Price$39.95
Media TypeTrick
CategoryGeneral
Date AddedJun 28, 2014
The Magic Of Suzanne: The Castle Act
Suzanne
Anthony Asimov Magic
(Based on 5 reviews)
- Paul Gertner
"Suzanne is a magician who has studied, worked, and walks the walk. Her routines combine a sure knowledge of technique with a gift for construction. On top of it all lies her searingly unstoppable brand of showmanship. She is, simply put, a powerhouse."
- David Regal
"For a long time, no one had ever heard of Suzanne because she had been working all the time. I met her 30 years ago and have been tracking her career ever since. She has the kind of chops that one gets after doing this 10,000 times. Now, as Close-Up Magician of the Year, she has decided to share some of the real secrets of magic... Not only the how but the why... sign me up for this information!"
- Doc Eason
"Yes, she has the skill, the showmanship, the energy, and all those other things that make for a great close-up performer. More than that, Suzanne shows her human side. This is what makes an entertainer stand out, more so than what he or she does, because it forges a bond, an emotional connection, that turns spectators into fans -- and performers into stars. And that's what Suzanne is: a star."
- Ariel Frailich
"The Magic of Suzanne: The Castle Act" is ISSUE #4 in the Black Rabbit Series, which features outstanding professional magicians from around the world who perform full shows for live un-coached audiences.
Suzanne is the only woman to win the coveted "Close-Up Magician of the Year" award from the Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle). In this 2-DVD set, you will learn Suzanne's valuable secrets on how to properly structure a magical performance to create a standout show, as well as some fabulous magic. If you want to become a better performer of magic, get ready for some serious note taking!
Volume 1
Filmed live at The Magic Castle, you'll be captivated by the same show that consistently earns Suzanne standing ovations, and ultimately won her the prestigious award. Suzanne performs her most famous effects: "Let's Play Together," "Coming Home III," "A Mother's Love," and "The Journey." Also included are three commentaries, each one taking you further inside Suzanne's thinking as she analyzes and discusses her own performances. Alternate live performances of her favorite routines, a 30-minute interview in which Suzanne talks about her unique magical journey, and footage from her acceptance of the "Close-Up Magician of the Year" award, are also featured.
Volume 2
Go behind the scenes with Suzanne and guest host, Matt Marcy, as they explain step-by-step how to perform "Let's Play Together" and "Coming Home III," Suzanne's workhorse card routines that she's relied on for decades. Suzanne even discusses her unique deck switcher in detail, a device she uses in every performance. You will also be inspired by thought-provoking discussions on how to create a signature trick, how to find the perfect story for a routine, and how to incorporate archetypes into your show to craft a dynamic character-driven performance.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
The Magic of Suzanne is a two DVD set starring Suzanne, the 2010 Academy of Magical Arts Close-Up Magician of the Year. The DVD starts with a performance of her 24 minute Magic Castle act, in the Magic Castle. It is phenomenal. This DVD is well worth the purchase to watch an award winning magician do her thing, discuss it, and even teach some (but not all) of it.
Suzanne’s Magic Castle show consists of three basic segments. First a very strong and well-thought out multiple card routine (which is fully taught on the second DVD), followed by a Sharpie marked band-aid transposition trick (recently performed on Fool Us in which she fooled Penn and Teller) and finishes with a really fantastic Cups and Balls routine. The two latter tricks are not explained.
First off, let me say that Suzanne’s card routine is several routines built into one. In the card routine she has a marked card disappear and reappear in her pocket several times. She has a completely double-sided blank deck apparently instantly turn into a regular deck of cards. It has aspects of an ambitious card routine and she makes permanent ink apparently jump from one card to another. It is a great routine packed with numerous magical moments, comedy and emotion. It is taught excellently with step by step instruction.
Although this DVD would be worth the price just for the explanation of the card routines, it teaches so much more about the art of performance and interaction with an audience and spectators. Suzanne’s misdirection is honed to perfection and it is wonderful to watch her perform. She also shows a prototype of her deck switcher gimmick. I wish that she taught her Cups and Balls routine in the same step-by-step way that she taught her card routines. Trust me when I tell you that her routine is excellent and it has an unusual storyline to it and an awesome finale kicker.
