To celebrate the recent release of one of our all-time fave movies, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 30, Kidzworld chatted with magician extraordinaire Johnny Ace Palmer. Check out our “magical” Q&A!
Kidzworld: Hi! When did you start doing magic?
- Johnny Ace Palmer: The first trick I was able to perform was a four-ace card trick that fooled adults; I was four years old.
Kidzworld: What is your favorite magic trick?
- Johnny Ace Palmer: My favorite trick to perform is the sponge ball trick. It looks so real! I love to show it to my daughters because it makes them laugh, and that’s my favorite sound in life, the sound of their laughter.
Kidzworld: When did you know you wanted to become a magician?
- Johnny Ace Palmer: When I fell in love with magic, I was just a baby. My family says I got interested in magic when I was about a year old, when my grandfather hid a coin from me. When I was in preschool, I said, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a magician!" My mom used to say, "You'll have to choose one or the other!"
Kidzworld: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about becoming a magician?
- Johnny Ace Palmer: Have fun. Read magic books and magic magazines. Join a magic club and attend magic conventions. In my opinion, the ideal tricks are performed with ordinary objects through developed skill. Card tricks and coin tricks are a good place to start. Speak clearly, make eye contact, and once again, most importantly, have fun!
Kidzworld: Do you have any magician mentors?
- Johnny Ace Palmer: Early influences include Mark Wilson, Doug Henning, and Harry Blackstone (Jr). Two pioneers, Dai Vernon and Slydini, are known as the fathers of close-up magic. I've studied their techniques and style, but my greatest mentors were the guys at the Youngstown Magic Club, the club I grew up in. Bob Filips, Dan McDonald, and Harry Tutter were always encouraging me, teaching me, and believing in me.
Kidzworld: Who is your favorite character from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice?
- Johnny Ace Palmer: Merlin, Balthazar, and Dave (young and grown-up) are all my favorite characters in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. I can really relate to all three of them. I love being able to get the reactions they get with their magic by doing my magic. I love Blathazar's style. Changing the wolves into puppies was practical, timely, and beautiful.
Courtesy of Disney
Kidzworld: What is your favorite scene from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice?
- Johnny Ace Palmer: There are so many, it's hard to name just one. As mentioned, I loved the attacking-wolves-to-sweet-puppies scene. I also really liked the traveling scenes, in the awesome car and on the giant eagle. The bus scene with the art work centered around the Empire State Building was really cool. As a close-up magician, I love studying the angle of visibility. The scene when Balthazar tells young Dave he can read minds was so wonderfully magical. I really enjoyed that! The musical performance Dave presented to Becky was lovely. I especially liked the reaction scenes: Dave saying, "No way!"; the lady fainting when Horvath appears from the urn; and Dave's first ride in the car. Thank you for the questions, Kidszworld. Be sure to enjoy the magic of life!
Check out Johnny’s magic at www.johnnyacepalmer.com, and pick up a copy of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, on Blu-Ray and DVD today!
