Michael Paul - Urban Legend

8/17/2019 Michael Paul - Urban Legend

1/30

The Legend of Albert Walker

Here it is, finally; the Legend of Albert Walker, AKA UrbanLegend. This is my take on the classic strung razor blades routine,

the ultimate in cutting edge, danger magic (pun completely

intentional).

But there are already other sources for the razor blade trick in

print, why do we need another one?

For years I’ve been performing the razor blade effect, and overthat time, I’ve been slowly changing, fixing and polishing the way

I perform it. In that time, I’ve changed the materials I use to

perform the effect, to make the effect more visual, logical, and

safe. I’ve also fixed a number of problems that I had with the

original routine, including timing, number of blades used, the

holding device used for the razors, and motivation for sticking

sharp things in your mouth.

I also made adjustments to the set-up that made the routine

perfect for stage, parlour, street, and even close up (which was

almost impossible, and at the least, very difficult, with the

traditional set up).

Finally, I’ve added a logical (and disturbing) script that hooks

my audiences every single time I perform this routine. The script

and presentation both take into consideration the principles of

“stickiness”, which will help the spectators remember the magic(make the magic “stick” in their mind), long after the show. I’ve

included that script here. Along with it, I’ve included ideas about

how to use the routine as part of either a magic or mentalism

presentation without running into confusing, or clumsy contextual

conflicts (alliteration added at no additional charge).


2/30

I’m also throwing in a very special treat… a custom produced

soundtrack that I actually use in my paid performances. It is

royalty free, and absolutely killer; so I think (yes, I’m a little

biased because I wrote and produced it).

Lastly, you’ll notice an extra file in the e-package you’ve

received entitled “Script”. The script for this routine is written up

here in the notes; however, I thought it would be helpful to also

include a separate copy of the script in its own file, laid out in a

larger font. If you decide to use the script word for word (be my

guest), you’ll be able to print out that file, and have the script by

itself on a page, in a nice, easy to read format. This will makelearning the lines and rehearsing a little bit more convenient.

Even if you never once perform this routine the way it is written

up here, I would strongly suggest you look at the way the

traditional routine was thought through, broken down, and altered.

You will find the study of such a procedure valuable. And if you

decide to alter any part of handling or script, please email me at

[email protected] and tell me about it. I’d love to

hear what you’ve come up with.

Let’s get started.

Effect (described as a stage performance):

Immediately following a brief monolog, the house lights dim,

and a small table on stage is illuminated by a single pin spot. On

the table is a red apple. Performer takes the apple and turns it

towards the audience, exposing several double sided razor blades

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


3/30

protruding from the fruit. A razor is removed by the performer,

who uses the blade to slice a small piece from the apple, proving

the instrument to be both extremely sharp, and extremely

dangerous.

The razor is clearly placed onto the performer’s outstretched

tongue, where it is momentarily displayed, and then slowly

retracted into his mouth. The performer swallows the blade and

then shows his mouth to be empty.

A second razor is removed, but pricks the finger of the

performer, causing him to drop it and wince in pain. Without

letting this small interference interrupt the pace of his performance,the performer takes the final blade from the apple and cleanly

places it in his mouth.

From his pocket, the performer removes a spindle of dental

floss, and removes a length of about a foot, with the intention of

flossing after his unusual snack. After a second thought, he

decides instead to roll the mint flavoured strand into a ball and eat

that as well (and why not, surely it can’t be as bad for you as say…

a razor blade).

The small white floss box is now placed on the table along with

the apple, and the performer takes a step back and begins to reach

for his throat, but then relaxes. Next a wince, and a gag. A

gentlemen in the first row flinches, as though he may call for help,

but the performer regains control of the act and regurgitates a

single razor, which is held by the flat edges with his teeth.

With his right hand, the performer pulls the razor from betweenhis teeth, and attached to it is one end of the dental floss. The

razor is allowed to swing by the floss from the performer’s mouth,

showing it to be securely tied.


4/30

Next a second a gag, and the second blade is produced from

between the teeth. The performer calmly, and carefully (yet

triumphantly) grasps the second razor and holds it up for all to

see… the razor blades are tied together. Black out.

After the show, the gracious performer makes his way out to the

lobby, thanking guests personally for showing up supporting his

show. He can be seen holding a napkin, spattered with dark red

spots and eating an apple… wait… is there something in that

apple?

