How Could You Forget?
The glittering tree in the corner of the room…
the mystery of all the wrapped presents…
the smell of eggnog and nutmeg…
watching A Christmas Carol again and again…
my first Christmas magic show and debut of (drum roll please)…
MCBRIDE THE MAGNIFICENT!
Seven year old MCBRIDE THE MAGNIFICENT performing his magic act 1967! This is me performing the “wand through handkerchief.” (I ruined many of my father’s hanks practicing this trick!)
I have such sweet memories of Christmas. Turkey dinner with Mom and Dad, my brother and sisters, the grandparents and friends, and yes, creating magic shows in my living room for my family. My Grandmother Marie took an old suit of my dads, and tailored it into something that looked like a magician’s tailcoat, with an old fur top hat, and I was in my “happy place” on stage in Las Vegas (in my mind!).
Surprise Surprise!
One Christmas morning I found my first business cards in my stocking. This is one of the few that survived all these 57 years later!
For most of my life I was “on the road” doing magic shows during the holidays. However, this year I’ll be home for the holidays with my Vegas family of Abigail, her dad, and our friends – hooray! I’ll be putting on a magic show (this time in our living room) just like I’ve done every year since 1967!
Living Room Magic is Parlor Magic
Did you know? The word parlour comes from the French verb parler, which means “to speak.” In the 13th century, “parlour” was borrowed into English as “parlor.” This is the place to share stories and magic.
Will You Step into My Parlor?
Parlor Magic is one of the most popular forms of magic, and can be performed in just about anyone’s living room, but often is large enough to perform on a platform, or even on a stage. I’m going to be teaching a very special class on parlor magic – Mastering the Classics for Parlor, Platform and Stage.
I’m inviting six people over to my parlor, and you are invited! If you’d like to be one of them, click here – https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/master-the-classics
Magic with Tarot Cards
I will also be inviting six students who would like to learn how to perform magic routines and tell stories with Tarot cards. If this interests you I welcome you to take a look at this –
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/tarot-magic-mastery
Strange Coincidence
Did you know that Rudy Coby and Jeff were born in the same one-room hospital in Goshen, NewYork? Also, both Rudy and Jeff were in the same magic club as teenagers.
Just last week I had the opportunity to travel with my dear friend Rudy Coby to perform for our friends Randy and Kristy Pitchford at their home theater. Take a look at how they created an exquisite magical space to share parlor magic with their friends!
See you online or here in our magic parlor in Las Vegas!
Happy holidays to all,
Jeff and Abigail
Our contributor this month is long-time Magic & Mystery School student James Ember. Performing in the upper Midwest as “James the Magician,” in this Museletter he makes an interesting and mouth-watering comparison between his two passions – cooking and magic.
I have devoted large amounts of time to two areas in my life – learning and performing magic, and the art of cooking. I have been performing magic professionally since 1986, specifically in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. I work for a variety of clients, but focus on performing for family audiences. I also began working in commercial kitchens, primarily pizzerias, in 1998. I have learned a lot about leading teams, training staff, and making dough (both kinds).
As we are approaching the cap of another calendar year, I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my magic, and recently, on how it relates to cooking – specifically, baking sourdough bread. The similarities between making sourdough bread and creating magic can be quite remarkable. The highest quality of magic, and of bread, takes time.
I have been working on my sourdough recipes for sandwich bread and pizza dough. Slow rising doughs have two primary ways to rise. One is to use an active dry yeast, and the other slower way, is to use the yeast that occurs naturally in the air. If you are using activated yeast you can make a dough in about 3-4 hours from start to finish.
The process of making sourdough takes much longer. When you are making a sourdough, you are using the yeast that occurs naturally in the air, and it takes a minimum of two weeks to create your mother (initial starter). After you make your mother starter, you can continue to feed this forever. Some starters are thousands of years old! Why on earth do I take the time to make sourdough instead of using dry active yeast? For one, the heavily yeasted dough was messing with my guts, and more importantly, it’s delicious!
