I know it's been said time and time again, but Jack Murray and Dream Illusions really go the extra mile in providing exceptional products and service. Earlier this year, I became interested in purchasing a Fire Cage for my stage show.

I reasearched the various products and illusion-builders on the market and, in large part to the extremely positive comments Jack received here on the Café, I decided to purchase the Fire Cage from him. I had never purchased such a large illusion before (most of my stage effects were either built locally or purchased used), and I was understandably nervous before making the decision.

But Jack went waay out of his way to calm those nerves. Through a series of email exchanges, Jack took the time to point out the strengths and the weaknesses of the Fire Cage (that's right, he even pointed out the weaknesses!). He gave me a very good understanding of the circumstances in which it should be presented and the angles that need to be protected.

Even during the course of construction, I received a number of emails from Jack keeping me informed of the progress and the expected delivery date. Any minor delays were accompanied by a detailed explanation. Although I wasn't in a rush to receive the illusion, the continued feedback was an extremely pleasant surprise.

Then came the big day. I received an email that the Fire Cage had been shipped! I'm sure Jack thought his job was done, but that wasn't to be the case. Canadian customs reared its ugly head and Jack was soon buried in a mountain of paper work. About a month later, Jack was finally able to appease the Customs demi-gods, and the Fire Cage reached its final destination!

That was probably back in late April or early May. The delay in writing this post since then has been entirely my fault. I became extremely busy with Family, work, and performing magic and, as a result, the Fire Case sat as a center piece of my office for the next 2 months. The ATA case remained completely unopened until about a week ago.

Finally, I found the time to move the Fire Cage to my studio and crack open the case. The first thing I saw was a loving attention to how every piece of equipment was packed for shipping. The foam packing within the case was carefully wrapped around each piece of the Fire Cage to ensure it remained in prestine condition. There were even notes telling me exactly how to repack the cage properly to prevent unnecessary damage.

A simple sheet of instructions and 10 minutes later (it took a while longer since this was the first time assembling the illusion), the Fire Cage stood proud and ready to go. It truly was a work of art and the no-bolt assembly made everything completely headache free. I spent the next several days working with my assistant to ensure a smooth presentation of the effect (I had already blocked out the routine on paper long before the effect even arrived) and now we're ready to go!

Without a doubt, this has been the most pleasant purchase experiences I have ever had. Jack Murray really cares about his customers and the products he produces. I would recommend Jack to anyone looking for quality products, designed to last a lifetime!

Kent

Jack Murray rocks!

Very impressive review. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work Jack.

I have had some great experiences in working with Dream Illusions, and would like to share my own personal knowledge of his quality craftsmanship, his customer serivce, and his unique selling points.

Jack Murray of Dream Illusions is a rare breed in the magic world, and I truly hope that he enjoys the greatest success. I would love to see him move to Las Vegas one day and build illusions for some of the great stage shows there. He has worked hard and earned the right to take his place in the world of building magic. Jack has some very "unique competitive selling points", which I would like to outline.

We purchased a Dream Illusions fire cage several years ago. It is one of the most incredible props I have ever had the privledge to work with. One of the wonderful things about the illusions he builds is that they all have Jack's ingenius "quick assembly" construction. You don't need screwdrivers or wrenches to assemble his props. You won’t believe how valuable this is. Some venues don’t give you much time to come in and set up. First you have to haul in all of your cases, and then quickly set up. If you have several illusions to construct, this can eat up valuable time prior to a show. Jack’s quick assembly approach shaves off huge amounts of time before a show -- and after a show when taking it all apart to load back into the truck.

He is also receptive to building new ideas. Even if other magicians think it is a dumb idea, he was willing to listen and give constructive feedback. He is such a kind hearted man who really loves people. I created some illusion designs on my own, and he was able to take those and upgrade them to a professional blueprint and do some mockups. I have observed over the years that Jack Murray is pure genius in so many ways. When we magicians find an ace like Jack Murray, I believe we should do what we can to encourage and strengthen such people. After six years of working with him, I wouldn't even consider going to another illusion builder without first approaching Jack Murray.

