David Blaine: Street Magic

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"There are 52 cards in a deck. Choose one. An amazing new talent will astound you with what he is about to do. He's a man without smoke and mirrors ushering in a new error of magic. His name is David Blaine. David has traveled across the country sharing his special skill. The mystery of magic. The street is his stage. David's magic is in your face pure and undeniable. No admission charge. No rules. No barriers. Ordinary People. Extraordinary magic. Prepare yourself. It's time for David Blaine: Street Magic." - David Blaine: Street Magic Opening

Who?

at age 24 astounded viewers of the ABC Television Network when he opened his one man show, David Blaine: Street Magic.  Blaine was virtually unheard of before.

When?

The show originally aired May 19, 1997 from 8-9 p.m. ET and has re-aired many times since.  Before this time, the idea of a street magician appearing on TV performing close-up magic was ludicrous.  Magicians all over the world were stunned.  Blaine's tricks are not in his magic, they are in his ability to convince ABC producers to go along with the special.

What?

David Blaine's special was nothing short but David walking up to strangers on the street, performing magic, and taping their reactions.  If David had edited together the spectator's dull reactions, the special would have not been as effective.

Where?

Blaine performed magic around the country including his hometown of New York City (Times Square, Greenwich Village), Altantic City, Dallas, San Francisco (Haight-Ashbury, Fisherman's Wharf), Compton, and the Mojave Desert.

Why?

"I wanted to present a different kind of magic than people are used to seeing on TV. I don't work with fancy props. There's no beautiful show girls. There's no elaborate sets. I work with people, and it makes the magic spontaneous. It's like everyone is trying to do the next biggest effect. When's it going to stop? Is someone going to make the world disappear?"

Celebrities

In between segments, there were short clips of David Blaine talking to his friend, Leonardo Di Caprio.  He also performed magic to members of the Dallas Cowboys including Deion Sanders and Emmitt Smith.

Effects

1. Bitten and Restored Quarter
   The magician borrows a quarter and bites a chunk out of it. He then blows on the quarter and it magically restores itself visually.  The quarter is then returned back to the spectator and can be examined.
2. Rising Card Out of Deck
   The magician asks a spectator to select a card.  The card is then put back into the deck, and the deck is placed in its box.  The spectator is asked to hold the card box and concentrate on the card.  The selected card slowly rises out of the deck and out the box in the spectator's hand.  The card is then taken out of the deck and given to the spectator for examination.
3. Signed Torn and Restored Card
   A card is selected by a spectator and signed.  The magician thumbs through the deck and asks the spectator to say stop.  The card is put in the deck at the point the spectator says.  The signed card mysteriously rises to the top.  That card is then torn across the signature into four pieces.  The magician gives the deck to the spectator to hold.  The magician then folds these four pieces up together and they disappear.  The magician instructs the spectator to turn over the top card of the deck, and it proves to be the signed card.
4. Two Card Monte
   Two queens are placed in the spectator's hand face down. When they are turned over, their values have changed to aces.
5. Cigarette Through Quarter
   A quarter is borrowed from a spectator.  The magician then borrows a cigarette and visually sticks the cigarette right through the quarter.  The magician then rubs the cigarette over the quarter to prove there is no hole in the cigarette.  The cigarette and the coin can be given back to the spectator for examination.
6. Twisting Arm Illusion
   The magician places his arm on to the ground.  The magician instructs a spectator to do the same.  The magician then instructs the spectator to rotate his arm counter-clockwise closer to his body.  The magician is able to do this longer than the spectator.  The magician rotates his arm in a complete circle, one and a half times, until a cracking sound is heard.  The magician lifts up his sleeve to reveal grooves where his arm has been twisted.
7. Ashes in Hand
   The magician tells the spectator to hold his or her hands out.  Then the magician asks the spectator whether he or she is right handed or left handed and to put that hand down.  When the spectator opens his or her fist, there are ashes in his or her hand.
8. Vanishing Coin Off Spectator's Hand
   The magician borrows a quarter from a spectator.  The magician then places the coin on the top of the spectator's hand.  After waving his hand over over the coin on top of the spectator's hand, the magician's hand is immediately shown empty.  This effect is also performed over the magician's hand.
9. Torn and Restored Thread
   The magician takes a spool of thread and breaks off about a foot.  After putting the spool down, he then breaks the piece into several little pieces.  The magician then rolls up the pieces into a ball.  When the pieces are unraveled, the thread is whole again.
10. Card in Mouth
    The magician fans out a deck and tells a spectator to select a card.  The card is then put back in the deck, and fan is closed.  The magician puts the deck behind his back and tells the spectator his is going to find the card behind his back without looking.  The magician pulls out a card and ask the spectator if this card is his.  After the spectator answers no, the magician blows on the deck and pulls the next card out.  This is repeated several times.  The magician finally coughs a little, and the selected card is found folded up inside his mouth.
11. Think of a Number
    The magician asks a spectator to think of a number.  After concentrating, the magician reveals the spectator's number.
12. Think of a Card
    A card or number is merely thought of by a spectator.  The magician reads the spectator's mind.
13. Upside Down Card
    The magician asks a spectator to think of a card and visualize it turn over.  The magician then pulls out a deck of cards in its box and tells the spectator to name out loud the card he thought of.  The magician finally pulls the deck out of the box and spreads it through to reveal one card facing the opposite direction, the selection.
14. Card Transposition
    The magician shows the top card of a pack and places it face down in the spectator's hand.  The magicians then shows the next card of the deck and rubs it face down on top of the spectator's hand.  When the two cards are turned face up they are shown to have switched places.
15. Card to Pocket
    A card is selected and returned to the deck.  The card then appears on top of the deck.  The card is shown to disappear.  The spectator checks his pocket and the card is revealed to be there.
16. Caught Between the Aces
    The magician gives two red aces to a spectator to hold.  The magician then fans out the cards and asks a spectator to touch the top of one.  The card is shown to the spectator, and the cards are squared up.  The magician claims he knows exactly where the card is.  The magician holds the aces in his right hand, and the deck in his left.  He then performs a fancy cut right to that card; the card is seen spinning out of the deck, and lands between the two aces in his right hand.
17. Card Jumps to the Top
    A card is selected and signed.  The magician places the signed card into the middle of the deck and asks the spectator to snap.  After the spectator snaps, the top card is turned over and revealed to be the signed selection.  The card seemed to rise from the middle to the top of the deck.  This is repeated three more times.  The last time the card is placed in the middle of the deck, the card is bent with a crease.  The spectator is again asked to snap his fingers.  The top card of the deck visually folds up and is turned over and revealed to be the signed card once again.
18. Card Through Window
    The magician tells a spectator to select a card.  The card is selected, memorized, and returned to the deck by the spectator.  The magician then shuffles up the pack, and throws the pack at a window behind the spectator.  The selected card is seen stuck to the glass on the other side of the window.
19. Watch Steal
    The magician gives a spectator a card in each hand to hold.  He then tells the spectator that the cards will switch while he waves their hand.  After the spectator and the rest of the audience is completely confused, the magician pulls out the spectator's watch out of his pocket.
20. Balducci Levitation
    The magician walks a few yards off from a small group of people.  He then tells the spectators to stay at at distance, hold their hands out, and watch closely.  After a few seconds, the magician slowly rises up off the ground a few inches.  He then returns to the ground and seems to be out of breath.

More

• Magic Directory: Street Magic