Related News
Have I got a card trick for you ...
By Xu Wei |
April 5, 2009, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Swedish close-up magic maestro Lennart Green (pictured right) has been dazzling audiences for years with his marvelous tricks.
The 68-year-old card magician will next week stage two close-up magic shows titled "The Secret You'll Never Know" with four other conjurers from America, Argentina, Spain and Japan.
The performances, on Monday and Tuesday at Shanghai Oriental Art Center, will feature card manipulation and coin-and-money tricks, all conducted under the watchful eyes of the audience and monitoring cameras.
In Green's performance, cards can fly all over the table, spill onto the floor, and disappear beneath a laser beam. He will also try to identify cards chosen by audience members.
Green won the grand prize in close-up card magic from the International Federation of Magic Societies (FISM) in 1991, also called the "Olympics of magic," for his poker routines.
Following his Shanghai shows, he will attend this year's FISM World Championships of Magic in Beijing in July where about 2,000 magicians from around the world will showcase their skills.
Q: When did you start studying magic and when did you decide to focus on close-up magic?
A: I was interested in puzzles, problems and mystical things from childhood but I started to develop my magic when I was 18 years old. I only performed for friends and at small parties for many years as it was just a hobby and I only used real, unprepared things such as regular playing-cards, coins and bills.
After finishing seven years of medical studies at university, I worked for 15 years as a hospital doctor. In 1992, I decided to work as full time lecturer in puzzles, mental manipulation, memory-technique and also magic demonstrations. Close-up suits me because of the close contact and interaction with the audience. I don't do big illusions, boxes, balloons or firework, that's another kind of magic.
Q: David Copperfield is very famous in China. Compared with his stage magic, what is the distinguishing feature of close-up magic?
A: David Copperfield does both stage performance and close-up. With a big screen (or TV) it's possible to do close-up for lots of people at the same time. The difference between stage and close-up, well, sometimes they go together, but if I simplify: stage is big things like motorbikes, cars, big apparatus and boxes that can hide people, animals and flying; close-up is something you can do close on the table, in the spectators hand, right under his nose, so to speak.
Q: We notice that you always wear very thick glasses and wonder if they have any role in your magic? And you can identify any card from a pack, even if you close your eyes. How did you do it?
A: I need very thick glasses and recently decided to have an eye operation. I started the treatment on my right eye, but the result was not satisfying so now I can only see with one eye at a time. I wear glasses and have limited sight in that eye, making it difficult to drive and recognize faces and I can't read with it. I read with my left, un-operated eye at 1-2 centimeters distance. How can I find the proper cards in a poker game. Well, that's a secret, but ask one of the greatest card-sharks in the world Richard Turner, and he is blind!
Q: What do you think of the Chinese magician Lu Chen, who performed his close-up magic successfully for a TV audience of about 1 billion viewers during China's Spring Festival Gala show? Magic has become very popular in China because of his performance so do you have any advice for such a hot young magician?
A: Lu Chen. A great guy. I like him and I don't think I can give him any advice. He is already a professional with his own style. So fantastic to have an audience of 1 billion people!! Wow!
Q: More and more Chinese children are involved in learning magic. Is this the case in Europe and do you have any words of encouragement for them?
A: A general advice for young magicians can be: don't concentrate too much on magic! Study other things. Look at magic as a fun hobby and let things develop in a natural way. Try to get a proper education. Then, one day, you may realize that magic is your destiny.
That was my way. That's my general advice, but there are exceptions. To be a full-time professional magician can be tough work but semi-professional is a great choice and much safer.
You can find lots of magic on the Internet but useful education for a magician can involve communication, theater, performance technique and acting education.
Q: The last question for you, what is magic?
A: "What is magic?" You can compare it with "What is music?" Well, there are many definitions, but one answer is: "Magic is the mystic sensation you create in the spectator's mind."