Magic is seductive. We get into magic because we want to know a secret. This is a highly marketable addiction, and for years people in our industry have been swooned by the advertisements of miracles we can perform. If the desire to learn a secret or put a routine instantly into your show is like that fast acting yeast, then the good stuff, the sourdough of magic, is the time that you have taken honing your routines for years – even decades.
No magic is tastier than the magic that you know so well that the work you put into it lets you know exactly where to take a beat, or perhaps changing just one word of your script makes it that much more effective.
Here is one example from my own show. I perform an Invisible Deck routine that is themed around parallel universes. After honing in on the script and performing it for about a decade, it was time to make a small tweak. I found it is better if the audience member names an odd numbered card, so the script evolved into this. “Please just think of any card in the deck. Don’t make it easy on me. Don’t think of the Ace of Spades or the royalty. Think of some odd card in the deck.” In this instance, the way I say it can feel like I am saying “odd” as in “random,” as opposed to an odd number. But over 70% of the time they name an odd card, making my technical job much easier. This little change has made my Invisible Deck routine a delicious sourdough!
Just as in the first two weeks of making your sourdough starter, you don’t see a lot of action happening – you just see a lump of flour and water. But then, as if by magic, it comes to life! This directly relates to a new manipulation move or sleight of hand that seems to be incredibly difficult, to the point where you may give it up. But then, over time, it just starts to happen, and after enough time and practice, it becomes second nature.
Just as a starter needs to be fed regularly, we need to feed our magic with education, inspiration, and practice. Some of our routines may be shelved for long periods of time, but we can take them off of the shelf and feed them with our time and energy, after which we may surprise ourselves with how they have grown. When you are working on your magic, remember the slow process of creating a sourdough culture, and allow the slow process of letting your magic grow, and create something truly magical!
Our Museletter contributor this month is Abigail Spinner McBride. In this Museletter, Abigail asks us to think about how we are using our powers, both as magicians, and just as ordinary people, and what steps we can take to use those powers intentionally.
Greetings friends,
Abigail here, musing on the use of our magical powers. We all come into this world with certain gifts, talents, skills, and abilities. With intention and practice, we can grow these natural gifts into formidable powers.
I remember just coming into my gift of charisma as a young teen. I practiced walking down a busy street in Boston and looking people in the eye while thinking, “We share a secret,” and giving them a smile just with my eyes to see how they would respond. Could I “make them” look at me, and smile back with their eyes? Could I “make” that boy at school squirm by flirting with him? Could I “make” the teacher like me by nodding when they spoke, and turning my homework in on time?
I was finding my edges, stretching into what I could or couldn’t, should or shouldn’t do. I learned that not all attention is good attention, that toying with people’s hearts isn’t kind, and that there is more to connecting than just “making.”
I remember, at the age of fourteen or so, making a conscious choice to “use my powers for good.” I’ve heard it said that those who practice magic for the sake of evil, are using their powers to only benefit themselves, and those who practice magic for the sake of good, are using their powers to benefit all beings. That’s something I keep in mind to this day. I like to ask the question, “To what end?” before embarking on anything new, whether it’s a purchase, a practice, or a plan. Why am I doing this? What do I hope to accomplish? Who is this going to help?
As you move forward in time, I invite you to join me in using your own powers for good, and to ask the important questions that might help you to clarify your intentions. I hope one of them will be to join us at the Magic & Mystery School, either live or online for one of our upcoming classes.
All good wishes,
Abigail
“Life is a mystery, and magic is in the unraveling of its secrets.”
– Johnny Depp
I was one of those kids that was terrified by darkness. I had to sleep with a nightlight on, and often checked for monsters in the closet and under my bed. But not anymore! I think magic was one of the things that helped me face my fears and even gave me the courage to look deeper into the shadows. Magic helped me find my own inner light, to help me see in times of total darkness!
One of the masters of bringing light to the often shadowy realm of the mystic arts was Eugene Burger. Many of you know that Eugene was a master of séance and spirit theater, a magic teacher and my friend for over 30 years. Abigail and I have now dedicated an extraordinary experience to celebrate Eugene’s life and his legacy of Spirit Theater.
