We had a day off in the Los Angeles area. We left Rancho Cucamonga and drove to West Covina. We found a hotel here that could accommodate the truck/trailer (a tough thing in Los Angeles) so we’re hanging out here for a couple of days and trying to catch up on things.
Once we were settled into the hotel, Cindy and I rented a car and drove to Burbank to visit with Jim Steinmeyer and Frankie Glass. Jim is our primary magic consultant and the creator of many of the original illusions in our production. He is the creative genius behind Copperfield’s vanish of the Statue of Liberty and several of the Henning television specials…not to mention his long list of Broadway credits (Beauty and the Beast, Into the Woods, The Scarlet Pimperel, Mary Poppins, etc). He is also a bestselling author of several books on technique and magic history. Because our show is a unique blend of theatre and illusion, Jim is the expert that we look to for creativity and ideas that fit our performing style and reputation. His background in theatre and magic is exactly what we need.
We spent the afternoon and evening with Jim and Frankie, talking about new illusions and how to improve our current show. Jim showed us some diagrams and videos of some of his new creations – all very amazing! And we even got to play with some of the illusions he had in his shop – kids in a candy store!
After a full day of working and talking, we all jumped into the car and drove to downtown Burbank for dinner. There is an incredible Thai restaurant there. Jim and Frankie ordered several things from the menu and we all enjoyed good food and good conversation. It was an outstanding evening.