Desert Island Tricks
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Desert Island Tricks
Bill Abbott
Prepare to be inspired as we spend an hour with the master of illusion, Bill Abbott! Bill's approach to captivating an audience within the first 30 seconds sets the stage for a performance that blurs the line between reality and the impossible. From the mysterious vanishing of a champagne bottle to the beloved trick "Smart Ass," Bill shares the secrets and the psychology behind his iconic illusions. Imagine the perfect magical setting – even if it's as unconventional as a desert island with a tiki bar and an intimate stage, Bill knows how to create a world that leaves a lasting impression on his audience.
Throughout the episode, we explore the interplay between storytelling and magic, as Bill takes us down memory lane to his beginnings, sparked by a Christmas gift that would alter the course of his life. He reveals how he turns each performance into a theatrical experience, with his 'five-card box' trick and his 'Poker Face' routine merging his background in psychology with the thrill of a poker game. Bill's routines aren't just tricks; they're emotionally charged narratives that engage the audience, creating a communal and intimate experience that resonates long after the curtain falls.
The conversation peaks as we examine the strategic choreography behind different magical routines, balancing the spectrum from energetic to intimate, ensuring that each effect weaves into a narrative arc that leaves the audience spellbound. Bill's 'Voodoo Ceremony' act, the communal "$1 mystery," and the "Psychic Prediction" game are just a few examples of how he crafts a journey for his audience, one that challenges their rational mind with moments of awe. With a notepad and pen always at the ready, Bill Abbott reminds us that the essence of magic lies in creativity and the joy of crafting wonder, a lesson that's sure to inspire both fledgling magicians and seasoned enthusiasts alike.
Bill Abbotts list:
- Champagne Opener by Bill Abbott
- 5 Card Box by Bill Abbott
- Poker Face by Bill Abbott
- Centre Tear Routine by Bill Abbott
- Ashes on Palm
- Pegasus Page
- Bill in Lime
- Smart Ass
Book - Impromptu Magic by Martin Gardner
Object - Notepad and Pen
That Wonderful StateA podcast about being an artist from a practical perspective. The series will...
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Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
So for me and for the magic shows that I, that I've witnessed and been a part of that work, magic has to happen in the first 30 seconds. Now I know we've been taught like they need to get to know you. They need to. You know you need to have a diatribe for a monologue for the first five minutes so they know who you are. I used to believe that, but now I believe that they need to see that you're magic, and so for me, right away, 30. You're magic, and so for me, right away, 30 seconds in.
Speaker 1:They're seeing something right away and, as, as we know as magicians who've been, if you perform for a while, a vanished bottle, a vanish without the reappearance, bothers people. I will have people at the end of the show, after seeing you know a varied list of maybe 15 tricks, will come back and say, but where did that champagne bottle go? It still bothers them, which I like. I don't mind that. A lot of magicians like well, you need the denouement where you produce it at the end. I don't agree with that. I feel like this this gets their attention, holds their attention and they're instantly off. We're instantly off to the races.
Speaker 3:Hello and welcome to another episode of Desert Island Tricks. We have our first Canadian-born guest, but, as he's just discussed with me, he does now live in America, so I'm very, very excited for this. You're going to have seen the title of who this person is. It's another person who really we shouldn't have an introduction for. He is a prolific inventor of magic. He's been around this scene for a very long time.
Speaker 3:Some of the biggest tricks that you've probably heard of, especially for stage and parlor. You know he is master of pack small, plays big. Biggest tricks that you've probably heard of, especially for stage and parlor. Um, you know he is master of pack small, plays big, and I think what, what bill's done with his creations over the years is he's made it so accessible to everyone. I mean smart ass, which I'm sure will be on his list. It has to be in in some capacity. You know I I wonder how many hundreds of performers around the world perform that week in, week out? Um, and if they haven't, then they, they will in the future. It'll be something that'll be around for forever. Anyway, enough of me babbling about how awesome he is, because we're gonna hear how awesome he is with his list.
Speaker 3:Ladies and gentlemen, this is mr bill abbott. Hello, bill. Hello, I feel weird calling you Bill Abbott. I feel like I should call you Mr Abbott or something more formal Sir Abbott. Yes, sir Abbott, there you go. We need to have, yeah, why don't we have, like Magic Royalty, where people are knighted?
Speaker 1:I haven't been there yet, but I mean, am I close enough to the royal? You guys are closer to the, to the, to the royal. Uh, you guys are closer to the royalty over there and well, you never know they sit.
Speaker 3:They tend to visit you guys quite a lot over in. Well, there's a lot more people. Yeah, they keep, they keep defecting over to here well, we're not a political podcast. We will not go there. Um, how did you find making the list? Did you find it? Particularly because your career is so diverse, it must have been quite difficult getting everything down just to eight pieces of magic not at all.
Speaker 1:I actually just honestly just copy and paste, copied and pasted my my set list that I normally do for, uh, corporate shows. They're not in. They're not in the exact order I would do them in, but it's. It was pretty much the stuff that I do all the time and I feel like that was an easy. It was actually an easy decision. Yes, there's a million tricks I could have put on, but these were the eight that I knew. Well, anyways, these are the ones I'd wanted in my desert island Amazing.
Speaker 3:That's great. So if you are joining us for the first time on this podcast, the concept is we are going to whisk bill away to his own desert island. When he's there, he's allowed to take eight tricks, one book and one non-magic item that he uses for magic particulars like where the island is, how big it is, who's there? Are there animals? Are there people? That sort of stuff we do not mind. It's all about the ultimate list of tricks that Bill could not live without. That being said, we're going to jump on whatever form of transport you would like to get to your island, bill, and we're going to find out what's in your first position. So the first thing, I do.
Speaker 1:First of all, let's set the scene. If it's on a desert island, I will have made a beautiful tiki bar with a stage, but a limited stage. It might seat maybe 50 people at the most. So a very intimate environment so everyone can be up close to the magic. So that's the vibe that I would like to experience and to perform for these random natives that are living on this island. And my very first trick would be my champagne opener. Uh, this is not something I've released publicly or you know, or on the magic market, but it is essentially a vanishing bottle opener. And the reason I and I've been opening with it for only about a year and a half maybe. Uh, especially at my weekly gig at the magic hideaway in in st augustine, florida, I opened with this because it gets attention right away.
Speaker 1:Um, the premise is that I'm going to give away this bottle of champagne. So, uh, and I've used various ruses, whether it's um, we're celebrating my birthday. Hey, we're celebrating, you know it's. It's. We're celebrating my birthday. Hey, we're celebrating, you know it's. It's the weekend. We're going to celebrate whatever, but the excuse is that and because of that, you know, in, in, in partnership with the hotel, we are giving away this beautiful bottle of champagne thanks to the bar, and this is the. This is the game. The game is this I want I'm going to think of a wild animal on the count of three. You're all going to yell at the wild animal you think I'm thinking of. Whoever gets, whoever gets it right, gets to take home the bubbly, and we have a to go bag because it's Florida. So then I put the champagne bottle in the bag and I count to three. They all yell at the wild animal. They, you know, they think I'm thinking of. I pause a beat and then I crumple the bag and say I'm sorry I didn't hear it, and I throw it away, and and then my tagline usually is like you know, there's no pain, like champagne, I probably just saved you all from a hangover, that type of thing. So that's, that's the that's.
Speaker 1:And so, right away, I guess what I've learned in the past, even in the past couple of years, is like For me and for the magic shows that I, that I've witnessed and being a part of that work, magic has to happen in the first 30 seconds. Now I know we've been taught like they need to get to know you. They need to. You know you need to have a diatribe for a monologue for the first five minutes so they know who you are. I used to believe that, but now I believe that they need to see that you're magic and so for me, right away, 30 seconds in, they're seeing something right away and as, as we know as magicians who've been, if you perform for a while, a vanished bottle, a vanish without the reappearance, bothers people. I will have people at the end of the show, after seeing you know a varied list of maybe 50 tricks, will come back and say but where did that champagne bottle go? It still bothers them, which I like. I don't mind that.
