After months of rehearsal, BRETT DANIELS has just completed the first live performance of his new show.  Brett Daniels: Magic & Beyond, for an audience of hotel employees at the Gold Strike resort in Mississippi. The show went extremely well... and he is relaxed as audience members pose with him for photos. Cast and crew are milling about, chatting and attending to assorted details. Brett's mother, who flew in to share her seamstress skills, checks out a minor problem with the Navy jet.  A dancer, still in her G.I. Jane fatigues, shows her dad how far she can scale a playing card. (With flawless Ricky Jay technique, she hits a distant wall.)  A young usher proudly shows me his IBM card, another asks if I have a spare copy of Genii he can borrow for his flight home. Presently, all will adjourn to a nearby buffet for some celebratory R & R.  It is in this context that Brett sets aside a few moments to share his thoughts on magic and this show, with Genii. Paul Harris, whose relationship to this show will be made clear below, sits in on part of the interview, as does his partner, Tony Korfman.

ON THE PAST

Steve: What brought you to this point in your career? How did you go about building a full evening illusion show? Did you bootstrap it up, as Lance did? Or was there a major backer?

Brett: In the course of my career in magic I have done Cub Scout shows, cruise ships, theme parks, trade shows, Las Vegas revues-the entire gamut.At one time I possessed a water torture escape, a table of death, and a Zig Zag. I sold them all because I felt they were too commercial. For about six or seven years I did a bird act in revue shows. This was rewarding, but in time I felt I needed to move on.

In 1990 I was working in a Lake Tahoe casino revue show. The show was a success, but the opportunity to generate income was limited. The large number of available magicians eager to work was driving performance fees down. I looked around and realized that the truly successful magicians were the handful who had their own shows.

I pooled my resources and put together a 40-minute act. Soon, a deal was made with the Sunset Theater in Wisconsin to launch this new show for three weeks in December of 1992. This netted a video. From there we went to Malaysia and did half a show, adding more illusions.

An Atlantic City engagement provided the show's first big break. We worked three and a half months to sold-out crowds. Almost everything I made went right back into the show. Then the World's Greatest Magic appearances began, and things began to teach critical mass. I was able to add big rig trucks and travel with a crew of about ten people.

For a while I toured with Gary Ouellet's World's Greatest Magicians. Although this tour was very brief, it was highly educational and taught me how to strike a show in one evening and move on to another town. Before opening in Tunica I also had a run with Spellbound. Working in Spellbound with Dick Foster also proved to be quite educational for me ­this time from a business standpoint.

[This answer more or less constitutes a "history of Brett Daniels." I should add that Brett has also racked up a few significant awards along the way, including First Place in the international stage competition of the IBM, the Neil Foster Manipulation Award of Excellence in sleight of hand, the Jack Gwynne Award for excellence in Grand Illusion, and Siegfried and Roy's Golden Lion Award at Joe Stevens' World Challenge International]

ON WORKING WITH OTHERS

Steve: Over the years, you've influenced others in magic, and vice versa. For example, Mac King wrote a great article in Magic on Jason Byrne, who credits you as his most recent and perhaps most influential mentor. How did that experience work from your perspective?

Brett: I had never done anything like that before. The experience with Jason began in 1990. I was heading to L.A. to work in Kazaam and took Jason along. We worked together 18 hours a day. I am really glad that Jason has gone on to become such a success and am proud to be his mentor.

Steve: What about those who have influenced you?

Brett: Some of my earliest inspirations came from watching Shimada on The Merv Griffin Show in 1976, and then Doug Henning. Four of the items in the show are specifically influenced by Henning.

Early on, in Milwaukee, there was John Kurtz, who had a bird act. And the Hamners, also of bird act fame, are dear friends of mine. Gary Ouellet was a big help, both as an advisor and as a good friend. The deck production in the close-up sequence of the show is Gary's.

