The Magical And Hypnotic World Of Glenn Bishop

Talking About Show Business In Our Changing World

2008-05-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at the cost of doing business today. With the rising price of gas everything is going up. I am not complaining I am just making an observation. I think that things are going to change quite a bit over the next few years. Just because the cost of living is going up. So here are a few predictions or as I like to say "just my opinion" for the next few years.

I think that stores and restaurants will have to start competing harder because of the cost of living - some people will be eating out less - going to movies less - going to amusement parks or entertainment events less.

I think that some people might take to getting a motorcycle or a scooter to get around and save the gas and the car for some more important trips. We were out in the car today my wife, myself and our three kids. In between breaking up the fights in the backseat (laughing as a parent) we were talking about other ways of getting around.

We talked about bikes, motor-bikes, scooter's and the motorcycle. My Daughter asked about getting a horse. And I said when people got around on a horse they had trails then the car came and the trails became roads and horses don't ride on roads like they do on trails so the car replaced the horse as the way Americans got around.

I think that with the price of gas I think that we will start to see more motorcycles and motor scooters on the roads. And that may be a good thing. Because they use less gas and with less cars on the road they may be safer to ride - and that might be a good thing.

That’s when I told my kids I may look into getting a motorcycle with a side car. Deck it out like the Bat cycle that Adam West and Bert Ward used in the Batman television series. And call it "The Bish The Magish Cycle. And use the side car to put my magic props in.

Who knows?

We live in an ever changing world and we must keep up with the times.

Just my opinion.

As I Remember "Show Business"

2008-05-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

I was talking to my Mom on the phone today talking about some of the things we have been both reading about magic and magicians on the web - that I am not going to go into at this time.

And about "old show business" the art of doing shows that I will be posting about at this time. One of the interesting things about the "old world show business" is that they - performers like my Dad did not have to provide the sound system when they were booked to do a show. The music (at least a three piece band) and the sound system was provided by the night club or the venue that he was performing in. It was only later did my Dad get a portable sound - mike and PA system that was battery operated - to use when doing a magic show. This was a small system and only good for small rooms.

I have owned and used several different kinds of sound systems. The one I am using now is a fender portable sound system and it gets the job done. It has two speakers - plug in’s for several mikes, two plug in’s for music, and it is good for small to medium large rooms. I have used it and it worked well for both outside and inside shows.

Getting back to my Dads day and how much show business has changed over the years. He performed in places that were set up to do a show in. Places like night clubs that have stages with lighting and all the extra's that help make a great show greater - because they used to have stage-hands and lighting people working in the clubs to make the show run smooth.

Today I almost never performed a show in a place that was built to have a show. I do most of my work in schools, libraries, The YMCA, Recreation Halls, homes, festivals, block parties, back yards, banquet halls, basements and even bowling allies. Having a stage manager or stage hands or a dressing room in the places that I do shows isn't something that is part of the deal.

Like Max Malini said, "I am the show!"

My dad used to say in show business - you play the best and the worst, "That’s Show Business".

Just my opinion.

Or perhaps just "our" opinion!

Onward and upward!

What I Have Been Thinking About!

2008-05-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

What has been on my mind is to - starting to write sort of a magic magazine or a magic newsletter magazine like the Phoenix or the Bat or the Gen. Sort of a newsletter as a way of documenting my magic routines. I have been thinking of calling this project or this E-Newsletter because I am going to do it in E-Book format - The Real Deal.

Because the magic material will deal with poker routines and stacking and culling methods. I have been thinking about writing them all up in this way because I am working on several books - one on the punch deal and how to use the cull with the punch. Another on how to cull and stack using the Triumph shuffle. And another book on the shell game and three card monte. My thoughts are doing it as a newsletter perhaps one chapter per issue.

That way when it is all put together each of them will be a book. And that may be a good way to get these book projects completed.

Again this is not something that I would be releasing to the magic community. Or putting a price on it and selling it to magicians. My only interest in doing this kind of a thing is to document my work. Because no one in or out of magic has done or invented anything like what I do with the punch - and that is culling cards with the punch. And no one in magic has done the stuff I do with the triumph shuffle. And that is culling and stacking on the fly using the triumph shuffle.

But as for selling this kind of thing to magicians - I already said, "It just isn't my thing"!

Selling Magic Tricks

2008-05-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

It just isn’t my thing! (Laughing). I am not in the business of selling magic tricks or products to magicians. I am not in the business of doing lectures or having a dealers table full of magic stuff that I put out and sell to magicians. That is OK for some magicians but not me.

What brings this to mind is the three little wood, very small flower pots that would work so great for the shell game. I know if this were back in the old days of the old Bishop’s magic shop. And my Dad was still alive - he would get really excited about this find. And he would take the time to find out just where he could buy these little wood flower pots wholesale. Then get me to twist my shell game routine to fit the flower pots - then package it and sell it at the magic shop as a new product.

Then sell it at magic conventions at a dealers table. That is what I did with my DieNamic Diamonds routine. I had them made up at one time and sold it at a few lectures and at the magic shop for about a year before we closed the store.

