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"I've seen her delight and I’ve seen her amaze. When Carisa is performing at Lucy Darling, anything can happen" - Rob Zabrecky

"Lucy Darling is one of the most exciting, hilarious magicians to come along in the last ten years. And some of the smartest
things I’ve heard a magician say are in Carisa Hendrix’s lecture." - John Lovick

"Lucy Darling has figured out that rare technique of of being in the moment. Her magic is good, plus she is funny and cute. All of that makes her a force to be reckoned with. " - Max Maven

"Carisa Hendrix brings a breath of fresh air to a stale magic community. She is a talented magician, improviser, and creator of new effects." - David Kay

"There are those who are good at creating interesting stage characters. Then there are those who are good at explaining and teaching that skill. Carisa is one of those rare people who are good at both! She has both created a gallery of strong and engaging stage personas, and has the ability to articulate each character's evolution in a way that is direct and comprehensible."    - Tom Stone

"I’ve seen Carisa Hendrix (AKA Lucy Darling) perform for 50 people and 700 people. She crushed it both times. Carisa thinks deeply about her magic, her character, and her methods and is about to share that information. Get ready to learn from her years of experience." – Chad Long

"Carisa Hendrix has her finger on the pulse of the future of not just magic, but art and the performance of art. In addition to original methods of magic that are dynamite with a laser beam, application of the information in the act will make your own work both relevant and timeless. I'm 80% sure she's the real Rowena Ravenclaw." - Erik Tait


What will she teach?

Carisa Hendrix performs 2 full ACTS! The first is her award-winning character Lucy Darling; a woman known the world over for her wit, her charm, and her exceptionally good hair. The second show is for kids. You'll meet DeeDee, the coolest girl you've never heard off. Carisa performs the same material in each act to demonstrate how you can use the props and effects at your disposal to perform for a wide range of audiences.

Topological Oddity - Book Production. A list of best selling books is offered to an audience member to select a book from, that good appears to fall from the sky and into an empty bag. This trick is so good it’s the one she performed on Penn & Teller: Fool Us!

The Minimalist’s Any Drink Called For - Two audience member select drinks and there are produced from an empty shaker along with one more for the performer. 

Reconciliation Confabulation - A spectator becomes a character in the show and all their improvised choices seem to have been predicted as the revelation is shown which is also a gift they get to take home.

Jam Lie Detector  - Propless mentalism at it’s best. Four audience members are brought on stage and asked to imagine a pot of jam floating in the air in front of them. With the performer’s back turned the audience members decide who is going to take the invisible jam. The performer is not only able to tell which audience member secretly took the invisible jam, but she makes that jam appear as well.

Ring and String - Carisa has done walk around and cocktail events for some of the biggest companies in North America, and her close up Ring & String is always a featured item. She finally reveals her stunning self-working finale where one audience member can remove the string from the ring in another spectator’s hand.

Who is she?

Magician and Variety Artist Carisa Hendrix is a 8-time Award-Winning Entertainer featured in the Guinness Book of World Records (2014), Ripley’s Believe it or Not (2015) and the star of the Super Channel documentary Carisa Hendrix: Girl on Fire, which tells the true story behind her 2016 Las Vegas magic show. Recipient of the prestigious Allan Slaight award and recently
nominated for stage magician of the year at the Magic Castle, Hendrix is best known for her beloved comedy magic character Lucy Darling. With Lucy and a host of her other characters, Hendrix has been delighting audiences internationally for the past 16 years with her signature blend of classy, sassy comedy entertainment.

 

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Customer Reviews (showing 1 - 10 of 77)
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Best 2 For 1 LIVE ACT Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 10th, 2019
This download is 5 hours long.

It's long for several reasons. For starters, you get Lucy Darling's full show, which is nearly an hour long. Then after Carisa has a quick chat about characters with Dan Harlan you get half an hour of Dee Dee.

"So it's 2 acts in one?". Yes and no. Yes, you get a full performance with two characters, but both of them share items. The purpose of this is to show how material can cross over in two shows for two different audiences (one more orientated towards adults, and one aimed at children) without too many changes.

Some things are performance only. The chop cup routine and the multiplying bottles routine for example. Even though these routines aren't explained Carisa goes on to explain the subtleties she does with each routine that make the trick a little bit more magical, while also fleshing out her character. Frankly, there are enough Penguin ACTS that teach a chop cup routine so I'm glad that only the subtleties were covered here.

