THE BLURB:
Once More into Their Minds, Dear Friends!
Ask working performers, who has created the most practical
and impressive mentalism in recent times and one of the
first names you will hear is Barrie Richardson. Curtain Call
is Mr. Richardson's third major collection of mentalism, and
in it he has held nothing back. He opens with the full
details for his entire professional act, follows up with
dozens of wonderful tricks, routines and tools for the
mentalist, and concludes with a unique piece that always
brings a strong emotional response and a spontaneous ovation
from his audiences.
Barrie Richardson has a reputation for devising impenetrable
mental mysteries that float upon multiple layers of
deception. This is combined with a disconcerting directness
that achieves the effect with minimal procedure and maximum
power.
Whether you are a fan or are encountering Barrie
Richardson's work for the first time, if you enjoy
theatrical, commercial and cunningly constructed mentalism,
Curtain Call will fulfill your desires and expectations.
Curtain Call gathers the finest fruits of Barrie
Richardson's creativity during recent years and embellishes
the material he has been perfecting in performance for a
decade and more. Included are many of his most guarded
pieces...
-An old key that turns and crawls eerily in the hand. Is it
haunted? Is it psychokinesis? The effect meets and exceeds
that accomplished by expensive mechanical keys, but uses an
ungimmicked key that may be thoroughly examined before and
after.
-An ordinary pencil, lying across the open hand levitates in
full light. Then, when someone is asked to lift it off the
hand, he finds it impossible! Once the magnetic suggestion
is removed, the pencil may be effortlessly taken and
examined.
-The mentalist writes down a target word. Someone then takes
an imaginary stroll through a bookshop, chooses any book,
any page and any word. When the word is revealed it proves
to be the performer's target word! The person is then asked
to concentrate on the mentally chosen page number in the
imaginary book - and someone from the audience divines it!
-Incredibly powerful tools for the mentalist are revealed.
Among them are some of the most deceptive billet peeks and
switches ever published; a new gimmicked envelope that
permits the contents to be glimpsed or stolen, yet can be
freely handled by spectators; a perfected standing switch of
a full deck of cards. All have fooled expert performers as
well as the public.
-In the past, Mr. Richardson has gained a reputation for
coming up with some of the best and most practical methods
for the elusive Card at Any Number effect. In Curtain Call
he reveals what he considers his finest version, done with
an ordinary and legitimately shuffled deck.
In this book you needn't worry about what is behind the
curtain. The reality will be thrilling!
263 pages in deluxe hardcover.
MY COMMENTS:
I was definitely and pleasantly surprised when I heard about
this volume coming out. Especially because when I asked
Barrie if he was putting anything new out sometime after his
second book, ACT TWO, was released, he said that the second
volume pretty much covered everything and that was it.
There would not be anything more, he said. In any event,
with Stephen Minch writing and producing, it's a foregone
conclusion that the production values are top-notch and that
the material is first-rate.
However, let me try to anticipate some of the complaints
that may be made about this volume. Yes, this book has
quite a bit of material that has been available before,
either on his DVD set or sold separately (like ANY CARD AT
ANY NUMBER and QUARTET). Yes, it's also shorter than the
other two and slightly more expensive than the others.
THEATER OF THE MIND was over 300 pages and ACT TWO more than
that. This one is 251 pages and lists at $50 (the others
being $42 and $47, respectively).
In response, I see ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with finally
having this material in print in one place and next to the
other two volumes. In fact, I was hoping that this stuff
would be in here. Just because it isn't something fans have
not seen before doesn't lessen the quality, nor does it
cheat one of getting new material (again, I'm anticipating
complaints based on what I've seen said about other works
that contain previously seen material).
And, of course, I'd rather have quality than quantity any
day. The stuff in here is great. So page count matters not
to me in this case. Period. One more thing to point out is
the presentation details are far more thorough in this book
than in the original releases. For that alone, it's worth
having these versions, not to mention that the presentations
themselves are exemplary and worthy of study by anyone at
any level of their mentalism career.
I do agree that the price difference is a bit of a
disappointment, but only when compared to the other two
books. By itself, without comparing it to the other
volumes, it's definitely worth the price. Hmm, maybe Minch
should be raising the price on the other two? (Sorry,
shouldn't say that as he just might....)
The book has thirty-four entries arranged in eight sections
(A Banquet Program, Mind to Mind, Intimate Mind Games, Card
at Any Number, Modest Miracles with Business Cards, Osmosis,
Hidden Devices, and Water & Frost). There is a variety of
material suitable for both close-up and stage. It also
contains some of Barrie's words about other performers such
as David Berglas, Derren Brown, and Gil Eagles.
For those who don't have the first two volumes, then I'd
probably recommend getting the first two before this one,
although this one can stand alone. You could start here if
you want. And for those who already own the first two, then
let me just say it now ... this is a must-have for your
library. I'm sure not only that you knew I was going to say
that (because we're all great mentalists, right?), but that
you probably already ordered it from me by now.
And if Barrie, who reads my newsletters and reviews, tries
to tell me that this latest volume, like the previous one,
has mined all his creative juices, that this book completes
the trilogy, and/or that no more books are forthcoming,
well, I just won't believe him.
