“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.â€
— Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking
SHHH! JEFF IS ABOUT TO BEGIN TAPING A NEW SERIES WITH VH1. IT’S ALL VERY HUSH HUSH – BUT WE’LL FILL YOU IN ON THE DETAILS JUST AS SOON AS WE CAN!
Greetings Friends,
I wish I could tell you all about it – but for the moment suffice it to say I’m very excited to be working with the folks at VH1 on what promises to be a very exciting project.
BACK FROM THE EDGE
It’s strange to think that I’ve been performing for Donald Trump for almost twenty years. I started at “the Donald’s†birthday party bash in 1988. I was the opening act with co-stars Liza Minnelli and Billy Crystal. Now, almost twenty years later, I am the headliner and Liza is appearing next door at Trump Plaza…. Feels like we’ve made it to the top!
All of us here at McBride Magic have continued our
magical relationship with the Trump organization and it was a pleasure to be the featured headliner this summer. Here is a photo of our magic company, including Abbi and Jordan Wright, in front of our gigantic billboard, on the way into town.
What I learned on my summer vacation; give your audience more than they expect! The biggest improvement in our show this season was adding one extra hour of pre-show street magic and improvisation before the show. Our audiences, made up of old and new friends, were able to share more magical time with our cast, not only before the show, but after the show as well. Abbi, Jordan, and I were blessed to have many of our Magic and Mystery School students join in the pre-show festivities. Hats off to: Chad Juros, RJ Lewis, Michael Carbonaro, Michael Trixx, Mike Hankins, Russ Clark, Benjamin Corey, and many others, for helping to make the show wonderful!
Magic at the Edge also hosted a post-show friends and fans
party in the lobby outside the theater after each show. Not only did this give us an opportunity to meet and greet and spend more time with our friends, we also utilized the pre- and post-show parties to work in new material that will be featured in next season’s shows.
Love and magic have a great deal in common. They enrich the soul, delight the heart. And they both take practice.
— Nora Roberts
BACK TO SCHOOL
I learned a lot of new lessons about interactive street magic and walk around mentalism this summer… knowledge and wisdom that I will share with you at our next class! You can learn a lot about your potential audience participants by just meeting and greeting them before the show, seeing if they make and hold eye contact, and how energetically or softly they shake your hand. With younger audience members, seven to teen, I ask them “Are you a big magic fan?†If their eyes light up, and they energetically shake their head yes, they are more likely to find their way on stage. I also, in casino environments, pay very close attention to the kind of beverages that are in front of people who I am considering for selection. I never select audience participants or “volunteers†without meeting them and engaging them in conversation before the show. I suggest, if you are doing a stage show, to take the time, pre-show, to meet and greet your audience participants. I feel that this is one of the most important lessons I can share with you.
Abbi and I will be working out of our home base here at the Magic and Mystery School for September and October. If you’re going to be in town, check the www.magicalwisdom.com site and book your private session, or scheduled Master Class. We’ll look forward to seeing you soon!
Your friends in magic,
Jeff & Abbi
QUICK NOTE FROM TOBIAS:
As luck would have it, we still have 2 slots left for the September Master class. This is the last non-themed class of the year. It’s the perfect time to tune up your act for the holidays, and to spend some time thinking and learning about the best ways to promote those holiday season shows. Be there!
Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com
“Logic only gives man what he needs. Magic gives him what he wants.” – Tom Robbins, Another Roadside Attraction
Greetings magical friends!
Tobias here, just home from a chocked-full week of rehearsals, press events and fun in Atlantic City! Jeff, Abbi and Jordan Wright opened Jeff Mcbride – Magic at the Edge at the Trump Marina this week, to overwhelming success. For my money, this is Jeff’s riskiest show in some time, with lots of new pieces. Perhaps the most noted of them is his “Time and
Memory,†in which he tears up this week’s copy of TIME Magazine and tosses the page out to random audience members. Asking them to shout out their page numbers, Jeff proceeds to tell them exactly what’s on the page they are holding, in great detail. He goes through a half dozen pages during the show, then challenges those holding all the other pages to meet him in the lobby after the show, and challenge him with the remaining pages then. The truly amazing thing about this is that it’s not a trick – Jeff really does memorize the whole magazine! It makes great theater.
Reviews in Atlantic City have been glowing. I think my favorite so far is Chuck Darrow’s review for the Courier
Post and Daily Record newspapers.
A brief clip from the review:
“With the exception of a weekend gig at Trump Plaza a couple of years ago, master illusionist Jeff McBride has not spent any time in Atlantic City since 2001. Suffice it to say, it’s we fans of the veteran wizard who have gotten the crummy end of that deal.
That’s because McBride… has always been among the very best magicians who have earned Atlantic City gaming hall paychecks.