Speaker 1:A lot of magicians like well, you need the denouement where you produce it at the end. I don't agree with that. I feel like this gets their attention, holds their attention and we're instantly off to the races. The other thing I will add is when it disappears or when I say someone's going to get to win this bottle of champagne, I will get a shout, I'll get woo, you know, you know somebody, you know usually a lady or whatever will be like yay, or something like that, and then my tagline like you know my, I will have a various, you know, improv lines, but one will be.
Speaker 1:Well, we found, we found the alcoholic in the group or something like that, something, something along those lines, obviously without being too harsh, but but the idea that the interaction is instant as well.
Speaker 1:And, as we know, once you get an audience physically and verbally involved with the show, the faster you can do that, at the very beginning of the of the of your show, the more they will be apt to respond, whether it's verbally, to a trick, physically helping you as a volunteer participating. So right away they're thinking of a wild animal, they're yelling out their wild animal and they're, they're mentally and physically involved, verbally involved, which from for me that's really important, not only in the first 30 seconds but in the first five minutes. I want everyone really which leads into the next effect, obviously, but, but that's the idea is that within 30 seconds. But in the first five minutes I want everyone really which leads into the next effect, obviously, but, but that's the idea is that within 30 seconds they're seeing magic and they're, you know, mentally and physically and verbally involved yeah, it's a perfect, absolutely perfect opener um, and one thing that's just occurred to me is I think you're probably our first guest who has actually done a, a structured list from closer, opener, that sort of thing.
Speaker 3:So even trying to picture what that would be like, you can really gauge where your your thinking's going to go with this set list, I think I think so too so that brings us on to your second one. So you've sort of teased it there by saying which brings us on to the next one. So what's in your second position?
Speaker 1:so the second position, uh, can I go back to the first one just for a second of course very quickly.
Speaker 1:I wanted to say that champagne opener. The other reason it works well is because it's a macro effect, is this is what um bob cassidy would call a macro effect. A micro effect is something that happens on one or two spectators. You know everyone's watching it, but they're vicariously involved. Where the champagne opener, where they're thinking of a wild animal, it's a macro effect. Everyone's involved. Everyone's thinking of a thing or thinking of whatever the thing is. So I feel like that's the other reason it works really well is because you're getting everyone involved at the same time, as opposed to picking on some guy in the front row or whatever. Excuse me, that's the other reason I love it. It's because it gets everyone involved and it's a macro effect.
Speaker 1:So you could do this in a, in a in a ballroom. I do it in a 25 seat theater every week in Florida. So that's that's the beauty of it as well is that it can be done surrounded. You can do it. You can basically do it naked If that's the kind of shows you're doing, if if, depending on the you know it's depending on the environment, and I have all kinds of subtle convincers I will come out with a spoon and be clinking the bottle, all these little convincers to make it play really well. But anyways, I interrupted myself. Let's move on.
Speaker 3:No, that's true, that's great, and that brings us on to your second position. So what's in the second place?
Speaker 1:Second place is my five card box routine and it's a story. So the intro I'll just give you. The script is I will say if you've never seen me before, I know you're already thinking. You're thinking, hey, I wonder if this guy's any good. But more importantly, I wonder if you guys are any good. So I've got a bit of a test. You pass this test. This could be the greatest night of your lives. You don't pass this test. This could be the longest six hours you've ever injured.
Speaker 1:So that, right off the bat, that's my segue into the five card box. So then I I say I'm going to show you the very first trick I ever performed. I was 12 years old. I got a magic set for christmas. I did my very first show in my parents basement up in toronto, canada, where we have basements, and right beside the laundry room I had my dad set up 12 folding chairs. My mom made triangle sandwiches. She even cut off the crusts. It was a really big deal and this is the box I made. So then I pulled the box and it's a cardboard box that has crudely written on it magic show on the face of it. So I pull out the box, put it on my stool and then I reenact basically the trick that I did, which is essentially I take five jumbo cards, count them out one, two, three, four, five, drop one in the box, snap my fingers and there's still one, two, three, four, five.
Speaker 1:Now this is where there's a callback that happens three times in this effect. So the first thing is, because it's a test of them, I say you know the cards, toss one card away, card came back. One, two, three, four, five. The whole audience was so impressed they pumped their fist in the air and cried out the word amazing. I backed that out so everyone can see what I'm doing physically. And then I wait for them to respond.
Speaker 1:Now, usually the response is you know, it's scattered at best. Most people don't know what to expect. They don't know what they're supposed to be doing, and then eventually they'll catch on. And then I will say you know, ok, there's a timing issue, there's an energy issue with you guys. We need to do it again. You didn't know what to expect, and I'm going to make it more exciting.
Speaker 1:And then I turn the box around and now it's an even more crudely written and poorly spelled magic show. And I say I was six years old and in my parents' basement. There was 40, 50 people down there sitting on folding chairs eating triangle sandwiches. And then I take the cards again, toss two cards away and there's still one, two, three, four, five. Everyone pumped their fists in the air and cried out the word amazing. So now we're getting the second call back and now most people are on board, they know what to expect. And then, but then I say, well, we are so close, guys, I'll tell you right now. Everything was great, except one person I'm not going to mention names didn't have their hand all the way up and they've ruined it for all of us. We're going to do one last time.
Speaker 1:So then I do one where I turn over the box a third time and I say I was two years old, and now it's just scribble on the other side of the box so that magically appears and, um, that gets a laugh, obviously. And then I go like one, two, three, four, five, and now I toss away about 12 cards it's not 12 cards, but I kind of miscount and add some, add some numbers, it's not my fingers, there's still five. All the cards go inside the box. And then the box, um, has no bottom and I poke my hand through it. So the cards are gone and I say, uh, the cards disappeared. And everyone said amazing, so that's. And then I'm in applause cue position, you know, with my hands out, whatever.
Speaker 1:So the reason why this is second is because it's sort of my origin story of into magic. I know it's not special, it's probably not and it's not new. It's I'm this magicians around the globe who've been affected by the magic set that they got at christmas, but I feel like this is the question that audience members will ask so how'd you get into this? What happened? What you know, were you bit by a spider, like what happened. So, for this is this is the, it is the answer to that question, and it also like the champagne over now. They're physically involved, they're verbally involved, they are listening, they're interacting. I've held their attention. Now I'm keeping their attention and this is, and this is, the beauty of it. So it's really a strong. I'll be honest with you, it's a crutch for me the five-card box.
Speaker 1:I use this every opportunity, in every single show and every single scenario.
Speaker 1:If I have to do 10 minutes for I actually literally just had to do 10 minutes for a uh, a very large, like 400 seat banquet and this is my oh, this is my, well, my seconder, I guess you'd call it.
Speaker 1:I call it my opener, but because I think the champagne opener is actually, it's more of an effect, but this is the actual opener because they get to know me, I you can do it in front of 400 people, you can do it in front of 40 people. I used to do it all the time in living rooms when I used to do birthday parties. It really is again like the champagne opener you can do it surrounded, you can do it in any environment, you can do it up close, you can do it on a big stage. And that's the other reason it's, uh, part of my desert tricks, because I'd be, uh, I would be lost without it, because I've done it for so long and it's such a um, a piece that I feel like it connects me with the audience really instantly, with oh, they can imagine me as a small child doing this and it's a, you know, it's that feeling of oh, not cute, even as a grown man.
Speaker 3:It's uh yeah, I think it sounds superb and I'm noticing that the narrative that you give each trick seems really important. So, like the, the idea of having that box and then turning it around and then turning it back again and the whole story and the concept behind it. I'm not sure where your list is going to go, so I don't know if this is going to carry on, but so far, in those first two things, it's almost like a mini piece of theatre in itself in each capacity.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember one of the very strong, probably the most impactful voice or influence on me as a young man and growing up into magic and later on in life too, was Eugene Berger, and he always his. What he always told me is like just make every trick a closer, like you could close with that trick. You could close, I could literally close with any of the tricks on my list and with that in mind, that makes, that makes life so much easier. When you have to do the magic castle and they want you to do 20 minutes and you're used to doing 60 minutes or 45 minutes, it's easy.
