Importance of Character/Review of Departure
Good morning, folks. There is a great article in this
month's MAGIC magazine about comedy magician, Mark
Kornhauser. He is a character-based performer with dozens
of different personas -- one for every imaginable occasion.
The article got me thinking again about who we pretend to
be when we perform. What I have frequently seen are
magicians who emulate popular comedians. For example, back
in the 70's when Steve Martin was big, everybody was "wild
and crazy" and when Robin Williams was big, everyone was
throwing in "Nanoo-Nanoo" or the occasional "Shazbat!"
Younger, less experienced performers tend to fall into this
trap because they have not fully developed or become aware
of who they are. The resulting performance tends to become
a poor imitation instead of an original success.
The old adage about us being "Actors portraying magicians"
rings true for me. I know when I perform I tend to try to
be myself though I find myself quicker with the wit and
more the Mr. Professional Magic showman. I become more of a
wise guy and jokester, and the magic is almost a by-product
of the humor. I spend more type kidding around with people
then I do performing magic. In sharp contrast to my
sarcastic and witty performing persona, in my actual daily
life, I have become more introverted as I have gotten
older. So performing is becoming harder, more of a
challenge, more of a stretch.
I also find myself going on auto-pilot when pressed to
perform magic. I'll ask for a deck of cards and do the same
4 card tricks: Cutting the Aces, Ace Transposition,
Ambitious Card and Folded Card to Mouth ("sleight of
tongue"). It's a 10-15 minute set and it flows and I know
exactly what to do and when to do it.
Being able to put the technical part of my performance on
auto-pilot means I have more time and flexibility and focus
to banter with the audience. I can spend time trying to
entertain and less time worrying about what I have to do
next from a technical perspective.
But performing magic on auto-pilot can also endanger your
performance. It can come across as stilted, overly
rehearsed or robotic. You need to be careful. You don't
want to lose your edge.
As I begin to work on building new routines and acts for
future work, I find myself wondering more if I should try
to develop some characters like Kornhauser. I know what I
can get away with and what fits me. I tend to get a sudden
rush of ideas and then I have to consider what's
appropriate for the most likely type of audience I might
encounter locally.
For instance, I started getting an interesting idea for a
mafia magician who basically threatens spectators when he
gets the trick wrong, borrows money and then asks for
interest, and then even switches places and makes the
spectator perform for him (OK, Magic Boy, you think magic
is easy -- amuse me!).
I envision Andrew Dice Clay meets Mr. Magic from Little
Italy. A playful bit with an assistant standing on the
side, dressed in typical gangster suit with arms folded,
acting an enforcer for the magician: "When Mr. Magic says
'Clap!' you clap, get it? You want me to hurt him, boss?" I
also envision this magician character using a lot of
expletives: "Pick a card, any 'f--king card at all!" In the
right nightclub (East Coast/West Coast) it could work and be
very funny BUT it's not appropriate for Tulsa, OK.
Then I started thinking of a hypnotist character called
Will Power who comes out with a bag of Pepperidge Farm
cookies and talks about how he can use his "will power"
(think melodramatic - straight face - over the top arched
eyebrows delivery) to help people stay on a diet and lose
weight. Meanwhile he polishes off the entire bag of
Milanos. A gag with maybe some simple cold reading jokes --
"I knew you would say that because I am -- Will Power." This
might be more appropriate and could work as an MC bit
between acts. More appropriate for local performances.
And so, I will continue to ponder this and I recommend you
consider the possibilities for yourself. Look at the
success of Rudy Coby and his mad scientist or Jeff
McBride's masked man of mystery. Characters can be very
strong, very entertaining and help build a brand to
differentiate you from other acts. And differentiation is
what counts in any business. Plus it's easier to market
yourself when you are truly different from the next guy
listed in the Yellow Pages under "Magicians/Clowns". Think
about it.
Reviews
========
Recently, I bid and won on a magic table from G&L Magic
(aka Magic Daddy). I really like these guys. They are a
magic shop and manufacturer and tend to create less
expensive knock-offs that look good and function well.
A few years ago I purchased a roll-on side table, and liked
it so much that I asked if they would make me a second one
and send me some new bases with chrome trim to match the
trim on the tables. No problem and very affordable. I
suggest you check them out on eBay. They are a dealer and
manufacturer who will give you good value and good service.
I recently received Derek Robert's Departure (aka Ring
Flight). What makes this version markedly different is that
the reel is built into a car alarm fob. I had previously
purchased and used HotTrix version which had the reel
hidden in the key, but it frankly looked odd to have a ring
hanging from a key. Departure is more logical, and it is an
everyday object people carry. Most people to not carry key
wallets anymore.
The gimmick is well constructed though the entire fob is
black, even the buttons which are normally white or grey,
red and blue. I am probably going to try painting these by
hand with some acrylic paint to add some realism. I don't
know why he didn't go the extra mile and add these details.
It would make it look more realistic.
So overall, though this is a more logical gaff, it does not
look 100% authentic and ungimmicked. On a scale of 1-10, I
give it a 10 for concept but only an 8 for delivery.
The other thing which is somewhat troubling is the
double-sided carabiner clip that is attached to the gimmick
and to which you attach the borrowed ring. The clip, while
easy to engage, is longer than the car alarm fob. I would
much rather see a smaller clip for this purpose. It looks
unusually large and suspect.
