The Flags of All Nations

The Magic Detective is up to his old tricks, actually NEW old tricks. Over these past several months you may have noticed my absence from the blog. This is mainly due to my performing schedule. It's great to be busy! But along the way I luckily and happily stumbled upon a great opportunity. I'm currently working to recreate part of the act of a magician from the past and I'll be presenting it in the Fall.

The act I'm working on is a silk/flag/ribbon act. The key feature of the act is something known as The Flags of All Nations. This was apparently the creation of Johann Hofzinser. Yes, he created more than just card tricks. From what I've found his version was called 'The Patriot'.

It's been a lot of fun digging up information on this old gem. I have also found it in the book, The Modern Conjurer by C. Lang Neil, simply called The Flag Trick, but this book also mentions it was known by other names such as 'The Congress of Nations' and 'The Multiplying Flags'. It was a popular routine in the Victorian era and early 20th Century. And it evolved over time into a very elaborate series of productions.

In it's simplest form it began as several small flags that vanished or transformed into colored ribbons. From the ribbons larger flags would be produced and eventually a giant flag and flagpole! It seems that each performer added his own touches to the routine.

Who performed this trick?  Hofzinser, Eugene Laurant. Edward Maro, David Devant, Karl Germain, LeRoy, Talma and Bosco, J.B. Bobo, and even Harry Blackstone Sr. had a unique twist on the concept. It must have been an extremely popular effect because the trick is featured on a number of stock magic posters.


The Flags of All Nations isn't really made anymore. There have been some small reproductions of parts of the routines in the past, but I've not found the whole thing anywhere. Thankfully, by combing through my large library of historical magic books, I've been able to figure out where to find 'some' of the items required. My most recent acquisition were two Silk Fans which are spring loaded. In the photo above I'm holding the silk fans. These aren't flags, but they will do for what I need. I may end up having larger versions of this item made for the routine.

If you're wondering why this was such a popular routine well there are multiple reasons. People were flocking to the United States in droves during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. They came here to become Americans, but had their roots in other lands. So when a magician produced a flag from the country of their origin it was exciting for them to see. And then when it concluded with the Stars and Stripes, well who would not be proud of that? The wonderful thing about the routine was it was easily adapted to whatever country you were in. For example, if you were in England, the final flag would not be the US Flag but the Union Jack. All the other components of the routine could remain the same but the final flag production would change to the country you were in.

Some performers had to learn the hard way about this. One magician was performing in Canada and finished with the US Flag. It actually got boos from the audience because at the time Canada and the US were involved in a trade dispute. So this magician changed the final flag to that of the Canadian National Flag and had much better results.

I venture to say that once I've finished all the research and found or built all the items, I'll be the only 21st Century magician performing this classic from yesteryear. I'll have more news on my 'recreation' of the act later in the Summer as well as info on whose act I'm recreating. For now, enjoy this image below of a magician who featured The Flags of All Nations (his was called The Flags of The World) prominently in his show.
In addition, check out the incredible Friedlander Stock Image here, and a small image of an incredible LeRoy, Talma and Bosco poster here.

A Unique Piece of Doug Henning's Magic

The illusion above is a Disembodied Princess created for Doug Henning's touring show by Jim Steinmeyer. It was called 'Seeing Through Surrounded' and was the last illusion designed for Doug Henning.

The very first prop of this kind was created by P.T. Selbit and was called The Man Without a Middle. His version was quite different from what many are used to. In the Selbit version, the entire middle section of the box is removed leaving the head section to be held up by two poles.

The next version to come along was created by Carl Owen when he worked for Thayers. He called his version 'The Disembodied Princess' and his version was a vast improvement on the original because the methodology was simplified. In the Carl Owen version, the top door would show the girls head, her legs could be seen in the two sections below. Two large blades would pass through her neck and waist and then the middle box was opened to show that part of her body was gone, even though the legs and head could still be seen.

In the book, P.T. Selbit Magical Innovator, the authors Eric Lewis and Peter Warlock comment that if Selbit had never created The Man Without a Middle Illusion, then Robert Harbin would never have developed his Zig Zag Lady. The Zig Zag was Harbin's way of creating a similar effect with even more advancements.

Getting back to the Doug Henning prop, this was developed because Doug was appearing in a number of 'Theatres in the Round' and they were unable to do the standard Disembodied Princess due to site issues. So 'Seeing Through Surrounded' was built to allow a view of the prop from any angle. A full description of the prop along with it's inner workings appeared in a small booklet called Square One put out by Stan Allen of MAGIC Magazine.

I had read Square One and was instantly fascinated by the line drawings of this prop but was never fortunate enough to see it in action. Imagine my surprise while visiting a Science Museum in Tampa Florida to come upon a large touring feature called The Magic of Science, and among the items on display was this prop once owned by Doug Henning.

Eerie Ghost Image-Is It Houdini?

Several weeks ago I posted the above image from Andrew Basso that was taken at the location of Wm. R. Hamilton's Funeral Home on 3957 Cass St. in Detroit MI. This is where Houdini was embalmed. The photo at the top of the page shows Andrew in front of the Funeral Home. Andrew by the way, is currently touring with the show The Illusionists.


But now it's been discovered there was a ghostly image in the photo all along. It just took a while to discover it. I must admit it's pretty freaky. I don't think it's Houdini. To me it looks more like Edgar Allan Poe. What do you think?

10 Legendary Magicians LINK

This is a link to a very interesting article on 10 Legendary Magicians You've Probably Never Heard About. It's a strikingly good list to be honest. I can't help but wonder if the writer has some knowledge of magic history. No sources are listed where he got the information. And sadly, there some bad choices for photos. The Robert Heller photo is NOT Robert Heller the magician. The DeKolta photo is also a stock image, not the real magician. But other than that, it's an interesting choice of people. I'm personally glad that Robert Heller made the list. I'm also kind of saddened that Doug Henning, Howard Thurston and Harry Kellar made the list. They deserve to be on the list, don't get me wrong, but the fact that they are not remembered by the public today is unfortunate.

I'm curious what your list might have been? I probably would have swapped Pinetti for Hofzinser, and combined Adelaide with Alexander Herrmann so that I could include Signor Blitz. I really don't think I would have put Doug Henning on the list though because he is too modern and I do think despite the fact he is not a major celebrity, a lot of people today still know of him. So that would have left one spot......hmmmm Blackstone? No, that name still is remembered thanks to his son. Probably, Dante.

