Carnegie Magic -Full Magic Special - At The National Theatre

 

Excited to announce my first magic special on Youtube! It's a full show that I did a number of years ago at the famed National Theatre in Washington DC. I was in the Helen Hayes Gallery as part of an ongoing program called "Monday At The National". I did a 50 minute show on stage in front of a crowd of around 100 people. I know we sold out. Whether or not that was due to me, or just because Monday At The National has a built in audience is something I can't answer. I know I had about ten really well known magicians in the audience. Everyone else were lay people.

The day of the show, The Washington Post had a piece to promote the show that included this quote, "Take Howie Mandel's Boyish Bald Charm, mix it with David Copperfield's magical charisma, and POOF! You get Carnegie: Artist of Mystery!"

One thing I will say about the Helen Hayes Gallery Stage, there is a stage and there is a platform in front of the stage. I chose to do the entire show on the platform in front of the curtain. It had better visibility and  worked fairly well overall. I think the only routine that I had a tiny bit of trouble with was the Hula Hoops because of the tiny platform. Other than that, it was all good. 

The funniest part of the show for me now is watching those older routines. Some of them have changed drastically over time, a lot are no longer done. The opening routine, The Lesson in Magic, has more comedy, and is tighter, and a bit faster in it today. It's also not used as an opening anymore. I generally open with the Hula Hoops for stage shows, why I changed for this, I don't know. The Sack Escape, today, has a new sack. I wasn't thrilled with the purple sack to be honest. It just looked odd to me. And Im the one who had it made, lol. The Steel Straitjacket which was built by Mark Cannon and the Plexiglass Escape Box which was built by Richard Sherry, made for an interesting ending. But that may have been one of the last times I used either of them. Both men were excellent builders of escape props. 

Please watch the video and enjoy. I will be posting another full length show soon. The next time will be from the Underground Magic Theatre which was a theatre in Sterling VA that I shared with two of my performing buddies. We had a 50 seat venue and did the wildest stuff there, a full illusion show 2 feet from the first row! That will be on the NEXT video, once I finish the edits.

Wrapping UP The Steampunk Illusionist

 

After much thought, I think I'm going to be boxing up The Steampunk Illusionist act. I was very fond of the concept initially, but it never quite got to the place I wanted. I'm still keeping all my steampunked props and will use them as they are aesthetically pleasing to people. But the rest of it, I'm letting go. The top hat with goggles, has become something that too many magicians have adopted, with no understanding of steampunk.

I am keeping the Victorian show, so many of those props will find their place in that show. But the days of The Steampunk Illusionist have come to an end. 

No need to be sad. There are so many projects on my plate and new markets to enjoy. Im living in Nashville now and expect my shows here to explode soon (in a good way). 

Carnegie The Magic Detective LIVE IN PERSON in 2024

In 2024, Dean Carnegie spoke at two different magic history conferences and gave two totally different lectures! First, in February of 2024, Carnegie was at the Florida Magic Collector's Conference. I had the great honor of presenting my lecture on The Great Maro, who was a very popular magician from the early part of the 20th Century. This was my third time presenting this lecture. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to present the lecture at the W.T. Best Theater, which was a building created in the honor of Maro's wife. His real name was Walter Truman Best, but he changed his stage name to Edward Maro.

Later in November 2024, Carnegie spoke at the New England Magic Collectors Association, their event is called The Yankee Gathering. This time I got to speak on one of my favorite magicians, a 19th Century magician Robert Heller. This man was a very popular magician but he was an equally famous musician. His real name was William Henry Palmer and he began life as a musical prodigy. His story is amazing, filled with plenty of drama, as well as exciting popular moments. I am gathering information on Heller to eventually write a book on him. 

Other than that, the Magic Detective appeared regularly on his podcast The Magic Detective Podcast. It was an exciting year for that side of Dean Carnegie's career. NO doubt 2025 will hold more exciting moments to come!

On Stage Lecturing on Robert Heller at 2024 Yankee Gathering