* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #330 Date: Sunday 8th May 2005 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com www.Alan-Watson.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================   1. Editor's Message   2. Update Date On Roy Horn (Siegfried & Roy)   3. Bangkok Orphanages??   4. May @ Illusiongenius.Com   5. Is Cyberspace Ready For Magic Magazines?   6. Canadian Association Of Magicians, Camaraderie Convention   7. 40th Annual FMA Convention   8. Attention Illusionists!   9. Lance Burton's Top Five Choices For `Greatest American'   10. Recommendations For Anyone Travelling To Las Vegas   11. The Gray Bartlett Celebrity Roast   12. The Complete Rich Cabinet by Edwin A. Dawes   13. Spotlight" The Variety Show To Celebrate One Year Anniversary   14. Taylor's Magic Shop 9th Annual Weekend Of Magic   15. "The Magic Of Robert Harbin" Book For Sale   16. Miser's Wonderland Dream - By: Jamie-G   17. e-zine Archives   18. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice ------------------ 1. Editors Message ------------------- Message from Alan Watson - The Magic One Correction! Tom Craven tour of Florida will be in Sept of 2005!! ----------------------- Les Robinson (The Great Gordini) a former member of the Brotherhood of Auckland magicians (NZ) has just passed away. ----------------- Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com ----------------- 2. Update Date On Roy Horn (Siegfried & Roy) ----------------- Message from Steve Dacri (US) I wanted to share a remarkable experience that I was a part of today. Something that I will never forget. I was performing today at an event at the new Wynn Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. It was the annual Nevada Woman Magazine affair. The honoree was Lynette Chapelle, who you may recall is the first lady of Siegfried and Roy. She has been with them for nearly 27 years, and has been cut in half, levitated and transformed into a tiger more than anyone on this earth. After the lunch, Siegfried took the stage and introduced Lynette. Lynette gave a marvelous talk about her life, from her birth in Africa to her audition for Siegfried & Roy's show, and her long and exciting career on the stages around the world with them. And her special connection with all of the animals. At the conclusion of her talk, she introduced the dynamic duo.the curtains opened, and standing center stage was Siegfried and Roy. It was a wonderful sight. Then, Roy pushed off of Siegfried and - only with the aid of a cane - he actually walked up to the mike, spoke about Lynette, and gave an unplanned, emotional chat, thanking all for their support and prayers, and walked, on his own, off the stage.he struggled a bit, but he did it completely on his own.there wasn't a dry eye in the house, and Siegfried, standing next to him, was completely overtaken with emotion and surprise. He could not speak. Siegfried came back onstage a few moments later, and told the audience that this was the first time since the accident that Roy has walked. He cried, and the audience stood and applauded. It was an awesome moment, in a town where people are not easily impressed or moved. I was honored to be a part of this very magical and historical event. It was a special moment that took us all completely by surprise. ----------------- 3. Bangkok Orphanages?? ----------------- Message from Burns Scandrett - Delarno (NZ) I am a professional magician and will be in Bangkok for the third week in August. In the past, whenever I had professional engagements out of the city, I contacted orphanages and children's wards of hospitals to provide free entertainment which I enjoyed as much as the children. I have performed at many orphanages throughout NZ (now a thing of the past due to Foster Parenting) in Sydney, Australia and also many in Tokyo, Japan. I have had little success, via the Internet, of addresses of Bangkok orphanages. In a recent Magic New Zealand, there has appeared twice, articles about British members entertaining in Thailand, but no contact numbers or email addresses. Nearly one month ago, I emailed a magic colleague who lives in Bristol, asking him to forward my address to Linda Cruse, the organizer, who also lives in Bristol. Nothing! Not even an acknowledgement. A friend here suggested that they are keeping it a "closed shop" and not prepared to share. Hey, I'm not trying to steal their thunder, or asking for state secrets or size and colour of their underwear. All I want are addresses so I can entertain the children at my own expense. There was also a mention of Aussie magicians heading over on 1 June, excellent idea which I highly commend. There was an email address for Stephen Leigh. I