Mystery Photo of Houdini

I don't recall seeing this photo before, though maybe some of you have. I know where it's from and I do have an additional photo to go with it. Just wondering if anyone else can identify it? I did so poorly on my first attempt trying to stump you all. If you have an idea, put it in the comments below.
NO USING GOOGLE to FIND IT!!!!!!!

The above photo comes from Oakland California. The site is the Tribune Tower which was still under construction at the time. The year was 1923 and Houdini hung from the unfinished 9th story of the building. 40 years later another escape artist would duplicate the same escape from this same location effectively beginning his career in escapes.

What Houdini Landmark Is This?

Here is a mystery photo. I'm curious to see if anyone can figure out what site this is and why it's important to the overall Houdini story? Just post your guesses in the comments section. Good Luck!

The Houdini Museum In the News

I have to admit something which I'm not happy about. I've not been to the Houdini Museum in Scranton PA. Why haven't I? That's a good question, for which I don't have a good answer. BUT, I can tell you that I'll be making a trip up there fairly soon!

The museum is run by Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz. You should all be very familiar with them at this point in time. Their efforts to help and promote the name of Houdini in the past few years are incredible. Their latest effort of course was getting that film footage that Larry Weeks had into a better safer home. Had it not been for Dick and Dorothy, I hate to think what might have happened.

But, let's get to the museum. They've been getting a lot of press lately and the most recent article is from Getawaymavens.com. The article lists the best things to do in Scranton and a visit to their Houdini Museum tops the list! I think for any magic fan and especially Houdini fan, a visit to their museum is a must do!

The photo below shows Dorothy and Dick and their holding a vest once worn/owned by HOUDINI himself. They brought the vest with them to the Turner Classic Movie Film Festival in California recently. This is just one of the wonderful items that they'll share with you during the tour. In the photo at the top I can see images of Houdini's Father and Mother hanging side by side on the wall. So much cool stuff! I can't wait to go there in person so I can give a much better description of everything. Until then, if you are in Scranton, please arrange a visit!

Open year round Saturdays and Sundays, in July and August Daily. Only one tour and show (plan on 3 hours) per day, $17.95 adults, $14.95 under 11. You must CALL for RSVP (570-342-5555). The museum is in a house on a very busy main street, with a parking lot in the back.

Magic On TV Update

Wizard Wars from the SyFy channel has been cancelled. This is really a shame as it was a fun show and I know a lot of lay people who loved watching it. On the flip side of things, apparently the WB which was showing reruns of Penn and Teller Fool US from England has now ordered a new batch of shows. So this week, Penn and Teller will be filming a new round of FOOL-US from their home in Las Vegas! Host Jonathan Ross will be back as well P&T. I really enjoyed season 1 of the show, so I expect the same from season 2.

Gay Blackstone's Masters of Illusion will also be back on the CW. Syfy has a number of other magic TV shows like Troy and Close-up Kings. Of all the shows I've mentioned, I have not seen Troy or Close-up Kings. But I've enjoyed the others. I fully expect to see even more magic on TV in the coming months/years.

S.A.M. President HOUDINI Returns to the S.A.M.

I just saw this over at the SAM website. HOUDINI via his movie The Grim Game will be making an appearance at this years (2015) SAM National Convention in Philadelphia. They will be showing the movie during the convention and Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz will be on hand at the convention to answer questions regarding the movie.

The SAM Press Release notes that Houdini was President of the SAM when The Grim Game was made. In fact, Houdini was President of the Society right up until the time of his death. His grave even has the emblem of the Society of American Magicians as part of it's decoration.

It should be noted that this viewing is for registrants of the convention only, no outside tickets will be sold. To read the entire press release, go here...

A Special TCM Thanks For Dorothy and Dick

I was not present at the special screening of The Grim Game last Sunday at the TCM Classic Film Festival. I was surely there in spirit however. Much has been made about how this 'lost' movie found it's way to the light of day. Frankly, it was Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz who took the initiative to get the ball rolling and thankfully helped in bringing this film to the light of day again.

In addition to all Dorothy and Dick did for The Grim Game, they were also special guests at the TCM Classic Film Festival and they gave an introduction to Houdini. Before the screening of The Grim Game, Dorothy presented a straightjacket escape and did a card routine using one of Houdini's actual vests. It set the mood for what was about to happen and the folks at the TCM Classic Film Festival were thrilled. They sent Dorothy and Dick a very glowing letter of thanks, and D&D shared it with me to share with you all.

Happy Birthday Houdini!!!!

Yes, here we go again! This day, April 6th, is the day that Houdini celebrated as his birthday. For all I know, it was the date he actually believed was his birthday. It's so fascinating that every year goes by, Houdini gets more popular while others of his time fade into obscurity. Oh heck, what am I saying, people from 10 years ago have faded into obscurity, Houdini was born 141 years ago and if he hasn't faded from the scene yet, he likely never will.

Happy Birthday Harry!

Houdini on American Heroes Channel

I just watched a show on the American Heroes Channel called Americas Most Bad-Ass. It's a historical match up between 4 different famous people. In the episode tonight, the match-ups were Neil Armstrong, Teddy Roosevelt, John Dillinger and Harry Houdini. There are at least two so called experts per contestant, we got, Larry Sloman, co-author of The Secret Life of Houdini and NY magician Matthew Holtzclaw. I honestly had not heard of any of the other folks who represented the other three people.

First off, whose idea was it to pit Houdini against an astronaut? Really? The choice of stories told for Houdini were not the best in my opinion. They opened with Houdini's first straight jacket escape in Washington D.C.. You know what, I can think of someone else a little better prepared to talk about HOUDINI in WASHINGTON D.C. than the two guys they had on the show. Call me crazy, but I do know someone who has written quite a lot about it and has actually been to both locations where he did his upside down straight jacket escapes, as well as researched all his challenges in the area, where he stayed while he was in D.C. and many other aspects of his D.C. escapes.

The second story they choose was the Houdini Frozen Over Belle Island Bridge Escape, which was not frozen over, though, they again throw out that falsehood. I can think of someone who did a fantastic article on Houdini's Belle Island Jump recently. Maybe they should have talked to him. In fact John Cox and yours truly may have been able to provide enough information that would have helped Houdini fare a little better than he did on the show.

They brought up Teddy Roosevelt flying in a plane, not flying the plane, but flying in a plane. But no mention of Houdini's historic First Flight in Australia where he actually flew the plane.  Now, in truth, the show is very tongue in cheek and more of a fun way to share history than an actual contest. But I think if you're going to share history, let's get it right.

