Yesterday I wrote about an idea of using a chinese take out box as a production box. I went out and bought some poster board and made a box using the real one as a template. It was pretty easy to make the box, and luckily it all worked out on the first try: I … Continue reading “Chinese Take Out Production…”
After about a year of me selling my Take Up Reel via word of mouth, I’ve finally made them available through a magic shop. If you don’t k now what a take up reel is click here for more info! You can get them from Hocus-Pocus.com. People frequently ask me if I would prefer they … Continue reading “Take Up Reels are out there!”
Tips for Travelling With Your Show! My “summer season” started early with a 10 day outdoor fair in Southern California in February. Normally my outdoor season doesn’t start until March or April, so I’m out working on my tan early! Amazon Lockers: Most cities have Amazon lockers and they can be a lifesaver if … Continue reading “Take Your Show on the Road!”
The last week I’ve been working on a thumb tie using electrical tape. The routine is starting to figure itself out, but I keep noticing dead spots or spots where the blocking is rough and hard for the audience to see. One place in the routine that’s both dead time and not really audience viewing … Continue reading “Still Figuring Out the Thumb Tie”
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about Busker Organs and mine finally showed up…after about a month in transit from Europe! This was a crazy transaction, the guy who made it only takes wire transfer which has no buyer protection and these organs aren’t cheap! I don’t know the guy or have … Continue reading “Sometimes You Gotta Take a Leap of Faith!”
This year I’m performing about one hundred days outside at fairgrounds across the USA. That’s a lot of shows outside! Over the years I’ve learned a few things to make performing outdoors a little easier on your body. This is what works for me, your mileage may vary. Hydrate: If you’re going to be performing … Continue reading “Six Tips for Surviving Outdoor Summer Gigs”
When I travel I try to do shows for senior groups. This is a great way to fill a day when I get into a city the day before a bigger contract. I recently did one, and when I arrived the lady at the desk told me to have a seat in the lobby and … Continue reading “Never Take a Seat…”
Last weekend I picked up the Thurston Scrapbook that was put out by Phil Temple. This book is Grace Thurston’s autobiography of life with Howard Thurston. I started reading it and there’s a lot going on that doesn’t hold up to modern standards. I’m only about 30 pages into it and it’s really changed my … Continue reading “Learning About Thurston”
I recently got an email asking questions about the Vanishing Birdcage and I figured it might be helpful to more than just the person who emailed me, so here it is: I see that you have a lot of knowledge about the vanishing bird cage. My dad used to do a little stage magic and … Continue reading “About the Vanishing Birdcage”
A question I recently got asked about my Take Up Reel for the vanishing bird cage is how much can you move around with it on. My answers is that it gives you pretty much full range of motion. For the last month I’ve been performing 2-3 shows a day and my 45 minutes show … Continue reading “Take Up Reel Question”
