Alain Nu: So Real, It’s Scary

Alain Nu’s work has always deserved a larger audience. This statement would be true even if he had just completed a tour of the nation’s largest sports stadiums.

In his hands, the magic of psychic entertainment seems too real. It’s actually kind of an uncomfortable feeling. It shouldn’t seem so easy to defy physics, logic, and our expectations.

The Learning Channel will expose millions to Mr. Nu’s very unique presentations. He takes great pride in performing original material — it is not likely we will see Mental Epic in the specials — and it sounds like the shows’ themes will match-up well with his strengths.

What a coincidence. It is almost as if they planned the four network shows around him.

Mr. Nu’s hour-long specials deal with a different aspect of psychic entertainment. In the first show (set to air this Sunday, April 24th at 8:00pm — so don’t call during that time) is titled Psychic Energy. He will bend silverware — one of his defining skills — as well as play Dodge Ball while wearing a blindfold.

This show will repeat on Wednesday, April 27th at 10:00pm; and then again on May 1st at 3:00pm.

The second special is titled Mind Over Matter and centered in Las Vegas. The promotional piece says Mr. Nu “is able to correctly reveal all sorts of hidden information about show girls’ personal lives.”

Ironically this was precisely the effect for which we served three hellish days in a Clark County jail. We wish him luck on this one and suggest he do it sober.

The Mind Over Matter show will debut on Thursday, April 28th at 10:00pm; and repeat on Sunday, May 1st, at 4:00pm.

By the way, all of these times are Eastern Standard Time. You will have to do the calculations for your own region of the world.

Two more episodes are scheduled for debut on Saturday, June 26th at 9:00pm; and Saturday 26th at 10:00pm. We will get the topics and titles for those shows soon.

Mr. Nu is one of the nicest guys in our business and certainly one of the most talented. What a great gift TLC is giving television viewers by broadcasting these episodes.

Check out Mr. Nu’s website by clicking here.
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David Copperfield

The Richmond Times-Dispatch review of David Copperfield’s show begins thusly:

If this magician-illusionist-trickster job doesn’t work out for David Copperfield, he could always take a run at stand-up. He has the comedy thing down pat: presence, timing and some pretty good lines.

We’ve always found Mr. Copperfield funny and wondered why he hadn’t received credit for his comedic talents.

You have to admit his patter while handling a black African scorpion is clever and funny. “I’m going to make him disappear and reappear . . . in Osama bin Laden’s pants . . . when we find him.”

The reviewer did note Mr. Copperfield is still using some blue material. We have no idea why he perceives a need to use the bathroom humor and wonder if he’ll still have it in the show when he hits Branson this summer.

The paper also noted one of the problems with performing 500 plus shows a year is exhaustion and the tendency to just “go through the motions.” We’ve noticed this phenomenon as well and feel more frustrated than sorry for Mr. Copperfield. While commendable, his efforts to perform non-stop can make the show seem less than special.

The reviewer noted:

“Still, it was a little disappointing to see the master illusionist appear to be going through the motions at times, as if, ‘Well, here’s a nice auditorium but hey, it’s only three-quarters full. Maybe I’ll hold back a little. Save the good stuff for next week.’”

The best effect? Not the vanish of ten audience members, not the lottery prediction, and not the vanish to Hawaii with an audience member (although this last effect received a standing ovation).

The best effect was Webster the moon walking duck. “Whether he was sticking Webster in a metal box, only to find him across stage in a wooden bucket — or doing a really funny ‘slow-motion’ bit with a doppelganger stuffed duck — Copperfield was on. He might have pulled this stunt a hundred times before, but he and the duck made a magical pair.”

Mr. Copperfield has to be happy with this review. He seems very responsive to the comments of reviewers and fans — unlike many performers both in and out of magic. It is tough to suggest, however, he should perform less to have more energy in each show.

Even if Mr. Copperfield were to cut back by 40 percent, he would still be performing more than 300 shows a year. The good news, the schedule allows more fans to see his shows. The bad news, he appears to be “going through the motions” in some show. We think we’d rather see Mr. Copperfield’s show than have others see his show with more energy because he skipped our town.

We’re selfish that way.

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Steve Trash

The Quad-City
Times reports on an innovative magic show themed perfectly for the 35th
Anniversary of Earth Day. The magician’s name is Steve Trash.

Really.

Steve Trash’s legal name is, in fact, Steve Trash. What a perfect name for a
magician gaining so much attention for the cause of recycling. Mr. Trash
performed for more than 3,000 school children during two performances in the
beautiful Capitol Theatre in Davenport, IA.

Using the magic words, “Reduce, reuse, recycle,” the kids were able to help
Mr. Trash perform his miracles. The paper describes Mr. Trash as: “a fast talker
with a quick wit and dressed like a hobo.”

He is apparently not concerned by those who might be hobophobic.

Mr. Trash’s use of garbage not only demonstrates the amount of refuse created
by the typical American each day.

He pulled from the trash a container of glue wearing a Superman cape
(?Super Glue,? he called it), a rotten potato dressed like a Star Wars action
figure (?Darth Tater,? he joked) and other items which elicited laughs from the
children.

Mr. Trash worked for several years on the streets of New York, Los Angeles,
and Tokyo. ?There was so much trash and garbage everywhere I just naturally went
into it. I?m teaching kids about the value and importance of recycling through a
magic show. Scott County is a cool place because it has curbside recycling.?

This special Earth Day show got its message across. The paper noted,
“eight-year-old Bethany King said she enjoyed watching the flying tennis ball
but also heard Trash?s message loud and clear.’ We shouldn?t litter and things
should be reused so we don?t have to make more.’”

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