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gaddy Inner circle Agent of Chaos 3526 Posts |
The Oakland Magic Circle's March meeting is tuesday the 3rd (today!)
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
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SpellbinderEntertainment Inner circle West Coast 3519 Posts |
And, I know it's last minute,
I (me) will be doing a workshop on theatrical magic at said OMC meeting above, so ignore the rain and join us, there'll also be a preview of our new SF production. Magically, Walt |
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christiancagigal Special user SF Bay Area 625 Posts |
Hello my SF Area pals!
We're back from NYC where we spent the past couple of weeks in the East Village doing our new show, "Now and at the Hour". The show went great! And, it's much different from the show many of you saw at Previews in San Francisco. Here's a review from nytheatre.com Now and at the Hour 2009 FRIGID Festival The Red Room Horsetrade Theatre East Village Review by Danny Bowles Occasionally, when a critic needs to calm down a bit, he/she will describe a particularly talented performer as a "magician." Christian Cagigal actually is a magician, which would make that description a touch redundant, were it not an apt way to describe his virtuosic performance in his one-man show Now, and at the Hour, currently playing at the Red Room as part of the FRIGID Festival. The show is equal parts magic show and autobiographical monologue, with Cagigal telling first the story of how his father came back from Vietnam a schizophrenic, and then how his father led him to discover magic. Some of his father's influence was his eccentricity—for instance, asking young Christian "What do you think about clairvoyance? how about time travel?"—but a much greater influence, sadly, were his father's frequent violent episodes, during which, as Cagigal says, "I would have to stay out of his way." This led to a great deal of time spent in his room perfecting card tricks and such. Gradually, it becomes clear that the tricks performed have everything to do with the monologues, as each trick in some way deals with memory or clairvoyance, or turning back the clock. And the tricks truly are spectacular. Cagigal's skill will have skeptics nodding approvingly at his seamless execution, and the credulous convinced that he is, in fact, psychic (his mind-reading tricks are so well-done they're a bit unsettling). To catalogue Cagigal's act would be to take a great deal of the mystery out of the performance, which is the most entertaining thing about the evening. Being a moderately cynical person with a great deal of interest in—and a bit of knowledge about—the way in which deception is employed for theatrical effect, I was very pleasantly surprised to see a show where I had absolutely no idea how Cagigal was doing what he was doing. Watching a mind-reading act, my default assumption is that the mind-reader somehow has some prior knowledge to work with. This assumption completely dissolved when my companion was selected as a volunteer for one such trick, and Cagigal promptly—and accurately—guessed the initials of the person she had been thinking of, about whom she'd said nothing. Where Cagigal the magician is masterful, Cagigal the actor is no less so. The monologues are performed with much less flair and levity than the magic; appropriately, considering the harrowing content. When performing magic, he is quick, witty, charming, larger than life, and when telling the story of a sad, withdrawn boy practicing card tricks and writing in his journal in the park because he's scared to go home, Cagigal becomes much smaller, quieter, and melancholy. It is as if—apropos of a repeating theme throughout the show—he travels back in time to become that little boy again. The effect is dramatically powerful and emotionally devastating. In spite of all this, the show is by no means a downer. The dazzling magic Cagigal performs, and its derivation from his needing something to keep the horrors of his childhood at bay, end up leaving the audience not necessarily believing in magic, but believing in the magic of the imagination. This is the writer-performer's goal, and he reaches it with style, dignity, and true artistry. Now, and at the Hour is a unique and genuine theatrical experience that should not be missed. ----- We will be running "Now and at the Hour" all summer long this year (Fridays and Saturdays) I love how SF is getting full of actual magic shows as of late =)!!! Hope this post finds you all well, Christian Cagigal
"Besides the known and the unknown, what else is there?"-Harold Pinter
www.christiancagigal.com |
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christiancagigal Special user SF Bay Area 625 Posts |
Hi gang....
Anybody have any Bay Area updates for us all? What's the hap's at Cal Magic? Walt and Co? What's the inside skinny? Dorian? Jay? C
"Besides the known and the unknown, what else is there?"-Harold Pinter
www.christiancagigal.com |
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SpellbinderEntertainment Inner circle West Coast 3519 Posts |
Thanks for asking Christian...
Check out our Blog for all that's fit to print: BLOG: http://sanfranciscomagicparlor.blogspot.com INFO: http://www.SanFranciscoMagicParlor.com http://www.BrownPaperTickets.com or 1-800-838-3006 |
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Jay Alexander New user San Francisco 28 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-03-02 16:49, gaddy wrote: Thanks Gaddy, I was slow to see your post. The conductor and I had a meeting the other day and plan to do the show again in the next year. I am also talking about producing the Swing Circus show in the city this year. It has been over 10 years since we have done a public show and the original swing band I started the show with is back together. Glad you enjoyed the symphony show. Best, Jay Alexander |
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Jay Alexander New user San Francisco 28 Posts |
Christian,
Congrats on the run in NYC. Jay |
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calamari Elite user The San Francisco Bay Area 429 Posts |
Jay, can't wait for the Swing Circus to be back... Is it with Lee Presson and the nail? can't remember what band you started it with... but I remember it was a great show.
Cal Magic is having their fifth aniversary show on April 3rd and 4th can't believe it has been 5 years already. it is a great time to be a Bay Area Magician or magic fan... so much going on and so much variety... gotta love it.
"I came, I saw, SHE conquered." (The original Latin seems to have been garbled.)
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christiancagigal Special user SF Bay Area 625 Posts |
Yes I agree! I hope the rest of the magic world starts to take notice =)
"Besides the known and the unknown, what else is there?"-Harold Pinter
www.christiancagigal.com |
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SpellbinderEntertainment Inner circle West Coast 3519 Posts |
Grand Opening Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm!
