Magic Lectures

Thursday January 18
Magic Lecture 7 PM
$20 person
Spouse Free
Featuring
Lonnie Chevrie

Lonnie Chevrie is an outlaw, an outsider to the mainstream of magic. Growing up in West Texas and isolated from the magic community, Lonnie depended on a small magic library for inspiration and instruction. Books like Modern Coin Magic, The Dai Vernon Book of Magic and The Amateur Magician's Handbook were part of this early influence.

During the 1970's and 1980's Lonnie performed magic full time including an after school television show on a local CBS affiliate. Lonnie's tricks and routines have appeared in The Linking Ring and Genii magazines. His handling of the gypsy thread effect has become a standard for trade show performers. And Lonnie's routine for the one hundred dollar bill switch appears in the recent book Switch, Unfolding the One Hundred Dollar Bill Change by John Lovick.

Lonnie has also been a feature performer at several magic conventions including: T.A.O.M., I.B.M., Dallas Close-Up and Motor City Close-Up. He currently has two DVD's on the market, Wanted and Captured - The Outlaw Magic of Lonnie Chevrie.

The evening begins with a 20 minute close-up magic performance for the group. The Outlaw Magic Lecture will follow this performance. The lecture consists almost entirely of non-card tricks that highlight Lonnie's "maximum effect with minimum effort" philosophy. All of the tricks are within the reach of the average magician and rely on a combination of simple sleight of hand and subtlety to achieve the singular magical effect. Most of the routines have been performed for more than 15 years and have been audience tested under every conceivable condition.

Some of the tricks to be taught during the lecture include:
* String 'em Up, a gypsy thread effect

* Grampa's Dollar, a visual bill change

* Clean Thru, a series of impromptu tricks with a borrowed dollar bill
* And a variety of other routines from Lonnie's personal repertoire.

This lecture represents a collection of tips, tricks and routines for close-up and stand-up performance.

Tuesday March 15
Magic Lecture 7 PM
$20 person
Spouse Free
Featuring
Christoph Borer

Direct from Switzerland, Christoph Borer the Intercontinental Conjurer presents his dynamic and highly acclaimed lecture in a limited engagement in the U.S. next spring. A professional magician for the last 22 years, Christoph performs mostly on stages and parlour settings. He started his career as a Close-Up Magician, but with the group Living Art he started to perform almost only on stages. He has appeared in more than 240 television appearances throughout Europe. After long tours through Europe (from Portugal to Russia) he stayed two years at home in Switzerland running a small theatre called "Arcanum", where he performed Close-Up Magic twice a week. For this he received an important Culture Prize from Switzerland.

Besides the many shows for laypeople Christoph always finds time for lecturing and meeting magic friends. He has given more than 220 lectures in Europe and USA over the years. In his lectures he always shows effects right out of his commercial repertoire for a lay audience. Always refreshing material with not much finger flinging. Practical, audience-tested effects which are original and learnable for everybody. Christoph has published 14 booklets and books with his magic creations.

His lecture will include:

Your name!
Two spectators choose fairly two or three words out of a local newspaper. For example: SCARF, GENT, and FILM. The magician writes them down and takes a bow. Nobody gives him a hand, of course... But then the magician takes the chosen words and rewrites the exact same letters in a different order. And a name appears, in this case: CLIFF GERSTMAN (which makes your president smile...) Anything can appear with this effect: the name of the birthday guy or the Company's name.

Thrill Drill
A spectacular card stab with an electric drill! You have to see it to believe!
Sweet Gift
Telling a fascinating story about a murder the magician presents a chocolate box. Six chocolate are inside. Five spectators may freely choose one each. And they can eat it, of course (great chocolate from Switzerland!). All five take a brown chocolate. The magician turns the box. The last, not chosen chocolate drops out - it is the white, "poisoned" one.
Magic Glove
A spectator shuffles a deck of playing cards, chooses one, puts it back and shuffles again. During this time the magician doesn't touch the deck! The deck is put in an empty hat (or any other box), a glove is shown and its fingers are lowered into the hat. Part of the glove is always visible and the magician doesn't reach into the hat! After two seconds the glove is taken out of the hat: its thumb and first finger holds a card - the chosen one!
Toro
Twelve paintings are shown which represents in a beautiful, artistic manner the twelve signs of the zodiac. The magician writes a prediction on a slate. One of the signs is freely chosen - for example Taurus. The slate is shown: "Cancer" is written as prediction. "Uhm" goes the magician. He tries to wipe of the chalk. But some of it sticks to the slate and forms the word "Taurus".
Get Sharky
The best sold card Trick in Europe ever. More than 1,000 copies of it have been sold in the last three years! Fools even Card Experts!
The magician puts one hand into the pocket. With two fingers of the other hand he holds a deck of playing cards towards a spectator. He can riffle through the deck and remember one card. If he wants, he can switch to another card, even several times. Once he decided on one card he takes the deck in his hand. The magician never does any manipulative move! After a magical gesture the spectator shall look through the deck: his chosen card has vanished! Without a question the magician takes his hand out of his pocket. Between his fingers there is one card. The chosen one!

Here is an example of the testimony from his lecture:
"Christoph Borer has a huge reputation in the world of magic, so I was very exited to see his latest lecture. And my expectations were more than satisfied! All effects were highly original and very well presented. Christoph has a strong performing personality and knows show business. But he is a nice person, you just like him. What a great combination!

What I admire especially is that he doesn't show pipedreams but real effects out of his performances for lay audience.

I liked mostly effects like 'Get Sharky' (it fooled me completely!), "Your name" (wow - this is THE effect for any lay audience) or 'Chocolate' (great story and a nice effect with a simple but clever solution)." - Frank Möller