Magic Circus
These Magic Circus shows feature internationally renowned magician Mark Wilson, his lovely partner Nani Darnell Wilson, their son budding illusionist Greg Wilson, Bev Bergeron as Rebo the Clown, announcer Paul Frees, and “Poppin’ Fresh,” the famous Pillsbury Doughboy, who interacts with Mark in especially produced wrap-around commercial sketches. Also on these DVDs, you will see the complete acts of DAI VERNON, SHIMADA, JAY MARSHALL, RICO, CARL BALLANTINE, and ART METRANO.
(The guest circus acts have been edited out so that each show is a magical spectacular.) |
Magic Circus Shows 1 & 2
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The opener on this first MAGIC CIRCUS Show is THE GILDED CAGE, in which three beautiful girls magically appear in a golden cage high above the studio audience. Then we see Mark performs his renowned SUCKER EGG TRICK, and Rebo rides in on a live ELEPHANT, which Mark impossibly causes to VANISH in full view of the cameras and the audience.
The lovely Nani Darnell joins Mark for their rendition of Mark’s version of the impossible NANI DIVIDED IN HALF. This is preceded by the first and only television presentation of Alan Wakeling’s incredible GORILLA CRUSHING, featuring Nani on the flying trapeze, who inexplicably vanishes as she is being crushed by a 400 pound gorilla! Mark follows with several sleight of hand effects performed with the audience all around, followed by a beautiful ASRAH LEVITATION with Nani vanishing in mid-air and then magically reappearing in the STACK OF BOXES! The grand finale is the classic SHOOTING A GIRL FROM A CANNON to an empty base drum suspended high in air incorperating several improvements by Alan Wakeling and John Gaughan. The second MAGIC CIRCUS begins with MARK WILSON’S parts being assembled from a collection of boxes stacked individually, while completely surrounded by the audience. Having appeared, Mark performs several sleight of hand effects, leading into the classic LADY TO LEOPARD illusion. Still surrounded, Mark and Nani present what was then the first US performance of Robert Harbin’s ZIG-ZAG Illusion. Now it’s A RECIPE FOR BEAUTY, an original illusion featuring an ENCHANTED OVEN on which Mark magically combines the ingredients beauty, love and just a touch of jealousy to create the enchanting Nani. Mark performs his version of the Split Deck and a fast-paced series of DOVE PRODUCTIONS and VANISHES, which leads in to the program’s climactic finish, the début performance of Alan Wakeling’s creation, the dangerous, “underwater” AQUARIAN ILLUSION. This spectacular mystery was later used to close Mark’s Las Vegas shows in the giant showroom at the Hilton Hotel to standing room only audiences. |
Magic Circus Shows 3 & 4
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MAGIC CIRCUS Show 3 opens with Mark’s original FLYING CRYSTAL BOX, which produces the equally magical Nani Darnell.
Then Mark performs a clever color silk transposition, and Rebo assists Mark and Nani in the first US televised performance of Robert Harbin’s puzzling TOPSY-TURVEY CABINET. Now a close-up card effect is seen from a unique overhead perspective and Mark performs THE PROFESSOR’S NIGHTMARE with a volunteer from the studio audience. Everyone is amazed when the lovely Nani is divided into four parts in Alan Wakeling’s revolutionary version of a classic illusion, which Mark calls THE WORLD’S LARGEST CARD TRICK. There are many laughs as Mark performs the EGG BAG with two children from the audience. Now we witness the only televised performance of another new illusion, the remarkable MOTLEY MAN, in which a comic character is instantly costumed in four comically contrasting types of wardrobe, all selected by members of the audience. The finale of the show, THE ENCHANTED PRINCESS , is a spectacular presentation of Mark’s SCIMITAR SUSPENSION never seen before and now featured in Jim Steinmeyer book “The Magic of Alan Wakeling.” In MAGIC CIRCUS show 4 Mark Wilson, surrounded by the audience, magically brings a large DOLL TO LIFE by assembling the Irish Washer Woman’s parts and winding her up with a giant key. Then the cast dances with the now animated toy lady and then she is taken apart to show that their is no one inside to make her move! We see how Mark makes easy money by turning PAPER TO REAL BILLS. Then he performs several BUNNY and DUCK PRODUCTIONS. In the next illusion, lovely Nani Darnell is penetrated by more than 30 electric light bulbs in the classic PANEL OF LIGHT. Now Mark and son Greg Wilson perform a delightful tandem BILLIARD BALL MANIPULATION; which is 6-year-old Greg’s first television appearance! Next in the WALL OF GLASS , a baffling mystery created by Alan Wakeling, Nani amazingly penetrates a fully-examined sheet of glass while surrounded by the audience. Then is Mark’s RISING CARDS and GIANT CARD FOUNTAIN. Later this was taught by Mark to Bill Bixby for the “Magician” series. Next, Mark and Nani début, for the first time on television, Robert Harbin’s ASSISTANT’S REVENGE. Finally, Mark and Nani present one of magic’s most baffling illusions, originally created by Carl Owen, first performed by Howard Thurston and later improved by James Aubrey, THE GIRL WITHOUT A MIDDLE. |
Magic Circus Shows 5 & 6
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The Fifth MAGIC CIRCUS Special is titled “MAGIC WITH A PAST” and features magic history though the ages. In the first dazzling mystery, Master Magician Mark Wilson performs his legendary transposition, WHERE IS MARK?, in which he instantly vanishes from the stage and reappears watching the show from the audience!
Following some excellent sleight-of-hand, the Wilsons then present their most famous illusion, the ALLAKAZAM TRAIN. Here we see the impossible, as engineer Nani is divided into two parts in a miniature steam engine, and then happily restored. Equally amazing is “SUSPENSION DIMENSION,” an exquisite version of the Harbin Levitation, as Mark floats the mesmerized Nani high in the air in full view of the audience. Based on Dante’s original mystery, apparently explaining an illusion, young Greg Wilson and Mark take the viewers BACKSTAGE WITH A MAGICIAN, with a surprising climax. For the grand finale, Mark and Nani present their famed CANVAS COVERED PACKING CASE ESCAPE, in which, whiled surrounded by the audience, a wooden box is built on stage by two union carpenters and enclosed in a tight canvas cover. Then comes an amazing “TRANSFIGURATION,” which you must see to believe. Show 6, the Final MAGIC CIRCUS Special opens with the television debut of the puzzling GROWING ILLUSION, in which son Greg Wilson opens the show and then magically “grows up” and becomes Mark. Now comes Mark’s famous BILL IN LEMON routine, as he has performed it throughout the world. This precedes the charming Nani being mysteriously “misfiled,” which is the first US performance of Robert Harbin’s LITTLE BY LITTLE illusion, which has evolved into Mark’s baffling MAGICIAN’S FILE CABINET. Rapid-fire DOVE and SWORD PRODUCTIONS follow, and then Mark’s son Greg returns to the center ring to perform his first solo illusion on television, a miniature version of the DOLL HOUSE with a surprising finish. Now comes magical guest RICO performing elegant magic with silks and candles. Then Mark and Nani present the miraculous COSTUME TRUNK, featuring one of the most beautiful magic props ever made, designed by Alan Wakeling and built by John Gaughan. Mark’s sleight of hand highlights his COLOR-CHANGING KNIFE routine, which Mark has carried in his pocket since he was 13 years old, shot from many impossible angles. And now we are treated to a powerful mystery designed by Alan Wakeling, the sensational “COSMIC RAY ILLUSION” in which Nani Darnell vanishes instantly from between two sets of sharp spikes. After showing the device completely empty, just as amazingly Nani reappears for her final bow. |
Magic Circus Collection
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