Chicago Magician Mark Toland

WGN TV Chicago

2011-10-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I made a special appearance on WGN TV Chicago's morning show with Ana Belaval. I performed several different tricks, including one of my favorite stunts: walking barefoot on broken glass. Enjoy this week's Magic Monday video, with a clip from my TV appearance:

--------

Mark Toland is a Chicago Magician and College Magician traveling nationwide to provide unforgettable entertainment for exclusive events.

Magic Monday #2 - Impossible Image

2011-10-10T22:51:00.000-07:00

It's been another busy week. I had several corporate gigs and private events in the Chicago area. Now I'm gearing up for another round of shows this week. Later this week I should have a special announcement. For now, here is this week's Magic Monday video:

--------

Mark Toland is a Chicago Magician travelling nationwide to provide unforgettable entertainment for corporate events, college shows, and private events.

Magic Monday #1 - Four Aces

2011-10-03T23:03:00.001-07:00

After many months of planning - I am excited to finally be getting my web series "Magic Monday" off the ground. Every week I will be posting a new magic video. The videos will air each Monday on my fan page, and then later on this blog and my website. If you want to be the first to see the videos, like my fan page here. Here is this week's video - I hope you enjoy!

-------

Mark Toland is a Chicago Magician and College Magician traveling nationwide to provide unforgettable entertainment for corporate events, college shows, and private engagements.

Live in Chicago

2011-09-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder that my I will be performing four times during the month of Chicago at Stage 773. Tickets are $10 and shows are every Wednesday (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th) at 9:30 pm. For more information visit www.Stage773.com.

The show is going to be a combination of my working repertoire with a few new items that have never seen the stage before. I am excited to be performing my first of (hopefully) many public shows in Chicago!

----

Mark Toland is a Chicago Magician and College Magician traveling nationwide to provide unforgettable entertainment for exclusive events.

College Magician

2011-09-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'm flying home right now from an amazing trip to the state of Texas. Last weekend I attended the Texas Association of Magicians annual convention in San Antonio. While there, I had the opportunity to meet many of my heroes in magic. I also had the opportunity to spend ten days with my best friend, Frank Fogg. Frank and I had a blast at the convention wreaking havoc and mischief everywhere we could. If you want insane, out-of-control shenanigans then look no further than a magic convention.

While at the convention I attended numerous lectures, shows, workshops, and jam sessions. I picked up several new ideas for my shows and made several new friends within the magic community.

After spending a few days with Frank in San Marcos, TX, we drove to Austin to enjoy a show at Esther's Follies. Another magic friend, Marcus Eddie, was gracious enough to get us free tickets to the performance. After the show I was fortunate enough to be able to see my brother, Scott. I had not seen him for eight months. Scott is in his final year of graduate school at the University of Texas.

That night I stayed on the campus of the UT in preparation for two shows there on Friday, September 9th. Not only did UT give me a meal card for unlimited meals while on campus, but they also put me up in a rather large and extremely nice apartment. The apartment was literally a stone's throw from the auditoriums where the shows were held.

On Friday Scott, Frank, and I, along with the programming team that booked my performances, walked around campus to promote that evening's shows. We visited the residence halls and cafeterias around the university and showed the students some close-up magic.

That night I performed two shows for a total of roughly 600 students. The audiences were fantastic and I had an absolute blast performing for them. A special thank you for two very kind standing ovations from each show!

I'm looking forward to returning to UT very soon and performing again. All in all, it has been a great visit to Texas. Now I'm back to Chicago for an audition, more gigs, and the last rush before my shows in October.

Tickets for my live shows in October are still available at www.Stage773.org. For more information, visit my website at www.MarkToland.com.

-----

Mark Toland is a Chicago Magician and College Magician traveling nationwide to provide unforgettable entertainment for special events.

Texas Bound

2011-08-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy August for this Chicago Magician. Now I turn my attention to a new month. Tomorrow I fly to San Antonio for a four day magic convention. That's right, magicians have conventions. The convention is hosted by the Texas Association of Magicians. When I was still in junior high, I was visiting family in Texas and happened to stumble upon a TAOM convention. It was one of the first large magic shows I had ever attended. I still remember the majority of the performances to this day. I also attended the entire convention three years ago. There, I met a close friend and fellow magician Frank Fogg. I am looking forward to spending this convention with Frank.

Magic conventions are a strange thing. Mostly they are the side of magic that I don't like whatsoever. Nerdy magicians linger in every corner of the hotel and are seemingly unimpressed by anything each other performs. The "latest and greatest" products are often the kind of thing that you might see at Timmy's birthday party. However, I still enjoy the atmosphere and it is exciting to meet so many of my heroes in magic.

After the convention I will travel to Austin to perform two shows at the University of Texas. I'm looking forward to the fun atmosphere of the college crowd and getting to see some family! After the shows, I'll be back in Chicago promoting my public shows in October. If you haven't bought your tickets yet, they are available for $10 at Stage773.org.

----

Mark Toland is a Chicago Magician and College Magician traveling nationwide to provide unforgettable entertainment for exclusive events.

Back From a Mini Tour

2011-08-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have been both incredible and busy. I performed 8 shows in 10 days in 5 states. I may be a Chicago Magician, but my work is taking me all over.

August has been a great month for work and I am excited to head into September. I start September off with a 10-day stay in the great state of Texas performing several shows including two at the University of Texas. While I am there, I will also get to attend TAOM, which is a convention for magicians.

I am also in the middle of writing an e-book, which I hope to have finished soon. I will keep you all posted!

I can tell that this fall is going to be a busy time and I am grateful to be getting so much business both locally and nationwide!

----

Mark Toland is a Chicago Magician and College Magician traveling nationwide to provide unforgettable entertainment for corporate events, college shows, and private engagements.

Show Reminder!

2011-08-07T18:21:00.001-07:00

Just a quick reminder that I will be performing LIVE at The Money Shot Restaurant & Lounge in Chicago this Saturday, August 13th! There is a $6 cover charge to get in. Come for the drinks, delicious food, and a night of magic! See you there!

----

Mark Toland is a Chicago Magician and College Magician traveling nationwide to provide unforgettable entertainment for corporate events, college shows, and private engagements.

Upcoming Shows

2011-08-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a poster for an upcoming show. I will be performing at The Money Shot Restaurant and Lounge in Chicago on August 13th at 9 pm. There is a $6 cover charge to get into the show.

There will be many more upcoming shows for this Chicago Magician.

Stay in Touch

2011-07-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

I get numerous requests from people who want to keep up with my tour schedule and latest projects. There are two things you should do to keep up with my endeavors:

1) Go to my website and Sign Up For My Newsletter. I will send you a brief newsletter two times a month to let you know about my upcoming shows, new videos, and recent shows.

2) "Like" my Facebook Fan Page for the most current updates, fun stories, and videos.

More about my work can be found here:

• Chicago Magician
• Live Shows
• Request a Quote Now

Creativity and the Cabaret

2011-07-17T22:53:00.001-07:00

The past couple weeks I've been busy booking my shows for the rest of the year and preparing new material for them when I have time. Since I am relatively new as a Chicago Magician I have been seeking out locations to perform in that are small venues, but provide an opportunity to get much need practice in front of an audience. Thus far I have performed two times at the Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown. These performances have helped me to develop some wonderful new effects for the show. The thing about magic is that you never know how good something will be until you get it onstage and in front of actual living, breathing people. Without their reaction, I might as well be just doing tricks in front of the mirror.

My style of creating effects has always been sporadic. Sometimes I'll have a run of several days with nonstop inspiration that keeps me up at night and produces a multitude of new material. Other times, I literally stare at a blank notepad for days. Lately, I've been in safer territory: the in-between. Every few days I will hit upon a decent idea for my show. I jot the idea down and let it sit for a while. Usually there isn't really a way to achieve it - instead, there's just the skeleton of a concept. Eventually I revisit those concepts and develop them as much as I can. It's a long process and one that I'm not sure I'll ever get down to a science. But, the feeling of setting yourself strict standards and adhering to them is one of the most rewarding feelings you can ever have. And it is the idea of setting standards that I wish to impose on you today. This idea has helped to shape the majority of my work, whether it be for my stage show or close-up magic.

The idea is simple: in order to create something you must first know what you do not want to do. So I encourage you to make your very own list of "Idea Ideals". For instance, I travel quite a bit to perform my shows. With a limited budget and means of hauling props, it is important that my show is light or "packs small and plays big," as they say. Knowing that I must be able to take my entire show with me on an airplane gives me an extremely clear vision of what I can and cannot do.

Likewise, a good deal of my personal "Idea Ideals" list for my show is purely from an aesthetic point of view. What props am I willing to work with? How do I want the stage to look? What will I be wearing, and how will it affect the performance? Etcetera, etcetera. The essence of the list is to ask myself "What don't I want to do?" By answering this questions, my "ideals" are born. When I have an idea I consult my list and see if the idea is adhering to my guidelines. If it doesn't I can immediately abandon it. However, if it does I jot it down in my notebook and save it for when the time is right. (You do keep a notebook, don't you?)

What if you were a musician? You could easily have a list of "ideals" for your compositions. For example, you might want to have purely acoustic music, no additional voices, only write about personal thoughts/ideas, never use profanity, and never perform any covers. As time goes on, you may realize that you have additional "ideals" to pursue in your work.

It's so easy to question where to start as an artist or creator. You can stare at a blank page for days upon end. However, if you work backwards it can actually become quite easy. And this is where the oh so important "Idea Ideals" list comes in. It's very easy to know what you don't want to do. And once you know that, you stay true to your list. It's only a matter of time until you not only fill that page with good ideas, but ideas that are ideal.

Until next time, here's to many more creative endeavors. I hope you enjoy reading the ramblings of this inspired Chicago Magician.

Life in Chicago

2011-07-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

It's good to be a Chicago Magician.

Video Teaser

2011-07-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a new video teaser that will be featured on my website. I think it perfectly captures my style as a Chicago Magician.

New Demo Reel

2011-06-28T08:56:00.001-07:00

Here is my new demo reel! Click here to visit my website: Chicago Magician

Vaudeville Showcase

2011-06-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

This past Friday I performed alongside members of the "Cold Basement Dramatics" theater company in the Vaudeville Showcase at Stage 773 in Chicago. The show featured performances by an accordionist, a singer, a clown, a contortionist, several actors, and a belly dancer. It was a lot of fun and my performance was so well received that they asked me back to perform in the showcase again next Friday night. The show starts at 8:00 pm at Stage 773. If you want to have some good laughs, see some good talent, and see me perform some magic then come out to the show! For ticket information, visit www.Stage773.org.

