This begins with an excellent essay by Big Daddy Cool, and other interesting discussions related to character development follow.
By: "Big Daddy Cool"
Jim Maloney suggested posting this again for anyone interested in
character development. What follows is a rather lengthy description of
how I created my performance character of Big Daddy Cool.
Who is "Big Daddy Cool?"
"Big Daddy Cool" was created by accident. I began acting, singing, and learning magic around the age of 9. As I progressed, drama and music became integrated for me, but magic always remained a segregated art. As a freshman in high school, I had opportunity to see magician Harry Anderson perform. His slick con man style fascinated me, and I began to model my magic act in a similar fashion. A year later I was cast as a member of the legendary jazz vocal group the Hi-Los.
This was an incredible experience as jazz and swing music was my favorite style of music. I would remain in that group for four years, performing vocal jazz and swing all over the US, and eventually capturing the World Championship at the International Vocal Jazz Festival in Quebec, Canada. Throughout this period of time I continued to develop my magic persona and eventually appeared on A&E's "AN Evening At the Improv". At this point I was simply using my given name, but "Big Daddy Cool" was about to be born. It was at a party, and someone commented "you're Cool". I responded with "yeah, Big Daddy Cool". The name stuck and I would use it through out the next several years.
But "Big Daddy Cool" vanished for several years, as my career took a dramatic turn with weight loss in excess of 100 lbs. A mysterious, romantic magician replaced the slick, comical, con man. After all, a 188-LB "Big Daddy" seemed kind of silly. With this transformation there also came a change of musical styles. I became very interested in pop music and fronted several pop music groups. I would return to swing music on occasion, most prominently as a principal performer with the Schussy Cats, but pop remained my primary focus. My interest in jazz and swing was further revived with the release of the film "The Mask." In 1994 I had decided to move to Nashville to pursue a career in the Pop Gospel Music industry, but during a run of the pop music review "It Takes Two" I suffered an injury to my ankle that would eventually set the stage for "Big Daddy's" return. I could not walk for nearly 5 months due to the injury and I immediately gained 30 pounds.
But, as I healed I continued to pursue my music career as the lead singer of the pop group Legacy. The group lasted only two years having only moderate success. Then "it" happened. On a late evening in August my wife and I were driving home and were struck by an unconscience driver. The accident injured my back. The pain became so severe that I just could not continue to excersize. I gained another 80 pounds rapidly.
For the next year and a half I would sink into a deep depression, only performing periodically. But, I found myself listening to my first love, swing, more and more. I resolved that I would form a swing band, the Swing Cats. I also decided to re-visit the con man magician character. I dusted off the hat, and "Big Daddy Cool" was re-born. The plan was that "Big Daddy Cool" would front the Swing Cats and perform magic in restaurants and clubs. For the next year I focused on the development of the character of "Big Daddy Cool". While working on a studio project with the Gospel group Hand Of Mercy, another piece of "Big Daddy's" character would be established. The producer dubbed me De La Rocka, which, when said quickly sounds like Dellarocca. At that moment, "Big Daddy's" given name would be John Dellarocca.
After a year of development and planning, "Big Daddy Cool" John Dellarocca was ready to debut. The first performance would be a test of the commercial appeal of the Cool One. I opened up for TOP 20 CCM artist Jamie Slocum at a statewide youth conference. As expected the over-40 crowd responded with immense enthusiasm. This is my target demographic so that was encouraging. The surprise however came from the teens in the crowd. Their reaction to my performance was equally enthusiastic. As I came off stage a group of teen-age girls met me and said they wanted to hear more. I knew I had a hit. The next day "Big Daddy Cool" competed in a national magic competition. I was up against some of the best in the business, and this was the first time I would be competing. I tied for 3rd out of 20. This served as another sign that "Big Daddy Cool" was on his way. After the competition, I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Rebecque De Fontes, one half of a very popular theatrical magic team. She loved my act and we "sessioned" late into the night sharing ideas. At the end of our time, I had finally figured out how to integrate "Big Daddy Cool" the singer, and "Big Daddy Cool" the magician. That is when the concept for a variety show starring "Big Daddy Cool & The Swing Cats" was realized.
