The Travels and Travails of a Freelance Colorado Magician

Back in November, I went to see magician Jeff McBride and his Wonderground night club/show at the Palace Station in Las Vegas, where I picked up a few ideas for presenting magic under adverse conditions.

The basic rules of performance are that the magician must be seen and must be heard. And this applies whether I perform from the stage or up-close.

I learned to be sensitive to the light while acting in the theatre — to be aware of where the light was most intense and to position myself in the hotspot. The use of light for the close-up magician is often overlooked, but if you want your magic to have maximum impact, you need to be aware of how the light is falling and where the shadows are.

Before I do any startling transformations (a coin changing from copper to silver for example), I want to position the object in the best light. If I’m obstructing the light and casting a shadow over the area where the magic will happen, the magic will get a muted response.

The more light I can get, the more impact my magic will have.

(As a side note, check out the movie, “To Have and Have Not,” with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Whenever Bogart or Bacall would light a cigarette for each other, the director (Howard Hawks) would use a pin spot to illuminate their faces (in addition to the general lighting) to throw in some extra light, and to make sure we would focus on their faces during these intimate moments. Sure they had good chemistry, but Hawks wanted to ensure that we would see this chemistry, and so he literally highlighted these shots.)

The thing I saw in Las Vegas, which I immediately adapted for my work, was the practice of bringing your own light to the table. In a night club, the lighting is often poorly suited for the performance of magic, however, at the Wonderground, magicians brought their own portable light to the table.

Here’s a light that I’ve been using:

This is the Lumatec Everest Reading Light. It costs about $20, runs on 4 AAA batteries, uses 2 LEDs (so the batteries will last for years), it collapses to fit easily in my coat pocket (6-inches long), and is free-standing so I can set it on the table and go to work. When I bought it, it was white, but I spray painted it black so it wouldn’t draw too much focus. Naturally, there are many other lights that will do the job.

Shortly after my Vegas trip, I worked with an event planner who wanted me to do close-up magic at her event. The catch was that she wanted to do a Rave-like theme with glowing necklaces and bracelets, and flashing ice cubes, with everything else in the dark (aside from the DJs light show). While I had some magic that would work in the dark (using D’lites and glow-sticks), the portable light really saved the day.

And one of the venues where I regularly work has extremely poor lighting at many of the tables, so when I produce my own light, I look professional and I get credit for coming prepared. (”Master of my domain,” as Docc Hilford would say…). Plus, it’s also useful for those times when a sponge ball rolls under the table…

Just a little tip I picked up during my travels; hope someone finds it useful.

Worked a holiday party for a law firm at the Denver Athletic Club on Saturday. About 40 people (law firm partners and their spouses) at a well organized event. My job was to entertain from 6:00 to 7:00 as the guests mingled over hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Dinner was served promptly at 7:00 at which point I packed my bags and headed home.

The lawyers were a fun group to work for and as new people would join a group, I would get called back to do some magic for the newcomers. Times like these, it’s good to have a deep well from which to draw, so that those who were there for the first round will see something fresh — and can’t inadvertently tip the ending to the newbies (”Oh, you’ll like this! I have no idea how the card ends up in his wallet!”), thus spoiling any surprise.

One very important tip for events of this type. Make sure you have a special piece of magic to show the boss. It needs to be strong and it needs to be quick. Naturally, since he or she is your benefactor you would be remiss if you didn’t show them a good piece of magic. But more importantly, it must be quick — like 2-minutes quick. You need to be able to get in and out without monopolizing their time.

At a company function, everyone is going to be jockeying for position to have an audience with the boss. So you won’t have long with the boss before his or her attention is drawn elsewhere. True, if you win them over, they might ask to see more magic (and you should be prepared to oblige), but don’t assume that you’ll be able to complete your 15-minute, 3-phase routine, with the show-stopper ending.

Get in there. Hit ‘em hard. Hit ‘em fast. And be prepared to bow out and let someone else visit with the VIP.

Performed mix & mingle magic for a Bar Mitzvah reception on Saturday.

