I must confess that in all my years of attending the annual Abbott Magic Get-Together that I have never taken in the regular Vent-O-Rama feature. Let me emphasize that I have absolutely no aversion to it, but as I've never dabbled in ventriloquism I guess I have not had occasion to participate.
My confession above means I've missed lots of Vent-O-Ramas since my first sojourn to Colon for the August shindig was back in 1967 when the regular Get-Together format was canceled for health issues (Recil Bordner was ill) and an Open House was held instead with ALL activities at the building on St Joseph St.
Well, almost all since there was the customary late-night shenanigans at the Legion Hall and lots of 'action' at the M&M Grill.
I certainly have attended more Get-Togethers than I've missed in the ensuing thirty-plus years and I have not ever regretted the effort to remain a 'regular.' Still, the Vent-O-Rama has escaped me.
Brian LeBoeuf has been a loyal friend and employee of mine since the early 1980s. He came to me as an amateur magician interested in my work after have attended a number of my performances. Illusionists frequently appreciate the help of aspiring performers who want the knowledge that comes from generally assisting onstage and offstage.
Brian began as low man on the totem pole of assistants and ingratiated himself by hand-polishing all the metal bars of our Lion's Bride Illusion. Almost thirty years later he now can serve as my stage manager or audio engineer and he still performs his own show when he's able.
He has also found time to get married and raise a son. This story, about the 2009 Vent-O-Rama concerns Brian's bride Laurie. You may think you do not know Laurie, but if you attended the 2009 Get-Together you certainly do.
Laurie was the "victim" of a very amorous Stephen Bargatze during the Saturday night show. Brian and Laurie had participated in Stephen's presentation of the "Eleven Dollar Trick" during the close-up show. Stephen liked Laurie's personality and sought Brian out to find out where they'd be seated Saturday night. He wanted to get Laurie onstage for one of his routines.
If you were there you will remember how he fixated on an individual and quite literally crawled over people to get to her and bring her onstage and then how Ardan James came out onstage, too, without Laurie seeing his entrance.
Laurie's surprised reactions to everything were priceless.
Earlier in the week Laurie had inquired about the Vent-O-Rama. Brian suggested she attend the event. He told her that she'd likely enjoy it. Brian knew, of course, that Laurie is one of those individuals who find vent figures to be more than a little creepy. Entering a tent with lots of Dannys, Charlies and Busters staring myopically at her would be somewhat unnerving and just the sort of prank that Brian would enjoy perpetrating.
Laurie, however, was to enjoy the last laugh.
"The Vent-O-Rama," she began. "What is it? Is that where all the assistants sit around and get to complain about the magicians and how they do all the work and the magician gets all the credit?
"Yeah," she went on, "I'd like to vent about that!"
Laurie's innocent and unexpected definition of the Vent-O-Rama elicited a lot of laughter from my other staff members who heard it. They ALL wanted to participate in that sort of Vent-O-Rama.
Perhaps that can be a scheduled event at the 2010 Get-Together. Let the assistants complain about the tiny, cramped spaces of illusions, the skimpy costuming, the rabbits that pee and the birds that... well, you know. They can compare war stories of getting the blame for something that was not their fault and how they hate to schlep the gear in the snow or the rain or the heat.
We illusionists would skulk in the background with our heads low as the arrows are sharpened and aimed at us for long hours and low wages and all sorts of other indignities.
These long under-appreciated individuals could, of course, quit if they wanted to. However, given that option more than a few might respond, "What? And give up show business?"
I will heartily recommend the excellent DVD offering that touches on this subject. It's called "Women in Boxes" and should be required viewing for ALL illusionists and their staff. You'll love it!
This is the month for the annual Halloween magic extravaganza my cast and I have produced since 1991. I can safely boast that you've never seen an illusion show like this before. We'd love to have you attend one of the eight performances on six days over two weekends, October 23rd through the 31st. Read more about it at www.illusionsinthenight.com.
