The lovely Amanda Scarpone writes in today’s Broadway World, “No matter where you stand on the ?magic? issue, come out and see The Mentalizer ? it will leave you speechless.” But how does she really feel about the new off-Broadway show starring Ehud Segev a/k/a The Mentalizer?
You know you have made it as a performer when you are used as an adjective or an adjectival phrase. By that standard, David Copperfield has made it. Ms. Scarpone writes, “[t]he Mentalizer is so much more than your typical David Copperfield magic show because there is so much less.”
Where Copperfield plays to full-houses of thousands, Mr. Segev entertains 30 or so folks without the benefit of computer controlled lighting, traps, flying scene changes, or even a theater. He performs his magic in what Ms. Scarpone describes as “a simple apartment turned performance space.”
The simplicity of the presentation adds to the mystery. In fact, Ms. Scarpone observes, “The simplicity of the setting brings so much more credibility to the performance that it becomes frustrating. It’s frustrating since the audience sees unfathomable things happening right before their eyes and it’s genius because the “magic” being performed is mainly on the audience, not on fancy props that can always be in question.”
So who is this young man of mystery and why doesn’t he have a fast-cut, highly-edited television series on ABC yet?
Mr. Segev’s study of Kabala, a school of Jewish mysticism, fosters not only his religious belief but serves as an inspiration for his performance pieces.
Given the pastiche of opinions, activities, accidents, and views of reality, there is an unexamined manner in which all can fit together. The young man claims no special powers in his performance, only ‘connections.’ He doesn’t even argue his ‘connections’ are super natural. “He doesn?t believe that these connections are super natural powers, but rather, powers that are so natural, they are super natural.”
The intimate setting in which The Mentalizer performs ensures audience members will have a fantastic view of all effects but will also likely be chosen to assist in one.
Ms. Scarpone describes herself as “the habitual skeptic” and yet writes she was “blown away and slightly frightened at what I just witnessed.”
So who is Mr. Segev? Ms. Scarpone opines he is the Jewish David Blaine. Actually, we think David Blaine is also Jewish so he would technically be the Jewish David Blaine, but Mr. Segev could be the Jewish Mystic David Blaine.
The Mentalizer runs every Tuesday night at 8pm in the Paradox Space located at 118 West 27th Street on the 2nd Floor, between 6th and 7th Avenues. Please call 212-352-3101 for tickets. All proceeds from the show are donated. Various charities include Feed the Children, The Multiple Sclerosis Society, City Harvest and tsunami victims amongst others.
The Calcutta Telegraph reports this morning Illusionist Anuj Kumar Das is forming a brand-new school called the Academy of Magical Arts in Durgasarovar, in Guwahati, India.
Aside from using the very same name as the prestigious group of magicians who run Hollywood’s Magic Castle, the new school will be firmly based in India’s rich magical history.
The Telegraph article kicks off with “Legend has it that Pragjyotishpur was the land of magic, producing sorcerers who could turn humans into creepy, crawly beings. The myths about magic have long been busted, but one magician is trying to ensure that the show goes on.”
Who knew? We must be behind the times. We still close all of our birthday party shows with the tried-and-true “Human to Creepy, Crawly Beings” routine we bought at one of the famous Colon Yard Sales at the 1967 Abbott’s Get-Together.
Speaking of things Abbott-related, Academy advisor and former Benaras University lecturer Amal Dutta said the region was known as the land of the occult in ancient times and it was necessary to keep the tradition of magic alive. Magic was patronized as an art form throughout the reign of Ahom monarch Rajeswar Singha (1751 to 1769), but the tradition almost vanished with the passage of time. “We hope the academy will be able to revive the art form,” Professor Dutta said.
Magician Das wants to make sure his students and the community understand magic on stage is pure science and “should not be confused with black magic. The basic objective of the academy is to bring magic to an academic setting and prove that it is an art form worthy of recognition. I want to make people realize the depth of magic, its place in our lives and its connections with philosophy, psychology, religion, theatre, arts and other disciplines.”
Mr. Das is a graduate in English Literature and began working in our wonderful art in 1994 under the tutelage of former IBM President Edward Arthur Morris and Ted Winkle of The Netherlands. In 2004, Mr. Das picked up the well-deserved Maya Mayam Award at the National Magic Convention for his article on Magic and Its Presentation.
The Academy will accept students from 12 to 120 years of age. We’ll keep you up-to-date as the school forms. Congratulations to Mr. Das and his associates.
Calling British stage and party magician Jamil Qureshi “The Professor Dumbledore,” the paper claims his powers “transformed the mouse-like, perennial runner-up Webster into believing he is voracious winner Severiano Ballesteros in his prime.”
The 36-year-old non-golfing magician uses NLP, neuro-linguistic programming, both on stage and in his private sessions with athletes like Mr. Webster. On stage he uses NLP to put “‘people into a trance and do amusing things on stage, he also hypnotizes his golfing clients and plants thoughts in the same way. Qureshi describes his work as navigating the gaps between perception and reality and added: ‘The key with Steve was self-belief. He needed to absolutely believe he could do it.’”
Plus, the pay has got to be better helping someone win the European Title versus turning eager college students into chicken and strippers.
