MagicManRusty

Well, faithful readers, after a week of library shows in the Peoria, IL area...I'm getting geared-up for the big Greg Hahn show tonight.

I'll be the opening act, then comedian Dave Dugan (of Bob & Tom fame) will be the warm-up. Then the legialy insane man we call Greg Hahn will take the stage. Well, since we're in a high school gym, I guess he'll take the "floor".

I'm excited, and--of course--nervous.

In the mean time my most talented friend David Champ was been working all week on a little video. Here it is for your viewing enjoyment:

(Kids...don't try this at home)



More to follow...

Wish me to, "Break a leg."

Greetings, faithful reader. I have a few things to discuss, then I'll let you get back to your sunbathing.

I am fortunate to have the busiest summer on record. I have dozens of shows throughout Indiana (and a little in Illinois) in the next few months. My schedule is posted on my website. PLEASE...come see me if you can.

One of the bigger show on the books is June 27. I'll be performing Benton Central High School in Oxford, IN. It's a BIG show. I'll have the pleasure of being the opening act for Greg Hahn.


Greg is a spectacular comedian, and a regular on the Bob & Tom Show. I'm talking side-splitting funny. I have my work cut-out for me.

I'm so very honored to be a part of this show.

My sweet friend, Danielle Payne with the Oxford Library set this all up. I emailed her and asked where people could buy tickets. Here is her reply:

If people want to buy by credit/debit I have  paypal account set up. Send payments to oxfordlibraryfriends@yahoo.com.  Make sure they include their mailing address in their payment email.
We will also take check payments...they can mail to us at PO Box 6 Oxford, IN 47971 and I will send out from here.


So..there you have it. Seriously folks, this is a MUST SEE SHOW.

In other news, I just received word that I'll be returning to Bearcreek Farms in Bryant, IN.

What's Bearcreek Farms?, you may ask. Well...Bearcreek Farms is the home of the Good Times Theater. In the late 80's and early 90's the Good Times Theater was produced by veteran vaudeville comic Buddy Graff. His shows--in which he stared as the comic relief--were variety spectacles, featuring music, singing, dancing, classic vaudeville skits, and variety acts...LIKE ME. The shows would run for three or four months each. I was fortunate to be a part of a half-dozen or so shows starting with "Holiday Magic 87" in November of 1987, through "Monkey Business" closing in March of 1991.

Buddy was my mentor. He--for some such reason--really liked me, and I adored him. He taught me so much about how to deliver comedy, and work an audience. I have often said that Bearcreek Farms is where I went to college, and Buddy Graff was my professor.

Buddy went on to do the same productions in Florida as a kind of retirement.

Buddy passed away February 15, 1998. Although we stayed in touch, I was never able to work with him again. We just couldn't get our schedules to work out.

I just learned that Bearcreek Farms is presenting special "Nostalgia" shows on Wednesdays. My understanding is that they are inviting back those who have graced the stage of The Good Times Theater from years past.

I have been asked to take part in the shows on Wednesday August 5. Shows at 2 & 7:30 PM. I'm SO excited. It'll be like visiting my old Alma Matter.

Please come see me, if you can.

And finally, on a personal note...for those few of you who don't know...I'M A GEEK. It's true...I admit it. Especially in the area of Star Trek. I am SUCH a Star Trek fan that I named my dog Tiberius--Captain Kirk's middle name.

With the new Star Trek movie taking the box office by storm, my love of all things Star Trek has been rekindled. BTW...if you haven't seen the new film, it's a must see. Star Trek fan or not--I don't care if you've never seen a single episode or even know what "Beam me up, Scotty" means--you will LOVE this movie.



So...all of the new hype got me thinking about my Trekkie collection. I remembered that my good buddy David and I shot a little Star Trek film at Universal Studios Florida back in 1995. We acted in front of a green screen, and got to take the VHS home...and it was pretty cool.

I asked David to convert it to a digital format. He did.

I've posted it on YouTube for your enjoyment and ridicule.

REMEMBER...it was 1995, and it was SUPPOSED to be cheesy. David and I purposely camped it up to have fun.

I hope that you do too:



Until next time, faithful reader...LIVE LONG, AND PROSPER.

Well, faithful reader, here's the first new blog in weeks. Why? I'VE BEEN BUSY...that's why.

I'm very fortunate to have the busiest summer ever. Entertainment is a feast or famine kind of career. You have to take it when you can.

First of all...I was part of a PodCast. A few weeks ago I was hanging out with my buddy Tom Savini at the Horror Hound convention in Indy. While there I met some interesting people, as usual. One was a gentleman named Jordu Schell. Jordu is an effects artist, not unlike Tom. He makes AMAZING collectors masks. Check 'em out HERE.

He also hosts a PodCast called N.E.R.D. Cast. He joined us for dinner Sunday night, and I did some magic for the table.

Jordu invited me to be a guest, along with Tom, to discuss how film makers use illusions to tell stories. I said, "Sure!"

So...that's what we did. Tom and I sat and recorded a 90 min PodCast. It was really enjoyable.

If you want to listen to it you can. I'll give you the link in a second. Here's the thing, though...THIS POD CAST IS R-RATED.

I can't say this enough...THERE IS HARSH, HARSH LANGUAGE IN THE POD CAST...SOME OF IT FROM ME!