Speaker 1:When someone says, hey, can you do a tv spot? Yeah, I've got a trick that's three minutes long. That's going to kill in that TV spot because there's a beginning, a middle and an end and a real climax. Every trick here you know, in my opinion, has a climax that you could close a show with or you could close a set with and you could do, you know, in any environment again. So it's like I feel like that closer mentality is something that that is kind of the thread throughout most of the magic that I do. I hope to be honest with you, hope that most of the magic is that is that has that quality or that power that you could close it, close your your set or your your show with.
Speaker 3:Well, that makes me excited for where this is going to go. So what's in your third position? So that makes me excited for where?
Speaker 1:this is going to go. So what's in your third position? Third position is Poker Face, which is a variation of a tossed out deck routine, and I first read about this concept was in. David Ben had a book, wrote a book called Tricks, which is kind of his professional repertoire, kind of revealed, and in that he I think he called it tossed on stage. So the concept, which I had never seen anybody else do, was that you bring people on stage for the toss-out deck as opposed to throwing the deck out into the audience. So that's the origin of that.
Speaker 1:I took it in a different direction a little bit, and rather than mind reading, I did it as a poker tell reading demonstration. So anyways, I'll explain the effect. The opening line is did you know? So actually, the opening line is my segue between the five card box, and that is that after my big debut, you know, I went through school, I got a degree in psychology and then, after four years of psychology, I'd like to show you something, actually show you the one thing that I learned in four years of psychology, and that is that it's physically impossible to maintain a poker face during a high stakes game of poker, because as human beings we all have a tell, and if I can figure out your tell, I can probably beat you at poker. So that's the premise.
Speaker 1:Then, uh, kick on some music and I will go out to the audience and say I'm looking for some stone face killers, some guys here that, uh, no stranger to a casino, let's see who we can find. So then I'm pulling up five guys from the audience and I bring them up and I'll say now, girls, I know this is a sexist decision. The reason, reason I do this I choose five men is because it's more of a challenge to me, because men are visually bereft of any real human emotion, about 60 percent of the time. Anyway, so so, so that's the premise. I get the five guys up and now, now I get to know them. So now I have a whole segment where I ask each guy a different question. I'll ask the first guy what's your favorite color? What your answer is going to tell me all kinds of things about you. He says blue. I said, oh, you like wide open spaces. You like you like a peaceful lifestyle. Um, in fact, you know, I wore the blue suit just because I knew you were coming. Blah, blah, blah. So that's, that's the first question and then down the line, I ask a different question and it reveals something humorous about each person. I ask person, one person, you know, if they make a hollywood movie of your life and you get to choose the hollywood actor that plays the part of you, who's it going to be? Um, how do you drink your coffee? How do you, you know, what's your favorite animal? So all of these things reveal things, and that's, I would say that's the probably the first five minutes of the routine.
Speaker 1:Five to six minutes of the routine is just asking this question going down the row, and then I pull out a deck of cards and I walk down the row and they each peek at a card in the deck, and so now and then I have a moment where they all stare off into something like onto the chandelier, in the middle of the ballroom or whatever, and then I basically call out the cards and in the middle of the ballroom or whatever, and then I I basically call it the cards and with the premise of I'm going to read your poker tell, so maintain that poker face, no matter what happens. So then they have various degrees of being able to do that. Some there's always a giggler in the group that's, you know, laughing his head off, and there's always the stone face guy who does not move, you know, and I have bits of business for each one of those experiences. And then, after I apparently read their tells, I say, okay, I've got five cards, I'm going to call them out. If you hear your card, go back to your seat, I'll call up the five cards. Four guys sit down, one guy's still on stage, and the finish is that I say that he was a bit more of a tougher cookie. I'm going to have to try something a bit more physical with you, if that's okay. And then I just hold my hand out and he takes my hand. So now we're holding hands on stage, um, which always gets, you know, it's always gets great response. And then I and then I do do the round one more time of calling out the cards. And then I say I think I've got it. I'm going to call it out. If I, if I get your card, I want you to let go of my hand and take your seat. If you, if I didn't get the card, just continue to hold my hand lovingly, the way that you have been. So then I say your card was the three of clubs. He lets go of my hand, takes a seat and that's the. That's the finish.
Speaker 1:So it's, there's a lot going on in this trick. The beauty beauty of it is, in my opinion. What I love about it is the. It's filling the stage with people. People are ultimately interested in people. So, for this effect, by bringing five guys up, asking them their name, asking them a particular personal question about themselves, they're revealing that.
Speaker 1:Um, that to me, is what, if you're not doing magic, what do you? You know, you could tell a story which can be interesting, but I feel like people are ultimately, in fact, and they're also, they're also mostly interested in themselves. So, bringing people up and then asking me these questions you know it because I have these guys up for a long time, it'd be like eight minutes, 10 minutes sometimes, depending on the, the juice I get out of the routine so, um, making them feel comfortable, so they're laughing and having a good time, and um, and also I'm taking the piss out of everybody. So it's not just, you know, it's not, not not just one guy or anything, it's, it's like, it's like they're there as a gang. So it's, it's. It makes it a little bit easier to take, if you know, if I have some improv, that you know that that beats them up a little bit, but it's, it's fun. And then I've had people come up to me afterwards like believing that what I did was real, which is, which is really the whole point. So this is not magic. I would say.
Speaker 1:This is like a stunt or a skill, a skill demonstration, which I think, which I also think is important. I think it's important to show like, oh my gosh, how, how did he do that? You know, and I feel like the poker face thing, um, and the way that the methodology is, uh, I have the ability to always have one person on stage. At the end, you know, after I call it the five cards, there's always one person still on stage, and that that sells it even harder, that sells it even more, because now there's one guy still on stage and I'm using that, um, uh, using that moment to to really sell the fact that it's real. I think that's what's really happening. Is that, wow, it's there's still a guy who didn't get that guy. Oh, this is crazy, you know. That's like, oh, you screwed up, you know, and now I made it better. You know, closing with a good thing, but it I just feel like it adds to the authenticity of the premise that I'm actually reading.
Speaker 3:Tells yeah, I. What I love about that as well is normally a tossed out deck. The focus is on the performer and I know that you have participants stood up in the audience, but it's not really about the participants because the rest of the audience can't see them objectively from the front. So by bringing them on stage, not only does it highlight the people on the stage and makes them the focus, but it also means that the rest of the audience can then interact and watch for those same tells and be more involved.
Speaker 1:I think the intimacy of bringing the guys up on stage too. There's a certain camaraderie that happens and, like you said, when you can't see their faces, you can't see them react, you can't see their you know? Um, I mean, I've been in the audience for many tossed out deck routines and if you're in a bad, you're a bad seat, you can't see everything. So when you say everybody sit down, who heard their card? There's going to be a couple people that did they sit down. Did that guy sit down? I can't see that guy. Did he sit down? It's really terrible staging it's. It's not good, um, it works and it kills and that's why we still do it.
Speaker 1:But I think by bringing the guys on stage there's such a strong signal that you've read their minds or you've read their poker tells or whatever your premise happens to be, when they physically leave the stage and you have a much longer time to get a longer applause cue Because you know when, when those guys are sitting down, you know and you can even juice it. So, like you know, you get a nice solid 30, maybe 20 seconds of applause. You say come on, give it up for these guys. You know, juice it. So, like you know you get a nice solid 30, you know maybe 20 seconds of applause. You say come on, give it up for these guys, you know whatever. And then you're extending that and then the last guy it always gets a great response um gets a bigger response because it's like oh, he pinpointed that exact card at crazy blah, blah, blah and I feel like again you're seeing visibly what's happening. Like when I named the card card, you can see the guy got. He got it. You know, like you can see his, his slight dejection, the fact that I was able to get the card he was thinking of and it's in a good way.