One of my favorite features of the DVD is the fact that the viewer can choose to watch the performances with Suzanne’s audio commentary on the performance dubbed into the track. You can also see performances of the same tricks in front of a different audience. This is very interesting since you see how Suzanne deals with a boisterous audience and an intoxicated volunteer as opposed to an almost silent audience and a more cerebral spectator. The audio commentary gives great insight into her performance and what she is thinking when she is working her act.
There is also an interview with Suzanne that is very interesting and she discusses her career path and Dai Vernon’s front row appearance at her show, many years ago. Needless to say, the Professor approved of her act and when she asked for some suggestions, he told her to wear a dress.
The production quality is excellent and the ad copy is accurate. In the promotional video Suzanne says that she “goes through” her Magic Castle action “from beginning to end” which is true, but beware that the secrets are not taught for every trick.
This is a wonderful production and I highly recommend it.
Suzanne’s Magic Castle show consists of three basic segments. First a very strong and well-thought out multiple card routine (which is fully taught on the second DVD), followed by a Sharpie marked band-aid transposition trick (recently performed on Fool Us in which she fooled Penn and Teller) and finishes with a really fantastic Cups and Balls routine. The two latter tricks are not explained.
First off, let me say that Suzanne’s card routine is several routines built into one. In the card routine she has a marked card disappear and reappear in her pocket several times. She has a completely double-sided blank deck apparently instantly turn into a regular deck of cards. It has aspects of an ambitious card routine and she makes permanent ink apparently jump from one card to another. It is a great routine packed with numerous magical moments, comedy and emotion. It is taught excellently with step by step instruction.
Although this DVD would be worth the price just for the explanation of the card routines, it teaches so much more about the art of performance and interaction with an audience and spectators. Suzanne’s misdirection is honed to perfection and it is wonderful to watch her perform. She also shows a prototype of her deck switcher gimmick. I wish that she taught her Cups and Balls routine in the same step-by-step way that she taught her card routines. Trust me when I tell you that her routine is excellent and it has an unusual storyline to it and an awesome finale kicker.
One of my favorite features of the DVD is the fact that the viewer can choose to watch the performances with Suzanne’s audio commentary on the performance dubbed into the track. You can also see performances of the same tricks in front of a different audience. This is very interesting since you see how Suzanne deals with a boisterous audience and an intoxicated volunteer as opposed to an almost silent audience and a more cerebral spectator. The audio commentary gives great insight into her performance and what she is thinking when she is working her act.
There is also an interview with Suzanne that is very interesting and she discusses her career path and Dai Vernon’s front row appearance at her show, many years ago. Needless to say, the Professor approved of her act and when she asked for some suggestions, he told her to wear a dress.
The production quality is excellent and the ad copy is accurate. In the promotional video Suzanne says that she “goes through” her Magic Castle action “from beginning to end” which is true, but beware that the secrets are not taught for every trick.
This is a wonderful production and I highly recommend it.
(Top ▲)
I was pleasantly surprised, quite frankly, when I saw this video. I knew before seeing this that Suzanne was a great performer, having seen various video clips of her performing in the past couple of years. What I was surprised about was how long she has actually been doing this act - and it shows!
The characters that she presents on stage were very distinctly different and it was apparent as the show progressed. I was very entertained by everything she was doing from the get-go!
When she first comes out and starts the show, she is that high-energy, playful character that is having some fun with the audience, kind of poking some fun at situations, etc. The second character was more subdued, one that held some mystical inner power without overstating it and at the same time, the character and the effect connected with the volunteer because it was centered around something that every single human has experienced at least once in their lives. The last character was still further subdued - more knowledgeable, this character showed humility and experience which could only have come with time.
If you are familiar with the brand of teaching of Jeff McBride, you may recognize this as the progression from being the Trickster, to the Sorcerer and finally, the Oracle. I would not say that she has reached the status of the Sage just yet - she is too young in her years but her knowledge and persona definitely exhibit some of the traits of the Sage.
I bring up Jeff McBride here because she was a student of his Magic and Mystery School, also having spent some time with Eugene Burger there, which also shows in the way she performs and structures her show.
