Sisters of Magic and Mystery

Magic books are written for right-handed men. If you’re a left-handed woman, you’re in trouble. –Eugene Burger I’m a left-handed woman. Not only that, I’m not even a magician. So what am I doing in the McBride House of Mystery attending the first biannual Sisters of Magic and Mystery gathering in September 2009? On the last day of our three-day gathering, Abbi Spinner McBride passes the...

The Magic Tech Road – Commando Show Bags & Audio

As technology advances, new systems come while others go to their home up yonder.  As a 40 year old father of two very active little boys, I had to create my own Commando Show out of necessity.  I needed a highly visible one-hour show that packed flat and was ready to go at a moment’s notice.  I carry it in a $50 shoulder bag that can be carried on a plane.  It sets up in less than 15...

Black Dragon

By Jeff McBride and Gregg Webb Originally published in Hard Copy For more information about Gregg Webb and Hard Copy visit http://www.polarismagic.com Here we have an item that can be used IN THE MIDDLE of a RED ASHES trick. For instance, I’m going to describe it as being a possibility to place it in the middle of the trick to come next, Phoenix from the ashes DELUXE. You’ll need a...

Tips from a professional Master of Ceremonies

1) Prepare for the show. It may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many performers think they can just wing it as an MC.  You CAN wing it, but you don’t want to.  For a standard introduction, here are three bullet points that I find work well: 1) an accomplishment like an award or book; 2) a personal fact like where they live; and 3) something that appeals to the emotional side...

The First Timers

Two young amateur magicians were invited to be in the big show… what was it like for them? Presenting The First Timers (Magic Show) a photo documentary about newcomers to a Magic Show, by Ashton Vazquez. The interviews were held while preparing for Cavalcade of Magic, Nov. 15, 08, in Columbia, SC. It features Bauer Westeren, a young Mind Reader, and Cameron Burks, a young Escape Artist....

How Magicians Can Make the News – A Journalist’s Perspective

As a working journalist with several year’s experience in national newspapers I thought I may be able to present some useful working knowledge for my fellow students. A point of note – this piece is about at how to get news coverage. Areas such as attracting reviews are not delved into. What is news? There are several varieties of news stories, coming under a wide range of genres....

Magical Moments

Look around you – I mean it- look around. Did you see anything magical going on? Is anything happening that is unexplainable? Maybe not, but if you pay attention, real moments of magic will happen right in front of you. Even though I have been performing magic for three years now, it took me those entire three years to experience a moment of real magic. I experienced a moment like this...

Principles: The Three Laws of Perception®

In this second part on The Magic of Creating we will explore my Three Laws of Perception®. I had already written this essay but decided to rewrite it together with my good friend Tom Meseroll, the Martial Magician. He brought the physics of perception into the mix. As a result the Laws are even more inescapable than before. So fasten your seatbelts because, paraphrasing Niels Bohr -the famous...

Focus & Finish

My magic mentor Jeff McBride, wrote me a letter. “It’s great Romany, that you’ve lots of creative new ideas but it seems to me that you avoid finishing projects and don’t spend your time to polish the piece until it’s really finished.” Deep in denial, I ignored Jeff and I ignored his letter. Except that I did pin it on my notice board where I could see it every day. Each time it caught my eye, I...

A Practical Magician’s Case-Table, Part 2

AFFORDABLE OPTONS $50 A number of years ago on AllMagic.com Richard Robinson wrote some interesting articles on affordable stage tables. In one article he suggested getting a cube-like fibre musician’s case for about $50. I think it could be an 18-24” cube. You will want all the corners to be reinforced with metal for durability. This case is like a sample case. It consists of two boxes, which...