Thank you for allowing me to carry on with an elaboratedescription of the effect. Even if you think it’s a bit over the top,

be assured; the actual performance is at least twice as poetic.

There’s something about the visuals that are scripted into the

routine that make it more intense than what I’m able to convey in

print. The above description will have to do. In the mean time, I

promise my critics that I’ll work on my control of the English

language and exercise a greater literary prowess in the future. And

for those upset about the length of the above effect description,

here is a cliff-notes version:

Effect:

Performer swallows two sharp razor blades and a piece of

dental floss. A moment later they are reproduced, tied together.

The crowd goes wild.

Simply reading the description of the (longer) routine above,

you’ve already noticed a number of ways my variation differs from


5/30


6/30

1.

Motivation. Most of the performers I’ve seen perform the

razors, do so as a “look what I can do”(read in a “Stewart

from Mad-TV” voice), or “It’s time for a light snack” type of

presentation. That’s weak, and lacks any kind of emotional

hook. These presentations don’t make me want to care aboutwhat’s going on. Nothing about them is sticky (more on that

later). And so, it’s the first thing I considered when deciding

to perform the razors.

2.

Razorblade holders/stands. Sorry, just not a fan of these

silly contraptions. Leaving the razors in the dispenser they

come in is an option, but this severely limits visibility.

Spectators more then a few feet away will have no clue

what’s going on.3.

Number of razors “eaten”. I’ve always found this detail

annoying. Is the performer trying to convince me that he

somehow tied together ten or more razor blades in his throat

in a matter of twenty seconds? Personally, I find this to be

the detail that turns strung razor blades from an amazing

stunt, to a clever trick, or a puzzle to be figured out. My goal

is to present strong magic, not clever tricks.

4. Attitude of performer. Imagine you are actually taking an

extremely sharp, double sided razor into your mouth and

swallowing. Would you be telling jokes, and laughing? I

wouldn’t be. Yet, for whatever reason, many performers

present this effect as a light hearted comedy routine. To each

his own, but I believe this jovial attitude hints to the audience

that the performer is in no real danger. At that point, why not

just swallow life savers instead of razor blades? I firmly

believe that my audiences are intelligent enough to pick up

on any inconsistency between the situation at hand, and the performer’s attitude.

5.

Using cotton thread to tie the razors together. If you want to,

you can call me nit-picky for this one. I wanted to use

something a bit thicker or more visible then white cotton

thread to tie the razors. When experimenting with dental


7/30

floss, I stumbled upon several very cool subtleties that make

it a much better choice than thread. We’ll get into that in just

a little bit.

6. Flawless performance. Again, a small detail, but an

important one in my mind. Ten blades go in and in just a few painless, worry-free seconds, ten come out tied together. Not

bad honestly… but it could be better. Aren’t we taught that a

good story has an opening, conflict, and resolution? When

handling sharp razor blades, there is plenty that could go

wrong. Plenty of room for “conflict” within the context of

the routine. Let’s use conflict to create better theatre.

7.

Holding the final razor vertically along the edges with the

lips. When did this become the classic way to produce thelast razor, and who thought this would be a good idea? Have

you ever tried to do this with a sharp razor blade? I have (not

the brightest thing I’ve ever done), and it’s not safe. I bled

for what felt like hours. Why on earth would you ever do

such a thing?

I’ve reviewed these “problems” right up front so that I can refer

to them later as problems 1-7. Again, not everyone will find all of

the above seven points to be real issues. They are however points

that I wanted to fix, change, or improve upon when constructing

“Urban Legend”. You, of course, have the option of agreeing ordisagreeing with me on these points. But even if you do disagree,

be sure to have a look at why I’ve considered these things to be

problems. The process is important and can be a valuable lesson.


8/30

It’s time to talk materials. The good news is, you won’t have to

shop for anything expensive or difficult to find. Further, you

probably already have a few of the items kicking around the house.

Let’s start with the easy one first.

The apple

The perfect razor blade holder, the tie-in to our “Urban

Legend” script, and maybe the most inexpensive magic prop

you’ll ever buy. In this routine, the apple will be a visual hook,

a razor blade packet holder, and gimmicked proof that the razors

are sharp! All of that in a fifty cent piece of fruit, what a greatdeal. This also takes care of problem number two, the razor

blade holder/stand. An apple won’t look so strange and out of

place on your stage. Later, the script will create context, and the

apple makes perfect sense. Problem solved.