Chicago Magician!

2011-06-12T10:12:00.001-07:00

I am officially a resident of Chicago and now will be promoting my services as a "Chicago Magician". I am excited for the road that lies ahead and the shows that I will be performing. Stay tuned to this blog for more details as the weeks pass.

Last month I performed at the Crown Uptown in Wichita, KS. It is a beautiful theatre and I had a fantastic time. It was the premiere of my newest one-man show "LIES". The show features mind reading, sideshow stunts, magic, and hypnotism. It is the proudest accomplishment of my young career thus far. Below is a picture from the performance, taken during one of my original routines. Additionally, you will find a video taken onstage during the show! More to come next week...

Recent Reviews

2011-02-27T13:16:00.001-08:00

Here's what recent clients have been saying about my performances:

"Dude's got some serious magic goin' on." - The Wiyos

"That was pure freakin' magic." - Larry Damm, CEO Cessna Credit Union

"He captivated the entire audience with his charisma and showmanship. Outstanding!" - Karen Culver, Kansas Adult Educators Association

The show is getting better and better. I have removed the parts that I felt were dragging the tempo down and replaced them with completely new material. So far, the response has been overwhelming. My last two performances had multiple standing ovations and referral bookings from those in the audience. Hopefully my upcoming performances will help get the show into top form and ready for my upcoming move to Chicago!

American Boxer Club - Sept. 5, 2010

2010-09-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

A week ago I performed for the Regional Conference of the American Boxer Club at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka, Kansas. The show was very fun, complete with a very receptive audience and some new material that I've been writing for the past couple months. The very first bit of the show was one of my new ideas and since it involved the entire audience to actively participate during the routine, I recorded it on my phone and uploaded it instantly to youtube to preserve the memory for the entire audience. Here is my latest routine, "Crowd Control", in its entirety!

Concepts and Compassion

2010-08-06T00:35:00.000-07:00

When I first started performing as a magician I used recycled jokes, tired gags, and unoriginal routines. In the art of magic it takes a while to withdraw yourself from the flashy props and clone magicians, and really strive for originality. For me, it was the learning process of college. I questioned everything during college. I questioned life, love, religion, politics. I read books and watched as many movies as I possibly could.

Then suddenly something clicked for me.

Instead of trying to create something that audiences might want to see or coming up with a novel method to use, I realized how I would create my art. Here's my process:

I take something that inspires me artistically, usually a feeling or emotion I've experienced from a life experience, a song, a movie, etc. Then I try to come up with a way to translate that feeling into magic/mind reading/performance art and let the audience experience it the way I did. Only then does my art truly begin to feel original, organic, and honest. My concept and my meaning is truth, even though I present it as an intricately woven fabric of lies.

I spend hours thinking about concepts. Ways to make my audiences truly feel something. This is very important to me. Many of you will know that I will soon be marrying my college sweetheart, Stephanie Cunningham. Tonight she lost her grandmother to cancer. Mere minutes before she received the news this evening, I listened to her latest idea for a dance concept. (We talk endlessly about art.) The idea, born out of her love and sorrow for her grandmother, filled me with an unparalleled amount of compassion. My eyes swelled with tears as she explained her concept to me. Moments later, she learned of her grandmother's passing.

Twyla Tharp mentions that she never discusses her ideas publicly for fear of their constant change, so I will not reveal the idea here. After all, it's not mine to disclose. All I will say, is that I can only dream to have an idea as beautiful and bold and brilliant as Stephanie's was tonight. I am undeniably lucky to be with such a tremendously gifted artist as she.

Maybe one day I will be able to make my audience's feel the way she makes me feel...

A little press

2010-06-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a wonderful story that ran in conjunction with the shows I performed this past weekend:

Toland to perform this weekend
By Anne Kazmierczak, The Iola Register

Mark Toland isn’t a magician anymore. “I have illusionist and mentalist on my business card,”he noted.

The distinction may be subtle for the layperson,but for Toland,who makes a living from the art, it’s clear. “In college I watched a lot of magic,” said the 2009 Wichita State University graduate. “It seemed so cheesy,”he said of typical slight-of-hand tricks. So, over the years he refined his act. “I’ve taken out what I consider lackluster and replaced it. It’s a higher-level show now” of magic and mind-reading.

Toland returns to his hometown for two shows this weekend. Iola Community Theatre’s Warehouse Theatre at 203 S. Jefferson Ave. will be the venue at 7 p.m.Saturday and 2 p.m.Sunday.

Toland said his fiance, college sweetheart Stephanie Cunningham, influenced his style. Cunningham, a ballet and modern dancer, helped Toland view his show “more from an outside perspective,” he said, and allowed him to see his act “more aesthetically,”he said.

The audience should benefit,he said. “There’s a point where I’m blindfolded and have to guess what people standing up in the audience are holding,” he said. Other feats include answering questions written and sealed into envelopes by audience
members — without ever having access to the questions,he said.

To add a bit of flash, Toland will also perform a presentation popularized by Harry Houdini,in which he swallows 50 sewing needles. Other such visual tricks must remain under wraps until performance time, Toland said.

Toland hopes the changes will expand the fan base for his shows. He returned to Wichita after almost a full year of performing magic in Los Angeles to be closer to Cunningham, he said. The two hope to move to New York City next year, where he
will be closer to agencies that can advance his career and she can join a professional dance troupe. “I’m working with a national agent trying to get college shows,” he said. If all works as hoped, Toland will be touring the college circuit by next year.

“Las Vegas would be nice eventually,”he said of his career plans, “and a cruise ship is nice to see the world,” but right now, Toland wants to perform for as many people as possible. No matter where he ends up, though, he said, “it’s always good to come back and see the people who got me hooked on theater in the first place.”

New Demo Reel

2010-06-15T14:47:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I did a two show run of my newest stage show: "Intrigue". The show fuses magic, mind reading, sideshow stunts, memory feats, and showmanship to produce a theatrical and unforgettable 90 minute experience. The shows were packed on both days and I both excited and nervous to perform the new material for the first time.

Just in the span of a couple days the show improved drastically. I made little changes that seemed to improve things from an aesthetic and artistic standpoint. Also, this show was not met with the usual post show comments. Usually people want to tell me how funny and entertaining it is. With this show people were saying how "captivated" they were and how amazing I was. I still have people writing me to tell me that they can't stop thinking about the show. For me, that is the greatest compliment I can ever have. I don't want people to watch my show and say "that was amazing" - I want them to watch my show and say "HE was amazing".

As a result of the two shows, I was able to shoot enough video to produce a new demo video for my college and performing arts center shows. The demo is stylized, artistic, and showcases my show in a way that my previous video had not. It's way better, in my humble opinion, to be in complete control of every aspect of your business than to leave creative license up to others. If you let someone else do it, the result will never be what you want and you'll only find yourself wishing for something else. This demo is my creation (with the help of my fiancee Stephanie and my friend Matt) and I am extremely pleased and proud of it. So now, enjoy the 2010 Promo for Illusionist & Mentalist Mark Toland:

One of those days...

2010-03-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I have days that worry me. There are days when I have to go out and perform and just don't quite feel up it, but those aren't the days that worry me. Then there are the days when I am so busy that I don't have the energy to practice or create new material, but those days don't worry me either. No, the days that worry me are when I have nothing else going on but I can't find it in myself to be creative and get rehearsing. When I think, even for the slightest instant, that I'm losing sight of what I want to do then I get really worried. Those are the days that I don't feel passionate about my craft any more. Those are the days when I don't want to write out the script for my show because I have no ideas. Those are the days that worry me.

I have always defined myself by my magic. I know nothing else. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be the best magician that I could possibly be. But I fear that I may be losing sight of what I want. I don't feel inspired as often and I don't care as much. It's a strange feeling that I hope lasts far shorter than senioritis did. I can't picture myself doing anything else and I won't be happy unless I am performing my magic.

I have a tendency to only pinpoint my highlights and never mention the flaws of my work, but I feel that both are a must for this blog. As an artist, I feel that I should be honest with my work. And my lack of inspiration and motivation is the honest truth. I still perform with a vigor and think about magic as a whole. But I spend far less time thinking passionately about my magic. It seems that other things take a precedence and begin to cloud out what I've always wanted. Every artist hits blocks, but somehow I need to find a way to get it back.

My latest objective is to form a show that will be performed for college shows and corporate events. The show will be roughly 90 minutes and will be mostly mind reading. It is a laborious, painstaking process to be completely original but it is an absolute must. I will be pitching this show to numerous agencies and universities and I don't want to be similar to any other performers. I wish I had more news about the show but lately it's just been one of those days...

A New Year

2010-01-29T00:12:00.000-08:00

It's been over a month since my previous post, and what busy month it has been. I've tried my hand at some acting, along with some consulting and of course, some magic. A brief list of the highlights:

-Extra on a Smart Car Commercial
-Extra on ABC's GREEK
-Extra on NUMB3RS
-Extra on a film called "Class"
-Magic for a wine bar in downtown LA
-Magic for a comedy show in downtown LA
-Magic teacher for the Los Angeles School of Gymnastics Winter Session
-Hired as an after school magic teacher for area public schools
-Performed magic at the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day for the United States Marine Corps
-Magic for some senior citizens in Encino
-Cast as a juggler for the Hannah Montana Show on the Disney Channel (although they cut the part the day before taping...)
-Auditioned as a juggler for a series of national advertisements
-Magic for a wedding in Costa Mesa

As you can see it's been a busy few weeks. I've been finding new and unique ways to earn money and get my name out there. I also am excited for many upcoming shows that I'm trying to book back home.

The most exciting thing of the past several weeks, however, was that I proposed to my girlfriend on the 15th of January. I am excited to announce that I am engaged. She is a very talented and beautiful young lady and I am happy to call her my fiancee. She supports me in everything I do, and often she gives me the creative idea behind some of my favorite routines. Along with all that, she is loving, compassionate, kind, and caring. I am very excited to follow my dreams with her!

I've written a couple of essays in the past month about some of my thoughts on the theory of magic and performance. I hope to get those posted online in the next week or so.

Why?

2009-12-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

I often discuss this topic with my girlfriend and spent a lot of my college years contemplating it. What is it about the arts that makes me want to perform? More specific: why do I want to perform magic?

