“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.â€
— Anais Nin
Greetings Friends,
It seems that I am touring more now than I have in years. And that means there’s a good chance that I’ll get to see you somewhere on my travels. I am fortunate that producers see magic as a potent and viable entertainment form that continues to draw audiences and big box office. Hats off to all the brave and bold producers who are creating magical events to entertain and enlighten the world!
Over the coming months, I will be co-starring in The Illusionists. Some are saying that this may be the biggest tour in the world of magic. The tour continues in Mexico and South America, with rumors of Europe, Broadway and Las Vegas in the future… I will have updates each week of my tour in future Muse Letters and on the show each Monday evening on www.mcbridemagic.tv.
Take a look at the news here: http://tinyurl.com/itrickillusioniists
The popularity of our “Mystery School Mondays†continues to grow: Over 5,000 people a week, from 78 countries are watching our show! If you have not seen our new episodes on Houdini, Magic and Medicine, and Magic with a Message, you can catch a few of the back episodes here: http://virtual.magicalwisdom.com/tv/episodes
“’Why not?’ is a slogan for an interesting life.â€
–Mason Cooley
What do Siegfried, Lance Burton, Criss Angel, Mac King, Johnny Thompson, Kevin James, Murray, Luna Shimada, and Amazing Jonathan all have in common? They are all frequent guests at what is being called “The Coolest Show in Las Vegas!†It is a mega-magic party extravaganza, and it happens only once a month. Be part of the fun; attend in person! Details at http://www.vegaswonderground.com or watch live online at http://www.mcbridemagic.tv 10pm, Thursday June 21st.
“Fortune favors the brave.â€
–Virgil
The big inside news is that my new book will be available around July 1st. You can get information at www.theoryandartofmagic.com.
Due to my intense touring schedule, we will only have one summer Master Class this year. There are currently five spots left for this year’s extended class in August. For more information: http://www.magicalwisdom.com/
Note: Our other classes for the year – Focus on Street Magic, Magic & Mentalism, Magic & Medicine and Magic & Meaning are still on…and filling fast!
Wishing you all a magical summer!
Sincerely,
Jeff McBride
“We are limited, not by our abilities, but by our vision.â€
Jonathan Swift
Greetings magical friends,
Abbi here, writing from the House of Mystery while Jeff is touring the East Coast. I was reflecting recently on the magic of one voice. It has been said that real magic is the “art of transforming reality according to the will.â€Â On-stage, we set our compass to amaze, astound, delight, and perhaps educate our audiences. Through our will, we focus our practice, sharpen our scripts, set up our performances, and change the reality of those we perform for, whether it’s in the supermarket, the bar, or the theater.
As a trained and licensed massage therapist, I occasionally utilize magic to make a point to my clients; for instance, I’ll use the Arm Twister illusion when demonstrating a shoulder stretch, or Spinner’s Magic Bubbles when discussing the power of positive visualization in the healing process. Part of how I take care of my body is to get regular massages for myself.
“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will. “
George Bernard Shaw
Recently, while at my local massage place, I noticed that all their linen sets were individually wrapped in plastic. Ewww. As a person who is concerned about the well-being of the planet we live on, I have a problem with gratuitous plastic over-use. So, I talked to the front desk clerk on my way out, who told me “Oh, that’s just the way we do things.â€Â I asked to speak to the owner, and had a productive conversation with her, and using a version of Samina’s Trash to Treasure routine, got her enrolled in the idea of making a magical change in the “way we do things.â€Â Within a week, the policy was changed, and now the clean linens have little paper bands wrapped around them, to show that they are freshly laundered and ready to use, and no plastic, hooray!
One person, with awareness, courage, creativity and a little magic, can make a positive change in the world. If I can do it, you can too. How do you use your magic to improve the world around you? If you’re not, what’s preventing you, and how can we here at the Magic and Mystery School help? Classes are listed for the rest of the year, and there are a few spots open for the August Master Class…. Perhaps we’ll see you here soon!
Your friend in magic,
Abigail McB.
From Tobias:
Wow…what a great piece of writing from Abbi! If some of you were unaware, Abbi is busy changing the world in many ways, and one is through her music…and more recently through the creation of the audio book version of Anne Key’s book “Desert Priestess – A Memoir.â€Â Want to hear and learn more? http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/AbbiSpinnerMcBride
As we go to send this, Jeff has completed the first couple of legs of his spring tour on the East Coast. In Maine, he generated a great story for the local paper by visiting the gravesite of Dr. James William Elliott, the original “King of Cards.â€Â If you missed it, check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/mcbk-of-c
If you are near Asheville, NC, or Akron, OH in the next week or so, be sure and come out for Jeff’s show, lecture, workshop…or all three! I understand there are still a few tickets available, but they are going fast:
Asheville:Â http://www.vanishingwheelchair.org/?p=29
Akron: http://mcbridemagic.eventbrite.com/%3Cbr%20/%3E
Later this month, we get to take our latest version of “Magic at the Edge†to the island of Trinidad. I get to go along with Jeff, Abbi & Jordan on this one to oversee the tech. Can’t wait! I’ll make sure we bring home some great photos for the July 1 Museletter.
Best to all!
Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com