What's Your Favorite Trick?

Hello dear friends and welcome to the official start of our 2016 season! While it technically begins this Saturday there is nothing stopping us from celebrating the start of the next season early! The new season rolling around the corner got me to thinking about what Rick’s favorite trick in the show is. The answer is not very cut and dry due to the large amount of options that he has to pick from.

Content rules all in entertainment. The hustle and bustle of performance and art is quite simply depth. Think about an actor who has “range” and can lose themselves in the performance leading the audience to forsake Keanu in favor of Neo. Depth is considering all of the songs that Stevie Wonder “could” play in his show because there’s just so much material there. Master Illusionists Rick and Susan Wilcox fall into this exact same category.

Consider what it takes to keep a show that you perform regularly fresh for not only the audience, but for you as a performer. There is quite a lot of mixing and matching that takes place when considering what acts to perform in a show. I recently asked Rich what his favorite trick in the show is and his answer simply was whatever is new.

He couldn’t boil it down to one trick simply because he has so much to draw from. Luckily for you, we caught a couple of audience members who shared what they’re favorite tricks in the shows that they saw were. What is your favorite magic trick performed by Rick or any other magician? We’d love to hear what you enjoy!

Talk with you next week,

Chris Taylor

 

Renovating A Theater

Taking on a new property isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do. I am reminded of the movie titled “The Money Pit” with Tom Hanks when I think about that. I have had the pleasure of remodeling facilities to meet my business needs and let me tell you that this is no easy task. 

 My experience in smaller media centers is NOTHING compared to the experience that Rick and Susan Wilcox have had when they took over the building that would go on to become The Rick Wilcox Theater.

Now I’m sure this is a bit of an exaggeration, but still I don’t feel like it’s too far off. The lighting was a tapestry of par cans and extension cords woven into a web or lost cable starts and ends. The men’s bathroom was back stage and the women’s by the front door. There were significant changes that had to be made not only to satisfy the magic show’s needs but also the the city ordinances for codes. 

This week’s video takes a look at all of the work that went into overhauling a honky tonk and making it a magic palace.

See you next week,

Chris Taylor

Rick's First Job In Magic

Spider-Man was a pro wrestler before he settled into his job at the daily bugle. Bruce Banner was a scientist before his experiments with Gamma Radiation and Howard Stark’s Super Soldier Serum led to the accident that created the Hulk. I think that a major difference between Marvel and DC is that DC characters start out as heroes, they don’t become them.

Bruce Wayne, after the death of his parents, right on the road to being Batman, no side jobs on the way. Superman, boom always meant to do something special I mean he was an alien of course. Same things go for Wonder Woman and Aquaman. Their origin stories have them firmly in the saddle as heroes from day one.

That brings us to Rick Wilcox. In my talks with Rick, he has never considered being anything other than a magician. He is much more DC than he is Marvel it seems. I’m sure you’re reading this with a bit of a grin wondering how I could compare Rick to Superman but I have had the privilege of talking to people that Rick has touched with his talent, humor and compassion.

On more than one occasion I have read how Rick’s show inspired young people to take on the mantle of prestidigitation because he brought them on stage to assist in the show or took a picture with them afterwards.

In the coming weeks we will release footage from his last tour in China. Watching Rick perform magic on the Great Wall and seeing the chinese people crowd him clamoring to see him perform and take a picture with him is heroic.  It breaks down barriers and opens dialogue through performance where words are not needed.

In this week’s video, Rick talks about his first job and how he took it on. It’s part of his origin story and might very well be used as a trivia question later!

Acres Of Diamonds

It’s the easiest thing to do but it’s often overlooked. It’s kind of like love. We wander through life seeking to find someone to complete us and spend the rest of our lives with. The person  we’re looking for doesn’t come with a sign that says “I’m the one for you.” You have to take that risk and put the effort in to know that this is the right person.

Many a thing in life are like love, not in the emotional sense, but in the risk and reward sense. Moving to a new job, buying a car or your first home. In this case, buying a theater. Rick and Susan were hunting for a place to call home and open a theater. Traveling with a show this large can be taxing after a few years. Looking for a building in a city that regularly has visitors who could patronize a show obviously led to seeking real estate in places like Las Vegas or Atlantic City.

Like dating, the search for a place to belong was an exhaustive one. Rick’s father kept tapping him on the shoulder and pointing at the Wisconsin Dells. He knew that the love and home Rick and Susan were seeking was there in the Dells. Like dating the girl or guy next door at our parents requests he acquiesced to his father’s request and the rest is now written in the history of Wisconsin’s legend and folklore.

That’s how this week’s video begins. Take a quick minute to watch how it develops in this week’s video.

FAQ Part 2

Greeting and salutations family friends and fans! We want to sincerely thank all of you for the support you have been giving us in sharing our blogs and posts. The landscape of digital messaging can be so noisy that it can be difficult for messages to get to their intended audiences. So again please thank you for the reads, shares, participation, and likes.

Last week we had so much fun with our FAQ that we decided to put the second half of the Frequently Asked Questions up for your entertainment. Feel free to ask any questions that you may have and we will get you answers for them as well!