Doug Henning believed that it was his job to create a sense of wonder for his audience.
I remember the first time I saw an effect that created that sense of wonder. I don’t remember how old I was, I don’t even remember a lot of detail. I just remember an overwhelming sense of ‘holy shit’ for lack of better words.
The magician in question went by the name of Israel. If you asked him he would tell you his mother is the earth, and his father is the moon. He was just that kind of guy. He came into the magic shop, (our basement at the time) took off his sandals, sat cross legged on a bamboo mat he had set up and proceeded to perform ‘coins across’ where magically, four coins travel one at a time invisibly from one hand to the other. This is a standard effect that most magicians perform, and to this day it is one of my favorites. Perhaps it was my age, where I was in my life, his presentation or a combination of many things at once. But for me that performance created a sense of wonder. I think (possibly blame) that moment for my inability to escape magic.
Another such moment happened years later, only this time I saw it from the other side.
Once again I was in the magic shop in Montreal. A good friend and brilliant magician Romain was helping us out behind the counter as he often did.
For you magi out there who don’t know who Romain is, well suffice it to say he was a student of Slydini, He was a demonstrator at Tannen’s magic shop, one (if not, the) oldest magic shops in the USA, He has an effect written up in ‘Million Dollar Secrets’ by non-other than Frank Garcia. Romain is the Monarch of Manipulation. He is known around the world and he is a magic icon in Canada…And, for those in the know, he is one of Canada’s top ballroom dancers.
A young girl wanders into the magic shop. She actually belonged to the owner of another retail shop a few doors down. Romain is sitting behind the counter and decides to show her a magic trick. The response from the little girl is indescribable But it was easy to see what was going through her mind. She was just old enough to know that magicians show tricks, that things just don’t vanish or appear intellectually she knew it could not happen, yet it just did! And she was young enough that she only recently left that wonderful childhood place where everything is possible and most things are magical. Romain let that girl know that despite what she had learned, there is still magic in the world. I will never forget the look of wonder on that girls face. After she left Romain turned to me and said, “Brian that is what this is all about” It was one of many valuable lessons Romain has taught me over the years.
Romain, if you are reading, thanks for the lessons you probably don’t even realize you taught me. I’ve been watching So You Think You Can Dance, it is nice to see your influence has gone beyond magic.
PanningForGold 