My next purchase for the street will be this one!

The effect is that a flat empty cardboard box is carried onto stage, and opened. the sides are knocked out, the perfromer steps into it, with legs clearly visible thru box, pulls up a cloth curtain, and slowly ascends to a full 2 feet above the ground!

Awesome! No angle problems. Do it surrounded! Two feet up and it looks like more. No assistant needed, and when you slowly descend, you pick up the cardboard box, and fold it and walk away!

Toby Travis, a tremendous performer and friend of Nick's was kind enough to give me a private preview of In-Flight (it was actually the first U.S. performance of it) at the International FCM convention this past week and it was OUTSTANDING.

By the time Toby finished showing me, a crowd of about 75 who caught the very end of the levitation, had assembled behind us, and began begging to see it from the beginning.

And it was equally amazing the second time I saw it!

You can see the effect at http://www.hocus-pocus.com/magicshop/ and search for in-flight . It retails at $599 USD

Small, light (5.5 lbs), packs flat, this will really work for a street perfromer! And I have to believe that you could pull some really fat hats with this!

Just one request though. Please dont bring it to my town! I want to have the only one here!

BroDavid

"Toby Travis, a tremendous performer and friend of Nick's was kind enough to give me a private preview of In-Flight (it was actually the first U.S. performance of it) at the International FCM convention this past week and it was OUTSTANDING. "

Hi,
Actually, I saw a TV program about a year ago now where Paul Daniels performed this illusion in the US. I do not know how long before that the show was taped. so I doubt your friends was the first US performance.

I actually disagree to that it is actualy that effective an Illusion it's Ok. but Fairly obvious. Many lay people leaving PD show have sussed the method. the trouble is the feet are not in veiw below the curtian so it,s obvious that he is standing on something.
Phillip

Thank you, Phillip; I thought it was just me!
Yes, the method strikes me as fairly obvious, although -- with the right presentation -- it might be pulled off.
Maybe.
cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

Philip,

I didnt see the pefromance you indicated, and that comment was made by a Brit who also was a freind of Nick's so I took it to be true. Maybe it was just an offhand comment.

But I defer to your knowledge of the performance, and apologize for misrepresenting it.

As for the method being obvious, I would say that seeing the perfromance that I saw (twice) in spite of my actually handling the "cardboard box", my suspicion of the method which was probably the same as yours, did not seem appropriate due to the smooth presentation and the fact that it actually appeared as though Toby was Above the box, higher than if he was "on it". This could be due to his being on a stage about 3 feet high and about 10 feet from me, or some other reason, lik ehis presentation of it.

But it did "look" better than if the obvious method was employed.

Thanks for your comments and setting me straight!

BroDavid

It sounds like you'd need a lot of fat hats just to purchase it brodavid! Sounds interesting though.

HI Bro David,
Please do not think I was in anyway having a go at you. I was just trying to point out that it had been performed in the US before.

and give the warning about lay people working it out. I cannot comment on the presentation that you saw your friend may indded have had some extra enhancement but the illusion as sold is rather obvious to magicians and lay people alike.
Phillip

In flight is not all that new! What Nicholas Einhorn has done is to update (somewhat) a rather old and tried effect.

In the late 1940’s U.F. Grant put out a little pamphlet called “Bodies in Orbit”. In it he described the makings of a self-levitation called, interestingly enough “Self-Rise”. It involved a low stool, a container and a large cloth cover. It is the same effect and method as Einhorn’s “In-Flight.” There is truly nothing new under the sun here.

I believe that Martin Lewis performed a version of this some years ago in his comedy club act. I know of one other performer that has dressed the stool up with a small flashing light and dressed the box up to look like a piece of technological equipment and uses an anti-gravity theme for the illusion. The entire Grant version could be made for just a few dollars. The pamphlet can still be found for less than five dollars.

What is truly remarkable here is not the effect but the price! (For just a couple hundred dollars more one could buy Dutch’s 3-in-1 levitation! But then that is not for the streets!)

No problem Phillip,

I did not take your post as any kind of a shot at me. You properly corrected me, and I felt a bit convicted for my Prideful statement. Even though I thought it was true, the statement I made was an unhealthy statement of pride that really didnt add anything to my description of the effect. So I actually appreciated your steering me back on track.

And I hope my response to you did not seem as though I was offended. I was not at all offended.

And Mumblepeas, you are right on also. There is nothing new under the sun.

I may just look around for the Grant version. I also agree that Dutch's 3-in-1 is a great effect at a terrific price, but as you already indicated, not for the street.

Ok, I am back down to earth now.

Thanks guys!

BroDavid