sent an email but it was blocked and returned. I tried another ISP, also returned. Stephen obviously never received it. Stephen and Linda, if you are reading this, and prepared to help me with contact addresses in Bangkok, I would be most grateful (as will be the Thai children). If you want credit, I shall certainly give it, before and after the performance and also in Magic New Zealand. Thanks for your attention. delarno@xtra.co.nz ----------------- 4. May @ Illusiongenius.Com ----------------- Message from Ben Robinson (US) Ben Robinson may be one of the busiest magicians in the United States. April 18-21 he flew to Las Vegas, via Orlando, and did a show for his client LA Digital Post at the largest convention for broadcasting in the world, -- the NAB. Pix now at: www.illusiongenius.com/New-News.html May holds a gala for the East Village festival HOWL at Capitale May 23. The day before he'll appear for 20,000 people at the Westchester Convention Ctr. in White Plains doing his ring acts and then signing autographs in the Celebrity Booth! Come see REXPO. And the day before that he'll partake in an invitation only music and technology conference sponsored by Yahoo, moderated by Jon Dix of HPX. While in Las Vegas he saw his friend Paul Daniels cover for his other friend Mac King at Mac's multi-year stand at Harrah's. When Paul walked out on stage, the very first words he spoke on the Vegas stage were, "Hi Ben." The shows were all sold out and then the enigmatic and peripatetic Mr. Daniels returned to his home in England to prepare for a summer of theatre engagements. Ben photographed Daniels, his wife and stage partner Debbie McGee, Coral & Peter Reveen (known at "The Impossibilist") and also as the Monte Carlo Hotel's Master Magician Lance Burton's manager. A brief vacation on Fire Island May 15-17 will no doubt be followed by many shows between New York and the resort. We've also been helping prepare the Christopher awards about to roll in Boston this July at the national convention of the Society of American Magicians. So.check in, see us in Westchester, watch your TV listings as we hear the History Channel profile of Ben is still running in some markets. ----------------- 5. Is Cyberspace Ready For Magic Magazines? ----------------- Message from George Schindler - S.A.M Public Relations The S.A.M is experimenting with an article on line. WHAT'S SO FUNNY? Go to the following URL on your computer: http://www.magicsam.com/publicdownloads/whatssofunny.pdf This is an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) document, and is approximately 500k file size. If you are on a modem, allow between 1 and 2 minutes for the download to complete-- then enjoy! Links to this article may also be found on the S.A.M. Home Page at http://www.magicsam.com/ ----------------- 6. Canadian Association Of Magicians, Camaraderie Convention ----------------- Message from Alexander W. Hobson (Sandy) Director, Canadian Association of Magicians http://www.canadianassociationofmagicians.com Preparations are all but finished for the fantastic Canadian Association of Magicians, CAMaraderie convention. The convention is in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada which is about an hours drive from Buffalo, close to Toronto, accessible from Detroit and very centralized in Southern Ontario. The line-up is remarkable. Some of the greatest close-up and stage performers out there including, Aldo Colombini, Shoot Ogawa, Jason Latimer, Rocco, Jay Sankey, funny man Nels Cremean, Illusionists Murray Hatfield & Teresa, Jorgos Katsaros, Gerry & Leonora Frenette, card man Martin A. Nash, 4F's Obie O'brien, manipulator Romaine, and Master of Ceremonies and funny men Glenn Ottaway and Owen Anderson. Our stage and close-up competitions are full!!! Our Gala Show, 8 lectures, Awards Banquet, hospitality suite (open to all in the evening), value of the Canadian dollar, close proximity to airports and easy driving distance, make this a great bargain for everyone. Please see our website for more information at http://www.canadianassociationofmagicians.com but hurry because the hotel is almost fully booked and we wouldn't want you to miss a second of the fun! ----------------- 7. 