The Magic of Joe Ferranti has entertained numerous audiences for over a decade. He has gained a reputation as one of the best in Close Up/Comedy Magic in the Greater Boston area.
Joe Ferranti presents two styles of Close-Up Magic. Strolling/Walk Around Magic and his very popular Intimate Parlor Show.
We would love to have a conversation with you about your event. Please call 339-927-4710 for a no pressure consultation.
Looking back over the past 13 years, I've performed for more birthday parties than I can count. In the beginning I performed Kids Birthdays as well. Honestly, it was difficult, not the magic, but entertainment for three-year-olds to teenagers and adults.
Most think it's a snobbish thing..."I don't perform Childrens magic."
Not at all, I was unable to control the perfect execution of entertainment for "All ages."
Disney has this perfected, as I enjoy watching their movies with my granddaughter. That's the "Disney Magic."
There are those who do it well. Perhaps I didn't work on it long enough. However, I didn't start my performing career until retired. At a somewhat advanced age, everything is a little more challenging.
So, my ambitions are restricted to providing "The Best in Magic Entertainment." for restricted groups to those in their teens to adults.
I wisely perform "clean material." As an unknown performer my audiences don't want to hear my politics or "blue humor." I seek the common bond of Strong Magic and the joy of laughter.
It really is a good time, where everyone leaves feeling fine...just a little bit better than when they arrived.
Call Joe Ferranti at 339-927-4710 for a great time. Guaranteed!
All reactions to magic performances vary for as many reasons
as you might imagine. From screams, people running away, even tears…yeah
sometimes you tug just right on the heartstrings.
Reactions to Magic
From NFW! or simply two words “amazing…amazing.” As you can
hear from the gentleman above. There was no screaming that day at Michael’s
Harborside (1 Tournament Wharf, Newburyport, MA 01950) I
was performing at a quiet 80th birthday party, with a “reserved” audience.
Those aren’t my words; they are the words my client used to describe her family
and friends. “Old Yankee” was her exact wording. Not being quite sure I checked
it out.
What’s an “Old Yankee?”
“In the 19th century Yankee was most often used to refer to
a New Englander (in which case it may suggest Puritanism and
thrifty values), but today refers to anyone coming from a northern state, with
a specific focus still on New England.” I think the guests were somewhere in
the middle. I do know they were nice people, and a joy to work with. It keeps
my ego in check when everyone’s not reacting with their jaws on the floor.
Check out my YouTube Channel,
and you’ll see the many videos with screaming and other over the top reactions.
The feeling is gratifying, but I’ve learned to keep “grounded”. Magic does not
need another magician with a fat head. The biggest compliment I hear is about
“being humble.” That’s something I work on each day, and to have it noticed is
reward in itself.
I always try to have a conversation with my clients. The
more I know, the better prepared I will be. Not prepared in the sense of “magic
preparation” I am always rehearsed. I mean prepared in the many little things
that can add up to a big difference at your event.
No matter what the event, The Magic of Joe Ferranti (Boston
Massachusetts Magician) will do our very best to bring your guests an
experience that will have the crowd screaming and laughing. Short of that, I
hope you’ll settle for, “Amazing… the very least you’ll hear someone saying
“amazing”. BTW, look at the eyes…they speak for themselves. One of Boston’s
Best Close-Up Magicians.
Clairvoyance, telepathy, or the highly profitable channeler, is any of it real?
Ahh...No!
I've never seen any evidence, and more importantly, the experts agree.
Harry Houdini, whose name is synonymous with "magician" held a strong and skeptical view when it came to spiritualists and mediums.
He was critical of those who claimed to have supernatural abilities, especially spiritualists who purported to communicate with the deceased. Let me clarify, he wanted to expose those who took advantage of grieving people who would enrich their pockets by providing services to communicate with the dead.
Following the death of his mother in 1913, Houdini became interested in the possibility of communicating with the afterlife. Houdini witnesses various mediums in action. He became convinced that they were charlatans preying on the grief-stricken.
Medium to the "Stars."
This is a practice that is more profitable today than ever before. I remember as a child seeing "mediums" peddle their wares on the daytime talk shows. Now as an older man, the psychics have more advantages with the internet and cable television. You can find this yourself if you must. I won't help them by mentioning any names.
There has never been a time when the loss of a loved one did not prompt the wish for just one more conversation, if only to ask how are you?
Of course, this did not end with Harry Houdini. A new celebrity made headlines in the early 1970's. The man who bent spoons with his "mind." The controversial Uri Geller.