Wow - I have already said a bit here and not one mention of an effect. Okay, what she is performing on this disc is pretty basic stuff and most of it is magic that we have all seen quite a number of times, BUT, it is still very entertaining. Why? Well, for one she does not spit out the typical presentations for these effects, but she put her own spin on them and makes them very unique to her style, her personality and her characters.
The first set of effects she did was an Ambitious Card, which started with a double blank deck. The lighting was good but the cards were washed out by the light, so I missed that first few moments before I realized that the cards were blank (more on this in a minute). She never says that the cards are blank, she just goes about treating them like a regular deck and has the volunteer choose a card. This goes to show you the true power of assumption.
There were some very funny bits with this set because at one point, she has the blank card signed and eventually, the whole deck turns into a fully printed deck of regular cards. I have to say that the finale of the card set fooled me the first time I watched this - badly. I knew what she was doing, but I missed the moment that she executed the move and I got caught. This comes back to her ability to entertain very, very well...
The next effect was one I had seen her do in various video clips and I was surprised to find out that it is not her effect, because it was so different and the way that she presents it, I thought it was. It is a transposition effect of a drawing on the pad of a Band-Aid. This was very well-presented and the audience is left with a great souvenir.
The final set was pretty much the age-old Cups and Balls sequence of Al Schneider, with only a move or two that were changed to suit Suzanne herself. This is an absolutely beautiful presentation piece with a great hook and a wonderful story. I would say that on top of the great visuals with the great story, one of the best parts about this effect is the way it causes the audience to create the magic in their own minds, pitting the story against their own personal experiences. Deep stuff if you think about it.
That is pretty much the whole act. Now get this: This is the same stuff - the only stuff, that she has been performing for the last 25 or 30 years! Again, this just proves that you do not need a vast repertoire to make a living or even just to entertain people.
I mentioned the lighting earlier: The sound was very good but the video was not as HD as HD should be. It was clear enough to see what is going on, but there were a few points where white (or light objects) would get washed out a bit. I am not sure what it is about these videos but just about every VHS (remember those?!) and DVD I have seen that was shot in the Magic Castle has this lighting issue, no matter how good the camera work is. Other videos I have seen which were filmed in the Castle were pretty bad quality (grainy, hard to see, etc.) I mentioned that you kind of lose a bit of that punch at the beginning because you do not realize the cards are all blank for the first few minutes, so you kind of get robbed of the surprise. That washout issue was pretty much the only video issue for this disc.
The volunteer that Suzanne used for the main performance was pretty blitzed - he was not quite to that 'stupid drunk' stage and was still coherent enough to participate playfully with Suzanne. Most performers would have already booted him in favor of someone much more sober, but she kept him on for almost the whole show and I am glad she did! It shows the viewers exactly how to handle just such a spectator, which for many of us can be a very common experience.
One thing I really appreciated was that you could watch the main performance and a few other performances of the set segments with and without commentary. This was a great feature because you get inside her head and learn why she chose to use a particular effect, or say what she did or do what she did at any given time or how she would handle different aspects. There is also a Q&A on the first disc and there is a little bit of crossover between the two DVDs, but that is hardly worth mentioning.
The menu on both discs was easy to navigate but there is no Play All button.
The second disc is where you will learn some of the effects in the card set, but that is it. She does not really teach anything more than that and that is okay, since this DVD set is not about teaching effects, but rather more of the philosophy of performance character, style and presentation. For the parts that she does teach, she does a good job and she is joined by the twin of Matt Damon (who is probably unaware that he has this twin). Magician Matt Marcy did a good job of asking her to cover certain things again from maybe a different angle or more thoroughly if she happened to gloss over something a little too quickly. That said, she is still a good teacher.
For the rest of the effects that she did not teach, she gave full credit and references to the creators. She also does this for the effects that she does explain - she is very thorough with her crediting.
I will also mention that after she teaches a particular portion of an effect (or discusses it) you see a clip of that particular portion being performed live in front of an audience.