40th Annual FMA Convention ----------------- Message from Rick Del Vecchio May 27-30, 2005 The 40th Annual FMA Convention is just around the corner. Despite the Hurricanes that forced us to change venues, the Show will go. The Show: FISM and IBM Champ Jason Latimer received a standing ovation at the IBM Convention last year in Cleveland. IBM Gold Cup winner, Chase Curtis will repeat his award winning act. Star of NBC TV's "World's Greatest Magic", David Williamson, (Rocky Racoon ring a bell?) will also be on hand. The hilarious Charlie Frye & Company will have you in stitches. Charlie will perform both his award winning Juggling act and his hilarious Comedy Magic act. IBM Champ & IBM Originality award winner Tony Chapek will debut his 42" Plasma TV act right here at FMA! Denny Haney, (formerly of Denny & Lee fame) will return to South Florida with his friend Puck. Puck is an IBM Finalist and an exciting performer. Lecturer & Collector, Terry Harris, Georgia magician, Ken Scott and from Las Vegas, the Legendary Victor & Diamond will all be performing and lecturing. We have an International Dealer's room which will showcase the latest magical effects from around the globe. ----------------- 8. Attention Illusionists! ----------------- Message from Don Drake (US) I would like to invite any illusionist who is tired of having to pack and unpack big illusions, and tired of spending thousands of dollars for just one big illusion, to try my new MWT (routine copyrighted and design patent applied for) B/A stage. This is NOT a black art act, but the blackdrop is black. It is an entirely NEW way to use the method! Don't ask "What will this stage do?" Rather you should ask me, "What won't this stage do?" It will be easier to answer. Let me outline some benefits of using the MWT system. First of all it eliminates the need for the use of Bases, B/A Tunnels, Picket Fences, and just about any other hiding place, on stage! In some circumstances, it also eliminates the need for the cross-over. I can remember a lot of times when I was on a stage that didn't have a cross-over, and I had to walk around the building to get to the other side -:) Also the use of MWT allows your assistants to walk upright to where you need them. If you love your assistants (and most magi do) then using MWT will make them grateful to you forever! Here are some of the benefits of my new system: Easy to set up and tear down, will fit in the trunk of an average car (everything including custom built backdrop frames, curtains, floor, and you-name-it. In addition it saves time when you need to get the job done in a hurry! Or if you need to strike for the next act, this will save you tons of time. Finally, the cost is very low, to what you'd expect to pay. I make three sizes of MWT stage, Small ($3,600) Medium ($4,2.00) and Large ($4,995). With my MWT Stage you can do just about any illusion you wish, without mirrors or other breakable objects or props. You can move an assistant from point A to point B, you can do transportations, levitations, and even the million dollar illusion in any form. If you are interested, please contact me privately, thanks for your time, Don Drake http://blackartsecrets.com ----------------- 9. Lance Burton's Top Five Choices For `Greatest American' ----------------- Message from Wayne Bernath (US) Lance Burton Interviewed For Discovery's `Greatest American' Public picked top 100 and now Celebes choose their top five; series premieres on June 5th Lance Burton will participate on a series of audience-participation television programs to air on Discovery Channel premiering at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, June 5th to help decide who is the "Greatest American." Hosted by Matt Lauer and produced by "Dateline" in conjunction with NBC News the show aims to determine who America thinks is the greatest American of all-time - living or dead. America Online users participated in picking the top 100 and to narrow it down there will be online voting and a toll-free phone line and text messaging so that anyone who wants can make their choices. Each Sunday during June the countdown will continue from a pre-determined list of the Top 100 Americans. Lance Burton has submitted his five picks that he will talk about in an interview format. Of course, you will have to tune in to find out who they are. The following are those 100 notables who were chosen by the public: Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Susan B. Anthony, Lance Armstrong, Neil Armstrong, Lucille Ball, Alexander Graham Bell, Barbara Bush, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Laura Bush, Andrew Carnegie, Johnny Carson, Jimmy Carter, George Washington Carver, Ray Charles, Cesar Chavez, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Bill Cosby, Tom Cruise, Ellen DeGeneres, Walt Disney, Frederick Douglass, Amelia Earhart, Thomas Alva Edison, John Edwards, Albert Einstein, Dwight Eisenhower, Clint Eastwood, Brett Favre, Henry Ford, Benjamin, Franklin, Bill Gates, Mel Gibson, Rudolf Giuliani, John Glenn, Billy Graham, Alexander Hamilton, Tom Hanks, Hugh Hefner, Katherine Hepburn, Bob Hope, Howard Hughes, Michael Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, Steve