Choose a medium sized red apple, like a Gala. You’ll be

able to find these at your local supermarket. Green apples may

be mistaken for something else from far away. Red apples are

instantly recognizable. It’s a small point, but something to keepin mind. Also, look for apples that are somewhat “flat” on the

bottom. The apple will need to sit still on your table, and not

roll around onto its side.

Napkins

Go and get yourself a pack of cocktail napkins. We’ll beusing these to rest the apple on, and for some good old post

show acting. Spattering them with stage blood is totally

optional… we’ll get into that a little later.


9/30

Dental Floss

There are two things that make dental floss more visible then

white cotton thread. First is its thickness. But secondly, the

floss box is recognizable. As soon as you remove the box from

the table or pocket, people know exactly what it is. Because it’s

recognizable, the floss becomes more “psychologically visible”.

Because the audience knows and is familiar with what you are

holding (the floss box), they are willing to “see” the floss

coming out of the dispenser… even if they can’t. Despite not

being able to see the strand of floss itself, the audience will

allow their imaginations to fill in the details.

Not too long ago I decided to test out my “psychological

visibility” theory at a stand up show I did as part of a

lecture/show for an IBM group in CT. Before the act, Iremoved the floss from the dispenser. When it came time to

remove the floss for the effect, I simply removed the floss box,

and mimed the action of removing a strand.

After the show, I only received one comment about the floss.

The criticism was, “The string you put into your mouth wasn’t

the same length as the one you pulled out later”. Talk about a

vivid imagination! Not only did this person “see” my invisibledental floss, but they saw it as being longer then the one I pulled

from my mouth later!

After playing with the idea of using floss instead of thread, I

hit on an unexpected advantage of its use. It’s waxed. The wax


10/30

on the floss gives it the ability to stick to itself, and any floss

rolled up into a ball will stay that way until you pull it apart.

This characteristic is going to make two different parts of the

routine much easier than they would have been with simple

thread.Choose waxed floss that is unflavoured. Mint flavoured

floss can make you salivate slightly when you put it into your

mouth… and you don’t want to drool everywhere when you

take the razors out.

The razor blades

There’s just not a lot you have to think about here. Simple

double sided razor blades are all you need. You can find these

in the shaving needs section of your local convenience store.

They come in packs of ten, and you’ll be using four per

performance.

A metal file

A double sided metal file will be used to dull the razors.

This only makes the routine slightly less dangerous. Keep in

mind that razors are still sharp… even if they have been

“dulled”. Oh, and don’t worry… we’ll still be able to show and

prove the razors to be ultra-sharp.These can be found in any hardware store, or even at

Walmart. The file will typically run in the range of ten dollars;

but is a one time cost, and will last you forever.


11/30

The set up:

Remove and carefully dull three razor blades. This is done

by rubbing the sharp edge of the blade against the file in a

sliding motion. I shouldn’t have to tell you that razor blades are

sharp… be sure to protect your hands by wearing gloves during

this procedure. Also pay close attention to the corners of the

blades. Getting stabbed with one in the gums is no fun. So dull

those too.

Fortunately, the razor blade is an extremely thin piece of

metal, and will be fairly easy to dull in a short amount of time.

If however you are unsure about the dulling process, do NOT perform this routine. I won’t be responsible for you sticking

very sharp things in your mouth… that would be just plain

stupid.

Perhaps if you’re looking for further advice on making razor

blades dull, you could ask the friendly neighbourhood hardware

clerk his advice. Just say, “Hi, I like magic tricks, and would

like to eat this razor blade… could you show me the safest wayto dull it first?” I’m sure they get that all the time.

I sent a copy of “The Legend of Albert Walker” to my buddy

Paul Vigil (remember that name). He called back the day after,

and we chatted for quite some time about details of the routine.

He had suggested that I might be able to find a company that

manufactures dull razors. We both jumped on our computers


12/30

and googled “dull razor blades”, and found a couple of

companies that produce them. Purchasing the razors already

dull would save you ten minutes of preparation time. While ten

minutes might not sound like a lot of time to you, it makes a big

difference when you perform the routine as much as I do. Itwas a great suggestion, and I’m very grateful to Paul for sharing

it with me.

Take two of the blades and tie them together with a piece of

floss approximately twelve to fifteen inches in length. You’ll

want to stick these blades together, to make them appear to be

just one blade (like a razor blade double lift). Saliva is perfect

for the task, as it functions wonderfully as razor blade glue (yes,seriously).