In my book, the first man to walk on the moon, pretty much beats anyone. Did he? You'll have to watch the show for yourself.  But if you want a really fun test, ask any school child, ask some teens, ask some 20 and 30 year olds who Armstrong, Roosevelt, Dillinger and Houdini were. My bet is, Houdini will come out as the best known of the bunch, even beating the astronaut. But then again, I'm slightly biased :)

Houdini - Detroit Landmark

My friend Andrew Basso is an escape artist from Italy. He is truly an International Escape Artist however. He is one of the featured performers in the show The Illusionists that is currently touring the United States. Andrew has been checking out various Houdini hotspots along the tour route.

A few weeks ago, I saw a photo of Andrew wearing the actual Steel Straight Jacket used by Tony Curtis in the movie Houdini. This was in the collection of someone in Canada (I think). I occasionally will get a text from Andrew asking about Houdini's connection to this city or that city. And this morning, I sent him some information on Detroit.

As you may or may not know, most of the landmarks in Detroit connected to Houdini are long gone. But there is one that still remains, Wm. R. Hamilton's Funeral Home on 3957 Cass St.. This is where Houdini was embalmed by John Fraser, one of the employees at the funeral home. The photo at the top of the page shows Andrew in front of the Funeral Home.

If you have not seen The Illusionists, I would encourage  you to do so. Andrew does an upside down Straight Jacket Escape and The Water Torture Cell during the show. He is a very charismatic performer with very humble approach to his art. That seems like a contradiction, but it's not. Andrew is not over the top, not bombastic, he is likeable, friendly and you'll find yourself rooting for him to defeat his bonds while he attempts his escapes. Check him out in The Illusionists on tour!

The Grim Game-Houdini's Best Movie

I believe it is tonight, March 27th, when a whole new generation of people will get to see, for the first time, the cinematic magic of HOUDINI. Not, Tony Curtis, Paul Michael Glaser, Harvey Keitel or some other actor portraying Houdini, but instead, the real honest to goodness Harry Houdini. Tonight, at the TCM Film Festival, audiences will get to see The Grim Game for the first time in many many years. As far as the motion picture industry was concerned, this movie was lost. Only a small 5 minute segment of film seemed to remain from the original print. The magic world, at least some of us in the magic world knew otherwise. We knew a print existed though it's condition was anyone's guess.

Thankfully, through the tireless work of Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brooks from the Houdini Museum in Scranton, Rick Schmidlin a Film Preservationist, along with Turner Classic Movies the movie was purchased from it's previous own, Houdini collector Larry Weeks and tonight the movie will make it's 21st Century debut.

I have a wish, and I doubt it would come true, but I would love to see this movie get released to movie theatres all over the country and then perhaps find it's way to get nominated by the Academy Awards Committee for some honor. If nothing else, perhaps it's time to recognize HOUDINI for his contribution to Movie Making.

Oh, by the way, I was slightly incorrect when I said that HOUDINI aka Tony Curtis wasn't going to be there. Actually, according to the list of movies at the Festival, the 1953 Paramount movie HOUDINI, starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, will be showing at the Turner Classic Movie Film Festival. I know we will get a full report from our friend John Cox about these movies. And I'm sure we will hear from Dick and Dorothy as well as they will be at the festival as well. Exciting times to be a Houdini fan!


UPDATE: Ok, I got the date wrong! It's tomorrow night. That doesn't make me any less excited about this. I'm going to throw things over to John Cox who is THERE and has been following this much better than I have. John runs WildAboutHoudini and if you don't know that you are either new to all this stuff or living under a rock. Here is his latest post about the movie, http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2015/03/tomorrow-grim-game-will-be-free.html

Remembering Cesareo

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the passing of Cesareo Pelaez, my friend and the leader of The LeGrand David Spectacular Magic Show on Beverly MA.. I was just about to put in the video of their  show that Cesareo gave me years ago, and that's when I remembered what day this was. Sure miss him and all my Beverly/LGD friends.

Update: I suppose that the above was hardly enough of a remembrance. It was more of a mention. Cesareo seems to creep up in conversations several times a week. I stay in touch with one of the members of the company so I often hear things about him that I didn't know. I suppose I'm reminded of Cesareo every day really because one of his costumes hangs in my office as well as a painting I did of him. On Sunday, I had the good fortune to show my friend Bobby a video of Cesareo performing the Floating Table, which was one of Cesareo's signature routines. I tried to win that table during the auction and sadly my final bid did not go through, and I lost it to someone else. That's not important though. What is important is the positive impact Cesareo had on my life and many others through his magic and teachings. He was a remarkable person.

Houdini's Birthday?

For years we have all celebrated March 24th, 1874 as Houdini's birthday, or more appropriately, Ehrich Weiss's birthday. Is this true? Houdini always said he was born April 6th. Hardeen stated the same thing. Walter Gibson and Dunninger also stated the same thing.

I just read an article that said one evening Dr. Leopold Weiss, Houdini's brother, was confronted at a party that had some magicians present. They asked him about the March 24th Birthday. The brother replied "That's nonsense! He was born in Appleton, April 6th!". This is the very same brother that Houdini stopped speaking too because he had married his brother Nathan's wife.

That article in question is by Bob Lund and was printed in the October 1971 issue of Linking Ring. The title of the article was 'Somewhere West of Budapest, Somewhere East of Appleton' starting on page 34. The craziest thing in the article is the reproduced letter from Gladys, Houdini's sister to Bess Houdini. In the letter she tells the story of a young infant boy named Ehrich who died in Budapest after taking a fall. And then she writes, "newborn children are named for the departed." So does this show that there were TWO EHRICH Weiss's? Harry being the second Ehrich? So he had two birthdates, two birthplaces and there were two of him?

It's late and that article was a lot to wrap my head around. For now I'll just wish Harry A Great Birthday!!!!! The rest of you go find the article in AskAlexander and read it for yourself.

UPDATE: Let me say, I do think Houdini was born March 24th (Today) but this article mentioned a lot of unusual things. I don't ever recall hearing the 'other Ehrich' story before but apparently it is mentioned in two previous biographies. It just goes to show that the more we learn of Houdini, the more fascinating he becomes. Happy Birthday Harry!!!

