You know, in my walk-around set I used to absolutely abuse Las Vegas Leapers.  I mean, when I was in college, a friend and I developed an absolute beast of a routine based on the version of Las Vegas Leapers from Michael Ammar’s Easy to Master Card Miracles.  It is still by far one of the most talked about routines I ever perform.  “Do the one where they sit on them,” is a constant request.

However, when I started working on stage, I never thought of the cards across as a viable routine to include in my set.  My close-up version wouldn’t translate well on stage and I never liked the versions I had seen other performers do where they just palm off the cards and put it on the other packet.  “It’s too transparent,” I thought.  “They’ll see right through it!”

Well, one day after re-watching Bill Malone’s excellent DVD set On the Loose, I listened very carefully to one segment where he listed the three most powerful stand-up card effects you can do for an audience.  And one of them was the cards across.  Well if Bill thinks it’s a powerful routine then it must be.

After some research and playing around with a few handlings, I finally settled on a routine I was willing to test.  It has not left my act since.  Without fail, every night when I perform this, I constantly get gasps of astonishment.  “Oh my god, how did he get those cards in her pocket?”

I learned that the biggest key to this entire routine is to have strong misdirection when you palm the cards and again when you add them to the other pile.  The easiest way to do this is to have your audience applaud for your volunteers.  I’ll leave the rest to you to figure out.

Whether you’re doing close-up or your doing stand-up…do the cards across! You won’t regret it!

Haven’t seen this show personally but according to several reviews, it stinks:

• http://www.lvrj.com/news/29875759.html
• http://www.vegastripping.com/news/news.php?news_id=2298

To be honest, this is kind of shocking.  You would think that somebody spending this much time and money on a magic show would actually create a show that people want to watch.  Alas, there is a lesson to be learned in everything.  The lesson here is that this is what happens when you concentrate too much on what you want and not what your audience wants.  Most of us get into this profession for purely selfish reasons (i.e. Wanting to look cool in front of friends).  However, to actually be successful in the entertainment business, you have to concentrate on pleasing your audience.  It would seem that in this sense, Criss Angel has taken a big step backwards and has gone from successful entertainer to overpaid hobbyist.

I just got back from spending a few days in a boat anchored off in a remote harbor in the Bahamas.  As my wife and I were meandering from boat to boat mingling with other sea-faring vacationers, the topic of my occupation came up.  I was wearing nothing other than my swim trunks and had no access to my deck of cards, when someone asked for me to perform something.  Swiftly thinking, I asked if anybody happened to have a business card and a pen.  Without missing a beat, I launched directly into the Osterlind Watch Routine from Mind Mysteries volume 1.  It killed.  In fact, it always kills.  I perform it six nights a week in my comedy club act.

When I originally saw this marvelous piece of mentalism performed, I didn’t think twice about it.  In fact, I had pretty much worked out the methodology before going on to the explanations.  However, a few days after watching the set, I decided to give this a try.  I haven’t looked back since.  If you do not have volume one of the Mind Mytery series, run don’t walk to the store and get it now.  If you do have the DVD but haven’t used this routine, then I implore you to stop sitting on this gem and give it a whirl…you don’t know what you’re missing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yas3oYSmWog

I just heard of this over at the Ellusionist blog!

Apparently Steve Cohen (The Millionaire’s Magician), is now offering a midnight show once a month.  This show only seats 20 people but each ticket is priced at $250.  The kicker is that it’s constantly SOLD OUT!  Yep, you heard me, $5000 for one show for 20 people and it is sold out on a consistent basis.

I first heard of Steve a couple years ago when somebody mentioned his Chamber Magic show.  This is exactly the type of show that I would love to be able to perform.  Small, intimate gatherings of people.  No large scale illusions, just pure conjuring and mentalism.

Another show similar to this is the Warren and Annabelle’s show in Maui.  Again, a small intimate gathering for a show that can’t be done for larger crowds.

I’d love to do something like this.  The real secret however, is putting warm bodies in the seats.