* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #438 Date: Sunday 20th August 2006 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. FISM 2006 In Stockholm Sweden 3. Registration For MAGIC Live! Opens Today 4. Sue-Anne Webster's FISM 2006 Competition Report #2 5. Meetings With Remarkable Magicians # 23 - Nick Lewin 6. British Ring Convention News 7. 2007 Society Of American Magicians Convention 8. National Magic Week 2006 9. Tribute to Michael Martin 10. Australian Society of Magicians Centenary Convention 2007 11. MAES 2007 Convention 12. Lost Luggage And Other Bits And Pieces 13. Thinking Past The Common Objects Of Manipulation 14. 28th New Zealand International Magicians Convention 15. The Amazing Orchante Saga 16. e-zine Archives 17. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- Kiwi magician, Theo De Leeuw who recently suffered a minor stroke, asked me to pass on his sincere thanks to all those people from all over the world who sent him messages of support and kindness. He tells me he was completely overwhelmed with all your messages and they gave him a huge uplift to carry on. ----------------------- Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. FISM 2006 In Stockholm Sweden -------------------------------------------- Message from Jahn Gallo (Sweden) Thank you FISM 2006! It was just great to be a small part of it. We really enjoyed performing and lecturing for you! If you missed the lecture notes and DVDs you can find them here http://www.gallo-magic.com/shop/shop.html At the FISM 2006 World Convention in Stockholm we performed our act "The Gallos" for the last time! It's time to say: "Thank you for the magic, the laughter and the fun we had during our 35 years in this amazing business!" "Thank you all agencies, managers and bookers who believed in us and made it all possible!" "Thank you dear audiences worldwide, because without you we could not have done it!" Last but not least a big "Thank You" has stood to my partner and wife, Gun; who by my side even when the ride sometimes was rough! We will not stop working, we will only stop performing our dual act. From now on my partner and wife, Gun, will work in the background and I will present a new act " The Magic of Jahn Gallo "A one man show featuring comedy and magic combined with audience participation in a very funny manner. Gun and I will still be available for magic lecture tours and conventions worldwide! Sincerely Jahn Gallo www.gallo-magic.com www.gallo-magic.com jahn@gallo-magic.com -------------------------------------------- 3. Registration For MAGIC Live! Opens Today -------------------------------------------- Message from Stan Allen (US) In case any of your readers are interested, General Registration for MAGIC Live! opens on this Saturday, August 19th. This third "unconventional convention" will be held at The Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, August 19-22, 2007. Registration from previous attendees opened in July and, while it's still a full year away, over 50% of the registrations are already gone. If you enjoy MAGIC Magazine, come live it for four days next summer. For more details and to register online, go to www.magicmagazine.com. Thanks, Stan -------------------------------------------- 4. Sue-Anne Webster's FISM 2006 Competition Report #2 -------------------------------------------- Message from Sue-Anne Webster (Aust) Part 2 51 Ross Mickael Et Bethy Stage Illusions/Invention France Sponsor - Guy Lamelot (Federation Francaise Des Artistes Prestidigitateurs) The illusionists began their act by performing a version of the tube stretch on Bethy in a big wooden barrel, but then she gets twisted as well. Then a cage illusion with chains was brought out, but Bethy didn't want to get in it, so they chained up a man. The chains acted like bars on a prison cell. The illusion was covered briefly, then the revelation showed the man inside the cage had swapped places with another man and a young girl who was helping out. The third illusion was a wooden trunk a man was sitting on, he pulled up a cloth to show big animated lips singing inside the otherwise empty trunk. The trunk was covered again and a cage was uncovered nearby showing the singing lips. The cage was covered, then revealed to produce one person, then two, then a third and fourth person. 52 The Magic of the Nightingale Parlour Magic U.S.A. Sponsor - Richard Dooley (Society of American Magicians) The performer was a lady in an elaborate opera costume who revealed she was heaven and hell, that it was the story of the phantom. She sang throughout her act while she did a small snowstorm using her fan, a floating ball effect where the ball was obviously stuck to her thumb, then a woeful zombie routine with a silver ball that ended up stuck to her hat. There was a pop and rose petals appeared, she turned a ball into some flowers then thanked Jeff McBride as her teacher, calling for him in the audience but he wasn't there, and proceeded to do a final effect that didn't work. The performer was unable to concentrate on singing and magic at the same time. 53 Mr Avesta General Magic Netherlands Sponsor - Ronald Moray (Nederlands Magische Unie) Disqualied Mr Avesta entered the stage decorated to resemble a gym. He wore a loud suit, green beret, green shoes and danced to music, doing a cut and restored rope routine. He revealed a silver ball in his shoe and a smoke pot went off for no reason. Fifi the fake dog barks from her basket next to a barbell with 100kg black balls attached to each end. Mr Avesta couldn't lift the weight so he stripped off his clothes in strobe lighting to reveal himself in underpants and a muscle costume. He drank an energy drink, flowers popping out of it. He stands on a winner's block, took some silks and turned them into the Netherlands flag, pulled out gold and silver from his mouth as well as big gold medals he decorated himself with. He then went over to lift up the barbell. As he lifted the weight, the dog yapped again and one weight fell on the dog and squashed it. A vacuum from the barbell sucked up the squashed dog and it came out the other end. That weight fell off too, but mysteriously rose. The judges red lighted Mr.Avesta for his unbelievably ridiculously bad act and he was disqualified, but he was able to finish his performance because the curtains were so slow in closing. He managed to waste a few good confetti cannons. This was another insulting act