'Houdini & Doyle' TV Show Just Announced

This is surprising and quite fascinating. I just read on broadcastingcable.com that Fox just picked up a 10 episode drama based on the lives of Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It will apparently be some sort of crime drama where the two investigate crimes of a supernatural nature. That should be interesting. Houdini says, "FAKE! Next!" and Doyle says, "Genuine Phenomenon if I ever saw it!" lol.

I hope it's a little better than a previous Houdini TV program. 

Houdini's Death Certificate

I'm not sure if I've seen this before, but thanks to www.seekingmichigan.org it's online for all to see.
There are some interesting things on this document. First, his name is listed as Harry Houdini, not his real name Ehrich Weiss. Next, his profession is listed as 'ACTOR & LECTURER', not magician. His date of birth is April 6th, 1874 and his birthplace is Appleton Wisconsin. I'm going to have to go back into my records and see, but I wonder, did Houdini know of his real birthplace and date. I probably knew this and just don't remember.

Finally, Cause of Death are all the various things we have heard in the past: Diffuse Peritonitis, Streptococcic, Ruptured Appendix.

Alexander The Man Who Knows- Book Review

This is going to be a short book review. Why? I'll tell you at the end. But first, the book is called Alexander The Man Who Knows by David Charvet it's published by Mike Caveney's Magic Words and there are two editions. The book first came out in 2004, but shortly after the publication, a bunch of new information came to light. So Mike Caveney and David Charvet decided they would do a second edition after the first one sold out. In 2007, the second edition with updated information was published.

On the opening page there is a black and white photo of Claude Alexander Conlin, wearing a top hat, smoking a cigarette, and wearing a tuxedo. The text to his left reads:

Alexander

The Man Who Knows

Mindreader

Charlatan

Extortionist

Bootlegger

Bigamist

Murderer

Magician

What more do you need to know? The book is exceptionally well researched. It's filled with incredible photos and stories. It's an easy read and it's a highly entertaining read. This is actually the second time I've read the book. I had read the original 2004 edition shortly after it came out and loved it. I just got this newer edition, and loved it again.

I've often said that there are so many wonderful magicians who deserve to have their life stories turned into movies. Houdini has had this honor several times. Robert-Houdin should have a bio-pic, Harry Kellar, Howard Thurston, Max Malini, Chung Ling Soo, and without question Claude Alexander Conlin-The Man Who Knows.

In a previous post I had written that there had been a movie called "Eternally Yours" starring David Niven that was apparently based loosely upon the life of Alexander. I am not sure where I heard that bit of trivia, but I don't think it's true. So the time is ripe to have a movie about one of magics more colorful characters. Part con-man, part motivational speaker, part magician, Alexander was a fascinating individual.

Normally, I share a little bit more about the book, and in a previous Alexander post, I did tell more about his life but don't even click the link to the previous post (unless you're unable to get a copy of the book). Honestly, this book is so fascinating, just go out and buy it and read it. It's available through Mike Caveney's website.

Remembering Kellar

Harry Kellar passed away 93 years ago this week on March 10th 1922. I've written about Kellar a lot on this blog and recently over at my other blog. We are fortunate that in the past few years some new books have come out on Kellar. The enormous Kellar's Wonders by Mike Caveney and William Miesel was the first to come out and it gives a very complete history of the life of Harry Kellar. A short time after another book was published called, The Amazing Harry Kellar: Great American Magician by Gail Jarrow.

Kellar was the first Dean of the Society of American Magicians and really the first famous American born Illusionist. In his life he would have seen Robert-Heller, John Henry Anderson, Alexander Herrmann, John Nevil Maskelyne, David Devant, Harry Houdini and of course, Howard Thurston. That's an incredible span of time to be able to see the acts of some of the most iconic people in magic history, and yet Kellar was among these iconic performers.

Had it not been for Kellar, we might not have had the Vanishing Birdcage here in America. Had it not been for Kellar the Kellar Levitation might still be known as the Maskelyne Levitation, lol. Ok, not everything Kellar did was honest. He certainly lived a full life with many incredible adventures, including loosing his whole act in a shipwreck! Yet he came back from loosing everything and became the #1 Illusionist in America.

RIP still, Harry Kellar.

Here are some notable moments in Kellar's life that I've written about in the past.

The Fakir of Ava

Harry Kellar and The Wizard of OZ 

Kellar's Shipwreck and Sunken Treasure

The Vanishing Bird Cage History

Kellar's Astarte Levitation

Kellar & Houdini

Passing of the Mantle of Magic

Kellar's LAST Mystery

Walter Zaney Blaney Ladder History

Walter Blaney is an amazing guy. I've had the honor of talking to Walter a couple times on the phone, though I've never met him in person. He is quite the character and a wonderful person. He is best known for his Ladder Levitation which was a fooler when he created it in the 1960s and is a fooler still today.

Personally, I also love his take on the sawing a lady in half illusion*. I found a video online which is a 30 minute documentary style video of the history of the Ladder Levitation. You've got to watch it! One of the coolest things on the video is the miniature mock-up that Walter built before creating the large scale version. The miniature version works just like the large one and it too is amazing.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Enjoy The Incomparable Walter Zaney Blaney!

If you'd like to see the Sawing a Lady in a Half-Blaney Version, this wonderful effect is also captured on a video. This is the link The Sawing effect is about 7 minutes 20 seconds into the video. But watch the whole thing because Walter is great during the whole video!

The American Museum of Magic

I still recall my first visit to the American Museum of Magic. It was many years ago now, and Bob and Elaine Lund were the owners, tour guides and gracious hosts on the day I visited with my family. This visit was the first time I had seen any sort of historical magic props or posters. It was an eye opening experience and really made an impression on me.

Bob Lund was an avid collector and he had everything from posters, books, playbills, letters to Houdini's Milk Can. Bob was not really a fan of Houdini, but he recognized Houdini's drawing power and so the Houdini items stayed near the front of the museum.

Another interesting item that I saw was a poster from the Le Grand David Show. I instantly

recognized it because we had visited Beverly MA for the first time a few months earlier and I had gotten to see the show. This was long before I became friends with the folks at the Le Grand David show. Bob and Cesareo became good friends and eventually Cesareo sent the museum a huge bronze cast sculpture of the show that was created by David Bull's father. There were three of those sculptures, one resides with Ray Goulet, one at the American Museum of Magic, and the third, I think is still waiting for a buyer. The third one was on display at the theatre in Beverly until the show was auctioned off.