Steve: I cautiously ask about Melinda, of whom I am a fan. You traveled with her in the World's Greatest Magicians. Did you ever talk shop?

Brett: Melinda is sweet, and her magic is solid and commercial. People should give her more credit than they often do. She has many skills which have helped her build her career. For instance, she's very good at knowing how to interpret an audience.

Steve: Is there a Joanie Spina (a ftrst-rate choreographer) in your life?

Brett: Yes - Sheila Keating. I met Sheila in 1995 in Atlantic City, and she is now with this show.

Steve: Paul Harris is sitting in with us, so it is fun to read this question directly from my notes: I see a curious trend going an. David Copperfield has as his principal advisor Chris Kenner; an offbeat close-up guy and aspiring screenwriter. Your show has Paul Harris, another off beat close-up guy and a bona fide screenwriter. These are not the resources one would first think of when seeking to complement an illusion show. What is Paul's title and what does he bring to the show?"

[Although Paul is quick to dismiss his contributions by saying that Brett "sort of inherited" him, Brett quickly jumps in, gladly acknowledging Paul's help with magical thinking, dialogue and so on. It's clearly a happy collaboration.]

Brett: Paul is full of great ideas.         For example, one of the things that occur in the close-up segment is his nifty "Instant Replay" move.

[Paul later added that he is happy being a "retired genius" regarding his own magic. He told me it's "nice to help someone else far a change.']

ON BRETT DANIELS: MAGIC & BEYOND

Steve: How did this show come about contractually? Who contacted whom?

Brett, Paul and Tony: The Mandalay Bay management wanted a world, class act to put into the Gold Strike's proposed Millennium Theater. This would be the first major Las Vegas, style act in Mississippi. They contacted Tony Korfman, a former associate of Paul Harris. (Tony's dramatic photo appears in the back of Paul's Close-up Fantasies Book Z, where Paul calls him "a real sweetheart." This was circa 1980. Tony's hair is whiter now, but he's still a terrific fellow.) So Tony calls in Paul, and together they pore over hundreds of videos trying to pick an act. It's Brett who gets the call, and show business history is made. [Earlier it was mentioned that Brett "sort of inherited" Paul. It turns out, with the word ‘producer' somewhere in his title, Paul is thus on hand as a creative consultant.]

Steve: [With Paul and Tony and Brett all involved in the interview at this point, I gingerly raise the subject of money] Is it safe to say that unless the contract exceeds $100 million, no one has any bragging rights?

Brett, Paul and Tony: [A burst of laughter from all three men.] Tell them we got $101 million—No, say it's only $99.9 million:'

Brett: Lance gets a salary, while I'm on an hourly rate. But I get incentive raises.

Tony: And I successfully negotiated for the free buffet. I worked hard for that.

[Between the jokes and the knowing smiles, I sense that everyone involved a quite happy with the financial arrangements, whatever they may be.]

Steve: Let's talk about the theater.  Did you have any specific goals? And can you comment on the benefits of having your own theater vs. touring? For example, what, if any, technical advantages are there to having your own, home-based theater?

Brett: I had no specific goals or requirements going into the theater. Regarding the proscenium design, I told them I like Batman. The only fundamental requirement that has surfaced is that the initial reflectivity of the proscenium was confusing the birds and had to be toned down.

Although it's nice to be in the same place each night, we haven't yet exploited having a home theater magically. As the show now stands we could still tour.

Steve: And the show itself? Is there an overall concept, design, etc.?

Brett: [Thoughtful pause.] The images of the Greek gods symbolize mythic power. Amazing things happen early on in the show, like a parrot being split into two followed by the majestic action of the birds' flying through the theater. Regarding the breakdown of the show, my goal is to keep things light and airy in the first half, and more theatrical in the second half. Therefore, numbers such as "Vaudeville" and the Marilyn Monroe routine [production and vanishing sequence seen on WGM II are saved for the latter part of the show. We close with our most dramatic illusions. I want a true gasp at the end of the show.