The Eugene Burger Séance: A Night at the Mansion of Mystery
Join us for a 3-hour immersive magic theater and seance experience – live in Las Vegas. If you knew Eugene Burger, you’ll have a mysterious opportunity to visit with his magic again. If you;ve never met him, then this is a rare treat – but there are only 13 seats at the table!
Get tickets here
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/a-night-at-the-mansion-of-mystery-oct-27
Magic is a Journey from Darkness to Light
Eugene and I both felt that the way a person watched a magic show was very much how they approached the challenges of life. Life is either a wonderful mystery to be experienced or a frustrating puzzle to be solved! Here is a quote from one of Eugene’s favorite philosophers that unfolds this idea. Just change the word “magic” for “life” and it nails it!
“Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved.”
– Søren Kierkegaard
Fine magic is often enlightening. When good magic happens, a light switch is turned on that illuminates us with surprise and delight; that is why people often say “A-HA!” when they experience powerful magic! I love creating those “A-HA!” moments for you, my friends!
Have You Seen the Ghost?
“In the shadows, we often discover the brightest sparks of creativity and insight.”
– Evangeline Harcourt
Get The Ghost here https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/p/stage-magic-manipulation/best-ever-knots-off-silk-bekos-4-0-ghost-version
The TED Talks of Magic
That’s what they have been calling our Magic & Meaning Conference for many years. This amazing online event gathers some of the top speakers and presenters in the world of magic for three days – and you can join us online! This year our guest of honor is one of the world’s most respected magicians and authors, Peter Samelson! Join magicians from around the world as they present their powerful magical performances and lively, inspirational talks.
No matter where you live in the world, you can join us for this extraordinary once-a-year event that will inspire you to make better magic. Register here – https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/magic-meaning-conference-2023-live-online
Abigail and I wish you a great Halloween season!
See you online or in Las Vegas,
Jeff
Our Museletter contributor this month is Scott SteelFyre, Media Manager and Technical Director for the Magic & Mystery School. Appropriately to kick off the month of October, Scott takes us on a journey through some of his most successful haunted houses and shares what scares him the most. But first there is a surprise message from the Magic & Mystery School about an exclusive upcoming experience you won’t want to miss!
An Evening to Be Remembered Forever!
Would you attend an Immersive Magic Show and Seance that celebrates the life legacy and spirit theater of one of the world’s most beloved and celebrated magicians Eugene Burger? An evening at the Mansion of Mystery is more than a magic show. It is a rare theatrical experience that explores the heart and the art of magic…but there are ONLY 13 seats!
Step into a world where magic comes to life! Jeff McBride’s transcendent show is not just a magic act; it’s an immersive, theatrical adventure that will take you on a spellbinding journey through the heart and art of magic. Join us as we celebrate the enduring legacy and mystical spirit of the one and only Eugene Burger – a true legend in the world of magic!
Dive into Seven Mysterious Encounters
1 – The Welcoming
Enter the enigmatic MANSION OF MYSTERY, where Jeff and Abigail McBride will warmly invite you into a captivating evening of conjuring the spirits. The night kicks off with a mesmerizing magic show and a glimpse into the life and wisdom of the legendary Eugene Burger, one of the world’s most revered Magicians, philosophers, and Spirit Theatre masters.
2 – Ritual of the Trickster
Embark on an initiation into the mysteries of the element of Air. Discover the secrets of the Mystery School under the guidance of our master teacher, Eugene Burger. Unleash your inner magician and unlock the magic within!
3 – The Great Mystery Magic Show
Prepare to be astounded as Jeff McBride presents his most beloved magic routines. Witness the extraordinary with mind-bending tricks, Tarot readings, captivating storytelling, and mesmerizing conjuring in the Great Room. You’ll see things you’ve never imagined!
4 – Ritual of the Sorcerer & Oracle
Immerse yourself in the power of elemental fire and the subtle magic of water during this hands-on encounter with the miraculous. Discover the patience and power behind the elements.
5 – The Museum of Wonders
Embark on a guided tour through one of the world’s greatest magic museums and libraries. You can even touch and peruse books that are over 500 years old! Behold arcane objects from Jeff and Abigail’s global travels and experience jaw-dropping close-up magic right before your eyes. Plus, savor delicious snacks during a brief intermission.
