"Cocktail Card Magic" book by Bill Abbott
Suggested Retail USD$25.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Cocktail Card Magic", Bill Abbott's latest book to hit the market, is filled with advice for working strolling that is so sound and logical and excellent that it eclipses the effects taught in the book. That's some feat considering the effects are, in a word, excellent.

Normally, I don't quote ad copy much, but Abbott frames his book much better than anyone else could:

"All around you are people that seem to know each other. They're laughing, engrossed in conversation, busy eating and drinking. You on the other hand are hired to 'entertain' these busy people with your magic, and at that precise moment you wish you could be anywhere else. One thing is keeping you from disappearing from the party. You've been paid to be there. Walk-around magic, strolling magic, roving magic, mingling sorcery, cocktail conjuring, etc. It has been given many names but it all boils down to the same thing, crashing people's otherwise meaningful conversations and consummation [sic] of expensive food and alcohol, with your magic."

It's from this wickedly apt, brutally honest portrayal of the situation faced by performers many times over that Abbott forms his thoughts and ideas about performing in the minefield of an environment that we call "strolling".

I have to admit I wasn't expecting to learn much besides the effects (if you've done more than your share of such gigs, you do have a tendency to become jaded about things), but Abbott's thinking about performing strolling is so accurate, so dead-on, that it will help virtually anyone working that venue. A scattershot collection of thoughts, presented as simple single paragraphs, his thoughts should be mandatory reading for workers who have to "crash people's otherwise meaning conversations and consumption of expensive food and alcohol." Abbott's thoughts are brief, concise, and touch on a number of aspects of working the venue. From personal motivation to mingling to opening to rattling off the hurdles particular groups will offer you, Abbott touches on so many bases -- and touches on them so directly and accurately -- that there's something here for everyone regardless of their experience in the arena.

For my money, he could have stopped right there and this would have been an excellent by.

But this is Bill Abbott we're talking about and his effects are what made me a fan of his from the get-go. The three effects he offers in the booklet are just three more reasons I love the guy's work. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail here because from where I sit if you're buying this just for the tricks to show your pals, you're going to get a lot less out of "Cocktail Card Magic" than you might think. For others, workers in particular, they're going to get their money's worth before they get to the effects. So let's just catalog the three pieces for completeness, shall we?

"Blockbuster" is the first effect Abbott teaches and it's a great one. Okay, so it's a simple two-card location routine. Okay, so it's been done as two separate effects before (and credited by Abbott, just so's you know). Okay, so there's really no slick moves in evident here. Big deal. This has got to be one of the better strolling effects out there. There is a ton of multiple-spectator interaction, it's as effective as engaging interest as a $250-million-dollar Spielberg epic, and it's as entertaining as can be. Packing small, playing big, with an almost non-existent reset, this is one fine trick all the way around.

"Autograph" is the second effect and it's every bit as good as the first, if not better. It's essentially a repeat "card to wallet" routine, with Abbott's handling of the Mullica, and much more surprising than most such routines. Abbott describes how spectators jump the gun as soon as a card goes missing and the performer brings out a wallet (oh, come on... We know they do. "I'll bet it's in there", they say) and how he wanted to eliminate that. He did. Put this one down as worth the price of the book all on its lonesome.

The third and last effect, "CTRL+ALT+DELETE", is Abbott's handling of the "Omni Deck" (for those that don't know it, it's a store-bought piece of wonder where a deck from which a card was chosen, suddenly turns into a solid, clear, block of plastic). I always loved the "Omni Deck", but it fell by the wayside as I moved on to other things; Abbott's now got me digging through the basement looking for it again. This is a great routine, cleverly put together, and as powerful as you can ask for if you pick the right spectator for Abbott's big reveal. Excellent stuff again.

Rather than this being a book of tricks, Abbott has used his routines to demonstrate the performance psychology and practicality he preaches. He covers why these particular routines are in his selection, why they work as well as they do in the venue, and points out all the little bits and pieces that make them hits with spectators. If you never try to learn them, just reading what he writes about them will help you with your own selection of effects that you use when you go out and about.

Also included is an interesting piece entitled "Invisible Origins Revealed", which purports to add to the lineage of Eddie Field's presentation of what we know as "The Invisible Deck", and a short list of presentations for that deck especially for strollers. The first is an interesting piece of magicana and the second a good, quick list of pointers for those who use the deck and want to take it with them when strolling.

Simply, I can't rave about "Cocktail Card Magic" enough. It's a grand work, Abbott's opus to the stroller, and if you're a worker in that venue -- or you want to be -- then you owe it to yourself to pick this one up. It's worth every penny and a whole lot more.

"Cocktail Card Magic" book by Bill Abbott
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Material: 10
Abbott's thinking on performing in arguably one of the most awkward performing environments is worth the money; the effects, which are great to say the least, are just icing on the cake. This is one book everyone who works strolling needs in their hot little hands.

Quality: 10
Abbott's writing style is very clear and concise and, moreover, witty and gritty at times. This is a good read which will give you no problems either learning Abbott's effects or understanding his thinking.

Illustrations: 10
There are plenty of black-and-white photos to guide you through the effects and they are gorgeously done.

Presentation: 10
The majority of this book is aimed at helping out the reader in performing strolling magic; the effects are there as examples to learn from. However, these are fun, entertaining pieces that focus on interaction and, as such, gets a big score here.

Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.