Let's say you have an amazing effect in your possession,the cornerstone of an astounding an amazing revolution, something that will alter forever the very preception of reality.
Would you do it everyday,everyehere and everyway,
or will you keep it as something special,doing it only on rare occasions?
If I may paraphrase T.A.Waters a miracle is supposed to be rare and special,that's what makes it mysterious.
But then MR UG is doing his spoon bending/drawing duplication routine in every chance he gets and we all knows where that habit got him !
So,what's yout take on this?

Yaniv Deautsch

This is a heavily debated "issue" in that value exists when something isn't done everyday of the week or upon each occassion we have to do a show/demonstration. Like everything else we do, it has to do with personality (our character); whether it "fits" the who and what we are projecting out there to the masses. Too, it has to do with one harsh trade based reality "Can I out do myself three to five years from now if I'm doing this piece regularly?"

The Headline Prediction is one of those bits that the old timers suggested we do only on high profile "special" occassions. To a level there is a wisdom to this thinking. BUT, we can do a vaiant of this routine as a standard of our act, allowing a higher profile challenge (such as the New Year Day headline; Who will win the Triple Stakes Crown or World Cup, etc.) in which the little chest is put on display, etc.

Frequently, when I'm speaking for Corporate situations in which I must travel and know others have done the same, I'll use a version of the Ted Lesley Headline Prediction (PARAMIRACLES). Though an excellent piece of business, I'm not using it in the same promotional capacity I'd use the classice SEALED MESSAGE ON DISPLAY WITH FORT KNOX SECURITY, etc. In fact, I've only done two such stunts in the whole of my career and only once, did I employ a gaffed chest (the other was the old "Air Tight" prediction in a balloon... which was a "last minute" bit that Glenn Falkenstein shared with me long ago.)

Another example... the big Telepathy Challenge bit where the mage is locked inside a bank vault, a random committee of VIPs are gathered and allowed to select ANYTHING they want... long story short, this particular piece was only performed a few times in the early 70s by a man that built a powerful international reputation with it... the routine sold on Ebay a few years back for several thousand dollars (I believe it was a noted members of this forum that purchased it, in fact.)

This is a killer piece of business ONLY because of how it wasn't used.

The burden of our art is learning how to wiegh such things out in our mind, learning to refine "what we do" so as to hold to the character we're creating and recognizing the fact that not all psychics bend things, make predictions, have telepathy or clairvoyant abilities, etc. Some have one talent and one talent only... most of the time, that's merely the art of listening and talking e.g. doing a Reading by listening to our own inner voice/intuition.

Have you seen TA's show?
Was he good?

Uri Gellar is not doing mentalism.
UG is not doing a stage show.
He lives his life (and his lie).
It is TV people that ask him to do
it again and again. They want something visual. Pam Anderson has something Visual.
Does she change it all the time?

UG's life is spoons..
spoons made a lot of money for him.

Maybe he needs to read a mentalism book
and find a new routine..

But most of this books are just variations
on his stuff and are read by *** mentalists.

I hear she's using smaller cups in her act these days.

Tom wasn't a performer, so he never had a "show"... he just showed his ideas to friends. And no, as a performer, he wasn't very good (which was peculiar, considering his acting background). If you'd ever seen his video, you wouldn't have to ask. Clever, erudite, and all-around nice guy, though.

... Doug

Don't Pass-out at what I'm about to say Doug... but for once I have to agree with you

I never really got to know TA well, but the few times I've been privledged to spend some time with him... well, let's just say that I've paid to go to lectures that weren't as informative. He was a great guy!