Silver and Glass

I always loved “Touch of Midas” from Bobo’s “Modern Coin Magic”. It involves the magical appearance of 4 coins one at a time. It’s not easy but it’s a pretty and very practical effect. After all, if one is a magician, why not just produce from the air what is needed?
Long ago Jim Cellini asked me to do a trick for him. I was prepared and went right into “Touch of Midas” using half dollars. My handling and presentation were pretty sloppy though. Cellini was very kind and did not convey the coins to my colon! (Which he had every right to do)! Instead he remarked that I needed a bit more practice. (Understatement). He then asked to borrow the coins and went into a flurry of multiple vanishes and reappearances that made my head spin.

Not long after that I met Dan Fleshman at a North Carolina magic convention. It was the first day and I didn't know anybody. Dan came right up, introduced himself and started an interesting conversation. He did not mention he was one of the event’s lecturers. (Along with Daryl and Steve Beam to name a couple). During his performance/lecture he blew my mind with his coin and card work. All the while his demeanor was friendly, confident and soooo smooth. Truly, Fleshman has got to be one of the most decent and gentlemanly pros out there!

Indeed, for most of us our goal is not to challenge, fool or trick people. Who likes being fooled? The goal of a joke is not to tell a lie, but to create laughter. By the same token the goal of magic is not to trick people, but to entertain, amuse and create a sense of joyful wonder. To tickle the inner child. It’s not a battle of wits. It is (at best) an astounding joy ride. I see my role in this not as a “wonder worker” but rather, a “tour guide”. If that involves a little back stage deception so be it. We want the audience to like us personally. Unless of course we’re playing a character of some kind. Personally, I could never pull off the “fast talking wise guy” act. The reason is simple. I’m neither.

During that convention in 1988 I purchased Dan Fleshman’s lecture notes. In “Close Up with Dan Fleshman #2” there is a snappy little “Coins to Glass” number. So last week I started working on it. 22 years late but who’s counting. I found the perfect glass at the Goodwill store. (Goodwill is a magician’s paradise)! And I built a routine that combines “Touch of Midas” with “Coins to Glass” and a few sundry vanishes, reappearances and flourishes. My coins of choice are 1923 silver Morgan Peace Dollars. I like their weight, milling, visibility and the beautiful singing they create when tossed into the air or a glass. As a bonus 1923 is also the year my Dad was born.


As recent as last night there were still a few bugs in the routine. I must be blessed that I have my planning period during 1st period this year. This gave me time to smooth out the wrinkles. After about 40 minutes I felt it was ready to go. I was a little worried about the heal clip / Han Ping Chien action. I was afraid that my hands, being so close together at the crucial moment, would broadcast that there was something devious afoot.
As it turns out my fears were in vain. Each performance was smooth, magical and exciting. It looked good. It sounded great and my 5 audiences were enthusiastic in their response. I even told them that this was my first time performing this effect and asked if it was a keeper. The response from each audience was the same: “Awesome”!
Everything was going so well that before the final performance of the day I kind of got into my own head and missed the glass during one of the moves. Nothing was exposed though. (Big sigh of relief). I just picked up one of the coins and dropped it into the glass with the others. Apparently nobody thought anything of it.

God has been very patient with this thick-witted old knucklehead. Years ago I buried the gift He gave me under a tree. It just might have stayed there for the rest of my natural life too. I am grateful for the wake up call I received just about a year ago. Since August I have been working harder than ever before to become a skilled and competent sleight-of-hand performer. It doesn't feel like work though. I am getting there. I am a better magician today than I have ever been. Tomorrow I will be better still. Today's performance was everything I hoped for it to be. The difficult sleights, careful routining, and practice paid off in a successful and pretty performance involving 4 silver dollars and a champagne glass. I only wish Jim Cellini were there to see it.


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One Armed Gamblers and Space Cowboys

Due to inclement weather last week there was no Magic Friday. Since they insisted, I promised my students that they would get two tricks on the next Friday we met. That was today. There are two effects in particular I have been working on. One of them is Vernon’s “Cutting the Aces”. The other is Danny Fleshman’s “PDQ Aces in Case the Aces Leave”. I’ve also been working on Vernon’s “Ace Assembly”. It’s an alternate handling of “Slow Motion Aces” found in “Stars of Magic”. I needed a 4-ace trick in my repertoire and “Ace Assembly” was my first choice. But I am still having a hard time with the technique. It’s nowhere near ready to perform. So that went on to the back burner while I worked for a couple weeks on “Cutting the Aces” and “PDQ”. I felt these to effects would go together nicely since one ends with the 4 aces on the table while the other one starts with the 4 aces on the table. My plan was to begin with “Cutting the Aces” Then segway into “PDQ”. Although I toyed with an alternate story line for “Cutting the Aces” I decided to stick with Vernon’s original patter involving a one-armed gambler. Since I had a gambling theme, at the last minute I decided to begin with Paul Harris’ “Immaculate Connection”. (The gambler’s crimp, notch and link: Perfect). I used to do this one years ago and recently brought it out of moth balls for a rainy day. It just seemed right and would, I felt, provide a stunning and visual lead in. It’s a powerful stand alone effect but it just fit too well into the petit card act that was evolving. It seems now my students were going to be treated to a real show. I did not blend these effects into one routine. They are a string of three separate and wonderful illusions that I felt would flow nicely from one to another.

I began with the lie that I wasn’t doing a trick but a gambling presentation. I used Paul Harris’ patter just as he demonstrated on the video tape I purchased so many years ago. A very clever exposition on how gamblers mark cards. As I said, it’s quite visual, very magical and played strong.

Then I moved into Vernon’s “Cutting the Aces”. Again, I used the patter suggestion given in “Stars of Magic”. I had only one mishap. During the 3rd performance the ace of spades failed to show up on queue. I was a little disappointed but it really didn’t drive the event into the ditch either. I must have bungled the cutting during the set up. I was more careful and it did not happen again. This effect played stronger than I expected. I worried it would seem like a manipulation demonstration and smack of…”I’m so clever, see what I can do”. But my 5 teen age audiences of about 20 students each found it to be surprising and magical.


I finished with Dan Fleshman’s “PDQ Aces to Case”. I purchased Dan’s lecture notes in 1988 at a magic convention in North Carolina. I met Dan there and I must say he has got to be the nicest guy in the business! This is a beautiful routine and my first time performing it. It won’t be my last! Dan says this effect is a variation of “Where’s My Card” by Allen Akermann. I did not change any of the handling. It’s perfect just the way it is. I wrote a Star Trek themed script for it. The crew of the enterprise is introduced and boards the ship. (Card case). Three villains (chosen cards) lose themselves on the planet (Deck). A toy from a cereal box is used to beam the scallywags up to the ship, and upon opening the case, the bad guys are found trapped between the crew members. I finished by producing a 5 inch Enterprise replica from the card case. BAM! This went over great but the story line would probably play stronger to an older audience. I also need to trim the script down a little.



It was a great day. I was a little anxious this morning since I was doing a whole mini-show. I didn’t intend for it to be that way. It just seemed to build itself and I needed to get out of the way and let it happen. Each performance lasted 14-15 minutes. I felt it was entertaining and magical. In the words of my audience…”Beast Dude”!