Now, roll the attached dental floss into a small, compact ball,

and stick it right to the bottom of the razor packet. Here’s

where the waxed floss becomes a great advantage. The floss

will hold itself in place after you roll it up into a ball. It will

also stick nicely to the razor blade packet.

This two razor packet will be placed into the apple with the

floss-ball side of the razor closest to the apple (check out the

pic).

The remaining razor is to be slid into the apple next to the

first (packet of two), in such a way that it helps to hide what

little bit of the balled-up floss may be showing. Again, if you

need a visual reference, please go ahead and check out the

picture provided.

Next, remove a sharp razor from its dispenser, and use it to cut

off a small, thin, circular slice of apple. You now have a sort of

apple puzzle to put back together. Don’t worry if you’re not a

puzzle person, as this is a simple, one piece puzzle and


13/30


14/30

can be cut even shorter by dulling sets of razors in advanced on

non-gig days. I like to do this while watching TV, instead of

having to do it backstage. Often, in my street and close up

shows, I don’t have an area available to me in which to hide

away as I dull razors, and so I choose to dull entire packs ofrazors on my off-days.

The trick itself, is simple, visual, and stunning. However,

the true strength of this routine is the powerful, memorable

script. And so, before we get into the performance, let’s have a

look at the script. Every line has been carefully written to

include hypnotic statements, and fit with the principles of“stickiness”. Let’s have a look at it, and then discuss why the

script works so well.

The Script:

“ I love to read about urban legends. One of my favourites is

the one about kids finding sharp objects in their Halloweencandy. Have you heard about this? You may have even heard

that hospitals open up their x-rays to x-ray candy bags in the

hope of avoiding danger. It’s not true. Not one word. In fact,

only two children have been seriously harmed by eating

Halloween candy, and both where poisoned by a family

member… one as part of an insurance scam gone wrong, and

the other case, while solved, never revealed a motive. And what

have we learned kids? It’s ok to take candy from strangers…

it’s your family you’ve got to watch out for!

And if none of the Halloween candy myth is true, how did the

rumour get started? Allow me to tell you an eerily similar, yet

true tale of a man I’ve been reading about, named Albert

Walker. Albert lived in Texas, in the 70’s. He was well liked by


15/30

his neighbours. He seemed normal. He was well traveled and

quiet. Albert enjoyed tea and classical music. But there was

just something about Albert that wasn’t quite right. Somewhere

in his mind there was something wrong. Albert Walker was a

sick, disturbed man. Albert would entertain himself by hiding razor blades in

apples, strawberries, and plums… and then pass the fruit out to

the children who lived and played on his street. I found this

story interesting. After all, being a mentalist, it’s my job to

understand the mind; its stunning beauty, and terrifying power.

I started to wonder what it would be like to look into the eyes of

someone disturbed, and see their thoughts… to live inside their

head. It was late at night that I was reading this story. I fellasleep still holding the book. That night, I had a strange dream.

Not a nightmare, mind you… but a dream. A sick, disturbing…

yet somehow, alluring dream. Tonight, I’d like to share that

dream with you.”

The script does a couple of things for us, not the least of

which is solving problems number 1, 2, and 4 simultaneously.

We’ve just justified the act of eating razor blades, explained the

razor blade holder, and set the mood for a serious piece of

mentalism. Actually, the classic razor blade routine is more of

a magic effect, but go ahead and have a look at how the script

addresses it’s inclusion in a mentalism-themed show. That’s

another wonderful feature of the “Urban Legend” script. If

you’re performing a magic themed show, simply leave out the

line referring to mentalism.

Besides solving problems typically associated with the razor blade effect, and making the effect suitable for a mentalism act,

the script also does something else very important. It makes the

piece “sticky”. And just what does that mean? It means that the

script was designed to make the routine easy to remember,

providing memory pegs and adhering to the principles outlined


16/30

by Chip and Dan Heath in their book, “Made to Stick: Why

Some Ideas Survive and Others Die”. Let me suggest that you

go find this book and read it… twice. It will not only improve

your magic scripts, but will also help you in your marketing and

show sales. This tip is invaluable, but unfortunately, most willnot take the time or effort to study the book because it’s not a

“magic book”. That’s a shame.

Just so that you’re not confused…there is no such person as

Albert Walker (that I know of). I really just thought that the

name had a ring of authenticity to it.