I’ve been told umpteen times (by other performers) that this is a tough age group to work for, but I’ve never found it so. To be clear, I would NEVER perform “children’s magic” for 13-year-olds. The young people get the same high-caliber magic that I would perform for my grown-up audiences. At this age, they’re more likely to have seen David Blaine or Criss Angel (or Cyril Takayama via YouTube) than their parents, so if you have to be able to deliver the goods.

What makes these gigs fun is that the young people give free rein to their emotions. If you fool them, they will laugh, they will scream, they will run out of the room (and come back with bunch of their friends in tow).

I do suspect that some of my success with young people stems from my age. I’m not a teenage magician (who wouldn’t be worthy of their respect), but I’m also usually younger than their parents (and therefore still able to wear the mantle of hipness). If you’re too close to their age they’ll take you down. Ditto if you’re too old. I happen to be at the right age where I can claim the role of Alpha dog and assert order on what could become a wild pack.

One thing you need to be prepared for is to think on your feet. Unlike the more polite adult audience, young people (giving free reign to their emotions) will call on you to “do it again!” or “roll up your sleeves!” or “let me shuffle the cards!”

So only bring your strongest rock-solid material to these gigs. If you’re working on a new bit and you’re the slightest bit uncertain, they’ll smell your fear and (unlike their parents) they won’t hesitate to call you out.

Hmm. I started off this post by saying that this is not a tough age group to work for, but after reading my own advise, perhaps I should amend that.

Yes, Mitzvah-aged kid are tough to work for. But if you come prepared, if you earn their respect, if you have the confidence to take charge, it’s a fun and rewarding age group to work for.

Had a great time performing at the Lakewood Cultural Center last Saturday as a part of “Magic Beyond Belief III.” For the third year, the Mile High Magicians Society hosted a sold-out performance. I shared the bill with 6 other magicians, including friends, Rich Nakata and Mark Strivings.

The venue is perfect for magic with 316 seats, but steeply raked so that every seat has good sight lines, and everyone feels close to the action. Plus they have a top-notch technical team (thanks Tim, Johnathan, and Star!) and excellent sound and lighting.

I performed one of my workhorse routines in which a playing card is found using a very sharp knife. I’ve spent several years honing this routine to the point that it has become a reliable standby. And thankfully, it requires little more than a pack of playing card. Normally I wouldn’t do this routine for audiences over 200 without a video projection screen to ensure visibility, but knowing how intimate the space was I was confident this would play.

The routine went well and earned a great response for me and my volunteer. Initially, the mood of the audience was somewhat disjointed, but once I got them focused they were very responsive.

Playing for a large audience can be a lot like steering a big ship. When you guide a small boat (or a small audience) you can accelerate quickly and turn nimbly. But working for a big audience you have to think ahead to where you want the audience to be, and begin guiding them early. If you make the audience giddy with laughter, you can’t expect them to change immediately to a serious mood. You have to coax them along, being sensitive to where they are. The audience may not even be aware that you are laying the groundwork for a change of mood, but when you are ready to take them in a new direction, they will have been primed.

I received a key piece of wisdom (in advance of the performance) from my friend Bob Domeros who advised me not to try to pack too much magic into my 15 minute set. He felt that I’d be better able to convey my personality — and to connect to the audience — if I didn’t rush from one magic effect to the next. He was right. Life is good when you have someone who’s directorial advice you can rely on.

Did my mix & mingle magic for the Rocky Mountain Professional Convention Management Association last night. The board members were holding a retreat to plan for 2009, so after their long day of hard work, I was brought in to lighten the moody and reward the board for their efforts.

This was a fairly small group of people (about 25) so I wasn’t under pressure to race from group to group to see everyone before the evening was over. Instead I spent time visiting with people, finding out what they do, and making them feel welcome.

As far as the magic goes, for small groups like this, I start out by doing the same set of magic for each group. Later in the evening, I’ll see new people whom I haven’t entertained — but they’ll be visiting with people for whom I’ve already performed. At this point I can switch to my second set of magic, so that everyone in the group sees something new. Keep your powder dry, in other words.

In the past I’ve made my work more difficult by performing a hodge-podge of magic sets too early in the evening. Then when I’d come across a group with some people who hadn’t seen me work and some people who had, I wasn’t able to keep track of who had seen what.

