Hey everyone, welcome to Retro Magic—a group dedicated to reviving, adapting, and turning vintage magic into something new!
My name is Mark Presley (and no, I’m not related to Elvis).
Today, I want to share a project I’ve been working on. About a year ago, I purchased a vintage illusion from Dan Stapleton, which I originally picked up from him during a chance meeting at Portillo’s while he was visiting from Florida.
The effect was traditionally designed for two people—a performer and an assistant—but I wanted to see if I could adapt it into a one-man illusion. I’m happy to report that my gut instinct was right, and I’ve successfully reworked it for solo performance.
To take the presentation even further, I used AI to compose a custom soundtrack. After 89 generations of refining, I finally captured the exact mood I was looking for, and I wrote the lyrics myself to perfectly accompany the routine.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the performance! Also, I’m still trying to track down the official name of this piece—I believe it might be an Abbott’s production—so if you recognize it, please let me know in the comments!