Past shows:

1999
January 4
January 11
January 18
January 25
June 28 - read review by Matt Field
August 2 - read review by Matt Field

1998
January 5
January 12
January 19
January 26
February 2
February 9
February 16
February 23
March 2
March 9
March 16
March 23
March 30 - read review by Matt Field
April 6
April 13 - read review by Matt Field
April 20
April 27
May 4
May 11
May 18
May 25
June 1
June 8
June 15
June 22
June 29
July 6
July 13
July 20
July 27
August 3 - read review by Matt Field
August 10 - read review by Matt Field
August 17
August 24
August 31
September 7
September 14
September 21
September 28
October 5 - read review by Matt Field
October 12
October 19
October 26 - read review by Matt Field
November 2 - read review by Matt Field
November 9
November 16 - read review by Matt Field
November 23
November 30
December 7
December 14
December 21
December 28

1997
June 23
July 28
August 25
September 8 - read review by Matt Field
September 22 - read review by Matt Field
September 29
October 13
October 20
October 27
November 3 - read review by Matt Field
November 10 - read review by Jack Disbrow
November 17
November 24 - read review by Matt Field
December 1
December 8
December 15
December 22
December 29 - read review by Gary Brown

June 23
Meir Yedid
Peter Kougasian
Michael Chaut
Rocco
MC - Peter Kougasian

July 28
Kurt Kritzler
Rich Marotta
Vinnie Monaco - Comedian
Peter Samelson
MC - Peter Kougasian

August 25
Jen Adams
Dan Harlan
John Lenahan
Rich Marotta
MC - Peter Kougasian

September 8
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
Anthony Owen
Peter Samelson
David Williamson
MC - Peter Kougasian
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Kurt Kritzler
Frank Brents

September 22
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Michael Chaut
Jamy Ian Swiss
Todd Robbins
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
J.B. Benn
Frank Brents

September 29
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Jamy Ian Swiss
Michael Chaut
Simon Lovell
MC - Michael Chaut
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Jamy Ian Swiss
Bob Elliott
Frank Brents
* * *
October 13
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Nowlin Craver
Jeff Moche
Todd Robbins
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Michael Chaut
Jamy Ian Swiss
* * *
October 20
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Margaret Steele
Steve Rodman
Mac King
MC - David Acer
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
David Acer
Frank Brents

October 27 - Halloween Show - Gala Opening Night
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Jamy Ian Swiss
John Ferrentino
Todd Robbins
Peter Samelson
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents
Jamy Ian Swiss
Michael Chaut
J.B. Benn
Peter Kougasian
Bob Elliott

November 3 - MNM JAM
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Todd Robbins
Tom Durnin
Frank Brents
Jamy Ian Swiss
Michael Chaut
Damian
Vinnie Monoco
Micah Lasher
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents
Micah Lasher
Michael Chaut

November 10
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Torkova (Award Winning Magic At It's Best!)
Peter Kougasian (Comic Conjuring)
Simon Lovell (The Wild Man From England)
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze & Amuse You)
Michael Chaut (Magic with A Comic Touch)

November 17
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
Gerry McCambridge
MC - Peter Kougasian
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
J.B. Benn
Peter Samelson
Peter Kougasian
* * *
November 24
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
David Oliver (Classic Doves, Tails & Exquisite Manipulation)
Todd Robbins
Peter Samelson
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Jon Stetson (Close-Up At It's Best)
Frank Brents (A Real Grand Master)

December 1 - Monday Night Magic Jam
This week's newcomers was: Damian, John Andrejack and Mark Zacharia
December 8
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Tom Durnin (Extremely Funny, A Very Hip "Hop" Style of Magic)
Todd Robbins (Sorry, No Sideshow Magic This Time -- Stay tuned for details)
Docc Hilford (And Now For Something Completely Different, A Truly Remarkable And "Macabre" Magician.)
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (A Real Grand Master)
* * *
December 15
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Todd McDonald
Peter Samelson (The Soft Spoken Conceptualist of Sorcery)
Peter Kougasian (Uncle Pete! Always Witty, Charming and Mystifying)
Michael Chaut (Magic with A Comic Touch)
MC - Peter Kougasian
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (A Real Grand Master)
Rich Marotta (Off-Beat and One of A Kind!)
Mark Zacharia (A MNM Newcomer)
* * *
December 22
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
To be announced
Jeff Moche (Adorable, Amusing and Funny)
Jamy Ian Swiss (James Bond With A Deck Of Cards)
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (A Real Grand Master)
Bob Elliott (Finesse & Style - He Will Fool You!)
* * *
December 29
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
Todd Robbins (A Real Life Superman - Sideshow Magic)
Simon Lovell (That Wild Man from England!)
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (A Real Grand Master)
Jamy Ian Swiss (James Bond With A Deck Of Cards)
* * *
January 5 - MNM Jam Night
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Don Engstrand
Danny Fudim
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (A Real Grand Master)
Jamy Ian Swiss (James Bond With A Deck Of Cards)
* * *
January 12
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Rocco (Romantic Legerdemain)
Todd Robbins (A Real Life Superman - Sideshow Magic)
Gerry McCambridge (He WILL Read Your Mind)
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (Our Dean of Close-Up Magic)
Jamy Ian Swiss (James Bond With A Deck Of Cards)
* * *
January 19
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Torkova (Award Winning Coin Magic)
Rich Bloch (Comedy Magic At It's Best!)
Rich Marotta (Off-Beat and One of A Kind!)
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (A Real Grand Master)
Michael Chaut (Magic with A Comic Touch)
Bob Elliott (Finesse & Style - He Will Fool You!)
Jamy Ian Swiss (James Bond With A Deck Of Cards)
* * *
January 26 - MNM's Salute To The Grand Masters
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Frank Brents (Duck Magic from a Grand Master)
Earl "Presto" Johnson (Legendary New York Magician)
Jackie Flosso (A Beloved Figure in Magic)
" Professor" Bobby Baxter (Entertaining, Original Magical Performer)
Music:
Richard Cohn (A man of many talents)
Book signing / Champagne reception:
Gary Brown (Author)
Jackie Flosso (A Beloved Figure in Magic)
* * *
February 2 - MNM Jam Night
With Special Guest Host . . .
Simon Lovell (That Wild Man From England)
Newcomers:
Kenny Brown
Damian
Danny Fudim
Mike Randazzo
Regulars:
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
Bob Elliott
* * *
February 9
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Jarrett Parker (Classical Magic Meets Classical Music)
David Oliver (A Classic Act of Silent Sorcery)
Mike Bent (With A Sense of Humor that Lives Up to His Last Name)
Our very Special Master of Ceremonies (from Boston) will be everybody's friend, the charming Jon Stetson.
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
Ron Frost (Novel Approach With An Offbeat Twist)
* * *
February 16
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Marc DeSouza (Classic Magic with a Classy Touch)
Ron Geoffries (Wacky, Zany & Sidesplitting)
Peter Samelson (The Soft Spoken Conceptualist of Sorcery)
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
* * *
February 23
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Torkova (Award Winning Coin Magic)
Tom Durnin (Extremely Funny, "Hip-Hop" Magic)
Todd Robbins (Sideshow Magic, WOW)
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
* * *
March 2 - MNM Jam Night
Performers:
John Bohannon (This Year's S.A.M. Magician of the Year)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Kenny Brown (Mentalism Meets "The Hood")
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
Tom Durnin (The Master Of Illusion & Confusion)
Bob Elliott (The Dean of Close-Up Magic)
Daniel Fudim (A Talented Young Upstart)
Mr. Lucky & Miss Roxy (Jazz, Magic & Man's Best Friend)
Saber (Classic Magic)
MC - Todd Robbins
* * *
March 9
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
David Oliver (A Classic Act of Silent Sorcery)
Jeff Moche (Adorable, Amusing and Funny)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
MC - Peter Samelson
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Kurt Kritzler (Expert Sleight-of-Hand Magic)
Bob Torkova (Award Winning Magic At It's Best!)
* * *
March 16
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Larry Maples & Raven (Winged Sorcery with Grace & Style)
Todd Robbins (A Real Life Superman - Sideshow Magic)
Gerry McCambridge (He WILL Read Your Mind)
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
Bob Elliott (The Dean of Close-Up Magic)
* * *
March 23
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Torkova (Award Winning Magic At It's Best!)
Jeff Moche (Adorable, Amusing and Funny)
Steve Bedwell (Britain's Very Funny Man)
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
* * *
March 30
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Todd McDonald (A Talented Young Upstart from Boston)
Simon Lovell (The "Wild Man" From England)
Jamy Ian Swiss (A World Class Sleight-Of-Hand Artist)
MC - Simon Lovell
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Bill Brunelle (Close-Up Magic At It's Best!)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
* * *
April 6 - MNM Jam
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
R.J. Lewis
Thomas Solomon
Daniel Fudim
Jamy Ian Swiss
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
Tom Durnin
MC - Simon Lovell
* * *
April 13
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Frank Brents (Duck Magic from a Grand Master)
Handsome Jack (The Male Model of The Magic World)
Eric Mead (A World Class Sleight-Of-Hand Artist)
MC - Simon Lovell
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
Eric Mead (Close-Up Magic At It's Best!)
* * *
April 20
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Larry Maples (Winged Sorcery with Grace & Style)
Simon Lovell (The "Wild Man" From England)
Patrick Page (Scotland's King of Chicanery)
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
Torkova (Award Winning Magic At It's Best!)
* * *
April 27
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Mr. Lucky & Miss Roxy (Jazz, Magic & Miss Roxy)
Jeff Moche (Extremely Original, Charming & Funny)
Todd Robbins (A Real Life Superman - Sideshow Magic)
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Bill Brunelle (Close-Up Magic At It's Best!)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
* * *
May 4 - MNM Jam
MC - Todd Robbins
* * *
May 11
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Larry Maples & Raven (Bird Magic with Grace & Style)
Jeff Sheridan (A Living Legend)
Peter Samelson (The Soft Spoken Conceptualist of Sorcery)
MC - R.J. Lewis
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
* * *
May 18
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Vito Lupo (A FISM Winner And A Real Smooth Operator)
Torkova (Award Winning Magician)
Steve Bedwell (England's Funniest Ex-Doctor)
MC - Peter Kougasian
Close-Up Magic:
(In The Gallery)
Frank Brents (He Will Amaze And Amuse You)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
* * *
May 25
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
Steve Bedwell (England's Funniest Ex-Doctor)
Todd Robbins (A Real Life Superman!)
* * *
June 1 - MNM Jam
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Jania Taylor
Frank Brents
Mike Stevens
Michael Chaut
Todd Robbins
R.J. Lewis
Lennert Green
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic:
Alba (Up Stairs)
R.J. Lewis (In The Theater)
* * *
June 8
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Michael Chaut
Harley Newman (Wild & Wacky)
Robert Baxt (In Japan, They Call Him The Sumo Wrestler of Love!)
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic
Alba
Frank Brents
* * *
June 15
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Vito Lupo
Anthony Blake
Peter Samelson
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
* * *
June 22
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Bob Torkova
R.J. Lewis
Gerry McCambridge
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic
Alba
Michael Chaut
* * *
June 29
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Hilary Chaplain
Rich Bloch
Simon Lovell
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic
Alba
Michael Chaut
Peter Kougasian
* * *
July 6
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Alba
John Andrejack
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
Kessem
Jeff Moche
Puck & Kecia
Saber
MC - Todd Robbins
* * *
July 13
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Larry Maples & Raven
Jeff Moche
Todd Robbins
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic
Alba
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
R.J. Lewis
* * *
July 20
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Tom Durnin
Peter Kougasian
Simon Lovell
MC - Peter Kougasian
Close-Up Magic
Alba
Frank Brents
Jeff Moche
Torkova
* * *
July 27
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Todd MacDonald
Michael Chaut
Rich Marotta
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic
Alba
Frank Brents
Peter Samelson
* * *
August 3
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Alba
Steve Bedwell
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
Will Fern
Derek Hughes
David Kaye
R.J. Lewis
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic
Alba
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
Matt Furman
* * *
August 10
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
David Oliver
R.J. Lewis
Tom Ogden
MC - R.J. Lewis
Close-Up Magic
Michael Chaut
Larry Maples
R.J. Lewis
* * *
August 17 (SHOW CANCELLED)
* * *
August 24
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Fred Anderson
Doc Eason
Taylor Martin
Rafael Benatar
Simon Lovell
MC - Michael Chaut
Close-Up Magic
Rafael Benatar
Jon Stetson
Doc Eason
* * *
August 31
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Todd MacDonald
Cuiffo & Hughes
Todd Robbins
MC - Michael Chaut
Close-Up Magic
Michael Chaut
Frank Brents
Mike Goldman
* * *
September 7 JAM NIGHT / LABOR DAY
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Hilary Chaplain
Gary Fitzgerald
Mark Goldstein
Josh Jay
Professor Putter
Jania Taylor
Bob Torkova
MC - Michael Chaut
Close-Up Magic
Bob Torkova
Mark Goldstein
Michael Chaut
* * *
September 14
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Larry Maples & Raven
Todd Charles
Jeff Moche
MC - R.J. Lewis
Close-Up Magic
R.J. Lewis
Frank Brents
Larry Maples
* * *
September 21
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Patrick Slaughter
Bob Torkova
Peter Samelson
MC - Belinda Sinclair
Close-Up Magic
Tim Hill
Michael Chaut
Frank Brents
* * *
September 28
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
David Oliver
Michael Chaut
Peter Samelson
Close-Up Magic
Tim Hill
Michael Chaut
Frank Brents
* * *
October 5
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Alain Nu
Fred Anderson
Jeff McBride
MC - Michael Chaut
Close-Up Magic
Alain
Torkova
Michael Chaut
* * *
October 12
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Tom Durnin
Mark Strivings
Simon Lovell
MC - Rich Marotta
Close-Up Magic
Michael Chaut
Frank Brents
* * *
October 19
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Larry Maples & Raven
Dick Newton
Harley Newman
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic
Paul Cummins
Michael Chaut
Larry Maples
* * *
October 26 Halloween Show
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Todd MacDonald
Robert Baxt
Peter Samelson
MC - Michael Chaut
Close-Up Magic
Frank Brents
Jeff Moche
* * *
November 2
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Larry Maples & Raven
Ron Geofries
Eric Mead
MC - Michael Chaut
Close-Up Magic
Bob Fitch
Keith Boudreau
* * *
November 9
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Michael Chaut
R.J. Lewis
Gerry McCambridge
MC - David Kaye
Close-Up Magic
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
* * *
November 16
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Torkova
Jeff Moche
Rocco
MC - David Kaye
Close-Up Magic
Keith Boudreau
Mio
* * *
November 23
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
David Oliver
Todd Robbins
Rocco
MC - Todd Robbins
Close-Up Magic
Just Alan
Frank Brents
* * *
November 30
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Tom Durnin
Docc Hilford
Rocco
MC - Tom Durnin
Close-Up Magic
Michael Chaut
Frank Brents
* * *
December 7
Parlor Magic:
(Main Stage)
Larry Maples & Raven=20
Michael Chaut
Simon Lovell
Close-Up Magic
Frank Brents
Michael Chaut
Larry Maples
* * *
December 28
R.J. Lewis (He'll Charm His Way Into Your Heart)
Dan Harlan (A Wild Wacky Creative Mind)
Rocco (A True Sleight-Of-Hand Master)
* * *
January 4
Larry Maples & Raven (Winged Sorcery with Grace & Style)
Derek Hughes (A Bright Young Very Talented Upstart!)
Peter Samelson (The Soft Spoken Conceptualist of Sorcery)
* * *
January 11 (Direct from Boston's Green Street Grill !!!)
David Oliver (A Classic Act of Silent Sorcery)
Michael Chaut (Magic With A Comic Touch)
Mike Bent (As Crazy As His Name)
* * *
January 18
Hilary Chaplain (Direct From The Big Apple Circus!)
Tom Durnin (The Master of Illusion & Confusion)
Rich Bloch (Comedy Magic At It's Best!)
* * *
January 25
Torkova (Award Winning Magic At It's Best!)
Peter Kougasian (Uncle Pete! - Witty, Charming and Mystifying)
Jeff Moche (Adorable, Hilarious and MNM's Own Woody Allen)
* * *
Reviews

