Magic Beyond Belief III

Had a great time performing at the Lakewood Cultural Center last Saturday as a part of “Magic Beyond Belief III.” For the third year, the Mile High Magicians Society hosted a sold-out performance. I shared the bill with 6 other magicians, including friends, Rich Nakata and Mark Strivings.

The venue is perfect for magic with 316 seats, but steeply raked so that every seat has good sight lines, and everyone feels close to the action. Plus they have a top-notch technical team (thanks Tim, Johnathan, and Star!) and excellent sound and lighting.

I performed one of my workhorse routines in which a playing card is found using a very sharp knife. I’ve spent several years honing this routine to the point that it has become a reliable standby. And thankfully, it requires little more than a pack of playing card. Normally I wouldn’t do this routine for audiences over 200 without a video projection screen to ensure visibility, but knowing how intimate the space was I was confident this would play.

The routine went well and earned a great response for me and my volunteer. Initially, the mood of the audience was somewhat disjointed, but once I got them focused they were very responsive.

Playing for a large audience can be a lot like steering a big ship. When you guide a small boat (or a small audience) you can accelerate quickly and turn nimbly. But working for a big audience you have to think ahead to where you want the audience to be, and begin guiding them early. If you make the audience giddy with laughter, you can’t expect them to change immediately to a serious mood. You have to coax them along, being sensitive to where they are. The audience may not even be aware that you are laying the groundwork for a change of mood, but when you are ready to take them in a new direction, they will have been primed.

I received a key piece of wisdom (in advance of the performance) from my friend Bob Domeros who advised me not to try to pack too much magic into my 15 minute set. He felt that I’d be better able to convey my personality — and to connect to the audience — if I didn’t rush from one magic effect to the next. He was right. Life is good when you have someone who’s directorial advice you can rely on.