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Every so often, a magician losses his common sense. He finds himself moved to perform half-baked routines to an audience who nags him for a trick.
The bright side of this anomaly—if it has a bright side at all— is that being ill-prepared is not the worst thing that can happen in a magic performance. Admitting to one’s ill-preparedness is.
One of the basic lessons in public speaking is that a speaker must never preface his speech with an apology for his lack of preparation.
Why magicians do it, I have no idea.
But here’s a quick tip: please don’t open your show with, “Sorry, folks, I just received this trick in the mail, and I have not yet studied it well.” Or, “I still have not yet perfected this trick, so please forgive me if I mess up.”
It’s bad enough not to practice a trick to perfection. It’s badder to have the nerve to perform it before an audience. It’s baddest to preface your performance with an apology and to confess to your crime of incompetence before you commit it.
If you have the cockiness to perform a trick you have not mastered, you must have the courage not to tell the audience in advance that you are about to fail, and that they are about to watch a lousy show.
Stay magical,
Leodini
—– Original Message —–
From: Ted Orlando
Subject: Dont say sorry
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2016 11:29 AM
First, Leodini, I dont know how you manage to combine your absolute valuable wisdom of our art with such humor
in explaining and recommending to colleagues.
JUST GREAT!
However, in this case and as example, I am mot sure you refer to an ad hoc show with VARIOUS different effects being “introduced” with a prior excuse for ONE or several of them.
Why would someone in his pre-prepared sequence of, say a dozen effects, INCLUDE an untrained one accompany that one by an unprofessional excuse, that or why he might fail.
In fact, such will badly influence if not “kill” his overall appearance, eg. the invsible but always existing high wall between a magician´s wonders on stage (or parlor) and a (hopefully) speechless audience.
UNLESS, this excuse in fact turns out to be an INTENDED HUMOROUS handling,the audience realizing, they have been “cheated” again, and the alleged “not yet practiced” is MEANT to ONLY LOOK as layishly performed.
You know, what I mean, when I mention the late one-and-only (Neville)/”Tommy” Cooper, who could afford to go as far as reveiling “how its done”.
IF, however, dear Leo,your warning and advice refers to an individual request “George, show us a trick”, such apology for possible failure on one off the pocket already spoils the “image” of the guy as a magician.
.
My advice for such request to meet: it must work to “PROVE” his image. I never leave the house without one, or better two, prepared TTs or flip tips, instead of being “naked” having to admit like “unfortunately absence of a prop”, or “no magic with me”. The reaction may be: “You are a magician, do something with my glass.”
You will lose your image, if YOU do not determine what you can do obviously to them “he did magic without a warning or preparation”.
Have a TT prepared for a suitable relation to that party or dinner you are attending.
Example I did in a nightclub enjoying my dinner alone, when the owner announced that
his special guest tonight was the magician Mr.Ted Orlando. “Please, Sir, come and show
a magic to my other guests.”
No gimmick with me for an impromptu? Loss of my Image as a magician!
NO! I got up to him, palming my TT and an empty 4 coloured silk 8 by 8 inches in my
left hand, “digging out” from my pocket openly four 2 ” by 2″ , silks,identical colours of the one bigger silk.
Speaking to the nightclub owner over his microphone, “I had a soup – showing the small red silk, tucking it into the left hand (read:=empty TT), “I had a steak (blue), I then had a desert (green), and I finally had a coffee (yellow).
Stealing off the TT I produced the large silk with “So totally I had a wonderful meal.”
Sorry, Leo, for this detailed ad hoc pocket effect, but everyone can keep or enhance
his image such way, rather than (and I am finally back with what I believe is actually behind your advice criteria)
a magician NOT TO DAMAGE (HIS or also OURS in general) IMAGE.
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Thanks, Ted, for sharing your insights on the subject. I’m sure you’re telling about your experiences as a performer will help the readers of this blog, especially the younger ones who still have to chalk up your track record as a magician.
Stay magical,
Leodini
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Thank you for your aprreciation, dear Leodini,
If you feel, young talents should benefit of this your topic,
then allow me to add an advice to them :
Practice your effects the audience sees them,
but dont just DO magic of your shown repertoire but
BE (or become) a “Magician”
They know, as well as you know, there in fact is no “magic”,
but let them feel,you are able to do things IMPROMPTU
obviously contrary to any of their own ability or physical logic.
This will also avoid being dragged into a discussion
about “how is it done”.
Would a MD been asked “How do you do it?”
You simply take it that he is different, eg.from another species,
(and usually admired by us laymen)
Be or become also a different person of a special art or profession.
There is no arrogance, but be different,
BE of an extra kind, a “Magician”.
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I’m so happy to see the diversity of blogs mentioned. They’ve been around for quite some time. It’s great to see some kind of acknowledgement. I loved your shows! Actually, I am a Magician and I like your Tricks. Nice blog and attractive information. I like your blog and your work. Yes, i agree A Magic Performance is Never Having to Say You’re Sorry.
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Thanks for visiting this blog and taking the time to drop a message.
Stay magical,
Leodini
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