Review of MNM Show 8/2/99
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)
A brand-new air-conditioning system graced the Sullivan Street Playhouse in New York City's Greenwich Village, welcoming the capacity audience to the 101st performance of Monday Night Magic on August 2, 1999.
One-hundred-and-one shows, each different, of first-rate stage and close-up magic - a truly astonishing and wonderful achievement for producer Michael Chaut and his associates.
Todd Robbins was host to headliner Jamy Ian Swiss and also appearing were R.J. Lewis, David Groves along with close-up by Frank Brents, Michael Chaut, Dan Fudim and Simon Lovell.
Todd Robbins is the lightbulb-munching, bug-eating, broken glass-walking expositor of sideshow stunts, and a more ingratiating host would be hard to imagine. He's good-looking and very funny, and his projecting voice takes you instantly into SHOWTIME. In addition to performing introductions, Todd put out a lit cigar on his tongue, hammered a four and a half inch nail up his nose, shoved a semi-inflated balloon up his nose and out his mouth, and performed his "Amazing Anti-Gravity, Death-Defying, Human Pretzel" stunt with four kids from the audience. Whatta guy! The crowd would have done anything for Todd, they loved him so much.
R.J. Lewis is a fellow who cut his teeth performing in Atlantic City, and he works hard to ensure that the excitement never stops during his act. He did some Color Changes with cards and Split-Fan Productions before moving into a brief but enjoyable Miser's Dream, Linking Rings, Sponge Balls (with Watch steal) and then knife juggling. His act includes humor and a bit of ventriloquism - a very nice set which combined magic with humor and displays of skill.
David Groves is a writer and magician. He combined those talents in the recently published "Be A Street Magician" and calls himself "The Shakespeare of Magic, The Rebel Without a Vowel." His performance included references to Lao-Tsu and Gandhi! He did the Silk to Egg, with an interesting finish in which a presumed fake egg is handed to a spectator and then proves to be real, as it is broken in a glass. Also included in his act was the venerable Professor's Nightmare rope trick, a Knife Through (an innocent spectator's) Coat, a Triple (Billet) mind-reading trick, Banachek's Psychokinetic Time watch trick and a Book Test.
At intermission, the magic continued with four close-up workers. Michael Chaut entertained folks out on the sidewalk in front of the theater, probably doing his Color Changing Silks and Pen Through Bill (Card on Ceiling would be tough with no ceiling!). I went up to the Close-Up Gallery to watch the great Simon Lovell keep a sizable crowd entertained with his combination of sight gags, verbal humor and great magic. Among the effects he performed were an Ambitious Card (where a card continues to appear on the top of the deck), Pen Through Tongue, a Baseball Card Prediction (selected card depicts player whose signature is found on a baseball!) and his trade marked Sleight of Tongue card trick, in which a signed card is found folded in Simon's mouth.
I tore myself away from this enjoyable performance to watch some new blood, the young magician Dan Fudim who was performing alongside the venerable Frank Brents for the audience who chose to remain downstairs in the theater. Frank Brents is a veteran who, on stage, performs the best Duck Vanish I've ever seen, and his close-up work is designed to ensure high-quality magical entertainment for his audience, which is always appreciative. Dan Fudim, at the ripe old age of 14, is president of the Society of Young Magicians assembly in New York City and was voted their Magician of the Year. He performed Yigal Messika's Haunted Pack as well as the Kangaroo Coins and several other marketed effects with grace and confidence. When something went slightly awry, as it must for any performer, he recovered with aplomb to bring the performance to a successful conclusion. I know that Dan also does stage work with doves and I look forward to this young man's development in magic.
The second half of the show featured the great Jamy Ian Swiss. Now, I confess I am a card fanatic. (Warning signs of Card Fanaticism include: Possession of more than 100 decks of cards, having any cloisonné item bearing a fan of Aces, owning at least 10 as-yet-unread books of card material that we'll get to "one of these days.")
Jamy is one of the finest exponents of pure sleight-of-hand magic (not just cards, by the way) and is also the book reviewer for Genii Magazine (one of the oldest and most prestigious magician's magazines in the world) as well as serving as consultant and confidante to Penn & Teller.
In days gone by, stage magicians included card and coin workers but, today, stage magic is limited (for the most part) to dove workers and illusionists. It is difficult to imagine T. Nelson Downs, the King of Coins, mesmerizing a large theater audience with only a handful of change or Howard Thurston, the King of Kards or the wonderful Ricky Jay (whose show "Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants" has as its 53rd assistant my friend, David Roth), doing the same with pasteboards, but that's what they did. Jamy Swiss has considered the possibilities and limitations of this type of stage performance and seems on the brink of breathing new life into the use of cards in a stage setting.
In the Monday Night Magic setting, with about 150 spectators sitting no more than 20 feet away, Jamy shone. He is a confident and edgy performer who is very funny and never underestimates the intelligence of his audience. His persona is based upon a man who has made cards his life and is unafraid of showing his dexterity and knowledge. (I must note that this type of approach is a source of controversy among magicians, but I think anyone watching Jamy and the reaction he gets would agree that, at least for him, it is most effective.)
Jamy Ian Swiss began with the best presentation I've ever seen for the Brainwave effect, based on the idea of deja vu. He proceeded with a flashy production of the four Aces from a shuffled deck, followed by the repeated production of one, selected Ace and the transformation of that Ace back into the four Aces, then the traveling of the Aces to his pockets and Envelope inside his Wallet.
For his next segment, Jamy had two assisting spectators participate in pseudo mind-reading, in which they read each others minds to determine selected cards. This ended with the Card on Forehead. One spectator cut the deck repeatedly and then, with the pack behind his back, cut again and put the top card in his right pocket, the next card in his left. Jamy determined the cards, then had the spectator himself divine which card was in which pocket. The spectators each selected cards which were replaced, separate halves of the deck, the halves were shuffled, then placed in Jamy's jacket pockets. Thrusting his hand within, he successfully withdrew the selections. He then spread the cards in a fan before each of the spectators for the mental choice of a card, and handed the pack to a third spectator so she could simply peek at a card while the deck was in her own hands. With minimal fishing, Jamy named all three mental selections. For the final trick in this section of his act, Jamy had three spectators cut off a small packet of cards and memorize the bottom one, then shuffle them. Using patter related to the three ways one can cheat -- during the shuffle, the deal or after the hand is dealt - he named the cards each person had cut off and finally named their selections. Most impressive (the older gent sitting next to me exclaimed, "I don't believe it!").
Jamy's penultimate trick involved a deck, which contained the signed card from an earlier trick, which was passed around for the entire audience to shuffle. A spectator named a number and selected a card from this impossibly mixed deck, then counted down to her number from a cased deck she held to discover that the card at her number matched her previous selection - a wonderful performance of the baffling trick.
In a somewhat perverse choice for his closer (in that it uses a pre-arranged deck) Jamy performed his version of Diamond Jack, the story-trick which uses huge cards and is a real audience pleaser. And please the audience he did. Jamy kept the crowd focused for about an hour with just a deck of cards - that and his skill and humor. Anyone who denigrates card magic with a comment like, "Oh no, not another card trick!" has not seen a real artist work. And that's what I was watching last night - Jamy Ian Swiss is a true artist with cards.