Jobs, Lyndon B. Johnson, Michael Jordan, Helen Keller, John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rush Limbaugh, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Lindberg, George Lucas, Madonna, Malcolm X, Dr. Phil McGraw, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Moore, Audie Murphy, Richard Nixon, Barack Obama, Jess Owens, Rosa Parks, George Patton, Colin Powell, Elvis Presley, Ronald Reagan, Christopher Reeve, Condoleezza Rice, Jackie Robinson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, Carl Sagan, Jonas Salk, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Sinatra, Joseph Smith, Steve Spielberg, Jimmy Stewart, Martha Stewart, Nikola, Tesla, Pat Tillman, Harry Truman, Donald Trump, Harriet Tubman, Mark Twain, Sam Walton, George Washington, John Wayne, Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods Orville & Wilbur Wright and Chuck Yeager. See "Lance Burton: Master Magician" at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino Tuesday thru Saturday. For reservations or information call (702) 730-7160 ----------------- 10. Recommendations For Anyone Travelling To Las Vegas ----------------- Message from Patrick Drake (Canada) Just wanted to drop a hello to members and give a few recommendations for anyone travelling to Las Vegas. I travelled there on Wednesday and had the pleasure to be hosted by Don Drake, master of black art. He brought me to their weekly magic meeting. It was a very casual, low key affair with some of the locals attending just to share their love of magic. I had the pleasure of meeting Gary Darwin as well..a finer gentle giant you will not meet. Alan Ackerman also was in attendance..which instantly proved to me what type of person he must be. To me, he would definitely be ranked up there with the true geniuses of sleight of hand with cards As a student of Ed Marlo, he has taken card magic to levels that I for one did not think were possible. With this, I commend him for taking the time out, late on a Wednesday night to hang out with the "rest of us"!!!..even though we were not in the "elite" of Vegas magicians..a class act. Thanks to Don Drake as well for picking me up after the Lance Burton show and taking me to the meeting. He was kind enough to give me his newest work on Black Art..I will be adding one of his inventions to my magic kit. He has developed a great close-up board with many possibilities for the application of black art. Judging from some of the ideas in his book, the board will fry magicians with some of the oldest principles in magic. Alan Ackerman has actually worn out his Don Drake board from constant use!!! During the meeting, I realized why I don't hang out with many Magicians. Without going into detail, I am going to give you all an assignment. net time you are hanging with the magic guys, try this: When someone does an effect, instead of whipping out your cards and trying to perform a little "one-upmanship", take a moment to acknowledge what has just happened! Ask your friend about where he learned the trick, how it works for laypeople, and let him know what you thought of it. Too many magicians are all about "me me me"..watch me, I don't wanna watch you"..think about the number of times this happens at a magic meeting..no wonder a lot of magicians are afraid to do magic for each other, I would much rather do a trick for a layperson and know that it will be appreciated than to do one for a magicians only to receive the usual "huh.." followed by his "much better way to do the trick". Folks, embrace your fellow magicians..give them the spotlight when they show you something, don't steal it for yourself, you will get the chance to show your stuff too! Going to Vegas? If you are looking for your magic/show fix and are limited by time/money, here are a few recommendations. 1. Mac King at Harrahs - a great lesson in routing and audience participation..my second time attending..I laughed hard. He did the newest Tent illusion that was advertised in Magic Magazine..a HUGE (costumed) bear appeared..I just about hit the ceiling!!! 