YUP!

Gene never got "shook" when he was working! He had a marvelous ability to "read" his audience!

Remember my "definition" of "magic"! --Magic is 5% sleight of hand skills, 5% perceptual illusions, 5% esoteric principles of science. AND 85% PSYCHOLOGY! If you've ever seen Gene perform the Gypsy Thread.......

I don’t think I have ever seen a video of Pop Haydn that I did not find both amazingly entertaining and very instructional.

My suggestions were really meant for a beginner. I have found that as long as I remember I can screw up, I relax and accept failure when it happens.

That said, I think that rendition of Chicago Surprise is my new gold standard as a future performance goal. Thank you so much for sharing!

Patrick

Hi y'all! Here is an example of a bad mistake I cannot see from HOW one could gracefully recover. Stage effect to music. The Zombie.

300+ people in the audience. It went great, until the ball was to sit on top of the cloth. Something went wrong and The Zombie "exposed itself". You could hear the audience react. The disappointed "Ohh". Nothing I could do, except act silly!

I did a little Jim Carrey dance, swinging the ball around by the...-, and danced offstage. The crowd ROARED! Then APPLAUDED! Not sure WHY...but...still, I was humiliated, and to top it off, the Maine Magician's Society ended my membership that night, saying I acted disgraceful!

Yeah. Maybe. But who has an OUT for that? I was NOT expecting the Zombie to hang up. I had done the routine HUNDREDS of times! But...this time COST me. Looking back...I sure wish it had never happened!

Doug

Depending on the effect, but it usually boils down to: "Interesting..." *provides a reading based on the cards or coins* "Shall we try another experiment?"

Or for grabby folks, something to the effect of "If you're going to do that, you'll need to sign a waiver." Or... "Well, you're certainly braver than I was when I started. Do you even know what this does?"

Did the Maine magicians society also remove Penn & Teller from there list? If they are going to act like that good riddance.
If you were able to recover to the point the audience laughed and applauded that's a huge win for you and shows you were able to think on your feet.

They were an older bunch of guys, and I was in my 20's. Looking back...yeah. I must have looked pretty stupid to them. I mean, WHAT would they have me DO? Hang my head and walk off? Bad things happen to performers. Once, I was MC at the Ice Capades in Florida. I had white pants, Hawaiian shirt, and sandals. Just before going on, I tripped and fell outside, cut my leg, bled all over one leg of my white pants..."Doug, you're ON!" came the call. I grabbed a clipboard, told the director to hold the spotlight from the waist UP...and I did it. It worked. I held the clipboard just right. A thousand people were none the wiser.

Funny thing. Back in 1978, I was hired by the Dixfield Ladies' Club to perform for a luncheon. I did the Rabbit From The Hat. Great trick. It would have been better if he hadn't been PEEING all over the place! All over the table...big fail. Then, the guy after me (a member of the MMS) opened his Dove Pan to find the dove in the throes of a broken neck!! That's two in a row! It happens kids! And we hang our heads ruefully...

Doug

Simply Smile with youur audience you are the magic, not your effects

This happened at my sister's friend's house in Boston. "Doug, ya got a little magic with ya?" All went well until my TT with two silks to disappear went flying! Landed on the floor under the table. I excused myself, grabbed the TT and continued. No one even looked for it! That was a lucky break.

Doug