I love going to an arts and craft store and scrounging for new stuff to make a magic trick or to make a new magic trick. But I do that for my act - not to make up a product to sell to magicians. I have written a few books and produced a few DVD’s for a time. And I did sell some to some magicians for a time - to offset the cost of doing the projects. But I never considered myself in any way a dealer - and doing that for a living or a part time job…

Just isn’t my thing.

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward.

More Stuff Going On

2008-05-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

Another day in the life of a professional magician. Spent time on the phone today calling my clients and making sure nothing has changed - time - location etc. For the shows I have coming up over the weekend and next week. This is the time I get I also get directions to the show location to help me get there on time.

Besides high school grand nights I am also doing family magic shows. Lately I have been doing a few shows for the boy scouts. One of the scout groups wants me to teach a magic trick at the end of my show. I have noticed that the scout troops have an interest in magic and even have a chapter about magic in one of the scout manuals.

Went scrounging yesterday and got a cool find. Three small cups that look like three small buckets. That I will use after I get the right size balls for a mini set of the cups and balls.

Also I went scrounging at an arts and craft's store (my favorite kind of magic store) and found another cool find. Small pots spun out of wood that are like very small flower pots - very good for the shell game.

Cool stuff going on.

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

Working - Doing Magic Shows

2008-05-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

Last night I was doing close up magic in one of the restaurants that I perform in - and the last table was a table of about twenty high school kids. I think that they were a team of some kind that came into the place after the game - to have some pizza.

Doing close up magic for this kind of an audience is very cool because I can do some of my solid card work - and then add on the extra stuff like the matrix coin routine and other magic routines and build to a strong finish. Not only a strong finish for the act. A strong finish for the evening just because it timed out to be the last table that I did that night.

I think that it is great to be able to get a large table going - and be able to have the whole restaurant see this table rocking and enjoying the magic. It shows just how close up magic can benefit a restaurant when this happens - the room see's the customers enjoying the entertainment.

Also one of the cool things about this time of year - because I am working and doing shows so much - I seem to become more creative. That is I get ideas for magic tricks. I have a new hat and dice routine that I came up with that I plan to put together. That may replace my coins and anvil and hat routine. It will take some time to get the props together and time to work it out.

But for me - working out new ideas about magic is one of the cool things about doing magic.

And it is very cool to be able to make a living doing what I love doing.

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

Monday Mourning Workout!

2008-05-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

Nothing much to do today on my agenda except to work out and then rest up from the weekend of doing shows and running around.

One of the things I like best about getting in shape again is that the more that I do - the more I can do and want to do. The human body is funny in that way. It seems that the less a person does or the less I do - the less I want to do - and the less I can do.

In changing my diet one of the things that I have done is to cut back on the bread that I eat. I am the kind of guy that "loves" sandwiches and different kinds of meat sandwiches. I have replaced the bread with what is called at the supermarket as the wrap. So instead of doing a sandwich I do a wrap.

One of my favorite wraps for lunch is fresh spinach, fresh tomato slices and then toss the meat onto it. Sometimes I use barbecue sauce and fry up in olive oil some chicken - ham or pork with some mushrooms - add barbecue sauce and then I drain off the liquid (fat) and then I put it on a wrap over the fresh spinach and the tomato's.

In my diet I also have shelled peanuts and other nuts as well as a little semi sweet chocolate candy. I have been hearing on TV a lot that eating these things along with avocado could have a lot of health benefits. And to my surprise - the TV show said that some of this food would help target and get rid of belly fat.

Wow wouldn't that be cool - food that I like that targets belly fat. Of course I am keeping in mind something my mom used to say, "Everything in moderation nothing to excess".

Last week I was working out and my wife was down here working on the computer. In our gym/office/magic storage room/basement. I put my weight belt on (to start working out) and showed her how I could pull it up to the "third notch" in the belt. My wife got me the weight belt for Christmas and at the time I could only tighten it to the first notch belt hole.

Nothing like "progress".

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

Getting There - Part Two - And Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

As I am talking about getting there. That is, the drive to the show to get there with enough time to set up the act and be ready to perform at the agreed upon time. I remember being up in Michigan doing a month of hypnotic shows for grand nights. The shows for grad night parties for high schools are usually after midnight.

Well it as about 2:00 in the mourning and I was driving from the hotel down the highway to get to a high school to do one of these grad night shows. And because it is two in the mourning I am taking my time - getting to a show at 2:00 AM and just trying to find a place at 2:00 AM when you have never been there before can be an experience.

At 2:00 AM getting directions from a gas station is out. Also if something happens to your car at 2:00 AM - that can be a problem. So I always drive with caution and stay in the speed limit.

Getting on with the story - this big pick up truck with all kinds of fog lights pulls up behind me while I am going down the highway. Besides extra lights on the front end it has a row of lights on top of the cab of the pick up truck - like a rack of stage lights.

When it pulls up behind me it is so light it is like the inside of my car became daytime. This pick up truck pulls around me - passes me - toots his horn and speeds off into the night. About thirty minutes go by and I see up way up ahead in the distance - police car lights. As I get closer to the lights I see it is three police cars and what looks like the same pick up truck on the side of the road - the pick up truck looks like it's front end is pushed in from a crashing into something - as I drive by it seems that this pick up truck hit a deer.