She also talks about her history in magic and her professional background before that. She talks about being a student of Al Schneider which, if you are familiar with his particular brand of magic, you can see his influence on her as well. It was very interesting to see how she progressed from being in computers to being a magician, and a very good one at that! I have long said that we (as magicians) need more female magicians in the profession. There are many good female performers out there but Suzanne is one of the best I have ever seen.
This is a great DVD set with lots of very valuable information in it - even if she had not explained a single thing as far as effects are concerned, there is still plenty of things to be learnt from the information that she provides and through her discussions with Matt Marcy and even on her commentary tracks.
One bit of advice if you decide to purchase this: Watch as much of the first disc as you want but skip the Q&A until after you have watched the second disc.
I think the price for this was fair considering that you get two discs (which I think probably could have been all on one). Most two-disc sets cost at least $60/USD.
If you have no inherent interest in learning anything that is on this disc, the few effects or the unique philosophies of Suzanne, get this anyway because if you are a magician, you will at least be entertained by the performance!
I am docking the rating here by a half star for the little bit of video quality issue, but overall I am going to give it five stars.
Very, very highly recommended!
The characters that she presents on stage were very distinctly different and it was apparent as the show progressed. I was very entertained by everything she was doing from the get-go!
When she first comes out and starts the show, she is that high-energy, playful character that is having some fun with the audience, kind of poking some fun at situations, etc. The second character was more subdued, one that held some mystical inner power without overstating it and at the same time, the character and the effect connected with the volunteer because it was centered around something that every single human has experienced at least once in their lives. The last character was still further subdued - more knowledgeable, this character showed humility and experience which could only have come with time.
If you are familiar with the brand of teaching of Jeff McBride, you may recognize this as the progression from being the Trickster, to the Sorcerer and finally, the Oracle. I would not say that she has reached the status of the Sage just yet - she is too young in her years but her knowledge and persona definitely exhibit some of the traits of the Sage.
I bring up Jeff McBride here because she was a student of his Magic and Mystery School, also having spent some time with Eugene Burger there, which also shows in the way she performs and structures her show.
Wow - I have already said a bit here and not one mention of an effect. Okay, what she is performing on this disc is pretty basic stuff and most of it is magic that we have all seen quite a number of times, BUT, it is still very entertaining. Why? Well, for one she does not spit out the typical presentations for these effects, but she put her own spin on them and makes them very unique to her style, her personality and her characters.
The first set of effects she did was an Ambitious Card, which started with a double blank deck. The lighting was good but the cards were washed out by the light, so I missed that first few moments before I realized that the cards were blank (more on this in a minute). She never says that the cards are blank, she just goes about treating them like a regular deck and has the volunteer choose a card. This goes to show you the true power of assumption.
There were some very funny bits with this set because at one point, she has the blank card signed and eventually, the whole deck turns into a fully printed deck of regular cards. I have to say that the finale of the card set fooled me the first time I watched this - badly. I knew what she was doing, but I missed the moment that she executed the move and I got caught. This comes back to her ability to entertain very, very well...
The next effect was one I had seen her do in various video clips and I was surprised to find out that it is not her effect, because it was so different and the way that she presents it, I thought it was. It is a transposition effect of a drawing on the pad of a Band-Aid. This was very well-presented and the audience is left with a great souvenir.
The final set was pretty much the age-old Cups and Balls sequence of Al Schneider, with only a move or two that were changed to suit Suzanne herself. This is an absolutely beautiful presentation piece with a great hook and a wonderful story. I would say that on top of the great visuals with the great story, one of the best parts about this effect is the way it causes the audience to create the magic in their own minds, pitting the story against their own personal experiences. Deep stuff if you think about it.
That is pretty much the whole act. Now get this: This is the same stuff - the only stuff, that she has been performing for the last 25 or 30 years! Again, this just proves that you do not need a vast repertoire to make a living or even just to entertain people.
I mentioned the lighting earlier: The sound was very good but the video was not as HD as HD should be. It was clear enough to see what is going on, but there were a few points where white (or light objects) would get washed out a bit. I am not sure what it is about these videos but just about every VHS (remember those?!) and DVD I have seen that was shot in the Magic Castle has this lighting issue, no matter how good the camera work is. Other videos I have seen which were filmed in the Castle were pretty bad quality (grainy, hard to see, etc.) I mentioned that you kind of lose a bit of that punch at the beginning because you do not realize the cards are all blank for the first few minutes, so you kind of get robbed of the surprise. That washout issue was pretty much the only video issue for this disc.
