"Menu of Miracles Volumes 1 and 2" DVDs by James Prince
Suggested Retail USD$34.99
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In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Menu of Miracles", two volumes on DVD by James Prince, won't be everyone's cup of tea for a variety of reasons but, with some solid strangeness in the works, some startling climaxes and visuals, and more solid advice to consider about working restaurants, this is a set that anyone working that venue needs to look at and ponder over, whether the material makes it to their act or not.

I'll end the suspense right away: I didn't like much of Prince's material here. No, that's too harsh and makes me sound a bit too definitive. Let me put it another way: I liked what Prince did with some of the material -- making it just plain odd when compared to some of the original effects it is based on -- but too often what Prince did just didn't make me want to replace my current selections with his.

Take "Mirrors" for instance. A card is selected, signed, lost in the deck, and keeps coming back to the top. Eventually, the card is found on the top, the deck is dealt to the table, revealing the deck has changed from a deck of cards to five solid blocks of mirrors. Okay, so that's neat. I like the premise and the (obvious to any performer by now) presentation. But is it enough to make me replace Harris' version, or my much-traveled "Omni Deck"? Nope, I'm afraid not.

"Impromptu Anniversary Waltz" is another "for instance". It's Eason's plot, with two signatures appearing on a single selected card, "without gimmicks". I do the original "Anniversary Waltz". I do it a lot. Will I sacrifice the magical, romantic moment of the two signed cards fusing together to form a single card for the sake of not carrying around a couple of gaffs and ending up with one signature on the face and one signature on the back of a normal card (with a kicker about having the suddenly-unsigned card left on the table after a random elimination process)? Nope, don't think so.

"Signed Card Thru Window" left me likewise cold. The effect sounds good, sure: a freely selected card is signed and the corner torn off as a receipt. The deck is thrown at a window and instantly the signed card is seen stuck to the other side of the window. Naturally, that's his signature on the card and the torn corner matches. But the work involved here -- and the timing required to make sure your spectators stay in the same spot for a while and the reliance on passers-by to leave your stuff alone outside -- makes it just not practical enough for me to replace a couple of other "card-to-impossible locations" I prefer.

Now if it sounds like Prince just didn't do it for me, let me say that one of those aforementioned "card-to-impossible locations" I just mentioned is actually his. His "Card Over/Under and In Matchbox" is a solid screamer and I love it. I adore it. It's everything I could want in a single effect. It's "Card Under Glass" meets "Card to Matchbox" with another phase thrown in. When I saw this one, I was excited by it and, when I saw the working, I was giggling at Prince's thinking. This is fine, fine stuff and it's going into my act ASAP. Color this one "worth the price of the disc".

And the rest of the material is like that. At times the plot just doesn't ring so differently I'd replace anything like it I'm currently doing, or practicality issues intrude that I would rather not cope with (though Prince, obviously, has no such qualms, bless him). But when he hits a high note, brother, it resonates to your core.

So you see my problem with "Menu of Miracles". To alleviate some of that problem for you, let's look at each routine a bit closer and, with a little luck and skill, perhaps help you make your mind up on this one.

Let's start with "Repeat Travelers". This is exactly what it sounds like: the classic "Travelers" plot with an instant repeat and does it look wonderful. However, with a lot of -- for the sake of secrecy I'll be careful here -- clothing requirements, it's not something that I'd relish doing in place of another such routine.

"Multiple Cards to Pocket" is, again, self-explanatory. This time, six signed cards are lost in the deck, vanish instantly, and reappear in virtually every coat and pants pocket you've got with a nice card-to-wallet kicker. But, like "Repeat Travelers", the requirement is such I's be prone to stick to another version.

"Ring in Pepper-Pot Illusion" is very pretty: a borrowed ring, thread on a piece of rope, vanishes to end up in a "pepper-pot" (Americans, it's what we call a "pepper mill"), without switching or the like. Unfortunately, the named prop -- which must be gimmicked and carried on you -- is likely to stick out like a sore thumb at most restaurants and, while certainly creative and interesting, probably has limited appeal just for that. To be fair, Prince covers this with an admittedly weaker handling but it is just that: weaker.

"Cups and Balls" is, in a word, incredible. It's a routine that is so fast it's sudden and yet never degenerates to hectic and confusing. It's a three-cup/three-ball variant, with four loads. The work Prince did here is simply masterful, with an elegance in its structure that has the cups loaded under the spectators' own misdirection. Beautifully done and worth the price of the disc.