So who is this character called "Big Daddy Cool?" He is the antithesis to the conceptions of modern pop culture. He is the opposite of how today's media would portray him. Watch TV shows and movies today, heavy-set men and women are portrayed as dim witted, lazy, undesirable, and generally in the way. They serve as the comedic foils that rarely receive reward or recognition. "Big Daddy Cool" sets that perception on its ear. He is smart, strong, funny, ambitious, aggressive, big hearted, generous, cool and sexy. He is not these because he thinks so, but because everyone else around him thinks so. He is the kind of guy that every man wants to be like, and every girl wants to be with. Everything he touches "turns to gold." So let's look at this "Cool One"...
Real Name: John Dellarocca
Known Aliases: Big Daddy Cool, The Cool One, Johnny Cool, Johnny D.
Occupation: Club owner, entertainer. Former super hero.
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Tony (Father), Carol (Mother), Jimmy, Mickey (Brothers), Jenny (Sister), Sam (Uncle).
History: John Dellarocca was born in 1920 in Youngstown, Ohio, the
oldest of three brothers. John was fascinated with becoming an
entertainer, and studied every form of entertainment he could: music,
dance, magic, and acting. Like most children of blue collar ethnic
families, John and his brothers were scrappy fighters, and everyone on
the block knew to never mess with the Dellarocca brothers. His father
Tony was a small time con man who was rumored to have ties to the
Mafia. Tony Dellarocca refused to bend to the mob, and as a result was
killed. As a matter of fact, the entire family was targeted. Only John
survived. He swore that he would get revenge and at 14 set out to find
the killers.
His quest took him to Chicago, but instead of finding the killers he found himself on the streets picking pockets and running swindles. One afternoon he was caught in the act while trying to pick the pocket of Tommy Sims, the man who had taken over for Al Capone. Tommy was actually impressed with the kid's boldness and took him under his wing. At the time, John thought Sims was just a club owner. It became apparent that he was far more. Sims was the Kingpin of Chicago. At first John thought to hold Sims ultimately responsible for the murder of his parents and seek revenge against him. But the he came to his senses and developed a plan. He knew that if he could become one of Sims inner circle and learn their secrets, he could use the information against them and bring down the mob from within.
His plan worked. He was quickly accepted as one of Sims' inner circle. Sims also gave John his first big break. He allowed him to perform magic as the warm-up act at his club, the Sugar Shack. John did that for three years. Then one night the lead singer of the band walked out, and John convinced Sims to let him front the band. He agreed and the rest is history. Success came quickly for John Dellarocca; records, movies, his own radio show. He went on a tour of Europe and came back an international superstar. His trademark was his unique blend of music and magic. He appeared with Basie, Dorsey, Ellington, and Miller. He toured the USO circuit with Bob Hope and the Andrew Sisters during WWII. John has formed strong bonds with many of the entertainment industries biggest stars and counts among his friends Greta Garbo, Joe DiMaggio, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Cab Calloway, Joey Bishop, and Marlene Dietrich.
Throughout this period John Dellarocca waited for the time to strike against the mob. He was now a trusted insider. He knew where every deal was going down in every part of the city. He knew he could not do it as himself. He'd be recognized just once and the whole thing would go up in smoke. So he hid his face behind a mask and became the Blue Phantom. By day he was an entertainer and mob insider, by night he was the Blue Phantom. He used his magic skills to make his foes believe he could walk through walls, melt into shadows, and read their minds. He fought along side other heroes like Johnny Rocket and Atomic Girl. Through out the years he fought against his own employer, and his organization. But it would be a rival of Sims who would become the Blue Phantom's archrival: Dr. Diablo. Diablo was a super powered criminal genius that had taken over the criminal organizations of the East Coast and had his sights set for Chicago.
One night, just as the band was finishing up their last set at the club, Diablo and his men burst into the club set on taking over. Dellarocca got out of the line of fire and became the Blue Phantom. The Phantom and Diablo fought it out, but the Phantom was overwhelmed, and was seriously injured. He barely escaped alive. Sims wasn't so lucky. He was the intended target, and Diablo took him out. Then he declared himself the new Kingpin, and that he was taking over.
Injured, badly beaten, Dellarocca laid low for several months. There were rumors that he had been killed also. But he resurfaced with a story of being amnesic. He opened his own club, the Flip-side and continued to build his celebrity. But his career as the Blue Phantom was over. His injuries were too great to continue his personal fight against crime. So, instead he began secretly funding other heroes to face Diablo and others like him. All the while, he continued to gain popularity as an entertainer and club owner. He continues to maintain a friendly status with Diablo, while his agents wage a war against the crime lord.
