Some would start with Bryan Lizotte’s observation and act in a completely opposite manner. Mr. Lizotte was recently featured in The Connecticut Post Online because his reaction was so contrary to the current trend. The veteran professional magician noted there were no magic shops in his region — Shelton, CT.
Of course not, the savvy but cynical amongst us would grumble. That’s why you shouldn’t open one either. The argument makes sense. Brick and Mortar magic stores are often associated with “going out of business” banners and over-due high-interest loans. Anyone with common sense knows the Internet has stolen the market from fixed operations and their accompanying fixed costs and overhead.
Mr. Lizotte told the reporter his observation logically led him to the conclusion he should open a magic store and thus corner the market.
So, last Saturday, Mr. Lizotte celebrated the grand opening for his shop, Lizotte’s Magic and Toy Shop at 165 Center St. in Shelton.
His act is not a blithe plunge towards bankruptcy. He knows what he is doing. Five years ago, Mr. Lizotte co-owned the See-More Magic Shop. The store closed because he and his partner were unable to spend enough time on location. But the magic store concept remained alive — it was in the business equivalent of a drug-induced coma to sustain life but little more.
Mr. Lizotte brought the inventory to his home, his garage, and continued in his position of magic store owner. He serviced his friends in the magic community looking for the latest effect or essential supplies. By doing so, he had a chance to keep current with the ever-changing trends in our art; as well as maintain relationships with his future customers.
As his new store’s name suggests, Mr. Lizotte will hedge his bet by selling toys along side of magic paraphernalia. Only magic shop owners could think toys would provide a stable revenue stream to support magic sales. Most toy shops are facing inglorious closure on pace with magic shops. It is instructive to see Toys ‘R Us enter bankruptcy when all agreed it had the best business model (and economies of scale) in the toy business.
Mr. Lizotte will continue to perform to supplement his income and knowledge of “what appeals to people.” His experience as a performer and sales person give him confidence he will choose the right inventory to both encourage and profit from budding magicians.
Mr. and Mrs. Lizotte are expecting their first child this October and so the stakes are raised even more. “The Lizottes rent their store with their savings, a little credit and keep up with their other jobs. Michele Lizotte works at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury; Bryan Lizotte works as a magician and a real estate agent.”
We have been justly accused of being too devoted to Brian Gillis and Sisuepahn. Sure, that’s probably right. But the way we figure it, if Johnny Carson considered Mr. Gillis his favorite magician, we’re in good company.
The Villages Daily Sun covered the dynamic couple’s latest demonstration of impossible things at the beautiful Savannah Center’s Scarlett O’Hara Theater. Bottom line to the article: the reporter joined the rarified company of Johnny Carson and Inside Magic. The subhead tells it all: “Psychic magicians leave Villages audience spellbound.”
Mr. Gillis did his trademark effect: eight folks peek at a card in the deck and he correctly names each card and associates it with the correct volunteer. We’ve seen him perform this several times and while we have too much pride to say it baffled us, it did.
Sisuepahn performed an incredible combination of telepathy and mathemagic. Here’s the paper’s description:
One audience member thought of a two-digit number and Sisuepahn started writing down random numbers on a large sheet of paper. The number was 46, which didn’t appear at all, but when you added up the numbers going down, across, diagonally, in groups of four, and in the four corners, they all added up to 46.
The detail in which the reporter described the act is testament to how quickly he must have lost his journalistic objectivity. He became a devotee even before the lithe Sisuepahn performed her version of the Georgia Magnet. She must weigh little more than the combined weight of the spotlight and her flattering dress but the strongest of the audience were unable to lift her.
Just as you would expect from a fan-magazine, the article turns to a complete biography (almost a hagiography) of Mr. Gillis and Sisuepahn. It traces Mr. Gillis initial interest in magic — not as a child but as a junior high school teacher — how the committed petty larceny against his public library by stealing (or at least “not returning”) the book How to Entertain Small Children with Magic.
Mr. Gillis and Sisuepahn learned from the best. Mr. Gillis studied under Eddie Fetcher (for whom FFFF is named). Sisuepahn learned one of the best two-person telepathy methods ever perfected by working with Eddie Fields. If you have a chance to see this couple perform, you will see a true classic in their telepathy routine. We have seen no couple come close to their expertise and presentation.
Even if no one agreed with our assessment of this incredible couple, we’d not retreat from our high opinion. It is nice, though, to be joined by Johnny Carson and converted newspapermen. Visit their web site — it is more popular than Paris Hilton’s, if only among magicians.
Harry Blackstone, Jr. used to introduce his Floating Light Bulb illusion with the statement, ?As long as you live, you will never forget . . . .? The same could be said about Mr. Gillis and Sisuepahn’s presentation. It is more than breath-taking. It is… Continue reading Brian Gillis and Sisuepahn Devastate Crowd
The Washington Post runs a neat column featuring a first-person perspective of a local celebrity or newsmaker. This week, Ralph “The Great” Metzler took the spotlight and set out a nice narrative of his life in magic.
The article begins with his introduction to our art when he was 16. His brother-in-law taught him a few tricks and, more importantly, took him to meet Al Cohen and visit Mr. Cohen’s famous magic shop.
Mr. Metzler hit the same conundrum we all confront: should he do magic for a living? He asked Mr. Cohen.
About a year after I started, I went back to Al’s Magic Shop, and I asked Al if I should do magic full time or join the Air Force. He said, “Very few people can perform full time; it’s really hard . . . you should join the Air Force.” At the time, that was great advice.
Mr. Metzler’s column is wonderful if only for the resonance with every magician’s story. He discusses his first public magic show after completing basic training in San Antonio.
It was hot, loud, and busy on the fairground. He reports he couldn’t even tell if the audience “was clapping or laughing, or anything.” He ended the show and assumed it was not only his first but also his last.
Then a little girl came up and tugged on my vest and said, “Mr. Ralph, you were great. I loved your show.” And I just melted. I realized if that ever happened again, it would be worth everything. I decided not to sell all my magic stuff.
We have been in the same position as Mr. Metzler and maybe you have as well. We’re convinced our great patter isn’t getting past the first row — and even they aren’t laughing. The only honorable and logical thing to do is hang up the wand and hat. We gave it a go and failed miserably.
Then, as with Mr. Metzler, someone offers a word of encouragement and we are renewed. It is like the golfer who plays horribly but for one wonderful shot. After that perfect drive, putt, or chip, he returns to play terribly for the remainder of the course; but it is that one shot, that perfect-feeling, the wonderful sight of the ball going where it was intended to go, that keeps the golfer coming back each weekend to try again.
Check out Mr. Metzler’s article in today’s Washington Post and tell us if you haven’t been exactly where he was and is now. While you’re at it, check out his webpage as well. His Pro-Kids show seems like a great idea and he is clearly reaching many kids with the message of encouragement we all need.
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.
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.
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