First, let's name some obvious reasons. Is it for fame? Money? To be cool? To fit in? Recognition?

Well, it's not for fame. If you are doing something to be famous, then you're in it for the wrong reason. There are people today who don't even know who the Beatles were. The most famous band of all time! Fame is so fleeting that it is an absurd pursuit and reason to follow a dream.

Money. I wish I had more, I'll be honest. But that's not why I'm doing magic. If I wanted a lot of money I'd be in law school or medical school right now and working towards a higher paying job. I'm not performing magic for the money.

Magic is rarely cool. It's stereotyped as cheesy and lame. Even though I want to change that, I'm fighting an uphill battle. It's going to take work until people think what I do is cool and don't trivialize it. But, I'm definitely not doing it because it's cool.

And it's not to fit in and it's not for the recognition. It's not a cry for attention or because it's all I'm good at. No, I perform magic because I want to make something great. I want to impact people's lives and talk about something meaningful. I don't need to be remembered but hopefully my ideas will. I'm in it for the art. To work at it constantly until I make the art that I feel is best. It can't be for anyone but yourself. And magic just happens to be my vehicle for that.

So, what's your reason?

Progress

2009-11-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

I consider myself a perfectionist. But only when it comes to magic. I script my shows down to the tiniest joke. Nothing occurs by accident. I am a stickler on prop management and I spend sleepless nights worrying about the staging of my routines.

It is important for me to always be taking a fine tooth comb over my magic. After all, I am the director, producer, writer, and performer of it all. This is the kind of thought and practice that I have been applying to my latest shows.

* * *

I am in full swing now of working with two agents. One agent works to book me shows professionally. Along with my own work as a freelance artist trying to book shows, this is a very good asset. It can potentially double my performances and encourages me to book my own shows, too, so I do not have to pay commission on them!

My second agent is working to get me a job doing magic on television commercials. This is a great way to make myself very multi-dimensional. I can get some on camera experience, good pay, and combine magic and acting in a fun way.

* * *

I am a firm believer in taking any gigs I can get and always saying "yes". I will say "yes" to something and figure out how to do it later. I'd rather do that than give the opportunity away to someone else.

It's all about being a good self-promoter, and when it comes down to that, I'm rather shameless.

Reflections

2009-10-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

I have officially been performing magic professionally for six months. Since I graduated in May I have done nothing but perform magic for money. It is a career filled with ups and downs - and plenty of stumbles along the way. I have basically been making my way on my own, with little or no idea of what I am doing. I understand magic and I understand performing, but the marketing and promotion are difficult and complicated. But even so, I have been finding gigs and working hard to book more shows. I built my own website, email constantly about new leads, and constantly promote my show. And the hard work is starting to pay off.

Last night I performed walk around magic at a private party in West Covina and I started thinking about how far I have come in a year's time. Last year around this time I was performing walk around for parties in Wichita, KS. My magic was strong and my performances were polished. But, in a year I have come so far. My material is even stronger and the reactions are off the charts. I feel as if all of my time sitting alone and thinking about how I want magic to be has really paid off. And it's only going to get better. And that's just my walk around material... The show is taking off in ways that I didn't even think were possible. I can't wait for the next additions..

I think constantly about where I want to take my magic in the future. I know I want to perform for as long as possible, be original, and be artistic. I want to move and inspire people and help people to dream with my magic. And, I want to change the perception of magic. I want to show people that it isn't a cheesy art form. That it's not about rabbits and capes and magic wands, but actually about something intellectual. I can't stand to see performers who toss magic aside as something trivial or merely a vehicle for entertainment. Magic can elicit such powerful emotions that it should be held in the highest regard. And the public should view magic as one of the most beautiful art forms. Someone's gotta do it...and I intend to.

Talent Competition

2009-09-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

Last evening, I took first place at a talent competition in Anaheim. I was one of over 20 performers and was awarded a cash prize. Also, I will be performing with all the other week's winners in November for the final competition! I have never won a talent competition with magic before and was quite thrilled by the experience. The act is really starting to take shape and I am quite pleased with the direction it is heading.

Smoke and Mirrors

2009-09-24T01:23:00.000-07:00

Another thing that has been bothering me about magic lately is the willingness of magicians to share and copy other performer's material. Magicians will watch a lecture at a convention or a DVD of performances and explanations and go forth to perform this new found material. Is this okay?

Personally I think magic lectures are a bad idea. At least as they are presented currently. I understand a lot of performers make the majority of their income from the lecture circuit alone and that is fine. However, the format of magic lectures needs to change.

I do not think it is okay to attend a lecture and have the magician present and explain their material. Why? Because it's their material. We don't need hundreds of performers out there doing the same effect. Why not lecture on audience management? Why not lecture on creativity? These are issues that so-called "lectures" should cover. Perhaps, this thirst for new material as opposed to theory on our art form is what impedes the progress of the art of magic as a whole. While magic could be commonly accepted as a life-changing art form with a world view and a fascinating approach to theatre, it is instead trivialized and therefore mocked by much of the public.

Take these all-too-familiar stereotypical cliches:

"Pull a coin out of my ear."
"Make my check disappear."
"You aren't going to cut me in half are you?"

Excuse me, I think I may be sick. Magic is surely (at least in America) viewed as a cheesy, over dramatic art form. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part magic and ventriloquism fight over the bottom rung of the art form ladder. How to improve the public perception? Well for a start: originality. Magic performance should be a holy grail of sorts. It should be a constant struggle to find one's own unique idea of astonishment and present it in a new and unique way onstage. To start - magic lectures could shift their focus somewhat...

Let me propose a mock magic lecture for our discussion purposes.

The lecture includes no effects, no methods, no deck of cards, no sleight of hand, and definitely no shameless DVD plugs. Instead, the lecture first discusses the structure of an act:

How to structure your show:
Hit them with something unique and orignal. Follow that with seamless routines that all complement each other nicely, (i.e. a rope trick followed by a heavy mentalism routine doesn't work.) The seques should all be perfect. No filler material. No gaps between routines. The audience should be on the edge of their seats and then bam! You build up to an unforeseen but incredibly impressive conclusion that brings them to their feet.

And you don't settle for any material that is second rate. If two of your routines aren't strong enough to go along with the rest of the show, then you don't do the show. You wait, until you have better routines. You want to devestate the audience and leave no doubt as to your abilities, skills, and talents.

Next up in the lecture: a friendly discourse on creativity. If we aren't teaching material then how do we come up with our own, you may ask? And that is what this part of the leacture would consist of.

Creativity:
There are several ways of being creative. First, you have to understand who you are as a performer. Magician? Mentalist? Integrate magic and mentalism together? (I'm the third one.) How do you dress? A suit? A tie? Maybe as a hipster, with a blazer and tennis shoes. Maybe in a tuxedo. Or maybe just a casual guy who does incredible things. How do you speak? A large vocabulary that commands the room? A witty banter filled with familiar slangs and witty remarks?

Before you can be creative, you must first know who your character is.

Next, you must be open to the idea of creating. I do not think that coming up with sleights and trying to find an effect to suit them is the best way to do this. Instead, I feel that you should really decide what you are trying to convey or discuss with the audience and you should design something with that in mind. Do you want to discuss religion? Sex? Health care reform? That's one way to do it.

Or, you can start with the effect in mind. For example, I recently worked up a routine where a volunteer from the audience thinks of something and another volunteer reads their mind. It looks as good as it sounds. I wanted that basic effect and then I worked backwards to try to create a method, and tried to have as little compromise as possible. I didn't want stooges and I didn't want a lot of contraptions on stage. I wanted it to look as amazing as possible, and devestate my audience. Instead of coming up with a fancy card control and then working out a routine for it, maybe you should decide you want to, for example, allow the collective audience to read one person's mind while they're onstage and then search out the method.

I personally integrate these two approaches quite frequently. I have a lot I want to say about culture, society, government, etc. and I realize that my chosen art form is a perfect vehicle for that. However, I run the risk of becoming didactic so I carefully limit that approach by using the second way of starting with the effect in mind. By fusing these two ideas together I have a fantastic new idea that is original to me, topical in nature, and artistically poignant to my audience. In my humble opinion, this is how resonating, powerful magic is born.

So, for my hypothetical lecture, I would allow attendees to brainstorm possible effects or topics they would like to work on and connect the dots. If you really consider what you might want to do and do not worry about limitations, then the ideas begin to flow quite rapidly. Suddenly sponge balls and ropes are out of the picture, and startling new effects have made their debut. Suddenly, everyone is making magic.

Finally, the last part of the lecture would deal with magic theory, presentation, and staging. This would include topics on controlling attention, voice and diction, audience management, writing scripts, research, and everything in between.

It is my frank and honest opinion that magicians attending a lecture of this style would leave with a much better idea of how they want to perform magic, then they do after leaving the current lectures at most conventions. If we want to amaze our audiences, we can't be sharing material and trading tricks. We need to learn the techniques that elevate our art form. We can't be concerning ourselves with meaningless methods. Besides, the real secrets are so much better.

New Thoughts

2009-09-19T02:05:00.001-07:00

I have decided to shift the focus of this blog somewhat. I will still be covering my progress as a professional magician but I also want to discuss my thoughts and feelings on the art of magic as a whole. I often discuss my viewpoints on magic with friends and colleagues but I want to write some essays on here so that I can get some thoughts on record and generate some discussion.

First, an update. I made it through the month of August with great success. I eclipsed my goal of 10 gigs and successfully generated enough business for myself to pay rent, bills, and eat. Ah, the life of a starving artist. This month has been a little slow, as I expected. With the end of summer and the beginning of school, I knew that gigs would not be as common during September. However, I have done some volunteer work and also have booked a few other performances.

Last Monday I performed at an event in Yorba Linda called Magic Monday. I was one of four magicians featured in the show. I put together an entirely new set featuring an array of magic, hypnosis, mind reading, and sideshow feats. Included in the set was a new routine I have been working on for several months where I walk barefoot across a bed of broken glass. It is one of my favorite bits in my current repertoire. After the show I received a lot of fantastic compliments from audience members. People were extremely kind and really seemed to enjoy my material. This was the first time that anyone has told me I am Vegas ready. That comment alone was enough to keep me motivated and positive for the months ahead. I am really looking to define myself as, not only a magician, but a performer with an incredibly versatile array of skills. I want audiences to be amazed, impressed, and inspired.

