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We Love Antimony – Quinlan’s Inside Magic Soggy Review


Government Bubble Bath"Pride goeth before the fall," says the Bible.  

 We would give
up our pride if it wasn't so well-rooted in our insecurities and
paranoia. And given the axiom that "one cannot fall further than the
floor," we really don't fear the fall that much.

Our pride may be without merit but at least it is delusional.

John Luka performs an outstanding effect — a sort of Card to Wallet
but different. The wallet is shown empty at the outset, placed in full
view of the close-up audience, and yet the spectator's signed card will
vanish from a deck of cards to be found within the wallet.

Our
pride stopped us from asking Mr. Luka how this could be
accomplished. We donned the mask of the knowledgeable magician when
friends, family, and strangers asked how Mr. Luka could accomplish what
we all just witnessed.

"Well,
a magician is not permitted to reveal his or her secrets," we'd say. We
usually intended the personal pronoun to refer to a male magician but
on "special days" we include the alternative "her" just to feel –
well, special.

We've
watched Mr. Luka's performance of this effect several times but have
never been able to figure it. Recently, we thought about asking Mr.
Luka how he performs the effect so we could include it in our five-hour
close-up routine.

We would put it in the Card to Wallet section (Hour II) but give it a prominent position in that category. We perform the 17 versions of the Card to Wallet in the second hour of our five hours of close-up magic for health reasons.

We found our sciatica flared-up when we sat too long on the 17 wallets needed for all of the variations of the effect.

Still
we couldn't bring ourselves to swallowing our pride, brushing our
teeth, and asking Mr. Luka. Part of our current "therapy" is to stop
idolizing others just because they have more talent or charm.

The
team of counselors has suggested we realize our idols are merely men
and women – no more, no less. We respect what this esteemed dream team
of doctors and therapists say because they are simply the best in the
business. They are deserving of our worship and obsessive submission
but we couldn't take the step they urged.

There
is a point to all of this psycho-babble. We want to explain why our May
2006 edition of the outstanding magic journal is water-damaged and
wrinkled.

Why
do we feel the need to explain the condition of a quarterly magic
journal to people who may never visit "the home"? Even if you visited,
chances are you would not the water-logged condition of our most recent
copy.

But the best part about being insecure and paranoid is you can always expect guests to show up and nose about in your business.

Mr. Luka shares the secret for his version of Card to Wallet in the latest edition of Antinomy.

When
we get excited, we over-heat and become flush. Just a few years ago, we
would become excited whenever we flushed — so this is progress.

We find relief from the physical manifestation of our excitement in a bath tub filled with cool water and a few essential toys.

The bath gel we use comes from the Government along with our monthly allotment of cheese and powdered milk.

Like
the block cheese and powdered milk, the Government purchases the bath
gel from American manufacturers to stabilize the bath gel market.

No one wishes to return to the hectic days of violently fluctuating bath gel prices where Vita Bath, Calgon, or Mr. Bubble could see price swings of up to 47 percent in one day. We are on record supporting the bath gel subsidies.

(See, "Mr. Bubble in Trouble: Market Variations and Price Instability in North American Bath Gel Industry," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago, Vol 36: 12 (1985); But See, "Bath Gel Price Bubble: No Evidence to Support Price Supports," New York Times, July 2, 1986).

We digress.

We
were excited to read Mr. Luka's description and method for his
effect. In fact, we started running the bath before finishing the first
paragraph.

We
continued reading whilst: the tub filled; we climbed into the tub; we
stepped back out to remove our wet shoes and clothes; stepped back into
the tub; and, as we poured in the Government bulk bath gel.

Mr. Luka's method is more than ingenious, it's real good too.

He
is a genius and we are nothing. His handling is so simple and
direct. Our false-shuffle looks like an arthritic man squishing bugs
with playing cards.

When Dorothy looked behind the curtain, she learned the Wizard was nothing more than a man.

"You're a very bad man," she said.

"No, my dear, I am a good man. I am just a bad wizard."

Unlike
the semi-conscious evaluation rendered by a fictional character in a
1930's MGM musical, our estimation of Mr. Luka was not diminished when
we learned the method.

If
anything, our awe surged from "healthy obsession and idol worship" to a
new, unhealthy level of fixation. Our estimation of Mr. Luka is
sufficient to defend our subsequent, so-called "stalking" under Michigan's Insanity Plea.     

We look forward to receiving Antinomy
every quarter. The publication itself is top-notch. The images are
plentiful and helpful to those of us who need more than written
instruction to learn new magic.

The new magic is more than just new to us; it is new to the Magic community.

Many of the effects taught in Antimony are of the type kept by people who would never talk to us; much less share their methods.

We enjoy the regular columns offered by Jon Racherbaumer, "The Artful Ledger"; and, Jamy Ian Swiss, "The Honest Liar."

