Meir’s Muses
MyMagic eNewsletter #976
November 14, 2021
René Lavand is one of the true artists of close-up magic and I was very honored when he entrusted me to produce his video series. When I toured with him through Japan during the last century the two routines that he performed at every show and lecture were also the routines he is best known for. Of course, I am referring to his “It Can’t Be Done Any Slower” and his “Three Bread Crumbs.”
What is interesting is that both routines depend on the same presentational structure, the one that his friend Slydini, also favored. When we get into magic, we are told to never repeat a trick and to never challenge your audience. These routines break both rules.
The repetition of an effect, done correctly, can create interest and make the magic feel even more impossible as the audience gets emotionally invested in what is happening. But that kind of structure is not easy to present because challenge routines can get boring, turn into puzzles, and can even get you punched in the face. The most popular card routine of that genre and one that most of you have played with is The Ambitious Card.
Today I will release René’s Three Bread Crumbs, which is not a technically difficult routine but one that is not easy to present the way Rene does. I would recommend only learning around three repetitions at first. Either way you will enjoy watching the routine: HERE
►Three Bread Crumbs:
René Lavand’s multiphase routine with three breadcrumbs and a small cup. You continually place two of the breadcrumbs into the cup and one in your pocket, but when the cup is tipped over three breadcrumbs roll out. This is repeated many times and it gets more and more impossible each time. Even when the spectator puts the breadcrumbs into the cup they still come back. As a finale all the breadcrumbs vanish.
On this video tutorial René teaches the full routine and all the techniques and variations that are used throughout.
Watch & Buy: HERE
I mentioned in the last newsletter that I visited Dom Paolino, who turned 90 in September. It inspired me to go through all the P. Cinimod products of his that I purchased many years ago and re-introduce them to you with video trailers. I also conducted several hours of interviews about his life in magic, gambling, and his friendship with Charlie Miller. I hope to edit those and share them at MagicTimes.com.
Today I will introduce you to his Sharky which is based on Bill Nord’s classic Skullo-cation. I actually knew Bill as he used to hang out at the New York Cafeteria. He was very odd and always stirred conversations towards very old movies and actors which he knew a lot about. He also always had a Bridge size deck of cards in his hand that was very old and had indentations of his fingers dug into the sides. He was always doing impressive one-hand flourishes and cuts that I don’t think were ever published.
It is kind of nostalgic to show you these older routines that have vanished from the current magic conscience. Interesting about this particular package is that it includes an unopened deck from the 1970s and a little-known P. Cinimod magic catalog.
►Sharky:
This is a classic routine based on Bill Nord’s Skullo-cation. You begin by having a card looked at in the deck, then you miss at five attempts to find it… but have no fear… you have a trained shark that can find it.
You place the five wrong cards in the toy shark’s mouth and all of a sudden, it finds the selection which is the only one left in its mouth. The deck can then be shown to be missing the selection.
Watch & Buy: HERE
►Roth Coin Box Set:
This is similar to the set of boxes David used to sell at his lectures. You get the Roth Coin Box, a matching Okito Box, a matching Boston Box, and a lid that fits over all of them.
Comes with access to a 50-minute instructional video by David Roth.
Watch and buy: HERE
By the way, René does not use real breadcrumbs for the trick. When he was visiting New Jersey, I took him to toy stores to buy clay. I think it was Play-Doh.
Stay happy, Meir
PS: I previously released René’s masterful “It Can’t Be Done Any Slower” routine: HERE
PSS: To read the last newsletter go: HERE
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