Fortunately the person driving seemed OK and there were three squad cars there.

Another getting there story happened yesterday and I got lost driving to a gig. Part of the reason is the road construction that is happening on highway 65 here in St. Louis. And the other part is the road construction that is happening in downtown St. Louis. Well driving to the gig I got lost and I was about ten minutes late.

Being late for a show doesn't happen very often but it can happen when trying to get to a show. At this gig I was to start with close up magic and then do a comedy stand up show. So I got there - checked in with the contact person. Everything was fine - And I started right away with close up magic - the audience liked what I did then I set up the stand up stuff while they handed out some awards.

They served lunch and then I was on - I did the stand up magic. The stand up magic was - Vanishing cane, Linking rings, Sticks, Chain escape, Balls in the jar, Knotted silks, Split deck, Stand up sponge ball routine, King monte and the hydrostatic glass.

Then I did extra time in the end after the stand up show doing more close up magic. The client was pleased with the show and the close up magic - and that about brings this getting there story to the end.

So to close this post I would like to say.

"Happy Mother's Day"!

Getting There!

2008-05-10T05:57:00.000-07:00

I often write about how the hardest part of the show is "getting there"!

Getting to the show so that I am ready to go on at the agreed upon time. But besides the energy it takes to "get there" and I have had a lot of long driving time in a car or a van. This is over the past 25 years of doing all kinds of different shows.

Often on the drive - there is a chance to see stuff that if I was the kind of person that didn't get out and have to drive through many states - well I just wouldn't have had the opportunity to see some interesting things while on the road.

It was just last week that I was driving to a gig in Illinois and as my van was going down the highway along side the road a large black vulture was taking off. It was a large black bird with a red head - about the size of a red tailed hawk. It took off and flew along with my van I think it was using the wind off the van to help it gain height.

Years ago I was driving in Utah and it was at about three in the mourning. It was winter lots of snow in the mountains. I had to pull off the highway to get gas for the van. I pulled into a gas station and a giant horned Owl took off from a lamppost and flew across the road. This bird of prey must have had at least a 6 foot wing span.

I was driving west to the magic castle to perform a week of shows in the close up gallery and I was driving by the canyon's of Utah. This was summer time so no snow. As I was driving by one canyon the sun was reflecting off the canyon walls. It made the canyon look like it was solid gold, man that was a sight to see.

By the way this blog is about two years old now. I started it two years ago in may. I guess that would make the may month an anniversary month for this blog.

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

A Weekend In The Life Of A Professional Hypnotist!

2008-05-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

It's crunch time! The time of year that I am busy doing all nighter's often called project graduation parties for high schools. And this is what it is like for me when I am out on the road doing this kind of a show.

I was booked to do a show at 3:00 AM in a town just north of Champaign IL. Four hours away at three O'clock in the mourning. What is it like to do a show so early in the mourning? Well the only problem I have in show business is the "getting there" so I can be "on time" to go on at the agreed upon time!

So with the show Saturday night - but really Sunday mourning I make plans to leave Saturday evening to do a show at 3:00 AM Sunday mourning. Before I leave for the show I go though the things that I need to do to "get ready" to do a show. Just because it is a comedy hypnotic stage show doesn't mean that I don't have to get ready.

When I do a magic show I have to check the magic props. When I do a hypnotic show the most important thing to check is the sound system and write out my sound effects and music cue sheet. This is an outline of my hypnotic show that I put on a clipboard.

I use the clip board and cue sheet so when I am performing I know what hypnotic routine is coming next and can cue a sound effect - like the sound of a fly buzzing. That the subjects (the volunteers from the audience) will shoo away. Using sound effects adds theater to the show and with the added theater makes the hypnotic stunts a lot funnier. As the audience members take part in a riot of thrills and laughs.

After I did my cue sheet I used my map software to do up a map of the location of the show, my wife took the kids shopping. Besides shopping she gassed up the mini van and picked up a few things for me. Two nine volt batteries for my microphone. A few candy bars and Sun chips for my trip. Plus a six-pack of diet Dr. Pepper.

Besides the junk food for the trip - she picked up two new polo shirts for me. Size large, because my other polo shirts are way to large for me. I went from a size polo shirt that was XXL to a large in about two years. It was two years ago at this time that I started working out and changing my diet.

I ware one of the new polo shirts for the trip but change into a suit and tie before the show.

I leave the house at 5:00 PM. Because it is 4 hours away I want to get there when there is still some daylight hours left. If I leave the house at 10:00 PM and something goes wrong with our van - it is harder to get road maintenance for a car in the early hours of Sunday mourning. Plus I have the need to get there and be there to be ready to go on at the agreed upon time. If something did go wrong with the van. Or I got into a car accident I would have some time before the gig to solve the problems. Getting back - that is often the easy part - getting there is the hard part.

I got to the high school early enough to run through my sound effects cue sheet more than just a few times before the show. I set up the sound system. I am ready to go on thirty minutes before the agreed upon time. As I was bringing in the sound equipment I notice they have a Vegas room so the kids can play and win prizes playing cards - Texas Holdem. I think about going out and doing some card tricks at these tables if I have time.

Then I think about buying a Texas holdem table to use in my close up magic show and wondered how much one of the tables would cost.