On to the performance (finally)

After delivering the scripted monolog above, walk over to

the table which displays the apple. Pick the fruit up, and slowly

turn it, allowing the razors to come into view gradually. On

stage, the razors catch the spotlight quite nicely, sparkling and

shining to the back of the theatre. Because the script sets up the

audience’s expectations to see the razors, a slow turn of theapple creates a wonderful suspense and a satisfying visual pay-

off. Nail this slow turn just right, and you’ll send a shiver up

the spine of your audience. Mishandle this moment, and you’ll

be dropping the ball on a fantastic, theatrical moment in the

routine.

Now, remove the first razor blade. The first razor blade will

be the dulled single razor (not the sharp razor, and not the tied

razor packet). You’ll use this first razor to apparently slice a

piece off of the apple, “proving” that it’s sharp (the razor, not

the apple). You’ll actually be sliding the blade along the edges

of the apple slice we cut earlier. The apple slice will either fall

to the floor, or stick to the blade. Both scenarios perfectly


17/30

create the illusion of the blade actually cutting through the

apple.

Open your mouth, stick out your tongue, and stick the flat

side of the blade directly onto your tongue. You can let the blade hang there without fear of it falling, as your saliva will act

like a glue, keeping the blade displayed nicely. Retract the

blade into your mouth, and carefully use your tongue to tuck it

between your cheek and upper teeth. Even though the blade has

been dull, you’ll want to be very, very careful here. Move

slowly, and cautiously. There will be times that you will cut

yourself, no matter how careful you are… and trust me, it’s not

fun. If this happens during performance, don’t panic. Ifanything, the blood will look great during the final reveal.

You may now open your mouth and stick out your tongue to

show the razor is gone. It’s time for razor number two.

The situation so far is this: The audience has seen three

razor blades in the apple, the first of which has been proven

sharp and placed in your mouth. It will be natural for them to

now assume two things. First, they assume that all three blades

will end up in your mouth. Right? Secondly, they will assume

that all three blades are very sharp. Let’s go ahead and use

these assumptions to create some compelling theatre.

Carefully remove the sharp razor blade. Remember that it

was placed in the apple in such a way that we would be able to

easily identify it. This blade will not go into the mouth, but will

be used as a bluff to cause conflict within the routine, and toreinforce the assumption that the all of the razors are sharp. In

the process of removing the blade and bringing it closer to your

mouth, you will appear to have cut your finger on the blade and

drop it to the floor, wincing in pain. Don’t over act here. Think

about what it would be like if you actually nicked yourself on


18/30

the razor, and really dropped it out of reaction to the pain. Now

emulate this moment exactly for the second razor. You

obviously do not want to really cut your finger, so do be careful.

I can almost hear you thinking now, “Why use a sharp blade

if I’ll only be dropping it to the floor anyways?” The answer is

devious. The sharp razor is left on the floor until the end of theact. Anyone wishing to see or handle the blade after your show

will quickly realize how sharp the razors are. You may be

surprised at how many times an audience member wishes to see

the razor when all is said and done. Leaving a dull razor out

will ruin the magic, and give away your method. Do be careful

however that a careless spectator does not cut himself/herself

while examining the left over blade.

Razor number three:

The last razor, is actually a two razor packet, previously tied

together with floss. Remove the packet, covering the floss ball

at the bottom with your thumb as you display it to your

audience. Put this packet into your mouth and use your tongue

to position it so that the floss ball stuck to the back of the bladesis furthest into your mouth, while the non-floss side is closer to

your lips.

Onto The Floss:


19/30

Place the apple back onto your stand, and from the stand or

your pocket, grab the floss dispenser. Remove a strand the

same length as the one you used to tie the razor packet, and

ditch the dispenser again, back onto the table or into your pocket.

Begin to roll the floss between the fingers of your right hand

into a ball. The wax coating on the floss will help this process.

Now that it’s balled up into a little package, you can transfer the

ball from your right hand to your left, so that you can display it

to the audience on your left (actually, they can’t really see the

floss, as it’s so small… but that’s ok, for reasons you’llunderstand in a moment). Now, you’ll apparently want to show

the ball of floss to the audience on your right, but when you do,

you won’t actually be holding the ball at all… it’s a bluff. Go

ahead and perform a false transfer of the floss ball from your

left hand, to your right. Pretend to continue to “roll” the floss in

your right hand fingers, to give the impression that the ball is

actually in that hand. Hold the right hand up, as though

displaying the floss, and then mime the action of placing the

floss into your mouth. Holding out the actual ball of floss in

your left hand will not be a big deal, as it is smaller then a pea.