Now, on to some thoughts on magic as an art form.

First, it seems that magicians have a very bad tendency to trivialize magic. I really have a hard time watching magic where the butt of all the jokes is the art of magic. I don't hear artists crack lame jokes about painting or ballerinas talk about the cheesiness of their ballets. This art form should be revered and respected. We don't need to succumb to cheesy props and stock patter lines. It doesn't matter that magicians have done this in the past and audiences expect us to be cheesy and all fun and games. Together we can change the face of magic. We can get audiences to respect and admire our art form, and not see it as merely a brief escape and a quick vehicle for cheap entertainment. We should provide our audiences with thought provoking moments of astonishing that they should be pondering for years to come. Take your magic seriously onstage and off.

Next, work hard to perform magic that is powerful and don't settle for filler material. Just because that rope routine or die box has worked for generations does not mean that it is okay. Audiences are not really being fooled. They know there's a trick to it and they know that it's just something clever. Give them something that leaves them with no explanation. Don't kid yourself. Audiences are not stupid - they know that box is accomplishing the magic. They know that cane must be gimmicked. And they probably bought one of those funny props for their kids last Christmas in their local magic shop. Give your audiences credit and play to their intelligence. Leave them with no explanation and work hard to make sure that this is the case.

Also, don't pander. Just because certain material is known to work doesn't mean you have to perform it. Perform what is right for you and your image. But most of all, don't perform something because you know the audience will like it. That's not the right way to select material. You should perform something because it complements your overall image and because you know it is some so powerful that your audiences will be completely and utterly amazed.

Finally, I often receive flack because of my age. Magicians who are older than me comment on "my youth" or my "inexperience". This is completely unfair and fairly condescending. I have been performing magic professionally for over 15 years. I have read tons of books, scoured tons of videos, and watched countless hours of other magicians to fully appreciate and understand this sacred art. I am not being cocky when I say this, just stating the fact that I have worked hard to accumulate a vast knowledge of magic. I have studied magic history, magic as a hobby, and magic as a profession. To talk down on me because of my youth is extremely rude. This happens at magic club meetings, magic conventions, and lately at events I have performed for. If you are going to talk to a fellow practitioner, make sure you are basing your opinions solely on their professionalism, charisma, stage presence, audience management, choice of material, etc. but not age. That is disrespectful and no one should have to experience that any more.

That does it for my rant this week. There are many more of those to come. I have plenty of opinions about magic as a whole that I feel the need to address, and I will be sure to address them in the coming weeks!

Progress

2009-08-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy month and a half since I arrived in Los Angeles. Much has happened and I'm really starting to generate a good deal of business. Highlights:

I launched an all new website this month. It's still at http://www.marktoland.com It includes video, photos, links, and even a schedule of upcoming performances.

I have performed at the Staples Center, the Home Depot Center, the LA Women's Tennis Championship, the LA School of Gymnastics, and many private parties.

Also I had some new headshots taken and I have posted one here for you to see. Stay tuned for more news!

The Interval

2009-07-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

The waiting game between gigs is always a hard time. Sometimes I will have a long run of many, many performances and then suddenly my business evaporates in a heartbeat. I know that this is a standard occurence, especially for an artist just starting out, but it makes it very difficult. However, it does allow me time to work on my marketing and improve my show. Here are some of the things I have taken part in since I arrived in Los Angeles and some of the opportunities that have come along...

-Performed with a comedy troupe at the Shalom Camp in Long Beach
-Performed at the 25th Anniversary Moose Lodge Picnic
-Performed at Open Mic Night on the campus of the University of Southern California
-Interviewed for a television show on the E Network
-Interviewed with a talent agency in Beverly Hills

In the coming weeks:
-Performance for the LA Street Team Festival in downtown Los Angeles
-Performance for the Diamond Bar Family Festival
-A couple of private events
-After School Magic Teacher for the public school system here

These are just a few of the things I have been working on. Hopefully I'll have more opportunities in the coming weeks.

Oh, and I got to meet Craig Ferguson the other night. Here's a picture with him:

Senior Showcase Photos

2009-07-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

It's taken a little while to add these but here are some pictures of my Senior Showcase that I performed in May. It was a lot of fun and I am quite proud of it. It really showcased the magic that I have been working on throughout college and my style of performance. Enjoy!

A Typical Day in LA

2009-07-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

A typical day in Los Angeles:

9:00 - After waking I listen to some music and jot down all my ideas for my new show that I came up with during the night. I do not want to forget anything and try to update the idea notebook regularly. Also, I double check my to-do list for the day.

10:00 - After a quick shower and some scrambled eggs and toast, I proceed to the library to work on marketing. I e-mail about new shows and gigs, update my website, and read articles/investigate marketing strategies that will possibly help me in the future.

11:30 - As I walk back to my apartment I follow up with any leads by telephone and try to secure whatever job opportunities I can.

12:00 - After lunch I make as many cold calls as I can. I won't go into specifics here but I follow up on leads and try to arrange for interviews, meetings, and other ideas that could potentially benefit my magic career.

2:00 - If I don't have any meetings or interviews I usually choose to go for a short mile run. Staying in shape is an important part of being an artist and maintaining a good lifestyle as a performer.

If I do have an interview I usually arrange for it around this time. It takes me a while to get anywhere by bus so meetings may take up most of the rest of my day.

6:30 - Dinner. Usually I read a marketing book or take notes while I am eating.

8:00 - I usually return to my apartment around this time and take notes on my ideas for the day. I try to turn my rough ideas into usable routines for the show. Also, I take note of what marketing ploy worked and what marketing ploys did not work over the course of the day.

9:30 - I spend an hour or so planning for my next day. In this time I search the yellow pages and reread my notes so I can put my next plan into action.

10:00 - For the rest of the night I shuffle cards and relax. I spend a couple hours on the phone with my girlfriend and we discuss art and theatre. She is important to me because she keeps me grounded and supports me in what I am doing. I try to not become intimidated by the big city or the massive amounts of entertainers here. Everyone is scared here...some let on, and other's don't...but it's all about taking it a day at a time.

My new address is:

Mark Toland
1280 1/2 W Jefferson Blvd
Apt #2
Los Angeles, CA 90007

Also, if you have time please visit this page and write a review for me! Thanks!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-magic-of-mark-toland-los-angeles

Quick Update...

2009-06-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles is a happening place. I have been looking for places to live and marketing myself all at once. There is no time for anything else. I am looking to perform in some talent showcases as well as potentially some restaurants/bars. But for now I am mainly concerned with my housing situation. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have a place to stay and I will not have to worry about it for a while. Once I have an address I will post it here so you can send me care packages, decks of cards, etc. Even the occasional letter will be greatly appreciated! More to come..

A New Beginning

2009-06-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will board a train at Union Station in Kansas City and head to Los Angeles for the next step in my career. I would be lying if I claimed I was not terrified. When I spent time in L.A. a few years ago I did so as a student and was concentrating on my studies. Now I am going back to the city with my career in mind. I am not going to let the size of the city or the glitz and glamour affect me. Instead I am just going to concentrate on a daily marketing plan and work as hard as I can to be the most successful magician I can possibly be. Now that I am thrusting myself into the real world of professional entertainement and artistry I will be updating this more frequently with my progress!

Commencement

2009-05-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

Looking back on my college experience I have been trying to decide what I have really gotten out of it. I have spent 75,000 dollars on my education, held close to ten jobs, been increasingly more sick, and studied a lot of things that did not interest me. However, I have had the time to think about myself as a person and as an artist. For me, the most important time I spent in college was thinking about art and magic by myself. I learned who I really am, what I really want my art to be, and how I hope my career will go. The classes were not as beneficial for me as for many people who attend college and I feel like they were often a waste of my time. After much thought, I have come up with the five experiences of college that have defined myself and my work as an artist:

1) Right before my freshman year of college I got to see David Copperfield live on tour in Branson, Missouri. He was my magical inspiration during my childhood and I had never seen him live before. At that point in my life I wasn't sure whether I wanted to perform magic professionally or just be an actor onstage, but after seeing DCopp's show I realized that my childhood dream was what I needed to be doing. Since that night I have done nothing but think about magic and art.

2) I spent my freshman year of school at the University of Southern California. There have been multiple times since I returned to Kansas that I have regretted going to L.A. Knowing what life was like at USC and leaving behind brief but meaningful friendships made coming to school at WSU all the more difficult. But looking back now I realize that spending a year in L.A. was a pivotal point in my growth as both a person and an artist. Being able to leave the small-town views and opinions of my hometown and subject myself to differing viewpoints, new ideas, and different opinions than my own made me grow and change into the person I wanted to be. I suddenly became more accepting of other beliefs and cultures and ideas, and for that I will never again regret my year at USC.

3) I took a class at WSU called Entrepreneurship for the Arts. The class is now very well known but was a great building block in my studies of marketing and promotion for my magic business. I had been promoting myself on my own for over a decade but this class changed the way I did that and helped me to look at my art from a business perspective. While there are many parts of business I do not enjoy or agree with from an artistic standpoint, I gleaned a wealth of knowledge from this course. In fact, my website and this blog are a direct result. This class along with my willingness to be a shameless self-promoter have made all the difference in making a name for me and my magic.

4) I met a fantastic artist named Shaun-Michael Morse a couple of years ago. He was my voice teacher and helped me to grow as a performer. He also took the time to really understand me and believed in me when no one else did. He didn't only teach me about music or talk with me about magic, but he taught me about art. ART. That has made a huge difference in my life.

5) This past semester I got to see Penn and Teller live in Las Vegas. Seeing two magicians use their show as a vehicle for ideas and relevance made me sit up and take notice. Magic magazines and online forums talk about how bad and wrong P&T are for magic and I went into the show with a jaded mind. However, I was soon swayed when I realized how much appreciation Penn and Teller demanded for the arts. They talked of free speech, patriotism, atheism, beauty, and hilarity...all of which greatly intrigue and excite me. This show resonated with me because I have always felt that magic needed more meaning to get rid of the cheesy, trite stereotypes that are commonly associated with it. This show made me want to revamp my show to make sure that I am using the theater as a platform to discuss meaningful and thought-provoking topics onstage. I want my art to be different and to be important.

