13 hours ago by leodini

Magicians in the Philippines know the conventional wisdom of the politically correct about “danger effects”. Any trick with blood, gore, violence and scary stuff are strictly a no-no for kid shows. Political correctness has crept into all aspects of everyday living, including magic shows. But there ...

Leodini's Inner Magic - innermagicclub.wordpress.com · 16 references

1 day ago by leodini

One of the valuable lessons I learned from Henry Hay’s classic book The Amateur Magician’s Handbook was the importance of being self contained. When I go to a birthday party show, I bring everything I need. If I need a glass, I bring it. If I need water, I bring it. I bring all the items I anticipat ...

Leodini's Inner Magic - innermagicclub.wordpress.com · 16 references

5 days ago by leodini

Sometimes I don’t understand magicians in the Philippines. There are many kinds. They run the entire gamut of stereotypes. On one extreme end are the shy and timid magicians. They perform their magic tentatively, almost gingerly: soft voice, slow pace, feeble personality. At the other extreme are ma ...

Leodini's Inner Magic - innermagicclub.wordpress.com · 16 references

6 days ago by leodini

As a magician in the Philippines, I also dabble in mentalism. I always include a mentalism act or two in my program when the conditions are right. What I love about mentalism is the audience interaction. Most mentalism presentations involve audience members onstage. Not surprisingly, the choice of a ...

Leodini's Inner Magic - innermagicclub.wordpress.com · 16 references

8 days ago by leodini

Over a period, I have written about the subject of patter. I feel generous today. I’ll write one more of the same. But before I do, let me refer you to the past articles on patter. How to Write a Script for Your Patter Is Your Patter Filled with Jargon? Five Ways to Make Your Patter Suck Let’s Talk ...

Leodini's Inner Magic - innermagicclub.wordpress.com · 16 references

11 days ago by leodini

During Inner Magic Club’s meeting of the Board of Directors last Wednesday, some members rued the proliferation of cheap magic from China. Previously expensive props like multi-colored appearing canes and vanishing bird cages now sell in Divisoria for dirt cheap prices. The discussion turned into la ...

Leodini's Inner Magic - innermagicclub.wordpress.com · 16 references

15 days ago by leodini

As a magician in the Philippines, I’m obsessive-compulsive when it comes to microphones. My idea of a nightmare show is to have a human mic stand holding the microphone to my face. To avoid this, I always bring with me one microphone with cord, a cordless mic, a headset mic, and a lapel mic. I also ...

Leodini's Inner Magic - innermagicclub.wordpress.com · 16 references

15 days ago by leodini

As a magician in the Philippines performing for family audiences, I have had my share of flops. Over the years, I have chalked up my baker’s dozen of bombs. No matter how I spin the instances I bombed, I still couldn’t get over them. They still haunt me today. I may be harsh on myself. I impose a hi ...

Leodini's Inner Magic - innermagicclub.wordpress.com · 16 references

18 days ago by leodini

Like most magicians in the Philippines, I am an avid fan of Houdini. Throughout my teen years, his daring escapes so fascinated me I daydreamed of duplicating some of his dangerous feats. After turning professional magician, though, I found those dangerous feats are not easy to duplicate. They are n ...

Leodini's Inner Magic - innermagicclub.wordpress.com · 16 references

21 days ago by leodini

Stage fright afflicts almost every performer, the seasoned and the neophytes alike. It torments not only magicians but also stage actors, singers, musicians and other performing artists. It even vexes athletes. You are probably familiar with the symptoms: heavy breathing, heart thumping in the chest ...

Leodini's Inner Magic - innermagicclub.wordpress.com · 16 references