Now...you've been warned.

Here's the link for N.E.R.D. Cast #5

Enjoy.

Also...here a photo of me at age 5:



I'm wearing the tux 'cause I was the Ring Bearer in my uncle Joe's wedding.

Even at that young age I was dressing like a magician.

Or, perhaps...Bond. James Bond.

Hey there, faithful readers...here's a cute little story for ya...

The year was 1975. I was 7 years old.

My Grandma and Grandpa Ammerman lived in Jasper, Indiana. I've always liked the name...Jasper. Wanna guess why? Because as a child--and even now--it reminds me of Casper...the Friendly Ghost.



It was common for us (dad, mom, and me) to make the four hour drive, three or four times a year to visit Grandma & Grandpa.

The thing is, there's no easy way to get from Connersville to Jasper. Every time we went down (and back), we seemed to take a different route, my dad experimenting to find a quicker, shorter way. There are a lot of back roads in Southern Indiana, and we tried almost all of them.

On one such trip we must have done a route similar to this...



So, there I was...sitting in the back seat of our car, playing with my toys, when suddenly...I looked out the window, and off the road, in a wooded area I saw a balancing rock.

I couldn't believe it! It looked just like the formations I see in Road Runner cartoons.

I leaned forward to get my parents attention, "Hey...pull over. I just saw a balancing rock."

Well, they didn't believe me, and gave me some line like, "We'll stop and see it on the way home, dear."

For the rest of the trip that's all I could think about. I asked my Grandma & Grandpa, and other family members who lived in Southern Indiana, "Where's the balancing rock at?"

No one seemed to have any idea what I was talking about, and--although they never said this to me--they all believed that I had imagined it.

On the way home I was glued to the window...but never saw it.

On every trip down to Grandma & Grandpa's, I would look out that window, hoping to get a glimpse of that balancing rock.

Even years later, when I got my license and would drive myself, I would often remember seeing that formation, and find myself looking for it.

At some point I started to convince myself that I had imagined it.

Flash forward to 1995 or so. I was on a tour, doing shows in the Mid-West, and found myself in Southern Indiana. Shoals, Indiana to be precise.

I walked into the Shoals High School and met with the principal. He told me that we would do the show in the gym, and walked me down there. As we were talking about where the students would be seated, I noticed an odd looking character painted in the middle of the tip-off circle on the floor.



I looked at it and thought to myself, "That looks weird...what's it supposed to be? It looks kinda like a balancing rock....OH MY GOD!"

I turned to the principal, pointing at the picture. "What's that?" I asked.

"Oh," he said, "that's our mascot. We're the JugRocks."

"JugRock," I said. "What's that?"

"It's a rocky formation, with a flat top."

"I see. Does this...JugRock...does this formation really exist."

"Oh yeah. It's just off the highway, on the North side, on your way out of town."

"Is that right....?"

Suddenly I felt vindicated. I couldn't wait for the show to be over so I could go and see if this was my infamous, illusive Balancing Rock.

I drove slowly, looking to my right--just as I remember as a kid--and, low and behold...off the road, in a wooded area I saw a JugRock.

I didn't have my digital camera then, so I didn't get a shot. But, I sure let everyone know about it.

I called my dad, my mom, my grandma. They, of course, had no memory of me seeing the balancing rock.

I bring this up now because, just today, I did a show for the Huntingburg Public Library. It's just south of Jasper. I remembered that little story and the JugRock, so I decided to take a round-about way home...through Shoals.

This time I DID have my camera, and here's what it looks like:





That's exactly what I remember it looking like, all those years ago...

Now, be honest faithful reader, if you were a kid, and saw that...wouldn't you describe it as a balancing rock?

So there...take THAT mom and dad.

On another note, the show went well, and the people were wonderful. I especially liked the sign they made promoting my show:





Nice job, huh?

Then, in Connersville, I ran into Krista Gibson. I didn't recognize her, but she did me.

On July 10, 1984 Krista was celebrating her 9th birthday. She had a party in the back yard of her house on Meyer St. in Connersville. There were 15-20 kids there. Their entertainment was Dr. Illusion who performed a magic show.

Dr. Illusion was ME, and that was the first show I ever did.

Here's me with Krista:



Ironically I ran into Krista's mom a few months ago at a Christmas Party. You can read about it here.

And everything comes full circle.

I feel REALLY old now.

Monday morning I woke up in Hollywood, CA. I'm now back home after a 2,200 mile drive over 5 days, with two shows along the way.



Most of the journey I was on I-40. Before there was an Interstate system, the road that people would have take was Route 66:



Lots of roadside attractions popped up along U.S. 66. When I-40 opened, most of these died away. Some, however, are still there. Since I-40 and Route 66 still intersect at several place, on the way home I decided to see a couple tourist attractions.

The first I came to was an homage to an Eagles song, "Take it Easy." I found myself standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona:



Truth be told, no girl has EVER slowed down to take a look at me, but there was an empty flat-bed Ford:



If you look over my shoulder, though, you can see the reflection of a young lady...so, maybe all hope is not lost.

The next site I took in was near Amarillo, Texas...an oddity called Cadillac Ranch.