Below are several videos of the museum. The first features an interview with Bob Lund. You'll want to forward the video to around 3 minutes 49 seconds, as that is where the magic interview takes place. During the interview you'll get to see Houdini's Milk Can and Bob talking about the Houdini routine.

On the second video, you'll see a shot of one of the large Houdini 'Do Spirits Return' poster. In the last video you'll see some shots of the collection of magic figurines. This collection of figurines inspired me to start collecting magic related figurines. 

I hope you enjoyed a little peak into the American Museum of Magic. It is still in operation today, and this year the Midwest Magic History Weekend will take place in Marshall Michigan, the home town of the museum. So if you'd like to check it out for yourself, you can visit the following website and look into attending the conference. http://www.magichistoryweekend.com/

Maro Prince of Magic Anniversary

Feb 26th, 1908, Edward Maro passed away from Typhoid Fever in Philedelphia PA. Here was a very interesting character and one that is mostly forgotten today. His posters remain and they are strikingly beautiful. And there is something else that remains, something I was unaware of until very recently (more on that later).

Unlike most magicians of his era, Maro made a lot of money performing magic. He was very similar to another magician I admire Robert Heller, in that he was both a magician and a gifted musician. Maro was only 39 when he passed away. I'll be writing more about Maro in the coming months. I plan to give you all a more detailed story of his life. If you visit one of other blogs you can see a photo of Maro's grave http://deadconjurers.blogspot.com/2011/08/edward-maro-prince-of-magic.html

Expect to read more of Maro later in the year!

Houdini In The News

There are two interesting articles on Houdini today in the news. One concerns more of the behind the scenes dealing with the Grim Game Movie acquisition. It's a very interesting article, here is the link.
http://www.nyunews.com/2015/02/09/nyu-helps-recover-houdini-film/

The next article is about Allan Slaight's Magic Poster Collection being purchased in Canada. According to the article, "this is the second largest collection of Houdini material held in a public institution." The collection is more than just Houdini, there are 600 posters, 200 rare books and 200 documents all about the golden age of magic.
http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/local-arts/mccord-museum-acquires-significant-collection-of-magic-memorabilia

Sad Day of Rememberance

Feb 7, 2000, Doug Henning passed away. 15 years has passed since that news came out and it's still sad. However, to add to it, this morning I awoke to the news that the Maestro, Rene Levand has passed away. Rene was truly one of the most artistic performers of our art to ever live.

Wow, this has been a tough day. after I posted this I learned that Dean Dill also passed away today. He was such a kind man and fantastic performer. I am stunned.

RIP Rene Levand, Dean Dill, & Doug Henning.

The Great Doug Henning

We are fast approaching the anniversary of the death of Doug Henning. He was an iconic magician who left us much too soon. But thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can still experience his magic. Now, I will say compared to some of the super slick illusions and mysteries of today, some of the magic seems dated. But you also get to some some real gems mixed in as well.

Below, is a video of one of Doug's specials I found on Youtube. There are some drawbacks to the video, for one it's dubbed in Spanish, so if you speak Spanish you might enjoy it even more. But for those of us that don't it's unfortunate that we can't really hear Doug. Also, Bill Cosby appears on the show as his co-host. At the time, Cosby was one of the biggest stars in show business. I'll not be going into the current controversy, except to say, ignore that and pay attention to Doug!

On this special you'll see: Things That Go Bump In the Night, The Double Sawing, The Flexible Mirror, Walking Through a Mirror, probably the very first version of The Elevator and still my favorite, and you'll also see the Rube Goldberg illusion that I believe was actually Doug's idea. For close-up you'll see a contribution from Paul Harris called Twilight, Doug's Matrix with Sea Shells, and the production of some Goldfish.

AND, for the magic history fans, there is something that I did not remember on this special. It's a version of the Book of Life used by FuManchu.

So if you don't speak Spanish, turn down the volume a little and enjoy the magic. If you do, enjoy every moment of this fun special from the 1970s.

The Story of HOW the Grim Game Was Revived

Recently, the news came out that The Grim Game was being restored and would soon appear again. This is possibly Houdini's best movie and also one that hasn't been seen by the masses since it came out in 1919. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of Dick Brookz and Dorothy Dietrich from the Houdini Museum, we have the story. And a BIG THANK YOU to both of them for once again making the impossible possible!

Houdini Museum in Scranton PA Reveals the Secrets of 
Uncovering Houdini's 1919 Lost Silent Film The Grim Game

Magicians Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz, from the Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA, tell the story of the finding and restoration of the long lost Houdini silent movie from 1919, "The Grim Game\u001D". Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz from The Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA revealed, "The film has not been shown to the general public for 96 years. This was one of the most sought after items in Houdini History."

Houdini's movie Grim Game made in 1919, has been unavailable until now and considered lost. Brookz commented, "The only complete copy of the film was hidden in the collection of juggler Larry Weeks who got it from Houdini's wife after Houdini died. I have known Larry since I was in my early teens. Larry trusted us and knew we would never do any thing that was not in his best interest. He knew with us involved it would be done in a proper way to protect his legacy. We even put together and host his web site" http://larryweeks.info

Dorothy and Dick had kept a friendly relationship with Larry Weeks and that is what helped to make this happen. Juggler Larry Weeks called himself "Houdini's biggest fan" and amassed one of the best Houdini collections in the world, specializing in films of Houdini. He had the only print of Houdini's lost film, "The Grim Game hidden away in his collection." He was known to show it at various occasions in his life time. It is reputed to be the best of Houdini's five films. Dick Brookz commented "Over the years Larry invited us to see the film on two occasions. He found it odd and incomprehensible when I, Dick Brookz, told him that some magicians berated him for hoarding the movie that he preserved over the years at great personal cost." Dietrich added "Our show business contact for negotiations, film producer and friend for over 20 years, Rick Schmidlin, was the right person to bring this project to fruition. Rick Schmidlin's mother, who we also knew, lived nearby The Houdini Museum. In April of 2014 Rick Schmidlin made another one of his occasional visits to The Houdini Museum in Scranton. At that meeting we decided to tell him about the whereabouts of The Grim Game and our long time friendship with Larry Weeks We called Larry Weeks on his private number and told him about Rick and our desire to have the film restored. It took several calls to convince Larry to meet with Rick. Larry finally agreed and gave us permission to pass along Larry's number. Rick set up a meeting and arranged to acquire the film for Turner Classic Movies. Rick had to jump through a lot of hoops and clear several hurdles with tough negotiations. In the end, Rick put the pieces together to get the film, have it restored and added an original movie score. The wonderful thing is that the film content is complete., although it required a lot of restoration. Just prior to this time we had spoken with Larry several times and he informed us of his rapidly diminishing health so time was of the essence. The deal was made!" Larry Weeks died October 13, 2014, before the public would get news of the acquisition on January 23, 2015.