Speaker 1:But it's like, and then I'll high five them or whatever afterwards, but it's, it's just that moment and I feel like bringing it up on stage again. David Benz, genius is that you bring it up on stage. Everyone can see it, and out in the audience it's just, depending on the audience, like you could do the tosser deck for a smaller group, maybe 50 people or maybe 100. But as soon as you get bigger than that, it's sometimes hard, it's very hard to see, it's just very hard to see the people standing from every seat. So bringing people up on stage, I feel is just smarter staging, in my opinion.
Speaker 3:Earlier on, you mentioned that each one is a closer. It's interesting to understand where you're going to go after each one, because that feels like such a powerful trick.
Speaker 1:And this is like if someone says to me I need you to do 10 minutes at a banquet, or at the end of the same dude to do 10 minutes at a banquet, or, you know, at the end of the same same dude, close up magic at a wedding, I'll bring the groomsmen up and we'll do it with the groomsmen and you know, kills, I mean, cause you're, you're making fun of them, you're having fun with the, you know, and it's, it's so strong and again you can just close with it, you can just do that trick, you just do that effect, that routine. And I feel like, again, this is another crutch for me in terms of like it's a stage-filling routine, with a deck of cards that fits in my pocket, I can't beat it. You've got 10 minutes of entertainment and it's real entertainment. It's not like entertainment where I say jokes that nobody will upset and it's actually really entertaining. And because, because you're dealing with people and you're having their reactions to, to questions and answers and making it fun Superb.
Speaker 3:Uh, so that brings us to your halfway point. Um, this is your fourth effect. What's in your fourth position? I'm going to change the order.
Speaker 1:I'm going to switch it out, because I looked at it now and I'm like you know what? This is not the way I would do it. So I'm I'm not changing any of the, any of the, any of the effects, but I am changing the, the order. So the next step I'm going to say is the uh, the center tear, um, which is uh, which is funny. It's funny that we it's my center tear routine, which is funny. It's funny that we it's my center terror routine, which is kind of like that's how it's, that's how it's done anyways. Anyways, I'm going to do center terror next.
Speaker 1:So after the five guys sit down, there's a moment of pause or whatever. Maybe there's some music, and then I will say I do know what you're thinking to yourself. He's thinking, wow, he just read the minds of five men, but can he do the impossible? And I just let that sit, I don't say, I don't say anything else, and that always generates a laugh because all the women are like yeah. So then I say I'd like to get weird with someone here tonight, not in the way that you're thinking, sir. I'm actually going to try to pick out a personal thought from someone here tonight. And then I, I, I personal thought from someone here tonight, and then I, I, I, I'll choose a lady, uh, female, and I'll say, uh, we've never met before, we didn't pre-arrange anything. Uh, we're not facebook friends, anything like that. I'd like to like you and this is this, is this, is actually quite this. This effect will be far, far less jokes. This will be more um, just more of a serious thing. Serious for me anyways, there's always something that is humorous, that I do, but I, this is a. For me, it's more of a, um, a serious routine.
Speaker 1:And then, essentially, I, I get her to think of someone close to her heart in some way. She writes it down, she shows it to one other person who's going to be the witness, and then we tear it up, toss the pieces away and I ask her some simple yes or no questions and I reveal the name of the person she's thinking of and then, depending on the environment, at my hotel show, I have a can of tea that's used in another routine that'll open up and show that there's a note inside, which she removes, and inside is is a, basically a prediction, saying um, I have a sneaking suspicion someone's going to focus on the name Rebecca or whatever the name is that she's thinking that's and that's um. That's kind of on stage throughout the routine. If I do a corporate show, I will pull up my wallet and pull out the a pad of paper and a pen and hand her the wallet to hold and then when I do the whole thing and she uses the wallet to kind of write the um. That's kind of a pad or like a surface to write her name on, and then later on that prediction will be inside the wallet that she's holding from the beginning.
Speaker 1:So that's that's a, you know, a WTF moment in the show. That's really strong. Wtf moment in the show, that's really strong. It's like a powerful trick that doesn't rely on humor as sort of the vehicle. I really play it straight. I do not. There's not a lot of gags or jokes, there's small things but nothing. So that's kind of what I might be in a really strong. So that's kind of like what I might be, in my opinion, a really strong, hard hitting routine that again goes back to like powerful magic.
Speaker 1:You know, I used to do the senator for years without a prediction ending, and After I I overheard someone talking after a show once and they were like, well, don't know how he did it, but obviously he saw what she wrote down. And so I was thinking about like yeah, that's so true, like it makes sense. If you're thinking of it rationally, you're like he's never, if he really didn't meet her before and he really doesn't know who her daughter's name is, he never met them before and she writes it down and he doesn't have powers, like he says he doesn't, how, how else is he finding out who she is, who their name is, what the name is? So by having that prediction ending, it sort of cleans that up a little bit in the sense that he might. He didn't know how to do it, he just didn't know what the name was. But even if he, even if he peeked at that, how, how was it inside the tin can at the end? How did that happen? So like I feel like helps to cancel out um, the methodology.
Speaker 3:But what I've noticed already as well, as you've started your set with a really energetic opening moment where everyone's involved, and then you sort of bring it down a little bit with your five card box, which I know that you have everyone punch in the air, but it brings it down, and then you bring it back up again with poker face, with everyone being involved, and now you have sort of the the mid-level, where people are going to really hone in and really listen to what you're saying.
Speaker 1:Now this is a real, really, what I would call a truly intimate trip, because you're really you're focusing in and the people that they think of. So the way I word it, I say I want you to think of someone close to your heart in some way, someone who you have an emotional connection to. And then the other thing I say is like, but nobody who's in this room right now, for whatever reason. A lot, of a lot of women will write down someone who's passed on. They'll write down their grandmother, their aunt, their mother, their father, for whatever reason. That's. That seems to be a direction that it goes, and I, for the first bunch of years I did that, did the center terror? I didn't. I wasn't comfortable with it. So I would always say like, but someone and someone who's still, you know, with us, someone who's still living or whatever. I know we'd always tag that. You know, think of someone close to your heart in some way, someone who with us, someone who's still living or whatever. I know we'd always tag that. You know, think of someone close to your heart in some way, someone who is still alive, someone who's whatever.
Speaker 1:I have recently taken that out and I let them think of whoever the heck they want, and if they want to think of their, their uncle who was passed on, they have an emotional connection.
Speaker 1:And I found I found that you know to a lot of, a lot of help coaching for my wife.
Speaker 1:She said it's it's really strong and healing for people to be able to think of someone who's passed on and even if it's in this public forum and of a magic show it seems cheesy but the reality is they're having an emotional moment which is actually healthy and good and it and I and so I've had many women crying on stage which is, I think, is it's a powerful thing and, like I don't take it lightly, I don't take it, as you know, as something that I think is I don't try to do it, I don't, you know, and I don't obviously I don't milk it, but it is one of those things that I feel like it can really bring, can really stop the show in a good way, in a powerful way that you know they're having a lovely memory and you know. So for those reasons, the center is again very strong and it's a piece of paper and a pen in your pocket. That's it. It's very, it's hard to beat.
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Speaker 3:So that brings us on to your fifth position, just over your halfway point. What's in your fifth position?
Speaker 1:so right after uh, she reads out that prediction in the in the in the center of terror team, where it's like. That reveals um the name that's been sitting in a prediction um on stage and I and I and I seat her as soon as, basically soon as that. As soon as she's seated, I have this I think it's Martin Denny or it was. It's a, it's like a tiki vibe, you know jungle style music that kicks in and I, I go to my prop case and I pull out what looks like a. It's a, it's a. It's a bag that you'd get at one of those new age shops. It's hard to explain, but it's like one of those bags that clearly looks like. You know, your crazy aunt has arrived with uh with her crystals. But anyways, I pull out the, I pull out this bag and I start shaking it and there's obviously, there's some kind of shaker inside or something, and I and I start to shake it over the audience like I'm blessing them or something. And then I unzip it and the music's quite loud. So it's like, and I pull out, I pull out a small maraca and I hand it to some. I hand it to a guy in the front row and I say you know, shake along to the music. So he's shaking the music. Then I have another. It's like a bracelet that goes around, that's like if you shake it it's another noisemaker and I give it to somebody else. And then I have one of those drums that if you between your hands, if you uh, you, you spin it between your hands, it hits the. It has little uh balls on strings. That hits the both sides of the drum really really fast. And I hand it to somebody else.
