It was a joyful meeting tonight as we welcomed one new member Lea Robinson to the club, had Teach-a-Trick and held our annual Stage Competition. The Teach-a-Trick portion began with Dave Kelly performing then demonstrating coins through a table. Starting out with what appeared to be a Coins Across routine, four coins disappeared and then magically reappeared under the table. He performed this twice, each time with sequentially different patter and hand movements. In the “Teach” portion, he explained the importance of the one small slight and of the necessity of sitting at a table. It never ceases to amaze us how a simple sleight can make a 5-minute routine simple, entertaining and meaningful.
Business discussed included a a discussion about the new location of our meetings since the current Church will no longer be able to house us. Steven Applebaum announced an organization called “Magician’s without Borders” for which Magicians can travel worldwide to perform at and train others in under-developed countries.
Jim Daly started us off with his take on Bill in Lemon. He did not disappoint us with his zany one-liners and observational commentaries. He confused the participant, whose $100 bill was surely lost, when he recovered $5 in a lemon. Then he brought in more lemons to obtain the total of $100 in $5 lemons! This didn’t cut to the chase but the real switchblade did. It cut the real lemon. HEY! Where did that come from? And inside of it was the spectators real, signed $100 bill. An amazing climax to a well done trick.
Next up was Ed Schmitt. He delighted us with his unique effect called COES. Celebrity Over Exposure Syndrome presented a free choice to Gina, a volunteer, who narrowed cards through a non-magician force down to one selection. The last selected card was that of a famous celebrity. Of course, he had her picture in the envelope the entire time – her baby picture. We didn’t accept that cheap trick. But he did fool Gina and the audience as he revealed a recent picture of her.
Mort Feldman followed with his fantastic magic of rope routines and a color card changing magic to cards of all one suit and one value. Classic magic just as classic as Mort is!
Mentalist Gaul Hunter enlightened us with the history of magic by honoring the late and great magician, J. N. Hofzinser, 1806-1875. It is thought he created the “Card Frame” concept employed in Mr. Hunter’s fine performance piece of the evening. The effect utilized a Large Deck of playing cards. The spectator and Dr. Hofzinser divined the location of that thought of playing card. It was a performance that won him an award for the evening.
Comical Joe McHugh performed the repeating 5-dollar bill trick at the expense of his wife. She kept spending his money but Joe had the patience of a Saint!
Chris Fabriano used Gina, to predict the location of a ball, the naming a card, or the shape of an object from a word in a book. The effect was performed without error and kept the audience in suspense!
‘Dr. Mystic’, Steven Applebaum, a Magician/Physician did a stand-up presentation of Out of This World from a new-unopened deck of cards. The room was divided into two with each half cheering for their team captains. In the end, the cards were separated as instructed by the captains.
The evening concluded with three winners. First Place: Jim Daly, Second Place: Chris Fabiano, Third Place: Hunter Gaul.
We will convene next month on May 13. Next month’s lecturer will be Tom Ewing, a noted magical historian and author.