The Magic of
Baltimore interviews
Kevin D. Kirtley…
Kevin D. Kirtley…
Baltimore’s working
master magician.
Kevin D. Kirtley has been
performing magic for over 46 years, entertaining the likes of Maryland Governor
William Donald Schaefer, Mayor Clarence 'Du' Burns of Baltimore, Itzhak
Perlman, David
Zinman-Conductor, Members & Patrons of The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Olympic Champion Figure Skater Kimmi Meisner’s family and countless
others!
Voted Harford County’s Best Magician
in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Kevin, thank you for taking the
time to share with The Magic of Baltimore.
My
Pleasure and thank you for asking to interview me. I’m very humbled. As I said
at an earlier date, I feel there are many more deserving than myself! I’m no
Master… maybe a disaster. lol!
Hardly. It’s known you started magic
at age eleven. Do you remember what specifically gave you “the bug?”
My
older brother, Richard Shane Kirtley, first drew me to the magical arts. He was
actually the first magician/musician of the family and I was his audience
whenever he wanted to try a new magic trick. I actually learned the “French
Drop” sleight from watching him do this on me over and over again… which is a
“no-no” in magic. “Never do the same
trick again for the same audience!” Oddly, by his repeating it, I not only
learned how to do this sleight, but also came up with a little twist, where I
could do it again and fool the heck out of people, even master magicians… which
I’ll get into later.
This is reaching back, but you
grew up near Mark Walker (master puppeteer,
historian, author of the acclaimed Ghost Masters, Master Illusionists and an
upcoming book on Phil Thomas) and experienced his haunted houses at your
local church. What childhood feelings or memories can you share about that and
growing up in Highlandtown and Baltimore during the 60s?
Actually,
I didn’t meet Mark Walker until around 1984-85. We were members of the same Parrish,
St. Elizabeth of Hungary and lived in the same neighborhood. I’ve known his
brother Scott since the 10th grade. Scott was in my graduating Class
of 1973 (Patterson High School) and we shared an interest in the magical arts.
We were friends, but never really “hung out” together.
It wasn’t until I started working at
the ‘Phil Thomas Yogi Magic Mart’ in Baltimore, Md., that I actually met Mark
Walker. Mark came into the shop asking if we could mention the “Haunted House”
he was having at our Parrish. I knew who he was and of course we agreed to do
so. (My son, still talks of that attraction)
Mark
also did an escape while sealed in a glass box filled with water and appeared
at another part of the carnival. We began running into one another from then
on. He would perform at the Fells Point Festival every year. Also as you know,
he’s an accomplished puppeteer!
In
the neighborhood I live in, we had Johnny Eck, Mark Walker, Dave Pivec (was an
NFL backup Defensive Lineman for the LA Rams and part of the Legendary Fearsome
Foursome) Frank Zappa, Lou Walston and many others grew up in that East
Baltimore neighborhood. Like all neighborhoods of that time... a wonderful
place to grow up.
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| MARK WALKER |
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| PHIL THOMAS |
What are your earliest memories of
Yogi Magic Mart or meeting Phil Thomas?
I
was 12 years old and doing “Dime Magic Shows” in my back yard, around 1967.
After a week of shows, I had $22. That was a lot of money for a 12-year old boy
in 1967. My brother “Ricky” asked how much money I had made. He then told me
not to spend any of it…
Well,
that Saturday we took the #23 bus to Charles & Saratoga, up to the 3rd
Floor, I believe, at 310 N. Charles St. My brother hadn’t been there in years,
but the moment we walked into the shop, Phil Thomas (the owner and my mentor),
stopped his conversation with another gentleman at the counter, looked at us
and said, “Welcome Home, Richard!”
That
impressed me! My brother then introduced me to Phil and the other gentleman,
Phil asked me to show him what I know. Of course, I did the French drop, which
he complimented me on. So, I asked if they would like to see it again…!
Everyone gave me that “you’re not suppose to do that” look. They didn’t know I
had come up with a way that looked exactly the same, but wasn’t. The coin vanished completely! I’ll never
forget the look on everyone’s face. For about 10 seconds, they were fooled.
Phil
and the gentleman smiled, shaking their heads approvingly. The gentleman that I
didn’t know put his hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eye and said…
“Kevin,
I have a feeling, we will be hearing wonderful things about you, in magic one
day.”
