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 :)
