A Magicians Journal - "Mind Over Matter" Part 1
The Theater Show
The Theater Show
First call... the presenter say in the microphone... I am about to start my first big show in a theater.... there is no turning back now... it all comes down to this... years of magic and performing in tables, weddings, small shows, bars and family gatherings will now be put to the test... while I am trying to relax backstage I do a quick check of everything in the stage and on my persona
I cannot believe the theater is full!... my assistant comes backstage and tell me "well..it?s a full house... they have started to enter the theater and some of them are filling the little papers in the lobby for your canvas trick"...
-Ok..
Second Call...
I am hesitant to look at the audience before the show..I wonder if I could handle see that much people...it would be nice to think that I am not the only magician today... then I remember I denied all the magicians in town the chance to help me..since some of them hate me... also I don?t want to share the glory... but right now it would be nice to think I am not the only one in stage...
I have done lots of shows before, but not like this... there is always more performers, I only have to do 10 min of show and so... and sometimes since people is not expecting a magician they don?t behave well... but this time all the people out there came to see me perform for an hour and a half...
The theater assistant comes and tell me..."They are about to give the final call...are you ready?""Ready or not... there is no turning back now...go ahead""Ok..."
Third Call..
I hear my producer give the introduction... it sounds really nice, since the show is called "Mind Over Matter" he tells things like using mind to manipulate reality and manipulate the reality of others and also time, space, natural laws and energy... it does create lots of hype...
I see the courtain go up...and for a few seconds the stage is empty... and then I just walk in... and wave... I say nothing and turn on a candle... very calm, trying to relax and breath to the eyes of hundreds of spectators...that are just here to see me...
I take out a piece of cotton flash..
And it starts... I produce a deck of cards, the first routine is Card manipulation routine...I always have been recognized by magicians and people alike for my hand skills, so I start with a great manipulation routine... I have a one card routine that while I was doing I hear the people saying things like "wow!! " "where did it go?" " amazing!!" I just glance at the audience and continue... I finish producing jumbo cards out of nowhere...
I introduce myself to the audience... I am still a little bit nervous but slowly I relax...
The name of the show is Mind Over Matter because I wanted to combine Mentalism and magic in a way that allowed me to perform both without making a mess... while I am not sure how everybody is going to react to mentalsim since is failry new in Mexico...
I start the second routine.. one with color water...where I mix all in a bucket and then magically I separate them... explaining how the universe is composed of 4 elements... time, space, energy and matter... with Mind being the 5th one... this one HITS very hard... it?s simple and I didn?t have to explain it... it just hits...
Then begins the routines with spectators... I throw a toy hamburger to the audience..everyone laughs when I show them the toy... I explain I won it at the local fair and felt it bring me luck... a guy catches it and comes to the stage... I do the first mentalism routine that is a memorized deck routine... in a camera with a projector... since I have some momentum from the other tricks this one went really good... then I remember... I FORGOT ONE!!!... no worries I just ask him if he would like to help me with another trick and he says yes..
The next one (that was before the last one) is a ring flight routine... I look at his hands and YES!! he has a ring!! I perform it and while it?s a small routine...it hits great!! people are very excited!!
One of the biggest concerns before doing the show..was if I was boring... stage magic is very difficult to practice since you need a big audience and when you get it, people usually doesn?t expect to see a magician and don?t pay attention or it?s not the kind of audience you would like to perform (like a bunch of drunken dudes) so you cannot have effective practice...
I do not consider myself a funny person, however...the show is full of made up jokes and people is laughing and having a good time!! by the half of the first half I am very confortable and I feel the audience is on my side... it?s a great feeling!!
After a couple more routines it?s the turn of one of my longest but greatest mentalism routines... Canvas...
Before the show I put papers and pencils outside the theater and ask the people to write their favorite vacation spot and put it in a box... I ask an spectator to get on the stage and take one of the papers... she sits on a chair and I put a scarf on her eyes, so she cannot see... I have a Canvas in the stage and ask her if she recognizes the place on the paper.. she says yes and I tell her to form a mental image of the place...
I start to draw wha it looks like a tower... a straight, tall tower... so far the 3 minute people still doesn?t recognize the place...then I do it.. one of the greatest ideas from my producer... I act like I don?t know the place and then BOOM!!! I put the canvas in diagonal and draw an horizontal ground on the picture... it?s obvious now is the Tower of Pisa on Italy... when I move the canvas... people freak out!!! they laugh and they say things like "wow!! now I recognize it.." and then I ask the spectator which was the place she was thinking of... and she says "Tower of Pisa"
I have never heard so many applauses on a show of mine!!
To end the first half I do a Gravity routine... first manipulating a card to look that is floating... via sleight of hand... then I grab an apple..and drop it in my hand a couple of times.. and finally it falls slower... like the illusionist trick... but the big trick here is the Floating table... when I start floating it... people stands up from their seat and applauses...
I finish by putting the table on the floor...telling them they have been great audience and that we will have a break and there will be a surprise in the break... I decided to put together a lottery (I don?t know the word in english..is where you chose randomly an spectator and he wins a price)
I return backstage and begin preparing the second half... with a smile on my face...this is looking real good...
to be continued...
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