The Any Drink Called For trick is fantastic. Not only you get all the thinking of what's the best amount of drinks to produce, and how to get the right colours and flavourings, you also get a good rundown on how to build the props yourself including a section where you get taught how to rebind books.

The Book Production (as seen on Penn & Teller Fool Us) is brilliant, and I wanted to make one as soon as I finished the video. The idea from Dan for his gag (I'm sorry Dan, I know you said "Don't steal it" but it's so good!) is something I definitely want to try. The book selection is pretty clever as well and could be adapted to other effects.

The propless Lie Detector routine isn't exactly propless, but it is certainly entertaining. I'll be honest, this fooled me. As soon as I heard the secret I was kicking myself for not getting it sooner. A good routine to use if you've lost your props while travelling.

The confabulation is an interesting piece. In my opinion, the effect isn't that important, but the playing with the audience and making them part of the show is the more important lesson. There are some good tips on improvisation and character building here.

The Ring on String (more Ring on Chain) is something I really want to make myself. Carisa has it so it's like a necklace and can carry it with her everywhere. It's a simple routine, but it's definitely something I want to have on me at all times just in case someone asks me to show them something. The tips on what to do with walkaround situations are great too and would be of value to any magician doing walkaround.

There's also a quick section on bubbles. While the floating handkerchief isn't taught (again, you could just buy a floating handkerchief if you wanted to do that) the information given on how to make the perfect bubble mix would be incredibly useful for anyone doing kids parties.

Overall, this download is packed full of good stuff and entertaining performances. This is perhaps one of my favourite lectures in the ACT series of Penguin LIVEs. Well worth the full price.
9 of 9 magicians found this helpful.
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Excellent treatise on character magic Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 5th, 2019
This lecture is mammoth, clocking in at 5 hours. You get two acts here, her adult show as Lucy Darling and her kids show as another character.

If you are wanting to do character magic, this is stack to the brim with advice and examples of how to pull this off. It includes psychology of how to play with the audience without turning them off inspired by a famous cartoon character. It also teaches how to rework the same material for a different audience, effectively giving you two different shows with no extra baggage.

The tricks themselves are fiendishly clever with some innovative new methods.

This is actual worked material from someone who has clearly though through every element of the act.
7 of 7 magicians found this helpful.
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Great Lesson on both magic and character building Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 5th, 2019
For years I remember being very impressed by a stagehand at Magic Live. She seemed to only be there when needed, and never tried to take over the stage herself
Imagine my surprise when I realized that "Lucy Darling," whom I had just seen kill at the Genii convention was that stagehand. Her acts were great and a wonderful example of using the same tricks in different contexts.
Her skills wee incredible and she had the audience eating out of her hand.
This is what a lecture should be, not just trick you will never remember, with notes that seemed like they were written and designed by a chimp on a smoke break.
I recommend this for everyone who loves to see good magic, create characters, and laugh. All three of these are in the lecture and all are well thought out and exquisitely explained.
One of my favorite lectures of the over two-hundred that I have seen or bought on Penguin. Get this lecture for the shows, for the comedy, but most importantly for the advice on building a character. You will not be sorry, On the other hand those lookin for a sixty-third method for the bottom palm. this is not your gig. This is for real people who perform and it is very, very, well done.
5 of 5 magicians found this helpful.
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Astounding and outstanding Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 6th, 2019
I have watched most of the penguin live acts for the past year or so and there have been some great ones, like Kiko Pastur and Gaetan Bloom, but none before has moved me to write a review. Carisa is amazing. The depth of her thinking and preparation is unbelievable. Reminds me of my favorite all time magician, Tommy Wonder, in that respect (although totally different styles). The book reveal alone is worth the price of admission but the things she talks about are pure gold. Great job by Dan Harlan interviewing her, as well. Highly highly recommend.
4 of 4 magicians found this helpful.
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Carisa Hendrix Inspiring and Creative! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 3rd, 2019
This is one the very best acts and lectures I have seen here on Penguin. Carisa has wonderful theatrical ability and when she combines it with the magic it is a joy to see. She also has the ability to connect with her audience in a way that is rare among magicians and performers. This is a lecture that should not be missed!
4 of 4 magicians found this helpful.
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Great acts. Great methods. Great theory. Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 5th, 2019
Every once in a while a Penguin lecture comes along that excels on three fronts. You can watch the act by itself and be entertained, you can learn the methods and be informed, and you can learn their philosophy and be inspired. Carisa's is such a lecture.