If you can’t yet hold out an item that small in finger palm

without worry or guilt… this booklet was not written for you.

It’s true; the floss never goes into your mouth. There’s no

need to put it there. Here’s why: The audience just watched

you put two sharp razor blades into your mouth, cleanly and

slowly. After such an extreme measure, why on earth wouldyou “fake” putting a small, harmless ball of dental floss into

your mouth? The audience will be least suspicious of this phase

because it’s the least dangerous. They are ready to accept that

floss is actually in your mouth without you going out of your

way to over-prove the fact. This is precisely the reason we


20/30

won’t go out of our way to “show both hands completely

empty”, or to actually display the ball of wax on our tongue.

Not only would these gestures be ridiculous and unnecessary,

but they would also jolt the audience right out of the experience

we’ve worked so hard to obtain (with the carefully designedscript, beautiful visuals, custom music, etc…) and put them

right back into “it’s all just a trick” mode. That’s not what we

want.

The Reveal:

The reveal is quite simple really. All that needs to be done isto allow the two-razor packet to protrude from your lips (still

masquerading as a single blade). Approach the packet with

your right hand (thumb on bottom, fingers on top), and in the

apparent action of pulling out the razor, push the bottom razor

of the packet back into your mouth with your thumb. A trial run

will prove just how simple this little move really is. Your hand

provides all the cover in the world, so don’t worry about

flashing… just do the move. You’ll be fine.

Continue now, pulling the first razor out of your mouth. The

floss strand will unravel, and your audience will become aware

that the razor is actually tied to the floss.

The Swing Move:

Calling this a move may be a bit of a stretch honestly.

Simply tilt your head down, and let go of the razor, allowing it

to swing from right to left two or three times. The reason I’ve

given this its own heading is because it is important in proving

that the razor just pulled out of your mouth is actually tied to the


21/30

floss. The swing also allows those in the back of the room to

clearly see the razor blade and understand the effect.

Swinging the blade in front of your body allows the blade to

catch some spot light, and creates a nice visual. The move isnot important to the method of the effect, but does play a role in

the theatre aspect of the routine and should not be left out under

any circumstance.

Producing the Final Blade:

Nice and easy. Let the blade slide out in between your lips,holding it flat… as though it where sharp. Clip the blade in

your teeth, opening your lips to show the razor between the

teeth. Reach up with your empty hand and cleanly remove the

second blade from your mouth. As you bring the blade out of

your mouth, raise the hand (with the razors) up in an applause

cue position, and accept your applause.

The Clean Up Methods:

You may have noticed that you have the extra blade still

hiding between your gums and cheek You won’t want to leave

it there all night, as it can be uncomfortable… so you have a

few options available to you. If you are using Urban Legend to

close your show, you could hold the razor out as you take your

bow and leave the stage. You could also use the napkin to ditchthe extra razor. Here’s how:

Pick up the napkin to apparently wipe away some blood or

saliva. As the napkin covers your mouth, go ahead and spit out


22/30

the blade, hiding it in the napkin. Crumple up the napkin and

toss it off stage or into a pocket.

Another way of ridding yourself of the last blade is into a

glass of water. Have the glass on your table and pick it up to sipit after completing the routine. As you begin to drink from the

glass, manoeuvre the razor out of your mouth, and allow it to

slip into the glass. Viola… you are now razor-less. Practice

this a bit until you feel you can do it without drooling water

everywhere… because, that would not be sexy. When I work

on the street, I use a gatorade or powerade bottle to do the dirty

work for me. The wide mouth bottles take the width of the

razor without a problem, and the colored liquid hides the bladeeven in those close-up situations.

Oh, You’re Not Done Yet Buster:

So, you nailed the script and pulled off an awesome

presentation of “The Legend of Albert Walker”, and you think

your work here is done huh? Well I’ve got news for you. Youstill have some post show acting to do!

Ok, so this part is strictly optional, but it does add a little

something to your mystique, and comes recommended.

Chances are, especially if you are doing this close up, people

will be watching you as you walk away after performing this

routine. So why not take this opportunity to ham it up a little?

Feel free to walk away reaching for your gums, double checking

for blood… and using the napkin to dab your mouth and check

for cuts. People notice, trust me.