I hit my remote to start my entrance music at 3:00 AM. I do the show - lots of fun - lots of laughs - The hypnotic show ended at 4:00 AM. Some of the parents and the students - want to talk to me, tell me how much they enjoyed the show - and ask some questions about hypnotism. I think it is important to take time to answer any questions the students and the parents might have about hypnotism.

Then one of the parents reaches for my radio mike and wants to use it to announce the winners of the prizes for that evening. She did not know that the sound system and the equipment that I used to sound the room was my equipment.

Instead of letting her use my radio mike I rig her a cord mike so she could announce the prize winners. As she is announcing the winners I pack up some of the sound equipment. I always try to have a cord mike handy anyway in case something happens to my raido mike - or it the batteries lose power while the show is on. So the cord mike was fast to rig for her. Letting her use my equipment is part of being "user friendly".

At 4.45 AM... I pack up the rest of the sound equipment - speaker stands - speakers etc. One of the parents a Dad helps me take it to the van. After a show - and at this hour I am a little tired and want to get on the road to drive 4 hours to get home. I stop off at a few rest stops on the way home. This is when I eat a few candy bars and eat a few Sun chips and drink a few bottles of Dr. Pepper.

I pull into my driveway at 8:45 AM Sunday mourning. I unload the equipment and went to bed.

My wife took the kids out shopping and go-carting for the day. After I woke up at 2:00 PM Sunday afternoon I scrambled some eggs and watched a Jackie Chan movie on a DVD.

And that was my Weekend.

I hope you had a cool weekend too!

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

Risk - Escapes - And Glenn Bishop "Bish The Magish"

2008-04-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

There have been times that I have done escape magic in my show. I am talking about serious escape magic now. Not the comedy rope tie escape or my comedy chain escape that I also do in my show. I remember an escape artist from Chicago named Harold Dunheart. He did a chain escape that used several locks and his whole body was chained up.

The big problem with this escape wasn't getting out. It was carrying the chains and locks around from show to show. Man that stuff - the chains and locks - that stuff "is" heavy.

I have invented a full body chain up escape using several locks. Different than the Harold Dunheart escape. I wanted a full body chain up that I could do and use as an underwater escape. I have done it on stage in the same presentation of the 100 foot rope escape. As in the 100 foot rope escape - it takes me half the time to get out as it takes a committee to chain me up and lock me up in this body chain.

I have also used it as an underwater escape to good effect. And have had thoughts of building a water tank to jump in - after the audience chains me up. And do this as an underwater escape in full view of the audience. Although it might be spectacular it is a lot of hardware to carry around when doing a show.

If I used this chain escape in a river or lake as an escape. Like at some riverfront festival. I would have to dive the river first where the escape is going to be. That’s the thing about escapes is that there is a lot of pre-planning work that has to be done before the show. Diving the river to make sure it is deep enough. How strong the current is. And if there are any tree branches that I might get tangled in. Or rocks I might skin myself or hit my head on when I jump in. These things must be investigated before the stunt happens.

I think that a lot of amateur escape artists can get hurt - and there have been a few that got seriously hurt doing an escape. It happens when they don't pre-plan and pre-rehearse and pre-investigate the site before the escape stunt. Doing some of these stunts can really hurt the performer because there is a risk to it.

Yes, escape magic in my opinion there is a "risk" to it.

It is not "Children's magic" or "Childs play!"

But in opinion - the pay off of doing serious escape magic has to be worth lugging all that heavy equipment around. And worth the risk!

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

Houdini The Movie Star

2008-04-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

Kino came up with a really neat DVD set that I got last week. It is called Houdini the movie star.

And for a magician and a Houdini fan like me - it's really cool. It has the silent movies Houdini starred in back when movies were still young and vaudeville was still the top form of entertainment in America.

Houdini was one of the highest paid vaudeville stars if not the highest paid vaudeville star of the time. There are stories about theaters knocking down walls to add more seats to a theater when Houdini was booked into a town.

He generated ticket sales by doing some kind of an outside escape. He jumped into a river while handcuffed and chained - or did his underwater packing box escape. Or perhaps he might generate publicity by doing the upside-down straitjacket escape. And that is one of the cool things about this DVD set. There is some live film footage of Houdini doing a few outside escape stunts in this DVD set.

Escapes were also part of his movie plots and in some of the films including "The Master Mystery, Terror Island, The Man from Beyond, Haldane of the secret service". Houdini uses the straitjacket escape and some of his other escapes that are written into the plot. And end the silent serial in a cliff hanger ending to be concluded next week. In grand cliff hanger style.

As far as his acting in these silent films. I would say that Houdini was as good or bad as any actor of the silent movie era. But I must add that the Houdini films went for drama and adventure not comedy as silent films are often remembered. The Houdini films were also a little ahead of their time. The plots included submarines, electric television periscopes, and what some film historians might call the first movie robot ever to appear in a movie serial.

One of the neat features is a fragment of film out of "The Grim Game". This is where Houdini was swinging on a rope from one bi-wing airplane to another. In order to rescue his costar that I assume was just taken away in an airplane by a villain. During the shoot the two airplanes hit each other and then crashed. No one was hurt. The cameras kept rolling and they used the crash footage in the film. A fragment of this crash footage still survives in this DVD set and it is one of the highlights of Houdini on film.

