Phoenix Dice by Merlins Magic, Mark Lee

This basic effect and method was first invented by James Lucier as The Cockeyed Skeleton In The Closet and described in Genii October 1949. The effect was also released c. 1949 through Sedghill Industries as The Scrambled Skeleton  with credit also going to James Lucier. There have been many versions of all shapes and sizes ever since and Eddy Taytelbaum’s is probably the best I have seen.

Mark Lee of Merlins Magic has created a fine version and this is part of Merlins growing Premier Range.  The one change that Mark has made is that each Die is gimmicked, instead of the more usual two, which means you can do some interesting routine variations, including at the end vanishing the red die completely 🙂  In addition, the addition of the lid for the tube ensures that no prying eyes are looking when they shouldn’t be.

I think you will like playing with this item and it has the most potential for innovation of the current crop of Premier Range items.

Effect: The magician introduces a small wooden tube with a lid, the tube sits upon an elevated plinth. The  tube is lifted from the plinth to reveal a stack of three dice, two yellow and one red. The dice are freely shown to the audience. The lid is removed and the tube is held horizontally, a die is inserted into the top of the tube showing that there is just enough clearance for the die to pass through. The tube is tipped upright (vertically) and the tube freely slides through and falls from the opposite end of the tube.

The tube is placed back on to its plinth and one by one the dice are dropped inside. The red first followed by the two yellow. The lid is placed on to the top of the tube and the magician makes a magical gesture over the tube. When the tube is lifted away, the red die has magically risen and is now between the two yellow dice! The dice are lifted from the plinth and are cleanly displayed.

The tube is placed on to the plinth again and the dice are dropped back inside one at a time in the same order (red die second) The lid is replaced and another magical pass is made. When the tube is lifted from the stack of dice the red die has magically risen to the top! The dice are picked up and the tube is placed back on to the plinth. The three dice are dropped back inside the tube and the lid replaced.

The audience assume that the effect has finished, the magician states that what they have just witnessed was “just an illusion, because there was no red die at all” The tube is lifted to show just three yellow dice and NO RED DIE!!

Everything works automatically, no shells, can perform surrounded, very easy to do.

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