Speaker 1:So now I have three people all doing that and then I, uh, I invite a lady on stage and while the music's playing, I'm, I'm setting her up, I say hold up both hands, make two fists, drop one, hold one close to your heart. And I'm kind of doing this with her, um, while we, um, while the music's playing, so that's in the background. And then I and I get her to stand. So now she's standing, one fist, that's in the background. And then I and I get her to stand. So now she's standing, one fist she's chosen is close to her heart, and she's, um, standing on stage facing the audience. And then I, I, I, the music fades down and then I, I signal the uh, the guys to stop the instruments by, you know, doing the throat cut with my hand. And and then I I asked the lady her name and I say rebecca, have you ever been part of a voodoo ceremony? Before she reacts yes, no, whatever it's like now, the only thing you need to know is that I'm not going to touch you, I'm not going to come near you, mostly for legal reasons. But the important thing is that if you don't move, this won't hurt.
Speaker 1:And, ladies and gentlemen, every voodoo ceremony that I've ever seen in the movies always has three components. They always have the strange and terrible rhythms of the voodoo orchestra. Give it up, guys. So now I'm signaling the guys to start playing, so they start rattling their instruments, and then I do the other, I do the cut the throat move again, you know. And then there's always a guy who doesn't stop it, makes it funny and uh, or keeps going. And then I have to rapidly do it. And then, right after that, uh, then I'll say something like you know, it's their first rehearsal, they didn't know what they're doing yet, and then say the second component in every uh, every voodoo ceremony is is it's always a, there's always involves a volunteer who comes out of the audience. So I do that victim volunteer gag.
Speaker 1:And then I, and I said the third component is always a voodoo doll. So then I have a small cigarette case, I pull out and there's a little voodoo doll, little straw doll. And then I say now the objective is this we're going to try to excite the spirit in the voodoo doll to life, and the only way to do that, of course, is with the strange and terrible rhythms of the voodoo orchestra. Take it away, guys. So now they're playing the voodoo dolls on my hand and then, as they're playing, I say faster, louder, guys. And as they do that, it starts to rise up and it's standing on my hand. Now, once it gets upright, I then produce, uh, produce a match for my lapel. I like the arm of the voodoo doll that bursts into flames and sparks, and then I snap my fingers and the voodoo doll falls over and I signal the guys to cut the music Say ladies and gentlemen, the voodoo ceremony is complete. But we will only know the voodoo ceremony has worked if the mark has been cast.
Speaker 1:Rebecca, did you feel anything? She says no. I said that's good, it's voodoo. And then I say do this with me. And then I get her to. I say to the coming of the voodoo orchestra, do this with me, rebecca.
Speaker 1:So the guy started playing again, and then I signal her to remove her hand from her heart and slowly open her fists so she can see it. So then she reacts to now there's an ash in the center of her palm and then I show, then I grab her arm and kind of show her. I kind of do a wide arc across the audience so everyone could see what it is. Yeah, so that's and that's that's. It's a nice palate cleanser up to the center chair. It's still like a powerful trick of like, how in the world, like? And then I also, and before she opens her hand, I say now remember, you know, if you remember I didn't touch it and come near you. Is that correct? She says yes, so again, hammering home the mystery of it, yeah, and then I see her, I gather up the instruments and I you know, one more round of applause for the incredible, you know voodoo orchestra, which is great Collect all those instruments, toss them away. So that's the voodoo ash routine.
Speaker 1:Again, it's like the ash on palm is something I've been doing for, probably one of the longest tricks I've ever done, probably 25, 30 years, almost probably, which is a long time. Um, in every kind of scenario I've done it, you know, in bars and restaurants and walk around and on big stages never fails to get a great response. And this is just for me. This is a really fun routine because it's just playing the method, methodology so simple that it's just me having fun and the audience having fun too. Um, and also involving, you know, four different people in the audience.
Speaker 1:I think you know in my hotel show that I do weekly, I try to involve every single person in the audience and if we have 25 people, that's going to, you know it's a pretty busy show. So, like the Voodoo Astro team, for example, you know there's three guys that weren't involved in any of the tricks yet Now they're playing as musical instruments. So now those three people have been quote unquote part of the show and I feel like that's what I've tried to do with all these routines is like, how can I involve the most amount of people while still, you know, making it sense to to the routine and and without losing, you know, heavy process time and all that stuff on stage?
Speaker 3:I love the instruments.
Speaker 1:I think that's excellent yeah that's something I've been doing for probably about three years and ever since I started doing it it's taken the routine in a really fun direction, because on its own, as much as I play it up for campiness before the instruments instruments it didn't have the same humor, but now, when you got three guys, it's like kindergarten class, with everyone's like banging on, you know banging their sticks together and you know hitting things. I feel like it's. It's got that same vibe of like you know, kind of a free-for-all, which I love yeah, I just imagine if you got that one drunk spectator the noise that would come from them yeah, no, absolutely, absolutely, and that's that's the thing, it's, that's what's fun.
Speaker 1:It's like, yeah and again, that it's a routine that can go for like three minutes or five minutes, depending on the amount of you know, interaction that you know, which is pretty fun.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it sounds great. And that leads us on to your sixth position. So what's in your sixth place?
Speaker 1:So I'm going to switch it up again. I have one thing here that should not be there and now I have. Uh, so my next position will be a Pegasus page. Then I destroy. My next effect will be the Pegasus page, and this is a routine.
Speaker 1:I've been in and out of my repertoire for years and years, but now it's kind of a staple. That's in every show and, um, I do a show in florida, we live in florida. Florida has all kinds of, you know, wonderful, it's a beautiful place to live, but it does have a massive reputation, especially in the states and all around the world, whether it's florida man or whether the political scenarios and the nonsense that goes on down here. So my opening line for this effect is like does anyone, does anyone read here? Does anyone read books? You guys allowed to, which also gets, which gets a big, which gets a big laugh, especially Floridians, cause, you know, we're always there's obviously a perception that's in the media's very different than the reality that I have anyways. But so, anyways, that's, that's a very, that's a great opener, great funny line. And I pull out a book and I say I say I'm looking for something, and then I say and then someone will put up their hands like does anyone read books? I mean really big physical books. You read them, you know, crack spine and and and get into something and there'll be like guys and girls, whatever. So I'll pick someone out and say, oh, what kind of books are you into, what kind of, what kind of genre you know so? So then I have a little interaction with the person about the genre book that they like and I say one of my favorite stories um, it happened about the same time I started magic was, uh, I got a, I got a book about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and I pull out that book and I say he was kind of like a magician. He had this ability to put all these pieces together and figure out the criminals or the people that committed these crimes. It almost seemed like magic because he was using the power of deduction and blah, blah, blah Anyway. So I do a brief, a very brief sort of intro to that.
Speaker 1:I bring, uh, the person up could be a man or woman and uh, who I've just interacted with about the book, and I have them sit in a chair and then a hand in the book. They check it out. I say how many pages, is it? It's like 400 pages. Okay, so we have 400 chances, 400 different options.
Speaker 1:I'm going to flip through the book with one hand, while looking away, you say stop when you want. They say stop and they say I'm going to mark the page and all I want you to do I'm going to open the book. You're going to remember the page number and the first word on the page. So the page number is at the very top and the first word is just below the page number. I want you to remember both those things. I'll also mention that I usually try to say do you need glasses to read before they come up, so that they're not then after they're not, like you know, having to go back to their seat to get their purse and all that stuff. So, anyways, so they then I open the book. They remember the page number of the word.