Until next time,
Steven
month's MAGIC magazine about comedy magician, Mark
Kornhauser. He is a character-based performer with dozens
of different personas -- one for every imaginable occasion.
The article got me thinking again about who we pretend to
be when we perform. What I have frequently seen are
magicians who emulate popular comedians. For example, back
in the 70's when Steve Martin was big, everybody was "wild
and crazy" and when Robin Williams was big, everyone was
throwing in "Nanoo-Nanoo" or the occasional "Shazbat!"
Younger, less experienced performers tend to fall into this
trap because they have not fully developed or become aware
of who they are. The resulting performance tends to become
a poor imitation instead of an original success.
The old adage about us being "Actors portraying magicians"
rings true for me. I know when I perform I tend to try to
be myself though I find myself quicker with the wit and
more the Mr. Professional Magic showman. I become more of a
wise guy and jokester, and the magic is almost a by-product
of the humor. I spend more type kidding around with people
then I do performing magic. In sharp contrast to my
sarcastic and witty performing persona, in my actual daily
life, I have become more introverted as I have gotten
older. So performing is becoming harder, more of a
challenge, more of a stretch.
I also find myself going on auto-pilot when pressed to
perform magic. I'll ask for a deck of cards and do the same
4 card tricks: Cutting the Aces, Ace Transposition,
Ambitious Card and Folded Card to Mouth ("sleight of
tongue"). It's a 10-15 minute set and it flows and I know
exactly what to do and when to do it.
Being able to put the technical part of my performance on
auto-pilot means I have more time and flexibility and focus
to banter with the audience. I can spend time trying to
entertain and less time worrying about what I have to do
next from a technical perspective.
But performing magic on auto-pilot can also endanger your
performance. It can come across as stilted, overly
rehearsed or robotic. You need to be careful. You don't
want to lose your edge.
As I begin to work on building new routines and acts for
future work, I find myself wondering more if I should try
to develop some characters like Kornhauser. I know what I
can get away with and what fits me. I tend to get a sudden
rush of ideas and then I have to consider what's
appropriate for the most likely type of audience I might
encounter locally.
For instance, I started getting an interesting idea for a
mafia magician who basically threatens spectators when he
gets the trick wrong, borrows money and then asks for
interest, and then even switches places and makes the
spectator perform for him (OK, Magic Boy, you think magic
is easy -- amuse me!).
I envision Andrew Dice Clay meets Mr. Magic from Little
Italy. A playful bit with an assistant standing on the
side, dressed in typical gangster suit with arms folded,
acting an enforcer for the magician: "When Mr. Magic says
'Clap!' you clap, get it? You want me to hurt him, boss?" I
also envision this magician character using a lot of
expletives: "Pick a card, any 'f--king card at all!" In the
right nightclub (East Coast/West Coast) it could work and be
very funny BUT it's not appropriate for Tulsa, OK.
Then I started thinking of a hypnotist character called
Will Power who comes out with a bag of Pepperidge Farm
cookies and talks about how he can use his "will power"
(think melodramatic - straight face - over the top arched
eyebrows delivery) to help people stay on a diet and lose
weight. Meanwhile he polishes off the entire bag of
Milanos. A gag with maybe some simple cold reading jokes --
"I knew you would say that because I am -- Will Power." This
might be more appropriate and could work as an MC bit
between acts. More appropriate for local performances.
And so, I will continue to ponder this and I recommend you
consider the possibilities for yourself. Look at the
success of Rudy Coby and his mad scientist or Jeff
McBride's masked man of mystery. Characters can be very
strong, very entertaining and help build a brand to
differentiate you from other acts. And differentiation is
what counts in any business. Plus it's easier to market
yourself when you are truly different from the next guy
listed in the Yellow Pages under "Magicians/Clowns". Think
about it.
Reviews
========
Recently, I bid and won on a magic table from G&L Magic
(aka Magic Daddy). I really like these guys. They are a
magic shop and manufacturer and tend to create less
expensive knock-offs that look good and function well.
A few years ago I purchased a roll-on side table, and liked
it so much that I asked if they would make me a second one
and send me some new bases with chrome trim to match the
trim on the tables. No problem and very affordable. I
suggest you check them out on eBay. They are a dealer and
manufacturer who will give you good value and good service.
I recently received Derek Robert's Departure (aka Ring
Flight). What makes this version markedly different is that
the reel is built into a car alarm fob. I had previously
purchased and used HotTrix version which had the reel
hidden in the key, but it frankly looked odd to have a ring
hanging from a key. Departure is more logical, and it is an
everyday object people carry. Most people to not carry key
wallets anymore.
The gimmick is well constructed though the entire fob is
black, even the buttons which are normally white or grey,
red and blue. I am probably going to try painting these by
hand with some acrylic paint to add some realism. I don't
know why he didn't go the extra mile and add these details.
It would make it look more realistic.
So overall, though this is a more logical gaff, it does not
look 100% authentic and ungimmicked. On a scale of 1-10, I
give it a 10 for concept but only an 8 for delivery.
The other thing which is somewhat troubling is the
double-sided carabiner clip that is attached to the gimmick
and to which you attach the borrowed ring. The clip, while
easy to engage, is longer than the car alarm fob. I would
much rather see a smaller clip for this purpose. It looks
unusually large and suspect.
Until next time,
Steven
posted by Steven at
8:15 AM