Review of MNM Show 6/28/99
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)
The very best trick in all of magic is titled "Spectator Walks on Air," and that was the effect I experienced after watching the performance of Monday Night Magic on June 28th. Each Monday there's a totally new line up at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in New York's Greenwich Village, and the featured performers on the show were Eugene Burger, Just Alan, Jamy Ian Swiss, Chris McDaniel and, performing close-up, Simon Lovell, Keith Boudreau and Michael Chaut.
Jamy Swiss acted as an ingratiating MC, and the first performer was, of all things, a master of the bullwhip. A professional singer as well as lasso and bullwhip expert, Chris displayed his talent at multiple whip cracks, marksmanship, lasso twirling and roping, sometimes while singing as well. As a concession to the magic theme of the evening, he performed the Vanishing Life Saver trick using some excellent patter. The effect of the whip-cracking in the confines of a small theater was adrenaline-stirring.
Some folks enjoy slapstick humor with their magic, some like big illusions. Me, I most enjoy brainy, soul-stimulating performances and the three stage acts which followed were my idea of magic heaven. Jamy Ian Swiss, the erudite book reviewer for Genii magazine, was a featured performer on the PBS "Art of Magic" special and has worked in front of and behind the camera on many other occasions, including work for Penn and Teller. Before the show, he seemed a bit trepidatious because he was debuting some new material. He needn't have worried. His performance was spectacular.
It is difficult to construct a stage presentation for sleight of hand card magic that holds an audience's attention, but Jamy Swiss combines rapid-fire humor with jaw-dropping effects to do just that. He correctly divined cards peeked at in a fan, instantly produced any card named, and performed the "Card at Any Number" effect. He then produced any card named with the deck placed in his pocket. A spectator cut the deck repeatedly, behind his back, and placed the unknown top card into one pocket and the next card into a different pocket. Jamie named the cards and the spectator correctly ascertained the correct pocket. For his final effect, two spectators selected cards and shuffled them themselves into two halves of the deck. The shuffled halves were placed into Jamy's pocket and he produced them (well, one of them) from his pocket. Absolutely first rate magic - original, filled with good humor and amazing.
Unfortunately, the air conditioning system at the Sullivan Street Playhouse was not up to the task presented it by a New York City heat wave, so intermission was held on the sidewalk with free soft drinks provided to all. A very healthy looking Simon Lovell performed his unbelievable "Sleight of Mouth" card trick, Michael Chaut made a pen penetrate a bill with no apparent harm to either, and Keith Boudreau showed his skill with ball manipulation and sleight of hand.
Wonder of wonders, the air conditioner seemed back on the cooling track, but few were prepared for the sight that greeted the returning audience. Seated in the lotus position was the mysterious Just Alan, apparently in a meditative state. Dressed in traditional garb from India and with an ashen tilak spot on his forehead in the position of the third eye, Just Alan was surrounded by burning incense. A slide screen was behind him, while before him stood a low table with various paraphernalia. Just Alan is the S.A.M.-award winning magician from Woodstock, New York where his combination cafe/gift store/magic emporium is based.
Just Alan performed a single effect - the "Sands of the Desert." But to reduce this awe-inspiring performance to the name of an often-performed trick is to completely miss the point. As music played, a narrator spoke of the mysterious land of India and a train journey. Slides illuminated his tale. Water is poured into a bowl and three smaller bowls of sand are introduced, colored yellow, green and red. Meaning is attached to these colors - meaning related to the natural forces around us all. A swirl of Just Alan's hand through the water and it suddenly turned as dark as ink. Handfuls of each color sand are then swirled into the bowl. Miraculously, a handful of each color sand is brought, separate and completely dry, from the bowl. This is accompanied by narration again relating the sand colors to nature and to the lives of the supposed spectators surrounding the Indian beggar whom we are witnessing. Another swirl of hand through water and the water turns clear, to be poured into a large container in front of the performing area. The lights dim. The thunderous applause begins.
The depth of this performance is one of the most inspiring things I have ever witnessed. Every movement, every moment in this piece has been studied and refined. It is a truly memorable performance piece.
And then came Eugene Burger. The author of many fine books (three of which I edited), this darkly mysterious man with the booming voice gave up a career as a professor of philosophy and comparative religion to more directly affect a larger group of students - all of us!
Eugene began with what many have called the most inspired presentation ever for Roy Walton's "Card Warp," in which a folded card turns over repeatedly while trapped within another card folded the other way. The Burger approach sets this in the Spanish Inquisition, with Eugene as Torquemada! This was followed with Eugene's marketed effect "Thought Sender," in which an apparently freely named card is found to have a back color different from the rest of the deck, and all can be examined.
Eugene next performed that wonder of sleight of hand, the "Hat Tear," in which torn tissue paper forms itself into a funny hat. Then he did it again! Different funny hat! I asked Eugene about this after the show and he said he always puts this in his act. He thinks it is a too-often neglected trick. It certainly lightened the mood. A spectator then dealt freely down through the deck and the card stopped at bore her name on the face! She was absolutely astonished, and I happen to know this woman has seen more than her share of fine magic performances. To show that nothing tricky had forced the card, she was allowed to stop Eugene anywhere as he dealt a card at a time onto a tray she held. The card she stopped at was seen to be emblazoned on the underside of the tray.
The finale for Eugene Burger was his version of the "Gypsy Thread," done with yellow thread and a candle to sever the pieces, which are ultimately restored into one long piece. Eugene's presentation is nothing less than the legend from India of the creation, destruction and recreation of the world by Lords Siva and Kali. This is absolutely, in my opinion, the pinnacle of the marriage of magic and meaning (the title, by the way, of a wonderful book by Eugene Burger and Robert Neale). And this was followed by a standing ovation.
What cannot be easily conveyed is Eugene's Burger's combination of intricate storytelling and mind-boggling magic. He weaves you into a web which is spun of humor, horror, philosophy and religion and makes you yearn for more. An absolutely inspired performer.
What an evening of memories to take away! This is magic that entertains and transports, food for the mind as well as the spirit. Many magicians came to witness this rare appearance of Messrs. Burger and Alan, among them Jeff McBride, Charles Reynolds, Tobias Beckwith, Jeff Moche, David (Silly Billy) Kaye and many more whose names I do not know, some fresh from the final session of McBride's Mystery School. Yet three-quarters of the audience (a full house) indicated they were attending the event for the first time! Bravo to producer Michael Chaut and co-producers Frank Brents, Todd Robins, Peter Sampson and Jamb Ian Swiss.