I don't want to be a clone of David Copperfield or Penn and Teller. I am not going to grad school at USC. I will not use much of what we discussed in Entrepreneurship for the Arts. And I disagree with much of what Shaun-Michael Morse has to say. And I like it that way. Without any of these events I would not be where I am. I would not be the person I have become or the artist I am becoming. But, at the same time, disagreement is such an important part of art and I learned that from these events, too. Disagreement only makes your art more powerful and more unique. Disagreement makes us question our ideas and explore other opinions. It's powerful and important. I am very fortunate to have experienced these things during college. They have changed my life. I am excited for what lies ahead. I can't wait to do nothing but the art of magic.

Senior Showcase Reflections

2009-05-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a long semester of creativity, dreaming, imagining, designing, and rehearsing but it has finally come to an end. My senior showcase: "allusion" was an unparalleled personal success for me last Friday evening. I personally feel that it was the best magic show I've done to date and am excited for the direction in which my magic is headed. I feel that I am starting to define my magic even more clearly and concisely than before:

1) I am becoming more original and am finding my own voice on stage.
2) I am not afraid to let my magic become more macabre and dark, while still retaining my classy image. Indeed, these poignant moments of the show are becoming my favorites. I also feel that it is important to explore these routines because magic has an inherently dark feeling to begin with.
3) I am working harder than ever to make sure my magic is art. Every routine has a purpose and a meaning. I no longer perform something because someone else did or because it's popular. Instead, I find something I want to talk about onstage, and then form a routine for my idea.
4) I find my magic echoing and reinforcing the changes I see in myself on a day-to-day basis. This is an important part of being unique, original, and different. I want people to see my show and say, "Only Mark Toland would do that."

These are just a few of the ways in which my magic is evolving. I am extremely excited for the future. I am glad that my senior showcase was a success. I wanted nothing more than to garner the respect and appreciation for magic that I so strongly feel it deserves.

Here are just a few of the wonderful comments I heard from "allusion":

"That was the best senior showcase I've seen in a very long time."
-Wendy Hanes, Acting Associate Dean, School of Fine Arts

"I have no doubt that you will be one of the most successful people to ever come out of Wichita State."
-Amy Baker, Dance Instructor and my advisor at Wichita State

"A very stylish, sophisticated, and different performance."
-Curt Waltermire, Wichita Area Illusionist

"Not only a senior showcase BUT a professional level, real world show."
-Stephanie Cunningham, Dance Major at WSU (and my girlfriend!)

"You transported me to another place. Fantastic show."
-Andrew Parker

Thanks to all who were able to attend.

Now it's off to Anaheim, California. I will be moving there at the end of the month and trying to find work as a magician. All I want to do is create art. I am so excited for what lies ahead.

New Demo Video

2009-05-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of working with an extremely talented filmmaker named Nick Barton. Nick just completed producing videos for the Wichita Center for the Art's production of "The Tempest." Now, Nick has decided to pursue video work full-time. Click on "New Demo Video" above to see the fantastic video that we put together.

Senior Showcase!

2009-04-27T21:01:00.001-07:00

Here is the poster for my Senior Showcase! Please note: The time has now changed to 8:00 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Senior Showcase!

2009-03-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the first in a series of promo videos for my upcoming senior showcase. It's going to be May 8th at Litwin Theatre on the campus of Wichita State. Hope everyone can make it!

UPDATE: The show is officially at 7:00 p.m. on May 9th.

Dreams of a better day...

2009-03-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

I have been working hard on my new stage show material. I can definitely see the direction I want to take my magic. From an artistic point of view I am excited and I hope that my audiences will be, too.

In a couple of months I will be presenting my senior showcase at Wichita State University. I do not have an exact date yet, but I will soon. I am combining magic, music, and art together for a unique presentation that I hope will be very meaningful. The show will be called "Allusion". I will post the date when I have it confirmed.

Penn and Teller

2009-03-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

I recently visited Las Vegas and had the opportunity to see Penn and Teller's fantastic show at the Rio. Along with David Copperfield's show, this was one of the best magic shows I've ever seen. The show was incredible, from both a magical and artistic point of view. Everything that Penn and Teller perform is unique and original to them. But they have found a way to make their artistic expression appealing to the public. The show included several signature pieces such as "The Bullet Catch" and "Burning the American Flag" as well as some routines that I had never seen before. Seeing their show really made me think about the importance of being original and really striving to be artistic in our work. This takes a great deal of hard work, or as the famous quote says "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."

Since the show I have decided to work extremely hard on my own repertoire to ensure that it consists of all original routines and that the routines have some kinid of artistic meaning attributed to them as well. It will be a difficult and complicated process to make sure that my show is original to me, but I would rather spend a lot of time working on my original material than just becoming another run-of-the-mill magician with a subtrunk and lame stock jokes. I'll update this with my progress as I go...

Pictures with Penn & Teller after the show:

Why so ridiculous?

2009-01-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

Why does magic have a bad rap? I mean, out of all the performing arts, magic gets the least respect. Why is that?

I'll tell you why. Because it's so cheesy. The majority of magicians performing today are content with being cheesy. They use cheesy pat lines, cheesy gestures, cheesy costumes, cheesy music, and on and on and on... It's terrible.

Go on youtube and watch most magic clips. Now be honest. Are they not cheesy? Seriously...most of them are, unless you're watching Copperfield or Derren Brown or something like that..

There's a show airing on My Network TV of late called "Masters of Illusion" (Cheesy title, huh?). It's a weekly series that showcases the (supposedly) best practitioners of our art. So far there have been two shows and both have been equally awful. I try to watch these shows not as a magician, but as a lover of the arts. And as I watch this show I realize how unbelievably cheesy these acts are. Along with that, I don't think these routines are fooling anyone.

Are these audiences just clapping to be nice? I don't see what is so impressive about these acts. They have ridiculous structures, lame patter, and boring effects..

If I see a terrible performance of anything then it just depresses me. But nothing depresses me more than seeing BAD magic. When I see bad performances then it makes me want to stop performing. It makes me feel like it's pointless. If audiences are applauding these performers and these performers are mediocre, then why should I work so hard to make my art different and as good as possible?

I want to see fantastic, inspirational performances. I want to watch David Copperfield and Derren Brown. I want to watch Meryl Streep, Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brando, and Kate Winslet. I want to see clips of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. I want to see ballets, operas, and hear amazing symphonies. These things inspire me and keep me trying. I'm trying my best.

I'm trying to take the cheese out of magic.

Featured in The Iola Register

2008-12-17T22:01:00.000-08:00

The following article was printed in my hometown newspaper, The Iola Register, on Tuesday, December 16, 2008. It was the feature story in the newspaper and came as a precursor for my upcoming magic shows in Iola this weekend. Enjoy!

Success isn’t an illusion

Iola native to offer workshop, magic show

By ANNE KAZMIRCZAK
Register Reporter

Iola native Mark Toland will return to his hometown this weekend for a workshop for area youths and a pair of free magic shows as part of the Iola Community Theatre Warehouse’s “One Night Stand” series.

Everyone in Iola knows magician Mark Toland, or so it would seem from the crowds that have packed his annual Christmas performances at the Iola Community Warehouse Theatre. This year, to accommodate the expected crowds, an additional show has been added. As ever, all performances are free.

Toland said doing the Iola shows is a treat — both for the town, and for him. “The Iola show is unique, because people are coming to see me. Usually I’m an added bonus,” he said about many of his gigs. “People come to a corporate party and I’m there, or they come to a restaurant and I’m there.”

Toland does “probably 100 shows a year,” he said. He anticipates that will increase once he is graduated from Wichita State University in the spring.
“As soon as I get out of school I’m going to try to do it full time,” Toland said. “I love magic to death.”
Toland was first bitten by the magic bug at age 3, said his mother, Karen. That was via a book of magic tricks. But Mark said TV had something to do with it, too.
“My favorite magician is David Copperfield,” Toland said. “I saw him on television when I was a kid and he made a train car disappear. I remember seeing that when I was very young and thinking ‘This is what I have to do.’
“When they asked me in kindergarten what I wanted to be, I said a magician.”
Toland stuck to his dream.
Now he performs for kindergartners and other kids, at birthday parties and school functions. He also performs for adults, at corporate parties, dinner theaters, weddings and private functions. And then there are shows like this weekend’s.

Toland will host two performances at the Warehouse Theatre. The first is Saturday night at 7 p.m. and the next a 2 o’clock Sunday matinee. In addition, Toland is offering a free afternoon workshop for youths ages 8-14 on Saturday, also at the Warehouse Theatre.

The 1 p.m. workshop is limited to 15 participants, who must sign up by calling Jim Talkington at 365-2042 or by e-mail at jimtalkington@iolacommunitytheatre.org.
Toland’s mom said he typically visits Jefferson Elementary School when he’s in town, but this year he has a Friday evening engagement in Kansas City, so will miss the opportunity. He opted to do the kid’s workshop instead, Karen said.

“He is teaching them the basics of magic,” Karen said. “He put together kits for them so they can not only learn how to do magic, but have something to do magic with after that.”

“I’ve never done a workshop like this before,” Mark said. “I’ve always been secretive about (how the tricks are done), but if one child gets hooked on it, it’s worth it.”

Once hooked, Toland said, you learn there’s more to magic than meets the eye.
“People think it’s all fun and games, but I get to see the business side of magic. Building props, shipping props, repairing them.”

Toland works at Steven’s Magic Emporium in Wichita. “It’s a store that caters mainly to professional magicians,” he said. “It’s world-renowned because it’s so exclusive.”
Toland said 90 percent of the store’s business is mail-order. “I still need to learn the tricks to demonstrate them to the 10 percent of our customers who walk in,” Toland said. That little perk lets him learn every new trick as it is brought in, allowing him to incorporate dazzling new material into his own shows.

Toland said a films such as 2006’s “The Illusionist” and “The Prestige” expanded the audience for magic.

“Every illusion you see in the film,” he said of “The Illusionist”, “can be performed on stage. I think that’s amazing.”

That meshes with Toland’s ideals. “I want to fool adults — I want to puzzle them beyond belief.”

“I think magic is a feeling,” Toland said. “Whether it’s seeing the snow or the mountains and feeling that awe, that’s the feeling I want the audience to get.”

Update

2008-12-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last post but things have been going smoothly. I have had several fantastic performances both in Wichita and back in my hometown. School is almost finished and then I will be one semester away from graduating! The end of college cannot come soon enough.

