I witnessed John Calvart's routine on the Spirit Cabinet. I also watched Copperfield's Spirit Cabinet. I enjoyed both of them. I was just wondering if anyone has a different routine that they use this illusion with, and what you think about this illusion. Thank you in advance.

Neither of these two is a second class act! John Calvert enjoys forty or fifty more years of experience with live audiences. He was also a movie actor (The Falcon) for years. At ninety-three years old and spry as they make them, John Calvert is my first choice. I've seen his show twice in the last three months. He is Mr. Spirit Cabinet.

David Cooperfield is a different type magician to me. He is at his best in a musical dancing routine. That is something very few magicians handle well at all. For him, it is a piece of cake. There is no question that the man has discipline and talent to spare. He is not the mysterious John Calvert. It is not a fair comparison. Both are outstanding entertainers. I would jump at the chance to see either one over and over.

The John Calvert Spirit Cabinet is an easy one to pack for the traveling magician and can be done in humor or high drama. I like it.

Bob
Magic By Sander

Hey Steven, glad to see you browsin' the Café again. There is a big topic on the spirit cabinets further down on the Grand Illusion forum. There are people who have their own routines that you could talk to. I talked to a few in PMs. ~Tim

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http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......7&35

Willard the Wizard's Spirit cabinet remains one of the best and is currently presented by Glenn Falkenstein and Francis Willard. As I understand it Michael Ammar may be taking over that act sometime down the road, in that he's married to Francis's daughter.

I have developed several SC routines over the years, my personal favorite being a thing I call "The Frames of Life" -- this is based on a rare (one of a kind) Dante effect known as "A Day At The Beach" that was used briefly by Lee Grabel and Torchy Towner. I got my mits on the original cabinet several years ago when working in the SF Bay area and instantly saw its potential.

THE EFFECT: From an old shipping crate a small "coffee table" is set onto four pipe legs and attop this a box is built -- all done by audience members! Yet, from the midst of the box the shadowy image of various "humanoid" forms can bee seen to appear (upon the paper front... like a Shadow Box) and yet, when opened, is totally clean and empty. Needless to say many other mysteries become manifested, the cabinet is always empty and surrounded throughout much of the presentation.

NO... it does not use confederates, base or trap loads, mirrors, electronics, projectors, etc. I can do it outside or in a living room.

YES... it's based on some very old, very clever thinking. I've modified some of the handling so as to "clean it up" but it's still a killer effect.

Those that have a copy of the older Creative Illusions catalogs will find a bit known as "The Gypsy Hand"... this is also mine (placed into that catalog WITHOUT permission) based on Ken Whitakers Vanity table system. It is more akin to the Copperfield act and is presently available if there are any serious minded investors interested in an exclusive.

There are several other SCs I'm aware of including the use of a Modern Cabinet ala Kellar & Thurston... bear in mind, this is where the Floating Ball of said fame, came from. Memory serving me correctly, Henning had a cute variation to this cabinet and its handling -- a Puppet theater if I'm remembering things right.

Wow....Osris.... can you tell us more about this SC ? How big is this cabinet which your audience builds. And how big are the effects ?

Hi! I have a duo with another magician (Rey Ben) and we perform a comedy spirit cabinet. The name of the duo is: One & Half, and the act parodies the Copperfield spirit cabinet, and at the begining we talk about the Barkley house and the fire, and when we introduce the only room that remains safe from the fire. It is a bathroom!
Ben is tied to the toilet and all the effects are done with bath elements: The name of the selected card appears worte on the broken mirror, the shaving soap vanish from a towel and appears on the Ben´s face, etc. It´s a 10 minutes very funny act.

Marduk,

That sounds like a funny situation that catch people with situations they can understand. Only a magician could be that creative. (I assume that is also when the telephone rings and the smoke alarm goes off!)

Thanks for sharing it with us. It won't be for every audience but when it fits ...

Bob
Magic By Sander