Uri Geller
Geller succeeded in "fooling" some scientists. Fool a scientist, easy. How about a magician?
The Amazing Rand Vs. Uri Geller
"The Amazing Randi," was a renowned magician, and escape artist. He gained greater fame for debunking paranormal and supernatural claims. Randi made headlines for himself by duplicating Geller's feats with simple Sleight of hand and misdirection.
Randi was challenged by a parapsychologist to put his money where his mouth was. Randi put his own money up and the results left Randi with his own money. The challenges continued and the prize money eventually went as high as one million dollars. Randi was challenged over one thousand times, but no one could ever prove they possessed psychic powers.
And the Winner is?
The Amazing Randi
Randi's victories were quite compelling. Yet, Geller continued to have a following. The emperor may have no clothes, yet many still insist psychic powers are real.
The Amazing Randi and Uri Geller remains a fascinating chapter in the history of skepticism, magic, and the ongoing debate between the paranormal and scientific inquiry.
Take 30 seconds and see the reaction I get when I reveal the name of this young woman's fiance.
Am I psychic? Of course not, but it's a compelling trick.
Joe Ferranti Boston Magician
and Part-Time Mind Reader...?
www.ferrantimagic.com
339-927-4710
Friday, January 5, 2024
Do You Need a Magician at Your Cocktail Hour?
Thoughts from Boston's Best Wedding Magician.
Of course, you don't. We have to put limits on everything. Well, presuming you have a budget.
How many guests will you have, 50? 100? more, maybe less. Often, we can't invite everyone we might like to have at our weddings. These are the tough decisions we have to make. Friends and loved ones are the hardest cuts you might have to make.
I know you will have music, at least a DJ, some even have live bands, and I've heard some great ones.
Whoever thought it might be nice to have a "real Magician" perform at their wedding reception.
I'm pretty certain it wasn't anybody from the U.S. My guess would be England. The Brits see things differently. They're humour is different. (See what I did there...humour ;))
I've worked numerous weddings, all went extremely well. People are always "knocked for six" the first time they see a "magician" for the first time. Not your Uncle George...a real entertainer. But it's big mental leap for the planner to take that step, or maybe a leap.
I'm not a salesman. In the sense that I'm not going to pressure you or pitch you into something you're not quite sure of. (Good salespeople never do that, but it does happen.)
My only pitch is my videos. See the fun and excitement magic creates. That's all. Here's a link to my YouTube Channel.
If you've got the budget, give me a call at 339-927-4710 and I'll do my best to make it work out.
I will guarantee your satisfaction...and I'll guarantee that I'll be the least expensive vendor at your wedding. (You might say the cheapest vendor.) Definitely the "most bang for your buck!"
How many of us have strived to perform a "Perfect Pass?" I used to believe there were magicians who could perform an "invisible pass" while their hands were being "burned." (Burn means, the spectators are looking at your hands only, in hopes of catching the secret.)
I certainly don't demean the skill and hours of practice the best passers endure. It's not easy, some of us might never get it. However, if you listen to the experts of our day, you will learn intricacies that will assist you in your pursuit of an invisible pass. They'll discuss the use of words, (maybe asking a question.) attitude, eye contact, perhaps a gesture. A quick anecdote, some magicians will wait to execute the pass, knowing that people will grow tired of watching/burning you. They asked the legendary Magician Max Malini how long he would wait to execute the pass. His answer was, "I'll wait a week."
An Invisible Top Change
Trying to learn a "Top Change" from a book was impossible for me. "I assume others have done it, but not me. However, with the help of the many DVDs on card sleights, I finally understood the mechanics. "However, I didn't use it until I needed it for a routine I was incorporating into my repertoire."
Here's the effect: The magician spreads the deck in front of a spectator, instructing them to think of a card they see. After shuffling the cards, I remove one card and place it in my breast coat pocket. Asking the spectator to name the card that they saw. "I retrieve the card from my pocket, and it precisely matches the one they had in mind." (For our purposes let's say it's the King of Spades.) To carry the "magic" a bit further I dribble the cards and display a card for another spectator. The little secret is this: You bring the card to the top using a side steal. Now the Big secret for the top change.
A Combination of Words and a Gesture Guarantee Invisibility
"I already know one thing about your card...do you know what I know? As I reach for the King of Spades in my pocket..."I know it's not the King of spades, because Bob... (top change and gesture with the supposed King of Spades towards Bob) ... thought of the King of Spades."
The ending is not the purpose, the words and gesture cover the work. "As I mentioned previously, some individuals may be so adept that they don't find it necessary to put in the same level of thinking that I did. "For me without my "reasoning" I'd probably get caught 50% of the time.