Review of MNM Show 11/16/98
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)
Word came through the grapevine. "Rocco. New stuff. Monday Night Magic for three weeks. Be there."
Not being one to tempt fate (or guys with broken noses and brass knuckles) I went down to the Sullivan street Playhouse in Greenwich Village on November 16th to check this information out. Also on the bill were Torkova and Jeff Moche, with close-up by Keith Boudreau and Mio. David Kaye was the Master of Ceremonies.
David Kaye is a nice young man who plies his trade at kids birthday parties, where he transforms into Silly Billy, a veritable industry. He was a pleasant and efficient MC who made no references to Barney, thank God.
Torkova has won many awards for his fantastic coin work, but I was first exposed to him when he was the house magician at "Mostly Magic," the now defunct club. There, he did the standards of magic and last night that's what he performed -- Handkerchief Through Rope, Linking Rings and Professor's Nightmare. Torkova has just returned from a tour of several European countries, performing and lecturing, and I guess he wanted to lay off the coins for a while, but I missed seeing them. His performance was flawless and filled with good-natured humor.
Jeff Moche is a Woody Allen-ish fellow who was once a street performer. How bizarre to think of Woody Allen "working the crowds," but Jeff Moche holds his own on stage with self-deprecating humor and some fine magic. His Cards to Pocket (with the last one emerging from his fly) was very well done, and his Strait Jacket Escape, in less than a minute, has the audience cheering or booing, depending upon whether or not they wanted him to succeed. He also did a balloon animal twisting contest with audience members, which was hilarious. They couldn't even inflate the balloons (hey -- it's hard to blow up one of those suckers!).
At Intermission, Mio performed in the upstairs Close-Up Lounge while Keith Boudreau entertained downstairs. Mio is a highly regarded corporate and private party magician, but I elected to watch Mr. Boudreau, a veteran of San Diego's "Magic Nights" at Sea World and the South Street Seaport here in New York.
Keith Boudreau is an extremely soft-spoken and ethereal young man, and I confess I am attracted to this side of magic. He did some nice card work, including some first-rate transformations, and the Invisible Deck. He then tried some cold-reading which required cojones of brass, especially when he was unsuccessful. Undaunted, Mr. Boudreau displayed exquisite skill in his manipulation of five, clear 3-inch cojones, er, balls in the manner of the great Michael Moschen. Keith Boudreau held the audience transfixed.
Rocco has won a zillion awards and is known to every magician as the face behind the D'Lite light-from-the-fingertips. He is now developing an illusion show, we were told, with the talented Jennifer Spina, and he has been developing new platform material which he shared with us last evening.
" I'm 29 and live in Paterson, New Jersey, home of Lou Costello and Ruben 'Hurricane' Carter," reveals Rocco, who said he didn't want to truck in a ton of equipment, so he was working "out of this beat-up, old case."
It would be impossible for me to give a blow-by-blow description of the many things Rocco does in his act, but it includes producing dozens of items from nowhere, transforming red and white scarves to red and white roses, which glow red (I wonder how?), vanish and reappear all accompanied by Rocco's trademark glitter and flash. I will remark on only three of his many pieces -- he performed an incredible Miser's Dream, in which silver-dollars were pulled from the air (and spectator's hair), visibly appeared out of nothing in his hands, and landed in a wine bucket he held. This was master-level manipulation (remember that Rocco was a student of my idol, Slydini). He also filled two small glasses with smoke which he poured from glass to glass, transforming it into pearls and then -- twice -- to milk. Although cigarette smoke in the confines of a small theater can be uncomfortable (and Rocco now also puffs away on a small, un-stinky cigar) and smoking itself is now terribly "out," these transformations were beautiful.
And I must also record Rocco's closing effect, in which an older woman was selected ("I usually do this for an 8-year old girl and you're the closest match," said the charmer) and he plucked two petals from a rose. These he sprinkled with glitter, held them in his hand, and they were transformed into a living butterfly! It slowly moved its wings and fluttered to the ceiling of the theater. "That's OK - let it go!" said Rocco, providing one of the most magical moments I've ever witnessed. The woman, indeed the entire audience, was transfixed - a hundred or so mouths open, astounded, at once.
Rocco Silano is, without question, an extraordinarily talented and charismatic performer. I would be doing him a disservice by failing to perform my critical duties if I did not mention that he would benefit from some scripting, stage direction and dramatic flow in his act. But Rocco is an experience not to be missed, a unique and talented performer whose combination of street-attitude and romantic, poetic sensibility makes him someone who has it within him to achieve real greatness in our art.
Seen in the audience: David Miller, a magician now performing at Caroline's club, Norman Barrett, the indefatigable ringmaster of the Big Apple Circus, and Robin Leach, the "Rich and Famous" host. Me, I'm neither rich nor famous.

Review of MNM Show 11/2/98
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)

Monday Night Magic kicked off its second year with a wonderful show on November 2nd. New York's Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village had a good crowd for headliner Eric Mead along with Larry Maples & Raven, Ron Geoffries, Michael Chaut and close-up by Bob Fitch and Keith Boudreau.
Larry Maples and Raven appeared last month (and I reviewed them at that time), but I must again comment that their polished performance is professional and entertaining, with the dapper Maples doing dove and candle productions with a huge duck appearances at the end. The unique Raven has the ability to rivet attention as she exits the stage (with Maples' doves), bobbing her pig tailed head from side to side like one of those springy dolls you used to see in the rear window of cars. While she's doing that, Maples could materialize a car without anyone noticing!
Ron Geoffries is a magician and juggler with some amusing patter. He performed: Dan Harlan's "Hold It Buster," the Fields/Alan "Invisible Deck" and a strait-jacket escape, among others. Well done with some good juggling thrown in (pun intended).
Intermission means close-up at Monday Night Magic. Downstairs, Keith Boudreau (fresh from 6 years at San Diego's Sea World and a summer at New York's South Street Seaport) entertained. I went up to the Close-Up Gallery where coin legend, Bob Fitch, took my breath away.
An actor, magician and director, Bob Fitch has appeared in the Broadway productions of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Sugar Babies," "Will Rogers' Follies" and "Annie." His magic direction and coaching talents have been used by David Copperfield, Jeff McBride, Peter Samelson and Marc DeSouza. As I said, a legend.
Mr. Fitch's coin work is imaginative and technically wonderful. His One Coin routine, in which a coin is plucked from the air only to repeatedly dematerialize and appear again was superb. He then moved into a Purse Frame sequence in which a spectator removed the coin from a purse without a bag, again the coin disappeared and returned, and finally a huge coin was removed from the invisible "purse."
But the highlight of Mr. Fitch's performance was his adaptation of the Egg Bag routine to coin work. The invisible coin could be heard, felt and otherwise detected, but it was, said Mr. Fitch, "invisible." Indeed, the bag in which it resided was examined and seen to be apparently empty. He removed the invisible coin from the bag which contained it, and the coin, had indeed, vanished from within, although it could be felt under Mr. Fitch's hand by spectators, who could not see it. The bag showed no evidence of the coin. He passed it once again into the bag and it's physical presence was unmistakable, although examination of the bag showed that the coin was not there. Mr. Fitch then caused the coin to materialize, but it was a giant coin, quite unable to fit into the small bag.
What a great performance! It was a pleasure for me to witness the artistry of Bob Fitch and I hope I have the opportunity to do so again. After Act 2 opened with MNM Producer Michael Chaut doing a shortened performance of his Sponge Ball/Watch Steal and Color Changing Handkerchief routines, all very well done. This was followed by Bob Fitch, who (with the assistance of Peter Samelson as narrator) performed a spoof of Fox's Masked Magician exposing the Color Changing Handkerchief. Pretty funny stuff.
Aspen's Tower Magic Bar has two resident magicians: Doc Eason and Eric Mead. I saw Eric once at MNM and decided I had to see him again. He combines excellent sleight-of-hand with a free-wheeling, lunatic humor which his little-boy looks render charming. Egged on by the magicians in the audience (about whom more later) and the experience of being in New York (as opposed to small-town Aspen), Mr. Mead was either inspired or in need of immediate psychiatric assistance.
He began with a spoon routine which started with the Jay Sankey Ring on Spoon trick, but quickly moved into some eerily impressive Spoon Bending. From there, he performed some of his unbelievable card tricks, including an Any Card Named to Pocket and one of the most impressive Ambitious Card sequences I've ever witnessed (and believe me, I've witnessed quite a few!). He had two cards selected, found one "the hard way" by locating it in his pocket after mentally divining it, then found the other "the easy way:" the previously selected card, which had been placed on a table, had transformed into the second selection. He ended with two Coins Across which were wonderfully performed, using what I believe to be an original technique. (I could be wrong but, in any event, I was mighty impressed.)
But the tricks were actually just a small part of Eric Mead's act. Using anything and everything in the room and in his imagination, Eric drifted from subject to subject with amusing (sometimes bawdy but never dirty) humor. He is a unique individual with a unique set of effects and a persona which will, I think, make him a star. He combines the unrestrained looniness of Robin Williams with the technical chops of any of the best out there. Worth a trip to Aspen, I'll travel to Greenwich Village anytime to see Eric Mead.
Spurring on Mr. Mead and Mr. Fitch were the magicians from Boston's "Magicians and Spirits" show, a sort of Tuesday Night Magic, including David Oliver and Jon Stetson, and in the audience also included MNM regulars, Rich Marotta, Jeff Moche, Tom Durnin and Silly Billy. Also seen was the ringmaster from the Big Apple Circus, Norman Barrett, and Robin Leach, of "Rich and Famous" fame.
On November 9th, the show will feature Jeff Moche with comedy and magic and mentalist Gerry McCambridge. Other November shows will feature R.J. Lewis, Simon Lovell, David Oliver, Jon Stetson (where have I heard those names before?), Todd Robbins and the one and only Rocco.
Review of MNM Show 10/26/98
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)
Happy Birthday, Monday Night Magic!
New York's ever-changing magic show, at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village, has provided this city with its only regularly-presented magic show. My wife and I attended the celebration on October 26th, which featured Todd MacDonald, Robert Baxt and Peter Samelson, with close-up by Frank Brents and Jeff Moche, and hosted by the show's producer, Michael Chaut. (I was able to attend only the show's first half, due to previous commitments.)
Todd MacDonald is only 24 years old, but this Bostonian was, for me, the highlight of last summer's "Magic on Manhattan" show. His act, which consists of doves, candles and silks, shows a maturity which belies his years. Most impressive is the way Mr. MacDonald has developed an act which is uniquely his -- not one of the Lance Burton clones which seem to be cropping up regularly.
There were gasps and "ooh's" from the crowd at some of his spectacular dove productions, but his finale, a candle which levitates and dips toward the audience (ala the more commonly seen "floating" silver ball), is a polished signature piece, exceedingly well done. Everything, from the look of this slim young man in a tie-less tuxedo to his well-choreographed movements on stage, lead me to expect great things from Todd MacDonald.
The rotund Robert Baxt ("Inside of me there's a thin person waiting to get out. Really! He was standing in front of me at the buffet and I mistook him for a crouton.") has often served as an emcee to magic performances, and his act is certainly more comedy than magic. But his appearance last night showed that there is good reason he won the International Brotherhood of Magicians 1984 competition. The magic included an excellent adaptation of Don Alan's "Great Put-On" using pictures of male heart-throbs plus a picture of Mr. Baxt for a prediction effect with wonderful comic overtones, amid banter with a cooperative on-stage spectator.
For the Halloween season, Mr. Baxt donned a black cape, lit a candle in a skull and, as the theater lights dimmed, began to intone a very funny lampoon of Poe's "The Raven." The theme: "Suddenly there came a clanging . . . 'Twas the trick that I abhor!" Yes, the Linking Rings. The well thought-out and executed 4-ring sequence, accompanied by the equally well thought-out, memorized and stentoriously delivered poem, was simultaneously a good-natured put-down of this often-seen trick and a demonstration of Mr. Baxt's magical prowess.
Michael Chaut took the stage before intermission to introduce the wonderful Frank Brents so that they could reprise their two-man Six Card Repeat. I'd be happy watching Frank Brents do anything, he's that good, and he and Mr.Chaut were quite entertaining in this short sequence.
I missed Jeff Moche and Mr. Brents in their close-up performances, as well as Peter Samelson's show-closer, but I have written about all three gentlemen before.
Congratulations to all the performers, to producer Michael Chaut and the behind-the-scenes staff and crew on this joyful first anniversary of Monday Night Magic from this unabashed fan.
Seen in the audience were the talented Devlin and Kim.