It's a weird thing, seeing 10 Caddys buried up to the steering wheel in the ground:



People are encouraged to bring spray paint and add graffiti. I just wanted to see:



And be seen:





Not much further down the road, near Groom, TX, I started seeing signs that said, "The Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere". Soon enough, I found this:



It's, apparently, 190 ft. tall. It looked very familiar...but more of that to follow...

On Wednesday I had two shows in Oklahoma, the first for Del Crest Middle School in Oklahoma City. 500 Kids, grades 6-8. Here're some photos:



And, me with The Balloon Girl:


(What a Hair-Flip, huh?)





Then a lengthy drive to Briggs Elementary School. 500 kids, grades K-8.



Here are some fun photos:






(Disco Fever...?)

Then it was a sprint for home...

I-40 met up with I-70, and, when I saw this:



I knew I was in the final stretch...

Near Effingham, Illinois I saw this off of I-70:



at 198 ft., this is, now, The Largest Cross.

That's gotta make Texas a little miffed, huh?

So, I'm home now. Time to re-charge, and get caught up...

If you'll excuse me now...I'm gonna sleep.

Today was bitter-sweet, to be sure.

Sweet because I had six shows, and five of them were the best audiences of the week. Sweet because I was proud to complete another week of shows at The World Famous Magic Castle.

Bitter because it meant that it was time for me to leave...

I started my day with another round of Brunch shows for families. I had three shows, and the first and third were spectacular. I was so energized by the crowd...and the routines just flowed.

Also because I was blessed with special guests. A friend of mine who lives in the greater L.A. area, Jeff, and his family came to see my shows, and spend a day at The Castle. They had never been, and that's always a thrill when I can let someone experience the magic for the first time.

They got to see two of my shows, the big show in The Palace of Mystery, and spent some time with Erma (the piano playing ghost) making requests.

Here we are in The Parlour of Prestidigitation:



I then had to set-up for my evening shows...

I realized that I had some time to kill, so I walked the five-minute stroll to Hollywood Blvd. to take in some sites. I decided to see the Hollywood Wax museum.

Cheeze, I know, but I'd never been.

It was actually quite cool. I do recommended it. I took lots of pictures, but I won't bore you with them all. Only a few...

Here I am auditioning for the next Terminator film:



And teaching Spiderman how to aim:



My Mommy Says I'm Special...

I did the evening shows...and they were wonderful. I'm so glad to end my run with such generous people.

I then had to sadly pack-up and say good-bye to everyone, including the performer with whom I shared the Parlour, Charles Arlington:



So...thus ends another week at The Magic Castle. I hope to return soon...it really does seem like home.

Tomorrow I have to make it half-way to Oklahoma City for shows I have on Wednesday. Drive, DRIVE, D R I V E!

I'm just plain beat!

This afternoon I did the Parlour shows for The Magic Castle's Family Brunch.

On Saturday & Sunday afternoons, The Castle hosts a family brunch--the only time minors are allowed into The Castle. It's also the only time the dress code is relaxed to casual. So, the shows are all themed toward an audience of all ages.

I did three shows in The Parlour.

The audiences were great! It's fun using kids in the show with their family watching...it always gets a strong reaction.

Steven--one of the ushers who's been paired with me a lot this week--dealt with seating The Parlour and introducing me:



He's a dude!

Then I went back to catch some Z's, then I was back at it again tonight. Three shows.

The Castle was JAM PACKED with guests tonight, and most had never been here before. The best scenario for a magician.

I am so tired that I left right after my sets, and am about to crash.

Tomorrow I repeat today...Brunch shows and evening shows to close my amazing week at The Castle...

This morning started early.

I, unfortunately, had to take Tony to LAX so he could get back to Indy for work.



I had a great time visiting with Tony, and it was sad to see him go. It was also sad to fight morning L.A. traffic. We made it, though, with lots of time to spare.

He sent me a text this evening that he made it just fine.

Friday night is always a busy time at The Magic Castle. It's when lots of guests come--often for the first time--to experience its wonder. So I go above and beyond to do extra special shows.

I was standing by the bar talking with Kurt when a young lady walked in with several friends. She seemed to do a double-take and rushed toward me.

"You're Rusty," she said.

"Yes. Yes, I am," I admitted.

"I was told that I HAVE to see your show. You're in the Parlour, and I want to make sure that I can get to your show after the show in The Palace."

We spoke with Kurt, who explained how she could make that work, but I was curious.

"Who told you to see my show?" I asked.

"Oh...a board member," she answered.

"Cool. That's nice," I said, "Which one?"

At this point she hesitated just a tad, then she leaned in and whispered, "Neil Patrick Harris."

I was taken aback. Surprised.

"Really," I told her, "I met him right here at the bar a few nights ago, but he didn't see my show. Well, I didn't see him there, anyway."

"I think he did," she said, "because he told me that you were really good. Really funny that I had to see you."

"Well, I hope that I don't disappoint," I said.

She and her friends went on their way, but they were all in the front row for my 9:30 show. A couple of them even helped me with my routine.

I'm not sure is Mr. Harris did or did not see the show...but I'd like to think that he did, and sneaked out before I--or anyone--saw him. Either way, it makes me happy to think that he would recommend me to a friend.

Tomorrow I have to get up early to do the Family Brunch Shows at The Castle. It'll be a LONG day tomorrow, a total of seven shows.