I Thought I knew a Lot.
My ability with a deck of cards is intermediate and has served me well in the style in which I perform. however, I recently discovered Ben Earl's The Family. Just when I thought I had everything figured out I discovered a resource that has advanced my sleight of hand. It's not cheap, but it's a bargain. "He's forced me to think a little deeper, consequently improving my overall performances." I can't recommend his project highly enough. And you don't have to sign up forever. This is my busy working season, not having much time to study, I was able to put my subscription on pause. I'll rejoin when things slow down.
Magic and Illusion at the Devonshire Residences Boston.
I’ve set my “maps” for The Devonshire Residences in Boston, MA, where I’ve been hired to perform strolling magic for a Halloween Party. Driving to Boston is always a hassle, and there’s no actual way to arrive just before a performance. Leaving early is the only choice, but many things can go wrong with traffic. Despite my efforts to make good time, I’m faced with an 18-minute delay indicated by the dreaded “red” on my phone. The estimated arrival keeps getting later, but fortunately, I did manage to arrive in plenty of time. The stress of driving to gigs is the only downside of the job.
Luckily, I saved time by utilizing their own garage, where they had a space reserved for me. Upon entering, I shared the elevator with a young woman also going up. We exchanged polite greetings, and she asked, “Are you the illusionist?” Surprised by the term, I responded, “I might just be a magician… are you coming to the party?” She confirmed her attendance before exiting her floor, leaving me to continue my ascent to the 41st floor.
It’s Not What You Do…It’s What they Think You do.
So, I start thinking…illusionist? Well… my repertoire is not just a bunch of tricks. In fact, it “hits pretty hard.” I make no claims of special powers, but I know some people get a little scared, scream, swear, you’ve likely seen the reactions if you watch magician’s promos on YouTube. Here’s mine. https://www.youtube.com/@themagicofjoeferrantibosto6476
We magicians need to promote ourselves, also known as blowing your own horn. It’s bragging, I was taught that was not a good characteristic. I don’t particularly like braggarts…so I walk a fine line. My performance character is humble, I let the material represent me, and the spectators’ reactions make my introduction to the next group easy.
Building Credibility With honesty.
As magicians, we constantly strive to build our credibility. There are many ways…the simplest is to lie. A small one might be referring to ourselves as a “master magician.” There are no strict requirements for using this status. It’s open to everybody. I haven’t used that one yet, but I’m kind of liking the “Illusionist.” Perhaps I’ll go with “Boston’s Foremost Close-Up illusionist!”
Next, the “Big Lie.” for example, As seen on Penn and Tellef Fool Us! That’s a lie because I’ve never appeared on P&T, in fact I’ve never been to their show. They are coming to Boston soon. Perhaps it’s time to catch their show.
"I'm not a mind reader, but... I'm a good guesser."
I think I stole that line from Ray Kosby. But it's perfect for the following trick.
Here's the effect... I spread a deck of cards before a spectator, and they think of one. I remove one card and place it in my vest pocket. Now I give them the Ray Kosby, "I'm not a mind-reader..." I ask the spectator to name the card they are only thinking of, Ta Da! It's the card in my pocket.
Of course, it's a card trick... a darn good one and my audiences feel the same way. However, it is not "mentalism"
Derren Brown, Master Mentalist and Illusionist.
My introduction to Derren Brown was through his card magic. His skills are second to none, but it was always evident that his leanings were towards a mentalist's approach.
Always a magician but open to mentalist approaches.
I've never performed as a mentalist, but I've noticed the impact it can have on spectators. Magicians and mentalists share many things in common.
Our focus is on presentations that have a lasting impact and create meaningful experiences. Here's where the lines get blurry. Some spectators react with shock, they scream, and they run away. This is a satisfying reward for being a magician. "Dead silence" is another legitimate expression that can be just as impactful to the audience. Unfortunately, it's not noticeable if you are working at an event and you want the person who hired you to know how much their guests enjoyed your work.
Invading Your Head Space.
The strongest magic may be "real magic." Of course, I would never pretend to be performing real magic, but I will come as close to giving that experience in an entertaining presentation.
Here's what I want to achieve...I ask a spectator, "Would you go back to when you were young, and think of someone who was important to you."
The end is simplicity itself...I tell them the name of the person they are thinking of!
They will remember that and tell people who weren't at the performance.
Please see the following video and notice the reaction. The "eyes" may indicate an internal dialogue of "What is going on?" Of course, this is not an exact science...but I take an interest in facial reactions, including the eyes.