Steve: l note that you are now one show into a Multi-year run. How do you feel?

Brett: It's good to have one done. If this is as bad as we're going to be, then things should be OK.

Steve: [At risk of embarrassing Brett, I comment on looks.] When I tell lay-people that I'm coming to see Brett Daniels, I tell them I'm coming to see a show somewhat an the scale of what they are accustomed to seeing David Copperfield do, but that Brett is, shall we say, "hunkier." To what extent do you work on your physical appearance? How much focus is there on wardrobe, lighting, choreography, and other aspects of determining your overall took?

Brett: I guess I think about it a lot. I consider myself to be basically pretty geeky. I go to the gym and work out. I eat well.

Steve: I was recently in Cincinnati, where local magicians praised a recent performance you did there. They especially admired your sleight-of-hand abilities, and I've just witnessed them myself.  Do you include sleight-of-hand to establish your legerdemain credentials, to add balance to the show, for personal enjoyment or for any other particular reason?

Brett: The sleight of hand is very deliberately included. Audiences want and like comedy plus skill. They need that other dimension. As a magician, I don't want to be perceived as someone who just covers boxes and poses.

Steve: Memphis is very close. Is there any temptation, a la Lance Burton, to incorporate Elvis thematically? [This question was written before I saw the show, and Brett was already way ahead of my thinking, but I decided to let the question stand, anyway.]

Brett: Well, I have always admired Elvis enthusiastically, and am further inspired by driving past Graceland each day. There is a new routine in the works, "Elvis and the Trilogy." I'm thinking it may drive other magicians a little crazy.

[Tony Korfman also expresses undisguised glee as to the anxiety the routine may cause other magicians. But the guys refuse to grant me any more details.]

Steve: Are there any specific plans regarding the show's evolution over time.

Tony: This will largely depend on the audiences. Will the audience turn over sufficiently enough to allow the same show to play for the entire run, or will it have to be redone entirely in two years? We draw audiences from all over the south, with 25 percent of its reservations coming from Atlanta.

Steve: Are there any imminent plans regarding television?

Paul: Brett just did Champions, and he has a couple of things in the works he can't comment on.

Steve: This show may define your place in magic for all time. When some twenty-second-century Milbourne Christopher looks back at turn-of-the- 21st-century magic, what will he say about Brett Daniels?

To make the question easier, let's make this multiple choice.

(1) "He made the most money."

(2) "He retired young and moved to the south of France with Meg Ryan."

(3) "I just asked 131-year-old magician Brett Daniels that very question."

(4) All of the above.

Brett: I'll take number four, all of the above, but I lean heaviest toward that Meg Ryan answer.

BRETT DANIELS: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Q: What is your favorite card trick (yours)?

A: I don't really do card tricks. I do manipulations, flourishes.

Q: What is your favorite card trick (others)?

A: Again, I favor flourishes. Paul Harris's "Instant Replay."

Q: What is your favorite illusion (yours)?

A: The levitation.

Q: What is your favorite illusion (others)?

A: The "Death Saw" and "Flying." I like Lance's bird act, and all of Norm Nielson's act. Siegfried and Roy's short act, that they did in 1976, was a favorite.

Q: What is your favorite magic book?

A: The Dai Vernon Book of Magic.

Q: What is your favorite non-magic book?

A: It's hard to pick a favorite. I read a lot of books, two-three a week. Mostly biographies.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: I also love movies. True Romance, with Christian Slater.

Q: What are your non-magic hobbies and interests?

A: Working out, football (I'm a long, time Packers fan), movies, reading. Lately I've begun taking an interest in vintage planes.

Q: Who is your favorite female in magic?

A: Sherry Lukas, Jinger Leigh (Kalin) and Melinda. Those three.

Q: What is your magical pet peeve?

A: [Happily, Brett has no answer for this question.]