Roni Who?
by P. Craig Browning

You might wonder what being a successful recording artist during the late 1960s in both the UK and Israel have to do with magic, let alone Mentalism or Bizarre work, but believe me, if it weren’t for that success our world probably would not have been introduced to the manic genius of Mr. Roni Shachnaey, a rather peculiar Israeli living in the UK who, by the early 1970s, had become known as that nation’s star magical performer.

Of course, like all of us that have ventured into the more thespian side of the craft Roni had to start off dabbling in the more sinister stuff, like producing doves from handkerchiefs along side colorful candles and all that other classic stuff from the Pollock mold. Catch is, where does an evil wizard find dove harnesses and such in the middle of a country that barely has an inkling as to what stage magic is?

That’s where a gent named Jimmy Rogers comes into play; Jimmy was one of the literal “court magicians” at Buckingham Palace for years; a dove worker known for his Dove Carousel as well as a novel paddle trick referred to as the “Do it Again Chalk Paddle”. But as fate would have it, Jimmy and Roni would hit it off rather well, making Roni the sorcerer’s apprentice. A foundation that, not so many years later, would allow him to create that phenomena dove act by using little other than old socks for harnesses and some fishing twine along with an ill-fitted tailed coat obtained for him by the local theater for which Roni had be cast in the role of being a Circus Magician. It is a role that would lead to a formal cabaret act and the happenstance of meeting one Amos Levkovitch who, in those days, was simply another hard working wannabe who just happened to be headlining one of the more successful children’s shows in the nation. But Amos wanted to do doves and it was Roni that sold him his original bird act and thus, a true star was born… one of many, Roni’s influence as a mentor and guide would bring into the world a few other names of note such as Guy Bavli and Lior Manor. But in the process he’d likewise introduce the world of Magic & Mentalism to such things as the Clear Perspex Clipboard, Book tests, Add a Number systems and various other bits including a myriad of metal bending shticks (that still remain more or less “exclusive”); after all, he came back onto the Magic scene in Israel as a certain Mr. Geller was high tailing it out of town, leaving many in his homeland with a rather pungent taste in their mouths, along side an appetite for most anything Psychic.

It’s rather honest to say that Roni was the first big "metal bender" to hit the scene after Geller but likewise to address to what Uri had done and was doing. One reporter commented on how he caught Uri on a particular challenge bend and yet, when Roni did the exact same thing, the guy was dumbfounded and left without explanation… Roni being the admitted trickster and yet, he became heralded as Israel’s official “mystic” though years previous, he’d been one of the primary founders to the ISPAM (Israeli Society for Promoting the Art of Magic).

Many will look at this man’s accomplishments and offer him kudos on face value alone, but if such were the case, I’d not chose Roni out of any other 100 magicians out there. No, his case is exceptional as can be seen by his socks… i.e. his using socks as harnesses for his birds long ago. You see Roni is exceptionally resourceful and though I cannot possible list off the plethora of ingenious (though simple) solutions he’s come up with for doing Mentalism:

"Yes I agree times were hard with nobody to discuss those issues (referring to the Geller situation), no props to buy and having to create my own material out of nothing as it were, was hard but, I have learned a great lesson in life: we have all chosen magic as our art but are we creators or followers?" -- Roni Shachnaey

Imagine, if you can, removing five zip-lock styled baggies from a box and handing them out randomly to audience members who in turn, place personal objects in them… you know not who belongs to each item and yet, you offer a demonstration in Psychometry that is priceless as well as amazingly accurate. More important, your guests can keep the baggies… (They’ll find no pin pricks or special markings).

This is just one of the clever innovations Roni Shachnaey has developed over the years, so as to deliver effective, clean, and believable Mentalism. The kind of material that establishes you with major cruise lines, resorts and social-political institutions the world over as being “the real deal” (even though you kind of suggest otherwise). Of course, before folks started “borrowing” from the thoughts of Gary Kurtz and Steven Shaw, making the idea of avoiding a rusty knife blade or glass charred a mode of supposed muse Roni was doing his own Death Game using cans of spray paint in one of the more hilarious modes to a psychic game of roulette. Fortunately, like most of Roni’s more unique materials, it’s not one of those things you’re going to be seeing too much of. Roni is old school and limits the majority of his innovations (especially the psychic & bizarre stuff) to no more than 25 total copies world wide.

What?

That’s right folks, he’s one of those old timers who supports the idea of keeping magic secret and mentalism Super Top Secret and out of the hands of fools… as one gent has noted (who’s asked to remain nameless so as to avoid the tirade of two-year olds not getting their way…) His "House of Darkness" catering by invitation to the world’s crem de la crem when it comes to Bizarre & Psychic styled effects. But who here would want a $1,000.00 set of Locking Spirit Slates in which any color of chalk can be chosen and while the spectator holds onto them (or the committee is gathered about and touching them) you can hear and feel movement as the chalk writes a message? Let’s face it, this is specialty stuff…

Right! But some of us just have a “need to know” mentality… I know I do!

This past fall, when Roni made his first visit to the U.S. and ultimately paid me a couple of visits along with my dear friend Rich Viano (noted escapist and now the "House Mystic" for the Wisteriahurst Manor in Holyoke, MA. – I’ll add, Rich has also been a driving force behind a most excellent young card working from our region named Michael Paul; remember that name, you are going to be hearing more of him in the not so distant future.) It was rather reminiscent of those days of my youth, when I’d spend an afternoon listening to Billy McComb ramble on about his life’s adventures and “little ideas” – like Billy, an afternoon with Roni could give you a most intense sort of education when it came to magic and how things “really” work. Especially when you can speak the same language i.e. experience with experience/creative mind to creative mind.

Though brief, I will certainly cherish those few afternoons and the rather interesting friendship that’s come of it.

Like so many Roni fell in love with the States and has planned on returning in the fall of this year doing shows as well as lectures and discussions at various conventions and gathering here on the eastern sea board and quite possibly in the west and Midwest, should things unfold as they seem to be presently… but then, it’s always nice to find like minded folks, if you get my drift, be it here in New England as part of the post Halloween enthusiasm or somewhere else in this great land just prior to said period… not that I’d know about anything like that…

So, the moral of the tale is quite simple; if you want to learn how to do tricks, buy magic books and DVDs. If you want to learn to become a genuine magician who creates miracles from nothingness, keep your ears peeled for when and where Roni is going to be this coming fall and don’t miss the opportunity, I can assure you it will be worth every dime and then some!

Craig Browning