Dellarocca isn't sure why but he believes that Diablo may suspect the truth about his double life. This may come back to haunt him. What will happen if Diablo forces his hand?
This "history" is constantly in the background and under the surface when I perform. The audience only gets to see a glimpse of this however. But it is this attention to detail that can really bring a character to life.
I have written a story to go along with my stage review. It's called "Return of the Blue Phantom". We have yet to present it though. My cast are talented dancers and singers but they are not actors. So, for now this backstory remains largely unknown to the audience, until I can make it work on stage. But, the point is that it is there and it serves as a strong foundation for who I am while in character.
Here is a development worksheet that I use. Fill in these fields and you will be on your way...
Character Development Worksheet
Character Name:
Age:
Date Of Birth:
Hair:
Eyes:
Weight:
Height:
Occupation:
Marital Status:
Known Relatives:
Hobbies/Interests:
Dislikes:
Fears:
History:
In my next post I'll examine how to create your character's physical attributes. There's more to it than you might think...
By: Jim Maloney
Here's a question for all you folks out there: Where do your powers
come from?
Obviously, in reality, it's all just a trick. But is that what you let your audience see? If not, what is the source of your power, from an audience perspective?
For someone like Jamy Ian Swiss, "The Honest Liar," it's all sleight of hand and trickery. But, if you asked Eugene Burger, he might say that the source of his power is ancient rituals and occult practices. I think that Big Daddy Cool mentioned once that his character presents it as trickery, but when he dons his superhero costume and becomes The Phantom, he attributes his power to more mystical sources. David Blaine would obviously credit something not exactly natural - perhaps even supernatural.
I think this is an important question as it will help define your character and how you present your magic. Did you study with some guru in India? Have you always had an innate talent for bending reality? Were you bitten by a radioactive spider? Or was there some accident in a research laboratory? Perhaps the source is some kind of charm or piece of jewelery. Or maybe your parents were witches. Then again, maybe it's just trickery and sleight of hand.
What is your source of power?
By: Dan Watkins
Countless hours of study and practice of the art of legerdemain.
I purposely do not lead people to believe I have any mystical powers.
I do tell them I will deceive them, and it will look like there is no possible explanation, but assure them it is skilled slight of hand, or some unrevealed method.
Its the truth, and I'm not comfortable leading people otherwise. I have performed for churches and youth groups as well, this is the best stance to take in that arena as well, I assure you I'm not going to tell them some Occultist trained me!
By: Wesley James
Jim,
The question you pose is so fundamental to the character(s) one creates as a performer it could be assumed that every performer would have a clear cut answer. I'd be willing to bet, however, that an honest survey would reveal only a small percentage of magical performers actually do. Putting the question before the group might just get a few more performers to ask the question of themselves, and that's the first step toward an answer. So, congratulations and thank you for the posting.
To play fair, it is really irrelevant what the source of my powers happen to be, each performer has to find an answer that works for him/her but my powers derive from possessing "arcane knowledge through study of phenomenology." That's why I am and have long been "The Professor of Enchantments."
By: Marti
The Devil!
JK I sometimes tell people I am a mutant from the X-MEN! I have the magicial power to steal watches, and do..."backflips with cards from the mouth"lol
By: David Chakkers
David was taught the techniques he uses from Grandaddy Chakkers, whose
misadventures form the plots of David's stories.
Not the only man to beat the Devil in a card game, but probably the
only man to beat him at 'snap'.
By proxy, he learnt Voodoo techniques from Dr Poopadoo - a
Rasterfariean Obeah man/BMX repair specialist, and metal bending from
an inmate in an Israeli prison.
Grandaddy Chakkers mixed with such a number of dubious characters that
it's difficult to say where he learnt any particular technique. As
with ourselves, influences run far and wide.
By: Barry
Wheaties!
And that's superpowers bub!
By: "Big Daddy Cool"
Great question Jim. Unfortunately I think some of the respondants
completely missed the point.