The volunteer that Suzanne used for the main performance was pretty blitzed - he was not quite to that 'stupid drunk' stage and was still coherent enough to participate playfully with Suzanne. Most performers would have already booted him in favor of someone much more sober, but she kept him on for almost the whole show and I am glad she did! It shows the viewers exactly how to handle just such a spectator, which for many of us can be a very common experience.
One thing I really appreciated was that you could watch the main performance and a few other performances of the set segments with and without commentary. This was a great feature because you get inside her head and learn why she chose to use a particular effect, or say what she did or do what she did at any given time or how she would handle different aspects. There is also a Q&A on the first disc and there is a little bit of crossover between the two DVDs, but that is hardly worth mentioning.
The menu on both discs was easy to navigate but there is no Play All button.
The second disc is where you will learn some of the effects in the card set, but that is it. She does not really teach anything more than that and that is okay, since this DVD set is not about teaching effects, but rather more of the philosophy of performance character, style and presentation. For the parts that she does teach, she does a good job and she is joined by the twin of Matt Damon (who is probably unaware that he has this twin). Magician Matt Marcy did a good job of asking her to cover certain things again from maybe a different angle or more thoroughly if she happened to gloss over something a little too quickly. That said, she is still a good teacher.
For the rest of the effects that she did not teach, she gave full credit and references to the creators. She also does this for the effects that she does explain - she is very thorough with her crediting.
I will also mention that after she teaches a particular portion of an effect (or discusses it) you see a clip of that particular portion being performed live in front of an audience.
She also talks about her history in magic and her professional background before that. She talks about being a student of Al Schneider which, if you are familiar with his particular brand of magic, you can see his influence on her as well. It was very interesting to see how she progressed from being in computers to being a magician, and a very good one at that! I have long said that we (as magicians) need more female magicians in the profession. There are many good female performers out there but Suzanne is one of the best I have ever seen.
This is a great DVD set with lots of very valuable information in it - even if she had not explained a single thing as far as effects are concerned, there is still plenty of things to be learnt from the information that she provides and through her discussions with Matt Marcy and even on her commentary tracks.
One bit of advice if you decide to purchase this: Watch as much of the first disc as you want but skip the Q&A until after you have watched the second disc.
I think the price for this was fair considering that you get two discs (which I think probably could have been all on one). Most two-disc sets cost at least $60/USD.
If you have no inherent interest in learning anything that is on this disc, the few effects or the unique philosophies of Suzanne, get this anyway because if you are a magician, you will at least be entertained by the performance!
I am docking the rating here by a half star for the little bit of video quality issue, but overall I am going to give it five stars.
Very, very highly recommended!
(Top ▲)
Overview
Two DVDs, tons of commentary, real world expertise and $40 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.Effect
Though this DVD is not about "effect" per se, you are shown multiple performances of the four effects that make up her act. First, Let's Play Together, is her version of Ambitious Card with several fun additions and audience banter. Next up is Coming Home III, Suzanne's handling of the classic Carlyle (and other influences) Homing Card. Following that is transposition of the pads on two Band-Aids® based on Joe Givan's effect, Band-Aid® Transpo called A Mother's Love. This effect is all about presentation and the magic of a mother's love. We end the set with her handling of Al Schneider's cups and balls. Here we're treated to a beautiful story of life's journey of knowledge and wisdom . . . very Eugene Burger-ish.Method
As mentioned, this is not about the effects, and therefore not much about methods either. We are, however, given an in depth teaching of the first two effects (both card effects). But the Band-Aid® effect and the cups and balls are not taught. My guess is that if you've done cups and balls, you'll know how she did her routine, with the possible exception of knowing how the final load was done. I have no idea how she pulled that off. Also, my guess is that most of you (including myself) are also stumped by the Band-Aid® effect as well.Remember, this is not about teaching "tricks." It's about building an act, connecting to spectators, customizing your magic, etc., etc. This act is the act that won her Close Up Magician of the Year at The Magic Castle, so the goal is to learn about routining and structure from an expert. On that goal, she delivered in spades, and clubs, and hearts, and especially in diamonds.