So, off to bed I go. We'll chat tomorrow...

This was Tony's last day here in L.A., so we did a little more site-seeing. We started at Grauman's Chinese Theater to look at the hand prints in the sidewalk, then walked down the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I already have photos of a lot of these Stars...but I saw two that I had missed before:



William Friedkin is an extraordinary film director. I believe his masterpiece is this little film:



The scariest movie of all time.

Period.

I also came across this star:



Robert Wise grew up in my home town of Connersville, IN. He went on to become...well...the Godfather of Hollywood. He started as an editor, then went on to become a director, producer, and president of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He directed some little know films, like:







And, one really close to my heart:



Our high school auditorium is even named after him.

We also stopped into the famous Hollywood Magic Shop on Hollywood Blvd:



After all this walking, I was BEAT! So I took a subway back to the hotel and left Tony to fend for himself.

I had a great nap and went to The Castle to get ready. I did two shows tonight, and both times the audience was THE BOMB!

I was pleased to have a great magician, and good friend, Robert Baxt, show up to see my show.

Robert is a comedy magician, and creator of great magic effects. For instance, he created the Coke Trick on which I get such great comments.

If you've never seen me do it, watch.

It's really weird to do someone else's routine with them in the audience.

After the show Robert and I visited and he was--as always--most charming. He was also very complimentary about my show in general, and presentation of the Coke trick in particular. He liked the way I made it my own.

Here we are together:



Robert is always very generous with ideas, and he worked with me on a few moves. Thanks Robert.

Also in attendance at The Magic Castle tonight was Mr. Bob Barker. Remember him?



I didn't get to speak with him--he didn't see my show--but he looked just like he did on The Price is Right, and his smile still fills the room.

My Grandma Weaver will be SO jealous.

Tony leave tomorrow, and I head into the busy weekend.

Wish me luck...

This morning, faithful reader, Tony and I went to watch a taping of Jeopardy! at Sony Pictures Studios:



Tony knows a guy, who used to work on the show, that still has connections with a guy, who....well, you get the idea. So, we were given Production Guest passes and allowed to sit in the first row.

We watched 3 episodes taped that will air the week of May 25. There was then a lunch break, and another audience came in to watch 2 more taped. It seems that they shoot all the shows for a week in one day.

There were about 100 or so people in the studio audience, and we were given the low-down on being quiet and when to applaud. Then, Jeopardy! announcer Johnny Gilbert came out and acted as the warm-up. He told little funny stories about goof-ups on the show, and answered a few questions.



The contestants were brought out, shot a few promos, then we were already to tape.

The music started, and Johnny--from his booth announcer platform--spoke the so familiar phrase, "This....is...Jeopardy!" He then introduced the contestants, followed by, "And now, the host of Jeopardy!...Alex Trebek!" And, out he came:



Now, of course, I didn't take these pictures. No cameras or cell phones were allowed, but it looked in person just like on TV.

They went through their first segment, and came to a commercial break. Alex immediately walked over to us--the audience--and started chatting. We was polite, engaging, charming, and quite funny. He took questions and asked several of the audience too. Then it was back to the game.

This continued during almost every break unless he had to re-record a line or question what he fumbled or mis-pronounced. And, when that did happen (less than six times during the three shows) he always made a joke about it.

Alex went way out of his way to visit with the studio audience, and seemed to enjoy talking with us more than doing the show.

During one such encounter I got to answer an Alex question. He was talking to a guy from Canada (Alex's home country) and the man said he was from Windsor. Alex said, "Yes! Windsor! One of the few Canadian cities located south of the border. In fact Windsor is due south of what American city...?"

I raised my hand, and he pointed to me. "Detroit," I said.

"Detroit is correct," he said...and I felt like a million bucks.

I didn't win any money, though.

After a few hours and three shows, we took off back to the hotel, stopping at In-N-Out Burger on the way. It's a fast food chain that everyone on the West Coast seems to LOVE!

I thought the burgers were good.

That's all.

At The Castle tonight, lots of members were there. When I say "members" that mostly means "magicians". That always makes me edgy...I feel like I'm under a microscope. But, truth be told, that's what working The Castle is all about.

I did a new routine that Tony actually wrote, so he got to see me read his lines. It was cool. Trying new stuff is what The Magic Castle is all about.

Rich Cowley is The Magic Castle's Videographer--he shot my footage last time--and is always a joy to hang out with, even if it's only for his endless database of jokes.



Rich has been a great source of encouragement, helping me to keep in sight what's important in the performance of magic, and what's just hype.

Jon Armstrong--The Magic Castle's Magician of the Year, several years running, and board member--was a wonderful help the first time I was here, and has been a great friend this time as well. Last time Jon went well out of his way to spend time with me, give me advise--GREAT advise, actually--and make me feel like I am welcome at The Castle. This year has been the same. No one has made me feel more welcome than Jon.


(Ain't we cute...?)

Jon is also a demon with a deck of cards.

No lie.

And, here's Tony and I in The Parlour:



Tomorrow night, through Sunday, is when things get REALLY busy at The Castle. I'll keep you posted...

Today was Full-Throttle in Hollywood.

