The Magic in Live

The magician asked me to pick a card, write my name on it and shuffle it back into the deck. The next time I saw that card it was in a sealed bottle of Fiji water. If you know how he did it, don't tell me. I like to be tricked.

I like to watch magicians make things disappear. I don't want to know how the woman disappeared from a locked trunk or how the tiger disappeared from a box suspended over the stage. Of course, my liking to be tricked might explain why I buy things like anti-wrinkle creams.

Because I want to make my life magical, I buy new products that promise to remove stains, make clothes smell fresh and make furniture shine. Most of these products come in spray containers - which enable me to put the press into prestidigitation.

When I was a child, I was told please and thank you were magic words. I told my sons the same thing. I also told them to mind their P's and Q's. When my sons asked what P's and Q's were, I said pints and quarts. Before I could explain further, my older son said minding your P's and Q's meant drinking eight glasses of water a day.

A fairy godmother turned a pumpkin into a coach, an elephant flew, a girl was kissed awake by a prince - Walt Disney provided many magical moments - but they looked different to me as an adult. Bambi, Dumbo, The Lion King - why did so many mothers die? Why weren't there any evil stepfathers or wicked warlocks? I didn't want to think Walt Disney was a misogynist; but if anything had happened to Minnie, I would have thought he was a mouseogynnist.

Although I've never seen a female magician on stage, I see them every day. Instead of cutting ropes, they cut corners. Instead of pulling rabbits out of hats, they pull dinners out of microwaves. The card tricks are performed with credit cards and a man is cut in half with - well, that's called divorce.

Some professional magicians do tricks with silk scarves, others use metal rings; but they all use patter. Patter is the quick, glib speech they use to distract the audience from seeing how tricks are done. Not all tricks, however, are done on stage. Some are done on platforms. That's when the patter is campaign promises.

Charlie Chaplin;The Legend

Charlie Chaplin's comedy was rich in creativity and cleverness. His ability to make his audience laugh while touching universal chords of emotions was a rare gift. Perhaps his childhood made him sensitive to the thoughts of other people, or maybe his sad upbringing gave him the motivation to move beyond the limits of poverty. Whatever gave him the momentum to success in the entertainment industry was a blessing that caused millions to laugh with joyful abandon.

Chaplin was best known as the silent &quotLittle Tramp" clown but his fame came over a period of years. Born in London in 1889, he lived with his divorced mother who made a meager living by sewing. She suffered a series of mental breakdowns and was institutionalized on several occasions, leaving Charlie and his older brother, Sidney, to take care of themselves or to live in a government sponsored home.

When Chaplin was 9, he toured with a stage company and had his first taste of life upon the stage. He later took small acting jobs and toured with several troupes. He eventually toured the United States and decided to stay here in 1912. He joined the Keystone Film Studios and, as the expression goes, the rest is history.

At this point in time, it's as if someone fast-forwarded the film of his life. Chaplin had parts in nine movies in only two months. Although his parts were small, his star quickly rose with the introduction of his world-famous tramp character. However, he wasn't content to only act before the camera, he stepped behind the lens to direct as well. At age 25, he directed his first film, &quotTwenty Minutes of Love&quot. This began an interesting segment of his professional life, and one in which he began to combine pathos with comedy.

Chaplin's first full-length movie was &quotThe Kid" and this film secured him a place in history. It showcased his artistic ability and compensated him both financially and with a solid core of fans. Yet, he took a hard hit when he veered into serious fare with &quotA Woman of Paris&quot. By this time, Chaplin and comedy were synonymous and movie viewers didn't want him to change.

Satire was a comedic device used by Chaplin and was most evident in &quotThe Great Dictator" when he took on the dangerous ideas of Adolf Hitler. The German ruler must have appreciated the humorous exposure because it's believed he grew his signature mustache in imitation of Chaplin.

Chaplin's personal life experienced a number of ups and downs, and his failed marriages made news regularly. He was denied re-entry into the United States because of his Communist leanings, yet in that same time period, he was awarded the World Peace Council Prize.

Charlie Chaplin's life was complex, full of dark scenes and heightened emotions. From a childhood of poverty in England to a fortune made in the United States, this comedian perfected his craft with subtle actions and stinging satire. His audience readily accepted his humor because the themes were universal and the situations truly comical. Charlie Chaplin was larger than life and deserves to be a legend.