Symbiotic Relationships

Performers and audience members have a symbiotic relationship. When performers step out of their living rooms and on to the stage, the audience is right there with them, too. Those few moments before the performance starts are ripe with anticipation. What will the performer have to say? How will it be communicated? How will the performance be received? What will the performer learn from the audience? What will the audience learn from the performer? Magic happens when the performer breathes in and the audience breathes back. Performers push through the fear, the insecurity, and the nervousness in hopes of enhancing their own lives and those of the audience. Each trick, each joke, each feeling captures a moment of human emotion to be expressed by the performer and interpreted by the audience. A good performance envelops everyone in the audience, expands their own perimeters, and moves everyone forward, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, on the journey of life. A good performance reminds us all that we are part of a community.



Danny Ngan shot these pics on Easter Sunday during one of my street shows.

Freak du Jour

I met this guy at the market. He made it clear to me that he was a Christian. I've always felt a bit like a freak magnet. Total strangers wanting to tell me their strange stories. I try and look interested and nod politely. At the end of his rant, he asked me innocently. . . , "Have you always been this shallow?" I didn't really know what to say, so I nodded and simply said, "Yes, I have" He then went on to tell me that I needed to find something in my life more important than myself. I said, "I understand".



At one point during the conversation, he took out an old deck of cards, weathered and beat up, just like him. I looked at the cards and and thought, like Jamie Schoolcraft did when he saw my coins. . . . . that's love.

Quote du Jour

"Yes, risk taking is inherently failure-prone.
Otherwise, it would be called sure-thing-taking."

My Old Addiction

This song rips my heart out, then put it back again. A multitude of emotions and meanings that hit, sting and soothe on so many levels.

Chet Baker's Unsung Swan Song • Click Here to listen to a heart wrenching song sung by David Wilcox.

More about Smoke and Mirrors

Here is the Historic Theater in Everett where we performed.



The evening started with the energy of a packed house. Actually, the lower level was at capacity, while there were only a hundred or so people in the balcony. The folks attending this magic show would best be described as a family audience. They were pumped to see the show and the cast could feel the energy from the green room speakers.

From backstage Brian made the opening announcements and introduced me. I love to MC and like to think I take it very seriously. As an MC, I have been trained to accept the responsibility for the tone and pace of the show. It's important to keep the show moving along from act to act and calibrate the energy of the audience between the acts.

At the last moment, I decided to do the "The Ping Pong Ball on the Nose". I hadn't done it in over a decade, but It came off fine. I thought that it was a good quickie to get the show stated.

Everyone did a nice job, and the audience was over the top in their reactions. Between Don's act and Philemon, I performed my coin routine. I love being in the spot light, there's really nothing like it. You can't see a damn thing yet I try and make everyone in the audience feel like I'm looking right at them. Near the end of the second half, before Brian closed the show, I performed "The Dean's Box" with the help of a couple of kids.

I love to ad lib and improvise. I think a lot of the risks I took comedically paid off in huge dividends. I look forward to reviewing the video footage of the evening and perhaps I'll post a bit of what I did that night.

I'd like to thank Brian Cook for the opportunity to be in the show for the 2nd year in a row.

David Copperfield

Time After Time

Chet Baker • Time After Time • Click Here



Time after time,
I tell myself that I'm
So lucky to be loving you,
So lucky to be
The one you long to see
In the evening when the day is through.

I only know what I know,
The passing years will show
You've kept my love so young, so new;
And time after time,
You’ll hear me say that I’m
So lucky to be loving you.

Music and Lyrics by Jule Styne and Sammy Kahn

Pic du Jour • Shawn Greer • Click Here

The Roll Out to The Star

"What I'm about to demonstrate for you is not a magic trick, but a demonstration of dexterity. It's taken me years of practice and self denial. . . literally hours of celibacy to achieve this effect."


"I like to call this, the art of meaningless manipulation. It doesn't mean much. . .but it sure looks good"


"I'm one of 5 guys in the world who can do this. . . . . and no one gives a shit"

Trivia • Who is he, and what is he doing?

Off the web • Pics from Easter Sunday

A fellow named Danny Ngan shot some pics of me at the Market on Sunday. Here is one with some comments he posted to flickr.



Tom Frank was definitely the most popular street performer on Easter Sunday. He was dynamic and funny, and he got the audience involved in his tricks. There were always large groups of captivated people watching his act. In fact, there were so many people that he had to ask people to move in closer. Apparently, the police have warned him on several occasions to not block the street.

Comments:

• Great picture. I love how the hill almost makes it look like you used a fish eye.

•Love it, Dan. especially the straw hat!

• I saw that guy performing a week or two ago. His entire schtick is pretty hilarious.

Resurfacing

I called my brother Mike yesterday to wish him a Happy 42nd Birthday. He said, "What's up with leaving all your blog readers hanging?!" I've been getting phone calls from friends and family, wanting to know what's up. Well, let's just say. . . I've been busy.

Polly left today, I dropped her off at the airport and she's flying back to LA as I write this. I must say that I have a satisfied smile on my face. We had a lovely visit. The 5 days felt like 5 minutes and a good time was had by all.

I picked her up Saturday at 1PM, we had lunch then came to my house to drop off her bags. The plan was then to drive to Everett to do the Smoke and Mirrors Show that evening. They were expecting me at 2PM to go over the show and I received a bit of a reprimand for showing up at 5PM Hey, what can I say? There was still 2 hours before show-time and I got all of the pre-show direction I needed from Brian Cook (Producer) & Kirk Charles (Stage Manager). The show came off fine and I thought I did a good job as MC, if I do say so myself.

After the show I took Polly to the Fenix with me and she got to watch me work some more. She's always been very receptive to my magic. As a more mature individual these days, I understand the fine line of not being an unsufferable magic geek when I'm with her. Again we had a GREAT time!

Smoke & Mirrors Magic Show

Kirk Charles, stage manager


Don Brisbane performed his signature "Paper Act"


Chris, part of Brian Cook's road crew


Jeff Dial, Philemon, Vaclav and Bruce Meyers back stage.


Brian's assistant Jennifer


A pic I took on stage as a gag. I said, "You guys are such a great audience, I want to take a picture of you all for the folks back home. . . can you all squich together a bit for me?" Got a laugh, and a pic.


Polly Lucke down in the green room before the show.


Brian Cook from back stage.