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Today was a most educational day for me. The Seattle area magicians (we who showed, anyway) were most fortunate to have in our midst Mr. Barrie Richardson. What a fine gentleman he is! We immediately established some commonality when he and his wife mentioned to me that they had just returned from their cruise up the Inside Passage to Alaska. Having taken the cruise a couple of weeks before them, we had plenty to talk about, and it was a pleasure to meet and visit with Mrs. Barrie, Janie Richardson. She is such a sweet woman, and the perfect person to work Barrie's merchandise table. Not only was she able to answer any question put to her, but she was also very astute at the items people were purchasing; "Oh, you bought that for $20, but it is on the DVD with all of this other stuff for $35." Believe me, she wasn't upselling, she was taking care of the customer. She was very careful to ensure that I was not duplicating any purchases as I bought several items along with the DVD.

As for Mr. Richardson, he is a shining example of what I normally appreciate about European magicians (he is American). He is not so enamored with method that he needs his effects to be complicated. On the contrary, some of his best effects are just absolutely simple (or "elegant" as he puts it), yet they hit your mind like a ton of bricks. Another of his more positive qualities is that Barrie is not any one thing, he is many things. He is a magician, he is a card man, he is a mind reader, and he is a mentalist. I was so amazed at his versatility. It is too bad there were so many magicians in the area who decided to forego Barrie's lecture. I will be killing them with his magic for weeks to come '8)

Finally, some recommendations. First, if Barrie Richardson is coming to your area, attend. Don't be busy, make time. Second, if you have any real close friends in magic, tell them to attend as well. Finally, bring money. If you haven't purchased his new book Act Two, you need to. It isn't just a 'sequel,' it is a heavyweight of a book in its own right, packed with great magic. I recommend it highly. Barrie is a real thinker when it comes to the performance of magic, and that means from before he has even spoken his first word. He can make a difference in your magic. To review; see him, bring a friend, buy the book - got it?