One thing can give the impression of real magic in one person's mind but for another person the same effect appears as just a simple puzzle. The best effect has a supernatural aura, not just dexterity tricks.
The 68-year-old card magician will next week stage two close-up magic shows titled "The Secret You'll Never Know" with four other conjurers from America, Argentina, Spain and Japan.
The performances, on Monday and Tuesday at Shanghai Oriental Art Center, will feature card manipulation and coin-and-money tricks, all conducted under the watchful eyes of the audience and monitoring cameras.
In Green's performance, cards can fly all over the table, spill onto the floor, and disappear beneath a laser beam. He will also try to identify cards chosen by audience members.
Green won the grand prize in close-up card magic from the International Federation of Magic Societies (FISM) in 1991, also called the "Olympics of magic," for his poker routines.
Following his Shanghai shows, he will attend this year's FISM World Championships of Magic in Beijing in July where about 2,000 magicians from around the world will showcase their skills.
Q: When did you start studying magic and when did you decide to focus on close-up magic?
A: I was interested in puzzles, problems and mystical things from childhood but I started to develop my magic when I was 18 years old. I only performed for friends and at small parties for many years as it was just a hobby and I only used real, unprepared things such as regular playing-cards, coins and bills.
After finishing seven years of medical studies at university, I worked for 15 years as a hospital doctor. In 1992, I decided to work as full time lecturer in puzzles, mental manipulation, memory-technique and also magic demonstrations. Close-up suits me because of the close contact and interaction with the audience. I don't do big illusions, boxes, balloons or firework, that's another kind of magic.
Q: David Copperfield is very famous in China. Compared with his stage magic, what is the distinguishing feature of close-up magic?
A: David Copperfield does both stage performance and close-up. With a big screen (or TV) it's possible to do close-up for lots of people at the same time. The difference between stage and close-up, well, sometimes they go together, but if I simplify: stage is big things like motorbikes, cars, big apparatus and boxes that can hide people, animals and flying; close-up is something you can do close on the table, in the spectators hand, right under his nose, so to speak.
Q: We notice that you always wear very thick glasses and wonder if they have any role in your magic? And you can identify any card from a pack, even if you close your eyes. How did you do it?
A: I need very thick glasses and recently decided to have an eye operation. I started the treatment on my right eye, but the result was not satisfying so now I can only see with one eye at a time. I wear glasses and have limited sight in that eye, making it difficult to drive and recognize faces and I can't read with it. I read with my left, un-operated eye at 1-2 centimeters distance. How can I find the proper cards in a poker game. Well, that's a secret, but ask one of the greatest card-sharks in the world Richard Turner, and he is blind!
Q: What do you think of the Chinese magician Lu Chen, who performed his close-up magic successfully for a TV audience of about 1 billion viewers during China's Spring Festival Gala show? Magic has become very popular in China because of his performance so do you have any advice for such a hot young magician?
A: Lu Chen. A great guy. I like him and I don't think I can give him any advice. He is already a professional with his own style. So fantastic to have an audience of 1 billion people!! Wow!
Q: More and more Chinese children are involved in learning magic. Is this the case in Europe and do you have any words of encouragement for them?
A: A general advice for young magicians can be: don't concentrate too much on magic! Study other things. Look at magic as a fun hobby and let things develop in a natural way. Try to get a proper education. Then, one day, you may realize that magic is your destiny.
That was my way. That's my general advice, but there are exceptions. To be a full-time professional magician can be tough work but semi-professional is a great choice and much safer.
You can find lots of magic on the Internet but useful education for a magician can involve communication, theater, performance technique and acting education.
Q: The last question for you, what is magic?
A: "What is magic?" You can compare it with "What is music?" Well, there are many definitions, but one answer is: "Magic is the mystic sensation you create in the spectator's mind."
One thing can give the impression of real magic in one person's mind but for another person the same effect appears as just a simple puzzle. The best effect has a supernatural aura, not just dexterity tricks.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
