Jason Randal on Letterman - 4/12

[Guest]

Jason is a scheduled guest again on Letterman tonight, Thursday, April 12. It looks to be a new show, not a repeat of a previous appearance...

[Guest]

I've got this theory about David mixing up the guest bag by taking notes from his four year old son. Thus, vent weeks, and a regular magician.

[Guest]

Man that was a lame performance, he did a bill change, jumping jems, and a slight variation of hunted deck...what did he do? Stop off at Tannens first? David even commented after the jumping jems, "Now, is this something I could just buy, at a magic store?".

[Ryan Matney]

I've basically said the same thing everytime this guy has been on Letterman.

I'm sure someone will chime in now to say that Letterman is a jerk who hates magicians but just watch Randal's first performances. Dave is very, very, nice, clearly enjoys it and is no more questioning than an average spectator is. People ask questions like 'how did you do that?' and "Where did you buy that?" when you perform in a casual situation. I don't think that's being a jerk at all.

[Guest]

I think this Randell fellow comes across pretty well if very nervous. It seems he is told how long he has and he wants to do things that won't be a problem. I think he did fine.

[Guest]

I have to admit, he got me with the "Hot Rod" ending to Jumping Gems. I just didn't see him pull it from his pocket.
Other than that I think he did fine. He's certainly getting more comfortable in front of the camera.

Gord

[Richard Kaufman]

Any magician who gets on Letterman REPEATEDLY has my complete admiration!

[Guest]

Big Kamar fan then are you Richard?

;)

[Richard Kaufman]

Oh yeah, Kaymar's the best.

[Guest]

Another great performance from Jason. His performnace and selection of tricks is just perfect for the Letterman venue--funny, no snafu's, and giving Letterman the opportunity to excel at humor. I wonder how many of us who post here could even come close.

Arnie

[Guest]

Ryan:

Letterman was a jerk to virtually every magician who was on his show EXCEPT Jason. And that includes nearly ruining Tom Mullica's appearance. Not sure what your point is but it's clear that while you criticize people who say Letterman was rude to magicians, you haven't seen all those performances. :confused:

[Dustin Stinett]

He was never rude to Harry Anderson, and Harry appeared before Night Court. However, Dave was usually very rough to most other magicians on the show. Its been said before: Carson was the best at letting the magician be the star. All that said, I think Dave is growing softer as he ages and I think a young child and a brush with death has a lot to do with that.

Dustin

[Guest]

I revisted older appearances by Jason last night...his first television appearance,(that I have on record) was way back over twenty years ago. He is a 7th degree black belt, scuba instructor, and has been a stand in for Eric Estrada!
---As far as Letterman is conserned, you have personalities in your audience, wherever you perform, that don't like to be fooled. Letterman has always been "that guy", and he just reverts into comedic one upmanship, for protection of ego. Jason has the ability to spar Letterman with wits, but..jumping jems? I had sucess with them back in the 80's...But, Jeff Sheridan taught me a most valuble lesson, magic must be performed with objects known. Most people will shrug the trick off with "magnets", because they do look black like magnets.

[Guest]

First time I have seen this guy on Letterman even though I knew he had performed there before. I can agree with the statements about the gems trick, but I enjoyed the other items. I think Jason should be given somewhat of a break given that they only allow him so many minutes to even perform. I mean Bruce Willis with the mouth coil, c'mon! Randal seemed so rushed to me because it felt like the show would end at any second. He really didn't seem to have a scripted presentation, or if he did, he felt unable to perform as maybe he normally would if time was not a factor. Or is that just how Jason Randal is?

[Guest]

Steve Hook wrote:

"Letterman was a jerk to virtually every magician who was on his show EXCEPT Jason. And that includes nearly ruining Tom Mullica's appearance. Not sure what your point is but it's clear that while you criticize people who say Letterman was rude to magicians, you haven't seen all those performances."

This gets brought up every time David Letterman is mentioned and I've yet to see a clip of David Letterman being a jerk to any magician. Seriously, does anybody know of a clip of this anywhere?

For a long time people would say he treated David Roth horribly. Of course, now you can see that clip on Youtube so people don't say it too much anymore. If you watch the clip you'll see Letterman being irreverant and jokey but also amazed and interested.

the problem, of course, is that the last person most of close-up magicians would want to perform for is a jokey, involved spectator. We just want someone to sit there and shut the F up while we do our patter. If they don't do that apparantly they're a jerk.