That’s all I have time for today. I need to cut this short as I’ve got to get ready for a performance tonight.

The Chateaux at Fox Meadows celebrated their 10 year anniversary yesterday evening. The Chateaux is a beautiful venue for weddings and other events, and looks like a French country villa.

I was there at the request of Pat Bruno of A Music Plus. Pat has been very supportive of my work and really helped me get established in the industry, so I owe him a lot. A Music Plus is an entertainment company that provides DJs, Bands, and other entertainers.

I performed in the “Las Vegas Lounge” along with singers (like the incomparable Natalie Ottobrino) , bands, and an Elvis impersonator (who was conducting Vegas style weddings); I did a set from the stage (including the infamous “Jumping Knot of Kuala Lumpor”), and then did a little Mix & Mingle magic for the guests up close and one on one.

Upstairs they had more bands, dancers, a palm reader, hand-rolled cigars, ice sculptures, and delicious cakes by my friend Nancy of Nancy Best Cake Design.

I don’t know the official count, but would say about 300 people attended. The Chateaux and A Music Plus really pulled out all the stops for this one. It’s good to know people who know how to throw a great party.

Best Buy is opening a new store in Boulder, Colorado, and tonight was a special event for their preferred customers. Earlier this year, I had performed magic for after-hours event at a Best Buy in Broomfield, and the management brought be back for an encore performance at their new store.

This type of work requires a performer to be aware of what the management really needs. Yes, they want me to perform magic, they want me to astonish their guests, and they want me to turn their evening into a special event.

But the real reason we are all there is to sell merchandise.

If I build a large crowd and hold them spellbound with a 30 minute performance I’ll look like a superstar, but if those customers leave without buying anything, then Best Buy has wasted their money hiring me.

So with that in mind, tonight I keep the magic short. I thank the customers for coming, remind them of the special discounts (one day only!), and encourage them to look around (lots of cool things at great prices!).

If I see that they are on a mission to buy, I skip the magic all together and lead them directly to a sales rep or to the product they were looking for. Once they’ve found what they are looking for, I may do some magic for them on their way out.

The best people to perform for in this environment were those who I call the tag-alongs. These are people who aren’t there to buy anything, but are there, instead, to accompany someone who is buying. Sometimes this is a friend waiting for his or her friend to buy a TV or game console. Or it may be a spouse waiting for his or her spouse to decide which computer to buy. These people are great to perform for because they have nothing else to do and because I can entertain them without interfering with the sales reps.

After tonight’s performance, they asked me back for their official grand opening, so tomorrow I’ll have a busy evening with Best Buy and the Chateaux at Fox Meadows back to back.

Well, it’s not often that you get to do magic for a 90-year old’s birthday party, but that’s what I did yesterday. Straight from the airport (returning from Las Vegas), I headed over to the Governor’s Mansion for Will’s 90th Birthday party.

For the past month Denverites have seen billboards and other advertisements causing them to ask, “Who is Will?”

Well, at yesterday’s party, Mayor Hickenlooper officially revealed that Will is — in fact — Good Will Industries of Denver. And that for the last 90 years Good Will has been helping at-risk youth, and disabled and disadvantaged adults in the Denver community to achieve self-sufficiency through work.

The event featured local celebrities, donors, and people who have benefited from the work done by Good Will.

What made the magic work so well for this event was that, Alison (the event planner who booked me) took the time to give me the background on the event and on her organization so that I could prepare magic specifically tailored for the occasion. I love working with event planners who take the time to ensure that all aspects of their event work together and complement each other. In this case, I was able to create a card trick in which a playing card magically transformed into a birthday card (for Will), and I was able to create another piece of magic that allowed me to talk about the great things that Good Will has done for Denver over the last 90 years.

Event planners who just hire a magician to do generic magic are missing a great opportunity. If you have a theme or message, make sure it’s reinforced and supported by everyone who contributes to your event.

Returned today from my bi-annual trip to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is, of course, the magic capitol of the world these days, so it’s the place to be if you want to meet other magicians and see what’s new in the industry.

