* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * New Zealand's MagicNZ e-zine * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #102 Date: Sunday 23rd December 2001 Editor: Alan Watson www.magician.co.nz www.alan-watson.com e-mail AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. Science World from March 9 to 17th 2002 3. Guy Hollingworth's On-Line Group 4. Ron and Eileen Mogridge Presented Trophy 5. World Magic Seminar In Las Vegas 6. Lance Burton's Show On TV 7. Magic Clearing Sale 8. My Life In Delarno's Magic Centres 9. Contacts For Work In Japan? 10. Yes I Did Miss Page 53 .... 11. Elgregoe's School Holiday Shows 12. Marketing Your Magic Workshop 13. The Orchante Saga #56 14. Diarise these events 15. MagicNZ e-zine archives 16. Subscription Management ------------------------------------ 1. Editor's Message ------------------------------------- Message from Alan Watson - The Magic One This is the last issue for this year of the MagicNZ e-zine. The next issue will be Sunday 6th January 2002. ----------------------------------------------------- The Alan Watson Family Magic Show will be at Hunters Plaza from the 7th-13 January 11.00 am and 1.00 pm. Rainbows End Leisure Park from 14th-29th January 1.00pm and 3.00pm. main stage. ----------------------------------------------------- 5 DAYS TO GO before New Zealand stages the BIGGEST ever magic convention and line up of international stars this country has seen. Check out Rachel Wild & Tom Jones new website: www.wild-magic.net to find out more about two of our head liner acts. ----------------------------------------------------- Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com ---------------------------------- 2. Science World from March 9 to 17th 2002 ---------------------------------- Message from Peter Marucci (Canada) The Society of American Magicians' Assembly # 95 in Vancouver, B.C., is performing at Science World from March 9 to 17th 2002. Two members are performing each day. Assembly president Lon Mandrake says the assembly includes Shawn Farquhar, Julianna Chen, Rod Chow, Gary Savard, Donovan Atreides, Ron Mandrake, Ambrose, Ray Roch, Ray Parker and several other award-winning magicians. Lon Mandrake is also Regional Vice President for Canada (S.A.M.) ---------------------------------- 3. Guy Hollingworth's On-Line Group ---------------------------------- Message from Justin Elias I am sending you this e-mail because I believe that, like me, you may be a fan of Guy Hollingworth, the English magician. Of course information about Mr Hollingworth can be found at www.guyhollingworth.com but there is no place to discuss things, e-mails go straight to his management company. Well there is an on-line group where you can discuss Guy Hollingworth and his magic. We set up in August 2000 and now have over 100 members. Guy's books, videos and other products can be discussed and both his television and live public appearances are also often listed. You can even leave your own reviews and comments on his magic. To join us just follow these simple steps:- Sign up for a FREE account at http://groups.yahoo.com/ then subscribe to the Guy Hollingworth group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GuyHollingworth That's it! I hope that you will join me in the discussion about the extraordinary English gentleman of magic. ------------------------------------- 4. Ron and Eileen Mogridge Presented Trophy ------------------------------------- Message from Peter Rawstrone (NZ) At the December meeting of the junior section of the Hawkes Bay magicians Society, a presentation ceremony was held to present Ron and Eileen Mogridge with a trophy of thanks for all the work and effort they have put in, to encourage and develop the junior members. Over the past ten years they have made their home available for the monthly meetings and up to recently Ron has provided coaching, encouragement and magic material for these young up and coming magicians. Rons interest in the junior section of magic clubs began before his days in Auckland, many of his students are now fully fledged magicians and they can look back to the days when they were helped along by "Moggo" Ron still has an active interest in the art of magic but for health reasons he has put the development of our future finger flingers in the hands of Deryck Olsen and Peter Rawstrone. Ron and Eileen have been stalwarts, and have been greatly appreciated and respected among NZ magicians for over 50 years. They do deserve this trophy and a big than you as recognition for the work they have done for the fraternity. There is always a welcome at their home and they enjoy the company of their fellow magicians. Both Ron and Eileen are looking forward to attending the Auckland convention and renewing their bonds with their many magical friends ---------------------------------- 5. World Magic Seminar In Las Vegas ---------------------------------- Message from Don Drake (US) I would like to call your attention to the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas, which starts on January 13, 2002 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Not only is this convention filled with magic greats, such as Whit Hayden, but you can get a complete list and even register by going to WorldMagicSeminar.com Rich Bloch and Joe Stevens have done it again, and this will be their 25th anniversary. I will be lecturing on black art, at 10 PM on opening