Speaker 1:I get to hold the book and then I go out into the audience and sit in their chair and say I'm going to try to read your mind. I'm going to start with the word. So I want you to think of a letter somewhere in the middle of the word. Have you got? Have you got a letter in the middle of your mind. Yes, so then I reveal that. Then I reveal the second letter, the letter after that, the last letter, the first letter, and then I reveal the actual. And then I say let's go for the numbers.
Speaker 1:So then I reveal the page number and then, after I reveal the page number, I say you know what the weird thing is? It's page 158 with the word objects on it Doesn't even exist in that book. Yeah, so that's a moment of like, you know like what? And then the person on stage is like I just saw, what do you mean? So then they instantly, without any coaxing, then start looking through the book to see if they you know, I saw it, it's in here. And so then they go through it, they open the book there is no page number. Sorry, there's no page, it's been ripped out. And then that's when I go back on stage, I pick up the book and I show the page torn and I say you know what the weird thing is is where it is now now.
Speaker 1:It always gets a big like, oh my gosh, you know women will check their, you know, check their bras and you know whatever. And I say uh, and then, um, I'm trying to remember what my next line is. It's something similarly funny where it's like I say anyway. So I lead to the point where I say please stand up. He or she stands up and then there's an envelope that wasn't there when they sat down earlier, sitting on the chair. They pick it up, they open it up and inside is the page. And then so that's the end of the trick. When they sat down earlier, sitting on the chair, they pick it up, they open it up and inside is the page. And then so that's the, that's the end of the trick.
Speaker 1:I thank them, they sit down and then I take the torn page, put it inside the book and then I inscribe the book to them and then hand it to them as a gift. So they get to take the book home with them, which I, which is very strong. That moment is actually my favorite part of the whole trick, which is it's silly, but the fact that they can take the book home, I feel is a really great. It's a, I mean, if you look at from a magical point of view, it's a huge selling selling point that it's like how in the world, like any, you know, it's obviously not a tricky book. I'm getting to take it home, which is, I think, is also very strong. And it's a nice gesture that they now have a book on their on their shelf and they have a memory that they can take home with them too, which is cool.
Speaker 3:Exactly what you just said. It's the whole. Giving it back is a really nice subtle way of saying this is a normal book without you know testifying.
Speaker 1:This is a normal, ordinary book and I guarantee I mean you'll have to tell me that after the show, that whoever you've given that book to must have other spectators going up to them and asking about the book, to putting it back together on stuff. But I feel like it's much stronger if it stays torn. But yeah, it's crazy People. You know we do a meet and greet after the show in my, in my weekly show, and it's one of those things where they're always posing with the book and for the photos and it's just one of those things that, like I know that they're taking it home with them. It's just a cool. It's just a really cool moment and I found a. I found a beautiful addition. That's like it's not leather but it has that leather look and it looks like a really nice a book that you would put on your shelf and it would you know, even if you never read it makes you look like you're smart.
Speaker 3:One of those books and what an amazing story like having having that in their living room when they have friends. Over that story of this, this is what happened with this book and, and explaining that the page wasn't there, I think it'd be incredible, um, but that brings us over your no onto the tail end of your at tricks now. So we're on to number seven.
Speaker 1:Yes, sir. So number seven is the bill in lime. And yeah, so there's something that happens during my show that's not on this list, but you'll have to believe me during the show. There's a moment in the show where I talk about a dream that I have. I had the night before the show and, it's strangely enough, there's a woman sitting here that looks exactly like the woman that was in my dream. And so I go, I go through sort of this, this dream sequence, and then at the end of it I produce a lime. That's part of the dream. Part of the dream is that we're on this beach and there's a tree shading us, and it's a lime tree, and the lime falls out of the tree and knocks me on my head and instantly I wake up and I'm still in bed and I thought it was real. And then I make the lime appear. So then I, and then I hand it to her and said you know, we've been through a lot, samantha, would you hold my fruit? So then I, I hand her the lime. So now she's holding that, and that's that would happen in the middle of the show or near the beginning of the show. So that's out in the audience. So then I that obviously the audience is at the point that we're doing this routine now they've forgotten about the fact that you know the lines out there in the audience. So now I say, before you go, I have to show you, I show you, I have to show you my favorite trick.
Speaker 1:It's called the $1 mystery and it only costs a dollar. So then I just wait and pause and everyone's like uh-huh, what you know? So it could be anybody's dollar. You know anybody here, anybody here. Have a dollar check and tell your purse, your man purse, your fanny packs, whatever you got your money in, just reach inside there, anybody's dollar. First person with a hand in the air with a dollar, that's the person, that's the dollar we're going to use. So that's what happens. Somebody pulls out a dollar. I grab the dollar and say come on up and sometimes, depending on, I will just borrow the dollar if there's a, if there's a kid in the audience.
Speaker 1:Some at the hotel show, we do, we, uh, we do weekly it's. It's geared towards adults, but occasionally, like families, will, will purchase tickets, um, and I will. This is a trick. I will bring up a, um, a child, for if there's a kid in the audience, that's, you know. So this is. This is a trick that I would bring up a kid for that, um, but for the most part, whoever brings holds the bill up is that's the person I bring up.
Speaker 1:And then, um, two things happen. One is I get the. I get them to sign the bill, I get them to memorize the serial number, but I, I get the audience to call the serial number out so that way everyone can remember the serial number. And then I take the, take the bill, we roll it up there's all kinds of jokes about that and then we put it under our handkerchief and now we're going to make the bill disappear. He's going to say a magic word and if bill disappears, we got to go crazy for dave, or whoever it is. Dave, have you ever had a standing ovation in your life? He says no. Or if he says yes, it doesn't matter. I say, ladies and gentlemen, if that bill disappears, this is the first trick he's ever done in a magic show. We got to go crazy for dave. I think we should be on our feet just clapping and cheering for dave. What do you think? Whatever. So now I'm kind of using a standing ovation for him. So he lets go. He says his magic word let's go, the bill. It disappears and the audience goes crazy, standing ovation, whatever. So then, uh, and then they sit down and I say, dave, did you feel anything when it disappeared? Because it's, it teleported all the way to the fourth dimension. So then I say, moved all the way to the back of the room and I'm now, I'm pointing at samantha. Samantha, did you feel anything over there other than embarrassment? As I wiggled my fingers at you, did you feel anything? And I said do you still have my fruit? So this is the moment where I say do you still have my fruit? She says yes, and this is where the audience goes oh, come on, because now they're already. They already if you've done the bill and bill and anything, but if the bill and fruit bill and lemon bill and whatever, there's always that moment where when they see the fruit, or they think they and the bill has disappeared, it's like come on. And what's strong about this, obviously, is that she's already in the audience and now she's bringing it up. So I get her, her, to come up and I have some by play about. You know, where do you buy your fruit? You know, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 1:And then I see a lot of people, a lot of skeptics. You know this is the trick that bothers them the most. And they'll be lying awake in bed staring at the ceiling till about two in the morning. And then they say to themselves you know what Probably came out of his sleep? I don't want anyone sleeping tonight. Do me a favor, dave. Grab one of my wrists. Two hands do the same, samantha. So now they're holding onto my wrists as I cut open the lime. So I cut open the lime, bill's inside, we confirm everything, blah, blah, blah, you know big reaction. And then they're seated. So that's the Bill and Lime routine. Big reaction. And then I, then they, then they're seated, so that's, that's the bill in line routine again.
Speaker 1:Another very powerful thing that has a lot of jokes and and um situations, but it's again, it's situational comedy with the person that you know, um volunteers the money and if it's a kid it's a big deal, because they're doing their very first magic show, magic trick, and you know they're going to be my best student.
Speaker 1:Let's make sure they get a huge round of, you know, huge standing ovation if they get this right, whatever.
Speaker 1:So that's, that's a really nice way to um showcase somebody and if it's somebody's birthday, if it's someone's, you know, if it's a, you can have the bride come up and do it.
