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OPUS ( Mona Lisa ) by Nefesch – A Review

OPUS ( Mona Lisa ) by Nefesch – A Review

Opus (Mona Lisa) by Nefesch
Murphy’s Magic
$24.95

Opus (Mona Lisa) by Nefesch is a coincidence type effect, or, a prediction effect.. depending on your spectator. To clear this up.. there are two possible endings; one allows the spectator to recreate a masterpiece.. the other allows the spectator to create a ‘jumble’ of cards that perfectly match a picture of a ‘jumble of cards’ you placed on the table before the effect began..

The spectator is handed four black credit card sized cards. You tell the spectator that the face of the cards contain a picture that will take on a significance at the end of the effect. The spectator is asked to mix the cards thoroughly. He is asks to change the orientation of some of the cards if he wishes. Finally, the spectator is asks to lay the four cards on the table to form a square.
Everything is left to the discretion of the spectator.

Yet, when the pieces are turned.. all four form a perfect recreation of a picture of the iconic Mona Lisa!

This is quite the coincidence, considering all the decisions were a result of the spectator. There is a possibility the cards will form a totally unrelated picture.. with half a head in the top row and the second half in the bottom row.. But when all looks lost, the magi asks the SPECTATOR to remove the one card in an envelope on the table.. (from the beginning).. and it is found to be a perfect image of the jumbled picture created by the spectator.

OPUS comes with five credit size cards.. four are the required four pieces to form the painting of the Mona Lisa. The fifth card is a picture of the jumbled face of the Mona Lisa. Nothing else is needed. Unlike effects with multiple out, OPUS has only one possible out aside from the forming of a perfect picture.. and that out is in plain view the entire time.

I like that the spectator does all the work. I like that the spectator discloses the only other out, if necessary. Of course, the spectator doesn’t realize the out is an out… he assumes it was your intention from the beginning. In the event the completed face of the Mona Lisa is the outcome, the out is never mentioned.. and the spectator is left with a perplexing coincidence.

OPUS will require a little work on your part, memory wise.. I don’t think I’m revealing too much when I mention the position of the cards on the table are known by the magi before they’re turned. The final position of the cards is NOT totally under the control of the spectator.. but I’m sure you’ve figured that out. The question is – does the spectator THINK the final position is his. And the answer is.. Yes. (I wish there were such a thing as true magic.. but I’ve discovered ‘true magic’ needs a little help from time to time.)

I like this… I can definitely see myself performing this during walk arounds. It’s a little magic.. and a little mental.. It’s also something that you can perform almost effortlessly once you grasp the orientation of the cards. There is NO math.. just an understanding of whether you are creating a coincidence or a prediction once the cards are positioned by the spectator.

At a little over 50 minutes, the online instructions are thorough. I had to watch it twice to get a good grasp of my part in the miracle, but that’s to be expected. Watching it twice to learn an effect I’ll actually use is NOT a big deal. There is another learning curve once the basics are understood, and it involves a minor sleight… but it’s just that… minor..

If you like this type of mental magic, I would definitely recommend OPUS go on your ‘to get’ list. Or better yet.. just forget the list and buy it now. That way, you can be performing it next week and getting the kind of responses that make magic so important to us…

Available from dealers who carry the Murphy’s Magic line of quality products…

Watch a video performance at:

http://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=57165

Hampton Williams – So You Think You Can Dance Audition

Hampton Williams – So You Think You Can Dance Audition

Perfection comes in many forms.. A double lift so flawless or a second deal so smooth no one has a second thought.. Or perhaps a painting so real you assume it’s a photo.. until you see a brush stroke. In Hampton Williams case.. it’s a dance so entrancing, so involving, you choke up from the sheer beauty and emotion.

This is what entertainment is ‘suppose’ to be about.. Something that not only entertains, but moves you emotionally. You know you have achieved something special when you can bring other professionals to tears.  It’s extra special when you can make folks not normally inclined to watch and/or appreciate dance drool with envy.  Hampton has taken a dance, combined it with a story line,  and created a minor masterpiece many magicians should try to duplicate when scripting their routine.

This was from the 2013 season of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. Although Hampton immediately received the magic ticket to advance to the Las Vegas stage, he was like a fish out of water when forced to dance classical styles. It didn’t matter… The world remembers Hampton’s performance and his well crafted pesonal style moreso than most of the finalists.

This is one of my all time favorite videos of ANY genre… The Song is  Evanescence – My Immortal...   Take it from someone who knows a little something about both dance and magic.. this is the perfect blend of movement, music, story and characterization.  Although the judges chuckled at Hampton and his ‘story’, watching their expressions during his performance is priceless. By songs end they are believers.. they are fans of Hampton Williams.. and he has won over every performer in the auditorium …. EVERY SINGLE MAGICIAN who watches this will do well to study it and learn… not how to dance.. but how to put together an act that floors their audience…       Enjoy….

This is How You Climb the Corporate Ladder, by Magician David Kwong..

This is How You Climb the Corporate Ladder, by Magician David Kwong..

David Kwong at NYSM.gif

Magician David Kwong, known for combining his mastery of crossword puzzles with magic tricks, travels a lot throughout the year, and always with a red toolbox to hold his tricks.

To an audience, he’ll reveal only the contents of the box that are necessary — a pack of cards, a Rubik’s Cube. But the rest of his tricks and props remain a mystery, except when he’s passing through security at the airport with the toolbox, and Transportation Security Administration officials become suspicious of its contents. “They’re normal-looking objects with other things hidden inside,” Kwong explains. For example, one of his tricks involves hiding a dollar bill inside a kiwi. To make his case to the officials, “I’ve done a lot of magic at TSA.”

The mysterious toolbox notwithstanding, Kwong is revealing the science behind his magic and illusion in a new book, “Spellbound: Seven Principles of Illusion to Captivate Audiences and Unlock the Secrets of Success” ($22.99, HarperBusiness). Here, he illustrates how anyone can apply seven principles of illusion to their lives to gain a competitive edge — and protect themselves against manipulators or con artists.  Read more….

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/from-meeting-clients-to-job-interviews-magician-david-kwong-shows-how-to-be-your-most-competitive-at-work-2017-05-12