night, for the Darwin Magic Club. This lecture costs an extra $5 (very inexpensive for a great 2 hour lecture) which goes to benefit the club. The name of my new lecture is Fantasy In Black 2002, and has a tiny spook show right in the middle of it. ---------------------------------- 6. Lance Burton's Show On TV ---------------------------------- Message from Bill Reid (NZ) bmreid@magicians.co.nz Was wondering if anyone out there videoed Lance Burton's show on TV the other night and if it is possible to get a copy. ---------------------------------- 7. Magic Clearing Sale ---------------------------------- Message from Wayne McEwan (NZ) magicguy@xtra.co.nz Wayne McEwan is having a magic clearing sale. All items are brand new, many of which were for my show but I need the space. So I have a list out all items have up to 50% off their retail prices. There are even a few Supeme Magic items, so send for a list because these won't last at these bargain prices. ---------------------------------- 8. My Life In Delarno's Magic Centres ---------------------------------- Message from Burns Scandrett (NZ) I have been asked many times over the recent years, about the history of DeLarno's Magic Centre, especially how I first started. After leaving high school, I worked for two years at Canterbury University as a technician in the Chemistry Department, with the idea of making chemistry my profession. I was also performing magic on a semi professional basis. My father owned a Gun & Sporting shop at 16 Chancery Lane, a small lane running off Cathedral Square in the heart of Christchurch, and told me that a shop was becoming vacant at number 3, and it would be an ideal situation for a magic shop. At that time, operating a magic shop was not in my plans. After some thought, I decided that there was merit in the idea, even though there was a 'part-time' magic shop operating (Friday nights and Saturday mornings) on the outskirts of the City, I grew to like the idea, so leased the small shop for five years. DeLarno's opened late February 1954. In the week that I was setting up the shop, people kept knocking on the window to ask if I would open and sell them a mask or some other tricks, as a magic shop was a real novelty to Christchurch. I found that I had to educate customers as they would enter and say that they wanted to buy magic. I demonstrated the Egg Bag, Six Card Repeat and others. They said, "No, not that sort of magic" "What sort?" "Magic ink that you squirted people, or Magic cigarette loads that blew the cigarette to pieces, etc." Then I began to ask customers to give me an example, so solved that problem. I had to get most of the better quality magic manufactured, e.g. Water Lotas, Dove Pans, Ghost Tubes, Genii Tubes and production boxes. Many are still in existence and performing well. When the famous Indian magician, P.C.Sorcar played a week in the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, in November, 1957, he did a "Publicity Walk" from the Theatre to my shop with his party of twelve assistants, all magnificently dressed in colourful costumes of Royalty. This was fantastic publicity for both Sorcar and my shop. He gave me a large autographed photo and wrote on it, "I was certainly very much impressed with the quality of the magic props in the Magic Centre - they are all tested, dependable and nicely finished. I like every bit of this." Some five years later, I was his invited houseguest in Calcutta, India where he was a perfect host. My small shop at number 3 did not have sufficient showroom space, so when a much larger shop at number 16 became available three years later, I purchased the lease and continued in Chancery Lane for a total of forty two years. Over the years, I purchased and took over stock holdings of many magic shops, either which had closed, or in the process of closing. The first, shortly after I opened my shop, was a mail order magic business in Wellington, operated by JOHN BRENNAN. After that came "PROFESSOR WOOFLEDUST MAGIC" (Wilf. Truman, Hamilton); HUGH RAY (Auckland); previously manager of Stewart's Studio of Magic in Wellington ANDRADE - ALLAN'S Shop, 276 Collins St, Melbourne; J.ABERT BRIGGS, Mascot, Sydney; GREEN FROG MAGIC (Jim Flemming), 27 Enmore Rd. Newtown, Sydney. MAX HOWARD ENTERPRISES (Max Andrews, who operated Vampire Magic Studios, 10 / 11 Archer St. London W.1. before immigrating to New Zealand); NZEDDA MAGIC STUDIO (Richard Walls, Dunedin, which also included Stewart's Studio of Magic, (Wellington), Don's Magic Shop, (Christchurch) and Lindbergh Studio, (Hamilton). The final stock acquisition was, perhaps, the most significant. It was from WEIRDO'S MAGIC SHOP, Piccadilly Arcade, Sydney. As a youth I purchased magic by mail from Weirdo's, owned and operated by Scotsman, Steve McKechnie. Like most youngsters, I waited eagerly each day for the postman hoping he would bring a parcel of goodies for me. I was never disappointed. I was not to know that many years later we would become very firm friends and fellow merchants. When he passed away, his son Bruce headed the operation, disposed of the Piccadilly Arcade shop and extended operations to gift and tourist shops throughout the Southern Pacific area. The magic sat in Weirdo's massive warehouse for some years before I bought it and shipped it back to New Zealand. My lifelong friend and colleague, Alfred Hayes, opened DeLarno's International Centre in the shopping