Review of MNM Show 10/5/98
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)
Last night, October 5th, I saw one of the best magic shows I've ever witnessed. The occasion - Monday Night Magic, just about to celebrate its first anniversary at New York City's Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village. Producer Michael Chaut served as host and performed. The line-up was Fred Anderson, Alain Nu, Jeff McBride and, at intermission, Mr. Nu along with Torkova performing close-up.
Fred Anderson is an unassuming-looking juggler with many unique pieces in his act, (which he has been perfecting for 20 years). Most impressive was his juggling of glowing, electric balls while the theater was in darkness, and the audience loved him.
Washington, DC-based Alain Nu is another unassuming-looking performer who has a polite, ingratiating way with the audience. His introduction states that, "things happen around him," and that is accurate - magical, surprising things woven together by a thread of "mental energy."
I had heard great things about Mr. Nu's spoon-bending prowess, but I wasunprepared for the major chops this man has. He started with a voodoo doll prediction effect and moved into two fabulous card tricks - a mentally selected card appears in a card-box that has been in full view the entire time, and an any-card-at-any-number presentation from a shuffled deck, with nothing apparent after the card has been named - the spectator did the dealing down through the deck.
Mr. Nu then moved on to more heavily mentalism-tinged routines, all very powerful. He was about to do a book test with some paperbacks he had brought with him, when he asked if anyone in the audience had brought along a paperback he might use instead. A woman had a small magazine called "The Hornbook" which dealt with children's literature. Mr. Nu used this for a totally impromptu test in which two spectators glanced words were divined. Then, glancing around the audience, he said he was receiving some random thoughts, and told a woman she was thinking of a small animal. With virtually no probing around, he began sketching, and when she reveled she had been thinking of a salamander, I wondered how Mr. Nu was going to get out of the mess he was in. Imagine my surprise when he turned the drawing around to reveal a salamander!
Alain Nu's demonstration of mental spoon-bending is, by far, the best version I've ever witnessed. These are heavy duty, steel spoons which bend in half, twist around and visibly contort into a kind of roller-coaster which is unbelievably effective and entertaining. A most impressive tour-de-force.
While the upstairs close-up lounge at intermission featured Torkova, I remained downstairs to see more of Alain Nu. He performed a "Quick Three Way" type effect with a surprising color-changing backs finale, some skilled coin work, and the Card in Match Box using an impressive brass box (ala John Kennedy / Scotty York / Tommy Wonder).
Alain Nu's quiet, ingratiating manner was appreciated by the audience, and by myself as well.
Michael Chaut opened the second half (to good-natured cries of, "Bring on McBride!) with his fine act featuring his Color Changing Silk, Sponge Balls / Watch-Steal routine and much good-natured banter.
Jeff McBride has come such a long way as a performer since I first saw him ten or fifteen years ago that I was completely "blown away" by his standing ovation-commanding performance. Winner of the Magic Castle's Magician of the Year Award, Mr. McBride has gained many more fans with the release of his instructional videos and with his Mystery School workshops. I last saw him with his nightclub stage show at New York's Ballroom club about seven or eight years ago, doing his Masks/Elements performance piece. He was back in New York as part of Amtrak's "Amazing Things Are Happening On Amtrak" promotion, in which magicians will appear performing on East-Coast trains during the month of October, an event Mr. McBride launched at Penn Station on October 1st. (Note: The entire promotion was produced by Monday Night Magic, Magical Nights Inc and Invision Media Communications along with Amtrak's NortheastDirect Product-line and Marketing Departments.)
He opened with his mysterious Brass Bowls effect, in which water appears and disappears to an appropriate sound track. This piece, the original "Water" portion of his "Elements" show, is a worthy stand-alone, showing magic, humor and mime to best advantage. I was unprepared for what followed next.
The lights were extinguished and from the rear of the small theater came the sound of live drumming - mysterious, insistent and stirring. The lights came up as a young, female drummer intoned words concerned with magic and shamanism. This dramatic introduction led into an extended medley of pieces in which sound played a dramatic role.
Mr. McBride entered with a pair of large fans, which he snapped open and shut with the sound of a whiplash, punctuating the continuing drum beat. This led into a performance of the Linking Rings in which the clanging of the rings provided the raison d'etre for the linkings and unlinkings, and he finished with an upraised link of all six.
Exiting and re-entering, Mr. McBride was now banging on the bottom of a tall, silvery bucket, which then produced a melodic ring as he struck it with a wand. He went around the audience, striking the vessel with the wand, producing the ringing tone, then handing the wand to a spectator, who struck it, only to produce a muted, disappointing "doink." This continued until Mr. McBride approached a young lad, aged about 9, who produced a beautiful tone, then was enticed on stage to begin Mr. McBride's magical, funny and touching version of the "Miser's Dream." Unlike, say, Al Flosso,who kept the assistant in a subservient role, Mr. McBride plays the teaching mentor, showing the young aspirant how to make the magic happen. At the child's first successful throw of an invisible coin into the bucket, with the resounding "clink" as it landed inside, the kid stared at his own hand, wondering how he had done it! Mr. McBride's playful, good-natured handling of the young fellow was textbook-perfect in every way - this was a joy to behold. At the conclusion of the effect, Mr. McBride asked the young man if he was a magician, and the kid replied, "No." "Oh, yes you are!" said Jeff McBride, and presented the young man with a magic wand.
It would be easy, indeed facile, to say that Jeff McBride got "lucky" with this young assistant. If only we, the rest of us poor slobs, could be so fortunate when we get some little brat on stage to ruin our performance. In fact, the skill Mr. McBride used in every aspect of this act, from the picking of the helper to his creation of an instant ally in the kid, to his handling of every detail of the effect was nothing less than masterful.
After acknowledging the many magicians in the audience, some of whose sight-lines extend behind the performer, Jeff McBride moved into some of his fabulous card manipulations. "This is from Volume 3," he quipped, referring to his famous video set. And McBride is a master manipulator, doing split fans, productions and card scaling better than almost anyone else. He bounces scaled cards off the floor, catches them on his shoe ("Remember - I do this every show!") in an amazing display, and ends with his one-handed repeated long-distance boomerangs out into the audience.
His standing ovation was a tribute to this master of magic, who infuses all he does with an energy, love and spirituality which he communicates effectively to his audience. Bravo, Jeff McBride!

