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[Mark ScivierParticipant]

I like both these performers very much. They are both professional, precise, and very clear about what they’re doing. I have a slight personal preference for Tommy Wonder. I prefer not to have someone do a demonstration/teaching of magic when they’re performing. Daryl presents his routine as a demonstration. Tommy presents it as magic. They are both interactive with the audience. Tommy establishes a more natural rapport with the audience – they are all totally engaged. They are both very respectful of their audience. Daryl puts the magic in the hands of the spectator and this is very effective. (I’ve seen TW also do this in a different routine.) Their language is natural though it must be scripted. TW’s language seems more natural and less rehearsed than Daryl. I think it helps TW to be standing (even though he appears to be so tall!) because I think the audience is more engaged as a result – it feels a little less formal – a sense of we’re all performing this magic together.

I would like to emulate TW’s ability to entertain, the way he has everyone’s complete attention, and how he comes across as genuinely loving what he is doing.

I would like to emulate Daryl’s precision of performance.

[Andrew MurphyParticipant]

Mark – thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I’m more familiar with Daryl I have to say – as mentioned in last week’s class, it was Daryl’s Encyclopaedia of Card Sleights DVDs, along with the Royal Road and Card College, where I began after deciding to learn more about Card Magic.

Labelled the ‘Magician’s Magician’ he was technically very gifted and had a great performing persona although I do think your view around his ‘demonstration-like’ approach is well observed and one which I hadn’t previously considered.

Aside from the 8-part series mentioned above, Daryl also put out a number of other great DVD releases – a 5-part series on Card Revelations and single DVDs on both the Ambitious Card and the 3 Card Monte.

On the books front, check out For Your Entertainment Pleasure and Confessions of a Puerto Rican Gambler.

 

Tommy Wonder was definitely one of magic’s greats as can be seen in the video clip – he had a very easy and relaxed manner with his audience and performed with a gentle grace. He was also a skilled craftsman and handmade his own props to an extremely high quality.

I’ll take the opportunity add another TW link and would be interested to hear your thoughts – did Tommy choose the wrong trick for this performance or do you feel he did a great job handling a very difficult situation (or both?).

(P.S. I do miss those over-enthusiastic L&L audiences – they almost became more famous than the featured performers!).

Cheers

Andrew

 

[JackKeymaster]

Andrew, the host in that clip is exhausting! What a prick if I’m honest. I don’t understand how Tommy kept his cool if I’m honest.

The wild card that Tommy does is my favourite wildcard and I actually learned his version of it years ago and put it into one of my acts – it received incredible reactions!

 

[Mark ScivierParticipant]

The host on the show really ruins the effect. Possibly not the right choice for the situation – although TW may not have known what he was walking into.  It is a beautiful effect when given the appropriate time and attention by the audience.

[Author]

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