heart of downtown Sydney, late April 1966. Opening and continuing stock was strongly supported from Christchurch. A second Sydney magic 'studio' was opened in Chinatown on the first day of 1970. DeLARNO'S DEN was exclusively designed for magicians only, being equipped with the latest video recording facility for teaching purposes. Many overseas magicians lectured there and a "junior club" was also hosted at the 'Den' for several years. It operated as a 'private magic place' for a little over a decade. The City Centre closed mid-1988, due pending demolition and a new style studio theatrette, again exclusive to magicians, opened and continued for almost ten years, ending DeLarno's name in the Australian magic scene. With the assistance of my good friend, Ted Regan, DeLarno's opened in Auckland on Karanghape Road, early December 1977. It was managed by local personality Roger Jackman. However, due to being located in a reasonably high rent area, lack of parking spaces, heavy freight costs, and the desertion of city shoppers to suburban Malls, we disappeared some two years later. Time brings changes, and as the last century began to slip away, so many life-style changes came about - not to mention the thought of part-time retirement after countless enjoyable, but demanding years. With the expiry of the lease for 16 Chancery Lane on 17 February, 1996, after 42 years trading, the door at the portal, where so many had passed through into DeLarno's Magic Centre, was sealed - and the spell of those two magic words, "Open Sesame" - forever gone. Perhaps more correctly, gone, but not forgotten. The closure, being something out of the ordinary, was very well covered by national and local television stations, newspapers and radio news. Burns Scandrett (a.k.a. DeLarno) ------------------------------------------------------- 9. Contacts For Work In Japan? ------------------------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany promhany@hotmail.com Does anybody have contacts for work in Japan? Please email me privately. ---------------------------------- 10. Yes I Did Miss Page 53 .... ---------------------------------- Message from Jon Zealando (NZ) Yes I did miss page 53 ....The day I received you description of Taihape town hall...a T.V. program about showing the woes of the N.Z ballet company touring the smalls, showed the improved Taihape town hall...which has improved I worked there two years ago with Bill Killen (the late) in Snow white and the seven dwarfs.....The Waiouru one was now so bad by comparison I wrote a bluey to the camp commandant. Eventually sending it and received a typical indignant reply and that they would rather not allow such shows to come there. Rather than get there the place restored by there own skills. All I had suggested....I was bloody ashamed of it in front of the Australian cast and the new talent actors involved on there first tour. Playing Taihape possibly before you.. I always remember being there with Bill & Boyd show, playing to a half house ...there was a drawing on the dressing room wall signed The Great Benyon ..it was of a grave with the title "Taihape the Showman's Grave Yard" which I thought was quite apt, considering the conditions you so well describe.....Keep it up Tom enjoying all the memories..Happy Christmas in the Snow.....Love from all your old fans down under Jon Z z z z z z & Brian... Looking forward to P53. ---------------------------------- 11. Elgregoe's School Holiday Shows ---------------------------------- Message from Greg Britt (NZ) The Mad Scientist Show! Merivale Mall, 14th to 20th January 2002 Shows daily at 11.30 & 1pm. Crazy Experiments, Optical illusions Come to Elgregoes Laboratory where it's Fun to be fooled. Crazy Capers! Hornby Mall, 21st to 27th January 2002 Shows daily 11.30 & 1pm. Pull the Craziest Face Competition. Puppets, Magic and Fun . ---------------------------------- 12. Marketing Your Magic Workshop ---------------------------------- Message from Greg Britt (NZ) Magic That Works !!! Marketing Your Magic Workshop with Elgregoe (Greg Britt) Where: 26th New Zealand Magicians Convention, Waipuna Hotel. Date: Monday 31st December 2002 Time: 10.15am I have prepared a very informative workshop on Getting More Shows and Making more money with your magic, I will cover 8 areas that will take your magic and make it work for you. I only wish someone had told me many of the things I am going to share with you when I started getting serious about making money with my magic. I have learnt allot thru trial and error and now will share for the 1st time some real methods that are easy to apply to get those bookings. Look forward to catching up with many of you at the convention, Elgregoe Cliford Warnes Latest CD, Clifford Warne Shows How To Hold That Audience . 