Review of MNM Show 8/10/98
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)
What a great night for magic on Monday, 8/10/98. David Roth was a tremendous hit on the Letterman show, and I got to see Tom Ogden at Monday Night Magic.
O.K., so you knew this was a review. But I had been reading about Tom Ogden (his Genii Magazine column) and hearing great things, but Tom lives in California and here I am in New York City. Fortunately, Tom made it to the Sullivan Street Playhouse in New York's Greenwich Village, a charming and intimate venue, as part of a show featuring David Oliver, R.J. Lewis (who doubled as M.C.) and close-up work by Michael Chaut (the show's producer), Larry Maples and Todd Robbins.
David Oliver, the Massachusetts-based magician who appears regularly at "Magicians & Spirits" in Cambridge, has performed around the world, and his smooth work with doves shows it. I've seen David many times and am impressed each time with his ease and warmth. David normally works a silent act to music, but a snafu caused his music to end prematurely, David took over with an excellent speaking presentation, funny and not overly reliant on stagehand jokes - the real sign of a pro. (Magic performance rule #1 -- if it can go wrong, it will. Prepare for these eventualities.)
I sat next to the new bride of R.J. Lewis (she is a performer as well, a dancer) and she told me that the couple had met while they were both working in Atlantic City. R.J. was a cast member of the Broadway show "Barnum" and has taken his magic act from Planet Hollywood to the White House (cocktail dress cleaned while-u-wait). R.J. performed some excellent card manipulation, an "Invisible Deck," one of the best Miser's Dream routines I've ever seen and then, to my amazement, fire eating! His juggling of lit torches and holding the lit end of a VERY HOT torch in his teeth was impressive. R.J. doubled as the evening M.C. (M.C.R.J.?) and handled his manifold duties well.
At intermission, Michael Chaut and Todd Robbins amazed audiences in the main theater with close-up, Michael making a spectator's card adhere to the ceiling and Todd making an examined light bulb pass into his stomach by eating the damn thing. Upstairs, Larry Maples, (whose stage magic with the kooky-hair styled Raven is excellent), amazed in the upstairs Close-Up Gallery. I was impressed by his Ring and Rope work (influenced, I think, by Peter Samelson) and ending with a super-smooth Ring Flite, among other effects he performed very well.
Back downstairs, the amazing Tom Ogden brought down the house. Twice named "Magician of the Year" for his parlor magic work at the Magic Castle, Tom's work for the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus has made him both an authority on circus lore and an expert on audience handling.
Mr. Ogden performed a fine multi-phase Professor's Nightmare (a rope trick), with cut-and-restored sequences and a full restoration at the end, a Hat Tear (yes! - a Hat Tear!) to the delight of a very young lady, and one of the best Cards Across routines I've ever witnessed (not Las Vegas Leaper - he used envelopes and selected cards transported).
It was in this last routine that Tom shone. One of the assistants was the kind of guy who wears lampshades at parties, and Tom's handling of the situation was hilarious. He was never unkind, just sort of resigned to the fact that his life was going to be miserable for the next couple of minutes.
The spekky (spectator) let loose with a couple of lines one could only pray for, and (even with a substantial number of kids present) Tom made the most of a double-entendre without besmirching the kiddies sensibilities.
Seated behind me was a performer unknown to me, but a friend of the lovelyMrs. R.J. Lewis. His comment: "Now THAT's what comedy magic is supposed to be." I concur. Also seen in the audience - Michael Randazzo, Charles Reynolds (Magic Consultant Extraordinary) and David "Silly Billy" Kaye.
Review of MNM Show 8/3/98
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)
Monday Night Magic has just passed its first year (including previews) at New York's Sullivan Street Playhouse. A different review-type show every Monday for a year is a great accomplishment for producer Michael Chaut. The first Monday of each month is devoted to a Jam, an opportunity for new performers to get professional exposure and for old hands to try out new material.
At last night's Jam (8/3/98), the line-up included Alba, Steve Bedwell, Frank Brents, Michael Chaut, Will Fern, Derek Hughes, David Kay, R.J. Lewis, Master of Ceremonies Todd Robbins and, during the close-up intermission show, Alba, Frank Brents, Michael Chaut and Matt Furman.
That's one LONG show, and prior commitments allowed me to stay for only the first half, but that was two hours!
I'm a very big fan of the wonderful Frank Brents, who has toured the world for many of his 72 years on this planet and whose duck (magic) act is one of the finest things you'll ever see performed by anyone anywhere. Frank gets into the Jam spirit better than most (I've heard him recite poetry!) and last night he did some excellent rope work, a variation of his handling of the Six-Card Repeat (with a new ending) and some other material as well.
One of the most successful children's party magicians is Silly Billy, the guy with the huge eyeglasses. Well, guess what? For Jam Night, Silly Billy turned into his alter ego David Kaye and he was excellent. As you might imagine, his handling of a youngster assistant was flawless (and very funny and charming) during a milk pitcher trick. Along with other material, David had some (definitely adult) Bill Clinton jokes he's probably been waiting to tell for the last dozen kiddie shows he's worked, and he ended with the very funny Lie Detector routine (big electronic box with flashing lights). I remember the people at Tannen's (Magic Shop) wondering why anyone would pay such "big bucks" for a pretty basic (non-magical) machine, but when you see a pro put it to good use, you realize what separates the pros from us amateurs.
Michael Chaut did his excellent Sponge Balls/Watch Steal routine and his Sealed Envelope Triple Prediction. Todd Robbins had set the whole thing up beautifully and Michael handles the routine with good humor and real mystery.
Speaking of Todd Robbins, he might have done some of his high-class material in the second part of the show. You know, the Nail up the Nose (Blockhead), Lit Cigar extinguished on his Tongue, Balloon up the Nose and then Out his Mouth. (The stuff that makes you proud to be a member of the Brotherhood of Magicians.) I will report however, that in the show's first half, Todd acted as gentlemanly host, and he did it very well.
Closing the first half was R.J. Lewis. He did the Miser's Dream, some very nice card manipulation, a good "Flurry" type coin routine with a penny growing ever larger, disappearing and reappearing to the amazement of a young helper, who was excellently handled. The finale of R.J.'s act was the announcement that this was his first wedding anniversary and the presentation of a bouquet of roses to his bride. If she is willing to spend their first anniversary at a magic show, I predict a long marriage.
At intermission, Mr. Chaut and Matt Furman entertained the audience with close-up in the theater, Frank Brents did the same with those choosing to go upstairs to the Close-Up Lounge, and the self-assured and talented Alba, a young magicienne, entertained outside the theater with a $20 Bill Vanish (with my $20!), an Invisible Deck (very well routined) and more.
I had to leave for a family-member's rock band performance at a club called Fez, but that was after two hours of first rate magic. In the second half, the madcap Brit, Steve Bedwell, was scheduled along with Alba performing on stage and Derek Hughes making their MNM stage debuts.
So I only got to see half the cast. But, then again (wait for it) . . .half-cast is better than not at all. Seen in the audience: Robin (Rich & Famous) Leach, Charles (Illusionary) Reynolds, Prof. Putter (the wonderful Mike Makman, no children's show slouch himself!) and his charming wife.

Review of MNM Show 4/13/98
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)
Uh-oh. Friday the 13th fell on a Monday this month! But in New York, Monday means Monday Night Magic, the 6-month old magic extravaganza which takes place each week at Greenwich Village's Sullivan Street Playhouse.
Last night's show was a sold-out event and featured Frank Brents, "Handsome Jack" (John Lovick), Eric Mead, emcee Todd Robbins and close-up work by Mead and Michael Chaut (who is also the shows producer) and Mark Mitton.
Frank Brents's act features some of the smoothest dove work you'll ever see, and a vanishing duck that leaves 'em speechless. This is a master worker who has developed a style totally his own, and as for that vanishing duck - I sure don't know where it goes!
" Handsome Jack" ain't. Handsome, that is. That's the gag John Lovick uses as he poses in male-model fashion and does some nifty magic. I was impressed with the end of his Linking Rings act when he topologically links three unprepared rings and immediately passes them for examination - somuch for the Masked Magician expose.
I was at MNM especially to see Eric Mead, the 31-year old Tower Bar magician and "Art of Astonishment" contributor. Upstairs in the Close-Up Lounge at intermission, Eric "killed" with some great card tricks and a long, but constantly entertaining, Ambitious Card sequence. Eric plays it with the card appearing in his pocket (or fly!) as well as back on top (of the deck). He's got a "card handling" that is one of the best I've ever seen (or not seen!) and he uses it to great advantage.
Michael Chaut (and Mark Mitton) entertained about half the crowd who remained in the theater, all of whom looked pleased as I descended to re-take my seat.
Eric Mead then did a toned-down (because of kids in the audience) stage set which featured some good juggling. Moving into card work, he did a version of Daly's "Cavorting Aces" with the addition of a selected card which appears reversed and sandwiched between the Aces. Eric (then) went into Daryl's "Jumping Knot of Pakistan" which caused him a bit of a sweat when the first dissolving knot didn't. Dissolve, that is. But Eric, with excellent stage presence and humor, undid the knot and dutifully retied it, bringing the act to a successful close.
Eric immediately wins over his audience, is very quick with a funny ad-lib, and has great technical chops. I believe he is worth flying out to Aspen for - and I don't ski! Lucky for all of us that he made the trip to New York.
Todd Robbins was once again the emcee and did his usual fine job as well as some eye-opening stunts.Seen in the audience was the elegant Rafael Benatar, the historical Charles Reynolds, the eternal birthday-boy Silly Billy and actor John Shea (Lex Luthor from Lois and Clark).
Next Monday, April 20th, the line-up includes Larry Maples & Raven, the always thirsty Simon Lovell and British wizard Patrick Page (making a very rare U.S. appearance) Close-up will feature Frank Brents and Bob Elliott.
Two-thirds of the audience last night indicated that this was their first time at Monday Night Magic. The "magic for real people" aspect of the show is remarkably invigorating.

Review of MNM Show 3/30/98
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)
Why review Monday Night Magic? Because it takes a tremendous effort to mount a new, first-rate theatrical magic show each week and I think it bears recording and celebrating those efforts which ultimately benefit allof us in this noble art.
So, down I go to the Sullivan Street Playhouse in New York City's Greenwich Village on Monday, March 30th to see Simon Lovell emcee and perform, alongwith Todd MacDonald and Jamy Ian Swiss on the main stage, and Bill Brunelle, Bob Elliott and MNM Producer Michael Chaut as close-up performers.
24-year old Todd MacDonald, who hails from Boston, has a most winning look and personality. If I told you his act consists of candles, doves and silks, you would immediately think of Lance Burton, and you would be oh, so wrong. Mr. MacDonald has creatively re-thought the combination of these elements and I was very impressed. He closes with a floating candle that was nothing less than jaw-dropping. Keep your eye on Todd MacDonald.
Having never seen Simon Lovell perform, I was anxious to view the head lemming's act. With his signature card-in-mouth trick and his strait-jacket/puppet show bit that had them (and me) rolling in the aisles.
At intermission, I left my seat, my destination being the upstairs Close-Up Lounge where Slydini student and friend Bill Brunelle entertained. I was favorably impressed with Mr. Brunelle. He did the Invisible Deck, Ambitious Card and Professor's Nightmare along with some other card material, all presented in a friendly, audience-winning manner.
I returned to my seat in the main theater as Bob Elliott was completing one his wonderful presentations of a Bro. Hamman routine for the downstairs crowd.
Jamy Ian Swiss combines dexterity with an erudite stream of funny patter. Jamy opened with his incredible Cups and Balls routine, switched to cards next, for a card on forehead and fabulous jumbo-deck trick which had me and the rest of the audience scratching our heads (in wonderment).
I am something of an Egg Bag devotee, I've got to say that Jamy Swiss can "throw the bag" with the best of them. He's got all the right elements - for the trick to be successful, Jamy had it all down - the moves, and the patter: "Can you SEE the pale egg in the inky depths of the silken bag?" I loved it.
Jamy Ian Swiss closed with the torn and restored cigarette paper, a true classic of magic in which the attention of the audience is focused down to a two-by-three inch square of white paper. Jamy prefaces this with a long speech about his childhood visit to Radio City Music Hall for the Christmas show and the fabulous magic he saw. We saw some great magic in Jamy's hands last night and a wonderful show at Monday Night Magic.