I’ve also been known to spatter a napkin with stage blood,

and bring it, with a razor filled apple out to the front of the


23/30

theatre after stage shows. I’ll snack on the apple as I thank

people for coming to the show. This little bit of extra theatre

gets people talking, and acts as a wonderful memory peg,

helping to brand your act into your spectator’s mind. In this

instance, the razor apple becomes a meme.

Yes, meme is a real word… and one you should know ifmarketing, publishing, or performing magic or mentalism.

You’ll definitely want to do a more in depth study of the term,

but for now, let me quickly explain the word for you. A meme,

is a picture that represents a thought. In this case, the apple acts

as a meme because the memorable site of the apple with razor

blades sticking out of it represents the idea of a popular urban

legend, and in turn, a portion of your show.

The Rule of Two?

I can almost hear you yelling at your computer screen,

“What about the rule of three!? Why not three blades?!” to

which I’d say, the rule of three is about the rhythm of a

performance, not about the number of props used. For instance,

the rule of three does not demand that we only use three cardsinstead of fifty two, or that we should use three half dollars for a

coins across instead of four, etc. “Urban Legend” does follow

the rule of three quite nicely. Think about it for a second. We

have an opening, a body (with conflict), and a powerful close.

There are three “beats” in the act… three segments which make


24/30

the routine flow. The rule of three should not dictate that we

use three blades, but rather that we pay attention to the cadence

of the presentation, which we have. So sit down and stop your

yelling.

Since we’re on the topic, let’s discuss my decision to use two

blades instead of six, ten, or one hundred. We’ll have a look at

my problem number three from earlier (problem number 3…

no, it’s not a coincidence). In fact, I’ll state it again so that you

don’t have to go searching back and forth through the text.

Problem number three is:

3.

“Number of razors “eaten”. I’ve always found this detailannoying. Is the performer trying to convince me that he

somehow tied together ten or more razor blades in his throat

in a matter of twenty seconds? Personally, I find this to be

the detail that turns strung razor blades from an amazing

stunt, to a clever trick, or a puzzle to be figured out. My goal

is to present strong magic, not clever tricks.

My first thought when looking at this routine was to swallow

a single razor, and the string (floss), and re-produce them

together with the string tied to the single blade. Simplicity is

king right? The problem with this initial thought was two-fold.

First, the routine would only play close up. In a larger stage

setting, people in the cheap seats would have difficulty

understanding what was happening. For that situation, it would

be better to do the swing move, helping them see and

understand what was happening. Secondly, the single razorwould be nearly impossible to do while still getting the clean

display of the razor on the tongue, before being pulled into the

mouth. In my mind, this is one of the stronger points of the

routine, and one I didn’t want to do without. After further

development of “Urban Legend”, I’ve realized retrospectively


25/30

that using a single blade would also not give us the opportunity

to create the drama of “cutting” our finger on the second blade.

Let’s Talk Soundtracks

Music can add a lot to your act. Music can infuse emotion,

and communicate ideas. It can also change the flow and pace of

pieces in your show. When setting out to find an appropriate

piece of music for “Urban Legend”, I had a few ideas in mindabout what I wanted to communicate to my audience. I needed

to have something a bit disturbing, to pull audiences to the edge

of their seats. The music had to compliment the twisted idea of

Albert Walker and his sick crimes. I put together a team of

people to help me out, and we experimented with a number of

different tracks.

We quickly came to the conclusion that the music was goingto have to be custom produced to get the feel we were looking

for. Here’s what we came up with:

1.

The track opens with a dark ambience… an indicator to

how dark the routine will be.

2.

Next, classical music runs in… something Albert Walker

would listen to. This is the audience’s invitation into

Albert’s world.

3.

Suddenly Albert begins to slip into his inner mind, or a

sick day dream. The classical music gets softer, and a

dream drone is introduced.

4.

As his dream gets more intense and the real world begins

to slip away gradually, Albert begins hearing voices. The


26/30

voices are only in his head, and sound demonic. The

voices are garbled, and can only be understood by Albert.

5.

As Albert begins to understand the voices in his head, he

reaches for the apple, and turns it to reveal the razors. A

metallic sounding pass is added for ambiance as the razorsare brought into view, catching the spotlight.

6.

Albert takes the blades, and begins swallowing them. The

music changes from dreamy, to a dark industrial/rock

driving beat. The contrast is unsettling. Just like the

image of a person swallowing razors.

7.

Albert seems to be jolted back to reality and the dream

quickly fades out with a rush.

8.

The classical music finishes, but a dark sweeping soundreminds us that Albert is still a very sick individual.