2. Down Town Gordie Brown at The Golden Nugget. I had a stomach ache like never before from laughing..a GREAT comedy/impersonation show..basically he does impersonations of famous stars, but totally spoofs them..he did Mike Tyson and I had to stop watching because my stomach was so sore!! We were given the tickets for free so we didn't know quite what to expect, but it's one of the best live comedy shows I have ever seen..highly recommended. Lance Burton..a great classic show, but if you've seen the TV stuff, you've seen the whole show..no surprises here. Steve Wyric..I have it from a very reliable source in Vegas that this show is disappointing with nothing new or original..but I have no first hand experience with which to rate it. World's Greatest Magic Show..from the same source, highly recommended. I wanted to see it but didn't have time..ten magicians, most of whom have won some major award..lots of variety from close-up to doves and illusion, all packed into one show. With over 850 magicians in Vegas, I was very surprised to learn that hardly any of them are working steady!! I found none in my search for some restaurant close-up, and Mac King is basically the only cabaret style show in the city! So maybe this is your big chance..ha ha. Anyway, that's about it for my ratings for today..hope all is well with you all and I'll see you out there somewhere.. ----------------- 11. The Gray Bartlett Celebrity Roast ----------------- Message from Guy Cater (NZ) Better Be Quick Only 250 Tickets Available and loads have already been sold!! 'The Gray Bartlett Celebrity Roast The Variety Artist Club of New Zealand proudly presents this awesome evening of lies laughter and loads of fun as well known kiwi promoter and performer Gray Bartlett is well 'Roasted" (as in the old TV show The Dean Martin Roasts') by.. Larry Morris Brendan Dugan Jodi Vaughan Di Howarth Ian Magan Phil Kerr Martin Crump Michael Barrymore Winston Peters Guy Cater WITH SURPRISE GUESTS TOO. Call Ticketek Now .09 307 5000 to reserve those tickets before you miss out or book online at www.ticketek.co.nz. Tickets just $35 per personincludes the awesome entertainment & nibbles. A Cash Bar will be operating. VENUE: Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron 101 Curran St, Westhaven Extension Tuesday 17th May 2005 Doors 6:30 Show 7:30 Loads of free parking. DO IT NOW!! ----------------- 12. The Complete Rich Cabinet by Edwin A. Dawes ----------------- Message from Peter Scarlett (UK) It has arrived! The complete series of "A Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities" is available on CD for collection at The Magic Circle Centenary Celebrations for the modest price of £40.00 sterling. Thirty years work gathered together on one CD ROM, 322 Chapters, more than 1500 pages of Magical Curiosities, Facts, Figures & History. That's 12pence per chapter!! Hundreds of illustrations many now in full colour. Fully searchable Adobe Acrobat format. A wealth of information available at the touch of a key! To be ordered in advance at £40.00 (US$80) for delivery at The Magic Circle Centenary Celebrations or at £45.00 (US$90) for despatch world-wide on August 1st 2005. Payment must be made in advance as each disk will be personalised, numbered and signed. £10 (US$20) will be donated to The Magic Circle from every sale. Order now for delivery at the Centenary from: Peter Scarlett, 37 Berne Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, CR7 7BJ, UK or online at http://www.themagiccirclecentenary.co.uk/html/rich_cabinet_0.html - this order point is only for Centenary attendees - all other orders from the address below or post free to any address world wide after August 1st 2005 from www.peterscarlett.com/html/details_89.html Payment by cheque or money order drawn on a British Bank or by PayPal via the web sites. Order now to make sure of your copy. ----------------- 13. Spotlight" The Variety Show To Celebrate One Year Anniversary ----------------- Message from David Neubauer (US) "Spotlight" the Variety Show to Celebrate One Year Anniversary "Spotlight" the variety show will be celebrating its one year anniversary with a special performance Saturday, May 28th. The show has been playing at the Bourbon Street Hotel & Casino to rave reviews for the last year. Producer and performer, Will Roya rotated acts in and out for the first six months of its run before settling on a permanent cast. "I discovered that audiences really enjoyed the segments of the show where the acts interacted with each other, and to develop these bits wholeheartedly a permanent cast was necessary," said Roya. Although special guest acts regularly appear in the show, the cast now consists of singer Michael Cagle, break dancing performance artist "Just Us" (Lamont Wallace and James Bynum) and the magic, juggling and comedy of Will Roya. Having a good show can only be credited to half of Spotlight's success. Michael Cagle, as assistant producer, has developed strong relations with ticket brokers and has been fundamental in garnering publicity for the show. Technical director Jason Cates has maximized the shows' sound track and lighting design and is always adding subtle touches that give more depth to the performances. Operations manager Jessica Roya has kept up the accounts and the box office running smoothly. Unsung hero Chandra Masi who, in addition to