The restored film will have an musical score composed by Brane Zivkovic an award winning film, television, and theatre composer. This was all done with financial help from Turner Classic Movies, who will premiere it at the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival held Thursday, March 26 - Sunday, March 29, 2015, in Hollywood.
Dietrich continued, "We are so proud to have accomplished this. To know that essentially every magician in the world big and small, will get the thrill of viewing this wonderful Houdini movie because of us. This includes future magicians for all time, as well as millions of non magicians. It was our goal to get this to someone who would release it to the public and not hoard in their cellar or a back room somewhere. Background information.

The Houdini Museum located in Scranton, PA is the only building in the world dedicated to Houdini. It has been put together by well known professional magicians Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz. The Houdini Museum has also taken on the responsibility of taking care of the abandoned Houdini Grave site, and recently replaced Houdini's missing bust that was destroyed 40 years ago by vandals. http://houdini.org

Dorothy Dietrich is considered the leading female magician and escape artist in the world having been called "the First Lady of Magic," and "The Female Houdini." She has appeared in countless Television specials including "You Asked For It", a Bill Cosby Special, " The Tomorrow Show", "Atlantic City Alive",  " Evening Magazine", "Just For The Record, the Best Of Everything", Montel Williams, etc. She was Special Guest Star in HBO's "The World's Greatest Escapes," costarring movie legend Tony Curtis, in which she escaped hanging from the bottom of a parachute ride hundreds of feet in the air while hanging from a singe piece of rope that was set on fire and she is the only women in history to accomplish The Jinxed Bullet Catch in the mouth, the one stunt Houdini backed out of. The stunt has killed over 13 men and injured many others. This stunt was done at Resorts International in Atlantic City. Both stand as world records to this day. When not doing crazy stunts such as these she travels with a magic show that features doves, a duck, a rabbit and two pet poodles. When in her home town of Scranton she appears on a regular basis on stage of The Houdini Museum. http://dorothydietrich.com

Dick Brookz has been a professional magician his entire life. He has fronted for Bobby Darin, Jack Jones, Neil Sedaka at performed at such venues as #1 Fifth Ave, The Rainbow Grill, The Americana Hotel and Casino in Puerto Rico, Aruba Hotel and Casino, etc. For a while in his spare time he wrote songs, one that became a "bubble gum" hit in the mid-west, "Powerhouse" that ended up being the theme song for the candy bar of the same name. Dick Brooks owned The Magic Towne House on the affluent Upper East Side of Manhattan. He pulled Brother Theodore out of retirement in the last 1970's for special weekend midnight performances. This resulted in a resurgence of interest in Brother Theodore that brought Brother Theodore success in his later years. The show was a success and ran for several seasons. http://dickbrookz.com

Rick Schmidlin is a film preservationist, silent film scholar, and a producer-director whose work has focused on restorations, reconstructions and documentaries. Rick is the only filmmaker to ever receive awards for two consecutive years from The National Society of Film Critics and The Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
To see this release with pictures go to http://houdini.org/houdinigrimgameuncoveredbyhoudinimuseum.html

Grim Game posters at http://houdini.org/thegrimgameposters.html

Forget About the MiniSeries, A True Houdini Movie Rises!

This news is both amazing and a big relief. Many of us knew that Larry Weeks owned a copy, probably the only surviving copy of The Grim Game. But that's all we knew. The condition of the film was unknown and Larry wasn't sharing. Well, John Cox over at WildAboutHoudini.com has big news and rather than try and duplicate what he wrote, please check out his blog! 

WILD ABOUT HARRY: TCM ACQUIRES 'THE GRIM GAME' - SCREENING IN MARCH: " The Grim Game is not just a long lost film from the silent era, but a really great and fun film that will surprise and entertain all...

More Forgotten Illusions-The Decapitation

The Decapitation is an old illusion and I'm not 100% sure of the creator. I know the origin of the illusion dates back hundreds of years. In fact, it might be the very first illusion. It was known as the John the Baptist effect for a long time. The historical John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod. By 1584, the beheaded John the Baptist was turned into an illusion. It appears in The Discovery of Witchcraft by Reginal Scot as 'The Decollation of John the Baptist". In the illustration there is a long table which splits down the middle. Two holes in the table allow one actor to lay upon the table and put their head through, thus looking like the beheaded body, and a second act sitting underneath the table and inserting his head through upwards, so as to look like the head. It was usually set upon a platter or plate that also split in half to allow it to surround the persons head. It was a crude illusion and probably used for church dramas.

If we move forward in time to the mid to late 1800s, we come upon The Decapitation Illusion of
which I'm referring. I know of at least two performers who presented it and given these two were big names in the art, there were likely others performing it as well. The two names are Alexander Herrmann and the other is J.N. Maskelyne. The version of the decapitation illusion they used involved a chair and a cabinet. Both items were made to look like ordinary furniture. The cabinet had glass doors in the front and was filled with bottles and plates. The chair just looked like an apolstered chair. In the effect, a person reclining in the chair would have their head removed and the severed head would be set upon the top of the cabinet. The beheaded body could still move its arms and legs with no problem. The head could smile and talk. I imagine for the Victorian Era audiences this was quite a remarkable and yet grisly illusion.

I saw one at the Salon deMagie, which is Ken Klosterman's wonderful collection of magic artifacts. I think the chair may have belonged to Alexander Herrmann to be honest. I also have a feeling this same chair and cabinet combo may have also been on display at the now burnt down Houdini Museum in Niagra Falls.

The method is really quite remarkable and the workmanship that went into building these things is stellar. Below are two photos from my visit to the Salon de Magie and you can see the Chair and the Cabinet used in The Decapitation Illusion. If you're wondering if the skull is part of the trick, I'm afraid I really don't know for sure.