In a few short weeks I am going to return to my hometown of Iola, Kansas to perform what is usually my favorite performances of the year. Also that weekend I will be giving a magic clinic to the youth from the community. These performances are a way of giving notice to the Community Theatre and promoting their new season of shows. Because of a standing room only turnout each of the previous two years, I offered to give two shows for the program this year. I can't wait for the show...I have a lot of very exciting new things to try out. Here is the flyer for the show:

If anyone is interested in coming to the shows let me know and I will give you more information!

Featured on Stevens Magic Emporium Website!

2008-10-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

After having worked with Stevens Magic for a couple years now I am excited to be featured on their website as both an employee and an up-and-coming performer!

You can read the story (and view pictures) at their website by following this link:

http://www.stevensmagic.com/personallyspeaking/oct08/index.asp

Or you can read the story here in its entirety:

MEET OUR STAFF

It is a pleasure to introduce you to some of our valued staff members! We are proud of all of our staff and some have been with us for well over 20+ years! The first feature is on one of our resident magicians by the name of Mark Toland. A college student attending Wichita State University and Mark has been with us almost three years! He has a passion for our art and his goal is to become a professional working magician and he has developed talents to do so. He is capable of close up, walk around, stand up, stage and can work either adult venues or children's shows. His love for the art is obvious and he has developed into a purist and loves the technical sleights and psychology of magic also.

Please enjoy his "bio" and we're proud to have him with us, as he is very important to our operation at Stevens Magic Emporium!

Joe Stevens

Mark Toland
Mark Toland's earliest memory is witnessing his father showing him a magic trick. His father wasn't a magician by any means, but it only took that moment for Mark to fall in love with the art of magic. He was only three years old. Now, nearly 20 years later, he is just as infatuated with the art as ever.

Toland grew up performing magic for his family and friends as well as at libraries, nursing homes and schools around his hometown of Iola, Kansas. Later, during high school, he began to perform strolling magic for restaurants, weddings and parties. Along with being a part-time magician, Toland was also a state champion in both acting and singing during high school. He also participated in basketball, tennis and theatre. He was the valedictorian of his graduating class and is an Eagle Scout.

After graduating high school, Mark successfully auditioned for the School of Theatre at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. While attending USC, he was accepted into the Magic Castle Junior Program. However, Toland's father passed away after his freshman year of college and he decided to return closer to home to finish his education.

While many of the up and coming magicians today learn from DVDs and internet sourced, Toland prefers to read and research his illusions in books. In fact, he wanted to learn magic so badly at a young age that he taught himself to read from Mark Wilson's Complete Course In Magic . He admires the work of David Copperfield and Harry Houdini, along with the sophistication and class of Frank Sinatra and tries to combine these influences into his performances.

Toland credits his mother, Karen Toland, with giving him the opportunity and desire to follow his dreams. After college he plans to pursue his goal of becoming a full-time, professional magician. He knows that is does not matter where you grow up or what you want to do. "With hard work and dedication," he says, "nothing is impossible."

Toland is currently a senior at Wichita State University, majoring in Musical Theatre. Outside of school he serves as the resident magician and demonstrator for Stevens Magic Emporium.

Mark Toland will be with us through next spring when he graduates and I predict that he will succeed with his goals and we all look forward to watching him "climb the ladder of magic success"...You will hear about him, I'm sure!!

Thanks for reading our first "bio" on our staff!

New Video

2008-10-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

With a full course load and two jobs, my spare time has been minimal this semester. However, I have still been shooting some videos when I have time and creating some new magical ideas. Here is my latest video, a trick I like to call "Float":

TAOM Convention Part 2

2008-09-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 28, 2008

TAOM began around noon on Friday and soon I was talking magic with everyone in sight. I worked in the dealer's room until Lonnie Chevrie gave his lecture that afternoon. It was a great lecture filled with fantastic magic. Here I am with Lonnie:

After the lecture I made friends with some magicians my age and we talked magic until dinner. We then went to eat and talked magic. Basically, I constantly had cards or coins in my hand for the entire weekend and love every minute of it. That night was the No Shw with Dana Daniels. It was an amazingly hilarious show. He is a very talented and funny performer. I also met a couple very funny magicians that night as well. Here I am with Jay Zugai and Fumio (all the way from Japan!):

After the show I worked in the dealer's room for a while and was fortunate enought to meet one of my favorite magicians, Michael Weber:

After the dealer's room I went to IHOP with some magicians and sessioned until about 4 in the morning. It was a great day!

Saturday, August 29, 2008

I arrived Saturday morning around 8:30 to watch the close-up competition. I wish I had entered because I really think I could have won. I'm glad I have seen a competition now and know what to work towards for next year. I talked with an illusionist named Bobby Wanzer for a good part of the day and we are definitely going to keep in touch:

There were a lot of fun activites planned throughout the day. I met several young magicians and we had a lot of fun discussing the underground magic techniques we had all studied. It is a lot of fun to be around so many magicians at once. Here I am with Ryan Plunkett, a really talented magician and one of the most awesome people I know:

Included in the activites on Saturday was nonstop sessioning, a magical scavenger hunt, a surprise lecture by Norman Beck, and Dave Thomas's stage show. Bobby introduced me to Dave and hopefully I may get to work for him in the near future:

Also on Saturday was the featured event of the convention: a tribute to Walter "Zaney" Blaney. We listened as Walter recalled the magical events that transpired over his lifetime. He just turned 80 this year and was an absolute pleasure to meet and watch. David Copperfield even surprised Walter with a phone call during the discussion. Here's a picture with Walter:

And, I also got to meet Glen Falkenstein and Frances Willard:

After the show was over and the dealer's room had closed we decided to hit the streets and perform street magic anywhere we could. We hit the clubs and the bars and did our best effects for everyone on the streets of downtown Fort Worth. We finally quit around 3:30 in the morning and went back to the hotel.

In the hotel, magician and creator Daniel Garcia was playing the piano and a bunch of people were crowded around listening and talking. Soon someone started to make up random songs about magic and other topics. They were hilarious. I didn't get to sleep until 6:00. Here I am with Danny Garcia, who consults for David Blaine now!

This was another amazing day at the convention!!

TAOM Convention 2008 Part 1

2008-09-02T08:21:00.001-07:00

I just returned to Wichita from the best weekend of my life. I was fortunate to be able to attend the Texas Association of Magician's Annual Convention in Fort Worth, Texas. I met so many amazing people, learned a lot of great new magic, and had a blast doing nothing but magic for five straight days! Here's a rundown of the weekend, complete with photos and videos:

Thursday, August 28

I woke up at 6:00 in preparation for the drive down to Texas. Joe and Mark Stevens, Mark's wife Cilene, and I piled into Joe's station wagon. I read some magic magazines and books for most of the six hour drive down to Dallas/Fort Worth. When we arrived, we claimed our boxes of magic props, books, and videos and went in search of the dealers room to set up our booth. It took us about 4 hours to set up the booth but it looked very impressive when we finished:

While we were setting up the booth I learned a couple of new fantastic ideas, which should go unmentioned. Look for them in upcoming videos! I also watched illusionist David Thomas unload his illusion show and wheel the props to the stage upstairs. His show was valued at a total of $9 million!

After we finished setting up I practiced magic in the lobby of the hotel for an hour before dinner. When Joe, Mark, and Cilene returned downstairs we walked to Texas du Brazil and ate dinner. It was a phenomenal dining experience. I have never had so much food in my life. It was wonderful.

After dinner my coworkers retired to their rooms and I waited for my ride to arrive. An extremely nice family had offered to let me stay at their home for the weekend! This was extremely gracious and generous of them. They not only let me crash at their house but they even loaned me the use of their car for the weekend. It had GPS and made it very easy for me to get around the Fort Worth area. What a wonderful family. Here I am with the host mom, Lazara Abernathy:

I watched Barack Obama's speech on television while I practiced sleight of hand that night, and then fell asleep, eagerly anticipating the beginning of the convention the next morning.

Selling Out..

2008-08-05T17:18:00.001-07:00

Today I had a good job opportunity. It came about as a result of two factors. One: my self-created and maintained website, and Two: a former client. It's good to see that my website is working well. In just 7 months of having my own website I have had almost 5,000 hits and a good deal of job opportunities. This marketing stuff works!

I digress. This former client found my website and contacted me again about a possible job. I was excited when I read his e-mail earlier today. Then, I received his call. He wanted me to work a nightclub every Wednesday night, as I had done in the past. I was very interested. Then came the second pitch: he wanted me to dress as a jester or a clown of some kind to stand out. He claimed that my usual attire of a two or three-piece suit would not be as good for this venue and he wanted the magician to stand out to the patrons. I, in turn, responded by saying that I was not going to change the image that I have tried to create by dressing in this fashion. I told him that the normal way I dress and perform is my image and that changing this would alter the view of potential clients and audiences. I refused the offer. In all modesty, I consider myself the best all-around close-up magician in Wichita. I know I can deliver in any close-up venue I may be hired for and I have the experience to prove it. I have worked for this person before and he knows my expertise and entertainment skills.

This former client told me they wanted someone who would stand out and if I knew anyone to let him know. As if I am really going to help someone else take a job that I should be working! I told him he won't find another performer in the area with my expertise. He may find someone who will sell out and wear the jester costume, but will the end result be as good as it might have been if I was performing? I don't know, but I am glad I'm not the one selling out.

I know there comes a time when you have to take any work that comes your way to survive and make ends meet. But, I want to go the distance. I want to be a star. I want to be famous. And I don't want to sell out on what I want to be as an entertainer...even if that means giving up jobs such as this. Remember I could have possibly worked every week of the school year for this venue.. But, is it how I want to be viewed as an entertainer? And more importantly, is this how I want magic to be viewed? I don't think so. If we are to uphold the integrity and sophistication of the art, then we have to take it seriously? And if that means passing up work to protect and salvage the art, so be it.

Thank you

2008-08-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

I just found out that my favorite teacher from high school is leaving my home town to teach at another school. I may never see him again. His name is David Dutton and he was my drama and speech instructor, along with the director of our school plays and our forensics team's coach.

Mr. Dutton and I didn't get off to the greatest start. The first time he saw me I was shooting a rubber band at someone and he gave me a detention. But after that I became a good student of his. He worked with me on my acting and speaking skills, and gave me fantastic opportunities in our speech and drama competitions. By the end of high school he had coached me to a state title in Improvisational Duet Acting. It was the highlight of my high school years. He also wrote me a fantastic letter of recommendation that helped me gain acceptance into my dream school of the University of Southern California, which I attended for a year. I owe Mr. Dutton a great deal of thanks. I will miss seeing him every time I visit my home town.

