This 304 page book, provides the information and inspiration to help transform your dream of becoming a professional magician into a reality! Offers "insights into staging, movement, and using words effectively", "tips on selecting effects, practicing them, and creating a routine", and "workable routines, shared by performers making their living at magic." Features black and white illustrations throughout.


MacGregor, Jerry: Real World Magic (JM)
Copyright 1999 by Jerry MacGregor
304pp, Hardcover; $40


Comments: This is a great book which is split into two sections. The first section is primarily theory - how to put together a show, developing a character, etc. The second section describes the effects of the numerous professional magicians who have contributed items for the book. Both parts are excellent, and there is a lot to learn here. Highly recommended.

Contents:

What are we doing? p7

Part One: Reasons

1. Stepping into the Real World
- A Routine, Not Tricks
- Establish a Character
- Keep Your Magic Visual
- Have a Direct Opener
- Choose Winning Effects
- Involve the Audience's Emotions
- Keep it Simple
- Build Toward a Climax
- Have a Clear Ending
- Help Them Like You


2. Learning to Entertain (This is an updated version of a chapter from The Restaurant Magician's Handbook, by Jim Pace and Jerry MacGregor.)
- The Audience Must Like Me
- I Always Use Ordinary Props
- I Work Standing Up
- I Have to Like It
- I've Got to Fool Them Badly

3. The Meaning of Your Magic
- Have a Strategy
- Establish Your Personality
- Choose Your Words Carefully
- Reveal Your Wonder
- Practice Your Timing
- Create Excitement
- Demonstrate Relaxation
- Practice Everything

4. Magic Words
- What Do I Say?
- How Do I Say It?
- How Can I Use Words Effectively?
- Do I Have to Be Funny?
- What Do I Not Say?

5. Hocus Pocus and Sim Sala Bim
- The Introduction
- The Conclusion
- The Transition

6. The Magician on Stage
- Create a Visual Picture
- Descriptive Hands and Face
- Purposeful Movement
- Clear Blocking
- Open Up
- Create Comfort
- Use Speed (JM - no, he's not saying to do drugs...)
- Close the Gap
- Dress in Character
- Clean Up

7. Selecting Tricks for the Real World
- Read Widely
- Make Sure It Grabs You
- Choose Visual Effects
- Prefer Direct Effects
- Prefer Normal Props
- Prefect Practical Applications
- Use Audience Participation
- Think "Simple"
- Know Your Audience
- Know Your Limits


8. Preparation and Practice
- Walk Through It
- Envision It
- Get Comfortable With It
- Have Someone Evaluate It
- Repeat It
- Set the Timing
- Look for Naturalness
- Focus on Misdirection
- Check Your Reaction
- Study the Situation

9. Routining Your Show
- The Notion of the "Show"
- The Beginning: Start Fast
- The Middle: Use Variety
- The End: A Slam-Bang Finish
- Crescendos
- The Themed Act
- The Basic Five
- Tricks as Tools
- Varied Venues
- What Do People Like?

10. The Biggest Secret in Magic
- The Big Goal
- The Little Goals
- The Biggest Secret


Part Two: Routines

1. Grab-Them-By-The-Throat Openers
- Bottle Opener by Carey Heim: Bottle Production
- Two Step Aces by Bob Wallace: Quick ace location
- Sweet Smell of Success by Steve Mayhew: Flower Production (JM: very simple, yet VERY commercial)
- The Logic Cup by Jerry MacGregor: Chop Cup routine using a mug
- Jim's Close Up Miser by Jim Pace: Coin production
- Arnold by Mark Benthimer: Produce bullet, ribbon from a dollar bill, and finally change it to a $100 bill
- Rush Lintball by Steve Taylor: Sponge ball routine
- The Fantastic Bird Production by Carey Heim: The title says it all
- Opening Prediction by Jerry MacGregor: Card prediction with kicker ending
- MacGregor's Vanishing Wine Glass by Jerry MacGregor: Vanishing wine glass (duh)

2. Fool-Their-Pants-Off Middle Routines
- Watch Out by Richard Levin: Two coins disappear under a handkerchief. One returns, and when you try to bring the second one back, you produce a pocket watch.
- The Pill Box by George Olsen: Okito Box routine
- John's Photography by John Greene: Presentation for Hull's Mental Photography Deck
- Pick a Key, any Key by Toby Wessel: Ring Flight
- Star Ring by Jerry MacGregor: Borrowed finger ring is continuously threaded on string, only to appear on the magician's finger
- The Tearable Trick by Jim Pace: Both magician and spectator tear a napkin into pieces. The spectator's napkin restores itself, while the magician's refuses to.
- Coincident by Jerry MacGregor: Coin routine
- Four-Ace Followup by Bob Wallace: Ace location. This is a followup to Two Step Aces
- Quick Aces by Chip (Jerry) MacGregor: Aces are placed in differentparts of the pack. The spectator selects a card, and then counts down to that value. The aces are found at the chosen number.
- Short Changed by George Olsen: Funny effect about being given the wrong change. The cashier always counts it right, but when the magician tries, he comes up short.
- E-Z Watch Steal by Carey Heim: Watch steal routine

3. Leave-Them-With-Their-Mouths-Open Mental Routines
- Thought Suggestion by Mark Allen: Magician reveals a thought of number.
- Close-Up Mentalism by Bob Cassidy: Several effects by Bob Cassidy
1. The Black Lipstick #1 - A die is placed in a 35mm film canister and peeked at by several audience members. The magician then reveals the number on the face of the die.
2. DyCypher 2 - Bob's handling and presentation for the DyCypher2 prop, available from Chazpro.
3. The Black Lipstick #2 - The magician writes the numbers one through five a pad of paper. A spectator is then instructed to write down a name, place, etc. next to any one of the numbers. Then, he is asked to fill in 'dummies' for the rest of the numbers. The magician is able to determine which one the spectator is thinking of.
4. Psychokinetic Powers - Key bending, followed by a psychokinetic pen routine
5. The Name/Place Routine - Billet routine
6. Perfect Voodoo - Perfect Pen routine. The magician magically 'heals' a wound on a figure drawn on a piece of paper after piercing it with the pen. The magician has predicted which area he will heal.
- The Walk-Around Mentalist by Jerry MacGregor: Jerry's 3-phase mentalism routine.

4. Haymaker Closers
- Decked by Kirk Charles: Kirk's combination of Ambitious Card, Everywhere and Nowhere, Dunbury Delusion, and a Four Ace trick. Whew!
- The Ultimate Floating Bill by Rick Anderson: An amazing Floating Bill routine. This is one I'm going to work on.
- Stealing Time by Tony Eng: Another watch steal. This one uses a Hades Finger Chopper as great misdirection.
- Six Card Climax by Jim Pace: A multiple selection routine. Six cards are selected andthen revealed in a burst of energy.
- The Other Scotch and Soda by Jerry MacGregor: No, this isn't a coin trick. It's a card under glass routine.
- Coin Fantasy by Jim Pace: A Matrix Routine that ends with the production of 13 coins in a nice formation on your close-up mat.
- Impossible Closer by Carey Heim: A card is selected and returned to the deck. The magician pick out the card he thinks was chosen, but is wrong. He tears it up, and the pieces magically change places with the spectator's card. The card is then restored.