Review of MNM Show 12/29/97
Written by Gary Brown 12/30/97 (Excerpts from a Review, from the Electronic Grymoire - reprinted with permission)
It was a lousy, cold, rainy Monday night in New York. The kind of night when you want to stay inside, wrapped in a blanket and imagine that you have a fireplace. Braving the storm was the last thing any sane person would want to do.
But I had promised a friend that we would go to Monday Night Magic, as we hadn't gone in a while. "Simon Lovell's playing," my friend assured me, "it'll be worth it." And apparently, many people agreed. The house was sold out, and whether we could get tickets was a good question right up until curtain time. Fortunately for us, a couple of people didn't show -- probably due to the weather. They'll never know what they missed. We occupied the last two empty seats.
Monday Night Magic opened this week with producer Michael Chaut -- whose accomplishments as a performer and yeoman's work as MNM's producer has been discussed here before. Michael has added several new effects to his routine -- including the production of several ten-foot poles from a tiny satchel. The production number offers all kinds of opportunities for phallic-imagery jokes, which Michael couched in euphemism, given the number of children in the audience. Indeed, the presence of these kids proved a challenge for the performers, particularly Mr. Lovell, who I'll turn to shortly.
Michael added a noteworthy new bit to his set. He performed the six-card repeat. But the twist was his introduction of veteran performer Frank Brents into the routine -- the two magicians handed the six-card deck back and forth, continually discarding cards, but always winding up with six pasteboards, while they tried to "explain" the trick to each other. Having the thirty-something Chaut and 72-year old Brents side by side proved charming -- two very likeable performers separated by a generation entertaining with a classic trick. After the show, Michael admitted that the routine was a last-minute addition to his performance, and that he and Brents worked out the details only minutes before curtain. The material felt fresh and fun.
Todd Robbins offered his baffling, bold sideshow magic -- fire eating, swallowing a light bulb, the blockhead bit, blowing up a hot water bottle and related specialties. Seeing Todd perform for the second time proved rewarding -- prepared for the shock and revulsion inherent in his act, I was better able to appreciate Todd's skill as a showman. He handles this material with a combination of comedy, sensitivity, reverence and enthusiasm that allows him to put it over. Todd's ability to take that which is disgusting and make it entertaining is a tribute to his artistic abilities.
During intermission, Jamy Ian Swiss performed in the upper level close-up theater. Jamy, a terrific manipulator and showman, was simply hot, and offered an outstanding set of card magic. Jamy's magic is powerful -- his rapier wit and command of the spoken word supplement an onslaught of baffling card effects. The audience loved it.
Simon Lovell performed in the second act. A veteran of the comedy circuit, Lovell carefully tailored his act to fit within the boundaries imposed by the family audience, which provided additional opportunities for humor. Visibly struggling with self-censorship, Lovell introduced a very funny element into the show. He offers a mix of comedy and magic, weighted more toward comedy. But his magic is first-rate. For example, demonstrating what he called "sleight of tongue", Lovell located a signed card with the deck in his mouth. He delivered much of the patter with the entire deck in his mouth, which was met with gales of laughter.
In short, my friend was right. It was well worth going, even on a cold, wet, nasty night.

Review of MNM Show 11/24/97
Written by Matt Field (Reprinted with permission)
Last night's exposure show on Fox has doubtlessly been addressed by many members of the magic fraternity. Me, I was watching Monday Night Magic, which had a news crew from Fox covering the show at New York's Sullivan
Street Playhouse.
They were anxious to play up the indignation we all feel at needless exposure. MNM got a huge amount of free publicity. I'll watch the shows I taped tonight. I had invited my old friend, CoinMeister David Roth, to attend and we had a great time. Also in attendance was Mike "Prof. Putter" Makman, who had a great PR piece with him - a schedule of all the non-children's events he's worked in the previous three month period. Most impressive and effective.
The evening's show featured two magicians from the Boston area - David Oliver and Jon Stetson -- and, as was the case some months ago with visiting magicians from London, this is a worthwhile concept - bringing magic from another city to those of us who do not travel as much as we might wish. On the bill were Todd Robbins (who also performed), Bostonian David Oliver, and Peter Samelson. Frank Brents and another Boston magus, Jon Stetson, were featured in the Close-Up Lounge.
In the spirit of conserving bandwidth, and because other MNM viewers have caught the reviewing bug, I'll refer interested readers to my earlier descriptions of Mssrs. Robbins, Samelson and Brents. I will say, however, that I thought Mr. Samelson and Mr. Robbins were better than I had seen them in earlier performances - Peter Samelson seemed better connected to his audience and Mr. Robbins added some fire eating which, when added to his amazing four-person amazing topological suspension, made his spot less geek-y and, for me, more entertaining. Peter Samelson's ring and rope work is in-your-face magic that plays well for a large (120 or so) audience and his Ring Flite ring vanish earned praise from David Roth, who called it about the best he'd seen.
Opening the evening was David Oliver, who was new to me, although Eric Citron, a magician and demonstrator at Tannen's, said his close-up work killed at the summer magic camp. Mr. Oliver, who works to music began with some impressive handkerchief changes and dove work. His handling of the Zombie was also excellent, and his closing bit with the ball was to remove the foulard to show the ball suspended between his parallel, horizontally held hands, with the ball moving up and down in a most mysterious manner (no stick!). That one had all the magicians in the audience scratching their heads! Mr. Oliver has no real theme to his act, but all of his work is impeccable and his demeanor on stage is audience-pleasing.
My discussions with Mr. Roth (whom I hadn't seen since his astoundingly good performance at this past summer's Magic on Manhattan one-day convention) kept us from getting to the Close-Up Gallery in time for a good place to view the proceedings.
Jon Stetson had a huge crowd around him, all of whom were kept rapt and applauding, so I guess he was very good. Frank Brents had a smaller crowd, and Roth and I watched him from behind (we were on a staircase eading down to the theater) so we had a behind-the-scenes view of this great magician and his winning combination of great skill and warm personality. The twinkle in Frank Brents' eye could win over even the most determined skeptic.
This is really what is called on Joe Stevens' GeMiNi service "Two Meter Magic," which means that, except for the twenty or so viewers in the first row in front of the performers, the spectators are viewing a sort of parlor presentation. And because the theater itself seats only about 120, with raked seats and a small platform on the stage area, the stage performances themselves are sometimes really expanded parlor magic.
I've given the problem some thought, but have no solution to the close-up viewing/presentation problem, which plagues conventions as well.
I've said it many times before, but kudos to producer Michael Chaut for providing New York with a place where magic can be seen by magicians and lay audiences alike. It is, in fact, this mix which makes MNM a great venue in which to see performers. Where else can you hear the gasps and "I don't believe it" responses which make the magic experience unique? Tell that to the Masked Magician, damn his soul.

Review of MNM Show 11/10/97
Written by Jack Disbrow 11/11/97 (Excerpts from a Review, from the Electronic Grymoire - reprinted with permission)
My wife and I had an opportunity to attend New York's "Monday Night Magic" last evening. Here is a brief review: The Parlor Magic (Main Stage) portion of the program featured Torkova, Peter Kougasian and Simon Lovell. Todd Robbins acted as MC. During intermission, close-up magic was performed in The Close-Up Gallery by Michael Chaut (the show's producer), Todd Robbins and Frank Brents.
Todd Robbins opened the evening's festivities by noting that the Sullivan Street Playhouse was the home, for the past 37 years, to "The Fantasticks" - New York's longest running off-Broadway show. (The theatre itself has not changed much during that time. I saw "The Fantasticks" there more than 25 years ago, and the venue looks exactly the same.)
Todd then introduced Torkova who entered in costume and presented his well-known coin act. This is an expertly performed "coins from nowhere" routine, incorporating some truly amazing hand work. Dozens of coins appeared in Torkova's hands and cascaded down a sturdy coin ladder. Torkova's hand work with the coins was nearly flawless. A nice round of applause.
Next on the bill was Peter Kougasian who, for us, was the star of the show. I was not familiar with Peter's work, but he is obviously a seasoned performer. (The program notes that he was a regular at New York's late lamented "Mostly Magic" club for 10 years.) That became apparent when the first spectator Peter chose to assist him proved to be French - with little facility in English. Peter rose to the occasion, had a great deal of fun with it, and pulled off the trick nicely - using the spectator's lady friend (from England) as an interpreter. There were many very funny bits along the way.
Peter then enlisted the help of a young lady from the audience and launched into a truly inspired rope routine. His handling and pace left nothing to be desired. Knots appeared and disappeared, the rope was cut and restored several times - losing an end or two in the process - stretched and compressed... all in a witty and friendly manner. One of the best routines of it's kind I've had the pleasure of seeing, and it got a great round of applause.
Peter closed by doing a combination of a comedy headline prediction and torn and restored newspaper. (Actually he said no newspaper was available, so he would use "USA Today" instead!) Lots of fun, and excellent handling on the newspaper. It just melted back together. Well done Peter!
The close-up session during intermission was held in "The Close-Up Gallery" upstairs. Those who watched seemed to enjoy it and the performers appeared to as well.
The second half of the show began with Todd Robbins (now in a flashy vest inherited from his days as Ringmaster with the Big Apple Circus) presented what he billed as the "Human Pretzel of Death." He seated four spectators on chairs in a square, had each lean back onto another's lap, then removed all four chairs - leaving the spectators apparently suspended in the air with only their feet touching the ground. An amazing sight; pretty neat.
Todd then introduced Simon Lovell "The Mad Man From England." I know Simon and have seen him perform in other venues. Simon did a three-cards-across routine without using chosen cards, and something called "The Bermuda Shorts" in which three "freely selected" cards from one deck appeared reversed in another. There was also Simon's version of the signed card in the mouth as well.
Simon's best piece was his concluding number, a comedy straightjacket escape. He got a lot out of this, and it's the first time I've seen puppets used during such a presentation. A surprise, and it got a good laugh. Simon's final escape was very fast and unexpected. It got a good hand.
This was an enjoyable evening. It was a nearly sold out house, so there is obviously a market for this sort of entertainment.

