There is a wide range of documentaries that explore various aspects of the magical world, as well as the fascinating world of birds. These documentaries offer viewers an in-depth look into these subjects, providing valuable information and captivating visuals. Magic documentaries are often focused on illusionists and their tricks. They delve into the history, techniques, and psychology behind magical performances. Viewers can learn about famous magicians like David Copperfield, Houdini, and Dynamo, as well as witness incredible live performances that defy logic and explanation. These documentaries often reveal the secrets behind famous tricks, offering insight into how illusions are created and executed.

Steve Cohen Chamber Magic- Remarkable !

When Steve Cohen’s Uncle Nat first showed his six year-old nephew a “pocket trick” (close-up magic), the boy was intrigued. Instead of being told HOW the feat was accomplished, he was gifted a copy of the archaic 19 th Century volume Tricks with Cards. Young Steve would have to figure it out for himself. Captivation became determination. He did his first “act” at ten. Dogged study ran neck and neck with exposure to and then mentoring by professionals. At seventeen, he won the close-up category award from The International Brotherhood of Magicians. Steve Cohen had found his calling.

Often in demand elsewhere, The Millionaires’ Magician eventually established a weekend performance home at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where he spent 17 years bewildering the public. When his venue went under renovation, Cohen moved to the historic Madison Room at Lotte New York Palace. Here he offers a maximum of 60 people (each performance) the intimacy of 19 th century salon style presentation. The artist wears bespoke tails and stipulates his audience dress in cocktail attire. We all feel the sense of occasion.

There are no curtains, no tablecloths, no unusual props. When sightlines are obstructed, people stand and/or gather around a small table used as the show’s single surface. Cohen’s credo is not to let technique overshadow an effect. He’s immensely personable, wry, and quick on his feet. Humor comes easily. Adapting to wildly varied audiences is an integral part of the artist’s talent.

We start by writing our favorite drinks on file cards which are collected and passed in. Inimitable Card Tricks and The Illusive Silver Dollar (there’s a program) follow. The latter utilizes a battered porkpie hat to cover a Morgan dollar. Just when it seems like the effect is over, Cohen casually comments “You’d be more surprised if there was a brick underneath.” And there IS! “At this point, people often have questions. I won’t answer them,” he says with a twinkle. We are warmed up.

Steve Cohen ‘Think-A-Drink’

Next comes Think-A-Drink, a signature turn whose origin dates back to the 17 th Century. Not only have I never seen another magician execute this, I’ve never heard of anyone else doing it. The cards we filled out are randomly shuffled, a few chosen by a volunteer. As each is read aloud, Cohen pours the desired liquid from the same teapot into a small glass. Collective eyebrows shoot up. Limoncello, a bourbon Manhattan, an Apple Martini, chocolate milk, and even, after ersatz hesitance, Acai Vitamin Water successively emerge. All are tested and declared the actual drink.

Marco Polo’s Discovery and Mental Map prime us for mentalism displayed in Cohen’s avowed favorite part of the show. We all write three amusing or curious things about ourselves on cards which are placed inside a closed box. A bell sits atop to act as alarm. Cohen then proceeds not only to reveal detailed contents but to convey random information about the audience. As he progresses, the magician speeds up. He paces back and forth, pointing, perception perhaps bombarded. It’s rather like watching a Fourth of July sparkler.

The only girl on an all female hockey team that played at The Prudential Center in New Jersey is called out. One man shared that he was afraid of dogs, another had returned from Timbuktu, the East Indian dialect of a third is identified, a fourth had declared himself “texturally sensitive to avocado and humus.” Cohen repeats what was written word for word. He often knows people’s names. Someone, he says, has a twin. A card is correctly quoted as “I’m so boring. I’m sorry. That’s all.” Someone’s secret unhealthy food, a pet named Nero, and the personal nickname “Meatball” are sensed. Really this section of the show is mind boggling.

We close with Total Coincidence, assorted two-deck card manipulation in which color and suit arrangement appear to bow to Cohen’s will.

The ninety minute evening is elegant, entertaining, and mystifying.

On October 6 th at 9:00PM, Steve Cohen will perform his 5,000 th show. This performance makes Chamber Magic one of Manhattan’s longest running solo performances. On this special night, guests are invited to stay for a post-show reception in the Gold Room at The Palace to celebrate. Cohen will be accepting an award from the President of The Society of American Magicians founded by Houdini and a proclamation from the Mayor’s office will be read. The show’s signature Think-A-Drink cocktail, available only on show nights in the bars at the Palace Hotel, will be served to all guests from silver teakettles. There will also be an extra-large “5,000” cake designed by Ron Ben-Israel.

(Steve Cohen is not related to Alix Cohen.)

Photos Courtesy of Chamber Magic

All Wonder & Delight

I straightened my bowtie and tucked in my pocket square this evening to see Steve Cohen perform his show Chamber Magic at George Brown House for Luminato, where the dress code is as fancy as the attendees (let’s just say that for this evening anyhow, his sobriquet The Millionaires’ Magician was well deserved). The show, a classic parlour magic display designed for close audiences, sent me running home to the interwebs to try to figure out how some of his tricks had been performed. I’ll say only this: even online, magicians are pretty tight-lipped.