First, I had to take Wayne to LAX for his flight home, and--only minutes later--I picked up Tony Wilson who is visiting me for a few days from Indianapolis. Tony and I have know each other for more than a decade. He's a great fan of magic--and all things Geek. So, as a birthday present to himself, he's here visiting The Castle.

On the way to our hotel I surprised Tony with two stops. The first was the famous Griffith Observatory:



It used as a filming location in numerous films, like Rebel without a Cause. They even have a James Dean monument on site:





We then went to the near-by River Road Tunnel, also used in various films. It should look familiar:



Then, Tony being an extrema fan of Super Heroes...I HAD to take him to the famous Bat Cave, from the 1960's TV show:





We then checked in to our hotel, and got ready for The Magic Castle. On the way I took Tony down Hollywood Blvd, past the Famous Chinese Theater. There was a film premiere going on across the street at the El Capitan theater. It was, we soon learned, The Jonas Brothers: 3D Concert Experience. People were ALL OVER THE PLACE as we slowly drove down the street. Both sidewalks were swarmed with young girls, expecting to get a glimpse of the stars. Some of the girls weren't happy that my car was in their line of view, as they looked across the street. I'll tell you, until you've had two dozen 15 year old girls screaming at you to "Get the #*&$ out of the way," well--you just haven't lived.

We made it to The Castle and who was seated at the bar the second we walked in...none other than Magic Castle board member, Mr. Neil Patrick Harris:



We met him, and he was unbelievably kind. I told him that I believed that "How I Met your Mother" was his best work to date. He said to me, "Well, we have a lot of fun shooting it."

"And it clearly shows," I said.

I did three shows, each getting better as the night went on.

Tomorrow...we go see a taping of Jeopardy!!

I'll let you know how it goes.

Tonight was my first night of my week run at Hollywood's World Famous Magic Castle.

It started with the help of my buddy Wayne White (who came to LA to visit his brother, Bob, and give me a hand) who assisted me in moving my gear into the Parlour. The set-up went quickly, and things just fell into place.



Just in case I couldn't go on...Wayne was ready as my understudy:



We moved stuff in around 3, then went to lunch and did a little site seeing. One place we visited was the Kodak Theater where, last night, the Oscars was televised.

Here's Wayne walking down the same steps all the guest walked less than 24 hours ago:



We made it back to The Castle around 6 so I could set-up for my 7:30 show.



By this time a lot of the staff were there, and I got to see familiar faces. Not the least of which was Kurt--an usher whom I grew very fond of during my last visit in May.



Upon seeing me, he immediately recognized my name and said, "Rusty...welcome home."

That was the kindest sentence I could possibly have heard.

Seconds later the legendary Max Maven



(Entertainment Director at The Magic Castle--my boss for the week) came in and addressed me my name as well, welcoming me back.

I feel SO important.

At 7:15 Kurt opened the doors for my theater, The Parlour of Prestidigitation, and I waited back-stage for the introduction:



At 7:30 Kurt introduced me, and I walked onto stage to my second run at The Magic Castle.

And....it DID feel like home.

My first audience was most generous, and that makes me happy.

My second show was cut do to low attendance (very common Monday through Wednesday), and the last show was perfect.

After my second show I bumped into an interesting man. Did you see the Oscars Sunday night?

If you did you must remember a film that won Best Feature Documentary, Man on Wire.

It tells the story of Philippe Petit, the man who, in 1974, walked at tight-rope across The World Trade Centers.

During the acceptance speech Philippe did a bit of magic, and balanced the Oscar on his chin.

If you missed it, here it is:



Well, one night after that win, Philippe was at The Magic Castle. He was nice enough to pose for this picture:



What a dude!

I'm sure I'll have more stories tomorrow...

Here we are, faithful readers, as I am only a few days away from appearing--for the second time--at The Magic Castle.

Getting here has been a long adventure. I left home on Sunday, as I write this, have driven 2688 miles. Here's how it looks:



Along the way I've done three shows. First, Red Rock Central Elementary School in Jeffers, MN.

Here are some shots :







Then, it was a long drive to Darby, MT for a show at Trapper Creek Job Corps. I was there in April, but most of the kids were new. A Job Corps is like a boarding vocation school. These kids learn trades, like how to be a Chef:



This gang knew how to relax and have a good time:



Mr. Ferguson introducing me:



After the show I heard an amazing story I want to share with you. A 17 year-old named Christian came up while I was signing autographs and asked me if I would sign...HIS EYE. I immediately dismissed him as teasing me. Then I heard him say, "No...I'm serious.."

At that I looked over and saw this:



Now THAT'S something you don't see every day.

I, of course, said no. I mean, come on people, there is NO way I'm signing someone's glass eye.

Christian spoke with me for a while and told some funny stories about how he's punked people with his prosthetic eye. For instance, he purchased sunglasses at an expensive sunglass boutique, and asked them if he could buy them at half price. When they asked why, he showed them.

As I was just packing up and about to leave he said, "You haven't asked how I lost my eye."

"Well, no," I said, "I haven't because it's none of my business. If you want to tell me, though, I'd be honored to hear."

"It happened when I was 12," he said, "I was playing with a gun and accidentally shot myself."

I thought that I heard him wrong.

