The first pic looks slightly distorted, narrowed vertically (Notice the proportions of the performer, a person is almost the same height as the distance between his outstretched arms)
It's important using a deceptive Gaughan's prop which fits the performers body. Pendragon's Interlude looks right for Jonathan to be in, but I´m sure it would look terribly undeceptive if Charlotte was inside.

A couple of points:

--She chose not to use the "gimmick", for those in the know. The gimmick allows the prop to be more constricting to the torso, but still allows enough room for the assistant to come through. I know the trend these days seems to be to ditch the gimmick--it saves the performer from having to cover a "move"...but I think it sacrifices a bit of deception in doing so. And in the master of illusion clip from above, just as the AGT performance...we shouldn't be seeing her legs move during the performance--kind of gives away what's going on.
--Assuming it was a Gaughan model (which I'm not convinced it is), she didn't do herself any favors by repainting the entire thing blue. Again, a subtlety, but the color scheme/design serves a specific purpose in fooling the eye. Not so in this model--an elephant could have come through.

Perhaps Arian should realize that the "bullying" she referred to in the AGT interview, might actually have been constructive criticism from knowledgeable performers, that were concerned about preventing the very exposure that ultimately occurred from this performance.

Just out of interest, how many of those of you who have commented (other than Taylor) actually own or perform Interlude?

Rick

I don't own it and have never performed it. I'm not even an illusionist. But I know good magic when I see it. $10 says AB rehearsed this bit 2 - 3 times max before performing it.

Jim

I have owned/performed Interlude

Jim...that's not actually true. I know for a fact it's part of her regular stuff. Smart move on her part.
However, I think that especially for TV, you needt to put it in front of a director you trust, someone like a Joanie Spina to make sure it works for the TV medium.

Hi Jim,

Scott is correct. Here's a clip of her performing it on Master's of Illusion in January, 2009. That's 4 1/2 years ago. It still doesn't look nearly as deceptive as the Pendragons, but it shows that she didn't just purchase this illusion for AGT.

Cheers!

Thanks, I stand corrected. Just a bad break on her part.

Jim

Her assistants could have turned the illusion to cover this disaster. It would not have been great but it would have saved this disaster. Yes, I own and perform Interlude.

Me too

Itricks has an article where she gives some comments in light of the AGT stuff

I have owned one as well.......as far as her comments are concerned, I think she is getting beat up way too much here. I would be willing to bet that the AGT producers put her up to most of that. They did the same thing to the group of magicians when I was on the show and I'm sure that Scott Alexander could testify the same for when he was on. Murray Sawchuck is one of the nicest guys I have met in magic, but they made him out to be real brash and cocky on the show. They tried to get me to deliver some "canned" comments about my competition but I refused. It is all part of them creating the drama. Yes, the performance wasn't her best, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the shadow vision exposure. Just my 2 cents.

I think many of us are far to quick to "throw the first stone". Yes the producers (which is their job) try to create drama. With out the comment from the judge few lay people would have thought anything went wrong.

I hope we can give our fellow magicians the support for putting them selves out there, in front of millions. I shutter to think of the times things have gone wrong in my show over the years and what if it had been on television. Does any one remember Paul Osbornes videos of some of the best in these situations?

On AGT it is ONLY about the drama! a squillion percent ...the editing is ENTIRELY up to producers and agree Arian was surely asked questions to relay certain answers. They beg you to tell how angry you are, how do you feel...etc. and the editing of a trick ALL UP TO THEM . I am not sour grapes...I chose to accept pleas of 'You will be so funny with the judges ,they will love you etc for 3 years, so naively agreed to do show. Ya know what tho? , THE JUDGES were mean to me big time ...Like FOR ARIAN "Was that a trick?" asked to Arian... " meanball! she is a magician...She handled it well.Good confident attitude. I didn't let them see me but I sobbed all the way to my next paid show...Teeheehee.
But Arian was 'ya know ...you edited me crumballness ..I am moving on...attitude...LOVE HER!
bECKY BLANEY

The thing that I found somewhat off-putting was the comment by Arian that the problem with magic is that sometimes people 'don't understand it'.
Uh, no, sorry. They don't understand it if it's not clearly presented. It is not the audience's fault if they are confused by what they've seen.

I feel so bad for her. Yet another horror story from this show. I wonder if forums for dancers, singers and other entertainment folks are filled with stories like here? But hey, many of the guys who've been on there are doing JUST fine. Kevin and Dan are touring the world with probably the largest magic show ever. Dittelman is all over the country doing colleges. I don't watch the show at all, but from the few clips I've watched this year, it's clearly obvious that Collins Key was the pick to be the Golden Boy this year. If he'll win...who knows. I find it odd that they loved his first bit because all they want is Bigger BIGGER BIGGER!!!!

The one thing I don't think anyone mentioned, is this is an odd choice for a female illusionist, with female assistant. I'm not making a statement about her lifestyle, or anyone's for that matter. The illusion itself is pretty sensual looking...skimply costumes, passing through someone's body. Maybe I'm just hung up on the images of DC and the Pendragons when they did this.

Collins Key has outright stolen from Justin Willman and performed said stolen routine on AGT.

Reallly??? MPS really doesn't have a lot of room for different presentations, you have 3 free choices picked and it shows up in a sealed box. Collins did the miscall and punch ending, imo better than justin. And last I heard Justin didn't have the sole rights to use the word twitter. In fact Collins used that idea and made it fuller and fitting, justin mentioned it like once and didn't develop the idea beyond that. I think a chill pill is needed in this case...

I've not seen the ladder used before either.

The ladder is a brilliant way to do it, it makes sense with the circumstance of the box up high!