Review of MNM Show 11/3/97
Written by Matt Field 11/4/97 (Excerpts from a Review, from the Electronic Grymoire - reprinted with permission)
Last night was the first of the Monday Night Magic "Jams" held at New York City's Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village. Billed as a chance for magicians to try out new material in front of an audience, this was not an "open mike" type of affair, but a structured show with 7 performers, with Todd Robbins as MC. With tickets sold a reduced rate for this first-Monday-of-every-month affair, the 3-hour show (including a three performer close-up intermission!) gave a lot of magical "bang" for the buck, and the theater was quite full a nice turnout. I did not expect to attend, but a last minute change of plans left the night free and I figured, what the hell, it's magic. I was pleasantly surprised. On the bill were Frank Brents, Michael Chaut, Damian, Tom Durnin, Micah Lasher, Vinnie Monaco and Jamy Ian Swiss.
Todd Robbins opened with a spray of Binaca to his mouth which he promptly ignited with a lighter, turning the mouth spray to a mini fire eating moment. He later did his blockhead (4 inch nail hammered up his nose with his boot heel) and his stomach-turning semi-inflated balloon up his nose and out his mouth. But stomachs had not finished revolving. Oh no. Todd had in reserve a swell story about the Great Waldo, a performer from long-ago whose act consisted of swallowing a white rat, then regurgitating it alive. The crowds must have reached (or retched!) around the block for that one. So, not wanting to peeve the animal lovers amongst the audience, Todd decided to try this act with something we wouldn't mind seeing suffer the trip up and down the Robbins gullet. Yes, friends, a cockroach. In this case, a freely selected , semi-comatose (chilled) roach which Todd really put on his tongue, (apparently) swallowed and chucked back up. I once described Todd (a really wonderfully funny, attractive and engaging man) and his act to my wife and for some strange reason, she said if I wanted to attend MNM alone, she didn't mind.
Damian, a performer whose act was in the formative stage, was up next and he needs some work on routining and stage movement, but he had confidence and did some nice ball manipulations.
Jamy Ian Swiss did two turns, the first showing off his superb card handling skills. His authoritative manner, humor and erudition make him a cerebral amazer, and I always enjoy his performances. Jamy got into the "jam" mode with his second turn, as he did a Corinda "Powers of Darkness"-type piece in which a coat hanger mysteriously linked onto the spectator's clasped hands while her eyes were closed. She was a reluctant spectator who turned into a truly amazed one, to the delight of the audience which could, of course, view the entire modus operandi. Very well done by Mr. Swiss, indeed.
Vinnie Monaco is a comedian who does no magic, so I'll skip his act. Micah Lasher's book has been excoriated by Mr. Swiss and I've even thrown a few brickbats myself, but this was my first chance to see him perform. He did some lovely card work and a very good prediction using "Trivial Pursuit" and his personality is most engaging, as is his use of voice. Micah is a teenager who I think will go far if he continues, and studies some stage techniques. I could only think that I was looking at a contemporary version of a young David Kotkin when he first began performing. Micah also entertained at the close-up intermission, showing more good card technique.
Michael Chaut , who has my admiration as Monday Night Magic producer, also performed on stage and at intermission. He did some ten-foot pole productions, his sponge balls/watch steal, and a new routine which was a {failed} two card prediction with a successful time prediction which was very impressive. His card-on-ceiling received the mouth dropping-reaction we all hope for.
Frank Brents is by now one of my heroes of magic. He's 70-something years old and has performed everywhere (was once stiffed, Todd Robbins said in his intro, by King Hussein's sister!). Mr. Brents got into the "jam" spirit the most of any perfomer, and he did an astounding deck memorization stunt (which he stopped after reciting correctly four cards taken by audience members from a previously shuffled deck which was then shaken in a paper bag) because he said the trick didn't sustain and that, take his word for it, he could continue with all ten selections if he wanted to. We all believed him. He then told of his childhood when he recited poetry in church, then proceeded to do a reading of some verse by Paul Lawrence Dunbar, with whom I am unfamiliar. It was a moving, loving experience which I thoroughly enjoyed. He also performer close-up during intermission, and had his audience charmed.
Last up was Tom Damian, a comic magician in the style of Carl Ballantine. He does not to the Amazing Ballantine's act (who could?) but he was most amusing in his rail-thin look and schpritzing style. For many years a street performer, he included a rap-recap of the show and ended with a knife juggling routing. He is a very talented, funny performer not for everyone's taste, but I thought he was great.

Review of MNM Show 9/22/97
Written by Matt Field 9/23/97 (Excerpts from a Review, from the Electronic Grymoire - reprinted with permission)
Although I sort of feel like the Frank Joglar of the 90's, here's a brief report on Monday Night Magic for Sept. 22 held at the Sullivan St. Playhouse in New York's Greenwich Village. OK, it's not that brief.
The featured performer was Jamy Ian Swiss, with Michael Chaut (the MNM producer) and Todd Robbins of light bulb and blockhead fame as the second act and compere.
Michael Chaut opened with a color changing hank and sponge balls with ME as the assisting spectator! Michael pick pocketed my watch (I didn't catch him! Honest!) and it was discovered in a locked box held by another spectator.
Next, Todd Robbins, a sort of walking encyclopedia of geekdom, walked on broken glass, put a cigar out on his tongue, ate a light bulb, hammered a 4 1/2 inch nail up his nose with the heel of his boot, stuck a semi-inflated balloon up his nose and retrieved it halfway from his mouth and tried (twice) to blow up a regulation hot water bottle to the point of bursting. I was sitting in the first row and, truth be known, was sort of praying that the bottle would not explode in my puss. He was rewarded for all of this with a round of yuchs and aghs. My mouth hurt from having winced so hard for so long, but this seems to be what Todd is trying for and it certainly is an unforgettable experience (as is putting your finger in a live electric outlet). For thoughts about this type of act and its relation to magic, see below. Todd, by the way, has great stage presence and a booming voice and was funny as well; he did a great MC'ing job.
At intermission, the superb Frank Brents and effective J.B.Benn entertained in the close-up gallery. After intermission, Todd Robbins was back with a hilarious stunt he called something like "The Human Pretzel Suspension." Four spectators seated on chairs lay back on one-another and then Todd removed the chairs, leaving the participants suspended in an Escher-esque pose -- one resting on the other resting on ... er ... nothing!
Genii reviewer and Penn and Teller confidant Jamy Ian Swiss was the featured performer. Always erudite and known for his performances of the classics, he did not disappoint.
He performed an amazing card-in-hatband trick with a freely named card, absolutely frying me. He followed with a cups and balls with a glass of juice as the final load, frying me again. (I guess that's over easy.) He did a Diamond Jack" routine with an original script and huge cards that was an audience pleaser, and a card switch from between a spectator's fingers (John Bannon, I believe) with the switched out jumbo cards appearing beneath his jacket. I was Fried Thrice (credit for name to Jon Racherbaumer). He ended with a long story culminating in a torn and restored cigarette paper.
Jamy's intelligence is apparent in everything he does, and I enjoyed him very much. His patter is, IMHO, most easily compared to that of Ricky Jay, and that's high praise coming from me.
In the audience, BTW, were Bob McAllister (of Wonderama fame), Bob Sheets (a fantastic magician from the D.C. area), Eric DeCamps (a local award winning magician), Mike "Prof. Putter" Makman (one of the greats) and, yes, Gary Brown (magician and writer).
We finally got a chance to shake hands and chat about his (Gary's) forthcoming bio of Al Flosso, to be published later this year by L&L and I'm already saving my shekels for this must-read. (Save your shekels for that book and for the forthcoming Kaufman & Co. "Arcade Dreams" by Jon Racherbaumer, a non-card Marlo book which I helped edit.)
Two quick asides. There IS a relationship between Todd Robbins' sideshow schtick and magic, as there is between magic and juggling. I think it's this: the sideshow stuff is real, but depends on secret, or arcane, knowledge. Magic also depends on this type of knowledge, but is illusion. Juggling depends on dexterity and so does magic; in juggling the dexterity is in the open, in magic it's hidden. Jugglers often appear on magic convention shows; Todd Robbins was not out of place on the bill last night. But, oh mama, he sure can out gross-out almost anyone. Second, I very much enjoyed being the assisting spectator to Michael Chaut. I have been in this role one other time, at a Mostly Magic performance by Bob Torkova in which I was chosen to assist in his silent Linking Ring act (occasion: my kid's birthday party). Bob did not know I was a magician, although I talked to him about it later. Being in this role affords one to sort of turn Robert Houdin's definition on its head ("A magician is an actor playing the role of a magician"). Here, I am a magician playing the role of a spectator, and I love it (ham that I am).
It affords me the moment of trying, as is the magician, to transmit a moment of wonder, or astonishment, to the audience -- he with his wonder-working, I with my enjoyment of the wonder he is instilling in me.

Review of MNM Show 9/8/97
Written by Matt Field 9/9/97 (Excerpts from a Review, from the Electronic Grymoire - reprinted with permission)
Hello, Monday Night Magic fans, and welcome to the Tuesday quarterbacking. Last night was the "unofficial opening" of MNM at New York City's Sullivan Street Playhouse (home of "The Fantasticks") and it was, as has become usual, a stellar affair.
Host Peter Kougasian continues to provide a witty, smart, empathetic compere to the shows. Last night he offered a spectator who was celebrating a birthday a choice of anything she wanted (he held up an Uncle Pete Emery Board as a hint) but the spectator chose his tie!
Frank Brents, a 70-something year old entertainer, did a great dove act, vanished a huge duck (fooling me!) and was a delight. At the last (preview) MNM, Frank was in the close-up intermission set, charming the audience with some nifty card work.
Michael Chaut (the MNM producer) did three effective mentalism effects -- a three number addition prediction, a book test and a locked chest prediction. He had the spectators seated next to me gasping, and the guy who assisted with the book test could not believe that Michael had determined his absolutely freely selected word.
Peter Samelson, was on next with his superb ring and rope work, a borrowed ring in locked box coupled with Ring Flite, his wonderful, emotion-filled handling of Gypsy Thread, and a Snowstorm with a very good story line.
In the intermission, Kurt Kritzler and Anthony Owen did mostly card magic in the upstairs lounge. Both were excellent.
Anthony Owen, the co-founder of London's successful Monday Night Magic, was up next. He has great charm and has appeared many times on British TV.
David Williamson closed the show, and he was magnificent. Appearing in an eye patch, with no explanation, he had a spectator select a card and show it around, moving the patch to the other eye as a blindfold. When the spectator dropped a card and pointed to her feet for David to retrieve it, he put the patch over his mouth and started behaving like an S+M slave, drooling over her shoes, in true Greenwich Village demented style. David did several amazing card effects (a stupendous card in mouth, an Ambitious Card in Wallet) and lots more. He followed with the indescribable Rocky Raccoon, and ended by having Rocky dive through a flaming hoop (a spectator holding his arms in a circle which David then doused in lighter fluid -- you had to be there!), dive into a card fountain springing from a spectators borrowed hndbag, and landing in another spectator's coat, held like a fireman's safety net. Whew!!
David does a lot of "mouth" schtick. I don't think anyone else could get away with having a spectator stick her thumb in his mouth! He started by having a card selected when he dribbled on a stool. Not dribbled the cards -- just dribbled. Thank god it wasn't a real stool -- just a wooden one you sit upon.
I thought he was masterful and totally in control, though appearing wild and wacky. I loved his performance which, with Dan Harlan's work last month, make Monday Night Magic a must-see if you're in or near New York City.
This has been an enormous effort, and I applaud Michael Chaut and the performers and crew of this very positive magical happening in New York.