Speaker 1:At a wedding or something like that, where you're trying to showcase someone in a big way, where making them feel good but also showcasing them in front of a whole crowd, it's really good. At a corporate event it could be the person getting a promotion or the whatever, the president of the company, and it's anyways, it's a strong trick. Again, it's one of those effects that's um, for people that hire me, it's kind of synonymous with the magic show. They're like you're gonna do that one, right, you're gonna do the one with with it, with the fruit and the money. So that's, that's a big uh, it's a big, it's a big um reputation maker. For me it has been for many years and like I've tried to drop it but it doesn't seem to work. It seems to be one of those things like it's like it's one of those money tricks in more ways than one, it's a really strong trick.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I love the getting them to hold your sleeves shut. I think that's really clever for one of two things. A because it really is highlighting what I presume some people must think is the method.
Speaker 1:Someone called it out in a show. Someone actually yelled it out like seven, seven, eight years ago, said it was in his sleeve, and, like people laughed and people, but then it, then it does, and it dawned on me like, oh yeah, I never considered that would be a thought, because it seems so clean, like what, when I'm doing it, that like you couldn't possibly be in the sleeve, quote unquote. But what's cool about it? What's cool about that notion, though, is that that's what people are thinking, so that's what I'm going to try to try to take off the list of possible, possible methods, and the other beautiful thing about it was something that happened by accident.
Speaker 1:It was when you do it, and and this is not new like you've probably seen, you know, people do the egg bag, for example, and they've got people to hold their wrists as they go inside the egg bag and pull out the egg and do all that. Um, so it's not something that's, you know, new to me, but what is what I like about it for the bill and lime is it focuses attention so well, because those people that are holding your wrists are very close to you, and when you see that on stage or you see that, you know, from an audience perspective, it really, and because of the way that they're holding your wrists, it's actually it's two big arrows pointing at the action, and so it's a really, even though it's a tiny, really a small tiny piece. They have to look at a small three inch square of space to see what's actually happening. Um, just that simple staging with them holding your wrists uh, really focuses the attention really well yeah, it makes it so much more theatrical as well.
Speaker 3:The, the restriction of your movements and everything as well really elevates that moment even more I would expect. But goodness knows where you're going to go now, because that really does feel like a full circle moment, I mean in terms of a show. You gave the lime out at the beginning. Also, you mentioned that in your hatter you're on an island and one drops on your head. So you know that's perfect for this podcast. So who knows where you're going to go next? So what is in your final position? What's in your eighth position?
Speaker 1:So I'll be honest with you the Bill and Lime that I just did, which was number seven, technically that is the closer to the show I don't ever close with it, but technically that is the mystery that they're going to go home with predominantly in their mind, because it's, it is so strong and the staging of it it's so, um, so memorable that I it's, it's the it is the one that I've actually tried to drop it. I did a brand new show last spring but I had to put it back in because people kept asking for it. It's weird that we get, you know, it's rare I think in magic not rare but I think it's one of those things that, like, if you have favorites, the audience favorites, like really think twice about losing them from your show, because even though you're bored with them and I mean, if you do a trick really well, people can see it multiple times and still have no idea how it's done. And I feel it's really important that, yeah, that you keep tricks in that year that really do that I'm talking about. I'm not talking about, you know, tv shows or something. I'm talking about a working performer doing shows. You know live shows, but, um, the bill and lime is actually my closer, but my this, what this is what I would call my encore effect. So this is a prediction effect.
Speaker 1:Um, in the theater that we do that we, that we in our weekly show, um, we have a vip cocktail hour and during that cocktail hour there is a large black envelope that our hostess carries around at one point in the evening and has a gold, metallic pen that everyone signs. It signs this envelope, and then, um, when they come into the, the small theater, there's it's hanging on a on a stand in the middle of the, at the front, so it sits through the whole show and so they know that they felt that they've touched it, they've signed it, it's been sitting there the whole show. So, uh, after the bill and lime, I see the people and then I have some music kick in. I usually do like kind of a front of curtain speech at that point and talk to them about make sure you write a review and don't forget we do private parties, and you know, nonsense, nonsense.
Speaker 1:And then I said then I have music kick in and I say there's one more and then I over, I point to the envelope, I go over to it, take it off, and then I say there's something mysterious inside this envelope. And we are all going, I'm going to. I mean, I need the most psychic person here tonight to sense what that is. So then I point to someone. So now again, like I said, I try to involve as many people as possible. I try to involve everyone in the show at some point. And so now I'm going to go for the one guy or girl who has not been part of the show at all, never been involved with any of the tricks, and I then hand them the envelope, say and what's your name? And she says Stephanie. I say you're not Stephanie tonight, you are psychic Stephanie. And psychic Stephanie is going to show her powers. As she holds this envelope, the vibrations from what's inside that envelope are traveling through her fingers, into her arms, into her shoulders, into her brain, into her cerebral cortex, and in this moment she's she knows things. She knows things she shouldn't know, but she knows things.
Speaker 1:And then I say we're all going to go in an imaginary all-inclusive vacation and that that's when I pull up. You're going to see these. But that's when I pull up my postcards. I have these four by six postcards and I go through the postcards and show that there's uh, we could go to any one of these places. We'd be going to vienna, we could be going to new york city, we could be going to austria, we could be going to ireland, and I go through you know, uh, about half the deck, and I say, um, I go through half the deck, but I I say, just before I show them, I say by your reactions I'm going to see where you want to go. So the first thing I show is like canada. Who wants to go to canada? Of course, one person maybe yell out all right, we'll leave you here, then I go, and then I go through. I want to go to Hawaii, he wants to go to Italy, he wants to go to Costa Rica. Who wants to go to the exotic Boston Anyone wants to go to, and I go. Then I have a few gag ones where it's like who wants to go to boring Oregon? Who wants to go to Disappointment Island? That's a place in New Zealand. I've been there a few times this week. Um, then I have, and then I have a uh who wants to go to hell. It's a place called hell michigan and it says hell. I say it was we like to call it, in florida, orlando, anyways. So these are, these are all, these are all. That's obviously a local joke, but so that's always. Uh, fun gets good reactions. And then, um, then I take the, take the postcards and uh, mix them up and I go to the.
Speaker 1:I go to the, to the psychic spectator, psychic stephanie, and I say, stephanie, have you ever heard of a double blind test? That's where I poke both your eyes out before we continue, so that you're really using your seat. That's. I'm not going to do that. But you're not going to look at these, at the faces of these. You're not going to know which, which postcards which. But you need your psychic powers. I'm going to hold some up high and some down low. Are we going to get rid of the highs or lows? Using your psychic powers, you make this decision. So she says high or low, we toss those away. Again, we do it again. I cut them in half, again we toss them away. And then we get down to a small handful.
Speaker 1:They say stephanie, please raise your most psychic finger high into the air. Of course that always gets a joke, a laugh, because she could obviously put up any finger and they will. And I say take that finger, tap the one you feel most drawn to. She does. I say, if you hold it, I'll take the envelope back and say remember, she could have thought of any one of these dozens of places and we focused on one. I want to see how close you got. Where are we going, stephanie? She says thailand. Wait, we're going to thailand.
Speaker 1:I show this postcard and then, uh, I open up the prediction and inside the prediction it's a, it's kind of a mini book and it talks about things that happen during the show. So I'll talk about like we're going to bring three of our extra friends oprah winfrey, elvis presley and marilyn monroe, and these are all things that happen during the show. So I'll talk about like we're going to bring three of our extra friends Oprah Winfrey, elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, and these are all things that happened during throughout the show. And then I say, and then I show, I say we're all going to wear the same outfit, and that was another predicted outcome in the show. And then we're also and just don't forget the gate number it's blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and it's the serial number from the bill that was borrowed for the bill in line.
Speaker 1:So it's like it's. It's again. All hail darren brown and andy nyman for for making us all you know, do these prediction effects, but anyway. So that's that's kind of it's like a. It's like a denouement bookend for the whole show and then the book flips open and it's a massive image of the postcard of the Thailand or whatever the place is that she's chosen and that's the end of the show. So I realize that the effect is smart-ass, but it's basically a prediction effect and that's how I close the show.