That
gentleman was Milbourne Christopher.
Phil’s shop and the Yogi Magic Club had a
large influence on magic and other types of entertainment in Baltimore, Md.
Remember
the Comedy Club that was over Burkes Restaurant, in downtown Baltimore? Well,
one thing most people don’t know is…
the idea came about because after Yogi Club Meetings, when there would
have been a guest lecturer… (Dave Williamson, Mike Caveny & Tina Lenert,
Michael Ammar, etc.), about 15 to 20 of us, including the guest lecturer, would
go to Burkes after the meetings. They would put together several tables for us and
around 10:00pm we would all start performing until it closed at 1:30AM!
Included were Howie Schwartzman, Cy Keller, John Ekin, Dave Roehmer, Chris
Mosner, Jim Van Liew, William Gross, Paul Trattner, etc., and myself. At the
end of the night, our tab was around $600! Many times, the owner would wave it,
simply because everyone in the Restaurant & Bar, was spending money just to
watch us all. We would get as many spectators involved as possible. The Comedy
Club idea came from those “Table Sessions.”
It
was 1986 and I was manager of Yogi Magic Mart at the 217 N Charles St. location
in Baltimore. Phil had sold the shop to P.W. Feats. Phil then recommended me to
work there and I eventually became manager by default. John Ekin and David
Roehmer had left.
David
Copperfield had just done a Saturday matinee show at the Lyric Opera House and
came with an entourage of about 20 Children. We had a lot of antique magic,
which, as you know, Copperfield collected. After being shown around by Paul
Wolman (the PW of P.W. Feats), Paul brought him over and introduced me as the manager
of the shop. David shook my hand and said, “Show me something!” I smiled &
agreed to do so, but was freakin’ out inside.
I did a “book test”! It’s actually a “book
test” that can be repeated. So, when I told David the word he
had chosen and he had that, huh?" look on his face, I was ecstatic!
"Do it again,” he said and I did! I was about to stop, but no, David would
have none of that, so, he said, "Again!" After a third time, he gave me a smile and shook my hand,
saying, “Well done, Kevin! You got me…!” That made me feel great, but what made
me feel even better was when, one of the children said, “He fooled David
Copperfield!” That was priceless! David and I actually talked for a while. He asked
if I was coming to the show that evening. When I told him I would be with my
wife, Denise and our son Damien in the third row center, he asked if Damien could
come up on stage to assist him in a trick. Unfortunately, when called to do so,
my son got “cold feet”. (He was around 6 years old at that time). David did call my home and conversed with my
wife, which she still talks about to this day! The
best part was that, many years later I posted a photo of he and I at the shop
on Facebook. He actually saw this and remembered it, asking: "Has Damien
gotten over his shyness?" David Copperfield is a total class act in my humble
opinion, THE GREATEST!
There is no denying Copperfield’s
importance to magic. You’ve met Mark Walker for lunch a few times, what do two
pillars of the Baltimore magic community talk about over lunch?
We
talk about the “old neighborhood”… magic… the book he’s in the process of
writing about my mentor, Phil Thomas… Dantini, etc.
We
actually talked for about two hours about how lucky we’ve been to have met,
performed, had dinner/lunch, talked to, compared notes with, etc.… many amazing magicians over the years. It’s
the stuff you read about in biographies of other magicians and think to yourself,
“I wish I could do that…” We were lucky
enough to have done that.
Kevin, you do a great deal of
travel on your job. Other than focusing on the road, lol, how do you mostly spend
your time? Do you listen to music, talk radio, mill over your life and show,
etc.?
I
love being with my family, I really do! I married my best friend, Denise who
has been my biggest fan and critic along with my daughter Rachel and son
Damien. Plus, now my granddaughter, Avery, has me wrapped around her finger.
Also,
I never get tired of reading about Magic! Mostly two books at a time… I’m in my studio a lot! I Listen to music, watch TV… very basic home
life. No matter where I travel to, I always make it home that night.
I get lots of ideas, just by listening to
music. Back in the late 1970’s, I managed a record store in Baltimore, Md. called
‘For The Record’. So, I have a collection of over 2000 LP’s, plus many CD’s.
