Coast To Coast AM – 17.6.2011 – 1/4 – Magic & Charles Fort

MP3 www.4shared.com Guests: Jim Steinmeyer, Open Lines Magic & Charles Fort: In the first half of Friday's show, George welcomed magic historian and illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer for a discussion on the art of magic. Steinmeyer compared magicians to actors who must play two roles simultaneously, noting how masters of the craft can "charm an audience, while at the same time deceiving them." Great sleight of hand artists even fool other magicians, he added. Steinmeyer listed some magicians he admired from Harry Houdini's era, including Englishman David Devant, Belgian Servais LeRoy, and American Howard Thurston. According to Steinmeyer, Thurston was the last of a generation who could truly claim the title 'World's Greatest Magician'. Unlike Houdini, who set out on a crusade to expose psychics, Steinmeyer said Thurston was open-minded about spiritualism, often weaving mystical elements into his act. Thurston was known for his elaborate illusions as well, including one that involved levitating a young woman above the stage. The trick required several tons of apparatus to pull off, Steinmeyer revealed. Although technology has augmented how contemporary illusions are done, today's magicians use the same theories and principles as magicians of yesteryear, he explained. Steinmeyer spoke about the reason magicians guard their secrets, how new illusions are engineered, and why magic does not translate well to modern media, such as video. Three-quarters of a magic show takes <b>…</b>