Heart Ring: of The
Heart Ring: of The
Heart Ring: of The
March 22 we were treated to a lecture by Tyler Wil- To lead off the “open” performances (non-
son and Andi Gladwin, and in my opinion, it was eve- competitive), Justin Brewer did some mentalism with
rything a lecture should be. I have often complained cards, including a very entertaining version of “Out
about the over-commercialization of lectures in recent of this World.” We were then treated to a perform-
years, so I was delighted to attend a one where the in- ance by Brooks Anderson, a former Ring member
structors seemed truly intent on teaching instead of visiting from St. Louis, who showed us his original
selling. While they provided a small sampling of the comedy linking-ring routine. Though lacking diffi-
material in their books, most of the routines were cult moves, this is my favorite routine with this appa-
available in a ten-dollar set of notes. They were as en- ratus, since most of the links and unlinks take place
tertaining as they were informative, taking advantage in the spectator’s hands. I remember when my sons
of the fact that they were in a magic and costume shop were young how they could be entertained by this
by borrowing a number of the costumes during the routine again and again. Finally, Harris Deutsch en-
lecture. Tyler taught one routine while dressed as a tertained us with some ventriloquism before we van-
chicken, and Andi dressed as a ballerina for one of his ished into the unseasonably cold April night.
presentations. Except for people who don’t like card
tricks, we would recommend them to any Ring. *****
On Saturday, April 21, I drove to the Carlson Center on the Following intermission, Jonathan talks about the original film
campus of the Johnson County Community College in Over- version of The Phantom of the Opera (1925) starring the Man
land Park KS to see the Pendragons perform. This is a show I of a Thousand Faces, Lon Chaney, Sr. Then he goes on to talk
have long wanted to see and I was not disappointed. The show about the original novel written by Gaston Leroux. Leroux
was entitled “Ghosts of the Theater.” Throughout the show dedicated the novel to Edgar Allen Poe. Jonathan then talks
Jonathan discussed magicians and illusions of the past. about how they were able to receive permission to play part of
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music from the musical. In perform-
He opened the show by telling a story of Harry Kellar’s per- ing the routine, there is a blooming rosebush, a painting that
formance of the levitation and a row of Tibetan monks. Then comes to life (Charlotte), and a vanish with the return of the
he performed a version of the levitation with his wife, Char- original painting. This involved both Jonathan and Charlotte
lotte. Then Jonathan did the Linking Rings and some card ma- and was a highlight of the show in it’s artistry and beauty.
nipulations similar to what Juliana Chen does. This was fol-
lowed by the introduction of Mystina, one of the Pendragons’ Jonathan then did a newspaper tear followed by a straight jacket
assistants. She did a nice routine with a male volunteer that escape by Charlotte. Prior to the escape, Jonathan talked about
consisted of three main effects: a silk penetration, the sword how he and Charlotte first met. When she visited his room, she
through neck, and finally the production of a champagne bottle. saw the straight jacket on a stack of magic and asked him to
This was followed by a black light/black art routine called teach her how it was done. Jonathan then talked about some of
“Gypsy Rose Lee.” In it, a female performer stripped and in his favorite shows in the 1960s, The Outer Limits and The Twi-
doing so, her various articles of clothing floated off-stage and light Zone. He asked audience members to name their favorite
more and more of her disappeared. episodes. In leading up to his next illusion, he talked about an
episode in which a young girl disappears through the wall in her
Jonathan then came out and asked the audience if they wanted bedroom into another dimension. He brings out a mirror and a
Charlotte or him to perform the next illusion. The audience rose. Throwing the rose at the mirror, it vanishes. Then plac-
voted for Charlotte. She came out in a cape and after showing a ing the mirror on one side of a shadow box, he turns on a light
box empty, she lights a fire and the box immediately has a large in the back of the box and proceeds to withdraw the rose from
Samoyed dog (Kashmir) in the box, and Charlotte vanished the mirror. He then reaches in and pulls out a long string of
with Jonathan appearing under the cape and Charlotte reappear- socks. Next he produces Pywacit, his cat. And finally, he pulls
ing on the left side of the theater. one of his assistants (Kerri-Ann?) out of the mirror.
After clearing the stage, Jonathan introduces the dog, Kashmir. Jonathan then talks about Buddhist ringing bowls and reso-
He brings the dog down to the audience and then goes back up nance. He borrows three distinctive rings from audience mem-
on stage. Sitting on the stage, Jonathan talks about how he got bers, places them in the bowl, rings it and draws out the rings
the dog. He then goes on to discuss his nearly fatal accident linked. He has each person examine and verify it’s really their
last September. After the initial accident, he tried to call 911 ring on the chain of rings. He then unlinks them.
but passed out. He woke with Kashmir licking his face and was
able to call 911. The next routine is called “A Midsummer’s Nights’ Dream,”
based on the Shakespeare play. It opened with Charlotte danc-
For his next effect, Jonathan discusses the famous play by Ed- ing around a basket. Mystina appears out of the basket and she
mond Rostand, “Cyrano De Bergerac.” Cyrano was a real per- and Charlotte dance producing, throwing and catching blue
son, a dramatist and duelist who lived from 1619 to 1655. Don- lights, eventually putting them in a glass that Jonathan has. He
ning a long nose, Jonathan relates that Cyrano would often re- drinks them. He and Kerri-Ann then use some of the dialogue
cite French poetry in sword duels. He says he’s going to repli- from the play. The illusions that occur include a mouth coil, a
cate those duels in a card effect. He has four volunteers each silk fountain, silk through neck, and a paper fountain. As with
select a card, remember it, and replace it in the deck. He has “Phantom of the Opera,” this was very well routined, very vis-
them all stand. He says that as he reveals each person’s respec- ual and attractive.
tive card, they must die dramatically, and if not, the audience
will boo. He recites the poem and reveals the first three, with The show concluded with the Pendragons’ most famous effect,
the third person just sitting down to a prompt chorus of boos. Metamorphosis. To no surprise, it was done with perfection
For the last, he brings out a sword, and throwing the deck into and speed. Following the show, the Pendragons came out and
MAGIC NEWS RING 129 NEWSLETTER – MAY 2006 PAGE 4
signed autographs. perience. Again Michael Ammar has several excellent thoughts
on this but rather than recapping them here, you would be better
This was a wonderful show. I was glad to finally be able to see off hearing it straight from him as I highly recommend his au-
their show. Don’t miss them if you get the chance to see them. dio cassette “Making Magic Memorable.”