Magic has been very good to me. I do many
charitable shows for the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House,
Gilda’s Club in NYC, etc…
I’ve always believed, to quote ‘The Beatles’,
“The
love you take is equal to the love you make…!”
So,
my motto is, “I’m just trying to make the world a better place, one magic trick
at a time.”
At this point, you’ve done so many
performances; from the very prestigious to modest, it must seem like a blur… can
you give us an anecdote(s) about any that stand out?
Actually,
a few!
I
was the “House Magician” at the Tower Restaurant & Bar, in Bel Air, Md.
around 2006 where Olympian and World Figure Skating Champion, Kimmie Meisner
came in with her family. They requested I come to their table. I started a true
story with a certain card effect about a young lady who referred to the “King
of Clubs” as the “K of Doggie Paws”.
Kimmie,
cracked up laughing and said, “What the...?”
She
called it, “OK the Doggie Balls”!!! She was laughing so hard: she had tears
running down her cheeks. To this day, when we see each other she’ll smile and
say,
“OK
the Doggie Balls”. Kimmie and her family
are good people.
The
other is, after performing a festival on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, being hit in
the head by a lady with a crucifix! She
hit me three different times, while yelling, “You are the Devil’s spawn!!!!”
Yes,
she drew blood and the police had to arrest her! She evidently must have
figured out that all magicians sacrifice small animals to the “Dark Lord.” Just
to make sure, that the Bunny appears on Queue!!! Lol
Wow, a rare reaction to conjuring
in this secular age, for sure. Is there
a particular piece of magic that you just love to perform? Or do you love your
“children” equally?
I
still use the “French Drop” with the “Kirtley Principle” lol, today. I honestly
don’t carry anything with me, when I’m in “home-mode” I stay impromptu, not
even a TT or deck of cards. I do, however, try to reinvent things by
taking an old effect and using the principle behind it to do something else.
Speaking of children, you have a
rich family life. How has that come into play with your career over the years?
I
grew up in an abusive environment. In five words, I was an abused child!
Which is actually the driving force
behind the way I feel about certain things. I lived that life and if it hadn’t
been for things like welfare and a very strong-willed grandmother, who truly
cared for her grandchildren… Also, my Brother Ricky, who was around only until
his late 20’s before he succumbed to drugs, was not only a positive influence
in my life, but also to many of today’s Baltimore musicians. One, who actually
teaches at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, was actually inspired and taught
by Ricky to play guitar! Only one or two people knew about my life as a child.
Everyone else, thought I had a good home life, which I didn’t. It wasn’t until
my grandmother got custody of me, that life became positive. I think that’s
what drives me… to help others. No child should have to live in an environment
like that.
I would tend to believe magicians
and musicians making a living; have great jobs and a rich life regardless of
what plateau is achieved. What advice do you have for someone considering taking
on your profession?
There
is NO FORMULA! Do what you feel is correct, but be prepared to fail, Fail, FAil
& FAIL… but you must learn from each failure. Take advice from others! Use
or toss whatever advice you get. Street Perform!!! It’s tough and is the
greatest performance education you’ll ever get. Read!!!! Get Tarbell’s Course
in Magic…. All eight! Yes, there’s an 8th one. Read up on the
History of the Magical Arts.
Most
importantly, be GOOD, be MANNERLY, be UNDERSTANDING, be ABLE TO ADAPT, be
PROFESSIONAL & DON’T BE A JERK. Understand, your chance may only come once.
When it does come, GRAB IT! Because if you blink…. It’s…. GONE!
To
quote the Ancient Romans,
“Remember, you are not a God! You are only a
man and fame is fleeting!” Maya Angelou once said,
“People
will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel!”
This might be difficult to
quantify, for the magic art is full of personal nuances, but what is your philosophy
on how to routine shows and/or effects?
Start
strong and finish stronger! In between, make people laugh, question and cry. It
should flow, but not necessarily… intertwine.
Of
importance is, what the audience thinks and not what other magicians think. One
thing I have discovered is this… with all our science, logic, exposing of magic,
education, etc.... a good magician will accomplish this if he or she has
created magic. You want the audience to actually be thinking, “I know it was a
trick, but I watched you closely and saw nothing! So, my question is… WAS THAT
REAL?”