"What? You shot yourself...in the eye...?" I asked. It didn't make any sense. I mean, if you were shot in the eye, then that means that you were shot IN THE HEAD, right? People don't usually live to talk about that.

"Yes," he said, "the bullet went in my right eye and came out the top of my head."

I was speechless for several seconds. "The bullet went through your head?"

"Yep"

"You're telling me that a bullet went in your eye, through your head, and out the top of your skull...and 5 years later we're standing here talking about it?"

"That's right"

"You're neurosurgeons were extraordinary," I said.

"Oh, they were."

Folks, once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far, away...I worked as a medic for an ambulance. Too many times I've seen the outcome of a gunshot wound to the head. I've never heard anyone talk about it. Well, I thought, it must have been a very small caliber. A .22 maybe?

"What kind of a gun was it?" I asked.

"It was a .44 Magnum," he said.

At this point I had to sit down. A .44 Magnum is not a small caliber. It's a LONG way from that. It is, in fact, touted as the most powerful hand gun in the world...made famous by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies.

Once, in my two years at AID Ambulance, I saw a gentleman who was shot in--believe it or not--his right eye with a .44 Magnum. He wasn't as fortunate as Christian.

I told Christian that I believed his survival was nothing short of a miracle.

He agreed.

I had to get my pic with this amazing young man:



I then went to Trapper Creek's sister school, Anaconda Job Corps in Anaconda, MT for an evening show. These kids were ready to have fun too:





Bea introduced me:



And here I am with the balloon girl, the spectacular Janeane:



Tomorrow I have to drive to LAX to pick-up my buddy Dr. Wayne White, then we'll crash at his brother's house.

It'll be a long drive...so, if you'll excuse me...

Well, faithful reader--if, indeed, you still are--my absence from blogging has been, in no small part, because of the impending journey to L.A. and The Magic Castle.

The very journey in which I'm now on. I'm typing this from an Arby's in Lafayette, IN while Pep Boys does some fine tuning on an alignment I got yesterday in Indy.

I left home this morning to begin my trek. I have a few shows on the way out, and then a couple coming home, with a full week of shows at The Castle in between.

Let's start with a flash back, though shall we....?

Friday night I had the honor--and I don't use that word flippantly, that's exactly what it was--to perform back in my home town of Connersville, IN. I did a show as a benefit for "Brats with Bats", a local girls fast-pitch soft-ball team on their way to their version of the World Series. The girls are quite the talk of the town, and need to raise some cash to help with their travel expenses.

My great friend, Dr. Wayne White, suggested the idea of me doing a show where the ticket sales went to the cause. I said, "You bet..."

Here I am with Wayne and Barbra, his lovely wife:



Mancino's--a local restaurant--sponsored the event, and did a job that would make Don King's hair limp. The tickets, posters, and the like were all spectacular.



We had the show at the Amvets, and had over 200 people in attendance.

The most humble part was to see how many people showed up to support the team. Among them several friends of mine from "back in the day" whom I haven't seen in two decades. One of whom was Tammy Trent.



Tammy's father, Claude, and my dad are close friends, and we used to hang out together when they would visit. Tammy came to the show to see me, and surprise me with a scrap-book. It wasn't just me, it's of her life. I did, however, have two pages in it.

Before the show I was told that the goal was to raise $800. When all was said and done--including a silent auction, concession sales, and tickets--we made just over $1,600.00

I felt like Jerry Lewis.

It was so nice to catch-up and visit with everyone. My Mom--who really does say that I'm special--was there with my Grandma Weaver.

Wayne introduced me with no script, and Ed McMahon couldn't have done better. I wish I had a recording of that intro.

Good times.

Here I am with Hannah, during the final trick:



I'm not going to tell you what the final trick was...but it wasn't the Balloon Trick.

So, I'm now on the first leg of my trip. I'll spend the night near Rockford, IL, near the Wisconsin border.

Stay tuned...

Not the Tom Petty song.

Today was an interesting day.

I had two shows at Carmel Clay Public Library for An American Girl event.

If you don't know--and, faithful reader...I DID NOT--American Girl is a franchise of dolls. Very nice, expensive dolls.

Apparently there are several stores in the country (the closest being in Chicago) where these dolls are sold. A couple of parents gave the the low down.

There are several main doll characters that correspond to books about their lives, and the decade in which they lived. The focus for today was a character named Kit:



Most people opt for a standard doll.

It also seems that people will fly to Chicago just to visit the store, where little girls can have a doll created that resembles themselves. You can then purchase human clothing that matches the doll clothing.



A father summed it up when he said, "It's quite a racket."

Whatever. It was a fun day.


(See...she look just like me)

I incorporated the dolls into the show when I could. For instance, when a girl came up to help, I would ask her to bring her doll along. This added a lot of humor.

One great moment was when Abby brought her doll Addy. Abby was seated facing the audience, and Addy was on her lap, facing Abby's right. I said, "Abby, I think that you should sit Addy so that she's facing the audience too."

Abby looked down at her doll...paused...then quickly grabbed the top of Addy's head, and jerked it--just the head--toward the audience, leaving her face at a grotesque 90 degree angle to her body.

I laughed so hard that I had to sit down.

Then, always striving to the "funny" I said, "Well...I think maybe you should change her name from Addy to Regan."

This, faithful reader, is a reference to the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist.