helping out in the box office, is the glue that keeps the show running smoothly night after night. As stage assistant, she is the only person who has been in the show every night since it opened. The Bourbon Street management has also been very helpful in contributing to the show's success in many ways too numerous to mention. "Spotlight" will be celebrating this momentous occasion with a special performance for friends, family, guests and media on Saturday, May 28. A limited number of tickets for purchase will also be open to the public. The show will also be filmed that night as part of a TV pilot based on the characters and circumstances surrounding the show, a project that is in the works. In a town that goes through shows like toilet paper, "Spotlight" still continues to shine. "Spotlight" Show Details Description: This family friendly variety show is easily one of the best finds in Vegas and features the magic and juggling skills of comedian WILL ROYA, the smooth dancing moves of performance artists Just US, and the powerful and passionate vocals of singer MICHAEL CAGLE. Ticket Price: $24.95 + tax & fee (Total = $28.45). All full price tickets include a free drink in the showroom. Show is appropriate for all ages. Seating is first come, first serve and no smoking is permitted in the showroom. Where: Bourbon Street Hotel & Casino, 120 East Flamingo Road. (Across from Bally's within walking distance of the Strip.) When: 7pm, Dark Friday (7 days a week in June & July). Show is approximately 75 minutes in length. Reservations: Call 737-7200 option 2 or online at www.SpotlightShow.com. Promotions: Locals with Valid ID get in for half price. Active military get in for free. Media, Group Sales and Bookings Contact: Will Roya 702-307-4267 wroya@cox.net. ----------------- 14. Taylor's Magic Shop 9th Annual Weekend Of Magic ----------------- Message from Sean Taylor (Aust) Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September 2005 Zenith Theatre and Conference Centre, Chatswood Two packed days of Close-Up Magic, Stage Magic, Kid's Magic, Mentalism, Gospel Magic and Unique Magic Presentations One of the finest lineups of International magic talent ever in Australia including... 3 Lectures, 3 Intensive Workshops, 2 Multimedia Presentations Close-Up Show, 'International Stars Of Magic' Stage Show, Surprise Performers. Dealer's Demonstration Lee Asher Lee Asher is without doubt one of the world's most dynamic close up magicians. His magic is unique and visually stunning. Over the past few years, he has shared his style of magic with magicians all over the world including Copenhagen, Berlin, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Glasgow, London, Tel-Aviv, Hong Kong and Vienna. Remarkably, Lee was already lecturing at magic clubs across the USA when still a teenager. His style, maturity and unique grasp of magic quickly made him a favourite with the world's top magicians. He has toured with both Daryl and Michael Ammar. Lee went on to become the I B M Junior Close-up Champion in both 1991 and 1992 cementing his position as a top flight performer in the USA. In 1996, Lee was chosen to be one of the first close-up performers to work at Caesar's Magical Empire at Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas. Since then, he has appeared in numerous TV shows including NBC's World's Greatest Magic. Lee's magic has been published in such magazines as Apocalypse, Genni, Trapdor and Penumbra, he also has many best selling books, tricks and DVDs to his name. A sizzling card effect called The Ripper was among several of Lee's effects taught to actor Stuart Townsend and performed in the movie SHADE. This is Lee's first trip to Australia. He will perform on both the close-up and stage gala shows. He will lecture for over 2 hours and will also be hosting a close-up magic workshop. We are delighted Lee has agreed to join us. To find out more about Lee go to www.leeasher.com Alan Shaxon Alan Shaxon is one of England's best known and most respected magicians. He is currently the president of The Magic Circle, the most prestigious magic club in the world. The Magic Circle are this year celebrating their centenary and we are very proud to be bringing Alan and his wife Anne to Australia during this special time. Alan has been a professional working magician for 50 years, his trademark act of thumbtie, human gasometer, aerial fishing, hydrostatic glass and bill in rope is one of the finest stage acts I've ever witnessed and truly is classic stage magic at it's very best. In the 1970's Alan began writing for magazines and wrote several excellent books on stage magic. His original creations such as the classic mental effect Confabulation, the Shaxon flap