Very nicely done, Pete! She was totally charmed and amazed!

Ah, the old guy still has it! Beautiful how you turned it into 2 in the hand 1 in the pocket. I read one time that the trick is not about the cups, but rather the balls and it should be called the balls and cups. By adding that sequence, you seem to have put the focus back on the balls. But hey, it's all about entertaining them, and that is exactly what you did.

Pepka... "Old Guy"??? OK, I am a certified GEEZER NOW... but magic keep one young.

As I wrote, this should be required viewing for the young guns!

So natural...no obvious guile whatsoever.

Very entertaining Mr. Biro! The lady was quite charming as well as astonished. Thanks for posting this...I enjoyed your routine immensely!

Cupsamagically,
Dom

*** I Wish I Could Whistle,i never do the Charlie Miller move (penetration) because I don't see much magic in it, however I liked a lot what you did.

Wow, Pete, I never knew you are one of the top ten cups and balls masters until day.

If I see you in person, please give me your autograph. Of course I would like it to frame on my wall, but I also want it to prove to my friends I met the Great Pete Biro.

Make a million!

Again thanks for the kind words... looking at reactions (hers and those writing here) reminds me... "It doesn't have to be a wildly creative routine, you just have to be yourelf and totally comfortable with performing. I've been very lucky in that area. My parents were in show biz (vaudeville before I was born) but their way influenced me. I never do set patter and always just comment reacting to the audience, be it one person or a theater full.

A LESSON I learned many years ago was a comment made by Comedy Writer Lou Derman... He said, "You have to comment, say something, based on any audience comment or reaction."

Well said, Pete. One of the most uncomfortable things I see working comedy clubs is the guys that go on stage, are BOMBING, and yet keep powering through without a single comment about the fact that the audience is completely silent. It drives me crazy. Reacting to your audience is crucial...the worst thing you can do is pretend they're not there.

Ever work on a big stage with a spotlight on you? You CANNOT SEE ANYONE in the audience... that's why I have the "house lights" ON.

Excellent observation Pete. I always thought that close-up magic is conversational. Really, in order to "get away with stuff" you have to be in sync with your spectator - and you need to develop a rapport to do that.
A script is a must for me, but it's loose and it's built around their reactions and what I need to "get away with stuff". I can and do improvise and you're performance demonstrates that all you need to know is your routine and be comfortable with it to dazzle 'em.
Great job.

Pete,

Really nice performance. Always good to see that the Vernon routine is alive and well.

I like the three ball routine at the end. I've always felt my routine needed a little "time" near the finale;)

J.

I have had to clean up after bad MC's before. For those who have never worked a comedy club (in the US), usually the opening act is also the MC. They can make or break a show. I've worked with some really good ones, and I've worked with some horrible ones.

I learned how to either use an MC as a springboard for my segment or how to make the audience forget that they had seen a load of rubbish before. It all comes down to a couple of things. And one of them is making your script appear to be an interchange with the audience, even if it isn't.

You have to talk to them and with them, not AT them.

Pete, I remember part of the act you did at the IBM convention in Little Rock when Terry Seabrooke made his US debut. You had it then and you still have it.

You really understood the host of the show, and you brought her into the whole thing. That's the way it should be.

You didn't go out of your way to make her uncomfortable or to embarrass her. You fooled her, but basically you entertained her.

You used the cups and balls as a way of presenting Pete Biro.

(in my "geezer" voice) All you young whippersnappers out there could learn a lot from Pete!

Just came home from the Magic Castle where my wife, Linda, and I took Maureen Nunn and her husband (she was the host on the TV show) to dinner and to see the shows.

It's Halloween week at the club and the shows were awesome. And the food outstanding. Aye Jaye's daughter is one of the new chefs! Many were in great costumes, and I'm sure that will grow all week.

Rudy Coby KILLED with his "Puppet Boy" illusion... I don't know how the hay he could do that on such a small stage, but do it he did and he blew minds big time.

Posted: Oct 26, 2010 2:40am
Thanks to my webmaster, The Tabman, all the segments of the TV show are now up on my web site. http://www.petebiro.com Clik on "pete on tv"... enjoy.

Great job, Pete! Well done!

One concern I have always had with TV shows is that so many directors, such as this one, just don't seem to understand how to frame a magic performance, especially close-up. I've worked both in front of the camera and behind the camera, and it seems that some directors just don't "get it" with regard to what is going to happen during the magic trick. They cut away at the wrong time, frame the shot wrong, or show the audience's reaction at the wrong time. Frustrating!

Walter Blaney used to have problems when he did the vanishing bird cage. He finally figured out how to instruct the director. He explained that he was going to make a small bird cage disappear. Then he said, "If you come in too close, it won't look good, because it will make it look like I threw the cage out of the frame."

So he always got the right kind of shot.

Pete, I thoroughly enjoyed those! Thank you, sir!

Doug

Pete made it bold, and I never heard this before. So I'm repeating it. Makes sense to me.

Great job!