5OO Teachers, Preachers and Students share in a lively communication experience. $30 N Z each, I will have a few of these available at the convention or Email me at elgregoe@inet.net.nz to reserve a copy. ---------------------------------- 13. The Orchante Saga #56 ---------------------------------- Message from Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)(UK ex-pat Kiwi) More Hypnotic high-jinks! After the show at the Waiouru military camp, they put on a small party /drinks/sandwiches for us, to which half the camp turned up, or so it seemed, as well. Anyhow we were sitting at one end of a very long table; at some time during proceedings I started performing close-up magic (surprise, surprise). I had gradually made my way down to the other end of the table when, a woman sitting close to Veronica, start sneezing uncontrollably. Veronica had, by this time, downed one or two or three or. drinks and full of bravado, decided to play - hypnotist! She stared at the poor woman and said to her, "As you look into my (bloodshot) eyes, you will stop sneezing". SHE DID! Some bloke near by began laughing so Veronica, her bravado now increased tenfold, turned to him and said, "If you don't stop laughing I'll give you the sneezes"! Next second, HE STARTED SNEEZING! Five minutes later, she made him stop. Strange how some people imagine that somehow, the hypnotist's 'POWER' can 'rub off'' on to somebody who is close to them. Just shows how suggestible and powerful your imagination can be, especially in conjunction with hypnotic suggestion! Another Unintentionally funny incident involved a young lady. I was standing behind her during a well known hypnotic test, where you lightly touch the back of your subjects neck with the back of your hand, telling your subject that, "my hand is a magnet. It is pulling you back... You can feel it... You're coming back," etc. etc. Nine times out of 10 they will fall back into your arms. On this particular occasion, the young lady fell back all right, then immediately fell into a hypnotic trance! It happens sometimes, with highly suggestible people. As I took her weight I became aware that the audience was screaming with laughter as she slowly slipped through my arms as I lowered her to the floor. Unbeknown to me, as she slid down, her top had ridden up against my arms with the - depending on how you look at it - unfortunate result of her 'not inconsiderable boobs', popping out! I didn't 'feel' a thing. 'SHE WASN'T WEARING A BRA'!!! Would you call that -'TITILLATING?' Touring the hypnotism show with promoter - DAVID McKEE (see page 44), around the north of the North Island of New Zealand; we were in KAWAKAWA, working on the floor-No Stage! There is a segment in the show where I've got told the 'subjects' that they are aboard a train, which is about to go through a tunnel, and they are sitting next to the most beautiful girl/good looking 'hunk' that they have ever laid - their eyes on. As the train enters a tunnel, they take advantage of the fact that the carriage lights have failed to come on, and go for quick 'kiss and cuddle' before the train 'bursts into daylight' as they exit of the tunnel. The antics, as you might imagine, are hilarious. Over the other side of the room, I could hear David McKee roaring with laughter and Veronica was saying, "What the hell IS he doing"? On going over to inspect what was happening I beheld the sight of a very young boy lying on the floor, with the first two fingers of one hand fully extended - in the traditional 'UP YOURS' manner, giving an imaginary young lady a good - 'SEEING TO' if you know what I mean! David said to Veronica, "Don't you know what he's doing"? The penny dropped! She went bright red and David roared even louder! I totally spoiled the young lad's fun - I stopped him! Poor little sod, it must've felt like-Coitus Interruptus! At this juncture I would like to take this opportunity to say, "thank-you Alan (Watson) my old friend, for your magic e-zine which has allowed me to tell my story, that so far, amounts to 52,306 words, and there is still an awful long way to go. Cheers mate". Tom. Thank you also to my dear friends Sally Metzger (nee Phillips), Jon Zealando (Trev Hodson), and Delarno (Burns Scandrett) for supplying facts that I wasn't sure or didn't know about. Your contributions are invaluable. Finally, to all my 'magical' friends and readers of Alan Watson's magic e-zine, Veronica and I wish you all a very - happy Christmas - ------------------------------------- 14. Diarise these events ------------------------------------- The 26th NZ Magician's Convention Auckland Friday 28th to Monday 31st December 2001. For The registration form, Convention programme & The Official Competition Form go to: www.magician.co.nz/convention2.html ------------------------------------- 15. MagicNZ e-zine archives ------------------------------------- Back issues of the MagicNZ e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html Both the User Name and Password MUST be entered in lower case to gain access. User Name: ezine Password: newzealand When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order and are coded. Eg 001nov0699.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (nov06) and the last next two numbers the year (99) If you want to print copies of MagicNZ e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/ezine-archive ------------------------------------- 16. Subscription Management ------------------------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. To subscribe or unsubscribe from the MagicNZ e-zine: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html MagicNZ e-zine is published weekly, on Sunday. The opinions expressed in this e-zine are those of the individual contributors. Neither MagicNZ or Alan Watson can vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via MagicNZ e-zine. We reserve the right to correct any errors or omissions as we see fit. >> This publication may be freely redistributed to other magicians if copied in its ENTIRETY << © Copyright 2001 Alan Watson