From Ring Reporter Peter Rodgers
With the Omicron variant of Covid-19 rampant in Sydney we decided to revert to Zoom for this meeting. Anthony Dillon had volunteered to host tonight’s meeting on “Classic Magic Effects” and he was happy to change from an in person meeting to a Zoom meeting with the same topic.
Anthony opened the meeting with the simple statement “Classics are classics for a good reason.” He then had Dale Truman, our president open with a ring and ribbon routine performed to music. Dale commenced by tying knots in the ribbon but they seemed to dissolve into thin air. On the third occasion a two inch brass ring suddenly appeared on the ribbon in place of the knot. The ring then came on and off the ribbon without going near its ends. Various moves including Clifton’s Ring Move which was first published in Earl Nelsons Variations in 1978 and has now become a classic move of its own. At this stage we noticed an interloper had gatecrashed our meeting. It was Gingy, an animated Gingerbread Man who performed a basic mathematical mystery using pictures of famous magicians. It is rumoured that Gingy was under the control of our member Jeffery Clark who was joining us from his home in the country town of Cessnock.
Anthony again got control of the meeting and demonstrated a dissolving knot in a handkerchief before handing over to Phuoc Can Hua who tries to perform at every meeting. He started with the Chinese Sticks and he then demonstrated a Breakaway Fan. Phuoc produced a Chinese book published well over 100 years ago in Shanghai, the title translates to “The Grand View of Magic”. The book has illustrations of both effects. Bruce Elliott reproduced in his Classic Secrets of Magic book published in 1953 a list of the most popular tricks currently performed in America. It had been compiled by Robert Orben for Genii Magazine and it listed the Chinese Wands at that time as the eleventh favourite effect.
Terry Fernandes doesn’t like driving at night these days but he joins us at our zoom meetings. He started his performance with Liam Montier’s ‘What Happens in Vegas’ from Alakazam magic. He had a card stopped whilst he dealt cards from a face up deck made of 52 casino decks. He then had a card stopped at whilst he dealt the cards from the deck now face down. Terry then produced a casino chip, the back predicted the casino card chosen and the front the card value chosen. Terry then had an ESP symbol chosen from five ESP cards. His prediction again proved to be correct. John Kanawati removed a card from his pack, it was going to shrink but instead the rest the pack, fanned into a rosette visually diminished, a great illusion that showed up well on our computer screens. Peter Wood commenced his performance but with the vagaries of technology his system crashed.
Anthony again took control of the meeting and filled in with Paul Richards Shanghai Coins were an American half dollar changed to a copper coin and then to a Chinese coin with the hole through the centre. Then the routine went into reverse and the coin changed back to copper then to the Silver half dollar. Anthony then introduced the other Peter, your scribe Peter Rodgers. Peter started by explaining that instead of magic he was going to demonstrate how to cheat at games such as poker. He then performed his gambling routine that he first started to perform in the early 1960’s. The routine started with a Dai Vernon segment including The Last Trick of Dr Jacob Dr. Jacob Daley, Twisting the Aces and the The Vernon Poker Deal all from the Lewis Ganson Books on Vernons routines. He then continued with his own poker deal based on poker deals by Harry Lorayne, Walter B Gibson and other performers and writers of magics classic methods. Peters routine concluded with a quick drunken shuffle.
Peter Wood had managed to reboot his system and Anthony reintroduced him. Peter produced a large six inch ring and a length of rope. He declared it was the magician challenge with four magicians each showing how they would get the ring on and off the rope without passing it over the ends. He demonstrated how Brendan would perform it, then Terry and Phuoc and finally Anthony were the ends of the rope were actually knotted together and the ring ended up knotted to the centre of the rope. Brendon Voight brought out a pack of cards in its tuck case. He showed that the front of the case had a large hole in it. A card was chosen, and Brendon wrote a spectators name on its face. Because it couldn’t be signed during a Zoom presentation he had his spectator nominate a number or a drawing that he could label the card with. The card was returned to the deck and the deck returned to its case. Almost instantly the case was shown to be empty except for the marked chosen card.
Jeffrey Clark showed a playing card size card with a Movie Classification showing. As the classification mysteriously changed a film running as Jeffery’s background changed from General Classification to X-rated. A novel presentation. Jeffery then demonstrated the Mel Stover Calendar trick using a an X-Rated Fireman’s calendar. Conway Restom proved that he was the king of predictions in a novel version of the Classic Everywhere and Nowhere routine. A card was chosen, the 3 of hearts and returned to the deck. Four cards previously held aside each now changed into the 3, and the card in the deck changed to the four kings and then they swap places again. A great routine
We are all hoping that Omicron will decline as fast as it appeared and that our next meeting will be back in person at our Chatswood meeting rooms. Its too early to know but members will be informed well before our next meeting.
Peter Rodgers
Sydney Magic Club 