[Harry Lorayne]

Here's another "for what it's worth": Over the years I've turned down the Letterman show quite a few times. The reason? The producer always told me that David would have to "get into the act." That is, he'd want to walk with me when I went into the audinece to call everyone's name. I knew he'd be interrupting me, making jokes, and so forth. I said "no," that'd "break my rhythm," etc. "I work alone. When I'm sitting at his desk and talking, then I don't care - I'm eight feet tall then, and can hold my own with anyone, but I don't need him when I'm doing my thing." Never did the show.
Regis Philbin interrupted me once when I was doing the names and faces. After the show he said he hoped I didn't mind. I said that it really (again) upset my rhythm, etc. He apolgized and never did it again.

Garry Moore was wonderful about that. Well, that's another story. Best - HARRY LORAYNE.

[Guest]

Letterman is extremely hard on Kreskin! I'm amazed he still agrees to do the show because David is consistently cruel to poor Kreskin.

[Guest]

I just watched the Roth/Letterman clip.
Dave was not being a jerk at all. He was being the host of his show and Roth handled it professionally. He allowed Dave to have his moments and was not at all bothered by it. At least, if he was, he didn't let it show.

[Guest]

Okay, just watched some clips of Randal on his website. Again, Dave seemed to be doing nothing more than fulfilling his duties as host and having a good time.
Personally, I don't much care for Randal's presentation style. It's very fast and quite muddled at times. He doesn't allow the effect to breathe and sink in. Now, I know a lot of people will say that's the nature of television and that there just isn't time. My advice would be to do 2 tricks instead of 5 or 6 at breakneck speed.
I'm a magician and even I'm having trouble recalling what I saw.

addendum: having viewed a couple more of these, I can see what's endearing about this guy. Dave's reactions and commentary are really what make these segments for me, but it's due to the dynamic between the two. Its really very much like the dynamic Dave has with Jack Hannah. He clearly enjoys jason's work and is having fun.
On a slightly more critical note, Mr. Randal's technique is quite sloppy. And I don't mean Lennart Green sloppy; I mean, quite honestly, unpolished. Nevertheless, due to his personality it covers a multitude of sins and the audince certainly responds to what he's doing.

[Randwill]

Can you explain "Lennart Green sloppy". I'm not being sarcastic or snarky. And I 've only seen him perform on DVD. I really want to know what you mean.

[Guest]

I mean that Lennart's sloppy is a choreographed sloppy. It's convincing, but it is a polished sloppiness. Lennart's got chops. He's devoted much thought and many hours to making that perfomance look the way it does. And it fits his look and his character perfectly. And though his handlings appear haphazard, the effects are crisp and clear and they flow together.

Jason Randal's sloppiness is almost like that of someone who learned technique incorrectly, if that makes any sense. He manhandles the cards and he talks and performs so fast one can hardly even realize what's happened before he's halfway through the next effect. Also, it doesn't seem to match his look. He has a more neat, polished appearance. Dave described him as looking like an accountant. It doesn't really run too contrary to his personality, though, which seems a bit like a kid who's had too much sugar. It comes off, really, as genuine excitement and perhaps it is. That's why I compared him to Jack Hannah. It's that same kind of child-like excitement Hannah has about animals. And that is not an insult. I think it, as I said before, that it's quite endearing.
I do however, think he could improve a lot of his handling. Watch his vanish of the torn bill (or card) on Letterman and Degeners. It is, frankly, atrocious. He uses a thumbtip like a layman would. A few minutes work would improve it dramatically. Now, you may respond by saying that the audience is blown away and that it works fine for him, so why change it?
A fair argument, no doubt. I just happen to be of the opinion that just because something functions doesn't mean it shouldn't be improved or made more powerful. The audience, sans us magicians, has nothing to compare it to.

[Guest]

OK, who can fill me in on Letterman almost ruining Tom Mullica's act?

[Ryan Matney]

Steve,
I have seen many magic performances on letterman. He was always kind to Harry Anderson, Penn and Teller, David Copperfield, and David Roth. If you do Close-up magic you EXPECT some reaction from the spectators, and you react accordingly.

I can understand the difference between close-up and what Harry Lorayne was saying. That would be a genuine annoyance to have someone making jokes in the middle of your stand-up or stage act. I'd like to see Harry go on and just do some of his card work for Letterman at his desk. Their interaction would be great.

Re: Lennert Green Sloppy: I think the difference can be summed up like this--Lennert's technique is intentional.

Also, Keep in mind that most people don't care about magic, at all. So Letterman's comments and asides may be seen as something of a requirement.

[Guest]

When I saw the Roth clip I was just reminded of what a pro Roth is. A very cool character.