Product Quality
Production
I'm not sure if it's a problem with the Castle itself, but it seems that most videos I've watched that were shot in the Magic Castle have lighting issues and production quality issues. This DVD was no exception. The cards were difficult to see due to the lighting. For example, it wasn't until about half-way through the first effect that I realized she was using a double blank faced deck (due to the lighting). As the routine goes on, you realize this and things start to make more sense.
The only reason that's a problem is because you, the viewer/audience, are robbed of the joy of some of the moments of that effect, so you don't get to fully experience what it might be like to witness the effect in real-life. Also, the footage didn't "feel" very HD. However, that said (and other than the aforementioned blank deck issue), you see what you need to see well enough to learn what you need to learn.
DVD
The DVD menu was clean and clear, but it was missing a "play all" button which is always a bummer. Other than that, it was super easy to navigate and easy to use.
Teaching/Content
Between the 2 DVDs you'll learn the two effects mentioned, see multiple performances of each effect, hear voice-over commentary (if you want), and witness multiple interviews. You're getting a lot of content. The effects are taught very well, and her host, Matt Mercy, was very good at making sure she covered the finer points that might have been otherwise missed.
You're also taught how to make her deck switch device, but the most valuable material is found in the interview and voice-over segments. While the voice-over commentary is much the same as the interview content, there are still extra gems found in each that are not found in the other.
Further, you learn why she chose what effect, patter, etc.; you learn how the effects came to be giving you some insight into her creative process. You learn, by example during the performances, audience management. One of the spectator's she used was drunk off his arse. She, masterfully, managed and directed him and made him an integral part of the show. Of the multiple performances shown, this one (with the drunk dude) was, by far, the best.
You'll learn that she's very good with people, and a very good storyteller.
Ad Copy Integrity
The ad copy and video trailer are both pretty mellow and laid back in their claims. They simply, straightforwardly and honestly represent the material found on the DVD set. The even mention the fact that you will only be taught the two card effects and not the others. On that note, she does give the resources for you to learn the two untaught effects.Final Thoughts
Final ThoughtsThe bottom line on this one is that you are receiving a master course on creating a show, connecting with and managing audiences and routining. That kind of information for a magician who wants to be a performer is a steal at $40 bucks.
Final Verdict:
4.5 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
(Top ▲)
PROS
This is an excellent set of 2 DVDs. Suzanne shows her 20 minute Magic Castle close-up act and then explains the routines and effects.
She explains her deck switching device and handling in detail. This is a tremendous deck switch! I think this alone is worth the price of the DVD.
However, her explanation of her set really gives you what you need to understand the elements involved in how to develop a truly wonderful entertaining close-up set.
CONS
OK, she comments, but doesn't fully teach a few routines like the Band-aid routine and her cups and balls routines.
She didn't teach the handling of her Band-Aid trick because the handling is Joe Givens routine. You may be able to purchase his lecture notes.
Her cups and balls routine is also based on others who have taught this before. What is unique about her routine is the storyline she uses. You won't want to use her storyline, but perhaps it will serve as inspiration for your own.
VERDICTS
Excellent DVD set where you see an entire act at the Magic Castle with very good explanation and/or commentary on the effects and routines.
This is an excellent set of 2 DVDs. Suzanne shows her 20 minute Magic Castle close-up act and then explains the routines and effects.
She explains her deck switching device and handling in detail. This is a tremendous deck switch! I think this alone is worth the price of the DVD.
However, her explanation of her set really gives you what you need to understand the elements involved in how to develop a truly wonderful entertaining close-up set.
CONS
OK, she comments, but doesn't fully teach a few routines like the Band-aid routine and her cups and balls routines.
She didn't teach the handling of her Band-Aid trick because the handling is Joe Givens routine. You may be able to purchase his lecture notes.
Her cups and balls routine is also based on others who have taught this before. What is unique about her routine is the storyline she uses. You won't want to use her storyline, but perhaps it will serve as inspiration for your own.
