Pete:

I'll just cripple 'em up a little. You can finish them off.

Can you do something about that picture. It's like talking to a shrunken head, Pete. Creepy. Friday lunch, tomorrow?

By the way, the Gazzo pouches are great.

Bro David:

You have the right idea. Exactly. Also, I've found theres's a magician born every minute. ;-)

Will you be at lunch (Castle) tomorrow?

I had my head shrunk, saves money on haircuts too.

Well, you asked for it!

Oh oh, Whit...my picture isn't here?

OK, I figured out how to do it... (I am healing nicely)!!!

Pete,

Does Jay Marshall know you have kidnapped lefty and his younger brother righty?

Seriously, What happened to your mits? Are you okay?

Best,

Dan-

Two years ago I had my right hand operated on to "release" a contracture. (Ring finger was literally stuck closed, I could not extend it)... it healed up 97%.

About a year ago I had my left hand done. It was worse, I couldn't pick coins up off the table...

It is called "Dupetron's Contracture" (spelling is phonetic, I can't remember real spelling)... and is hereditary to those with Viking heritage-my Mother was Danish.

Anyway, both hands at once? NO... Photoshop? Yes... just thought it would be a fun picture.

BTW... Jay Marshall had the same thing with BOTH hands as well.

Stay tooned... all is good NOW...

OH, how did I know when I was fully recovered? When, after three months of therapy I could start to do the Cups and Balls.

Pete

Been practicing those finger breaks again?

Unless I missed it, I'm surprised no one has mentioned Aldo Colombini's FISM routine. Very creative and original, it was unlike the other routines (at least at the time he created it) around. He won a FISM prize with it. How good was the routine? FISM had him do an entire lecture on just the cups and balls! Aldo came up with several more routines for that lecture.

Amoung his other routines are the Mama Mia C&B (which is a great routine for laymen and not at all dificult to do) and his table-hopping C&B using sponge balls. The former is available in a manuscript from Aldo, the latter is published in The Close Up Magic of Aldo Colombini. The FISM routine is explained in one of the Ganson "teach-in" series under the name "Colombini's Cups & Balls" and it is also taught on the A-1 video, "Mama Mia Magic, The Aldo Colombini Video, Volume 1."

Now, before you "get your hate on" let me say that I am aware that these are not specifically street routines. But there is a plethora of moves and insight one could glean from these routines that could easily be applied to a street routine.

Scott, I love Aldo's magic but there is one exception and that's his Cups and balls Routine. It's like Penn and Teller on Speed with opaque cups and too many balls: Very fast and very confusing. I can see how it would win at a magic competition and his skill and imaginative moves should be applauded. He is a great performer. However to paraphrase the Prof., confusion is not magic. I'll stick with Ammar or Gertner.

Pete,
It's spelled Dupuytren's contracture.

It's always good to have a doctor in the house

Best,

Dan-

First, as I said, I don't think the whole routine should be performed on the streets, or even for laymen. Aldo himself says as much--the FISM routine was designed for magicians (the other routines I mentioned were designed for laymen). However, I hold to my statement that there are moves and elements of the Fism routine that would translate beautifully to the street performer. Further, the other two routines would play well pretty much as is. I know this because I have used them--on the streets, in restaurants and in formal shows!

Since you guys brought up Aldo (at the risk of straying off topic) what do you think of his Moma Mia rope routine? Is it true that it's a cut and restored that then transitions into Professor's Nightmare?
Jim
(Again, sorry about straying off topic)

Slydini's handling of cut & restored that goes into the nightmare is one of the sexiest routines of this type ever done IMHO.

Best,

Dan-

I also agree with Scott on his thoughts about Mr. C's cups routine. In and of itself it would not be good for the street but there is much to be learned there. Funny thing that, almost any good magic routine if you pick it apart has gems in it that may not even apply to the trick you are taking apart.

Things about misdirection, follow through, audience management, etc., etc.,

Best,

Dan-

Thanks, Danny. Do you know what Syldini book that rope routine is in?
Jim

Whit's Mongolian Pop Knots is hard to beat... but for a lot of show, my opinion is a rope trick you don't use rope up with it, like Prof's Nightmare...

Al Cohen did a great silly routine with one of the now available (cheap) rigid ropes.

Kind of a flea circus bit. You find a flea on a spectator and he does a tightrope act on the rope, holds one end up...

You then give the flea back, and note "Hey, it's not the same flea!"

Opinion from those that know... How does the Kellar rope tie play? Or the one where you sit down and tie wrists and legs, put borrowed coat over and hand comes out to adjust coat, etc.???

James : I learned it from "The Magical World of Slydini", chapter 2. After I performed this routine for more than 10 years, I saw Cellini do the same on a lecture in Holland... charming.

Peter

P.S. to Scott G. : At last... I'm back

I think Aldo's rope work is outstanding and his presentation topnotch. In Lasting Impressions Vol 2 check out "Tightrope" and "Rope Puzzle". In Volume 4 "K-Not A Loop" and "Rope Through Neck Two Times" are also recommended. I have incorporated many of his ideas into my own rope routine.

I do the Slydini cut and restored professors nightmare - a great routine for building a crowd. If in new orleans, they might not like it as much as say a festival. It's a little long but very pretty use of a classic

koz

Does anyone remember a c&b routine that was published and used clear glass cups? I do remember Penn & Teller doing this on TV but I think there was another routine, too.

-HT

the Slydini rope routine will be on the art of street preforming dvd...part 2...another great reason to buy it...when its available...

:) koz

Thanks, Pete, Koz, Danny, Larry, Peter for the great "rope" advice. I bought a few Slydini books from Daytona. (These will be my first exposure to Slydini's work.) Waiting for them to come in the mail. Will look at Aldo's rope work next. (At the risk hanging myself with too much rope. I usually believe it's better to do a small number of things well than a lot of effects poorly, but I do enjoy the research!)

Kozmo, Cellini's 2nd street performing dvd is sounding better all the time. I'm interested in seeing his magic. (His ball and hat sleights were so pretty and natural in the first dvd!) But right now, I think I'm most fascinated by seeing how the pros handle the crowd. Crowd interaction. And espcially gathering a crowd. Will we see Cellini gathering?
Thanks.
Jim

James,

All you need to know is on the first DVD. Watch the section on drawing a crowd again and again.

One of the guys on the DVD is a guy named Taxi. He wrote an incredible article on passing the hat here http://www.taxitrix.com/chatting.html . It goes into a lot more than just the hat. If you are still unimpressed check out the performance picture on Taxi’s site. Taxi knows how it works.

Best,

Dan-