Wrap up

I don't know if anyone is reading this, but my show opened and closed.  We had great success, relatively speaking.  Three shows were scheduled and two were sold out.  We added a fourth. 

Thanks.

Cups and Balls

Show opens in two days. I'm almost ready....

In the meantime, here are some dreams interpreted once again by Spiegelvogel.


Cups and Balls

Now!

I'm pleased to announce that my performance therapist, Dr. Geunther Spigelvogel, will interpret dreams in my upcoming Fringe show, Man of Mystery. For a sample of his magnificent interpretive insight, visit "Fred's Dreams" by clicking the "Now!" link below:

Now!

Here's Melvin Burkhart

In one segment of my show, Man of Mystery, I'll discuss my experiences as a magician at the Coney Island Sideshow.  As you might imagine, I met some interesting people.

Photo:  Scott Helfrich

This is Melvin Burkhart, the Anatomical Wonder.  He's also the man who grows, the man who breathes through one lung at a time, and as you see here, the two-faced man.  He smiles on one side of his face while frowning on the other.  Take out a piece of paper and try this:  Cover the side of his face on your right and he's a smiling man.  Then, cover the other side and he's cranky.  "I can be mad and glad all at the same time!" he used to say to slack-jawed viewers.

I joined the show for three weeks in '89 when Melvin, then age 80, was recovering from an illness.  I couldn't do all the things he could do, but at least I could cover the magic act.  Melvin retired the following year, and I joined the show in the summer of '90.  I only knew Melvin for a couple of weeks, but he was a master in his field; he was written up by Robert Ripley on two occasions, toured with a number of sideshow organizations, and changed the way people would perform "The Human Blockhead" act.

What's a human blockhead?  He drives nails, icepicks, and twenty penny spikes into the center of his head with a hammer and yet he lives to laugh and joke about it.  Absolutely real, or your money back!

Magic at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

Here is a video taken by the fabulous Nicole Kline at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens.  The magic is real, but the sweat is an illusion.

Video Dream

In my weekly dream column I have tried something new:  a video dream interpretation.  My very funny brother-in-law, Eric, plays my performance therapist, Dr. Spiegelvogel.

Video Dream up on When Falls the Coliseum

Vital Stats

The good folks at the Fringe put up my "vital stats" on their web page.  They're my responses to a little survey.  You can check it out here:


Fred's Vital Stats

And just for fun, here is a picture of me from a magic catalogue, circa 1940.

Movie tab

I just created a new tab for movies.  The first ones give a preview of the sideshow section of my magical memoir, "Man of Mystery."  Click on the "movie" tab and enjoy.

Note:  This is what happens when someone tries to collapse a top hat that is not collapsible.

 

Garden Romp

This past weekend I had a chance to romp through Philadelphia's Magic Gardens with Nicole Kline, senior editor at "Gaming Target" and pal.  Her wonderful pictures will give you an idea of the astonishing venue at which I'll be performing my show, Man of Mystery, in September.  Romp with us:

The Boy Behind Bars

I am the boy behind bars. It's a detail from a picture taken in 1969 in a novelty photo booth on Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. If I look sort of dazed, it's because I had just seen "The Ape Girl," a sideshow attraction in which, as the loudspeaker said, "Satanya slowly changes before your very eyes; from a beautiful girl into a big... hairy... ugly go-rilla!" I was not a stupid child. I knew that a woman could not transform into a go-rilla. But that didn't stop me from being petrified.

That same weekend my father got me a gift of a magic deck in which each card could turn into the ace of spades. One card couldn't transform into another any more than a woman could transform into a go-rilla, but that didn't stop me from being obsessed. From around that time until today, over 40 years later, a day has never passed when I haven't thought about magic, performed magic, read about magic, or written about magic. I even dream about magic; but that will be the subject of a later post.

My show in the 2010 Philadelphia Fringe Festival is about a powerless boy who transforms into a man of mystery. I hope you come to see it.