As “Magic at the Edge” clearly illustrates, McBride’s brilliance remains intact. Foremost among his considerable talents is his ability to be cerebral and arty, yet totally accessible to audience members of all ages.â€
This week, Eugene Burger and a dozen students from around the world are joining the company for a special edition of the McBride Magic & Msytery School extended Master Class. The press coverage has been great fun, — they’ve dubbed the class “Hogwarts by the Bay,” with even a TV crew turning out to cover it as a special feature!
You can read a great South Jersey Courier Post article by clicking here.
By the way: We do have a few slots left for September’s 3-day Master Class in Las Vegas. This will be our last “regular†Master Class of 2007, and if you’re looking to tune up your magic before those holiday season parties, this is a great opportunity. I’d advise registering early by clicking here and then clicking on “Register Online†and getting that space reserved!
We have other news, as well.
After several months, we finally have the Enigma – Jeff McBride, a Magickal
Life available in our online catalog, each copy signed by Jeff. The price is $30, and we currently have only a limited supply. While we’ve recently had to raise our price for the popular Kundalini Rising to $18, we now have refill kits available for the first time for those who previously bought the effect. The refills don’t contain any instructions, and will go for $10 each. We have also begun selling the McGrip Tip card spinning gimmick as a replacement for those of you who may have lost the one that comes with Jeff’s Zoom, Bounce & Fly video. At present the McGrip Tip comes in a small plastic bag, but we’re working on having it available as a boxed item with some special tips not contained on the DVD included within the next 6 weeks. Explore all this and much more by going to http://shop.yourmagic.com.
Back here in Vegas, I’ll be running the stage shows next week at Magic Live! For those of you planning to be there, you’re in for a treat. If you haven’t already made plans, you’re out of luck, as the convention has been sold out for several months now. Stan likes to keep as many of the details of the convention a secret right up until the last minute, so I can’t even tell you who is on the bill – but I can tell you 
it looks like a great show! If you’re visiting and you see me at the convention, please stop me when you see me and say hello.
One last tip: Did you know you can receive this newsletter as an RSS feed? It’s fun, and you can use it to go back and catch up on issues you may have discarded.
Just go to:
http://mcbridemagic.com/rss/
Have a great week!
Oh… and mark September 21 on your calendar.
Best wishes.
Tobias Beckwith
“Any media-brainwashed automaton can summon the insipid courage to peer into the horrifying abyss. But it takes a freaking genius with a fearless imagination to peer into the maw of happiness.”
–Rob Breszny
Greetings Magical friends,
Pictured here is Jeff, Jordan, David Copperfield, Eugene, and Tobias inside the secret magic museum.
SEEKERS OF MYSTERY
These Magic and Mystery School faculty had the pleasure and rare opportunity to explore David Copperfield’s fabulous private magic collection last week. For two and a half hours, David led us on an incredible journey through the history of mystery. David also performed some rare and exotic vintage magic, including the Carl Germaine Blooming Rose Bush illusion, culminating with live roses being presented to the ladies. Special thanks to David and his staff for allowing us this rare privilege!
MAGIC & HUMAN SACRIFICE
Jeff McBride on A&E MINDFREAK, August 21st.
This photo of Jeff and Criss was shot on location, during the “TRIAL BY FIRE” episode, which will air 8/21/07. Jeff not only consulted on this “Burned Alive” illusion which will be the feature of the episode, but also performed some thrilling fire magic as well. Check your local listings for details.
Criss was a special guest at our recent Master Class here in Las Vegas. He dropped in during our Las Vegas magic party, and spent time answering questions and sharing his life with our students. One of the things he shared that was how keeping a positive attitude has been a major key to his success; whatever was going on, he held onto his vision and his dream and stayed positive, and that has helped his to make his magic a reality.
MAGIC AT THE EDGE
This final photo is Jeff’s new billboard for the upcoming show at the Trump Marina in Atlantic City, NJ. We’ll be there August 2nd through September 2nd. We hope to see all of our East Coast friends at the show. Get your tickets now at
http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/16496
This will be a last call for anyone who wants to attend the August 8 – 14th Master Class in Atlantic City. Two spaces are available. If you want one of them, move quickly to MagicalWisdom.com.
We will not at the Burning Man festival this year due to our show schedule, but wish Bryce Kuhlman and the wizard Gary Stadler lots of success with their amazing installation, The Inner Mind! To take a peek at their genius, go to
http://www.heartmagic.com/garylinks.html
Summer magic and blessings to all!
See you on the road…
Jeff & Abbi McBride
“Indubitably, Magic is one of the subtlest and most difficult of the sciences and arts. There is more opportunity for errors of comprehension, judgment and practice than in any other branch of physics.”
