The Magical Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
For the last five and a half years I’ve been a producer of Atlanta Magic Night, a monthly magic, mentalism, and comedy show with a rotating cast of local and national performers. I get to perform and MC the show sometimes, but I am also one of the “on call” people if a booked performer has a problem. As it turned out, one of the performers booked for our January show contacted me to let me know he had been diagnosed with shingles. That meant that I was suddenly on the bill for Saturday, January 11. We had a pretty good pre-sale even though the weather was gloomy, so off I went to our venue partner, Atlanta’s venerable Red Light Cafe. The sky grew progressively darker as I drove there, loaded in, preset props, and did my sound check. Sure, a little rain, but everything was going just fine… until a loud crack of thunder introduced a torrential downpour. The flooded parking lot suddenly looked like a theme park flume ride. Despite the increasingly scary weather, we opened the house as people were arriving anyway, bringing news of traffic and power outages and other fun things. No worries, we had power and music and lights and food. Then, maybe 20 minutes before showtime, the entire complex went dark. Rather than panic, I went to the piano and started playing so that there was background music. I took some requests from people in the dark house. I continued to improvise and play and chat. A little after 8:00 PM, the manager asked me what we wanted to do. I suggested we give it another 30 minutes, and he agreed. I explained the situation to the people that were there. Then I also explained that rather than have them leave with no show, that we would try something unusual so even if they didn’t get a full program, they would get a really neat story to tell. We rearranged the chairs and tables to create a small performing space on the floor. People took out their phones and turned on their flashlights. And there, in a dark club, with multiple LED spotlights, I performed a close-up magic show that nobody there will ever forget. I know I won’t. One of the club’s owners is also a tech for the Atlanta Opera. She has seen hundreds of performers, performances, technical glitches, entertainers, bands, and live theatre situations. Her comment on the night? “I have no idea how you pulled that together — entertaining those people during a power outage. You pulled it off, and I’m impressed. Seriously, one of the finer things I’ve witnessed. You’re on the list!” Ellen Claire Mills Our emcee for the evening was a local attorney who does magic on the side. When he sent the photo you see here, he also shared a comment that was inspirational to me: “This was beautiful. This is what magic is about. You are a riveting performer Joe, and a connector of thoughts and people.” (Thank you, Chris!) Sometimes “stuff” happens. You either can let an unpleasant, complicated, challenging situation stop you cold, or you can let it push you to create an #amazing experience for your audience even in the midst of the storm. And that’s something useful that we can learn from the magical night the lights went out in Georgia. Epilogue We sent everyone home. I packed everything away by flashlight. As I packed the last item into my case, the power came back on. Some things are simply meant to be.
Atlanta Magic Night Celebrates 4 Years of Wonder
Atlanta Magic Night Celebrates 4 Years of Wonder City’s Longest-Running Magic/Mentalism Show Continues to Amaze ATLANTA – April 17, 2018 — Atlanta’s longest-running magic and mentalism show, Atlanta Magic Night, celebrates its four-year anniversary on May 5, 2018 at 8:00 PM at the Red Light Café in midtown. The show was launched in May 2014 and is produced by comedian Jerry Farber (https://jerryfarberscomedy.com), mentalist Mark Johnson (https://www.markjohnsonspeaks.com), and magician/mentalist Joe M. Turner (https://turnermagic.com). Farber is an Atlanta entertainment legend whose former comedy club, Jerry Farber’s Side Door, was the show’s original venue. “These guys really made it happen,” says Farber. “They’re top shelf performers and there was never a doubt in my mind that they’d connect with audiences.” Johnson, a mentalist, author, and communication consultant, originally approached Farber about putting together a team to produce a show. Said Johnson, “When we started there was no ongoing venue for live magic anywhere in Atlanta. We changed that, and the success of Atlanta Magic Night has been deeply rewarding. Not only do we have terrific shows, we also have a growing community of people who are seeing professional magic. And we couldn’t have done