Dear Friends in Magic,
I hope you are well during these chaotic times. Sometimes we can find our bearings by focusing on the work, so let’s start with…
A BIG IDEA
About 30 years ago, I had the great fortune of attending a lecture in Chicago by Tommy Wonder. The Books of Wonder had just been published, but I intentionally hadn’t opened them, wanting to have the experience first.
So glad I waited! Over and over, Tommy astonished me with his routines. I didn’t see or feel anything; the experience of magic was profound. Then it came time for the explanations. When Tommy removed his jacket to reveal what was going on with “The Ring, The Watch, and the Wallet,” a light went on for me: “Oh, I have to work much harder… .”
I’ve learned many things from Tommy Wonder over the years, but I believe his most important lesson is that we need to work better and harder than we think in order to astonish people. Surprise isn’t astonishment; laughter and applause aren’t either. Instead, astonishment happens when the audience doesn’t see, feel, or even subconsciously perceive anything. Nothing. No fishy ripples at the surface of the lake. Nada.
The very finest magicians I’ve seen and known regularly achieve this deeper level of deception—nothing seen, felt, or perceived, then wham! It is Max Maven having you name any card, and it's the very one he has been holding. It’s Johnny Thompson vanishing the salt from the shaker at your dinner table. It is Jeff McBride openly showing his hand on all sides, then closing it and pouring out a coin. It is Teller swallowing the needles. It’s Juan Tamariz borrowing your shuffled deck and instantly cutting to three cards that reveal your selection. Nothing. Nada. No reconstruction possible.
How can we realize this deeper level of deception with our magic? A few things I have learned:
1. The first step is to clearly understand the target. Think of a time when you had no clue—not even the clue of a clue. Never forget what this feels like. Despite countless temptations to settle for less, that’s the forever goal.
2. Ignore the hourly promises of magic ads and vendors. No product, trick, box, prop, or piece of technology will have “it.” They are merely tools with which “it” might possibly be made.
3. This deeper deception requires that we weave together fine work on several levels: excellent techniques, attention management, audience interaction, and timing
4. What we are trying to create is a psychological experience of invisibility that will happen inside other people. Thus, the only way to know if we’ve succeeded is by their visceral reactions, not their socially conditioned ones. That is, by their stunned silence, flushed faces, eyes wide open, and spontaneous exclamations. Don Alan had this exactly right: “Watch their faces; their faces will tell you everything.”
Obviously, creating this deeper deception is difficult and elusive. And it’s easy to lose sight of in our endless hankering for the new. Yet, all I need to snap back to focus is remembering what I learned after Tommy Wonder removed his jacket.
IN THE STUDIO
As I write this, I am preparing for our upcoming 7-Day Master Class in Las Vegas. I started teaching these classes with Jeff and Eugene in 2008. I love getting to know our participants, studying their performances, and helping them achieve their goals.
I will be in Las Vegas for two other classes this year: our Weekend of Wisdom(September 26-28) and the Master Class for Mentalism (October 13-16). I always bring new magic and a major lecture to these events. Perhaps this is the year to study with Jeff and me at the House of Mystery?
Otherwise, my primary project in 2025 is to complete a legacy book about Ross Johnson. You may know that Ross has performed mentalism at the highest level for over sixty years. You also may know that for his entire career he has kept his methods and strategies well under wraps. I am honored to be working so closely with Ross to bring you this major book about his work and career.
The manuscript is moving toward completion by the end of July. After that will come some months of editing and design followed by printing. I will keep you posted about The Ross Johnson Legacy as the year moves forward.
IT’S NOT MAGIC, BUT…
A couple weeks back, I was able to see the recent IMAX film, Becoming Led Zeppelin. If you have any interest in classic rock, you’ll want to check it out.
The documentary is beautifully constructed. It weaves together recently discovered footage of the band’s earliest years with interviews of the three surviving members, alongside a found interview with drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980. It is sometimes quite moving to see Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones watch and reflect on this footage. As Plant says at one point with a heartfelt smile, “I was just a kid.”
Marjorie is a bit younger than me and not a musician, so she missed out on the event that was Led Zeppelin. She asked me to name one song that would help her understand the band. I puzzled over this for a while, then said, “I'll get back to you on this.”
A couple days later, I arrived at what I feel is the right answer: there is not onesong that's able to capture this band. Rather, for me, the defining feature of Zeppelin is how they incessantly embraced diverse musical styles—from American blues (“Bring it on Home”) to English folk (“Stairway to Heaven”), to Indian raga (“Four Sticks”) to Philly funk (“The Crunge”) to Argentinian samba (“Fool in the Rain”) to North African rhythm and themes (“Kashmir”)—and transformed them into songs that became distinctly theirs.
To say it again, they synthesized traditional styles with their own musical ideas and talents, creating something no one else could have come up with. And if you change “styles” to “tricks” and “musical” to “magical,” you’ll understand why I'm feeling inspired by Zeppelin these days.
HAPPENING AT THE PRESS
Since my last installment, Bob Neale’s new book has taken off “with a bullet.” Sales for The Magic of Hope have been strong, and the book is finding its audience. The March issue of Vanish, for example, features a long, detailed, and positive review by Paul Romhany, who concludes by saying it is “one of my favorite books.” (Wow!)
Also, I’ve received many emails, texts, and calls from readers who have connected with one or more of the 7 performance pieces in the book. Taking up one frequent request, we are making available Extra Sun Cards for “When Something Can Be Done.” This way you can sign the sun card and give it to your participant as a gift, as I like to do.
If you are interested in this book of Bob’s latest routines—and our exclusive Companion Pack of bespoke cards for them—please visit us at www.TheoryandArtofMagic.com. While you are there, check out our other high-quality books, performance materials, and supplies!
FINAL WORDS
Thank you for being part of this community and spreading the word to people who might enjoy what we do. Stay in touch and perhaps let me know one magician who performed something that left you “without even a clue to a clue.”
Sincerely, Larry Hass
Real-World Magician
Dean of McBride’s Magic & Mystery School
Publisher, Theory and Art of Magic Press
