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Rick Maue – Teaching/Showing/Helping

Since 1976, Rick has been dedicated to the genres of magic termed ?Haunted Magick? and mentalism. He doesn?t do tricks, he doesn?t do a lecture of tricks. He does a lesson in performance and his use of mentalism seemed to be more of a medium by which he conveyed the very important lessons of how to perform, how to direct an audience?s attention, how to have confidence in your presentation and ? although unsaid ? how to perform in away that gives you pleasure as well as astounds your audience.

Mr. Maue?s background was in corporate sales for over twenty years and the well-organized lecture exhibits the undeniable fingerprints of an author trained in conveying a message that sells. As he points out, ?selling is not a bad thing.? In fact, it is what we as magicians or mentalists should be doing. In a slight variation of Robert Houdin?s aphorism, we are salespeople selling magic as magicians.

Magic, Mr. Maue points out, should be personal. You need to leave your audience knowing something about you so that they cannot only rebook you but also so they care about what they are seeing. We are not performing tricks off the shelf in the same manner as any other magician with sufficient cash reserves; we are truly trying to make an impression on our audience that they are seeing magic, not a magician.

The effects Mr. Maue presents are original and fresh. If you attend his lecture, and I recommend you do, you must stay for the second half where he does an incredible card in wallet/card in pocket routine. I watched very carefully and was blown away. It is a gutsy and new approach to something we have all done and yet never really knew why. The effect is as it should be. You tell your audience that you previously selected a card and placed it in your wallet. You then ask the audience member to think of any card in the deck, find it and return it to the deck. Within seconds, you remove the card from your wallet and find the exact same card within the…
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July 28th, 2003 | Category: Magic Stories | Leave a comment

Errors and Omissions – We Regret the Error

Not Idle

In the November 3rd edition of Inside Magic, it was incorrectly reported that Harry Houdini died as a result of choking on a tuna sandwich. Mama Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Pappas died from a tuna sandwich.

Houdini died from improperly cured corned beef. Inside Magic regrets the error.

In the December 25th ?Christmas?
edition of Inside Magic, it was erroneously reported that Santa Claus
uses magic to appear at shopping malls all around the world at the same
time. In fact, Santa does not appear ?all around the world? because there are countries where Christmas is not celebrated, like Japan or Connecticut. Inside Magic regrets the error.

Danny Spain – Not Mentioned

The Centers for Disease Control (?CDC?) have confirmed that disease can be passed by re-using or sharing thumb tips. The CDC notes that the thumb is ?often the dirtiest digit on the hand.? There is no added protection by a small silk or mushed up cigarette in the thumb tip. ?Just say ?No?? is the CDC?s word to magicians. When
you share a thumb tip or buy a used thumb tip, you?re essentially
sticking your thumb wherever fifteen or twenty magicians have stuck
their thumb.

In this very column, it was incorrectly reported that Houdini died from eating ?an improperly cured corned beef sandwich.? Houdini actually died from sepsis from a ruptured appendix causing peritonitis. His appendix was allegedly ruptured when punched by a Montreal Art Student. The student, however, did have the smell of corned beef on his breath when questioned by Montreal authorities. Inside Magic regret the error.

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Continue reading Errors and Omissions – We Regret the Error

July 28th, 2003 | Category: Magic News | Leave a comment