Once More into Their Minds, Dear Friends!
Ask working performers, who has created the most practical
and impressive mentalism in recent times and one of the
first names you will hear is Barrie Richardson. Curtain Call
is Mr. Richardson's third major collection of mentalism, and
in it he has held nothing back. He opens with the full
details for his entire professional act, follows up with
dozens of wonderful tricks, routines and tools for the
mentalist, and concludes with a unique piece that always
brings a strong emotional response and a spontaneous ovation
from his audiences.
Barrie Richardson has a reputation for devising impenetrable
mental mysteries that float upon multiple layers of
deception. This is combined with a disconcerting directness
that achieves the effect with minimal procedure and maximum
power.
Whether you are a fan or are encountering Barrie
Richardson's work for the first time, if you enjoy
theatrical, commercial and cunningly constructed mentalism,
Curtain Call will fulfill your desires and expectations.
Curtain Call gathers the finest fruits of Barrie
Richardson's creativity during recent years and embellishes
the material he has been perfecting in performance for a
decade and more. Included are many of his most guarded
pieces...
-An old key that turns and crawls eerily in the hand. Is it
haunted? Is it psychokinesis? The effect meets and exceeds
that accomplished by expensive mechanical keys, but uses an
ungimmicked key that may be thoroughly examined before and
after.
-An ordinary pencil, lying across the open hand levitates in
full light. Then, when someone is asked to lift it off the
hand, he finds it impossible! Once the magnetic suggestion
is removed, the pencil may be effortlessly taken and
examined.
-The mentalist writes down a target word. Someone then takes
an imaginary stroll through a bookshop, chooses any book,
any page and any word. When the word is revealed it proves
to be the performer's target word! The person is then asked
to concentrate on the mentally chosen page number in the
imaginary book - and someone from the audience divines it!
-Incredibly powerful tools for the mentalist are revealed.
Among them are some of the most deceptive billet peeks and
switches ever published; a new gimmicked envelope that
permits the contents to be glimpsed or stolen, yet can be
freely handled by spectators; a perfected standing switch of
a full deck of cards. All have fooled expert performers as
well as the public.
-In the past, Mr. Richardson has gained a reputation for
coming up with some of the best and most practical methods
for the elusive Card at Any Number effect. In Curtain Call
he reveals what he considers his finest version, done with
an ordinary and legitimately shuffled deck.
In this book you needn't worry about what is behind the
curtain. The reality will be thrilling!
263 pages in deluxe hardcover.
MY COMMENTS:
I was definitely and pleasantly surprised when I heard about
this volume coming out. Especially because when I asked
Barrie if he was putting anything new out sometime after his
second book, ACT TWO, was released, he said that the second
volume pretty much covered everything and that was it.
There would not be anything more, he said. In any event,
with Stephen Minch writing and producing, it's a foregone
conclusion that the production values are top-notch and that
the material is first-rate.
However, let me try to anticipate some of the complaints
that may be made about this volume. Yes, this book has
quite a bit of material that has been available before,
either on his DVD set or sold separately (like ANY CARD AT
ANY NUMBER and QUARTET). Yes, it's also shorter than the
other two and slightly more expensive than the others.
THEATER OF THE MIND was over 300 pages and ACT TWO more than
that. This one is 251 pages and lists at $50 (the others
being $42 and $47, respectively).
In response, I see ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with finally
having this material in print in one place and next to the
other two volumes. In fact, I was hoping that this stuff
would be in here. Just because it isn't something fans have
not seen before doesn't lessen the quality, nor does it
cheat one of getting new material (again, I'm anticipating
complaints based on what I've seen said about other works
that contain previously seen material).
And, of course, I'd rather have quality than quantity any
day. The stuff in here is great. So page count matters not
to me in this case. Period. One more thing to point out is
the presentation details are far more thorough in this book
than in the original releases. For that alone, it's worth
having these versions, not to mention that the presentations
themselves are exemplary and worthy of study by anyone at
any level of their mentalism career.
I do agree that the price difference is a bit of a
disappointment, but only when compared to the other two
books. By itself, without comparing it to the other
volumes, it's definitely worth the price. Hmm, maybe Minch
should be raising the price on the other two? (Sorry,
shouldn't say that as he just might....)
The book has thirty-four entries arranged in eight sections
(A Banquet Program, Mind to Mind, Intimate Mind Games, Card
at Any Number, Modest Miracles with Business Cards, Osmosis,
Hidden Devices, and Water & Frost). There is a variety of
material suitable for both close-up and stage. It also
contains some of Barrie's words about other performers such
as David Berglas, Derren Brown, and Gil Eagles.
For those who don't have the first two volumes, then I'd
probably recommend getting the first two before this one,
although this one can stand alone. You could start here if
you want. And for those who already own the first two, then
let me just say it now ... this is a must-have for your
library. I'm sure not only that you knew I was going to say
that (because we're all great mentalists, right?), but that
you probably already ordered it from me by now.
And if Barrie, who reads my newsletters and reviews, tries
to tell me that this latest volume, like the previous one,
has mined all his creative juices, that this book completes
the trilogy, and/or that no more books are forthcoming,
well, I just won't believe him.
Barrie Richardson
CURTAIN CALL
$50
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