VERDICTS
Excellent DVD set where you see an entire act at the Magic Castle with very good explanation and/or commentary on the effects and routines.
(Top ▲)
Suzanne: The Castle Act
I host a weekly radio show and Suzanne was a guest on the show last year. I've had several conversations with her since then, but I had never seen her work. I bought this DVD and was surprised to find that this was one of the best DVD sets I had seen in years.
It is a breakdown of her castle act with her teaching the card routines, but not teaching her signature Band-Aid routine or cups and balls routine. More on that later.
A while back I reviewed a DVD were Franz Harrary did a live commentary of his illusion show. Even though I may never do an illusion show I found this extremely entertaining and insightful. It really opened my eyes to the complexities of an illusion show. This DVD does the same with a close-up show.
You see the complete 20 minute Magic Castle act, and then you can watch it back with Suzanne doing an audio commentary breaking down how she handles spectators, misdirection, and the creative process. I know I may be in the minority here but I find this kind of information far more valuable than tricks.
That said, the tricks that are taught are wonderful. She teaches her complete ambitious card routine with a blank deck, and her card to pocket routine. Both of these are workhorses and can be adapted to close up and parlor shows. The technique on these are very intermediate so it's well within the skill range of just about any card magician, which means you can focus completely on the audience, which Suzanne does. The two routines not taught are published, and the credits show where you can go to learn them. That said, Suzanne does share invaluable insights into the presentational secrets in the interview and commentary.
Whether or not you are a fan of her style you can't deny that when she is in front of a group, she owns the room, and she is completely charming. To me, the secrets of how she interacts with the group are far more valuable than how she technically accomplishes a cups and balls routine.
This DVD set not only includes alternate performances, it includes performances with vocal audiences and quiet audiences. This allows you to see Suzanne in the zone with a hot audience, as well as with a quieter audience where she has to work to draw them in more.
This is the closest thing to a perfect "theory" DVD I have seen in a long time. It should be ranked among sets like "Visions of Wonder" by Tommy Wonder to allow future magicians to see a master, that they may never have the chance to meet, at work.
This gets my highest rating of "Required Study" and Five Stars
I host a weekly radio show and Suzanne was a guest on the show last year. I've had several conversations with her since then, but I had never seen her work. I bought this DVD and was surprised to find that this was one of the best DVD sets I had seen in years.
It is a breakdown of her castle act with her teaching the card routines, but not teaching her signature Band-Aid routine or cups and balls routine. More on that later.
A while back I reviewed a DVD were Franz Harrary did a live commentary of his illusion show. Even though I may never do an illusion show I found this extremely entertaining and insightful. It really opened my eyes to the complexities of an illusion show. This DVD does the same with a close-up show.
You see the complete 20 minute Magic Castle act, and then you can watch it back with Suzanne doing an audio commentary breaking down how she handles spectators, misdirection, and the creative process. I know I may be in the minority here but I find this kind of information far more valuable than tricks.
That said, the tricks that are taught are wonderful. She teaches her complete ambitious card routine with a blank deck, and her card to pocket routine. Both of these are workhorses and can be adapted to close up and parlor shows. The technique on these are very intermediate so it's well within the skill range of just about any card magician, which means you can focus completely on the audience, which Suzanne does. The two routines not taught are published, and the credits show where you can go to learn them. That said, Suzanne does share invaluable insights into the presentational secrets in the interview and commentary.
Whether or not you are a fan of her style you can't deny that when she is in front of a group, she owns the room, and she is completely charming. To me, the secrets of how she interacts with the group are far more valuable than how she technically accomplishes a cups and balls routine.
This DVD set not only includes alternate performances, it includes performances with vocal audiences and quiet audiences. This allows you to see Suzanne in the zone with a hot audience, as well as with a quieter audience where she has to work to draw them in more.
This is the closest thing to a perfect "theory" DVD I have seen in a long time. It should be ranked among sets like "Visions of Wonder" by Tommy Wonder to allow future magicians to see a master, that they may never have the chance to meet, at work.
This gets my highest rating of "Required Study" and Five Stars