The year was 1918. A crowd was growing at the Hippodrome in New York City. An event that was thousands of years in the making was about to manifest and make history. A short stalky man in tails makes his appearance before the crowd. Behind him a large box – a box big enough for a pachyderm! Ïn a rich Hungarian American accent the gentleman in the tails makes the announcement – ¨ladies & gentlemen¨ After some ranting a large female elephant by the name of Jeannie who was then led into the cabinet and vanished! The vanishing elephant Houdini created was the result of 5,000 years of individuals – magis, medicine-men, shamans, charlatans, scoundrels, jugglers alike trying to solve a problem – how do you make something disappear?
Magicians are problem solvers
The disappearance of a large pachyderm in 1918 and again in 1922 was a feat of ingenuity that was built upon solutions originating as far back as Ancient Egypt with modern adjustments. Creating magic involves finding solutions from applied physics and applied psychology. The problem-solving skills required for illusion design also transfer to solving situational problems that can, will, and DO occur during social events like a wedding. Below are a few nightmare situations that were remedied by me.
The Delayed Catering
It was the first wedding I got booked for. No one was expecting any trouble. The wedding ceremony took off without issue – then came the reception. I don´t know exactly what went wrong but I was informed by the bride´s mother that the catering was delayed! I had packed for strolling but I was asked if I could do a stand-up routine to buy the catering sometime for 5 minutes. I grabbed a few pieces of paper, pencils, and some forks and did an improvised mentalism act exclusively for the bride & groom surrounded by the guests. The 5-minute improvised act worked! 5 minutes felt like 2 minutes and everyone was eating and the strolling magic commenced soon after.
The Awkward Silence
The ceremony went without a snag, the reception will begin soon but now is the time for the photo sessions. They´re not as common in the US as they are in other places but photo sessions are the Red Carpet photo events of weddings that occur usually after the ceremony and before the reception and the dance. Photo sessions do create a moment of non-activity. A similar event like a photo session occurred after the reception of one wedding I went to – a select small group went to a bar for a ¨after-party¨. Not everyone arrived on time- some 30 minutes! It was the MAGIC I provided that kept the momentum going.
The DJ That Ghosted The Bride
Being a wedding magician, I have to be as informed as I can about the nature of the wedding industry and ALL the players in the game. Being an expert is a prerequisite for being a professional. Its where clients put their trust. One morning I was up at the crack of dawn – 4 in the morning and I get a call from a friend who has also been a long time follower and a soon-to-be bride. When I picked up the phone I heard a voice in distress – the DJ that she had paid a deposit for had ceased communication and the wedding was just a few weeks away!
What is a bride to do? She knew I was a magician and asked if I could assist. Magic saved the wedding. I keep in contact with her pretty consistently and she reports that everyone is still talking about the magic to this very day.
Jordan Allen 