The paper notes Mr. Qureshi is not on the same level with most of us blue-collar magicians. He “does nothing crass like cutting people in half. He explained: ‘The magic I do is very similar to what I do with golfers. It is psychological magic. You can entertain with it or try to do some good.’”
Mr. Qureshi gave an example of NLP at work, Muhammad Ali used phrases like “I am the greatest”, he went on, simply reaffirmed that same kind of super confidence that he is trying to instill in his clientele.”
Okey Dokey.
In magic circles, it is considered rude for a magician member of the audience to perform tricks for his or her friends. In the carnival world, we were taught, you never call another man’s con. We’re assuming, though, not many world champion-caliber golfers read Inside Magic. So we feel some liberty to applaud Mr. Qureshi’s discovery of how to make money with magic.
We forgive the dig at those of us who depend on “box tricks” or cut things in half. He needs to make his talent seem unique and worthy of the $1,000 a session we imagine he charges. Plus, think of the tips you pick up when your golfer or athlete wins. This is genius. No more balloon animals, pi?ata remnants in our hair, awkward moments asking for our check. We just remind people they should be confident.
Genius. Look for our new book, DVD, and 8-Track series, “Be the Best Badminton Player You Can Be.” We decided to start small and get our routine perfected before moving up to the higher profile sports.
New Zealand’s very own The Thread Magazine is touted as The Fashion-Culture Journal for those who know why it’s important to be in the know and be known.
Megan Johnson is a regular contributor to the magazine and on-line version. She is also one of our favorite reads as we trip lightly across the URLs. She is a clothing designer with a great writing style. Ms. Johnson studied Business Management and Japanese at Waikato University, and pattern making in Auckland.
We’ve enjoyed her writing including “The Dumbing Down By the Fashion Media” (in which she suggests, and we agree, critics should treat fashion no differently than architecture or food).
Her title tells all: “The year?s most bizarre event outside of the war; David Blaine.”
Ever fancied locking locking yourself in a glass box from a crane for 44 days by Tower Bridge? No, me either, but clearly young Mr. Blaine thought it was a good idea at the time. In a move well clear of his usually illusion-based tricks, the well-publicized stunt was to test his endurance. And, presumably, London?s patience.
She notes that no matter what you think of the man, the magician, and his stunt, you have to agree he is really rich.
And virtually nothing else.
Ms. Johnson writes:
It was like a Big Brother show but without the sex, showers and trials for food; just an absence of knowledge about the world outside him at war, obsessed with Bush and Saddam and day-to-day life.
I guess he must have a clearer perspective on what?s important to himself, and a lot of time to think- always scribbling in those journals and watching his glam blonde girlfriend below. I actually expected him to propose to her when he came down, but he went by ambulance to hospital and then had fish and chips at the canteen there against his doctor?s approval.
Chris Reesman has gotten more press than Michael Jackson’s ride operator.
But his is for a good reason.
The Flint Journal went large all over Mr. Reesman and the Michigan Magic Day scheduled for this weekend in Flushing. The event began — the paper says — 35 years ago in Flint and so its return to the greater Flint area is fitting.
The famous Leonard Eva Ring will host the greatest one-day magic convention in the Western Hemisphere. “Magic Day was designed for amateur and professional illusionists to share information and learn advanced sleight-of-hand from top-ranked performers.” This year, however, there will be so much more squished into the 24 hours of magic; it will look like one of the rides at the Jackson compound.
Rather than the traditional one formal show for the public, Mr. Reesman convinced some of the top magicians in the world to help out with three shows. That’s two more shows!
“We’re trying to set a … precedent like Flint first set with the first Michigan Magic Day,” said Mr. Reesman “There’s not one person in the evening show that hasn’t been on national television at least twice.”
Again, the reason the performer has been on national television is for a good reason.
Billy McComb, Ireland’s Largest Leprechaun, will emcee the Saturday’s show. He told the paper, “These are basically international acts. They work all over the world.”
Mr. McComb has been around and seen a few things. He has performed his wonderful brand of magic since 1949 and knows quality when he sees it. “It would cost $40 to see any of the major names on Saturday’s playbill in Las Vegas. Collectively, they represent the biggest (magic) show that’s been in that (Flint) area,” Mr. McComb said.
Plus, audiences will have a chance to see Billy McComb perform. For my money, Mr. McComb is worth the price of admission all by himself. If you have never seen Mr. McComb perform, you must head towards the Flint suburb of Flushing to watch the master. Mr. McComb is also one of the nicest guys to hang out a bar and we have had wonderful conversations with the legend in just that scenario.
Performers at the 7:30 p.m. show will be: McComb; David Acer of Montreal; Whit Haydn of Los Angeles; Losander, originally from Germany and now performing in Las Vegas; and Luna Shimada and Tomsoni & Co., both from Las Vegas. Also on the playbill during the $20 show will be escape artist Mark Cannon of Los Angeles.
The day’s first show, at 1:30 p.m., will spotlight magicians Cherie Kay of Houston, Texas, Tony Blanco of Las Vegas, Tommy Anderson of Bay City and Keven Williams of Monroe, as well as magician-ventriloquist Carl Straham and magician-juggler Allen Quick, both of Flint Township, and Mark Cannon. Each ticket will make $10 disappear.
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