The pleasure of a magic show is in allowing yourself to be amazed – and it’s nice to be able to stay amazed. Cohen’s skills are really a pleasure to watch as he performs of variety of tricks that are indeed bewildering and delightful. You understand that, on some level, something must be happening somewhere you can’t see it, but that feels beside the point for a moment (except to the gentleman sitting a bit in front of me, who murmured his guesses to his companion frequently). When the card is turned or the glass fills with the correct colour of liquid, we in the audience both expect it and cannot fathom it.

I got the sense that Cohen, a graduate of prestigious schools, must have loved magic so much – to the exclusion of all other things – that he chose to pursue it professionally. His love shows in the work. He’s buoyantly happy to be performing, twinkling with delight as he shows us card tricks, mentalism, and other close magic. It’s clear that he’s in his happy place as he gathers the audience close to watch, really watch, watch from a foot away as he makes cards perform miraculous feats – including re-arrange themselves inside a box, inside my blazer’s pocket, into precisely the same order as the cards in the box in the blazer pocket of a guy standing six feet away from me. It was amazing to watch. The sheer difficulty of the conjuring must be extraordinary – I don’t know for sure, because I have no idea whatsoever how any but the very simplest trick (making one pen into two) might have been done – but I’m pretty sure that if it were easy to make a brick or a chocolate malted appear out of thin air that more people would be doing it.

Now, please understand: this isn’t flash-of-smoke-and-Neil-Patrick-Harris-disappears magic. You won’t see any doves, bunnies, glass tanks of water, straightjackets, or eyeliner on display at the intimate George Brown House show. Just a cheerful-looking bespectacled guy in nicely cut morning clothes, with a carrying light tenor voice and extraordinary prestidigitation skills, prepared to let you feel like a kid again in the best possible way, all wonder and delight.

TICKETS AND SHOW INFO

Inside the Secret Up-Close Magic Show That’s Been Sold Out for 16 Years

These documentaries often reveal the secrets behind famous tricks, offering insight into how illusions are created and executed. They also explore the psychological aspects of magic, demonstrating how magicians can manipulate their audience's perceptions and emotions. On the other hand, bird documentaries concentrate on the mesmerizing world of avian creatures.

He’s wowed Woody Allen and Warren Buffett. Now it’s your turn.

There will be no rabbit pulled from a hat. No lady cut in half. Hell, there’s not even a marquee.

What there will be: you, in a suit, yelling, “How in the hell did he do that?!” in an intimate suite at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel.

This ain’t your nephew’s magic show.

It’s Chamber Magic from Steve Cohen, the quote unquote Millionaires’ Magician. He’s hoodwinked the likes of Woody Allen, Michael Bloomberg, Barry Diller and Warren Buffett.

And you can put us onto that list, too.

It’s one thing to make an elephant disappear. Still more impressive, the Statue of Liberty. But it’s quite another to have things like this happen two feet in front of you. Cohen turned martinis into Gatorade. He locked the audience’s wedding rings together by simply swirling them in an empty wine glass. But he’s no Copperfield or Criss Angel; he does intimate, old-fashioned parlor magic based on 19th-century European legerdemain.

“It’s a demonstration of modern conjuring,” Cohen says.

And it’s a smash hit. Every Friday and Saturday for nearly two decades, Cohen’s upscale Chamber Magic has sold out its 50-seat performances. He does about 350 shows annually, some of them private affairs for Wall Street dons and foreign royalty.

But his mind-boggling sorcery extends beyond the quick switching of cards, coins and hats. He knew I swam with sharks a month ago, and that my left foot is half a size smaller than my right. He knew that when I was fifteen, a tornado blew my neighbor’s house into my front yard. Which is about the time our exclamations went from PG to WTF.

In the age of overbearing sensory experiences, Chamber Magic is refreshing. It’s simple. It’s analogue. It’s frustratingly wonderful.

And no one escapes with all their wits in tact. Our recommend: Go. See. This. Show.

Just don’t ask him how he does it.

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These documentaries showcase a variety of bird species, their behavior, habitats, and unique characteristics. They may take viewers on breathtaking journeys around the world, allowing them to witness the most exotic and beautiful birds in their natural habitats. Bird documentaries are not only visually stunning but also educational. They provide information about bird migration patterns, mating rituals, feeding habits, and more. These documentaries often emphasize the importance of bird conservation, as many species face threats such as habitat loss and climate change. Both magic and bird documentaries have the power to captivate and amaze viewers. They offer a unique perspective on different aspects of the natural and human world, showing audiences the wonders and complexities of these subjects. Whether viewers are interested in the art of illusion or the beauty of birds, there is a documentary available to satisfy their curiosity and spark their imagination..

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Unveiling the Secrets of Magic and Birds Through Documentaries