As a Houdini fan I must add that their were a lot of amateur magicians that did not like Houdini and within the magic community there was a lot of negative comments about his acting. And the magic he did in his full evening stage show. However Jack and Anne Gwynne who I have met and talked a great deal about Houdini.

Jack and Anne Gwynne knew the Houdini's and Hardeen - Houdini's brother quite well. Jack Gwynne built the vanishing chicken trick and a few other props that Houdini used in his full evening show. These magic props were also used by Houdini's brother Hardeen in the Hardeen show after Houdini died.

Jack Gwynne said that he was a great magician. And a good close up card magician as well. Jack Gwynne was a vaudeville and night club magician. That later on had a full evening magic illusion show. Later on in the 50's he was the magician that performed on the ABC super circus television show twice a month on the Super circus side show.

In the book about John Scarne "Against the odds". John Scarne writes about taking magic lessons from a magic shop dealer and performer Frank Ducrot. Who said and this is recorded in John Scarne’s book. "That Houdini had a great show that season."

Frank Ducrot was a professional magician that did vaudeville and privet party work. And besides magic was also performing the Punch and Judy puppet show. While I was learning about Punch and Judy from Jay Marshall who knew Frank Ducrot - Jay Marshall talked quite highly about Frank's handling of the puppets and his magic.

What has Punch and Judy have to do with Houdini? Well, according to Jay Marshall, Houdini also performed Punch and Judy when he was performing in the circus and just breaking into show business. Long before he was doing escapes for publicity and long before he became "Houdini the movie star"!

Onward and upward!

Still, another day in the life of a professional magician.

2008-04-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Spent a few hours this mourning up-dating my web sites again and checking my statistics. I added a link to the new story interview that happened last month in the St. Charles Journal. It is interesting for the last month in a half - customers have commented about that interview.

Saying that they saw it when they came into the restaurants I perform close up magic at and on the phone when booking me for a show. Later today I have more office work to get done for a few more shows I have booked for next month and the summer season.

My mind is on some new stuff that I am building and working on for my stage show. I have about four or five things that I am putting together to make the show look larger. And taking a few of my old magic props and dusting them off and using them in this years program.

I am very happy the way things are going right now. With bookings and expanding both my business and my program and taking the show in the direction that it is going in. By the way when I say show - it is really shows because I have more than one program. I do close up magic, stage magic, large scale illusions with escape magic, plus a comedy hypnotism program.

Well, I have to get on with my day.

Thanks for stopping by.

Onward and upward!

Another "Really Big" Show!

2008-04-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

I almost called this post "Yet - another day in the life of a professional magician". This is real show business and it isn’t all glamour.

Up at 7:00 AM to get ready for a one O’clock show-time. This show is for a senior group for my local park district. They wanted a larger show for about 60 people that were going to be in the audience and the room that we were going to do the show in was a medium sized meeting room.

At about 8:00 AM - I check the larger props over because this is a larger show and I am using things like the take apart rabbit vanish. A production of a live rabbit out of a bunch of silks that were just produced out of the phantom tube.

I am also doing one of my favorite big illusions, that I built many years ago with my magician friend Al Bach. This was the old cane cabinet illusion and we built this from the information that was in the Tarbell books. The cane cabinet became known in my show as the star chamber.

After the big stuff is checked and cleaned it is loaded in the van. Now it is starting to rain - another show loading in the rain - that’s show business. After the big stuff is loaded the small stuff goes into the van including the fender sound system. I bring my own mike stand - in case I need it.

We - my assistant and I leave the house at 11:30 to get there early enough to solve any problems that may happen before the show. And to be able to set the show and the sound system and do a sound check - before the show.

We get to the show and it is still raining - we unload - after we unload the rain stops. We set the show and run a sound check and we are ready to go on about twenty minuets before the agreed upon time. Now I set my vanishing cane. A trick I often do when I am using a music opening.

They introduce me - Glenn Bishop "Bish the Magish".

I cue my own music by remote and it starts - Vanishing cane - hydrostatic glass (To Music) After this I cue the music by remote to stop and I start talking. Linking rings, Chinese sticks, knotted silks, The star chamber (with my assistant I cue the music again). Next trick after the star chamber is a talking trick - the card duck, balls in the jar, split deck, chain escape, disks off ropes (this trick I cued a music background to change the beat of the show).

Then I did my jumbo three card monte routine and after that a sponge ball routine where the ball vanishes from my hand and two sponge balls appear in a spectators hand. Then I do it again, but as the spectator opens their hand - instead of just two sponge balls appearing in their hand, they have about eight sponge balls - that appear in their hand.

I closed the show with the phantom tube. After I cued the music I produced two large silks from the phantom tube - one silk streamer. Then from this bunch of silks I produced a live rabbit.

Then as a final I put the rabbit into a box and then I take the box apart and the rabbit vanished.

People asked me after the show - "where did the rabbit go?"

I told them, "the rabbit went up my sleeve!"

