Electronic Room Service
ON 21 Feb 97, I posted the
following on another limited Network. With the
recent discussion of Koran's Medalion in the
Mentalism section, I thought it might be of
interest here. For a full presentation of "Room
Service", pick up a copy of T. A. Waters, Mind,
Myth & Magic.
For the last few years I have
been performing some version of Koran's Medallion
in my stage show. I have a back up coin in my
case just in case anything happens to the first.
Well, somehow, both coins were left at home
while I was putting my show together, I was
doing that yearly (if I am lucky), "cleaning
everything out of my case. "
I arrived in Florida to showcase
for some colleges via their Junior Student Government
Seminar. Then I hit upon a novel impromptu idea.
I had been working on a routine for Room Service
to take the place of my Medallion routine for
certain venues. At the desk they handed me the
usual electronic (magnetic Key), with the little
envelope with the room number written upon the
envelope. I asked for an extra key with an envelope
and told her not to write the number upon it.
(Most are ahead of me now.) Since most of the
routine is build up, the presentation was easy.
I simply had the envelope upon the pad, double
wrote the room number upon the envelope and
pad. Now I palmed the small envelope and performed
the empty hand card to pocket. This is a fairly
new sleight, and very clean. It enables you
to hold your jacket open and reach in with an
empty hand and remove the card (in this case
an envelope) from your pocket.
I do not know who invented
this as it was shown to me by a magician friend
who had it shown to him by someone else. If
anyone knows, please give credit for me in this
forum. Anyway, it goes as follows. If you are
right handed you would palm the envelope in
the right hand. This hand, with the envelope
goes to your right lapel and holds the lapel
open, away form your chest. In actuality the
fingers go behind the lapel and thumb in front.
While doing this you will find it easy to let
the envelope come to the fingers and out from
the palm against the inside lining of the coat.
In other words the envelope is held against
the inside of the jacket by the fingers on the
inside and the thumb on the outside. Now with
a nonobvious (no 'look! see! my hands are empty!)
gesture such as pointing to your inside pocket
as you say "in my pocket!" your left hand is
shown empty then goes inside the jacket, taking
the envelope by the left thumb and index finger,
and pretends to remove it from the inside pocket..
Keep the number side (number should be written
small in the top left hand side below the flap)
away from the view of the audience, remove and
show the key to the audience as you patter,
then lay the key on top of the envelope so it
is horizontal and the the envelope is vertical
and point at the key, actually pointing at the
number on the envelope as you ask the spectator
on stage to "read off the room number!"
Anyone who has stayed at a
hotel will realize that the number on the envelope
is the one to the room especially since the
number says RM# before the number. The members
of the audience do not realize the number is
not written on the key.
Now I only wish I had one of
those keys that work with the light ( the kind
with the holes) with me. I could have written
directly on the key with an erase wipe marker
and done away with the envelope, in fact this
type of key is even smaller. I have one around
here somewhere and will let you know what transpires.
SInce the original posting
of this, I have used the light hole keys and
written directly upon the key itself, also upon
the magnetic strip keys and none were the wiser.
Also, since this posting, a similiar effect
appeared in another magazine. The author thought
his up independently. Gary Kurtz informs me
that the invisible card to pocket is his idea.
In thoughts
Banachek
1998 & 1999 APCA
Campus Performer of the Year
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