it without the early support of Jerry Farber. He has helped us so much along the way.” Turner, a magician, mentalist, and professional conference keynoter, previously produced a one-man show, Shenanigans, in Atlanta from 2005 to 2008. “Producing a show can become an all-consuming task,” he said. “Working with Jerry and Mark made it not just more efficient, but also just plain fun. I think the vibe of the show, and really the whole brand, reflects that. It’s funny, even a little irreverent, but always coming through with an impossible magical experience. And it’s clear the city wanted that experience, because we are consistently selling out. The Red Light Cafe has been a fantastic venue for us and we are grateful.” The show features a different line-up of magicians and mentalists each month. The anniversary show on May 5 will feature Johnson, Turner, Paul Sponaugle, Howie Marmer, with a planned guest appearance by Farber. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.com, RedLightCafe.com, and AtlantaMagicNight.com. Contact Atlanta Magic Night | Joe M. Turner, Producer
Whether in Magic or Branding, the Tools Are Not the Art
Whether in Magic or Branding, the Tools Are Not the Art What do arcane arguments over magic tricks or other performing arts have to do with your brand and your branding? Read on! In the field of sleight-of-hand magic, seemingly innocuous conversations can sometimes bubble over into a rage over the most unlikely topics. Inexperienced performers will flock to social media wondering what trick they should try to learn, and then become irate when a hundred answers are given. Intermediate performers and even some experienced pros will rant about “the best” move to use to accomplish a given task, sometimes becoming adamant that no other version is even worth knowing. I once actually received a phone call asking why I reviewed a product for magicians in a magazine and thought slightly better of it than another reviewer with another set of criteria in another magazine. (How could it be that two people have non-identical points of view on a product? He was legitimately mystified that reviewers could have a range of opinion.) There seems to be something about magicians that presupposes the existence of an ultimate answer to a question of “What’s the best?” What is the trick to replace all tricks? What is the move to replace all moves? What is the prop to replace all props? Basically, what is the one ring to rule them all… and make me a star in the process? Similar arguments rage elsewhere. What’s the best monologue, or audition etude, or ballet slipper? It’s difficult to imagine, but yes, there are even arguments over “the best” song to sing. Some songs, monologues, slippers, or sleight-of-hand moves may be more appropriate, more efficient, more realistic, or better constructed, but the answer of what’s “the best” is usually a distraction from harder questions: Who is in my audience? What do I want them to think about this experience? How do I want them to feel? What action do I want them to take as a result? How will I use this song, monologue, ballet slipper, or magic trick to have the greatest possible impact on my audience given my current skills? But What About Branding? Many entrepreneurs and small businesses get caught up in the same kinds of details. How many Twitter followers do I have? How many people like my Facebook page? What is “the best” subject line for an email? What is “the best” time to post on social media? What is “the best” format for a direct mail piece? It can be tempting to focus on these kinds of questions because these variables can be measured, changed, argued about, and give one a sense that “I’m doing something.” But one thing I’ve learned as I’ve bounced up, down, and sideways through the mistakes I’ve made in my own business is that no amount of “doing something” is a substitute for doing what needs to be done. Looking for “the best” solution is only meaningful once you understand who you are, who your audience is, and what you want to accomplish in your relationship with them. The questions artists must ask apply to you, too! Who is in my audience? What do I want them to think about this experience? How do I want them to feel? What action do I want them to take as a result? How will I use this [web site, social media account, mail campaign, advertisement, marketing event] to have the greatest possible impact on my audience given my current skills? Once you have those questions in mind, you can evaluate what is “best” in advancing toward that goal in the same way that great performers choose their repertoire: they know what fits them, their character, and their message.