I got to see Jeff McBride’s show, Magic at the Edge, at the Palace Station. Jeff is a seasoned performer and I never fail to learn something new from watching how he manages his audience. I have come to believe that there is no BIG secret to explain how a performer establishes rapport with his or her audience and builds trust and connection. Instead a connection is made (or unmade) through a thousand little details: how you enter, the timber of your voice, the placement of your feet, how you gaze out at the audience, the gestures of you hands. If you do a thousand little things well the audience begins to feel that they can trust you to entertain them. If you do even a handful of things poorly, you will lose their confidence and lose your audience. Jeff attends to the details.

Afterward I went to Jeff’s magic nightclub the Wonderground and got some great ideas on how to perform in those difficult venues where the music is loud and the lighting is low. With the new low-voltage LEDs, it has become even easier to bring your own light source to close-up performance. If you perform visual magic, poor lighting will rob your magic of its impact. Your audience needs to see clearly in order for the magic to register. Like the stage actor, the close-up magician needs to be sensitive to the available light. I also saw some nice stage manipulation routines (performed silently) adapted for close-up that would be invaluable for those times when the band (or DJ) is so loud, you can’t talk to your audience.

I was pleased to meet a very inventive magician from Washington D.C. named David London (like the bridge). David is one of the few people I know who is thinking about what it means to be magical — rather than just thinking about how to do magic. He creates theatrical worlds in which his magic can take flight, and where his whimsical characters can come to life. If magic has any future, I trust that David will be in the avant-garde.

Magician & Performance Artist, David London

In addition I found time to meet and/or reconnect with some online brethren like Marco Fide (Italy), Nakul Shenoy (India), John Crippen (Mexico), and Alan Franzenberg (Modesto, CA).

Together we learned and shared enough thoughts and ideas to last me another six months (at which time I’ll have to plan another working vacation to Las Vegas).

Here’s an odd subject for discussion, but one which some magician will find useful.

I’m not one who generally makes endorsements but I highly recommend the services at Big O Tires.

Here’s my story: Several years ago, before I became a full-time professional magician, I trusted my car (and my tires) to a small local mechanic in Boulder. When it came time to get new tires, he saved me some money by replacing my tires with a no-name brand of tires. He assured me that the quality was as good or better than the big-name brands — and he was right. The tires were great and I saved a little money.

Some time passed and I moved from Boulder to Denver. And then one evening, while driving home during a snow storm, I had a flat. Because the snow affected how the car handled, I don’t know how long I had been driving on the flat.

I took the car to my new mechanic to see if he could fix the tire, but as expected, the tire was a lost cause. The real shock came when I was told that my new mechanic didn’t carry the no-name brand of tires. And my dismay was compounded when I called several other shops, only to discover that no one carried the brand of tire I was driving on.

I would either have to take my car up to Boulder (to the mechanic who originally sold me the no-name brand of tires), or I would have to replace all four tires.

Even though a trip to Boulder would have saved me a good deal of money (albeit at great inconvenience), I decided I wanted new tires and I went to Big O Tires to get them.

Here in Colorado, we have a lot of Big O Tires around the state. Currently I live about 1.5 miles from a Big O (I now live in Lafayette — a relatively small town). And there are probably 60 locations along the Front Range.

They’re open 6 days a week (closed only on Sundays) and they open at 7:30AM which means that I can get service on Saturdays and early mornings if I need to.

(If anyone knows of a tire store in Colorado with more locations and better hours of operation, I’d love to hear from you.)

Plus, if you buy your tires from Big O, they’ll fix your flats for free.

As I mentioned above, I chose Big O Tires, before I became a professional magician, but now that I rely on my car for my livelihood, I’m even more pleased with the decision.

One Friday (September 19th to be exact), I went out to the theatre, and when I returned to my car, my tire was flat. I was booked for two performances the next day (one at 12:00PM and one at 5:30PM) so early Saturday morning, I stopped by my Big O Tires, and had my tire fixed in less than 30 minutes (I had rolled over a nail).

No hassle. No cost. No worries.

As a performer, I depend on my car to get me to my gigs on-time and ready to perform, so I think Big O Tires is great. If you’re not doing magic as your full-time profession, this post may seem a bit lame (and my apologies to anyone who doesn’t have Big O Tires where they live and work). But I hope that someone out there can use my recommendation, because someday it could save your butt.