enveloped and his superb torn and restored newspaper complete with drink in the news have been featured by working pros the world over. Alan befriended Robert Harbin, a close friendship which was to last until Harbin's death in 1977 at which point Harbin bestowed his props to Alan knowing that he alone had the ability to present them as Harbin would have done. I have been fortunate to see Alan lecture on several occasions and I know you are in for a real treat. His lecture contains some of the most practical working magic magic you will ever see including mentalism, close-up and stage magic. Alan has been honored with the Maskelyne, Berglas and Murray awards, a performance fellowship from the Academy of magic arts and induction into the SAM hall of fame. He is also ex-president of the British Ring. Alan has made over 50 TV appearances all over the world and, for lovers of comedy, Alan is also the magician featured in that classic episode of Mr Bean screened in more than 50 countries! He will perform on both the stage and close-up shows and will present his lecture and a unique multimedia presentation on Robert Harbin. Duane Laflin Duane Laflin is extremely well known on the lecture circuit in the USA and around the world. Having performed at every major US convention he is a well rounded convention performer who really does have something for everyone. He is best known for his superb silk magic. He has designed and manufactures a range of silks which are well known to magicians all around the world. Along with these silks he performs and teaches beautiful stage silk routines. Duane is a very polished and charismatic performer who really knows how to hold an audience, he frequently comperes convention gala shows. Duane is also one of the best known lecturers on Children's Magic in the USA. His Kid's Show Silk Magic video has been a best seller the world over. He performs and teaches at many clown, gospel and kid's magic conventions around the world and is on the board of the famous Kidabra convention. Duane's hard backed book Greater Gospel Magic has become a standard on the subject and his talent for theming magic and story telling is second to none. Duane has also written numerous books and produced many DVDs on Gospel Magic, Story Telling, Kid's Magic, Comedy and Silk Magic Along with his lovely wife Mary, Duane has just completed a highly successful tour of the UK with his new lecture. Duane will perform on both the close-up and stage shows, his lecture will cover stage magic and kid's magic and he will host a unique workshop on Magic With A Message. Again, this is Duanes first visit to Australia. Please make him and Mary welcome. To find out more about Duane and Mary check out www.laflinmagic.com Special Presentations The Magic Of Robert Harbin Robert Harbin was more than just a magician, more than just the inventor of the Zig Zag. Harbin was a magical genius with a presentation style which was unrivalled at the time or since. Many of Harbin's original tricks are still in the working repertoirs of professional magicians all around the world and his legacy is enormous. Alan Shaxon met Harbin through his work on cruise ships and they forged a close friendship which was to last until Harbin's death in the late 70s. Using unique video footage, personal recollections and trick demonstrations, Alan will give us perhaps the greatest insight we could get into the Genius that was Robert Harbin. The Great Australians Most of us recognise the names of the great Australian magicians of the past such as Levante, Rooklyn and Reveen. How many of us know what these names looked like? How they spoke? How they performed? What tricks they did? Kent Blackmore is a Sydney magician, author and historian who will join us for this special presentation where we will view, on the big screen, unique video footage of some of the great names of Australian magic. Many of these films are short clips, some of them have been transfered from old 16mm film, some are being seen here for the first time but they represent, in some cases, the only available footage of the men who are the heritage of magic in Australia. Registration Full Registration is $240 and covers the full weekend's activities including tea and coffee, Saturday Lunch and Sunday Brunch and a ticket to the International Stars Of Magic show on Saturday evening. Extra show tickets at $35 can be purchased for family and friends but we urge you to book early as the show is always sold out and we have turned people away every year. Early Bird Rego The costs of putting on this weekend are enormous and as such we would prefer you to book early. As an incentive, all bookings for a full registration paid IN FULL by Friday 1st July