Listen To My Radio Interview on Houdini, Magic History and more

Just wrapped up two hours of discussing magic history, HOUDINI, and then we also talked about me :)   It was really fun. This was on SpacedOutRadio.com. You can listen to the replay here

I even do a card trick during the final thirty minutes of the show, so if you listen, get a deck of cards and try it along with the replay! The host, Jim Tyson, really did his homework and it's clear he is also a big fan of magic. By the way, here is a little bit of behind the scenes...so SpacedOutRadio is a radio show devoted to the Unusual, the Paranormal, Ghosts, UFOs and that kind of thing. Well because I was going to be interviewed for 2 hours, I made sure to take some notes on things to talk about in case I needed it. 35 minutes into the interview (I think it was 35 minutes), the power went out in my home. I'm on my cell phone, so it's not problem, but I'm also in the dark, so no access to notes. It's all 100% memory. Which turned out just fine. But I couldn't help but think about the 'ghost' thing for a second....the power almost NEVER goes out and it wasn't even storming! Strange.

I plugged everything I could think of during the show. I mentioned the touring shows, Masters of Illusion and the three ILLUSIONISTS productions. I mentioned the Copperfield Theatre at the MGM and even Criss Angel's shows in Vegas. I also mentioned the various TV shows dedicated to magic. I felt like the magic ambassador last night. Oh, and I plugged my own theatre show as well.
The interview must have had some pretty strong airplay because I just noticed the numbers on a couple of my websites shooting through the roof!

The Magic Detective on the Radio This Weekend!

This Sunday, January 18th at 10pm PST, 1am East Coast Time, I'll be interviewed by Jim Tyson for Spaced Out Radio. We'll be talking Magic History and probably a lot about Houdini. The good news is it will be available to listen to online after the initial broadcast.

Spaced Out Radio is a new online radio show dealing with the unknown. It's part of Blogtalkradio.com programming. You can find them at http://www.spacedoutradio.com

Another Forgotten Illusion-OH!

I am always astonished at the creativity of the old time magicians. Today when we think of illusions the first notion is some big box, which is usually correct. But the Victorian Magicians did not restrict themselves to mere boxes. In fact, the following is an example of very modern thinking, the props involved all look ordinary.

The illusion is called 'Mahatmas Outdone' and it was also known as 'OH!'. The basic effect is vanishing a person in a chair under challenge conditions. This was the co-creation of Charles Morrit and Nevil Maskelyne. According to two sources*, the effect first appeared at Egyptian Hall on September 29th, 1891. Oddly, the British Museum lists the date for the above poster as 1877. I think the date is incorrect on the part of the British Museum actually. Morrit would have been 17 years old in 1877 and as far as I can see, he didn't make his stage debut until 1878.

Interestingly, the Kellars Wonders book listed Harry Kellar as adding this trick to his act in three months after the Egyptian Hall debut. The book presumes that Kellar purchased the rights to the act as well as the rights to another routine he would add to his show.

Oh! is a remarkable illusion which requires the assistance of at least three people from the audience. The magicians assistant sits on a chair and places one wrist through a ring which is attached to a cord. The end of the cord is held by one of the audience helpers. The assistants other wrist is tied or buckled to the arm of the chair and then the curtain is lowered and the assistant can put their wrist through a hole in the curtain, thus allowing yet another audience helper to verify that the assistant within in still there. A sheet of metal was slid under the chair to prevent the person from going through some trapdoor.

When the magician gives the word, the volunteers raise the curtain, at the same time the hand that was being held is yanked inside the cabinet, but the second the curtain passes the height of the chair it's evident that the assistant is gone! Moments later the assistant reappears in the back of the audience! What an interesting trick. I love all these little convincers to prove that the person is still inside the curtained cabinet and then a second later, GONE!

The effect was presented by a number of different magicians at Egyptian Hall and later St. George's Hall. And of course, Harry Kellar used the effect to great success in the United States. There is a very cool poster of the Kellar OH! chair in the Kellars Wonders book. In addition, Howard Thurston also performed the OH! Chair Illusion.

UPDATE:
I hate when I send these things out before I've done all the work! I forgot to check one source and now I'm kicking myself because this source was full of information. You see, I knew that one of the OH! Chairs was in the possession of Mike Caveney. I remember seeing a photo of it in MAGIC Magazine. It might even have been accompanied by an article, I don't recall completely. At any rate, Mike's newest book,Wonders and The Conference Illusions has an incredible amount of information.

I forgot to mention, and thankfully Mike does in his chapter on the OH! Chair, that the Morrit OH! Chair was likely an answer to the popular DeKolta Vanishing Lady. The DeKolta Chair had been exposed in the press and in magic circles by the time the OH! Chair came along. Though they both used a similar method of vanish, the OH! Chair's convicers made it seem more impossible.

In 2003, Mike Caveney recreated a presentation of the OH! Chair for the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History. He used Thurston's original chair. The chair by the way, had been restored by John Gaughan and the platform/curtain used in the recreation of the illusion was built by Craig Dickens.

FINALLY
There is a video of famed British Magician Paul Daniels recreating the OH! Illusion for his TV show
which can be seen here http://youtu.be/Cr2zKCsbkdA

*The two sources were Kellars Wonders by Mike Caveney and Bill Miesel, and St. Georges Hall by Anne Davenport and John Salisse

LIVE Magic and TV Magic NOW

Suddenly magic is everywhere, again. Tonight on the CW TV network, Masters of Illusion airs an all new episode. The only stinker is it airs at 9:30pm. That's an odd time, but I'll be up so I'll be watching! And speaking of Masters of Illusion, Gay Blackstone and her live version of the show is at it again with the LIVE version of the show. In fact, she is pulling double duty, or the show is at least. They have shows at Harrah's Rincon in Valley Center California on Jan 2, 9, 16. And all the way across the country on the east coast in Atlantic City, also at Harrah's they play 8, 15, 22, 29th.

I hear that Michael Finney, Jonathan Pendragon and Michael Turco are among the performers in Atlantic City. I don't know who the cast is on the West Coast.

IF you are near these locations, please take the time to go see the shows. The Masters of Illusion Show is an excellent production that showcases the best acts in magic. They will be touring all year long so watch for them to come to a city near you!

Speaking of Magic on TV, Wizard Wars starts up again on the SyFy Network in a couple weeks. AND Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller fame, has his own show on the Travel Channel called Penn Jillette's Street Cred, which features Street Performers from across the country and each week an act has a chance to win $10,000. It's different but I saw one of the episodes and enjoyed it. You'll have to check the listings on the Travel Channel to see when it airs.

Speaking of the Travel Channel, one of their regular shows, Mysteries At the Museum, often features magic. I've seen a number of stories on items stored in Ken Klosterman's collection, The Salon deMagie. They've covered, Houdini, The Great Lafayette, and recently I saw a story of John Mullholland. Even when they don't feature magic history stories, it's still a cool show.

