Off the web • A Review of Smoke & Mirrors

There was a lot to like in the Smoke and Mirrors show. It was an AWESOME cause, some good magic, the performers were obviously eager to please, the crowd was cool.

I wanted to share some observations in the spirit of friendly feedback, hoping only for positive energy: please don't interpret anything I say as a slam.

Tom Frank was energetic and passionate.

The first act was very visual and smooth. Only one exposure (black suspension of glass) and the crowd was more than willing to forget it. The second act was amusing if a little slow. (Vaudevillian origami was cute, though not really magic... no one minded.)

The third act was Vaclav, I think-- my wife's and my favourite. His set-up and slow build was very cool, great staging... turned the chair suspension into a very cool experience for the crowd. I think the next act was Philemon:

Now this is the set that had the most room for improvement. He had the audience in great anticipation with his smoky entrance and striking appearance... and some amusing patter about death and taxes. Then the audience members up for a... "psychometry reading." I don't think the audience knew the word, and there was some detachment as he "read" things about the specs that they would not acknowledge. The crowd was not with him. The African-American gentleman on the far end, he described him as being fearful based on his sunglasses, and he responded very negatively to that characterization. Rapport was not there. Then the long read on one girl's shoe... he didn't bring her along with the journey. He obviously had some preshow knowledge or is an excellent cold reader, but she timidly acknowledged when he hit and vehemently denied when he missed. It fell flat. Then the credit card / 1040 effect. I suppose that he chose the effect because of the date: April 15. But, the workings were pretty easy: they were given credit cards and randomly offered the selections. It wouldn't take much math skill to realize that no matter what order they provided these columnar integers, the result would be the same. There wasn't enough misdirection as you might get with Ultimate Matrix, the rings on a lock as distraction. As Bob Cassidy said on "Mental Miracles," people are not stupid. If they can get to the method through logic, it's not worth doing. There was a little reaction but the college grads in the audience applauded out of politeness. Sad, because he is capable of SO much more -- his knowledge. Most in the crowd had probably never seen good mentalism. Missed opportunity.

Tom Frank's stuff was great: the rope box was downright excellent.

Then Bruce Meyers. I don't know. Elegant, yet tepid response. The standing rope. The hankie on said standing rope. The floating table, with the tablecloth held. Then he brought up a volunteer WHO HAD ALREADY BEEN UP, (oops) and floated it with her.

Jeff Dial. A slip at the beginning didn't rattle him, which was very very impressive. But, The prop. The coke bottles looked nothing like any coke bottle anyone had ever seen. They screamed nested props. He did a good routine, but the whole thing was so prop-based... my wife thought his patter was too prolix, loquacious, and garrulous. As well as a little obscurantist and obfuscatory.

Then. Brian Cook. Definitely talented at productions. The trench coat was distracting, but he made the ballet of the balls and scarves work. The linking rings, well, the audience seemed to enjoy it and he did it superbly. I have never enjoyed the effect personally but to each his own. Oh, and his assistant while cute, was a bit too demonstrative.

Then the box vanish. Great prop, couldn't see the sub at all. His choreography on it worked. Still I was wanting more connection with the audience, I wanted him to engage us, include us, invite me in with more than mugging and smiles...

Cheers were all about. I don't know if there was were many moments of astonishment. I don't think many were shocked, amazed, or left in wonder by really much of anything they saw (maybe Vaclav - he really engaged the audience fantastically).

I don't mean to knock anyone. I also don't mean to judge it as a magician but as a spectator. I think the audience was entertained, so mission accomplished. I just think the magic could have been stronger overall.