Allan Kronzek – Penguin Live Lecture

“Tune in, turn on, and raise your game. This is a master class by a highly experienced Wizard who knows what people like. I love everything Allan puts out.”- Will Fern

“I have been a fan of Allan’s magic for decades. He has the ability to take a deceptive method and make it an incredibly compelling piece of theater. You can’t help but be a better magician after watching him work.”- Nate Kranzo

“These are presentations that engage and extract an emotional response rather than merely play before an audience that has nothing to do but sit and watch. Allan teaches the tricks well and gives all the presentational touches that make a difference.”– David Britland

“These are strong effects with quirky and theatrical presentations, and several—deviously clever—have long been favorites of mine. Allan is a clever practitioner, and his material is well worth your time.”– John Bannon

“Allan has an ingenious sense of deception and his work consistently demonstrates how presentation and communication produce a deeper audience response. His work is engaging, practical, and characterized by a creative imagination and intelligent thought. There are routines here you will do. I know I will.”– Bob Fitch

What will he teach?

In this extended teaching session, magician and NY Times bestselling author Allan Zola Kronzek shares seven of his most his most memorable creations, along with the along with the performance philosophy that shaped them. Among the topics explored are “drawing in” versus “freaking out;” the importance of “play,” in the performer/audience dynamic; theatrical versus casual presentations, creating mystery through clarity, and why the best time to perform sleights is when no one is looking. Like Allan’s previous releases through Penguin, this is polished, audience-engaging performance material you will use.

Playing with the Jokers- A lesson in how to quickly disarm a group of strangers who couldn’t care less about magic and turn them into your co-conspirators. It’s a three-phase card routine, yes, but point is not the tricks but engagement that comes from them.

The Mirror- Doubles and doppelgangers inhabit the background of this Do-As-I-Do staging. The method is well known, but the presentation is transformative. A resonate, after-dinner or parlor mystery.

True Romance- A couple is invited to look into each other’s eyes and discover the precise moment when synchronicity, intuition, or some deep, soulful connection allows them to miraculously find each other’s selected cards. The ensuing level of astonishment is as deep as it is gratifying.

Strange Attraction- A perfect amusement for those strolling situations when guests have drinks and snacks in hand. Two spectators peek at random cards. A third, points to any card in the deck, and the selections instantly materialize on either side. It’s a quick “what just happened?” moment, using an easy-to-do and little-known sleight.

Destiny, Chance, and Free Will- Critic Jamy Ian Swiss called this showpiece “A conjuring and theatrical marvel.” A philosophical mystery in which the featured participant shares his or her views on the title topics, leading to a bewildering and unsettling finale. A card location unlike any other.

The Placebo Effect- “Believing is seeing” is the premise of this reimagining of The Knowledgeable Cards, from Card College V. It’s a four-Ace routine with a kicker ending that feels like a hallucination.

Drobina Redone- Allan’s take on Frank Drobina’s coin routine from Bobo’s Coin Magic, minus the clutter and confusion that made many readers pass over this hidden gem. Performed with coins that people actually carry—pennies or dimes—this is the perfect anytime, anywhere, routine for an audience of kids and adults.

Who is he?

Allan Zola Kronzek is a NY Times bestselling author, educator, and sleight-of-hand artist. His innovative programs—a blend of conjuring, science, history and art—have been featured in schools, colleges, and libraries throughout the Northeast. He is the author of six magic-centric books, including The Secrets of Alkazar, a highly regarded introduction to magic, Artful Deceptions, a collection of impromptu card magic, 52 Ways to Cheat at Poker, and most recently, Grandpa Magic, a treasury of tricks and stunts designed to make grandpa the coolest guy on the block. His original material has appeared in Genii, MUM, Vanish, The Linking Ring, Apocalypse, and Cricket Magazine.

As a strolling and close-up performer, he regularly performs for the rich and famous in the fashionable Hamptons, where he lives, unfashionably, with his wife, the artist Ruby Jackson. Several of his original card routines are performed by magicians around the world.