Seeking Assistance From My Readers...HELP!

I am trying to get someone to make a high resolution scan of the cover of Modern Magic by Professor Hoffman. There were several different covers of the years, I'm looking for the earlier editions. Any of the ones above are fine. I noticed that some editions follow a different color scheme, so that is ok as well. I'm looking to get a hi-resolution (350dpi) photo of a good quality edition of Modern Magic, that I can then blow up into a very large size and have it printed so I can put it on the cover of my Book of Life Illusion. If you happen to have a good copy of the book and would be willing to make a high resolution scan of the cover, I would certainly appreciate it. You can email me at carnegiemagic@aol.com

There are two editions I'm not interested in, the Dover edition of Modern Magic, and the one pictured below.

The Illusionists @ The Kennedy Center -Review

I just returned home from seeing The Illusionists at the Kennedy Center. I can tell you that this show was one of the tightest, most professional shows I've ever seen. Every act was top notch. Every act was different and unique in their own way. The transitions between acts were well done. The live music that is used is such a big selling point. Live music adds a dimension to a show that recorded music just can't capture.

The show opens with sort of a pre-show routine with Adam Trent and a member of the audience. Not really the kind of opening I expected but for a lay audience they loved it. He followed this up with something that totally caught me by surprise, and I loved it and I'm not saying what it was. After this, the show actually begins.

If you've seen clips of the show, basically the opening is each act doing some quick magic routine one after the other. This is solid, eye candy magic, one visual effect after the other. They even introduce Andrew Basso by lowering him from above the stage in a straightjacket. Wonderful opening!

At this point, I think Jeff Hobson took the stage to do a solo routine. Jeff Hobson is not only one of the strongest acts in magic, he is one of the strongest acts in show business. Jeff, in my opinion, should be a house hold name, he is THAT funny. He simply destroyed the place.

I believe Dan Sperry was up next doing a routine he did on Americas Got Talent. He did the routine silently and with a big screen projector behind him capturing the magic for folks that were sitting further away. Dan performs as The Anti-Conjurer. He has such a clever twist on magic and presentation. I always enjoy watching Dan perform but I think I enjoy watching the audience react to Dan's magic even more. He is odd looking, even scary, and yet he is the one that many people gravitate to after the show. He wins everyone over with his killer brand of magic.

I think Aaron Crow was up next. He performs as The Warrior. I saw Aaron perform at Magic LIVE

and he scared the sh*t out of me. No kidding. I couldn't believe that Stan Alan let him do the act he did at Magic LIVE. It seemed like Lawsuit Central to me. So what did he do here? Same act. I honestly can't say if what he does is a trick or skill, I don't know. I do know that watching him perform this act at the Kennedy Center, I absolutely loved it. His character in Vegas was very serious as I recall. Here, it's kind of serious, but playful at the same time. That playful friendliness takes the edge off a really scarey act. It's STILL UNREAL! It's still breathtaking, and it's still unbelievable. Go see it for yourself. I thought it was incredible. And I wont' say what it is, you've got to experience it for yourself.

The Manipulator was up next. This is Yu Ho-Jin from South Korea. He was awarded Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts. And he is a past FISM Winner. Let me preface this by saying that I am a Chavez Graduate, which means I went to school to learn the art of manipulation magic. Yu Ho-Jin is a manipulator. I have no freaking idea how he did what he did. That was the most mind boggling card manipulation act I have ever seen. The greatest part about the act, it totally caught this audience by surprise. I could tell, they had never witnessed this kind of magic before and they were collectively blown away. He was tremendous.

Next up was my friend Andrew Basso from Italy. Andrew is The Escapologist and performs a full view Water Torture Cell. Andrew and I are both students of Steve Baker the famous escape artist. Steve Baker always had a very striking personality, very commanding presence on stage. This is a common trait among escape artists. But Andrew has a very different personality. He is humble and likeable and genuine. You want to root for this guy. You are concerned about him. When he goes into the tank of water, handcuffed, you fear for his life. The audience is on his side the entire time. His version of the Water Torture Cell is first class all the way. Andrew is a fantastic talent and the art of escapology is in good hands with him. Though I had nothing to do with his act, I must admit I was very proud of his performance. Steve Baker would be proud too.

And that was the first half, for the most part. I think I may have left off something but you get the general idea. The first half was tight tight tight. It ended with the thunderous applause of Andrew's escape from the Water Torture Cell. Frankly, if the show was over at that point it would have been worth the ticket price. 

INTERMISSION

Yep, there was still a second half to the show! I don't recall the order, but Dan Sperry opened with a very funny and well done Russian Roulette routine.  I think Keven James followed with what might be the best sawing a person in half illusion. By the way, Kevin was in the first half as well, I forgot to mention. I don't want to say what he did in case you see the show. It was awesome though. Kevin James always delivers original and awe inspiring magic.

In fact, I'm not going to say much about the second half except it was just as strong as the first half and featured some really amazing magic. I really enjoyed Adam Trent's act with the jumbo screen, incredible stuff. And speaking of Adam Trent, he does an opening illusion early in the show which is sort of a high tech variation on an older principle that rocks! He is a very likeable performer with a wide range of abilities. His 'futuristic magic' is fun because it's so outside the normal kinds of things you see illusionists do. But in regards to the second half, I simply don't want to go into detail because I don't want to spoil it for you if you attend. The simple truth is, the second half is as rock solid as the first.

The show is in town until Saturday January 11th and then it heads to Dayton Ohio. They are on a 30 city tour across the United States wrapping up in late June. Then in September they head BACK to Broadway.

Magicians in the D.C. area. GET OFF YOUR BUTTS and go see this show. I only saw one magician in the audience, and the reason I knew he was a magician was because he wore a rabbit and top hat t-shirt and his magic coat with his business name on the back. Do yourself a favor, if you attend, dress up, this is the Kennedy Center after all. There are still tickets available for all the remaining shows. The show we attended looked mostly sold out, which was nice. The show ended with a standing ovation and a well deserved one. I think it is very very important for the magic community to support these types of shows. I have said this before and I'll say it again, we are lucky to have shows of this nature traveling the country. It's been many many years since a traveling illusion show came to town. It's so refreshing to see a top notch show and even more refreshing to see an audience of 21st Century lay people totally mesmerized by good magic. The Platinum Age of Magic is in good hands!