will receive an unconditional voucher for $20 to spend at Taylors. No catches, just 20 bucks of cold, hard, magic cash for getting off your butt! To register on line now go to www.taylorsmagicshop.com Forms will be available in the shop from next week. Special Message from Taylor's We cannot begin to tell you how excited we are about the line-up for this year's event. We really do have something for everyone whether your interest is Close-Up Magic, Stage Magic, Kid's Magic, Mentalism, Magic History or Gospel Magic we have it covered. All of our guests are vastly experienced performers who have graced the finest conventions in the world. Each is an expert in their field and have so much to offer. A tremendous amount of time, work and money goes into the organisation of these weekends. They are truly a labour of love for us and they cannot possibly work without your help and support. Please support us in our efforts and we will continue to bring world class talent to these events. If you are able to offer any kind of help or assistance, please do not be afraid to offer. Most of all, please encourage all of your friends to attend. Sean and Diana Taylor Check our website! www.taylorsmagicshop.com ----------------- 15. "The Magic Of Robert Harbin" Book For Sale ----------------- Message from Richard Walls (NZ) I have - over the past year - disposed of most of my library on magic and the props that I haven't used for some years.  The reason is simple - I wanted others to make use of it and not leave it around for my executors to 'throw out' - although I hope to bat on for another 20/25 years yet! "The Magic Of Robert Harbin" remains.  I hold No 23 out of the limited edition of 500; signed by RH himself.  I am aware it is greatly sought after and the few copies that have been sold in recent times have fetched very high prices - in excess of NZ $1,000. I would be happy to hear from anyone in New Zealand who is interested (I only know of one other copy in the country) otherwise I am intending to take it to the IBM Convention in Reno for offer to any interested parties. Kindest regards Richard rfwalls@xtra.co.nz ----------------- 16. Miser's Wonderland Dream - By: Jamie-G ----------------- Message from Jamie-G (Canada) (A "give away" magic routine) Effect: As music starts playing, the magician produces a silver pail, shows it is empty, and holds it in one hand. With the other hand, he pulls a coin out of thin air and drops it into the pail. The magician looks around left and right and discovers a coin inside his own ear (nice little change for once), makes a funny face and drops the coin in the pail. The magician approaches a child and pulls coins from all over them, dropping all these coins into the pail. Coins are pulled from everywhere including the magician's shoe. The pail is shown to be full of the gold coins. The magician then gives a coin to each of the children present as a special magical treat, all the more special since the coins are made of chocolate. Method: The hand that produces the pail begins full of coins, but holds them back against the pail while turning the pail upside down to demonstrate it is empty. The other hand retains a single coin in a thumb pinch and repeatedly produces it from various locations, repalming it in the act of apparently dropping it into the pail. You can use any one-handed coin productions and vanishes you like, the more the merrier. As you apparently drop the coin into the pail, release a coin from the hand holding the pail, producing the sound of the coin hitting the bottom of the pail. You want to make sure the timing is right with the dropping of the coins. If you use music, like I do, you may find the timing easier to achieve. Note: Chocolate coins covered in foil can be picked up at most variety stores. Where I live, the cost is about 10 coins for a dollar, making them a not too expensive give away item. For the pail, you can use a variety of items from a colorful childrens toy pail to a coffee can. The critical feature is that you can comfortably hold it in one hand while that hand is holding the bunch of coins against the inner top edge. I have been doing this give away style magic for some time, and this is one of the finest effects I perform for young children. ---------------- 17. Magic New Zealand e-zine Archives ------------------ Back issues of the Magic New Zealand 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: magic Password: kiwi When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order and are coded. Eg 001 Nov06 1999.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (Nov06) and the last figures the year (1999) ------------------- 18. 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