After that we took apart the show and loaded it back into the van again - drove home and then unloaded the van - (Because it is the family car). I am back to being a Dad again just before my kids get home from school.

And that is - yet, another day in the life of a professional magician.

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward.

Restaurant Table Magic - Finishing Strong!

2008-04-20T06:13:00.000-07:00

One of the really cool things about performing magic in a restaurant is the contact with the people. It is a chance to showcase what you do in front of people. Work out new and old ideas into something new that the magician can use.

One of the really fun times of performing happened the other night while I was performing magic in this restaurant that I do each week. This kind of thing happens often for me. And it is one of those things that shows the value of having close up magic in a restaurant.

It is late in the evening and I have about three tables left that want to see close up magic. I bring the three tables together and do all three tables at the same time. Bringing them together and making them into a small audience watching a small magic show.

The cool thing is that when I do this I have a whole side of the restaurant rocking to my performance of magic. So in a way - I stand out more. People and the management can see me doing a magic performance and most of the restaurant will take notice that there is a magician there. And he is entertaining the crowd - not just at one table.

Then I finish the show - the audience applauded (in a restaurant). I shake hands with the owner who was watching with all smiles. And walk out the door - finishing the evening "strong".

To me that's cool.

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

Learning New Things - (My Opinion)

2008-04-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

Did a show last night and I was doing the hydrostatic glass and I spilled the water - in the moment that I turn the glass up-side-down - instead of staying in the glass the water spilled out. I looked at the glass after the show and it was cracked.

I don't use that much water for the trick so there is little mess. I also have a hand towel to use if needed in easy reach. So basically - the trick did not work!

When this kind of thing happens in real time in a real show in front of an audience there is not that much you can do about it. Just close the trick down and move on with the show. The thing that I have learned through experience is that it is a live show and accidents can happen. They don't happen often but they can happen. Once and a while a trick doesn't work and the best thing to do is to laugh at the misfortune or the mistake and move on to the next trick.

The odd thing is that I have been doing the hydrostatic glass for about 35 years and it has been a part of my show for that long of time. I have spilled the water only once before when I was just learning the trick back in my days when I performed at Bit "O" Magic. This was a magic restaurant on the south side of Chicago.

At that show I learned to use less water in the trick.

Today I have thoughts of retiring the hydrostatic glass and replacing it with a FU can.

Performing magic shows live - its fun to be fooled and part of the fun of a live show is the rare occasion of when one of the magic tricks - in a magic show it doesn't work right and fools the magician.

It can happen - and it can be part of the fun of a live show.

Just my opinion.

Another Day In The Life Of A Professional Magician

2008-04-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

Lots of things going through my mind this mourning. Lets see - fix my kids breakfast and get them off to school.

Just finished a great book called "A Cast Of Friends" by Bill Hanna with Tom Ito. It was about the cartoon studio of Hanna-Barbera. Like a lot of kids I grew up watching the Hanna-Barbera cartoons and remember the classic cartoons Ruff and Reddy, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear and Quick Draw McGraw.

I remember when The Adventures Of Jonny Quest and the Flintstones were on in the evening as part of "prime time" television.

The book is a great read and it talks about how they went from inventing Tom and Jerry for MGM and going on to becoming the leading cartoon studio for television - Hanna-Barbera.

It also talks about some things that I feel that - is just one of those things that happens in show business. And that is that it seems that people is show business that are entertainers or in the business of making entertainment as a product. They all seem to end up in the same place - sort of when the entertainment is packaged and sold.

It doesn't matter if the product is a cartoon or a magic show. Or a music show or a talk show in my opinion. The ingredients of what makes the entertainment - the care - the love - the fun - the energy - the need for the contact with the audience. And the need for the audience to care about the performers and what is going on - on the stage or the TV screen. It is basically the same in each of the different performing stages.

So each of us in my opinion sort of end up in the same place.

Getting on with my day - Time to work out, then lunch and then catch up on some office paper work. And then I am off to do a show this evening.

And if you are into cartoon magic the way I am “A Cast Of Friends” is a great read!

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

It Was A Gift - (My Opinion)

2008-04-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

I do feel lucky in a way that I grew up around magic and it ended up to be the thing that I wanted to do in my life. I write a lot about show business and magic here in my blogs. And because I get out there and do shows - a lot of what I write about is things that I learn from the experience of doing shows. Little things like doing a sound check before the show and before the audience gets there.

Getting there on time - so there is enough time to work through any staging or performance problems that the venue might have. Again before the audience gets there. I remember years ago when I was doing MC work at a restaurant that had magic. And one of the most interesting things was that a lot of the magicians, that were performing a stand up act in this restaurant - were not ready to go on at the agreed upon time.

As the MC I had to go out there and warm up the audience - with a joke or a magic trick so that they had enough time to load a prop or do something - or whatever they had to do to get ready to go on. One of the big things that I learned from my Dad was that one of the big ways - you can tell a pro is that they are ready to go on at the agreed upon time.

In the real world of show business the client - might ask the magician performer to wait and the show might be delayed for one reason or another. This doesn't bother the user-friendly pro and they bend and are agreeable to the clients needs - but the pro is ready to go on at the agreed upon time.

More Opinion.