"World's Easiest Bill in Kiwi" certainly qualifies as easy, but practical? Not very. You've got some more clothing stuff to do or you'll end up with a messier routine than you asked for, plus you'll be burning a certain prepared item for every performance. As a special one-off? This is an interesting effect to do. What to do it a dozen times a night? It's possible but the logistics are a trick unto themselves. Other routines may be a bit more difficult but might also lack the issues with this one.

"Kiwi Finesse" is a finishing touch to "World's Easiest Bill in Kiwi" which allows you to leave everything in the spectator's hands. It adds a little work to the routine (and also eats up more props and pocket space), but if you're going to do the routine, you'd do yourself a favor by adding this to it every now and again.

"Shoot the Kiwi" is billed as the ultimate when it comes to this plot and admittedly it's pretty darn close. In this version, the bill vanishes, the spectator gets to cut the fruit, open it, and remove their own bill. This plays as a very hands-off version of the effect and is quite slick. However, you might have a problem obtaining the materials and gaining the skills to construct the gimmick (though it would be worth the trouble; it's a fiendishly clever thing) and, again, the set-up and props a bit too time-consuming to be practical as a repeat effect. For a big finish at a larger table or with a larger group, though, this could be a powerhouse.

"Blue Card" is next and it's a neat, easy, and perfectly practical piece of work. A spectator chooses a card, signs it, and it's lost in the deck. The performer brings out a wallet with a card from a different deck as a prediction of sorts. When this different-backed card is turned over, it's seen to be the spectator's signed card. Quick, a good combination of principles and effects at work, and simply a nice piece of magic. As card-to-wallet routines, this is a fine one with a nice kicker.

"Brain Freeze" is the last of the effects. A packet trick -- no, a mega-huge packet trick -- that combines so much magic into a frantic routine it's almost impossible to describe. Fours change to Aces that go into a "Twisting" sequence that has the backs changing colors and then designs then colors again and ends up with the production of Jokers, a royal flush, and a signed card from a previous effect. Lots of pocket management here but the result is spellbinding.

That covers the routines and, if I did my job right, gives you a better idea of Prince's material here. As I said, there are hits and misses and lots of "specialty work" involved in many of his effects, but on the whole his takes are really rather refreshing to see even if they don't end up making it into your repertoire.

Besides, those are just the effects, the tools of the job. Where Prince shines is in the additional material, his discussion of various facets of restaurant work.

To be honest, these are the things of the most interest and, in the end, worth the price of the discs to any worker in the venue.

In these mini-discussions, Prince deals with three things that are not just important to consider for restaurant workers: they are imperative. They are also the most basic blocks on which to build a career in this line of entertainment. In order, Prince discusses his views on how to find the best restaurants to work, how to figure out what to charge and how to get it from those restaurants, and finally the always-delicate minefield that is approaching a table.

I won't bore you with the details of these -- get the discs and get the scoop from the man himself. I will say that Prince has a well-deserved reputation as a restaurant worker and hearing his thoughts on these topics was invaluable. This is one of those times I'd have shelled out the hundred bucks just to get a glimpse at how someone else does it and been happy with the purchase.

So there you have it: some routines that are killer, some that are a bit iffy, but all worth seeing just to get an appreciation for thinking outside the box, and finally some discussions that are priceless. The end result? Two discs that are worth a look by any restaurant worker out there.

"Menu of Miracles Volumes 1 and 2" DVDs by James Prince
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

Material: 7
The material is essentially the classic stuff turned on its head. When it works, it works brilliantly, but some of the material falls short of the original's promise. Beyond that, though, Prince offers some excellent discussions of various aspects of restaurant work that are definitely worth hearing. All in all, this is good stuff, if sometimes lacking.

Practicality: 5
Prince's material is, naturally, for his use and reflects his tastes and his work preferences. Others may balk at the amount of prep work involved, the table space needed, and the sometimes obscene amount of pocket space used. While nothing is inordinately impractical, depending on requirements and preferences, there's a strong chance some of it will be for other performers.

Quality of Production: 9
The production values are excellent here, though navigation can be a bit trying at times. You'll have no problem with any distractions here.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Prince does a fantastic job of teaching his material, covering all the bases thoroughly and professionally. A simply wonderful job here.

Presentation: 9
Prince's work, even when it doesn't ring true to those in the know, are nonetheless graceful, pretty things with a strangeness about them audiences will appreciate.


Shane

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