Celebrating the 150-Year Anniversary of the 1849 Gold Rush... Come see what all the wild and weird fun is about... “Eccentrics of San Francisco’s Barbary Coast …a magical escapade!” The Chancellor Hotel on Union Square is home to the San Francisco Magic Parlor. OUR WEBSITE: http://www.SanFranciscoMagicParlor.com OUR BLOG: http://sanfranciscomagicparlor.blogspot.com Join our Magical Journey through old San Francisco’s colorful and notorious past! |
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christiancagigal Special user SF Bay Area 625 Posts |
Dennfox and I took a field trip and checked out Eccentrics of the Barbary Coast at the Chancelior Hotel on Union Square in San Francisco and we have to say that we were very pleasantly surprised.
Eccentrics is a lovely, pleasing and entertaining show. Each piece is a magical storytelling vignette centered around a different Eccentric of San Francisco’s past: from Emperor Norton to Anton Levay. The research was plentiful and delivered very entertainingly. My gripe with lots of bizarre storytelling is that it falls in love with “itself and its historical facts” so the entertainment and arguably some of the Art vanishes mysteriously. But, not so with Eccentrics. The writing was condensed and well paced. You got a full experience, while wanting to know more about these kooky folks of San Francisco history. The effects punctuated each story very nicely. Eccentrics strikes a balance between effect and story. At times, the story takes center stage but not at the diminishment of the effect. Other times the effect takes center stage but it’s conclusion circles back to the story. And, other times the story and effects work together in a symbiosis. This is a very hard balance to handle, Eccentrics does it quite well. Combined with the energy of Walt Anthony, David Miller, Brian Scott and Ruth Frazier, the show clips along due to these very charismatic performers; the 4 working either together or alone create a feeling of a family or troupe sharing their stories and a few good laughs along the way. There’s actually quite a bit of show packed in a show that’s about and hour and half with intermission. The set and set pieces are quaint (but I mean that in a good way!!!) very good feeling to be in the presence of the items and props before the show, very cozy, which added to that "family" air. Overall I have to admit I was smiling from ear to ear the entire time. This is a lovely , fun and intimate San Francisco experience. And, a feather in the cap of San Francisco magic…. I’m proud to say, a very different kind of magic…..=)
"Besides the known and the unknown, what else is there?"-Harold Pinter
www.christiancagigal.com |
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gaddy Inner circle Agent of Chaos 3526 Posts |
Oakland Magic Cirlce's Flea Market and Auction is tonight!
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
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christiancagigal Special user SF Bay Area 625 Posts |
OMC was great last night! I hadn't visited in 10 years and it was great to see old faces, new faces. Daryl was in attendence! Snagged myself a (rear-end) load of books for a little over 100 bucks.
Scott Alcalay did a really nice job and did a lot of work reaching out the community at large. 3 Cheers for Scott and the OMC!
"Besides the known and the unknown, what else is there?"-Harold Pinter
www.christiancagigal.com |
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gaddy Inner circle Agent of Chaos 3526 Posts |
It certainly was fun, wasn't it?
I picked up a nice green necktie with a tasteful graphic of the Indian rope trick (now I need a cups and balls tie... Anyone?), a "Magic Circle" magic kit (for the nephew) a couple of good books and lots of other little gems and spent less than a hundred bucks as well! Overall it was a blast, except sitting through endless "auctions" from people trying to unload dusty old VHS tapes for a few bucks each. Sorry, but why are you up there trying for 3 minutes to get the bid from three dollars to four? Don't you have better things to do with YOUR time and OURS ?!?!? Sorry, had to vent! Can't wait for the next one!
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
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Balaram Special user 904 Posts |
Scott did a terrific job, it was a good crowd and great bunch of vendors.
So Scott--how about another this summer--? Thanks again to OMC for this event. |
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charliemartin Special user Rapid City, SD 779 Posts |
The event was fun not because I could get other peoples' trash but to see people I haven't seen in years. It's fun where you have several former national presidents of the IBM & SAM, DARYL, Jay Alexander ( and of course the big announcement by Dick Newton about Jay) and I know a ton more but it was fun. Scott, you did a good job.
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Dan Magyari Regular user San Francisco, CA 173 Posts |
Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco
HIROKI HARA (Winner of Lance Burton award at WMS Teen Competition 2009) Performing Sat. April 18, 2009 3pm - 3:30pm
Everything you do -- everything -- has your signature on it. Regardless of whether you intend it that way or not. And that's how people perceive you.-George Ledo
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christiancagigal Special user SF Bay Area 625 Posts |
Our own Alex Ramon was on ABC's The View today!!! He and his sister helped to make Whoopi Goldberg float in the air!!!!
I believe you can find it on ABC.com C
"Besides the known and the unknown, what else is there?"-Harold Pinter
www.christiancagigal.com |
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SpellbinderEntertainment Inner circle West Coast 3519 Posts |
The 1906 Earthquake is commemorated at 5:12am each year at Lotta's Fountain on Market & Kearney,
Join the San Francisco Magic Parlor cast Saturday morning, mention Magic Café for a special surprise! Join "Eccentrics of San Francisco's Barbary Coast" Friday or Saturday evening to see us rock the city and set our own fires! |
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SpellbinderEntertainment Inner circle West Coast 3519 Posts |
As "Eccentrics of the Barbary Coast" moves into week #4
it would be fantastic to see some familiar (and Café) faces in the audience this Friday and Saturday, strangers are great but friends are even better! Info at http://www.SanFranciscoMagicParlor.com Magically, Walt |
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