Summer 2013 Tour Always Gives Unexepected Surprises

There are many reasons why I love to do so many shows in the summer (usually 100+). The obvious reason is the boost to my income. Hey, I'm practical and take advantage of good times as best as I can. But there is another reason. The summer shows are usually a mixture of old routines and new routines. And of the new routines at least one and sometimes two become gems that stay in my regular line up.

A few years ago I created a goldfish production that was so popular it stayed in my show and actually went back into the show this year. It's also getting a slight make-over and will going into my new Steampunk Show.  Last year, was The story of the Great Pinetti and the routine that went with it. This also stayed in my show and was written up to be a children's book (looking for an illustrator now as I simply don't have time to do it).

This year there were three routines that I'm keeping. One is a signed card that ends up in an impossible location. It's fast and completely baffling. Winner! The next is a card trick that I have done in one form or another for more than 10 years. The trick is called 'Cards Across'. To my mind, the single best version of the Cards Across was done by Mac King. His routine defies description, but it's absolutely hysterical. I understand that Denny Haney had a version that was also quite funny and it is now being put out on the market by Scott Alexander. I've seen a video clip of this and it truly does look very very funny.

But I don't usually like to do things the way others are doing them. I tend to try and find my own way of doing it. If fact the method to my version is something I'm unclear about. It's not any method that I know of in print, but it's certainly MY method. The premise for the trick is what has always bewildered me, but this Summer I came up with an idea. It started as a way to get a quick visual joke into the show and then I incorporated that into the cards across and it worked. It played fine, not really over the top, but not poorly. It was good and I was happy but I must be honest and say I
 didn't think it was going to be a keeper. Then today, the rest of the routine popped into my head. It was the missing parts to the routine. The extra visual mid way through the effect, the additional jokes and a brand new kicker ending! Winner Winner! And it will be in both my regular show and the Steampunk Show.

The final routine was also a bit of a surprise because it was one that I had also done for a long tme. But I was forced to change an important detail of the trick. The trick was a borrowed ring trick ut I very rarely found anyone who either had a ring or if they had one they were not willing to lend it. So I opted for a slightly different borrowed object. This new object allowed me to change the ending so that instead of returning the borrowed ring to it's owner unharmed, I could return this borrowed object in a completely different state. It gave the routine a stronger magical moment because of the change in items. And once returned to the audience member I told them it was now their Good Luck Charm.
Well, fast forward to late October and I run into someone who not only saw my show during the Summer, but she also was one of the one's who received the 'Good Luck Charm'. She told me, "I still have the Good Luck Charm, and I'm keeping it forever". That is the kind of response, every magician hopes for months after their performance. Needless to say, that routine stays as is!

Except for the last few lines, I wrote this piece in early September, but never published it. So here it is, just a little late :)

Tour is Wrapped Up for Underground Magic Theatre

Yesterday, August 27th, I presented the final Traveling Underground Magic Theatre Show of the Summer. This whole thing was a bit of an experiment. Basically, I'm doing sophisticated and very strong magic for kids, teens and adults at Summer Camps. Usually, they are exposed to what are called 'kid show magic'. The basic difference between the two is that kid show magic tends to be a bit sillier and the emphasis is more on the overall entertainment rather than the actual magic. Kid show magic is GREAT fun and I am in no way trying to speak less of it or put it down. It's just a different style from the magic presented in the Underground Magic Theatre.

For starters, I opened with my Hula Hoop Effect. It's a big trick compared to what an audience would normally see. It takes a great deal of skill to do well and putting it into confined conditions with low ceilings is a huge problem. But I worked out a routine that made all of these issues non-existant. The reaction to the opening trick was overwhelmingly strong. I have many wonderful pieces of magic in my kid shows, but nothing has ever gotten the reaction that the Hula Hoop effect gets. The audience goes nuts for it.

Then it's followed by an old standard, the Misers Dream. Again, my Misers Dream is different from the normal fair because I use a clear bucket and some over the top sleight of hand. Sometimes though I coast, lol, and simplify the methods but the reaction from the audience is the same, they go crazy for it.

Both of these routines are done to music. The first talking routine is a clever twist on the Cups & Balls where spectators hands act as the table and the cups are placed in their hands. The reactions again are over the top because they are experiencing magic under conditions they don't expect.

The three opening routines are all historical in nature, or have some basis in magic history. I explain to the audience a little bit about the history of magic and how I have altered things to make them contemporary. Then I go into a very modern trick, a card trick using a cell phone. This is the routine that I usually bring up an adult. I found that their level of astonishment helped to sell the trick even more than I could. Basically, a signed playing card ends up INSIDE the phone.

Next I talk about HOUDINI and share some stories of his life and finish the talk with a story about Houdini which incorporates a wonderful piece of magic. It's a story of his first encounter with a young Charlie Chaplin. The routine is fun, mysterious and has an unexpected ending.

STEAMPUNK trick is next. This is a lesson in imagination. I get the audience to imagine what it would have been like if advanced technology had existed 100 years ago. I bring out a device that is essentially a small transporting device. This is right out of Star Trek, and we don't even have this technology today! But a borrowed object is caused to transport (vanish) and reappear in an impossible location. This routine also has a surprise ending.

The final piece in the show is my signature Goldfish Trick where a drawing of a goldfish comes to life. It's a smaller trick compared to everything else in the show, but the production of a live creature makes the effect BIGGER in their eyes.