Someone once joked around with me and said, "Don't forget us when you're famous." I knew they were joking and laughed at the time, but I am reminded of the quote: "Never forget the ones who helped you up because they will be the ones to catch you when you fall." And so I thought I would list the names of people who have helped or inspired me thus far, in no particular order... It may seem cheesy but I might never get the chance to thank these people. I owe you all everything.

Mom, Dad, Carol, Scott, Kent, Grandmother Jeffries, Uncle Kent, David Dutton, Keith Goering, Kris Boston, Shaun-Michael Morse, Charlotte Cornwell, Debra Deliso, David Neville, Lyle Kern, Steve Orcutt, Ken McGuffin, Diane Kauth, Terri Anderson, Cindy Stohs, Barbara Hafer, Sarah Santos, Dana Jackson, Mary Kate Wiles, Natalie Storrs, Joe Sofranko, Mark Wilson, Harry Houdini, David Copperfield, Penn Jillette, Teller, Kirby Van Burch, Bill Malone, Christopher Starr, Bob Phillips, Frank Dudgeon, Skip Foley, Curt Waltermire, Stephanie Cunningham, Matt Mellinger, Jacob Setzer, Brittani Richardson, Zak Smith, Erick Prins, Luke Gilliland, Randall Marsh, Will Hennessy, Mandy Goldberg, Jessica Mollo, Maxie Solters, Angela Sundinfqalbir, Nessia Berner, Annabelle Maman, and more to come...

Artistic Expression

2008-07-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

I have to point out right away that I cannot stand Criss Angel. He surrounds himself with this "magic team" that designs most of his material. Then he is the puppet who goes out and performs every trick they create. Also, his gothic/rocker image has never appealed to me as the ideal image of a true magician. But, I do have to respect him for his latest quote. He has worked with A&E for several seasons of his television show but this year they forced him to alter one of his ideas. Criss had this to say,

"If A&E bans any more of my illusions with TV rules I have told them it would be my last season, I’m done. I’ll have 90 episodes under my belt with Season 4, the most television ever achieved by any other magician on earth. I’d like to make it to a 100th episode next year in Season 5, but as an artist I have a real problem about them getting involved in censorship of artistic freedoms.”

Like him or hate him this is a good point he makes, and you must admire him for that. Criss Angel has some definitive ideas about his art and has worked hard not to sacrifice too many of his visions. As an artist this is very important to me as well. I am glad to see that he is not falling victim to the money or stardom, but instead refusing to sell out on his artistic expression.

The Latest in the World of Magic

2008-07-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's a busy time for magic. Criss Angel has a new show set to debut in October at the Luxor in Las Vegas. The show will be alongside Cirque du Soleil and should be pretty amazing. I'm NOT a Criss Angel fan by any means, but I would love to see the show. It's about time Cirque had some magic to go along with the rest of their amazing-ness.

On the flip side, the Masked Magician will return to TV later this year for several more episodes of "Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed." I hate the Masked Magician. Everyone knows that magic is merely a trick, but why try to ruin it for them?

As for me, I'm working hard on my stand-up show. I hope to have a completed demo reel midway through the fall so I can send it to my connections for cruise ships. I would love to start performing on a cruise ship immediately after graduation next spring. When I have the video completed I will add it on here for all to see!

Magic Over the Years

2008-07-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

I recently found some photos of my earliest magical performances. Check these out:

And here's a couple from some more recent performances:

Kirby VanBurch Show Part 2

2008-07-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture with Kirby VanBurch. This was taken in his dressing room after the show.

The backstage visit was amazing. Kirby led me through the wings of the stage and down a hallway. The dressing rooms had windows so you could see inside and look at the multiple costumes hanging inside. Also, the four mirrors in the dressing room were designed by Paul Osborne and were in the shapes of the four suits: clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds.

Next was the seamstress' room. Displayed on the walls were multiple drawings of new ideas for costumes. It was fantastic.

This led us to a dead end at a bookshelf. With a press of a secret button, the bookshelf swung aside to reveal Kirby's dressing room. Dozens of famous magic posters adorned the hallways and the shelves and tables were cluttered with numerous pieces of magical apparatus. As if this wasn't enough, Kirby and I did nothing but talk magic until 2:00 in the morning.

Kirby VanBurch Show

2008-07-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of seeing Kirby VanBurch present his magic show in Branson, Missouri. Not only did I get to see the show but I went backstage before the performance to meet Kirby and talk with him. I also ended up speaking with him over intermission and for a couple hours after the show, too! He was quite hospitable and very gracious and humble. Thanks to Kirby and his wife Bambi for an enjoyable evening.

The show was splendid. Kirby has performed in Branson for over 15 years, but he said he keeps the show fresh and enjoyable for the audiences and himself by constantly updating it with new illusions. My favorite portions of the show were the Headmover Illusion, the Passe Passe Bottles, the Gypsy Thread, the Two-person Telepathy, the Helicopter Production, and getting to meet him, of course! It was a very fast-paced show and was very well done. I think that Kirby is very personable and likable onstage and that he really succeeds in communicating to the audience. He was funny and kept our attention throughout the entire performance.

I learned a lot from Kirby in the six hours I was at the theatre. He was very generous in taking time to give me advice and just talk magic in general. I feel very lucky to have had an opportunity to meet one of the magicians I grew up watching on television. This is yet another great contact for me in the world of magic and I feel like I am making progress!

Random thoughts..

2008-06-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

THOUGHT ONE - Get to work!

The thing I love about magic is that there is no one by my side, constantly telling me to keep practicing and to keep marketing. It is a totally self-motivated art form unless you are one of the lucky few to have a mentor or instructor. But, this is probably why magic is one of the most creative and versatile art forms. The best in the business teach themselves the art, and create some of the most stunning and amazing pieces ever.

So it comes down to this: If you have a vision or an idea for magic. (Or for anything else for that matter!) Don't waste time! Don't sit around thinking it can't be done, or wishing for the money or the resources. Nothing is possible with a little creativity or ingenuity. For me, I dream up these unique illusion ideas and don't have the money to buy the props and equipment needed. So, to get around that I have been designing illusions that are just as amazing and putting it on film with my own personal camera. I call some friends together and we all set out to film a video. Some are trash, some are brilliant, but they are all good learning experiences. At least I am out there making it happen on my own. Eventually some one is going to see one of videos and it's going to pay off. So get to work! Every day that passes when you could be acheiving your dreams is another day lost! I hate wasting time and you should, too.

THOUGHT TWO - Magic Inflation

Lately I have seen a trend that I have chosen to call "Magic Inflation." People are out there releasing absolutely awful products to the magic community at a tremendous speed, in an attempt to make money. As a result, the magic market is being flooded with too many items, most of which are poor quality! There a variety of things that make these products bad:

-Terrible packaging
-Not innovative in any way
-Terrible concept
-Too similar to an already existing product
-The "one-trick" video trend

These are only a few of the reasons why products should not be released. I think the products are not thought out to their fullest potential. Distributors are too concerned with making money and not releasing a well-thought out, unique product. Also, people are able to download magic immediately and can instantly watch videos right on their own computers. The secrets are up for grabs and there's no stopping this now that is has started.

Years ago, the art of magic was so sacred and secrets were so well hidden that the people who were "in the know" were few and far between. Now any person with some cash who runs across a magic website can discover our once sacred secrets and share them with the world. In such a technological savvy age that we are living in, this can't be good for magic.

Magic products should pertain to the following guidelines:

-The product should break new ground in plot, method, or presentation (Darwin Ortiz) and/or make an existing idea better
-The product should include credits to magician's who inspired the idea
-The product's packaging should be flawless. (A good example of this trend, is the latest DVD releases of Homer Liwag's Coin One and Coin Two, and Yigal Mesika's DVDs on the Loops.)

It would be great if all products were packaged to perfection and were fantastic new ideas that we could all appreciate. This sounds impossible, but isn't that what our art is all about?

THOUGHT THREE - Could this be the latest trend in magic?

I believe the latest trend in magic is the gravitation of more studies of "Magic Theory." There has been a recent surge in the release of books and DVDs that try to discuss and break down magic theory. This is a great idea. Too often magicians get cuaght up in the next best trick (as I mentioned in my previous post). This is easy to do, but should be avoided. Theory can help us to analyze our current repertoire and see what we can fix and change to make our pieces even better.

Several examples of products dealing with magic theory include:

Tommy Wonder's "Books of Wonder"
Eugene Burger's DVD "Exploring Magical Presentation"
Peter McCabe's "Scripting Magic"
Lawrence Haas' "Transformations"
David Regal's DVD Set "Premise, Power, and Participation"
And most recently, Regal's book "Approaching Magic"

I love seeing this trend, as magic theory fascinates me. There are classic books on magic theory such as "Magic and Showmanship" by Henning Nelms and "The Fitzkee Trilogy" but it is good to see modern day performers spilling their own theories and ideas of what makes good magic out onto the written page.

I have mentioned this apparent trend to several magicians and while they agree, they seem to think that studying magic theory is not good. One magician mentioned that it is important to discover these things for yourself, and that no one person's theory is right so how can you expect it to fit your magic. I can see this person's point of view but I have to make an argument here. In music, you learn the theory. You learn the scales, the chords, the key signatures, etc. This is a must for all people who want to study music. Then, inevitably, once you know all of the theory, you start to break the rules. Look at jazz, blues, hip hop, etc. What began as typical music theory became a totally new dimension in the realm of music. What would be considered classical today, Beethoven was actually considered quite rebellious in his time for his unique compositions.

This is how magic should be learned. Learn what Tommy Wonder has to say about presentation and attention control. Learn about Regal's premise, power, and participation. Learn the importance of scripting from Haas and McCabe. Don't forget Nelms and Fitzkee, too. Then after you've read them, apply it to your work and see what works. Some will, some won't. But it is important to know what others have done so you don't repeat the same mistakes and lose valuable time. Besides, magic theory is just too interesting. Who wouldn't want to study it?

more to come...

Another week is here

2008-06-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

I actually got to session with a magician this past weekend and I think there are a few things that I should point out:

THING ONE

Never drop names to make yourself sound important or better than others. You never know who is listening or who wants to help you. I heard a lot of names the other night. I always thought this would be impressive, but being on the receiving end it just gets old. It is better to be quiet and more modest because more things will go your way. Thanks to my mom for teaching me that.