Trust
me!!!! People actually believe that…. Just maybe… it was real magic. I always wink and say, “It was magic”!
It’s good to believe in magic. There
are no videos of you on the internet. A
man with your credentials and history has that luxury. What do you think about
how the information age has affected the profession?
Great
question! In all honesty, for the following reasons. During the early to mid
1980s, when I was doing magic full time plus managing two different magic Shops
(Yogi Magic Mart and then Main Street Magic), video was just taking off. VCRs
cost around $800 to $1000 and video cameras were much more, so recording my
shows would have been expensive and probably not a great idea at that time…
Then
came my “learning years!” Around 1987, I left Main Street Magic, took out a
loan and sent myself to the PSI Institute (remember PSI Net Stadium?) to learn
programming.
In
1989, I started working for the Maryland State Highway Administration and helped
found their IT Division, with 5 other people. We were all specialists in what
we did. My specialty was Hardware. From 1989 until 2002, when I left (fully
vested), I only did Private Parties & Bars. This was when I started
establishing myself: putting everything I learned, to use.
Then,
from 2002 to the present, I debated whether to make a DVD that could let people
see what I do, weighing the pros and cons with myself. I talked to several
friends and they all said pretty much the same. “Why do it now? You’re already
becoming established and have gotten this far without one. Keep your show and
yourself a mystery.”
This
was a very good point, since I’m already booking many shows: both, new clients
& repeat clients.
I
know that, I won’t become rich, won’t perform in Vegas, won’t be named the
“Magician Of The Year”, won’t have a bio, written about me…ie, I WILL NEVER BE
FAMOUS! I know this! I do know that when my day comes to meet Death, I can
honestly say I not only lived my dream and made a great living doing it…
however most importantly… touched the lives of others!
Magicians
coming up today, once they have the show down, should record their Shows, it’s
good common business sense!
Ironically,
about 9 months ago, someone contacted me about doing magic at a convention in
Baltimore, Md. She told me I came highly recommended by another Corporation and
requested a DVD of my show, which I have never had! So she hired another
Magician!
Two
months ago, the same client contacted me again for another convention. When I
questioned her about why she wanted me... NOW? She explained that the other
magician had “bombed” and admitted she should have taken the advice
recommending me.
Unfortunately,
I had to decline! Simply because, I was already hired to perform, at the same
convention that her Corporation wanted me for, but for a rival! This
Corporation was Microsoft! I not only performed at their booth in Washington DC,
but also in the Microsoft Suite, which had a certain person present.
I
can’t mention that person’s name, but “Bill” enjoyed it!
Wise professionals such as
yourself; play to their strengths. Could you be so candid as to reveal what
your perceived strengths and limitations are as a performer?
My
strength is my personality and sense of humor! I don’t take myself seriously! I
am an entertainer who uses magic to entertain. It compliments my personality
and humor. My limitations are… I am NOT a Master Magician, I don’t do all kinds
of sleights and I am NOT famous! I use effects that compliment my personality,
that simply say “this IS me!” What’s important is that the audience likes you,
but you also have to “make magic happen.” I learned this from many I had the honor
of meeting over the years. Phil Thomas
said “Entertain them first!” I believe there’s a saying, about entertaining,
“If you can’t make the audience like and want to see you perform within the
first 60 seconds… then you’ve failed!
Do you have any effects you like
to practice, but never or rarely perform?
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What type of magic or performers
do you most enjoy to watch?
I
really enjoy all types of magicians and magic: past, present and future! I’ve
always been a huge fan of Harry Anderson, David Copperfield, Max Maven, etc.
and grew up watching Mark Wilson and Bob McCallister to name a few. Oddly
enough though, I’ve always been drawn to the macabre or bizarre type of magic.
Most magicians are constantly
striving in some way or another. How does a magician of your caliber and
experience strive?
Well,
since I’m more of a .22 caliber and not a .357, I strive by staying within my
own limitations. I may see an effect that’s awesome, but it’s not me. I’ve learned that a magician has to know his
limitations! Not necessarily that they CAN’T learn it, but, is it WORTH LEARNING?
Thank you again Kevin for sharing
your thoughts and experiences with us.
Thanx!
It’s been a pleasure!!