Speaker 3:Superb, excellent. I love the full-circleness of that as well, but I know our guests couldn't see. But those cards are gorgeous as well. They're really, really nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we just had these. I've had this prototype for a long time and we're finally releasing them. It's going to be in the next there's the hell card, so we're going to be releasing these in the next couple months. We have them all printed, they're all waiting. I just need to shoot some video. But, yeah, they're really gorgeous. And, again, if you're familiar with any smartass effect, the beauty is that you can hand them the cards, they can separate the cards and toss them away. So, again, it's a really interactive, bulletproof method of forcing that looks really clean.
Speaker 1:I got a really cool text from Michael michael lamar, uh, a week ago. Two weeks ago he was, he was doing doing the castle and he said, well, I want the best card for I'm terrible michael lamar impression, but best card for us, uh, in the world, and I came to you. So, anyways, he was asking for a smart ass day, which was cool. But anyways, what I love about this ending is, again, it brings, like you said, it brings everything together. At the end. I keep music kind of a lightbed of rhythm beneath this whole effect. That keeps the effect moving, because it is an encore piece and people are antsy at the end of this.
Speaker 1:At this point it's almost it's close to 60 minutes, um, the show. So, uh and I mean my opinion, that's long enough for people to sit. So, uh, I know that they're they're ready to go and if they've had, you know, a couple cocktails which we always encourage, um, they're, they're already ready to, you know, to use the restroom. So at this point I want to keep the show moving. So this is this is a fairly quick, I would say it's over in like three minutes. It's not not something that drags it sounds like it's a lot of process and stuff like that but I keep it moving quite quickly.
Speaker 1:And, uh, the smart ass force, in my opinion, is just, it's just so bulletproof and easy that you don't have to think it's. Uh, you know you can just perform and enjoy it, knowing that it's just so bulletproof and easy that you don't have to think it's. You know you can just perform and enjoy it, knowing that it's always going to be the outcome, but, more importantly, that it's going to look so clean and so fair that it just looks impossible, which is obviously the point. But and again, I put smart ass as the last thing in my show and there's I've been a multitude of different versions of it, with playing cards, with index cards, with tarot cards, and now I've been using this postcard deck and it's really strong. It's really just a powerful ending.
Speaker 3:Hard to beat. Well, those natives that you mentioned at the very beginning, on your island, they're gonna have one hell of a time watching this. I actually feel like I've literally just watched you perform a show. Um, and hopefully everyone at home listening will feel the same. But it does bring us on to your two curveball items. So, number one, the book, which you only get to pick one, as opposed to the tricks, where you got eight and your non-magic item. So what did you put in your book position?
Speaker 1:I put Impromptu Magic by Martin Gardner and again it's been, that's been kind of a, you know, kind of a Bible for me in the world of magic and in my exciting my me in the world of magic and in the, in the, in my exciting my brain and all kinds of directions for many, many years. And, uh, it's just one of those books that you can just crack open and read something, read a paragraph, and it will turn your brain onto something. I really see, I really see it as a brain exercise. Most of the time I I it's not that I I have I have actually used effects in the book, but it's more of a brain exercise, to like to take your brain in a direction that maybe you didn't think of or didn't. Um, and if you're not familiar with the book, it's a, it's a large book that has, it's a, it's an alphabetical order of objects. So, um, apple, you'll look up apple under a and then you'll see you know a dozen effects with an apple. So we'll talk about, you know, um, cutting an apple with your mind. You know, doing a, taking an apple on a string and stringing across two people and having the apple move between the two people.
Speaker 1:It really, uh, the exciting thing about it.
Speaker 1:Every time I open it is like you know, as human beings, our brains are susceptible, or our memories are susceptible to, you know, to uh, to disintegrating and for me, every time I open it, I read something new. It could be, it could be the alzheimer's, but I read something new every single time and it always excites my brain with in a direction, um, and I think if you're on a desert island and you're, you know, you got a lot of time in your hands. I think it's the kind of the perfect type of book, um, you know, you know, failing the, the tarbell course of magic, which I also feel is you know, obviously that know, failing the, the Tarbell course of magic, which I also feel is, you know, obviously that's seven volumes or eight volumes, um, which technically isn't a. That's too many books, that's not one book. Um, the property of Martin Gardner is, I think, to me is just the killer, just just the best. It's just really, um, really such a great uh instigator for my brain in so many ways.
Speaker 3:It's one of those ones that you can just constantly go back to and each time you read it you discover something new. Or you find something new, or maybe it affects something in your show now that wasn't there before and it clicks into place for you. So, yeah, I think it's a superb, superb choice. Um, but it does bring us on to your truly curveball item, your non-magic item that you use for magic. What did you go for?
Speaker 1:I just uh, it's two objects, but they they're kind of synonymous and I'm constantly making notes the, my, my phone sadly has taken over my, my memo pads that I have still boxes of hanging around the house.
Speaker 1:Um, so, but, uh, if I go to the beach, I leave my phone at home and I will bring my pad in paper, because that's, to me, is like that's, that's really. That's really what motivates me in magic, is, is, is the creativity, it's, it's really a solution. It's finding solutions for challenges, or finding solutions to problems, or finding solutions to tricks. So you'll think of like, oh, what's the best way to do this? And then it's a solution finding process of what is the best method for this effect, what is the best word or line for this routine, what is the best premise for this effect? All of those things. That's the work. So, for me, having a patent paper, uh, I would instantly throw my phone into a, into the ocean if I could just uh, write and uh, and that that would be my, my go-to, because it is my go-to you know whether it's my phone and typing into notes or a physical pad and paper.
Speaker 1:That's, that's really. That's my other, my other joy performing and then planning what I'm going to perform next.
Speaker 3:Yeah, great, and I'll let them be linked together by string. There you go. So now it's, one object Excellent, what a great list and what a great book and item. If anyone wants to find out more about you, bill, then where can they go?
Speaker 1:Well, there's two things. You can go to bill abbott magic uh, that's abbott, with two b's, two t's billabbottmagiccom, and that's where you'll see, um, all the effects that that we produce and that we sell internationally. Um, uh, I have a fondness for the UK because I've lectured there. I've been two big lecture tours there and I've done a couple of the big conventions there which I've always loved. I always I need to get back. It's been a while.
Speaker 1:I did Blackpool, probably three or four years ago, I think, pre pandemic. I think it was 2019, but I need to get back and see all my mates. But BillAbbottMagiccom is the best place to find my effects. We also wholesale a lot of them through Murphy's Magic and they're distributed around the world. Al-khazam has a lot of my effects. You can also there's an Al-Khazam. I did a cocktail magic lecture at Elkazam, so you can find that on the site there. And if you're ever in Florida, please come and see our show. If you go to magichideawaycom, that's our weekly show. We have a show every in a beautiful hotel, which you can see right there in the background. I'm pointing to a big screen behind me that showcases the hotel room, in case you're wondering what's going on, and we do that show every week. So if you're ever in town, we'd love to have you there.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's. My new initiative is to try and get to Florida to see it. Especially if it's this set as well, then I'll definitely be-.
Speaker 1:There'll definitely be tricks in that set for sure, absolutely Amazing.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you so much for giving us your time, bill, and thank you for sharing your list with us. It was my pleasure and thank you all for listening. Please do share the love and do share it around as much as you can, and obviously, the more listeners we get, the more incredible guests that we can have on this podcast. So thank you for listening once again and we will see you again next week on another episode of Desert Island Tricks.
Speaker 2:Goodbye hi peter nardi here and I really hope you enjoyed that podcast. I just wanted to make you know that alakazam have their own app. You can download it from the app store or the google play store. By downloading the app, it will make your shopping experience even slicker. At alakazam, you'll also get exclusive in-app offers and in-app live streams. So go download it now and we'll see you on the next podcast.