If someone compiled live footage / performances from all the old masters.

It would be great but I think the closest we have in color and sound is the Vernon Revelations DVD set and that was when he was around late 80's and was pretty much past his prime and suffering from severe chronic arthritis.

I myself would have liked to see how guys like him and Marlo performed when they WERE in their prime (late 30's to early 50's.)

 

[Justin.Morris]

Thanks for sharing about your gig. I really enjoy reading these.
I think sleight of hand moves are like gimmicks - they should never be detected, and when used well, will create impossible effects. If your magic isn't relatively 'moveless', then it needs to look like it has no moves.

 

[Bizzaro]

There is a HUGE difference between entertaining and magic. Magic is inherently not entertaining in the traditional sense of the word and at the end of the day people would rather have a good time than be fooled by some schmuck in a suit.

 

[RickEverhart]

That was an awesome quote Bizarro: "Magic is inherently not entreating in the traditional sense of the word and at the end of the day people would rather have a good time than be fooled by some schmuck in a suit."

Well put my man and so very true.

I think the very best magicians can both fool them and make it fun / entertaining.