In these acts she presents two different characters performing many of the same effects in different contexts. Lucy is somehow both an old Hollywood archetype and entirely original; familiar yet intriguing. Dee Dee is a character for kids shows but she is equally entertaining for adults. In fact I'd love for her to perform at my next birthday party (yes it's a bit weird since I'm in my 40s but no you can't judge me because she's really that great).

Carisa's methods and teaching are top notch, and she has dedicated much thought to the craft of performance which shows in how she talks about the aspects of her act. Even at five hours (about 80 minutes of which is performance), it's clear that this download only touches upon the many subjects Carisa could speak to knowledgeably, and I would happily watch more. At the end Dan floats the idea of her returning to discuss theory, philosophy, and principles in depth, and I do hope that happens some day.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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One of the best lectures on Penguin Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 9th, 2019
I watched this lecture and thought, "Wow, this is a professional act." This lecture has numerous moments of magic gold.

If you are looking for magic theory and battle-tested technique, then buy this lecture. It is worth every penny from the "tools-in-the-toolbox" perspective. This lecture will give you principles you need to build and perform acts that look and feel like real magic.

Further, the philosophy is priceless. I had multiple ah-ha moments when thinking about times I did not get the reaction I wanted from an audience, and how I can make it better with subtle adjustments presented here. A quick example, Carisa gives you a fantastic formula for being an antagonist without becoming unlikable and alienating your volunteer or losing the support of the crowd.

Take the theory, apply your creativity, and use it to create or polish your unique show.

Super thankful to Carisa and Penguin for generously sharing this with the community.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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One of the Best Magic Lecture Ever Produced by Penguin Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 6th, 2019
Short Review

Carisa’s lecture is a careful study of character, comedy, and creativity. With her combination of strong characters and solid methods, she delivers a detailed 5 HOUR experience that raises the bar of penguin lectures. With advice for stand-up, children’s and close-up performers her lecture provides a lot to the magic world and will act as a resource to many performers. I highly recommend it.

Longer Review

WOW! This lecture is one of my favorites ever produced by Penguin Magic. You're not getting an act assembled and filmed for the sake of filming. You get the act Carisa has performed hundreds of times all around the world. This is easily seen as ever aspect of both acts is thought out completely. Carisa has studied her audiences with as much detail as she has studied the art of magic. You are getting routines and ideas that are solid, they’ve been worked out in the real world and designed to maximize audience impact. From prop management to construction you'll learn everything about the act. You even see how the act packs and travels. These tips are valuable to any performer who is traveling with an act. In this massive 5 HOUR experience, Carisa shares information on:

-Character creation and development
- Working with an accent/speech coach
- Using film, audio, and audience data to make
incremental changes in your act.
- Creating interesting visual pictures and shapes on
stage to make your act more memorable
- How to make all the props you need, including pitfalls
to avoid (additional notes are included)
- A killer coding system
- A sure-fire way to approach someone with close-up magic
in a corporate setting
- Her bubble solution & Bubble Show Notes
- you can make a whole show from this
- Joke construction and theory
- AND MORE

Honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg with this lecture. It’s everything the ad copy and more. Carisa’s teaching style is detailed, thought out and easy to follow. This is one of the best lectures ever produced by Penguin. With Lucy’s 45-minute act and Dee Dee’s 30-minute act, you’ll enjoy watching this lecture as much as you enjoy learning from it. If you are a serious student of magic and character you need to get this lecture, you won't be disappointed. 
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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Best Purchase EVER! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 5th, 2019
Carisa is a consummate professional. Each routine is highly polished and she gives the reasons for everything. This is not a lecture on learning new magic, this is a lecture on performing.
I cannot say enough about this lecture! My style is very different from hers, but I learned so much! I have learned more, by far, performance technique than any other lecture, or any other video I have seen in the last 30 years.

This REALLY inspired me!
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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This is not to be missed Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 4th, 2019
I'm in the heartland. Both Lucy and DeeDee appeared at Abracorndabra earlier this year. Does Penguin tell you how long this program i? It's almost 5 hours! And you get full instructions for her Penn& Teller "production" (about which Penn did not identify the "how" of the book being selected -- but the book popping up in the obviously empty bag is pretty incredible) And I think she's improved the book selection since P&T and defininely since I paid for lecture notes. And Lucy and DeeDee doing the same effects for two obviously very different audiences is a "masterclass." Carisa takes her craft very seriously -- a lesson for all. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE VALUE!
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