As I said I learned things from my Dad and growing up around show business. And as I remember I would be at some show business party and be working on a card trick or a move.

And as I remember - a magician like Jack Pyle, Don Alan or Ed Marlo would see me over on the side with a deck of cards in my hands. They would come over and show me something. I used to value moments like that as if they gave me a thousand dollars.

Because to me the time that they spent with me and what I learned listening to people that knew and lived show business - to me was priceless!

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

My Weekend Movie Pick - And Other Opinion

2008-04-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend movie pick is a great film. Second Hand Lions starring Michael Caine, Robert Duvall and Haley Joel Osment. And this is a fantastic film in my opinion. In a Hollywood that seems to put out a lot of mindless shoot them up action films where there seems to be an explosion every ten minutes.

Or people getting shot for little reason. It is nice to see a good film that has action - is well written with a great thought provoking story. With outstanding acting by the all star cast.

To me Second Hand Loins is a great film.

Other opinion's!

I don't talk about the magic shows or the hypnotic shows that I do because it is hard to describe the audience reaction and not sound egotistical. The bottom line for me is that the audience is pleased with the performance. And if the audience is pleased with the performance the client that booked me is pleased - and would want to book me again when they need entertainment for another gig or performance.

The big thing with me is getting to the show early so I have enough time to set up the sound system and solve any problems with the venue in staging the show so the audience can see it.

Often when performing a show in a Banquet situation the problem is staging the show. Because often the people that run the banquet hall - they often set the room up to bring out the food smoothly. And don't set the room up for an evening of entertainment - so the audience can see it.

Getting there early can help solve any staging problems and give the entertainer enough time to set up their sound equipment.

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

Two Days In The Life Of A Professional Magician - Hypnotist!

2008-04-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

Day One - I am booked to do an hour of walk around magic and then a 45 minute to an hour hypnotic show at a country club. I thought I would take the time and write about what it takes to do such a show.

Last night - I worked out the show routine for the hypnotic bits with the music. I also tested my sound system and packed it up. I spent most of the evening going over what I am going to do in my hypnotic show. I put the routine and the music on a clipboard. Then I used the computer and my map software to get a map of where I am going - where the show location is.

Day Two - 7:00 AM - Check the equipment and my packing list to make sure I do not leave anything behind. Sound system and mike. Music, extension cords.

I spend most of the mourning going over the magic equipment and the sound equipment and make sure it is clean and presentable. My suit is dry cleaned - I pack the equipment. I am bringing along a chair suspension and my stand up magic - just in case I need it. But I probably won’t need it but I still like to have it in the car in case I need it.

Day Two - 10:00 AM - I spend time on the web and re-do two of my web pages at my bishmagic web site. I have decided not to sell any more DVD’s at this time. And I have no idea if I will put them back on my site and use it to sell any DVD’s any time soon. So I spent time up-loading the new html.

Day Two - 3:00 PM I am off to the show location and on the way I stop at a radio shack to buy new batteries for my mike and sound system. I like to use new batteries for every show. And have back up’s in case a battery has a power problem. I also have a back up mike with a cord standing by in case I have a problem with my radio mike.

Showtime for the close up is at 6:00 PM. And show time for the stand up comedy hypnotic show is at 7:00 PM. The show location is a country club about 125 miles away. So I like to get there early to set the sound system and do a sound check at least an hour before I start the close up walk around.

That way I have the time to solve any performance problems and then relax a bit before I start the walk around - and then after the walk around is done I am ready to start the hypnotic show when they need it.

At 6:00 PM I do the close up magic walk around and make as many friends in the audience as I can. Performing close up magic before the hypnotic show gives the audience an opportunity to meet me and like me. We - become friends and that helps in getting volunteers up on the stage for the hypnotic show.

About 7:00 PM - I am ready to start the hypnotic show when the client wants to start the show. Getting there early to solve any show problems helps make the evening of entertainment run smoothly for the entertainer - the client and the audience in my opinion.

Around 10:00 PM - after I pack up the sound equipment and load everything into the car I drive home - another 125 miles. And that is two days in the life of a professional magician.

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

I Get "Jazzed" About Doing Hypnoticmagic!

2008-04-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

I don't order that much magic - but I just spent some money on a new DVD set that is coming out on the market. It is a movie 3 DVD set about Houdini in the movies. It is suppose to have all the Houdini films on it. Plus rare footage of him performing publicity stunts. As most people know that read this blog I am a Houdini fan. So I am looking forward to this DVD set.

I also ordered a small cups and ball set for my restaurant work. I am getting tired of caring around the large set and this small set should fit in a pocket - making room for more tricks.
Neat stuff.

I am also booked to do a one hour close up gig and after the close up magic I am going to do about a one hour comedy hypnotic show at a country club. The show is this Thursday. I have no idea if it is open to the public or not. This is one of my favorite kinds of shows to do because I get to do magic as a warm up - and then comedy hypnotism as s strong feature program of entertainment.

I really enjoy being able to make a living doing what I do.

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward.

Performing Magic In Today's World (My Opinion)

2008-04-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

I wrote this up in my blogs several times. It is my opinion of part of what it takes to become a successful performing magician. And perhaps become a professional magician that is making a living off performing magic shows for the lay audience. To me there is a difference in doing magic as a hobby for fun - and doing magic for a living and selling it as a service in the entertainment world that is part of “SHOW BUSINESS”!