Jack's customer service is truly outstanding, and he sets the benchmark of how customer service should be in every industry (not just magic). With Jack, it quickly became apparent that he loves his work, he loves magicians, and he is very passionate about every project he is involved with.

I had a very big show coming up, and one of the stage crew busted a prop by mishandling it. It was an accident, but I panicked. Jack returned my calls quickly, and arranged to have the broken piece shipped to him. He literally put every other project on hold, just to meet my deadline for a show that would open some doors for me. I receive it back much quicker than anticipated, and later learned that he really went the extra mile rebuilding the broken piece.

This is just one of many stories I can think of in the several years I have had the good fortune in working with this individual.

When Jack first had an interest in the fire cage, he approached the Pendragons. Jonathan gave the thumbs up, but, due to the fact that it involves fire, would not put his name to it officially for concern of legal liabilities related to working with fire.

The Dream Illusions Fire Cage is an excellent choice for the seasoned professional illusionist and also for the performer looking to break into bigger stage performances. The full-time pro will appreciate and treasure the quality of the construction that will last for many years to come. The trademark pin construction that provides an accelerated speed of assembly after arriving at a location is unmatched by other illusion builders. The attractive appearance of the prop will intrigue all audience members. The special extras of the illusion to add greater deceptiveness will thrill you as a performer. If you want to perform with fire, you'll love seeing a bigger and fuller level of flames.

For magicians looking to break into the world of illusion shows, the Dream Illusions Fire Cage is a great stepping stone for several reasons. Jack's Fire Cage is absolutely positively the best you can find on the market, as are everything else he works with. Give Jack a call and you'll find him to live up to his reputation in every way.

Check out Doug Malloy's Fire Café at Malloy Modern Magic. It is superior in quality to all fire cages out there.

Sorry to disagree with you Rory, but I use only tubular aluminum in my Fire Cage. Based on the pic on Doug's website both the legs and bars are NOT tubular, which means they are not as stroung!! Dream Illusions FC is the ONLY FC that assembles without fasteners of any kind, something Doug's cannot offer.
I have sold approx. 45 units of my FC and it has been improved 10 times over since the first one due to all these sales.

Jack

A fire cage is a fire cage these days. Now the difference you are going to see is what you the performer has to deal with. With Jacks you have NO bolts to deal with. The fire cage goes together in SECONDS.

This is something you have to think about when you are putting a show together with lots of stuff. The less bolt you have to worry about the faster a show will get assembled. Also when you are touring it is better cause if you forget one bolt at the previous venue. What do you do... Waste time at the hardware store looking for one.

They are both great props. But it comes down to what fits you the best. Jack's fire cages I have seen his in person and it is sturdy and fast assembling. Doug's I have not. So I will leave more comments on Dougs cages for someone that has that knowledge.

Another thought is Jacks Fire Cages comes with and ATA case. This is also another plus.

Cheers

Sorry, Malloy's cage is nicer.

To be honest, they both look great, and I am familar with Doug's amazing craftsmanship, and I have heard great things about Jack, so I don't think you could go wrong with either one. I say we call it a tie game!

P.

Nice review..great seller...keep up the good work!

I have to say I have seen many Illusions Jack has built, all very nicely made. I have also seen Dougs work, very well constructed as well. I think both these gentalmen do great work.

Love Malloy Modern Magic. It seems like all their items POP.... Amazing to the eyes....

Both fire cages sound great, but Murray's cage does sound like a better deal. Less expensive, comes with an ATA case, and sets up and takes apart quickly. Although, I was just wondering if someone could please explain to me exactly what they mean by it assembles without bolts or fasteners of any kind.

A lot of illusions you have several bolts to put the illusions together. With Jack Murrays illusions he builds to where there are no extra small pieces you have to travel with to put the illusion together. And they are made very sturdy.

It is great for traveling performers. Say you left a bolt at the last theater now you have to go to the hardware store and look for that bolt. With Jacks illusion takes that worry out of the picture.

Contact him direct and he can more detailed for you.

Best,

Thanks! I was also just curious as to what makes the connections between the different pieces, because this sounds very helpful.

I can not give out secrets to someones building methods LOL.

Best,

I am triying to confirm the data of who inventend the idea for the Fire Cage, does anybody knows? The Murray looks great