The Best Magician in San Francisco
If you own an iPhone 4S, (or for my readers from the future- any iPhone with Siri), here is a little bit of shameless self promotion you can try out.
Ask Siri "Who is the best magician in San Francisco?"
Told you...shameless self promotion!
For the record, no I do not know anybody at Apple and I didn't do anything specific to make this work. However, I think I know the secret as to why it works, but in keeping with my profession, the method will remain a mystery for all (including my competitors!).
But for the record, Magician Ryan Horsfall is Siri...
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Yesterday I received a phone call from a young magician out in New Mexico inquiring about ways to get into performing magic professionally- specifically how to be taken more seriously by clients and audiences. The following is more or less a breakdown of some of my advice:
3 TIPS FOR YOUNGER MAGICIANS LOOKING TO GO PRO
Tip #1: DRESS THE PART
Like it or not, your appearance will be one of the most influential factors in how people judge and treat you. Unfortunately, since you look like a baby to everyone, you are already at a disadvantage. That is why it is so important that you dress...
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Close-up Restaurant Magic
The excitement never ends at Sho Ka Wah Casino in Hopland, where Magician Ryan Horsfall entertains diners who take a break from the slots and the cards to enjoy a savory steak dinner. Incredible magic, a delicious meal at an affordable price. We hope to see you there!
Sho-Ka-Wah Casino
13101 Nokomis Road
Hopland, CA 95449
Thursdays
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
No cover, all ages.
More Performances by Magician Ryan Horsfall
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THE BEST MAGIC IN SAN FRANCISCO
Nine Bay Area magicians, hand picked for their talent, go head to head and compete for the title of the best magician in San Francisco! Featuring emcee, Master Magician Jay Alexander, and a special guest performance by Majinga (as seen on America's Got Talent) the competition will be one you won't want to miss!
The competitors include:
Ray Andrews
Captain Red Aye
Doug Hofkins
Ryan Horsfall
Heather Rogers
George Winters
Alex Wu
Xander
Perry Yan
Friday, January 27, 2012
Doors open 6:30 - Showtime 7:00pm
Location: James Lick School...
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"Now you're looking for the secret... But you wont find it... because you don't really want to know...you want to be fooled." -Cutter, from The Prestige
WE WANT TO BE FOOLED
Positive Thinking
I believe that every audience wants to be fooled by the magician.
I doubt most people, when they turn on a television program, go to a play, or see a magician perform at their company party are sitting there thinking "Wow, I really want this to be terrible, or at worst: mediocre." That is crazy. We as human beings want to experience cool stuff, we want good quality entertainment, and this...
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I knew that would grab your attention. Let me preface this: the success of magic shouldn't be measured by how many standing O's one receives, and not every audience is going to provide a standing ovation for every performance. You must be good and have a good show first.
What follows is a rather simple gambit which myself and David Copperfield (and I'm sure many more) have independently developed to garner a follow up standing ovation. Copperfield's use of the gambit is more artistic, fulfilling, and I'm sure more interesting to readers, than mind, so I shall begin with it. I will then...
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Thursday December 1, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Sho-Ka-Wah Casino
13101 Nokomis Road
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Come enjoy a magical dining experience at Sho Ka Wah Casino.
No cover, all ages.
Friday, January 27 2012
Magic Showdown
San Francisco Magic Competition
James Lick School Auditorium
1220 Noe Street (25th St. & Clipper), San Francisco
Eight of the best magicians in the Bay Area go head to head to determine who is the BEST magician...
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My favorite person to watch watch magic is David Letterman, and as magicians I feel we should all watch David Letterman watch magic as much as we can because there is a lot we can learn from him.
Why? Because Letterman speaks his mind completely unfiltered. He will say things which even that heckler child at a birthday party would recognize as verging on "impolite," and he will even interrupt his guest's to say such things.
This is great for magic!
Let me be clear: I would not label Letterman as a "heckler." He is an educated, thoughtful personality and his comments are driven...
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Thursday December 1, 2011
Thursday December 15, 2011
Thursday December 29, 2011
Sho-Ka-Wah Casino
13101 Nokomis Road
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Come enjoy a magical dining experience at Sho Ka Wah Casino.
No cover, all ages.
Saturday December 17, 2011
WALK THE PLANK COMEDY COMPETITION
FINALS
The Purple Onion
140 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco, CA.
7:00 PM
$20.00
18+ Venue
The competition began with over 200 comedians and Ryan Horsfall is among the 8 finalists!
Get Your Tickets Online.
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About the List
Last week, I outlined my categorical rating system for magic books, and also shared my own "Essential List," of books which should be on every magician's bookshelf.
This week we dive one step down to check out the "Desired" books (The Niche-Essential group is a special category I will address shortly).
The criteria for "Desired" books is far broader than that of "Essential." In many ways this may be the broadest category of my rating system. Texts which dwell in this category extend from those just shy of being considered essential (such as The Books of Wonder or Art of Astonishment)...
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