What I mean is, one criticism of multiplying bottles is that the end of the effect is not clear to the audience because all the revelations are essentially the same.

Isn't that also the case with the Magic Square? No less an iconic magician than Harry Lorayne encountered this, I think, in his version on YouTube. He had to tell the audience to hold their applause, so he could reveal more ways in which the spectator's number could be obtained. (Don't get me wrong, I think his routine was fabulous, nevertheless.)

I'm not asking about the ways to get the number, or to derive the square - I think they are straightforward. So, how do you structure your MS revelations to end with a bang, to handle this specific issue and maximize audience reaction?

Sorry, Kerpa - silly question. I always get applause before I actually end my magic square version. If I didn't, I'd be doing something wrong!! H.


P.S.: I don't mind the applause before I finish, so long as I get the standing ovation at the actual end. Which is just-about always the case. H.

Harry, I meant absolutely no disrespect. I should have remembered (as I've read this comment from other superlative magi) that you of course know where each round of applause is going to come. A silly question for you - obviously! But not for me I was asking advice for me - not for you So, bad example, but my question remains about what to me seems a lack of a natural climax, simply because a magic square has so many ways to get the same sum.

I might add, in that YouTube segment, one of the things that makes it so powerful, I think, is that you routined it as part of your entire act - for example, I caught that you addressed several of the spectators by their last name. It's kind of a callback, I bet, to your remembering (and identifying out loud) **every** spectator's last name! So that call back reinforced your entire presentation. I'm sure you were doing all sorts of other things as well, a few of which I hope I caught.

For me, as a mere mortal, I can easily enough recall the magic square (I got it from your book on magic), but I can't do a call back like you can (who knows, if I read and learn from enough of your books, someday...just kidding - I'm not sure I could and what's more, I'm not out to be a copycat, of course). I'm looking for suggestions regarding the revelations, for me. For example, do you think going faster and faster during the revelations at the end (which you did) might help me to build to the climax? (I think I'm gonna try it.)

With best wishes, and highest regards.

Difficult to answer your questions, because these are individual things. Yes, when I do the magic square at any of my appearances it is always the closer. And yes, if it's during one of my regular (memory) appearances, I have met all (or most) of the people in the audience, so of course I address individuals by name, as I'd been doing all along. But - that really should have little to do with the outcome. It's expected of me. The magic square, at least my version of it, has its own "strength." And yes, I always speed up as I go, ending breathlessly. (I used to fake that; now I really AM breathless at the end.) But, again, that's "natural" for me; it's the way I've presented it for fifty years. So, doubt if I'm being of help to you, but need to stress that, for me, applause before I reach the "real" climax, is natural, is expected - it happens after I've shown a few different areas where the total is correct, and I have to take a breath. There's always applause as I take that breath, because the audience thinks I'm finished. In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with getting applause before the end - then the finale gets more. In one of my card routines, I spell to the aces from a shuffled packet of cards, and I'm left with two in-hand cards. I always get gasps and applause after spelling the fourth ace. Then, when I show that the two in-hand cards are two previous selections, there are louder gasps, and louder applause. Best - HARRY L.

Harry Anderson has an interesting approach to this...like you, he feels that it's almost anticlimactic because the revelations, as you say, are the same. Not only that, he feels that the audience has no choice but to start to add up the numbers while their being written down, so by the time you get to the end it's already apparent, to the mentally agile anyway, what the numbers mean; though still impressive, the "surprise factor" is gone. His way around this is by writing the numbers on a piece of paper, rather than a board, which he unfolds and refolds during this procedure, the audience only seeing one number at a time. He goes into a greater explanation of this in his notes on it, so I won't go into it here (how can I hope to say in a few paragraphs what he covered in 50+ pages).

Thanks, Harry, Thanks, Josh.

Harry, your reply is very helpful and leading me to an obvious conclusion - like everything else, the effect is dependent on me, my persona, and how I present it. I've simply got to see how my experience with it goes.

And, Josh, thanks for the comment. I have been toying with how to present the numbers, to minimize the tendency to add as one goes along. What I'm going to try is going very fast, and asking the spectator, as I recite each individual number, to interrupt me if that's his number. It's a bit of magician in trouble kind of touch.

I feel satisfied my question has been answered. Probably, just like multiplying bottles - it all depends on the magish.

One last thing I will note - I've found myself collecting 4x4 magic square templates. I now have about 4 or 5 of them. I think the first one published for magic purposes was by you, Harry, but there have been others. I'm toying with memorizing a few more, because I think some look better at some number ranges, some at others. Probably overkill, and making too much work for myself

Again, thanks for the replies.

Lorayne's performance is great, You can get a lot of inspiration from his performance

I love Harry's presentation - so elegant and entertaining.
As a close-up magician I sometimes perform this on the back of my magic business card. That way, not only does the spectator get a souvenir, he also gets my contact details

Where can I find the printed information on this trick? Is it in one of Harry's books or is this something you have to purchase individually?

David

Unless mistaken, I believe you will find Mr. Lorayne's Magic Square published in Classic Collection 2 (originally in Reputation Makers?) as well as in his Mathematical Wizardry book and Vol 4 of his DVD series...

Performed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeaTzZO8jTU

-A

Hi David,

In addition to the above sources mentioned by allen_m, Mr. Lorayne's magic square is also published in "The Magic Book."

Thanks,

Jeff

In his new DVD set, Barrie Richardson has a great presentation called "Zebras and the Magic Square". It's a great presentation that gives great meaning to the Magic Square.

I tend to doubt that I'd want to add any more "great meaning" to my version/performance of the Magic Square. I have a feeling that anything added - for me - would detract, rather than add. HL.

Speaking as a trained actor, and NOT a magician, I want to let you in on a little secret. Harry Lorayne has already SOLVED the supposed anti-climax. All due respect to Harry Anderson who has more chops than I have hair (look at my avatar pic), but, Mr. Lorayne's success lies in theatrical timing. A trained actor is taught to understand delivery. She/he is taught how to pace lines and to anticipate applause. People who have performed for some time acquire this skill as well.

Watch Mr. Lorayne's performance again. Notice that HE has control all of the time. The audience WANTS to applaud, but, his timing is SO impeccable that he paces perfectly, and the standing ovation at the end is proof positive of his deep understanding of stagecraft.

Even IF the audience realizes the climax, the sheer impossibility of the Magic Square is mind boggling. Notice how Mr. Lorayne quickens the pace toward the climax! He is timing this such that the place will ALWAYS go bonkers at the end.

Just my opinion of course, but, I STILL think that the performance side of magic as a performing art is not given enough attention. Am I trying to say that you NEED training as an actor to be a good entertainer? No. But, too often the focus in magic is on the MOVES and the METHOD at the expense of the EFFECT. Yet, ironically, the method of ALL magic IS strong presentation which is grounded in THE secret to ALL magic. It is a secret that is SO invaluable that even those who are professionals in the field have only just begun to understand it the way we magicians and mentalists do. The secret? Psychology.

And what Mr. Lorayne is doing in The Magic Square is a beautifully orchestrated psychological symphony.

Ahimsa,
Vlad

Great performance. Amazing.

Scott,

Thanks for the information. I've got the set but have been skipping around to my favorite tricks instead of just watching them straight through. I'm very fortunate to have Barrie 10 minutes away and a member of our IBM Ring here in Shreveport. He is not only a fantastic magician and mentalist, he is one of the classiest individuals I have ever met.

David

I would LOVE to watch that video, but it is locked as private.