$2.oo agiCuruenffi MoL;'s M"si, P,,fit"Ll" MACICONry Where Are AII My WORID'S GREATEST ShOWS? ByJoerrysric September lvlAclc lll ll right, l've put an ad in the A PREUI|INARy By cary ouelret back page classified section of REP1Rf our local magazine and l've he World's Greatest Magic sprung for a one line bold listing in the yellow pages (Donnelley). Oh lll is still in final editing as I yeah, I even pinned my card up at write this and probably three the Laundromat and told my friends weeks from being delivered to the By Gary Schwatrzw'ald at work that I do magic. Now, where network but here is an advance are all my shows? Treasurer Bill Monroe organ- preview... lt will, as usual, run the lf this resembles at all the way ized our fun and informative pre- night before Thanksgiving on you go aboui getrng magic shows meeiing which began with ihe shar- l.,lBC, frcm 8 to 10 PIt4. then dont quit your real job. lf you ing of three tricks that are on video. The host is John Ritter (of think that you are really worth $100 We first leamed Michael Ammar's Three's Company fame) and Rita or more per hour to just perform. version of David Williamson's 'Com Rudner joins Mac King for the GET REAL. There are those of us in a Pen Cap'. This sAong effect Mac King School of Magic (here who do perform 2,3,4 and more seemed accessible to most of us we go again!). shows each week. ln the 2 or so after a little practice. We then Ritter and Rudner were terrific hours we spend performing we may worked on David Roth's 'Retention to work with. make $200 to $1000. I don't really Pass'. After a few minutes of prac- believe that lam worth $500 per tice, we were able to fully appreci- Mac's segments were shot in hour, but know Y2 I that lot every ate Roth's unmatched ability. We the Magical Empire, and for the hour that I perform. I have done 5 also revlewed Aldo Colombini's record, the tricks are either very hours of phone calls, advertising, 'ltalian Salad, but ran out of time old and standard chestnuts in meetings and in general pushing my before we had a chance practice every beginners book, or else cre- show. The time and effort varies to ated by Mac for the Teach-a-trick from show to show, but you get the this card effect. idea. You can be one of these full see RING REPORT page 5 see WcM ll Page 6 time entertainers or you can have a full time job and pick up an extra show or two each week. You can't just sit back and wait for your phone to ring. You have to go flnd the work. There is more work out there than you could possibly imagine. Finding it is the key. How many times have you passed the construction of a Wal-Mart or other such new con- struction? How many times have you driven in to flnd out if they were hav- ing a grand opening and whowas see MYSTIC on page 4 time and a pleasant experience that Gre$'s Scott's they will remember long after they have forgotten my name. I want Thoughts them to remember that not all ma- Garuulity gicians are corny, nattily attired, nor Scott Wells, Cfhe President's Column) by try to embarrass them. Most of us A.t.M.C. have seen how everyone's eyes I thought the September meeting suddenly look elsewhere when the of Ring 76 was a lot of fun. And Volunteers of America magician calls for volunteer or judging from the comments lheard, a else some guy laughingly points to others enjoyed themselves also. And I recently read an editorial in a the lady sitting next to him saying why not? Our treasurer Bill Monroe magic club newsletter regarding the "pick her, pick her.'And then there selected a few dynamite effects on use of volunteers on stage. The crux are the overly anxlous (or drunk) video which we all could learn from. of the monograph was the espousal who quickly raise their hands in (Thanks also for picking up the that people prefer to watch a magic hopes of having their moment to munchies, Bill.) Having the 60-inch or show and pray that they don't get show off in the spotlight or heckle so TV certainly didn't hurt. There called out of their comfort of their seat you from the stage. Selecting the were also positive comments about to risk embarrassment on stage. right volunteer is indeed an art and the rovlng teach-in. Thanks Moreover, the job of the magician is to Dick choosing the wrong one can break Oale, to entertain without any direct inter- Jeff Marcus and Bill Monroe a show. This is nowhere more ap- for participation action with his audience. I can't more their and willingness parent than with a hypnotist. I once share some and heartily agree with the premise; how- to cool effects worked wirh a hyp who spent 15 moves with the rest ever, there are several items that I of us. mlnutes hypnotize his must address. trying to On the other hand, we were sorry subjects to no avail then finally to hear about the medical problems First of all, at the very head of closed with an apology. magic is interaction. A magician can- one of our own, Ralph Mauzy, has Although I love beautif-. y cho- been not get a proper reaction from the having. His lnability to safely reographed magic with illusions, drive, sterile atmosphere of a television stu- as well as some other activi- livestock, ano manipulat.ons, I th.nk ties, has necessary dio nor on the stage of an empty made it for him to that the audience might as well be give theatre. This is not an individual up his position with the club as watching a play or strolling through sport, but a performing art. There sergeant-at-arms. Our thoughts and a museum admiring the artwork or, prayers must be leedback, reaction, and re- are with you, Ralph, for a worse yet, sitting at home watching sponse. After all, when no one is out complete recovery. it on television. My point is that with there when we perform, it's called these types of pedormances, there l\,lagic Heritage Day, a.k.a. "Magic 'practice.' Of course, other pedorm- is no direct involYement, only pas- Day at the Villa" (or something close), ing arts don't require the audience to sive interaction where the pedormer is starting to take shape. Somehow it come on stage and interact with the gets immediate feedback in the wouldnt be the same wlthout per- orchestra, actors, nor ballet dancers; form of applause or laughter. lt is formers and fortunately lots of them however, magic is unique. lt's the in- ditflcult for one's character to flow have again volunteered to magish for teraction that sets it apart from the the public at the event on Sunday, off of the stage and into the hearts other disciplines. passive October 27. ln fact, all of the several of their audience. Several successful stage magi- folks asked to donate their perform- My performing philosophy is cians do not use audience members ances have agreed to help. Thanks that lwant to bring magic to the too for those who signed up at the during their performances. I would individual in a personal way. lf I venture to say that the majority of Ring 76 September meeting to help in can't perform for them one on one, stage magiclans (mentalists not in- some way. This will be one of our big then l'll solicit the help from an cluded) don't use volunteers. Many events of the year, lf not the biggest, audience member and interact with comedy magicians have developed to showcase the art of magic for our them on stage and let the rest of successful acts without the use of city. The San Diego Historical Soci- the audience peek in on the fun. volunteers. But there are quite a few ety's Villa Montezuma house near They could be watching from home whose acts depend heavily on the use downtown San Diego will again serve on TV, but the iact that I called on of volunteers. I am one of those. Let as the venue. one of them proves that it is real, me start at the very beginning, so no trick cameras, no bad angles, At last year's Magic Heritage Day please stick with me for the ride. we filled the house with performing and more importantly, that I could just magicians and entertained about 300 I love closeup magic because of of easily selected one of them people as they strolled from room to its intimacy. There is a bond that I try to assist. lt keeps my audience on room. We served refreshments, dis- to form with my'guests'or "friends,' their toes watching eveMhing that I played lots of old posters and showed as I like to call them, during the short do because lmay call on them classic performance videos of master time that I have to meet and entertain next. ln fact, I have so many rou- them. I want them to have a good tines that involve direct audience see IryAUSOIV p€96 4 participation, my real task is linding the same act and using the same material that doesn't involve a volun- lines, one can generally expect cer- teer yet works for my stage persona.