Branding, Engagement, and the Limits of Applause
Branding, Engagement, and the Limits of Applause There is nothing quite like the sound of applause, but strong brands and strong leaders remember that applause is temporary. To build a lasting relationship and have a lasting impact requires more than the fleeting expression of momentary approval. Those more significant outcomes require brand engagement. “What is it that we’re living for? Applause, applause!” Applause (1970) by Lee Adams & Charles Strouse “There must be more to life than this.” Freddie Mercury, 1982 Brand Engagement Brand engagement is the ongoing process of building a connection between a person and a brand. In theatrical terms, it is the unfolding of a story that involves both characters – both listen, both take action, both respond to what happens, and both are involved in the scenes. Engagement can be built in different ways. It can start with that applause, or approval, when the awareness of your brand creates an initial positive response. It can grow when a conversation takes place between the brand leader and the consumer, or the artist and the audience. It can deepen when you provide multiple opportunities for your audience to participate in branded experiences, relating to your brand and talking about it with others. All of these elements must be consistent with the overall story that your brand is telling, and the promise that your brand is making to everyone who encounters it. Pursuing brand engagement can feel like a neverending quest for Twitter followers, Facebook likes, or blog comments. All of these can be useful metrics in certain circumstances, but as Robert Passikoff explained in Forbes, it’s important to realize that engagement with your communication tools or methods is not quite the same thing as engaging with your brand. After all, some people love to go to the theatre even when they don’t care for the play. Interacting with the Brand It is easy for a brand to become a permanent monologue. We have hundreds or thousands of things we want our audiences to understand about our product, whether it’s a retail product or something else, like our art, or our leadership vision, or any other idea we wish to share. And sometimes a monologue can be a strong dramatic experience, so it has a place in the overall texture of the play. But don’t leave the other characters out of the scene too long – they may find another theatre where they can get some stage time, too! Most of my brand’s interaction happens on the Facebook and Twitter pages, and in person at events. I can tell that my brand has engaged with a large part of my audience because they think of my brand when they encounter other providers in my sector. When people in my audience watch television, go to a movie, or see something floating around online – if it involves magic, I will frequently get dozens of emails or shares asking me if I’ve seen it. Those interactions come via Facebook, Twitter, or email, but in all cases they indicate that I have ownership of the “magic” brand for them. What are you experiencing in your own business that lets you know that your brand has traction and engagement? What are you going to do now to increase that engagement?
Branding, Acting, and the Given Circumstances
Branding, Acting, and the Given Circumstances Sometimes we talk about the art of acting as if it were somehow dishonorable, and about nothing but lying and ego. But the reality is that great acting is about the truth, and understanding that can affect the way you make decisions about your brand and your real life responses to change and challenge. In my college acting days, I read A Practical Handbook for the Actor by Melissa Bruder et al. This little book transformed my approach to acting by boiling down much of the Sanford Meisner technique into its most accessible components. It dispensed with a lot of the esoteric emotional exercises and helped focus the actor on the questions at the heart of any scene. Who are these characters, and what do they want? In providing a way to answer those questions, the book first introduced me to a formulation of Meisner’s definition of acting, and it has stuck with me ever since. Generic Viagra https://www.wolfesimonmedicalassociates.com/viagra/ In short, acting is the art of living truthfully within given circumstances. The Given Circumstances In the theatre, the given circumstances can include the words of the script; the choices of the director with regard to blocking, style, and characterization; and the physicality of the set, costumes and props. Sometimes the director chooses to be flexible and allow changes to the given circumstances, but sometimes they are solid boundaries. The magic of acting, though, is that there is nearly infinite room for creativity and expression even within what may seem heavily constraining limits. In fact, some of the most memorable moments on film were improvisations by actors who, in character, reacted most honestly and authentically to changes in their given circumstances. From Jack Nicholson’s “Here’s Johnny!” in The Shining to Dustin Hoffman’s “I’m walking here!” in Midnight Cowboy, there are numerous film examples of amazing, high-impact moments created by actors committed to their purpose and the authenticity of their reactions. Accutane online https://advicarehealth.com/accutane.html In the past couple of weeks, I’ve watched several friends encounter difficult changes in their given circumstances, including lost jobs, problems with children, and the loss of their spouses. Other friends have had happy changes including signing new contracts, landing huge new clients, and having children – or in some cases, grandchildren! All of them will make new choices and they will take new actions as a result of the changed circumstances. Regardless of the nature of the changed circumstances, though, the actions they take will illustrate who they really are. What are their core values? What is, ultimately, their personal brand all about? Authentic Actions Illustrate Character In the same way that people illustrate their values and personal brands through their actions in changing circumstances, so also do organizations and corporate brands. Sometimes the changing circumstances are a function of the economy, or technology, or a change of leadership. Sometimes the new circumstances are a function of a crisis brought on by a customer service or public relations misstep. That there will be changes in the given circumstances is inescapable. That we deliver insights to our audiences by how we perform in the given circumstances is undeniable. Human beings instinctively process stories and characters based on the actions they take as the plot unfolds. Authentically motivated, value-driven responses to changing circumstances are the hallmark of top performers, whether on-stage or in the market. We are all actors because we all take action. When you act with authenticity that is driven by your goals and values, and you will captivate and amaze your audience.