— Aleister Crowley 1875-1947, British Occultist
Greetings Magical Friends,
THE SHOW DOCTOR IS IN!
Pictured here is Jeff, with Pamela Anderson and Hans Klok. Jeff’s reputation as “the Show Doctor,” is having a major impact on shows around Las Vegas. Recently, Hans hired Jeff on to consult on his new hit show, “The Beauty of Magic.”
If you’d like to read some tips on how you can improve your show, Jeff and Bryce Kuhlman have created The Secret Arts Journal, a free service to our readers.
Jeff was also a guest speaker for David Copperfield last week at his Project Magic conference at the MGM Grand Hotel, here in Las Vegas. Jeff’s talk at the seminar was called “Magic for Medical Professionals,” and was a highlight of the day. For more information on our annual conference for doctors who love magic, go to:
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/calendar.php
MAGIC AT THE EDGE
Here is a recent photo from a new book on Street Magic. Here, Jeff is shown just before he swallows a razor sharp steak knife. Tom Ogden is the author of this new book on urban conjuring, and it will be out in the Fall. For those who want to see our MCBRIDE MAGIC AT THE EDGE live, we will be on the East Coast, for the entire month of August, at the Trump Marina, in Atlantic City. For more information, go to:
http://www.mcbridemagic.com/calendar.php
MCBRIDE ON A&E MINDFREAK
Jeff will be a special guest star with Criss Angel on the upcoming TRIAL BY FIRE episode. Check your local listings for the air date. Criss told Jeff that he expects it to air “sometime in August.” Criss and Jeff are also exploring new magic for season 4. Watch for Jeff on upcoming episodes.
MAGIC LEGENDS
Next is a photo of Jeff at the Australian Society of Magicians 100th Anniversary Convention. In this photo, Shoot Ogawa, Lenart Greene, Ai, Jeff and Gaetan Bloom are shown outside the convention hall, preparing to go in and meet their fans. Jeff is looking forward to meeting all of you when we get to our next stop in Atlantic City. We always take time to meet and greet all of our friends and fans after the show.
PARTING THOUGHTS
Jeff and Eugene will be together for our August Master Class in Atlantic City. There are still two spaces available for the class. You can read more about it here:
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/school.php
We’ll look forward to seeing you soon!
Yours in magic,
Abbi & Jeff McBride
Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood…. Make big plans; aim high….
–Daniel Hudson Burnham
LATE BREAKING NEWS — Congratulations to master class alumni Sterling Dietz, Krystyn Lambert & Shayna Reed, all competition winners at this year’s annual International Brotherhood of Magicians Convention in Reno, Nevada! Sterling took 1st in the youth stage competition and Krystyn 2nd. Shayna won special honors in the adult stage competition. Bravo Sterling, Krystyn and Shayna! We are all very proud of you!
Greetings Friends,
Jeff and Abbi here, just back from our travels to Death Valley. On our way to the lowest valley in the western hemisphere, we stopped to visit Methuselah, the oldest living being on the planet. This is a 4,700 year old bristlecone pine tree. Imagine being in the presence of this ancient witness to humanity. This tree was a sapling when King Tut was ruler in Egypt! What we learned from these trees is that one of the reasons for their survival is that they can exist peacefully in the most stressful and harsh environment, a good lesson for all of us, who spend our time in cities….
Ghost Town
On the way home, we stopped at Rhyolite, a ghost town near Las Vegas. Jeff is considering doing a wild west magic DVD here one day. At one time, there were ten thousand people living, working and playing here…. Now, there is only the bones of buildings, and the occasional curious tourist. There is a small collection of strange art scattered about the town, which is definitely worth seeing if you’re in the area.
Vegas and Oz
This week, Jeff is teaching private students, and helping Hans Klok with a few new routines for his stage show and television. Next week, Jeff is off to Australia for the Australian national magic convention in Melbourne. He’ll be performing and teaching a Master Class, and he’s excited to be going, for his first time, to the land “down under!” Pass the vegemite, please!
Magic at the Edge!
We will see all of our friends on the East Coast during the month of August! We will be performing from August 3rd to Sept. 3rd at the Trump Marina in Atlantic City! Tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, call the Trump Marina box office at 1-800-777-8477.
This is our full evening show, and we will be presenting lots of new material for all of our friends and fans.
Special Atlantic City Master Class
We have moved the August Master Class to Atlantic City, NJ! Yes, Eugene will be with us, and other East Coast special guests to be announced. Students will share seven exciting days with us, and get special backstage tours and workshops on the “real inside work” of our full evening show! Of course, we will include show tickets for students and their guests as well as special lectures, workshops and parties.
If you’re looking for a summer vacation with a magical touch, you are invited…. Go to our website for the rest of the details.
Wishing you all a magical summer!
Jeff & Abbi McBride