Flying, emotion, and multiplying bottles

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I am of the opinion that David Copperfield's 14th television special - the one where he was flying - is the greatest magic show of all time. That special aired in 1992 and it doesn't surprise me that Copperfield's television broadcasts became few and far between afterwards. I mean, how can you top that? The dude was actually FLYING freely around the stage. Everything about it was perfect - the set, the music, the opening story, the choreography, the hoops and the glass box - all combined to pack one emotional powerhouse of a punch. It was the perfect marriage of stagecraft, lighting, technique, and childhood fantasy. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to watch it here:

 

When I was in college, I had the opportunity to speak with one of Mr. Copperfield's former advisors, who told me something like this: "Everyone in the audience knew what was happening at some logical level - they knew he had to be wearing a harness and using wires of some kind - but no one cared. They were just so wrapped up in the moment that none of that mattered."

This is why David Copperfield remains the greatest stage magician of all time. He understands, more than anyone else, the power emotion has in magical performance. He was never about just "doing tricks." He used magic to tell stories, to remind us of the innocence of childhood, and invited us to dream.

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Flying is surely the best stage illusion of all time even though it might not be the most puzzling one. I can think of several illusions more baffling than flying - Copperfield's own Cocoon and his vanishing airplane spring readily to mind - but it still occupies top spot because most of us have dreamed about being able to fly, but very few of us dreamed of being able to make an airplane disappear.

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All this to say that magicians shouldn't be afraid of doing tricks that might not be as baffling as other tricks in their arsenal. The late magician Eugene Burger was an advocate of a "textured magic show," meaning he believed in inserting some fun tricks that were no great mysteries among the jaw droppers. I agree with this. Most pick-a-card-and-I'll-reveal-it tricks fall into the former category. By now, most people have seen a simple card trick that uses that plot. The rising card sketchpad, magician's insurance policy, or any other card reveal is basically a variation of that plot. Of course an intelligent audience knows that I know the spectator selected the King of Hearts. The joy (I hope) is how I reveal it.

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Now I want to talk about the multiplying bottles.

That is not a baffling trick. It just isn't. I'm sorry, but that's a trick that most audiences can figure out. And if you perform it for an audience of adolescent boys, some of them will happily, and loudly, yell out the explanation during your performance.

But am I saying magicians shouldn't perform it? Absolutely not. I perform it. I do the Ketchup, Fries and More routine put out by Kandu Magic. I like it because it has a surprise ending - the production of the hot dog and the mustard, relish, and Pepto bottles. That's a bonus for me. Most multiplying bottle routines end flat.


 

The thing is, you can't present multiplying bottles like it's some amazing mystery. If you present it that way, I'll either think you're parodying the ultra-serious magician or you're just clueless.

My routine is done to a tongue-in-cheek poem, written in the style of Dr. Seuss, that talks about a young boy's battle with his sadistic babysitter during mealtime. The multiplying bottles, in this case, accent the poem, and make it all an interlude of silly fun rather than deep astonishment.

Only once has a boo boy stood up at the conclusion of the routine to scream: "I KNOW HOW THAT'S DONE!!!"

My reply: "Everyone here knows how it's done, kiddo, but listen to them laughing. Listen to that applause. I don't think they care." 

 

 

 

 

 



 

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