The final product is what you have here in the package. The

time runs almost five minutes. I’m very happy with the way it

turned out, but it will not fit into everyone’s show, just as the

script will not be appropriate for everyone’s character. Have a

listen and carefully consider how will play (or not play) in your

act. If you don’t feel it fits, leave it out… it’s better to do

without the track (or select one of your own) then to force it into

your show.

I’d like to just stop here for a second to thank the team that

helped me out. Richard Lavengood is an American member of

“Psycrets” and a dear friend. He sat through a number of gigs

to critique “Urban Legend” and monitor the audience for their


27/30

response (it gets tough seeing people’s reactions with a spot

light in your face).

Jay Pollack worked for years on Disney’s “Beauty and the

Beast”, and now a small production company of his own. Jayhelped with the dream sequence concept, which really made the

piece.

Jay Ungar is author of “Bringing Magic to Life”, and Magic

School Guru extraordinaire. He’s also a fantastic guy, and

scripting genius. So when piecing together the soundtrack, I

went to Jay for his opinion on the feel of the music. His advice

was invaluable.

So What About Close Up and Street?

I’m glad you asked! “Urban Legend” plays great in both

close up and street situations (and yes, they are different

venues). Now, obviously, you won’t be able to play the routine

impromptu or while walking around the cocktail party. Thatdoesn’t however mean that it won’t play close up. After all,

there’s more to close up magic then just walk around. While it

wouldn’t be convenient or intelligent to walk around with an

apple stuffed with sharp razor blades in your pocket, the props

are small enough to play in formal close up shows, or even

behind the bar. In fact, the clean displays, and angle-free

sleights make it ideal for even surrounded close up shows.

Also, don’t be afraid to bring your ipod, and let the soundtrack

rip if you find yourself in a formal close up venue; as today’s

technology makes adding music to your close up shows not only

possible, but quite easy.


28/30

On the street, razors stop people in their tracks. I use this

routine quite often when performing on the streets of Hartford,

CT. There, the city pays me to entertain on their beautiful River

Walk as part of a yearly Arts Council program to bring

entertainment to the streets. Do keep in mind that the audiencesI perform for there are adult audiences, often corporate

employees on lunch break, walking the river… that said, I

would never, ever perform “Urban Legend” for a crowd

consisting of children. During the “street” season, I prep my

razors the night before, and set up apples (three or four at a

time) in my case at the start of my day. If you do this, be sure to

use the freshest apples available, as older apples tend to oxidize

faster. (See the “Time Out” in the set up section above).

In Conclusion:

“The legend of Albert Walker” has been my baby, and my

show stopper for several years now. It’s been the highlight of

my bar act (at a venue I’ve performed weekly for over eightyears), and the closer of my Monday Night Magic routine in

New York. It’s gotten me more work, publicity, and reputation

then any other routine I’ve ever performed… and now, it’s

yours. I’ve decided to not only release the idea of the routine,

but the word for word script, my custom produced soundtrack,

and even my post show acting bits. It’s all here. Use it, respect

it, and it will work for you too. Please remember though, razor

blades are sharp. Even “dull” razors can cut you and cause

serious injury. If you decide to perform this routine, you do so

at your own risk. There will be times that you cut yourself… be

warned.


29/30

I’d like to thank a bunch of people who’ve helped me out

with this routine. People who generously offered their advice

not because they where paid, or promised credits, but because

they love magic as much as I do and cared enough about it to

help me and my show. I am very deeply appreciative. Those people include (in no particular order): Peter Samelson, David

Oliver, Todd Robbins, Mark Thompson, Michael Wald, Jay

Ungar, Jay Pollock, Richard Lavengood, Jamy Ian Swiss, Paul

Vigil, and Michael Lauck. It seems as though every time any

of us get together and talk magic, this routine comes up (my

fault…) and their advice makes the piece better and better.

Lastly, I’d like to thank you for not pirating this material.

“Urban Legend” has taken me many years to develop, with the

help of a bunch of very talented people, and it would be a shame

to have my work (and theirs) disrespected and treated like cheap

garbage. Thank you very much for your interest in this routine.

I hope you are able to make it even better. If you do find

yourself improving on the work published here, please do e-

mail me at [email protected] I’d love to chat.

I sincerely thank you.

Michael Paul

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


30/30

Michael Paul - Urban Legend

Documents

Transcript of Michael Paul - Urban Legend