The adults all laughed.

Then I said, "And parents...if your kids get that joke...then it's not my fault."

Carmel has an immaculate library, and the Children's Librarian, Sharon, threw a great party:







The Magic Castle is getting closer. They now have my name on their website.

Check it out...HERE.

I shall borrow—if I may, faithful reader—from Credence Clearwater Revival a song title, because it so perfectly describes today’s show. You see, MVIS is less than five miles from my house.

I’m thrilled that I get to do shows so close. Sure, I love you all in Idaho, and Arizona…but it’s nice to be working in my back-yard.

I was supposed to be here last Friday. But, because of the harsh Indiana weather, we were able to reschedule.

Today I had the pleasure of performing at Mount Vernon Intermediate School. This building is only 5th & 6th grades, but lots of kids. 600 or so, to be exact. Today’s show was a reward for those with good behavior, and—I’m told—that very few students didn’t qualify.

After meeting with the kids, I believe it.

Let me start by explaining that my first contact was with Mrs. Whitaker and Mr. Shipley, the Assistant Principal, and Principal respectively. They were both wonderful to deal with over the phone, and even more so in person. I have honestly never seen an administrative team work so well together. Seriously. They were like siblings…only ones that got along well.

The room was perfect, and the kids that helped me bring my gear in were great.

600 kids all on one side of a gym can be quite overwhelming. Fortunately these weren’t your ordinary, run-of-the-mill bleachers. Oh no, faithful readers. These were on steroids…Bleachers with an attitude.

Mr. Shipley asked if I would mind if they set-up a video camera to broadcast to the office so staff not able to attend could watch. I said sure.

I only point this out because most wouldn’t even think to make sure it’s okay with the performer first.

The kids started filing in like a battalion of Marines.



Then kept filling in…



And filling in…



All the while Mr. Shipley was rocking out to AC/DC.

So were the kids.

They were all seated in less than 10 minutes. That, my friends, may be a world record. Typically it takes a school with only 250 kids every bit of 15 minutes to get seated. This school is organized.

When we were ready I turned off the music, and the crowd immediately got quite. Mr. Shipley said a few words, and then Mrs. Whitaker introduced me.

The show was text book. The crowd was like a studio audience that’s getting paid to laugh and applaud.

I wish that they would have been filming too.

Cudos go out to Erin, who helped with a card trick:





And Anne, the balloon girl:







And, of course, cudos also go to....ME:


(Look, up in the sky....)

I have more shows this weekend for the Carmel Clay Library.

Stay tuned...

Season's greetings, faithful readers. And by "season's greetings", I mean Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I've been absent in my blogging for about a month now. Not because I haven't had shows...I have. It's just that they have been private parties, Christmas celebrations and the like. I tend to not blog about these events or post them on my website, since they are not in the public arena, so to speak.

I have had every intention to post an entry, just to let you know that I'm alive and well, but my own sloth and enjoyment of the season has gotten the better of me.

Last night I had another Christmas party show. Yes, I know that it's a bit untimely. The show was for Roots, a company in my home town of Connersville, Indiana. They had originally wanted the show for December 20 (more commensurate with Christmas), but because of scheduling issues, the party was moved to last night.

It all worked out well, with one little exception...LAST NIGHT THE COLTS WERE IN A PLAY-OFF GAME!

Root's party was held at the Connersville Country Club--a place where I've done dozens of shows over the years--so it was a nostalgic feeling to begin with. Little did I know as I arrived that that feeling of homecoming was about to become much closer.

I had found my contact for the party, Connie Chandler, and together we decided where I would set-up, and what time I would begin.

The room was packed. I'm not sure how many people were there, but almost every square inch of floor was used, with guests over-flowing onto the enclosed terrace area. This made getting my props and sound equipment tricky to get in.

We also decided that I would begin my show at 8 PM. Normally a great time, with one exception...THAT'S THE SAME TIME AS THE KICK-OFF FOR THE GAME.

In the next room, adjacent to my performance area, was the country club's bar, with a big screen TV. I jokingly told Connie that I'd be surprised if there would be a dozen people in the audience during my show.

It was about then that a lovely lady approached me. She introduced herself to me as Becky Gibson--a member of the committee in charge of the party. She looked familiar.

She then said, "I'm sure that you don't remember me, but..."

She didn't have to say another word. It came to me; hit me like a hammer from the past.

I said to her, "You live on Meyer Street..."

She smiled. "That's right," she said.

Becky Gibson used to live at the top of 5th Street, on Meyer. In July of 1984 her daughter, Krista, celebrated her 9th birthday. Becky threw a party for her in their backyard.

About a week earlier Becky saw a flier tacked at the Fayette County Public Library (I believe) that promoted a magician available for kids' parties.

The magician's name was Dr. Illusion.

She called that magician, booked him, and he presented a 20 minute show. She paid $10. Everyone was happy!

Dr. Illusion, I'm a bit embarrassed to say, was me. I was 16 yeas old, and Krista's 9th birthday party was my first show.

Becky remembers me showing up with my assistant--my girl friend Trisha Brandenburg--and a table, and a case with all of my tricks.

I told Becky last night that in July of 1984 I didn't have my driver's license yet, and Trisha wasn't only my assistant, but my chauffeur.

