I grew up on Paul Harris’s magic, I still remember the first time I saw him do Tap Dancing Aces and he’s still a big influence on me. The other day I was rereading the Art of Astonishment Vol. 1 and came across a trick called Think of a Card.
Honestly I swear that trick wasn’t in the book the previous times that I’ve read it. Here’s how the trick looks:
You fan the pack of cards and have someone think of a card. You then turn the fan towards yourself and upjog a card. You then ask the person what card they named and you remove the upjogged card and it’s the thought of card!
What I love about this is that it’s that clean! I don’t know why more people don’t do this. I think it’s one of those things that’s so simple a lot of magicians dismiss it. This one trick is worth the $44.99 the book cost and everything else is a bonus! And by everything else there are a ton of Paul Harris’s hit tricks in here:
Bizarre Twist
Solid Deception
Earth Shoes (Looy)
Re-Set
Un Canny
ReCap (Greg Wilson)
And tons more!
Do yourself a favor and crack open your copy of the Art of Astonishment Vol.1 (or if you don’t have it buy a copy) and learn this little gem of a trick.
Just to give an idea of what conditions have been like here, this is a picture from Bainbridge Island, where shop owners Darryl and Sheila reside.
This happens to be the best time of year to dive into a new book! And we’ve got those!
Speaking of wintery storms, the hot pick lately has been Maelstrom by Tom Stone.
I love the lens flare.
You are invited to collaborate in a creative experience with a day-and-night, seven-days-a-week professional, the inventive and always-thinking Tom Stone! You will need to bring with you-
• Playing Cards
• Coins
• Silks
• Multiplying Bottles
• Book Tests
• Billiard Balls
• Dancing Cane
• Silk to Egg
• Thimbles
• Bananas
and Squirt Guns
And most important, your thinking cap! Tom will supply the tricks, routines, presentations and ideaslots of them! This book is your map to Tom’s Realm, otherwise known as the Maelstrom. There is no firm land here. Things move and change with the tides of Tom Stone’s mind. The compass is your only assurance that you will reach new lands of magical thought. Its four directions are Knowledge, Intelligence, Deception and Artistry. Unlike a normal journey, you will frequently be traveling in all four directions at once.
Maelstrom is a 277-page, densely illustrated hardcover book, full of the sort of magic that is seldom published-material from a full-time professional who performs both close up and on stage. Having passed through the Vortex, get ready to enter Tom’s Realm-Maelstrom!
I’m not sure I’ve ever been more excited for a comedic film release in my life.
“Burt Wonderstone” deals with rival stage magician teams in Las Vegas. The lead character, the titular Wonderstone, is one half of a two-man group who has to rediscover his love of magic after the loss of his partner.
After breaking up with his longtime stage partner, a famous but jaded Vegas magician fights for relevance when a new, “hip” street magician appears on the scene.
That’s it. That’s all we have on it for now. Oh yeah, and some PHOTOS!
Steve Carell as Burt Wonderstone.
Jim Carrey as the “hip street magician” Steve Haines.
Also in the film, but no photographs, are Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, and James Gandolfini.
There’s a new musical in town, and it’s not another movie-turned-musical money vacuum. This one’s a little classier, and a little more magical.
Houdini The Musical is an extravagant new family musical based on the life of the greatest magician ever, the legendary Harry Houdini. The musical was written and created by Simon Mark Leigh and Jamie Alan Nicklin and the show features some of the most magnificent illusions ever performed. Houdini the Musical is a story of betrayed friendships, love, sinister plots, romance and sacrifice. It follows the life of Harry Houdini at the time when Houdini was the most famous man in the world. With singing and a top of the line dance ensemble, Houdini the Musical is one of the most powerful musicals ever staged. It is an adventurous ride of mystery, music, and of course, magic.
The illusions performed throughout the show are the most famous illusions that Houdini himself performed including “The Crystal Pyramid”, “Metamorphosis”, “Dream Levitation” and the infamous “Chinese Water Torture Cell”. The Crystal Pyramid illusion consists of an ornate glass pyramid that sits high above the stage. The audience can see through all sides as the casket starts to fill with a dense white mist. At the moment the chamber is full Houdini magically appears inside. The Dream Levitation is one of the best illusions ever staged as Houdini floats upward around 15 feet into the air with no visible means of support and then he vanishes and reappears in mid air. And of course there is The Chinese Water Torture Cell which was Houdini’s most dangerous escape.
In this illusion Houdini is lowered head first into a glass tank filled with over two tons of water. He is handcuffed and shackled and in a space that is too small to even turn around. The audience is then asked to take one last breath with Houdini to see how long they can hold their breathe as Houdini magically escapes.
Houdini the Musical is a breathtaking event filled with magic, illusion, and mystery that is not to be missed!
We here at the Market Magic Shop would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We really appreciate your continued support and patronage. For Christmas this year, here’s a video of a kid doing a Christmas related card trick for his grandfather.
One thing I see from watching this is that he’s clearly either a fan of magic or has worked with many many magicians because of all the little details he peppers into his act!
