Monthly Catch up: Len Cooper and Esther Follies

It’s a solo episode for 138 as Jonah sits down to catch you up on his trip to Austin, where he’s at with his magic and new ideas for the podcast. Austin, Texas Jonah recently traveled to Austin, Texas to perform a private show for a group of online marketers. While there, he had the opportunity to listen to their expertise in marketing while being able to share his knowledge of performing. One of the highlights of his trip to Austin was seeing a political satire show that mixed music, sketches, and large-scale illusions–performed by Ray Anderson–together to create an incredible show. The show, Esther’s Follies, sees new skits each week as the performers meet up to create the show based on the week’s news cycle. This constant change in performance alongside the collaboration of talented people provided Jonah with a moment of inspiration.  Down the road, he hopes that he can incorporate the talents of outside people into his shows to elevate the overall experience for the audience. Len Cooper Award During the Browser’s Den of Magic 44th Anniversary party, Jonah won the Len Cooper Memorial Award which recognizes a magician under the age of 26 who has shown a dedication to the art of magic. Jonah is honored to have received the award and recognizes that he is in good company alongside the previous winners like James Alan, Ben Train, Chris Westfall, and Jeff Hinchliffe. Jonah was able to take a moment to sit down with Bernice Cooper — the wife of Len Cooper who the award honors — to discuss why Len was such a staple in the Toronto magic scene, and what qualities she would like to see in the people who win the award. Bernice replied that Len was very kind to young people entering into magic and that he was gentle in his approach. Her words resonated with Jonah, and he hopes that he can continue to apply these traits to his own magic. A Twist on the Classics Recently, Jonah has been moving away from trying weirder magic concepts, like potions and amulets, to putting his own spin on classic effects. His current focus is a chop cup routine that he has been performing at Newest Trick. Soon, he’ll be looking at putting his own twist on a metal bending routine. It’s a new approach for him, so he would like to hear from the listeners who may have suggestions or resources. Corporate Season While TMC slows down their shows during the November/December season, Jonah is picking up more and more private shows. After years of hard work, he now has a steady client base who continue to recommend and bring him back to perform. He highlights how important word of mouth can be for a magician as the audience members who recall what they saw, are recalling an impossible moment. That’s why it’s so important to have good, memorable material that you have spent time honing. Discourse in Magic In a few weeks, one lucky listener will have the chance to win a prize worth $200. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for details on how to enter the contest. Soon, Jonah will be releasing a new theory resource guide to replace the current one. If you are interested in the old one, you should check it out soon as once the new one goes up, the old one will disappear. If you haven’t yet, consider joining the mailing list for updates and additional resources to enjoy alongside the podcast.