THING TWO

Keep perfecting my current repertoire. This magician was doing trick after trick after trick, and they were all performed at a medium level. In other words, they weren't performance ready. The idea was there but sleights, moves, counts, etc. were all visible. I did my standard 5 or 6 things perfectly and he was floored. It's hard in a constantly changing hobby to not succumb to buying every new item that is produced. I feel in magic it is more important to learn the stuff you own and the stuff that fits you, than trying to learn as many things as possible. I have entertained literally thousands of people with the same few tricks. I love these tricks or else I would not be doing them. I am constantly working to improve and get better at THE SAME FEW TRICKS! This is what it takes..a commitment to excellence. Yes, this magician knew a lot of tricks, but were they honed to perfection. No. Could he do them in his sleep? No. Most importantly, were they entertaining? No. This is IMPORTANT. I think this is one of the best kept secrets in magic. Do about 10tricks perfectly. Fortunately I realized this long before this past weekend. This session just reinforced this idea.

THING THREE

I may live in Kansas and be behind on a lot of things, but I still think I am caught up with all of the cutting-edge magical ideas. Also there aren't as many magicians in this area but I am still keeping up to date. This is important for me, because I like to know what's going on in magic and I don't like to be fooled. And, this past weekend, I wasn't. What does this show me? That I am right on track for where I want to be in my magical career.

I never have a chance to session with anyone so it's always good to seize the opportunity. We spent about 3 hours discussing many different facets of magic. Good times.

Dreaming big

2008-06-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

The stand up show is really coming along. I have several new routines and a lot of great ideas. I can't wait to start performing it in the coming months.

I am officially counting down the days to leaving Wichita and going back out to Los Angeles. I miss my friends out there dearly and am ready for the opportunity to try to make it as a full-time professional entertainer.

I made a new contact the other day with none other than world-renowned magician Bill Malone. He told me that if I ever have any questions or just want to talk magic to not to hesitate in giving him a call. He is a great guy.

I added the links to my youtube channel to the right so please check them out. I hope to be posting more videos in the coming weeks. Thanks for everyone who has commented and for all the feedback. I really appreciate it.

I'm loving life right now. I'm healthy, I have a place to live, and I have so many things to be thankful for. With the economy as bad as it is, I'm fortunate to be in such a good position.

I'm thinking of my Dad this weekend because of Father's Day. I miss him.

Update

2008-05-29T09:33:00.001-07:00

It's been a month since my last post and a great deal has happened. I am just beginning summer and trying to market myself at every given opportunity. So far I have secured four summer performances and two performances in the fall. I am going to be designing magic to go with the curriculum for a Vacation Bible School in Wichita. This will be another good experience. I am also in the process of trying to get a library show with a previous client.

Today I will set out to post flyers around town. I already have a website and word of mouth going for me as well. I try to ask the all important question as the calls come: "How did you find out about me?" This way I will know what is working and what is not! Every city is different so once I determine what is working for me here then I will be well on my way to my ultimate goal.

In a week or so I will post an updated schedule of my upcoming performances so everyone can keep tabs. Thanks for the response so far..

New Beginnings

2008-04-28T10:05:00.001-07:00

Since I was young I've wanted nothing more than to perform magic professionally. Today I spend the majority of my time practicing and perfecting new routines and marketing and promoting myself.

This summer will be my first major marketing campaign that I have ever done. This strategy has a few goals which include: performing a benefit show, securing a permanent restaurant job, gaining more name recognition, and getting local media recognition through my work. I want the marketing and promotion I do to bring five times as many shows as I am doing now. This means that I will probably be marketing 80% of the time and rehearsing around 20% of the time. This sounds scary to a lot of performers but by doing a lot of marketing I will be putting myself in a great position. This is my last summer before I graduate from college and I have big dreams for my magic career. I plan on using the money I make this summer to put towards an even larger and more successful show.

So with that in mind, I plan on using a number of methods to market myself. These will be cold calling, postcard mailings, website, flyers and posters around the community, and a benefit show. This blog itself has been inspired by the $80,000Blog and will be updated consistently to ensure that I monitor my progress and to see how much success I have in the coming months.

Mark Toland
www.marktoland.com

My Latest Video

2008-01-27T17:46:00.000-08:00

Featured on Wichita State University's Homepage

2008-01-25T14:01:00.000-08:00

Performing magic is junior Mark Toland's first love
By Dana Dinkel (Courtesy of Wichita State University)

If Wichita State University junior Mark Toland can embark on life in Iola, Kan., and end up wowing a crowd on stage in Hollywood, Calif., there is hope for all.

Toland, 21, is majoring in musical theater and also making a living and enjoying life as a performing magician. He no doubt will know what playing card you so cleverly picked out of the deck, as he proved during a recent interview, but he laughed and said he can't magically make his homework appear.

Toland began his college career at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He remained at USC for one year until his father passed away the summer between his freshman and sophomore year. He said he enjoyed his time there although it was short-lived.

"There's something about being around people who are so driven and talented," said Toland. To get into USC, he had to audition in Chicago. There were only 80 people in his graduating class.

His mother, Karen Toland, still lives and teaches in Iola. He has three siblings: one sister, Carol, and two brothers, Scott and Kent.

"My family has been so supportive. My mom and dad gave me a magic book when I was 3, and I've been doing magic ever since," he said.

As a child, he grew up watching and admiring magicians David Copperfield and Harry Houdini. Toland said he is also a fan of the music group The Rat Pack, which was popular between the mid-'50s and mid-'60s. He said these influences come through in his performances.

Toland works as the resident magician at Stevens Magic Emporium in Wichita. He is responsible for demonstrating every new item that comes into the store.

In addition to his studies and work, Toland performs, on average, 10 times a month at different venues.

When considering audience size, he said the biggest show he ever did was the opening act at the Miss Teen Kansas pageant. Also, while still at USC, Toland performed twice at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Despite booking performances such as these, Toland said he doesn't get nervous anymore. He described it as more of a nervous excitement.

Toland said his first love is magic, but music and movies come in a close second and third.

"Magic is coming up with the best way to hide what I'm doing. Illusions are what I do. Magic is what you feel," Toland said.

Toland advised anyone preparing to begin college to have a general idea of what you want to do and to be willing to push and motivate yourself.

"You can take what you get at WSU and put it toward what you need," he said.

Post-graduation, Toland plans to continue his pursuit of becoming a famous magician. He said he has always wanted to be on TV and he wants to land eventually in Las Vegas or Los Angeles.

Rotary Speaker of the Month

2007-12-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

IOLA ROTARY CLUB
BULLETIN
By Chuck Platt
THURSDAY, December 27th
Program: Mark Toland, Junior at Wichita State University
Majoring in Music Theatre

The members who were unable to attend today's meeting missed a dozy. It is rare that we have a presentation that is so entertaining. Our speaker today was Mark Toland who is the son of our late member, John Toland and is a past recipient of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award.

Mark described his interest in performing magic and how he has been doing magic since he was three. He is now twenty-one and works part time while going to school as the resident magician at the Stevens Magic Emporium in Wichita, a junior member of the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California and a member of the Wichita Magic Club. He also performs at weddings, private parties, and grew up performing for family, friends, at school and at nursing homes.

Mark explained that magic is different than any of the other arts as the techniques are hidden. An actor, artist or musician works at being able to display his or her technique but the magician works at hiding it.

He said a common question he gets after a performance is “what are you going to do when you grow up?” He said that he does, in fact, want to be a professional magician complete with a touring show and TV appearances. He is currently trying to get on as a cruise ship entertainer .

After his talk, Mark put on a 15 minute show that was a crowd pleaser.

Iola Register Article

2007-12-12T16:27:00.001-08:00

The following article appeared in the December 12, 2007 issue of the Iola Register as a promotion for my upcoming appearance at the ICT One Night Stand Series.

Magic Show Returns
By Richard Luken

Mark Toland will bring a bit of magic back to the Iola Community Theatre Warehouse Monday evening.Toland, a junior studying music theater at Wichita State University, promises an assortment of tricks with cards, coins “and a few other surprises.”
Doors will open at 7 o’clock; the fun begins at 7:30. There is no admission charge, although free-will donations will be accepted.
The performance is the second at the ICT Warehouse for Toland, who has studied the art of magic since his parents bought him a book on card tricks when he was 3.
His inaugural performance last year was in front of a standing-room-only crowd.
Toland prefers the small theater.“It’s fun because it’s in a more intimate setting,” he said.
“It’s not like you’re up on stage doing things like making a tiger disappear.”
While Toland has taken part in large-scale magic extravaganzas — doing things like making his assistant disappear — he’s yet to make a tiger disappear, he said with a laugh. “I don’t know how that would go with Mom.”
Toland, son of Karen and the late John Toland of Iola, has honed his magic skills to the point that he performs in front of audiences on average of 10 times a month.
Toland’s collegiate career began at the University of Southern California. While there he performed at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, considered the most famous magic night club in the world.
He also serves as the house magician at Stevens Magic Emporium in Wichita, in what he calls a dream job.
The Stevens shop provides props and supplies to amateur and professional magicians.
It’s Toland’s job to test a wide array of magic kits to determine which would be best suited for further marketing. He also serves as a resource of sorts for others looking to break into the magic industry.
“I always want to learn as much as I can about magic tricks,” he said.
Part of the job’s appeal is that Toland wants to be able to serve as a valuable resource for other magicians.
“And part of it is an ego thing,” he said. Like any magician, “I don’t want to be fooled.”
Toland became familiar with Stevens Magic Emporium as a customer.
“It’s fun because it’s still a small family business, but they’re known to magicians around the world,” Toland said.

Magic Update

2007-12-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

I have several upcoming appearances. Along with working on a regular basis at Stevens Magic Emporium in Wichita, I will be giving several shows throughout Kansas.

Wichita Wizards - Dec. 4
Iola Community Theatre "One Night Stand" Series - Dec. 17
Boys and Girls Club - Dec. 24
Trinity Hospice Performances - TBA

I am extremely excited about debuting much of my newest and latest magic at the performance for the Iola Community Theatre. This is my second year in a row with the "One Night Stand" Series and I am honored to be asked back to perform. If you are in Iola for the holidays come to the Iola Community Warehouse for my performance, 7:30 p.m. on December 17th.

Also, be sure to check out my other websites:

http://www.marktoland.com

http://www.myspace.com/magicofmt