Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Top Finalist on NBC's Phenomenon

NBC's Phenomenon (reality show with Criss Angel and Uri Geller) to name top Magicians/Mentalists in the World!-
I can not comment yet about any details about 2007 Fall's NBC reality show called Phenomenon. However, after numerous interviews and auditions, myself and several other lucky finalists have made it to the top 20! Stay tuned... Check out NBC's site about the show.

My style is quite intimate and a little difficult for this type of live "stage" type show... It is amazing I was even in the top after so many months of searching the globe and cutting contestants! Producers picked me as their top 3 for insane effects. "There are only 3 effects that completely baffle us... only three seem to be standing out at his point and you are among that group! You are known as ..." Cool @$#@.

(continued from months earlier)
There was some top talent from all over the world. The show didn't do them justice... It is great to be in the top little group but I am upset that I wasn't picked for the entire gig after being told I was a favorite three... I believe the show needs an intimate performer like me but the NBC execs who met the top 20 thought otherwise. A couple of my effects are so strong that I was requested to make them happen in my last interview. Unfortunately, I was not perfect in my attempt and I think letting me just be myself would have closed the deal in my favor.. but being forced to "perform" specific feats is sort fo silly... It is like seeing a magician take a watch (well NOT seeing them do it) and then asking them to take your watch as you look at the dang thing... the entire point is that you do not know it is coming! This issue with the huge range in styles of magic is a big problem.

Depending on how this season goes and what involvement I have during the show, I'm looking forward to next year. This experience has been great because I am an improv type mentalism/magician and never focused only on mentalism or any sort of planned act. I've come up with some new and wonderful ideas in a short amount of time. So, at least future clients will benefit from this recent shove to be better;) I am really wishing all the top finalist the best of luck. This show is truly had the makings to be quite special for viewers at home... I think it fell a little flat do to some complications with NBC... The producers are awesome and are propbably as frustrated as I am...
same producers of Last Comic Standing which was also on NBC. I joked that they should call it Last Mentalist Thinking!

New Levitation

New Levitation-

Rich has invented the most mind-boggling self-levitation to date. Magicians are already waiting to see if Rich's miracle will be performed by someone like David Copperfield or David Blaine or if Rich will wait to unleash it on one of his own television appearances...

The magicians that have had a chance to witness the effect so far have all agreed that it is definitely a "cool", original and clever levitation! Imagine a magician standing within an arms reach of you. The magician is facing you wearing regular clothing and without any shield of any kind begins to levitate over two feet into the air! There is nothing blocking your view of any part of the magician and you can even reach out and help raise and lower the magician with your hands if you would like too. @#$%! The casual presentation and ability to do this off the stage makes this an instant classic.

World Record

World Record-

Rich has broken the world record for the fastest coin roll! You would think that this record would have been held by a magician all along, but in Japan it is a common skill that actually has an annual event like the Olympics of coin rolls. Many people in Japan and other countries train regularly for the annual competition. Amazingly, Rich has practiced for many years and recently broke the world record with both his left and his right hand! Now that is dexterity! While we are on the subject, look for Rich's unique ability to manipulate coins and poker chips forwards, backwards, forwards and backwards at the same time on different hands, at different speeds at the same time on both hands, with multiple coins on both hands...