Embarrassing, huh?

So, it was decided that Becky should be the one to introduce me, and that she did.

She gave a wonderful introduction, including the story of my first show in her back yard. She even took credit for my career saying, "I'm responsible for all of his success..."

That's more true than she knows.

If my first show for Krista's party had gone any way other than perfect, I would have been too scared to do another.

Thanks Gibson family...

Here we are:



Yep...it's all her fault.

I had such a great time performing for my fellow Connersvillians--many of whom I know. As it turns out I lost very few people to the Colts game. Bad for them, good for me.

I had a fun time, and I hope my audience did as well.

Let's say that my night went better than that of the Colts.

Sad day.

I'm back in the swing of shows in the days to come.

Stay tuned, faithful readers.

Well, faithful readers, I've just completed my final day (for now) in Alabama. Two shows today.

The first was for Sheffield High School. This was the second time I've performed on this stage. The first time a few months ago for the middle school.



It was a perfect stage, and the audience was matched it.

As the crowed came in I had a good feeling:





Performing for this group was like working a nite club. Not just any nite club, and a really good one, on a night where the audience is primed, and superb, where they are completely on board with you and your act; laughing at exactly the right time, and totally supportive.

This is the kind of crowd you want if you're filming your HBO special.

I told the principal after that they were in the top 5 percentile of all audiences I've had.

No Joke!

The balloon girl (I can't remember her name...I'M SUCH A DORK!) was the absolute perfect person to pick from the crowd.



My second show was for Colbert Heights High School, grades 7 - 12.

This was a big crowd, about 500 kids.

Today was a special day, as they had a big basketball game tonight. They asked me to put a hex on the visitor's goal.

I hope my mojo is working for them.

As I was setting up, a young man kept making a slicing gesture with his open hand in a downward motion (like a Karate strike). As he did so he kept yelling, "Judy Chop!"



He was also encouraging me to do it too.

I assumed that he was confused, meaning to say Judo chop.

He explained to me that it was a reference to a YouTube video about Hillbilly Karate.

I looked, and found it:



Isn't it funny how a stupid little video can make its way around the block. Every one at Colbert Heights knew about the Judy Chop, and thought it was hilarious.

So I used it in the show. SEVERAL TIMES.

The Judy Chop Boy (Matt, I think) ended up helping me in the show with the Invisible Deck trick.

He was GREAT. Here he is studying his invisible, chosen card:



Very funny!

I also think he looks like Jason Mewes--Jay from the Jay & Silent Bob movies. See:



I hope they're victorious tonight.

I have lots of private parties during the rest of the month, but no public shows....as of yet.

I'll keep in touch. Stay warm, and Merry Christmas.

What a touching day.

Three shows.

My first was at South Lamar School. I had been here before two years ago. I remember that the kids were a lot of fun, and the same was true today. I knew they would be fun as they came in:



My balloon girl was a young lady named Kat, and she had a great on-stage presence, with cooperative hair:



But, the thing that I shall always remember about South Lamar is what happened just before the show.

As the principal was picking up the mic to introduce me, a lady came running up to me carrying a canvas bag.

I found out later that her name is Malin Freeman.

I was expecting her to tell me that she had a deaf student, and she needed me to put on an extra mic transmitter, which would feed into a hearing-aid receiver. That's pretty common.

Instead, though, she handed me the bag and said, "Hi! I remember you from two years ago. My grandfather was also a magician, and he passed away last year."

With that, she handed me the bag.

"Here," she said, "is his magic. We didn't know what to do with it, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather have it than you."

I stood there. I didn't know what to say.

You see, when a magician passes away, it's common for there to be a ritual at his funeral. Masons have a presentation, and military personnel have a twenty-one gun salute. For magicians, there is also a ceremony in which a magic wand is broken to represent the breaking of our spirit from this world to the next. It's a lovely event. Leading up to The Broken Wand Ceremony, other magicians will step-up and share funny or touching stories about the deceased magician. It's then, typical, that the magician's equipment is donated to a museum, a local magic club, or to another close magician.

To a magician, his props (tricks and various equipment) are his most treasured possessions. To be given such is the highest honor a magician can receive.

I was profoundly honored.



I shall cherish the props that Milan has entrusted to me. I will give them a good home, and--one day--they will be given to another magician to do the same.

My last show was for Hazlewood High School.

This group was so polite, and SO FUNNY! They REALLY got into the tricks.

Here I am, before the show, with the students who helped carry my stuff in:


(Me with my Peeps!)

Two more tomorrow, then a LONG drive back to central Indiana.

Enjoy!

Hey, faithful readers, I'm in Alabama all this week.

Lots of shows...lot's of driving...little time to blog and sleep.

HOWEVER...there are a few funny moments. One happened today at WS Neal Elementary School.

During my Linking Ring trick, I do a bit where I explain that the eight rings of steel are in fact, Man-Eating-Rings. During this the theme from Jaws plays, and I creep the rings toward the crowd.

Well, one little girl was really cute about being scared. Every time I would come close to her, she would put her hands up to her face like Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone:



It was so adorable, and she was totally milking it too, that I just HAD to get a photo of her "Scared-Face".

Here it is:



I think she's MUCH cuter than Macaulay Culkin ever was.

Don't you agree?