You can read both of these gentlemen in other magazines or on-line but they apparently save their best for Antinomy. The
writing is crisp, honest, and professional. The columnists offer
real-world suggestions to elevate the style, ability, and, class of
those who perform.

You
will not find pie-eyed spouting of philosophy or the poorly edited
nattering excused by many magic readers as "deep" or
"thought-provoking."

But you will find your thoughts provoked, and you will experience your life in Magic more deeply.

But this is no accident. It is not a conspiracy theory on our part. We think Antinomy's editors intentionally offer quality material by talented magicians written in a manner is accessible to people like us.

The
scheme cannot be explained by mere coincidence. Each of the last five
issues have been consistent in quality, tone, and substance. The
editors and writers appear are apparently determined to upset the long
tradition of magic journalism.

While
we enjoy the random typo or lack of noun-verb agreement as much as the
next magic reader, we've found it nice to read articles edited and
properly sourced.

But even if you don't read, Antinomy is one of the prettiest magic periodicals we've seen.

Until Popular Science merges with Vogue, we doubt we'll ever find a magazine so attractive or as useful. 

Mr. Luka's contribution to the May Edition of Antinomy typifies the journal's value. You are not going to find his explanation in another book, magazine, pamphlet, or lecture.

He chose to release the method in Antimony and given our worship of him, that makes Antimony our choice as well.

A subscription to Antimony
is not inexpensive. Currently you can receive four issues (one-year)
for $90.00 USD. But this price weighed against the value of just one
issue is cheap.

The back issues of Antinomy are available on the publication's web site, www.antinomymagic.com.
But as more evidence of our theory the editors' hidden agenda is to
elevate the style and substance of Magic journalism, you can also order
the first year's editions on a searchable CD-ROM.

We have past issues of ZipCode Monthly going back to the first edition (Cover Story: "Can Mr. Zip and Ethel Merman's Rendition of Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Sell the Zip Code to America?" ZipCode Monthly, 1:1 (January 1964).

But we never re-read the old magazines. ZipCode Monthly
does not offer a searchable CD-ROM of past issues and even if it did,
past issues containing pages of zip codes and zip code changes aren't
interesting after you've read it the first time.

You will however find a reason to refer to the past issues of Antinomy. We
thought we would keep ours in pristine condition as an investment, a
collector's item. We gave up that plan shortly after receiving the
first issue. This is a working-person's journal and not a museum-piece.    

Within
the pages of each issue, we've found real magic that can be used by
real magicians in front of real audiences where they really want to get
paid.

Antimony
has paid for itself many times over. This accolade comes from a man who
still drinks free powdered milk, eats blocks of free cheese and is
currently relaxing in a bath of Bulk Bubble Bath Gel.

It
is not that we are cheap. Nay, we are just consistently without funds
or friends with funds. We get our rice from the sidewalks of churches
and our distinguished hair color from freshly paved roads. But we do
not know a better investment of $90.00 in Magic today.

The journal's informal mission statement is: 

Antinomy
is interested in ideas. We want to promote obscure thought, advanced
thinking, and meaningful dialog. Realistically, that can't happen
without a sense of community.

In combination with our readership, we hope to advance the art of magic. With Antinomy, you can count on the pot being stirred. Along the way, you'll find thoughts that are made to move, and minds freed to wonder.

That is a big claim but one supported by the quality and quantity of magic provided in each issue.

Visit the Antimony web site and subscribe right now. It is that good.

Quinlan's Inside Magic Rating: Five out of Five – Our Highest!

 

Continue reading We Love Antimony – Quinlan’s Inside Magic Soggy Review

June 10th, 2006 | Category: Magic Stories | Leave a comment

Marty Hahne on Performing for Nursing Homes

Nursing Home Shows are Rewarding

Marty Hahne is not just a great performer (and as you'll see a great writer).  He and his wife Brenda run Dazzling Magic and are the keystone in the Kid's Show Magic Realm.  Today, Mr. Hahne talks about a slightly more mature audience. 



I remember playing one of my first nursing home shows back in the late 1970’s, while I was still in college.


At the time, I had about 15
good, solid routines in my repertoire, and in my youthful exuberance I
thought I was ready for any type of show.

 


In came an audience of
about 30 elderly residents. The activities director dampened my spirits
somewhat, when she said, “I’ll put the awake ones down front.”


The appearing doves seemed
to go over well. The card trick didn’t. When I revealed the selected
card, no one remembered what card had been originally taken.

 


The most interesting
response came with the needle through balloon effect. The trick worked
fine, but at the end, when I popped the balloon, the entire audience
jumped in their wheelchairs. I shuddered at how I nearly caused several
heart attacks in the room.

 


After that humble
beginning, I thought nursing home shows weren’t for me. However, as the
years progressed, I got more and more calls from activity directors,
and decided to give the nursing home circuit another try.

 


Presently, I only do about
a dozen nursing home shows a year. I still prefer the kid show and
family show market, but nursing homes are good for a change of pace.