There were other routines that were in the show and out of the show as the summer went along, and my favorite of those was the World's First Mobile Phone from the Year 1600. It was such a ridiculous concept that I wasn't sure if it would play and it went over great.

I will have to say the UMT was a hit. The comments after the show were just like the comments we used to receive when the UMT was an actual location. The kids, teachers, staff, everyone were completely blown away by the magic. Many people who had seen me before were stunned by the difference in what they usually see me do. The reason is because I'm really doing this as a different character. There is nothing silly or goofy in this show. That isn't to say the show is not fun, because it's filled with fun and laughter, but just a different kind of comedy.
 

I'll put some quotes below from people who saw the show and let you judge by their comments.

"Dean Alan, I always thought you were a good magician but now I know you are a great magician!"
Audience member

"I have seen  you perform many shows in the past 6 years and always enjoy them. But the changes you've made to the show are just incredible!"
Summer Camp Teacher

"This was the best magic show I have ever seen!"
A comment I heard at almost every performance

"You never age! I saw you ten years ago and you look exactly the same"
Comment by an adult, not about my show but I kind liked this comment!

The Return of the Underground Magic Theatre

Well, it's now official, the Underground Magic Theatre has returned. After an 8 year absence it's back! Kind of. I created a traveling version of the show which has been quite the challenge and also quite rewarding. This past Monday (June 10th) was the first show and it went pretty well. I had to skip one routine due to time constraints but other than that things went fine. Thursday I did the show again and this time I had to cut three routines because of time constraints. I'm still juggling routines in and out of the show and when you add audience interaction, the time fluctuates.

I'm pleased with my smaller version of the Linking Hula Hoops. I had to create a version that could play in venues with low ceilings. I had to eliminate some of the moves from the stage version of the routine and find suitable replacements. The great thing is in the process I not only found moves that would work in the smaller venues but also discovered a half dozen new sequences to add to the routine. It was a win win all the way around.

There are currently two 'steampunk' routines in the show but I've only been able to do one of them so far. Time has been an issue and oddly the routine that has been left out is called "Temporal Accelerator" which is a time travel routine.

The magic in the show is very strong. In fact, so much so I've noticed that folks aren't taking pictures because they are too caught up in the moment. I guess that's good and not good at the same time. I'm going to make an announcement encouraging photo taking before the show in the hopes that people will start snapping pics!

I've added a new Magic Fish routine in the show and it's in the process of evolving. I want to do more with it than I'm currently doing so I imagine by the end of summer this is going to be quite the show piece.

Below is a video of my Linking Hula Hoop routine shot during at the original Underground Magic Theatre. Today's routine is quite different, the music has changed, costuming as well as the various sequences in the routine. Enjoy this piece of history...

Carnegie Artwork and Design Work Available

I've slowly and quietly been selling a number of my pieces of artwork, but now a much larger part of the collection is available. The prize piece is the Houdini which I offered for sale in December last year and no one purchased it. Sadly, it had a much much lower price when I first offered it, but now, the price has increased considerably. The main reason is because I spoke to a gallery owner who said she would list it far higher, and in fact, higher than I currently have it. If it doesn't sell on the site, I will probably put it in the gallery.

As of right now, I have no intention of doing prints of my work. If I ever do prints, they will be higher quality giclees, numbered and signed. But right now, I wouldn't hold your breath on that.

The good news is though, there will be something coming out soon with my artwork on it, but I am not revealing that yet. And I'm still taking the occasional commission. In fact, I have one I'm working on right now.

My artwork resides in many collections today including a couple theatres, in the home of a screen writer, the home of a well known comedian, a couple magic collectors collections, several well known entertainers have pieces, and quite a few people who simply collect art. Perhaps you'll be the next person that can be added to that list. You can check the artwork out at www.artistofmystery.com

If you are looking for graphic design work, I offer that as well, and my rates are quite affordable.

Writing Begins on a New Book

Guiseppe Pinetti, also known as Joseph Pinetti

 As if I don't already have too much on my plate, I've decided to move forward with a book project for children. It's a book about a magician named Pinetti. It's a completely fictional story and actually came from a routine in my show.

I had been performing a fairly old trick called 'The Flexible Mirror' or 'Needle Through Mirror' for many years and it always got a fine reaction. But one day, almost out of no where, I had an idea for a totally different routine using the same concept. This was a story idea and I am proud to tell you that once I tried it out on an audience it fell so flat it actually made me sorry I had put in the effort!

But not being one to give up easily, I tweaked the story and tested it out again and this time the result was....about the same. Ugggh. All was not lost however because from the depths of my brain came a story that was completely different and had a good beginning middle and end. It only needed a character name and for whatever reason the name that popped into my head was Pinetti.

The real Pinetti was born in 1750 in Italy and became a popular European conjurer. My character borrows the name and profession, and the European connection, but other than that, he is completely different.

I tested the new routine out on a live audience and this time, much to my surprise, the routine not only went over very well, it actually was a stronger routine than the one I had been doing for years! I used the routine all Summer in 2012 and in the Fall as well. The idea of turning the story into a children's book occurred to me early on, but now I think it's a must do. A friend of mine suggested that I also do the illustrations, which has been the hold up with two other stories I've written, but I think I may go ahead and give it a shot.

The working title is 'The Great Pinetti' but I'm sure I will change it. I'll post the early illustrations here for all to see.