It has been often said in magic books the secret of how to become a success in magic is to- Practice, Practice, Practice.

This is the way I look at it - Practice – Practice – And build up a Practice!

1, PRACTICE - Writing, Scripting and practice the magic routines over and over again when they learn it and then add it to their show. This would be the scripting and the rehearsing part as they learn magic tricks and learn to structure a magic routine - for close up or stage magic.

2, PRACTICE - The magic routine in front of people as they perform the routine in a live show. As a magic show, there is a beginning a middle and an end. And the magic show should build to a climax or a final.

This is a very important and often missed form of practice. Because as they perform the routine over and over again in front of people they will learn new bits of business and lines and how to make the magic effect more entertaining.

This is the re-scripting part where the magician should make changes and edit the show based on the reaction of the audience. Keeping in the strongest magic routines and bits of business as they perform magic - over and over again over time. And taking out the items that don’t work.

During this time of editing new bits of business can be added because through the performance in front of the live audience. New bits, gags, jokes will be thought of by the performer as they perform and also said by members of the audience. But also over time the magic, the act, the technique and the magician get better and improve as the act gets honed and sharpened with a professional edge.

The magician will also learn what kind of magic and magic technique will work in the real world of performing magic - in the non theater style venues and real life performing situations - in today’s modern show business world.

And they will learn about what magic tricks and magic technique that doesn't work for them while performing and editing their show - in front of real audiences over time.

In my opinion the magic, show, technique and the magician must meet the demands of the market, and the demands of the business.

3, BUILD UP A PRACTICE - Now that the magician has an audience tested act that will meet the demands of most of the clients by pleasing and entertaining the audience. They add to their business knowledge and build up a practice. Like a Doctor or a Lawyer using Direct mail, advertising and other promotional ideas.

And they build a “Practice” of satisfied clients. Then perhaps as a business man they can make money (and maybe a living) off this wonderful art that is sold as a service to the entertainment market as part of “show business“!

Practice - Practice - Build Up A Practice!

Just my opinion.

Just One Of Those Days!

2008-04-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

I am having a great day and a great week. You ever have one of those nights, days, weeks when you are just having a great time. I have been having one of those time right now. Last night was a great night of performing close up magic in the restaurant I do each week. It was one of those nights when people came into the restaurant and wanted to see "me" do close up magic.

People came in after seeing the article that was written about me in the St. Charles Journal. A lot of people came in and a lot of people wanted to see magic.

Besides booking more hypnotic shows this time of year I am also booking some casino nights. I will be doing a kid show to entertain the kids while the parents have fun doing other things - and later I will be entertaining the parents doing things like poker deals - three card monte and the shell game.

Cool stuff.

Remembering - Advice From The Past Masters

2008-03-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

I was very lucky to have been able to spend a lot of time with many of the past masters of magic. Magicians like Don Alan, Buddy Farnan, Jack Pyle, Billy Bishop, Jay Marshall, Jack and Anne Gwynne, Ben Tallman, Tony Marks, Glenn Haywood, Dorny Dornfield and many more.

And in a way I feel a little odd writing this - but in this day and age it may not be a bad idea to take a look back at some of the older ideas of the past masters of magic. I would like to also add that what I am about to say was said almost the same way by every one of the great magicians and entertainers that I met when I was growing up.

The great advice from the past masters is - that in order to be a great entertainer or a great magician. They need to learn how to be a “great audience”.

As I remember all the greats that I sat with in an audience while another act or a magician was performing were great audience members - and they enjoyed the show. In other words they were a good spectator when others performed. Even if it had some bad or less experienced acts in the program or on the bill as they used to say!

Perhaps they talked about this at that time because at the time - back in the 60's - there was less and less live entertainment. And because people have less of a chance to see live entertainment in this crazy world of ours.

People seemed to forget how to be in an audience and react the way a live audience used to react. When I was a kid people used to clap at the start of a movie in a movie theater. Today at movie theaters - people do not clap at the start of a movie. Some people also talk out loud at the movie theater today - and watch a movie at the theater like they are watching something at home on their TV.

Some of these past masters used to talk about - that some people might be losing the habit of knowing how to be a good audience during live shows. People also talk out loud at live shows today and a good entertainer can take advantage and have a conversation with the audience.

The good entertainers the conversational entertainers can use this to draw the audience in.

But getting back to what I was talking about. In order to be a great entertainer or a great magician the person must learn how to be a great spectator or a great audience member when watching others perform. That was the opinion of all the past masters that I met when I was growing up.

After 30 years in the business I understand what they were talking about - and in my opinion I think that they were right.

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

Extra - Extra - Read All About It!

2008-03-26T05:52:00.000-07:00

Today's St. Charles Journal Newspaper features a story about me on Page A-3 in a section called "Odd Jobs". The story is called "He's a magic man" by Jami Cale of the Journal. The story talks little bit about my parents and how I got into magic - and some of the things we have done over the years.

An extra bit besides the interview they also came into the restaurant I work at on Tuesday nights and shot some video of me performing.

Enjoy!