Sleight Variations
What does it really take to pull a rabbit out of a seemingly empty hat?
Study and skill, as well as a single-minded dedication to the craft. But magicians say that’s only part of the story.
We talked with several professionals and hobbyists around the county, and although none would reveal the secrets of their tricks--magician’s code of honor, you know--they did disclose one ingredient to successful hocus-pocus.
The real magic in magic, they say, is in a smile.
“Magic alone is like peanut butter without the jelly,” explained Ross Rice, a Tustin magician-illusionist who performs across the Southland. “The jelly is comedy, the lightheartedness . . . making people feel special.”
Rice, who performs Friday at Pearson Park Amphitheatre in Anaheim, says he’s spent 37 years perfecting his skills.
The show, Magic and Illusions by Ross Rice & Carol, includes sleight-of-hand tricks using birds, fire and other props, plus grand illusions capped off by their signature finale: levitating a smiling Carol up a flagpole bearing the fluttering Stars and Stripes.
Rice says he got the bug at age 12 and has been performing professionally for years at venues from Pearson Park and local restaurants and libraries to the famed Magic Castle in Hollywood and Vegas’ Excaliber hotel.
Rice and his wife and partner, Carol, also tour their audience-participation school show, which blends sleight-of-hand tricks and illusions with a self-esteem-boosting message. They finish shows with the levitation act, while Ross Rice reminds kids, “You can’t fly high when you’re high on drugs.”
He says that no matter what the venue, viewer involvement is so critical that he’s learned a smattering of seven languages, enabling him to talk to many members of the audience during participation bits.
“It’s all in how you relate to people,” he said.
Carol Rice, who eschewed a career in law for a life on the stage, agrees, adding, “If you don’t make that human connection, your audience won’t stay with you.”
Tom Clifford, founding president of the Orange County International Brotherhood of Magicians, Ring 313, says he revels in those moments when he raises a smile or an eyebrow from an awe-struck child.
“Nowadays, you turn on a TV or watch a movie and you see all these fabulous things happen in outer space or whatever, and you know it’s all just special effects done by a computer.”
Those kind of thrills are no rival, Clifford says, for a young viewer’s amazement when he turns a string of fake pearls into a toy poodle or makes a coin change denomination in a child’s hand.
“That’s magic without electronics,” he continued. “It’s that split second your brain tells you this cannot happen in this time and space, and it just did.
“If we could bottle that one moment of astonishment. . . . To me, that’s what pure magic is.”
Upcoming
Want to put some shazam into a family outing? Here’s a sampling of what’s up around the county:
* Magic and Illusions by Ross Rice and Carol will be presented Friday at 7:30 p.m. Pearson Park, Lemon and Sycamore streets, Anaheim. This just-for-kids performance runs about two hours (one intermission). $1 to $2. (714) 765-5274.
* Michael Rhodes and Ken Ragas present an evening of magic Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Women’s Civic Club of Garden Grove, 9501 Chapman Ave. $5. (714) 903-1566.
* Majiloon, magic and illusions with balloons (stunts include cutting a balloon in half) will be presented Oct. 11 at 1 and 3 p.m. at Brea’s Curtis Theatre, 1 Civic Center Circle. $6. Part of the venue’s Kid’s Club series. (714) 990-7722.
Gigs
* Johnny Ace Palmer performs close-up magic Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. at Champion’s Sports Bar and Grill (under 21 OK) at the Irvine Marriott, 18000 Von Karman. No cover. (949) 553-0100.
* Merlin the Magician (a.k.a. Renaissance Pleasure Faire magician Joseph Derry) offers a Renaissance-themed dinner show with costumed servers Thursday through Sunday evenings at the Rib Trader restaurant, 2710 E. Chapman Ave., Orange. $11.95 - $19.95 (tax, tip and beverages not included). (Note: A performer rates this show PG because of occasional, slightly bawdy references). Reservations required. (714) 744-9288.
* Magicians Jim Hinz and Michael Van Horn perform close-up magic Monday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Norm’s Restaurant in Anaheim. (714) 776-3663.
Web Sites,
Shops and Classes
Nothing up your sleeve? Here are some tips culled from magicians Ross Rice, Tom Clifford, Michael VanHorn and other sources on shops, Web sites and classes for the aspiring magician:
* House of Enchantment in Costa Mesa [270 E. 17th St., Suite 13, (949) 515-3780] is a favorite of many pros. Proprietor Jay Leslie and founder James Swoger are professional magicians, teachers and entertainers with more than 90 years of collective experience. Leslie says they sell and demonstrate “everything from tricks for 5-year-olds to collectibles that run several thousand dollars.” Magic workshops are offered for children and adults.
* Before beginners rush out and buy loads of tricks they may never use (he sheepishly admits to doing the same), Clifford advises they read “Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic” (Courage Books, 1998, $17.98). It’s the text he says young magicians swear by.
* You can find multi-week classes or one-shot workshops at various community colleges, says Clifford, including Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. Cal State Fullerton’s extension even offers a complete certificate program for students age 16 and older, with classes ranging from “Beginning Close-Up Magic” to “Intermediate Sleight of Hand.”
* Clifford says his group’s Web site is a good jumping-off point to magic-related sites and magic dealers. Their address: https://www.ring313.org. For information and show schedules for the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood (which offers children’s shows on weekends as well as a magician’s club for youngsters), key in https://www.magiccastle.org.
* Surfing also landed a fun, interactive site that included some baffling card tricks and links to other sites: https://www.linkingpage.com/tricks.html.