Reviews of Chicago Surprise
MAGIC Magazine
"I have long been impressed by Whit Haydn's abilities as a performer. In recent years, I have become impressed by his skills as a writer and a magical theorist. Whit uses all these abilities to fine effect in The Chicago Surprise, a treatise on Whit's handling of the Chicago Opener...
"...Whit Haydn has turned the trick every way but loose. Whit has not only strengthened the sell of this trick, he has added a very important out, which I'll discuss in a moment. The addition of this alternative procedure means that the trick comes to a strong, satisfying, and baffling conclusion no matter what actions the assisting spectator takes...
"...Whit has not only provided a thorough write-up of his routine, including all the patter and the psychology behind each moment, he has also used The Chicago Surprise as a vehicle to discuss several interesting theoretical points, including essays on The Suspension of Disbelief, Humor, Theater, and Acting, and Patter and Misdirection. I don't immediately agree with some of Whit's points, but his essays did what they were meant to do: They started me thinking. Regardless of whether I come around to his point of view, I have begun to evaluate my own approach to magical performance in light of the suggestions he has offered. Even if you never perform The Chicago Surprise you will get your money's worth from the theoretical information. Whit has also included a bonus routine, his patter for the classic Dai Vernon effect the Brainwave Deck.
"The Chicago Surprise meets all my criteria for what a superior magic product should be: 1) an audience-tested, professional-caliber routine, 2) well written, 3) both handling and theoretical information (in other words, the how and the why) are included. Many professionals use Whit's routine. I'm sure you're going to want to as well."
--Michael Close, Marketplace, MAGIC Magazine, October 2001
Genii Magazine
"...But what is truly marvelous about this booklet is that while it is focused around a single card trick, the book is 35 pages, and I don't consider an inch of the text as filler. The detailed description and theoretical analyses will not only allow you to master this trick and extract all of its entertainment and mystery potential, but present much broader concepts that may serve to inform all of your close-up work in the future.
"Mr. Haydn's theories are somewhat off the mainstream in some areas, but I must say that I heartily agree with much of what he has to say, albeit not all. Agreement or not, however, Mr. Haydn presents his ideas with clarity and bold argument, and make a compelling case, no matter how new some of these ideas will be to you (and many of them will be new I promise you). Mr. Haydn takes an uncompromising approach to the impact that he wishes to achieve with his magic, and the precise mental state he hopes to induce in his spectators. This aspect of his approach I enthusiastically endorse. The author argues--as has Jim Steinmeyer and Teller, among others--that there is no suspension of disbelief in magic, but rather we wish to cut off that line of mental escape, rather placing the spectator on the horns of a dilemma, namely that 'There is no such thing as magic/There is no other explanation.' This is a challenging and perhaps even aggressive stance, but I agree it is the goal of effective magic. In order to achieve it, Mr. Haydn speaks of 'constructing an argument' and eventually, with sufficient persuasion, achieving the spectator's mental agreement with that argument, until they are eventually trapped in a 'logical conundrum. The result of this is a peculiar mental excitation--a burr under the saddle of the mind. If the operation is performed correctly, the patient will not be able to ignore the problem, but will keep coming back to it again and again.'
"Amen, brother.
"...Be that as it may, I certainly agree, and have in fact written almost identically, when Mr. Haydn suggests that if the performer 'does not fool the audience at some point and create the experience of magic, he is not a magician. He may be an entertainer, he may even be an artist, but he is not a magician.' Finally, the author, after discussing the use of Patter asMisdirection, provides as a bonus his presentation for the Brainwave Deck. You might just put it to instantaneous use. This entire manuscript is a marvelous piece of work, and if it does not cause you much thought about magic, then something is terribly wrong."
--Jamy Ian Swiss, Books, Genii Magazine, November 2001
"I have long been impressed by Whit Haydn's abilities as a performer. In recent years, I have become impressed by his skills as a writer and a magical theorist. Whit uses all these abilities to fine effect in The Chicago Surprise, a treatise on Whit's handling of the Chicago Opener...
"...Whit Haydn has turned the trick every way but loose. Whit has not only strengthened the sell of this trick, he has added a very important out, which I'll discuss in a moment. The addition of this alternative procedure means that the trick comes to a strong, satisfying, and baffling conclusion no matter what actions the assisting spectator takes...
"...Whit has not only provided a thorough write-up of his routine, including all the patter and the psychology behind each moment, he has also used The Chicago Surprise as a vehicle to discuss several interesting theoretical points, including essays on The Suspension of Disbelief, Humor, Theater, and Acting, and Patter and Misdirection. I don't immediately agree with some of Whit's points, but his essays did what they were meant to do: They started me thinking. Regardless of whether I come around to his point of view, I have begun to evaluate my own approach to magical performance in light of the suggestions he has offered. Even if you never perform The Chicago Surprise you will get your money's worth from the theoretical information. Whit has also included a bonus routine, his patter for the classic Dai Vernon effect the Brainwave Deck.
"The Chicago Surprise meets all my criteria for what a superior magic product should be: 1) an audience-tested, professional-caliber routine, 2) well written, 3) both handling and theoretical information (in other words, the how and the why) are included. Many professionals use Whit's routine. I'm sure you're going to want to as well."
--Michael Close, Marketplace, MAGIC Magazine, October 2001
Genii Magazine
"...But what is truly marvelous about this booklet is that while it is focused around a single card trick, the book is 35 pages, and I don't consider an inch of the text as filler. The detailed description and theoretical analyses will not only allow you to master this trick and extract all of its entertainment and mystery potential, but present much broader concepts that may serve to inform all of your close-up work in the future.
"Mr. Haydn's theories are somewhat off the mainstream in some areas, but I must say that I heartily agree with much of what he has to say, albeit not all. Agreement or not, however, Mr. Haydn presents his ideas with clarity and bold argument, and make a compelling case, no matter how new some of these ideas will be to you (and many of them will be new I promise you). Mr. Haydn takes an uncompromising approach to the impact that he wishes to achieve with his magic, and the precise mental state he hopes to induce in his spectators. This aspect of his approach I enthusiastically endorse. The author argues--as has Jim Steinmeyer and Teller, among others--that there is no suspension of disbelief in magic, but rather we wish to cut off that line of mental escape, rather placing the spectator on the horns of a dilemma, namely that 'There is no such thing as magic/There is no other explanation.' This is a challenging and perhaps even aggressive stance, but I agree it is the goal of effective magic. In order to achieve it, Mr. Haydn speaks of 'constructing an argument' and eventually, with sufficient persuasion, achieving the spectator's mental agreement with that argument, until they are eventually trapped in a 'logical conundrum. The result of this is a peculiar mental excitation--a burr under the saddle of the mind. If the operation is performed correctly, the patient will not be able to ignore the problem, but will keep coming back to it again and again.'
"Amen, brother.
"...Be that as it may, I certainly agree, and have in fact written almost identically, when Mr. Haydn suggests that if the performer 'does not fool the audience at some point and create the experience of magic, he is not a magician. He may be an entertainer, he may even be an artist, but he is not a magician.' Finally, the author, after discussing the use of Patter asMisdirection, provides as a bonus his presentation for the Brainwave Deck. You might just put it to instantaneous use. This entire manuscript is a marvelous piece of work, and if it does not cause you much thought about magic, then something is terribly wrong."
--Jamy Ian Swiss, Books, Genii Magazine, November 2001