****** We all know enough tricks but we continue looking for THE
trick that will be the ultimate trick. One which will make us
fame and fortune beyond our wildest dreams. I am convinced
that there is no trick that has ever been made nor one coming
that has been or will be the Holy Grail. What we need to search
for is a better performance of what we already know. We need
to get in touch with what our experiences are and learn how we
can communicate with others through a magical experience.
“Know thyself” is the credo and “do the stuff that’s you” are
words to practice by. Your performances are unique as you
Trix Are For Kids inject your personality into every effect.
Are tricks just for kids? Why do people immediately associate The “Holy Grail” trick may already be in our closet waiting to
magic with children? Is it because of our demeanor, our ap- be let out. One in which the luster wore off shortly after we
proach, our looks, our audience's perception, our society, a brought it home from the magic shop/convention/lecture and
combination of these, or is it something else? Perhaps it's be- read the directions. Just look through your closet or drawers
cause that magic appeals to the child in each of us and trans- full of stuff still in plastic bags and books with their spine never
ports us to a world of wonder where there is a suspension of cracked. Then ask yourself why you are collecting this stuff if
disbelief where for just a moment, magic happens. not to use it.
This is what I believe that magic is...a moment isolated in time If you’re looking for books to stick on your shelves to take up
when there is no known explanation for what just happened. space or arcane artifacts to gather dust, then you’re better off
Sometimes this moment lasts for an instant but ideally it should filling it with junk from a flea market and it would cost you a
last much longer. It is something that people take home with lot less than buying stuff from a magic dealer. Perhaps you
them in their memories and tell their friends . . . and the legend enjoy the “ownership” of stuff just to say that you have it.
grows. Their recollection of an instant gets blown out of pro- Maybe you like the colors of the props. Maybe you like to own
portion as the effect grow more and more impossible as the a piece of history, something that was once viewed by thou-
experience is retold. sands of people around the world. Perhaps you are trying to
keep alive your own memories of a different time when you
Often it is a letdown for them to see it ever performed again for were fooled, that instant in time when you experienced
it is never as good as the way they remembered it or as Paul “magic.”
Simon said in his hit song ‘Kodachrome’ “. . . it would never
match my sweet imagination.” It's like much of life where we Your recollection of that moment is precious to you as it is for
only remember the high and low points. The mediocre parts of your audience when they first experience it. And their first
life, and our routines, are lost in time and space. Without at experience with being awed by magic usually occurred when
least one high point, our performances then become, as Michael they were children. So any subsequent experience with magic
Ammar has said . . . “bubblegum for the eyes.” brings out their child like quality, putting themselves in the
mindset of that time when they were children.
A TV sitcom wants to have at least one good laugh in each
show, one good joke, one good enough for everyone for view- Perhaps then this is the reason that people immediately associ-
ers to retell at the office the next day. The success of that sit- ate magic tricks with kids (although tricks should have nothing
com rests on that one joke, for if it's good enough and gets re- to do with baby goats.) We appeal to their childlike innocence.
told, then new viewers will tune it in hoping to experience a
laugh, a good time, a chance to enjoy what everyone else has We can play on that innocence by directing our approach to that
seen and heard and perhaps to “chew some bubblegum” for a side of our audience. The old adage goes "It's fun to be fooled"
while. In the meantime, the underlying emphasis is on getting but I say "It's more fun to be entertained." Tricks will fool but
people to buy more of the products advertised on these pro- magic entertains, or said another way, you can fool people with
grams. tricks but you can't entertain their soul, their whole being unless
it becomes magic. Tricks must be elevated to a level where it
The title of this article is the tag line from an advertisement for becomes entertainment, transcending our audience's childlike
Trix cereal. Like the cereal which is full of sugar and sweet to nature and appealing to the logical, adult side of their character.
eat and directed toward children, tricks done just for the sake of
doing them is nothing more than sugar and sweetness and only We want to take our performances out of the “trick” category
appealing to kids. If we want to be remembered, then we must and transcend them into the “magic” class. It’s true that “tricks
put something in our shows to make them remember their ex- are for kids” but magic is for adults.
MAGIC NEWS RING 129 NEWSLETTER – MAY 2006 PAGE 5
Come to next months meeting at our new location for Stage Winner Close-up Winner
your chance to WIN TWO FREE TICKETS to the None Stu Lewis
Renaissance Festival. Winners will be randomly
selected from the sign in sheet. Must be present to
Reminder for all members that would like to compete in the
win! monthly contests and open performances. There is a time limit
of 10 min. Please make sure that your performances are with-in
Want Ads: the allotted time. Make sure that you are aware of the fire
policy as well.
You can find all the details for performance rules on the ring
website.
Needed: Someone to be chairperson of Stage
Magician of the Year contest and dinner. Thanks—Management.
Please contact Doc Blum or Alan Goodheart.
Congratulations to all the winners!!
Sorcerers Circle: $5
Regular Member $6
Non-Member $15