Howdy Folks!I was recently in Toronto to visit friends and attend the Luminato -Toronto Festival of Arts. There Max Maven, Mac King, Bob Sheets and Juan Tamariz all performed public shows. Having seen Max, Bob, and Mac's shows several times (big fans of them all!!!) I was very interested in seeing Tamariz perform for a large audience having only seen him perform close up. I'm very familiar with Juan's work, his writings and I've watched him perform for a small group at FISM in Holland a few years back. After this most recent show in Toronto I jotted down some notes about the effects he performed which I thought would be of interest to some of you. Juan performed his show in English, Spanish, and French. I attended the English show Saturday evening. At least I think it was.Here are my notes...ENJOY!!!
It ain't easy being Tamarizy.
The Shrinking Glove. Juan quickly won the audience over right away buy getting the audience to laugh as he quickly brought an audience member up on stage using a simple gag.Juan's first effect was that favorite old magic
shop item "The Shrinking Glove". Once again Juan used much comedy in this quick effect creating a great situation where the volunteer is getting the laughs over Juan...and then Juan triumphs by revealing the magic of the shrunken glove.
Juan then handed a packet of cards to someone in the front row of the theater. They were asked to examine and count the cards. There were six. This lead to a great version of Tommy Tucker's Six Card Repeat. One thing I noticed about Jaun's handling is how high he tossed the cards into the air and how cool it looked on the dark stage. A deck of cards was now produced and shuffled. A female volunteer was brought up on stage to help. Juan announced that he had made a prediction and placed it in his pocket.
She was to THINK of any card...then she was to point to ANY person and ask them to NAME any card...
and hopefully it would match the prediction in Juan's pocket.
Juan proceeded to prove just that in a very clean and direct way that made me smile. Juan had HER pull the NAMED card from his back pocket.The card was then placed in the volunteer's hand and Juan asked her to named the card she was thinking of. She did and when she herself turned the card over it had now changed into HER thought of card.Juan now introduced his cell phone and asked if someone would come up on stage and call a friend who might be home and could help by thinking of a card.After three failed attempts to get someone on the phone finally somebody answered! She named the card her friend thought of over the phone and Juan asked her to cut the deck. She cut to a six. Juan asked her to deal down six cards and there was the thought of card.
Cut and restored with "borrowed cloth". Juan went into the audience and collected several borrowed pieces of cloth such as handkerchiefs etc. They were placed in a pile and a number called out by an audience member. He then counted through the items stopping on the called out number choosing a "random" handkerchief. This lead into a funny do as I do cut and restored handkerchief routine with an audience member. The routine ended with the handkerchief magically restoring in the spectator's hands.
Intermission(at some point a lady came out and performed a trick where a rabbit vanished. It was a little out of place. I can't remember where at in the show it was exactly but I think it was before the intermission.)
Spirit Cabinet. Juan brought up two audience members to assist in tying up Juan's "medium" who was a blond haired guy named Alan brought out from the wings. Alan was tied up and seated in a chair next to some items. They performed the classic bits with objects being tossed out of the cabinet as well as the jacket going on and off the medium while still tied with ropes. Juan combined this with a torn and restored card. The signed card was torn to pieces and the pieces vanished. When the cabinet was lowered the card was now sticking out of the Alan's mouth.
This lead into a performance of Losander's floating table.
Juan then brought two spectator's up on stage seated either side of him to perform some close up card magic.
Juan started this set with one of his stand by effects. A card is selected which turns out to be the three of diamonds. Juan produces the Ace and then a Two and proceeds to create a funny illusion combining the pips on the two cards showing the three of diamonds. Only seconds later it now IS the three of diamonds.Juan then performed a longer sequence where every time a card was named it would appear on top of the deck. Juan's presentation for this simple effect was fantastic and very strong.Finally Juan ended with his famous Total Coincidence effect. Two packs of cards shuffled by volunteers end up being in the exact same order at the end of the effect. This pretty much self working card effect needs to be seen to be appreciated. And Juan's yelling and screaming adds a lot to it. This effect is mainly procedure until the pay off. Juan even joked about that in the presentation.
This effect builds and builds after each phase and Juan does a great job working the audience up to a frenzy by the end where all the cards match. Which is why I was surprised that the lady and Juan's helper Alan came back out for an encore to perform a bottle production and produce a rabbit from a drawer box which totally stepped on Juan's chance for a good standing ovation.
I'm glad I got to finally see the show. The one thing I got from it that I didn't get from seeing Juan before is that he's funny. He really is. AND He's likable. He gets the audience on his side and then after that it really doesn't matter what happens.
Kranzo
Hope you enjoyed my random notes.
Everyone here at Kranzo Magic wishes y'all a fantastic, fun and safe summer!
We'll see you soon. 4th of JULY HERE WE COME!!!
: )
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