As is the case with most performers, I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to live my life in the spotlight; while most students at Cleveland State University were exploring their career options with open eyes, I was quite positive that I wanted to become either a professional baseball player or a magician. The issue that I then faced was choosing one of these two lives and fully pursuing it. As tough as…
Although the centerpiece of a good magic show should obviously be its illusions, the best magicians are not only proficient at magic tricks, but are also great overall entertainers; this is why many of my shows include lights, music, and other performers. One aspect of a great performance that I think is often overlooked, however, is the use of comedy to break up the amazement of the magician’s stunts. If used properly, jokes can make…
Although I have taught myself the great majority of the tricks that I know, I must admit that the first trick that I learned was not my own. In fact, the first illusion that I ever added to my arsenal was one that my father taught me as a little kid. He explained to me when he showed me the trick that he had originally used it to do his duties as a big brother…
Although my interest in magic began not long after I could read or write, there were still concrete reasons that I chose to become a magician instead of a musician or actor. I firmly believe that an illusion can inspire a sense of wonder into onlookers that cannot be replicated by any other form of entertainment. Most partygoers, when told that they are about to witness a magic show, expect to see a man…
The year was 2003, and a young Rick Smith Jr., having just broken the world records for fastest, highest, and furthest card throws, was faced with a life-changing decision. The days directly after I broke the world record in front of countless video cameras and reporters in CSU’s Convocation Center were a blur; I found my face on the front of the local papers, and it seemed as if my unique talent had put me…
My journey to becoming a world record-holding card thrower was not a direct one; in fact, my ability to throw playing cards far, high, and fast originally stemmed from my experience as a baseball player. I pitched for Cleveland State University from 2000-2003 (throughout my college years) and found out towards the end of my NCAA baseball career that the pitching skill that I had perfected for my time on the mound actually translated over…
Throughout the many years that I have been performing magic, I have had performances that were memorable in all possible ways. While many of the shows that I have done were memorable for the tricks, crowds, and laughs of the audience, there are certainly a select few that cause me to cringe or laugh out loud whenever I remember them. Here is the story of the funniest performance that I ever put on by accident!…
Just like any other art form, magic can take a lifetime to master. Even professionals such as myself who have made a career out of magic still spend hours each day practicing old tricks and learning new ones. However, getting started in magic can be fun, easy, and inexpensive – here is a guide to getting started in the world of magic that will allow you to begin impressing crowds with your tricks in no…
tAlthough I have spent years perfecting my card throwing technique so that I could become and then remain a world record holder, it was not until I was in college that I realized a world record was even a possibility for me. My skill in card throwing began as a product of my two greatest passions in my childhood and young adulthood: the art of magic and the game of baseball. Because I had been…
Throughout my career as a magician, I have learned more tricks than I could ever possibly count; from the day I began my journey up into the present, I have continued to expand my portfolio of tricks to ensure that my performances are always interesting and fresh. But just as every musician has their favorite song, every magician has their favorite illusion. My personal favorite is one that I have known for a very long…
