| Saturday I awoke feeling terrific. Jim and I called it an early night which means we were in bed before one in the morning. The party was still going on in the session suite but we were beat and needed sleep. It was tough to leave the party because Theron had walked in and put a little surprise in the DVD player. Jimmy Grippo. Admired by princes, presidents and paupers alike, Grippo was the man. Footage of the legend is pretty rare so this was a treat indeed. I’m not sure of the origin of the film we were watching but it appeared to be someone’s home movie shot in an apartment with Jimmy and his wife as guests. Jimmy was entertaining the people and we got to peek in years later thanks to someone’s camera. |
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If you don’t know who Jimmy Grippo was or if you want to learn more about him (and you should) visit these websites: www.leeasher.com/grippo_video.html - www.gotgrippoed.com or simply Google “Jimmy Grippo” Needless to say it was a difficult thing to walk out on rare Grippo footage but we were beat and we knew we had only one more day of GGG to enjoy – we wanted to make the most of it. Jim and I hit the breakfast buffet, barely making the cutoff time and, once fed, we were ready to see Allan Okawa. A master of coins and other objects of magic, Allan had come from Hawaii with Curtis and Kainoa and was not only an expert magician, he had an enthusiasm that was completely infectious. He taught us magic, yes, good magic and lots of it but the thing he taught us that I keep hearing in my head was that we must create and maintain an emotional connection between our audiences and ourselves. Without this connection there can be no magic, only trickery. Magic happens in the mind of the spectator when we draw them in, when we tell a story. Allan was very adamant about having good stories to accompany our craft. He’s quite right, you know. |
| We saw magic with coins, with cards, with seashells (Yes, you read it right, seashells) and other objects but the last thing he did, and he didn’t tip it folks, he did with a rock that he had found on the beach in Hawaii. You know that old classic trick with the big metal domino and the spots that keep multiplying when you turn it over and over? Yeah, Allan did it with a rock. His rock had three holes in it – he showed it quite closely and clearly. He turned it over and it had four holes – then two – then five. A ROCK, people. Freaked me out thoroughly. Still does. I’d say that Allan Okawa’s lecture “rocked” but that would be a pun and I’d never do that. |  |
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Completely stunned by Okawa’s magic and totally inspired by his childlike enthusiasm for magic, Jim and Roman and I headed back to the suite to hang out and contemplate lunch. We got sidetracked by a pack of 808s and our colleagues and never got lunch by the time it was Paul Cummins’ turn to lecture. Hungry for sustenance but far hungrier for magic, we headed back to the Princeton room and managed to get front row seats before the room filled up. The room now filled, our illustrious host, Kent Gunn, took the front of the room and began his announcements when someone’s phone rang in the front row. Kent went crazy.
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| Enraged, shouting his outrage, Kent snatched the phone from this fellow’s hand and, to the shock of all, raised it high and brought it down hard and fast on the back of a chair…Repeatedly. The phone exploded, shattering into bits of plastic that rained down on the front row and its former owner. Everyone froze. Then Kent introduced the hapless phone owner as Scott Emo, a surprise guest of the convention…It was all a setup and I fell for it big time. Geez, I though I was strict about cell phone use. Wow! |
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Joke over, Scott took the “stage” with a new effect he had designed; he brought up an empty diaper box, (One I’m all too familiar with) placed it on his head and proceeded to shove a large number of umbrellas into the box and apparently through his face and head. This was the classic “Swords Through the Head” effect brought beautifully into the modern using household objects. I had never met Scott before this day but he certainly made an impression as a creative thinker and dynamic performer. I wasn’t sure whether to gasp or laugh…So I did both. I had an opportunity to speak with Scott after Paul’s lecture and he furthered my good impression of him by being charming, intelligent and engaging. I hope to cross paths with him again one day. Scott’s performance finished, Kent then introduced Mr. Paul Cummins. I had never seen the man work before but was very aware of his reputation as a seasoned pro. I wasn’t disappointed. |
| Now, I could go on and on about Paul’s skill with a deck, about his prowess in timing and audience control, about his deep thinking on engineering effects, about his God-like side steal, but instead I’m just going to say this: Paul Cummins destroyed every person in that room. Just…Totally…Annihilated…all of us. You get a chance to see Paul Cummins…You sit and watch - that’s my advice. Add to this the fact that he’s very grounded, approachable and willing to help and advise anyone who happens to engage him. He’s the real deal working in the real world, a hard-to-find commodity in this business. I was sorry when his lecture ended. Especially sorry was I to realize that it was over. Not just Paul’s lecture but the Gathering as a whole. We were done and it was time to go home so, with heavy hearts and handshakes and hugs for all our friends both new and old, Jim, Roman and I packed up our bags and climbed in the car. Only eleven more months till GGG 2009 - Mark your calendar. I’m out. - SJ |
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