6 – The Seance of the Spirits
Enter the Grand Seance Parlor and be part of a mystical ritual that will leave you awestruck.
7 – The Ritual of the Sage: The Eugene Burger Spirit Theater Experience
Embark on a guided journey and experience a seance like no other, guided by the ethereal presence of Eugene Burger himself. And to top it all off, join us for a closing gifting ceremony where you’ll receive gifts of wisdom from the Wise Ones.
This isn’t just a magic show; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime, enchanting adventure that will leave you spellbound. Are you ready to unlock the secrets of magic? For more information go to https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/events or contact Abigail at 702-450-0021.
What Are YOU Afraid Of?
One of my talents is Haunted Houses. I started at age 13 by making a maze in our side yard with wood stakes in the ground and refrigerator boxes stapled to them and painted to taste. Well, painted to my taste. At two points in the maze were sliding glass windows where I could set up a couple of displays – one of them being an illusion where my sister’s head would visibly change to a skull and back again.
Oh, my taste! Growing up on the Addams Family, the Munsters and Dark Shadows, you probably know my taste – classic dark, creepy fun! Today I am still part of the Haunt Industry, making a high tech “Casket Simulator Ride to the Grave,” with over 300 around the world. So to my point: “What are YOU afraid of?”
I have pondered a good part of my life about what people’s fears are. That is what I get paid for, to find and display what scares you, in a clever arrangement of rooms and mazes. It’s amazing to me that people will stand in line for hours and pay to get that thrill and adrenaline rush. I discovered that people are fun when they are scared…and sometimes dangerous!
One night I was at the back exit of a haunted attraction when a teenage girl came flying out of the exit followed by several others. The lead girl was screaming, and with tears in her eyes she dropped to the ground and covered her head with her jacket. I asked her if she was ok. She peeked out and could see I was normal (well, mostly) and she relaxed and started getting up. I told her that I worked at the haunt and asked her “So what scares you?” She said “Everything!” I asked if she got her money’s worth, and like it was planned out, the whole group screamed “Yes, yes, yes! It was awesome!” This is why I love what I do.
I have had the opportunity to work on several fun and interesting seasonal haunts. I was working with Randy Grigg at hauntedenterprises.com (you can find the Casket Ride there), when Randy got a contract to do a Halloween attraction for a party in a high-profile California billionaire’s mansion. It was amazing!
In just one night, we had pro makeup, pro lighting, and pro sound. And, oh darn, I had to work the casket ride (so much fun!). I wish I could tell you the names that I helped into the casket and closed the lid upon – but I can’t! The big payoff from this was they paid for everything we built and kept just a few things for memory of the event. We were able to haul the rest back to home base in Las Vegas, put it all into storage, packaged to be moved and set up again if they wanted a repeat event.
Later, a possible event popped up in Wichita Kansas. It looked like a go, so I got to work in my 3D programs where the California mansion walls and sets were designed. I got plans for the bar with outside access in the corner of a good sized shopping mall. I laid out the sets from the California job into a model of the bar, added a few things, and the next thing I know I’m heading out to Wichita with two 48 foot semi-trucks packed full of scary stuff, mostly of my design.
I took up residence in the back of the bar’s freezer (the freezer was off) – a nice, quiet spot, even if work was going on in the main area. I inflated a mattress and I was set. Outside of that was my office, with a fridge, microwave and computer. Dreams do come true – I was living at the haunt! I was working with local crew and actors, and as always, drama and other issues needed to be dealt with, but we survived.
Being that close to the project was great! I could oversee everything. I set up a camera so I could watch the doors from the back room. It was a bit weird when the local S.W.A.T. used the mall for training. We were warned, so we just kept clear from where they were working. A few weeks later we opened for Thursday through Sunday performances. That gave me and the crew time for repairs and upgrades. It took two hours to do all of the make-up, mostly done by me.
A fun time was had by all! The run went well and we had some of the S.W.A.T. team members and firefighters from the area come through. I have to give thanks to all that helped out that season both in Wichita and in Las Vegas.
The only thing left was to take it down and pack it up. And that is what really scares me! And is always sad.
Scott SteelFyre
aka Professor FrightMare