((PKG))  THE MESSAGE OF MAGIC   
((TRT:  06:41)) 
((Banner:  The Message of Magic))  
((Reporter:  Marsha James)) 
((Camera:  Lisa Vohra))  
((Editor:  Philip Alexiou)) 
((Map:  Vienna, Virginia))    
((Main character:  1 male)) 
((Sub character:  1 female))  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
((Courtesy:  Randy Shine))   
When it comes to magic, there's no logical 
solution why did that coin vanish from your 
hand?  Then, the next things is, do it again or do 
something else miraculous.  
((end Courtesy)) 
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
Is magic real or is magic an illusion?  I'd like to 
show you what comes to mind just as an 
example.  And we're just going to use these 
three half-dollars right here.  Focus on this first 
one.  Three coins, two hands, no sleeves, no 
bracelets.  So, you think of things happening 
that's impossible, but you're making the 
impossible possible and you're also creating 
astonishment.  So, when you think about magic, 
you have to think about creativity and most 
importantly, making the impossible possible.  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Courtesy:  Randy Shine)) 
What is real?  So, I got started in magic, not 
when I was young like most people.  I got 
started in magic when I was in graduate school 
at Penn State studying health education 
research.  It was just a hobby for me, something 
to do to just to pass the time, card tricks.  Me 
and a group of friends, we used to get together 
and do card tricks.   
((Courtesy:  Randy Shine)) 
So, I just took a leap of faith and I just said I'm 
going to give myself one year.  If it doesn't work 
out in one year, I'll just go back to school, get a 
job and just continue on with life.  
((end Courtesy)) 
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
Well, one year ended up being 16 years and I 
haven't looked back yet.  
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))   
So, that's when I decided I want to do magic full 
time.  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
Showtime. 
((NATS/MUSIC))  
((end Courtesy)) 
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
I believe that every artist should use their 
platform to talk about greater issues beyond 
their art.  
((NATS/MUSIC))  
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))   
So, there's some elements in my show that are 
subtle and then some that are not subtle, that I 
speak about those issues and I let people into 
my world and what I think about it.  For example, 
I was performing in Iowa one time. 
((end Courtesy))  
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
It was at a college campus but it was two hours 
outside, two-and-a-half hours outside of Des 
Moines, Iowa.  I get there.  I set up.  I'm behind 
the curtain.  I peek out.  500 people here.  I was 
like,  
((NATS/MUSIC))  
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))   
“Oh my gosh.  Okay, I know exactly what I'm 
going to say.”  As soon as the emcee 
announced me,  
((end Courtesy))  
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
I walked on stage.  The first words out of my 
mouth is, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for 
coming to the show.  When I got off the plane 
this morning,  
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))   
the Black population increased by 100 percent.”  
Now, it came off as a joke but as they say, 
there's truth in comedy.   
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
That’s proof that some stereotypes are true.  
((end Courtesy))  
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
And it resonated with everyone because they 
realized, wow, 
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))   
this is not a diverse town.  Wow, I've never seen 
a Black magician before, 
((end Courtesy))  
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
but we've always been out there.  
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))   
As a matter of fact, one part of my show, I'll talk 
about the very first American-born magician by 
the name of Richard Potter.  So, prior to 
Houdini, prior to Doug Henning, prior to David 
Copperfield, prior to  
((end Courtesy)) 
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
David Blaine, the very first magician on 
American soil was a Black man.  And that's 
something to be proud about because 
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))   
because people like Richard Potter, Henry Box 
Brown, Hiawatha Johnson Jr., these are all 
African American magicians.  
((end Courtesy)) 
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
If I could see it, I could be it.  
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))   
Yes, I am one of the co-founders of the 
International Association of Black Magical 
Artists.  That was an organization that was 
formed  
((end Courtesy)) 
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
as a need to bring African American magicians 
together.  
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))   
There has never been an African American 
magician, a Black magician, who has had a 
national TV platform. 
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))   
Every one of these gentlemen are headliners for 
this one show or has had a household name or 
a touring show.  So, that glass ceiling hasn't 
been broken yet.  And in 2001, 
((end Courtesy)) 
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
I came up with this idea called The Heart and 
Soul of Magic.  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) 
So, The Heart and Soul of Magic, it was a brain-
child of mine that I had in 1998.  And my goal, 
my life goal is to have this as a national touring 
show because currently, it's just self-funded, me 
and the magicians who believe in that.  And 
that's what we do.  So, if we could get that, or if 
we could get one African American magician to 
be a household name like the David 
Copperfields, like the David Blaines, I would say 
that would cracked the ceiling, that glass ceiling, 
but it wouldn't break it, but at least it's cracked 
the seal in that glass ceiling.  
((end Courtesy)) 
((NATS:  Randy Shine and Alyssa Gokhale)) 
((Alyssa Gokhale)) 
Wow.  
((Randy Shine)) 
Wow, you did it. 
((Alyssa Gokhale)) 
Let’s try again. 
((Randy Shine)) 
You saw it with your own eyes.  You saw it live.  
No smoke, mirrors, no TV screens.  Right here 
in your face.  So, one person will walk away and 
say, “Hey, it's real.”  
((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) 
Others will say, “Oh, no, it’s some trick.  You 
see, he's very good at slight of hand or some 
other technique.”  It's up to that person's views 
and perspective.  And so,  
((end Courtesy)) 
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
there's a saying by a famous magician named 
Joseph Dunninger.  He says, “For those who 
believe, no explanation is necessary.  For those 
who don't, no explanation will suffice.”  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) 
((Randy Shine, Magician)) 
So, is magic real or is it an illusion?  That's up to 
you to decide. 
((Courtesy: Randy Shine))  
((NATS/MUSIC))