I am going to stray for a moment Jim, but I'll come back to your main point. I had the pleasure of spending my evening last night with the local Magic Club. It was restaurant magic night and since I'm still a visitor I just got to watch the four performers that were moving from table to table. One was excellent, one was good, and two were poor. The one who was excellent was excellent not because of his magic, but because of him. He really only played himself, but his personality is so engaging that you can't help but be drawn in. The source of his magic seemed to be his own boundless energy. The gentlemen who was good became excellent at one point, when he showed us a variation of a routine he uses in his role as a Pastor - more on that in a moment. The two poor magicians, well, to be honest their magic was marginal at best, but I just couldn't figure out for the life of me why they were doing magic to begin with. There was no clear motivation. First, they were really confused about who they were. One was a senior man and the other was a adolescent boy. Neither had a defined character that caused me to immediately connect me with them. The boy looked the part of a nerdy science student, but presented a monte routine? As it turned out his thick rimmed glasses were only there to be used for a gag. Not connected to him or his character at all, just a gag. That is not strong enough! Now, the Pastor was good as himself; a gentle, incredibly wise and creative man. But he really had no purpose. Until he did a particular routine a second time, but used the presentation he uses when speaking about a marriage relationship. All of a sudden he had a purpose. To instruct. No matter how corny that sounds, it gave him purpose, and made the magic engaging.
Now back to the source of the magic. I presented the above examples as an illustration for the need for a well defined character. If you define your character you will discover the source of your magic. The audience may never need to know what it is, but it will make a difference. And it doesn't have to be some mystical source. It can be an experiment gone awry, or the sum of your past experiences. That's really where BDC's comes from. He has no real magical powers, and doesn't claim to. His audience knows it's just a trick, and he knows that they know. His purpose is to entertain his audience. But, the how is a result of his life's experience, and that is the real source for his magic. That is the connection for the audience.
This is such an intagible concept. I wish that more people would get it. Jim has. Ryan Pilling has. I think Joe Turner has. It's clear that David Chakkers has. Jim, if this lecture I am offering on this subject gets off the ground, I may have to invite you along. We seem to be sooo on the same page.
By: Wesley James
Big Daddy,
Without disagreeing with anything you've written, mostly as a matter of curiosity, there has been a movement in magic, sometimes referred to as Bizarre Magic, wherein some performer seems to in live their character beyond the periods when performing. Do you think this a valid and useful means of helping those performers develop their characters for the periods when they are performing?
Since I don't know you, I'm not suggesting you do this but you have chosen to maintain your performance character to some degree in your postings. That suggests you may assume your character in venues beyond the footlights. I thought, therefore, you might be able to offer some insight into a choice I have found difficult to understand. If you'd prefer to answer privately, I can understand, though I suspect others may share my query. You response will be appreciated.
By: Tom Cutts
Wesley,
Let me know if I may step into this conversation.
I should let you know that my "character" is less someone not me and more someone who wishes his audience to feel they have seen real magic as much, or for as long, as possible.
That would be the "staying in character" to which I would discuss. As opposed to the "Hey, it's just a trick folks." type of performers.
May not be what you were looking to discuss...
By: Wesley James
Tom,
I'm open to discussing whatever anyone wants to discuss about the use of character, or at least the attitude of a characterization, to help create a magical world. This thread was really about a more singular question, where each performer elects to suggest his character derives his/her powers.
My question to Big Daddy Cool was a bit off topic but a genuine query about what he thinks and feels about the parameters of portraying a character, since he clearly has experience with a character that is drawn broadly enough to be distinct in the real world.
If your character, is less readily recognizable, you may not be able to comment based upon experience to the question I've posed. That said, feel free to contribute whatever you feel you'd like.
By: "Big Daddy Cool"
Wesley,
Good question. I don't stay in character all the time. I do assume the character at times outside a performance though, mostly for promotional reasons. To promote a show I once went out to the mall as the character flanked by two lovely ladies wearing sandwich boards promoting the show. I stayed in character all day that day. But normally, I am only in character on stage or in rehearsal. I roomed w/ Red Devil at a con once and I think he was surprised by the difference between me in real life and "Big Daddy" on stage.
I've been asked about whether there is a benefit to being in character off-stage, and certainly there are, but I don't know that I would want to be in character all the time. That suit is heavy & it gets hot! I sometimes post in character but not always. More recently I've been more just me because the discussions I've gotten into have been ones that I need to be more serious to maintain credibilty. Does that make sense?
I do think that performers who are "on" even off-stage may risk burn-out. And thee are definitely times when it is not appropriate. But that's just me.
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