The pay is usually on the
low end, but the shows are easy to book, and can be used to fill in
some of the open areas we all have on our calendars.

 


Plus, even though the pay
may not be great, you get rewarded with the feeling that you’ve cheered
someone up, even if it’s only for a little while. Sometimes we don’t
know the impact we’ve made in someone’s life.

 


When I decided to do more
nursing home shows, I knew I needed to approach the shows differently
from when I began in college. I needed visual, colorful effects that
were easy to understand. Then it dawned on me—the same type of routines
I used in a kid show would probably work for elderly residents.

 


My nursing home show runs
about 40 minutes. Many times, the activity director will ask for an
hour show. This is because they always book musical acts to play for an
hour. I stick to my guns, and politely explain that a show of 40
minutes of magic will be plenty.

 


I also produce a rabbit in
the show, and afterwards I go around the room to the residents and let
them pet the rabbit. This takes 10-15 minutes, so I am there for about
an hour. No activity director has ever complained that I did not do
enough time.

 


I use a mixture of solo
effects, and audience participation. The audience participation effects
are ones that can be worked right in someone’s hands, without making
them stand up. If I find someone sitting in a regular chair, instead of
a wheelchair, I may have him or her stand up, and even come up front to
help me.


Sometimes, I also will use the activity director or a nurse to assist.

 

I almost always use a sound
system. My battery powered, compact sound system is ideal. Many
audience members may be hard of hearing, so the extra amplification is
a big help.

 


I try to keep my show
compact, and keep the setup time to about ten minutes. You will find
that most nursing home audiences will arrive in the performance area
about an hour before your show is scheduled to start. So, plan on a
type of show that you can set up with audience members staring at you.
I try to preset many of my effects before I even leave my home.

 


There may be a piano, large television or stereo system in your performance area,

so the compact show is
essential. I limit my show to a suitcase table, and possibly one other
small side table, mounted on a tripod-type stand.

 


The show opening is crucial
to get the attention of the audience, and it sets the pace for the
entire show. I open my nursing home show similar to a kid show. I have
the audience practice clapping, and I teach them the magic word. I use
a simple word they’re all familiar with: bingo! That’s right, I tell
the audience that whenever I need help with the magic, they should all
say the magic word “bingo.”


I don’t know why, but it always gets a smile.

 


I open with the vanish and
reproduction of a long colorful streamer, to “test their eyes.” Then
the streamer turns into a cane. The streamers are known as “Thumbtip
Streamers,” and they are very showy. The streamers are 36 inches long,
and multicolored.


It is very impressive the
way a long streamer like this can be vanished in a standard thumbtip.
Of course, the cane is a standard appearing cane.

 


I also enjoy using the
Vanishing Coke Bottle, because it is a familiar object, it’s visual and
it’s easy to understand. Another visual trick that works well is
Abbott’s Super Botania.


You drop a single flower
into an empty tube, and the flower turns into a huge bush of flowers.
David Ginn published a great routine in his book, “School Show
Presentation,” entitled “The Tree of India.”

 


Audience participation
effects break up the solo routines. The number one audience
participation trick I perform is the Paper Hat Tear. I usually work
this by going into the front row of seats, and having someone who is
seated help me.


This trick is easy for the volunteer to assist with, because they only need to tear a piece of paper.


The Mis-Made Flag works
well, too. I hand someone three silks, and they simply hand the silks
back to me. The audience enjoys the humor when I “accidentally” drop
the blue silk, and the reversed flag gets a big laugh. I use the
classic kid show prop, the Breakaway Wand, and it goes over very well
with the senior audience.

 


The Linking Rings is a showy, easy to follow routine, and I will call up the activity director or a nurse to be my assistant.


The highlight of the show
is the production of a live bunny rabbit. Following the show, I go
around the room to each audience member and let them pet the rabbit.


I always get lots of
positive feedback from the nurses and activity director. In fact, at
one show the nurse became very excited, because her patient reached up
to pet the rabbit, using a hand that she hadn’t moved in months.

 


If you don’t seem to be
getting much response during the show, don’t take it personally. The
audience members are usually on medication, which can make them sleepy.


Plus, they might not be
feeling well, or perhaps they are hard of hearing. They may not clap
because they can’t move one or both hands.

 


I remember one show I
performed in an Alzheimer’s unit, where the audience response wasn’t as
good as I expected. Afterwards, the activity director was just beaming,
and told me how much everyone enjoyed the show.


One of the patients had
smiled during the show, and the director told me it was the first time
she had seen him smile in over two years.

 


Nursing home shows may not
pay as well as some markets, but you will get paid with the
satisfaction of knowing you’ve made a positive difference in someone’s
day.


I hope these suggestions will encourage you to give nursing home shows a try.


Continue reading Marty Hahne on Performing for Nursing Homes

June 10th, 2006 | Category: Magic Stories | Leave a comment