to FISM. 54 Pilou Manipulation France Sponsor - Guy Lamelot (Federation Francaise Des Artistes Prestidigitateurs) A 'youth' in a beret and street clothes reminiscent of Oliver Twist did what can be described as a celebratory dance of magic. Pilou was so easy, so natural, so exciting and so happy as he displayed his incredible talents in dexterity and performance. He produced card fans to an apple, which turned into a red silk that produced an apple again, which he pockets. From the silk he produced a candle, as he lit it, there was a flash and it turned into an apple again which he pockets. After producing three apples, he juggled them in character. He produced a flash that produced a newspaper and confetti. He produced another apple from his hat, produced more cards for a card manipulation routine, then single card productions. He pulled out his shoe from his beret, another apple and more and more cards, card scaling, card fan productions, card juggling, catching a card in his mouth and hands to produce a card fan that changed into a newspaper and confetti again. He took an apple from his beret, then tipped up his beret causing many apples to fall out. He sat sprawled easily over a barrel, casually producing more and more cards and an apple, a red silk revealed a large card fan that he split into two. He got up and scaled more cards, produced his two shoes from his beret, then continued into large card productions, then a newspaper and confetti again, more large cards, huge cards from his beret, a card fan that he doubled into two card fans and confetti burst everywhere. An excellent act!!! 55 Hayashi Parlour Magic Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) Hayashi was dressed as a Samurai who held up comical subtitles on large cards as he spoke Japanese. The subtitles became cheeky as they took on a life of their own. Hayashi gave up on the subtitles and decided to use a translating machine. The machine had an American accent that (deliberately) went out of synch to Hayashi's mouth movements. Something went wrong with the machine, then Hayashi spoke perfect English while the machine spoke Japanese. After the initial introduction, Hayashi announced he was going to do the "World's Coolest Card Trick". He had a card signed by a volunteer and showed the signed card at the top, middle and bottom of the deck in a manipulation routine. He showed the whole deck to be in perfect linear order. Then goes over to his machine, the signed card popped out, he stabbed the card with his Samurai sword and gave it to the volunteer. 56 Robert and Emiel Mental Magic Netherlands Sponsor - Ronald Moray (Nederlands Magische Unie) This act was extremely clever and thoroughly disturbing. Emiel introduced his 'brother' Robert as a child trapped in a man's body. Robert was born with 'a gift'. He was dressed in a white shiny plastic looking outfit, fabric he had picked out for himself especially for this occasion. He was blind folded with a black cloth and proceeded to psychically 'see' objects the audience were holding up. Emiel coaxed him on. Robert could 'see' numbers, a person's date of birth and even knew what day a person was born on many years ago. Emiel took off Robert's blindfold so he could look into someone's eyes, seeing the type of money they chose and stating the serial number. The act was performed to tinkering notes on a piano which helped evoke an eerie atmosphere and the disturbing feeling that comes from seeing such a convincing oddity in a mentally challenged human being. Excellent character work but not to everybody's taste. They achieved their goal of a convincing performance. 57 Xavier Mortimer General Magic France Sponsor - Guy Lamelot (Federation Francaise Des Artistes Prestidigitateurs) A comedy act. Xavier played the part of a musician who plays a flute behind a music stand. The flute blows out some bubbles and Xavier plays with the bubble. He performs an acrylic ball manipulation that included some clever contact juggling. He vanished the ball which then came out of his mouth. He then produced two balls and juggled them. He throws a ball into the air and all the balls vanish. He produced a silk, then one ball came back so he could continue a multiplying ball routine. From his little case on stage came a lot of bubbles and Xavier takes from it a large bubble. The case closed slowly by itself and the music stopped. He sneezed and the sheet music closed by itself. A clever routine with a little magic and a lot of juggling. 58 Minoru Arai General Magic Republic of Korea Sponsor - Eun-Sung Chung (Korean Magic Society) Minoru begins the act wearing a neat suit and standing near a fireplace holding a large white flower. He plucked the petals and pulled out a white silk. The silk changed to a fan of cards, then Minoru did a card manipulation routine to classical music. Slow and clean productions. He then produced a large card fan and did a Three Card Monte routine where the three Kings became three Queens, then changed into the Two of Hearts. It was covered with a glittery cloth and it disappears. The cloth becomes the Queen with no picture, but behind the cloth Minora produced a real lady, the Queen. 59 Sergey Ferdzhulyan Manipulation Russian Federation Sponsor - Vladamir Rudnev (Moskovskiy Klub Fukosnikov) Sergey worked to jazz music in this act. He produced a ball and did a ball manipulation routine, then produced a card fan and went back and forth between cards, ball, cards, ball, cards, ball. His quick finger movements matched the pacy piano music. Sergey's fingers were always constantly moving even when he finished his act, walking off stage. 60 Jerome Helfenstein General Magic France Sponsor - Guy Lamelot (Federation Francaise Des Artistes Prestidigitateurs) Jerome produced a white light and transported it to a white screen to do shadowography with a twist. This was 'advanced' shadowography using an LCD screen or projector. He took bubbles from the screen and made them real to do a glass ball manipulation routine, then took the ball and put it back onto the screen. A shadow spider appeared and Jerome was able to pull the thread of the spider's web up and down the screen. He plucked strings on the screen like a guitar. Musical notes appeared of the screen, he made a man with his hands who was playing the saxophone, a camel, a ship on waves, a frog in a swamp that caught flies, feathers fell and he caught one of them making it real, then draws a cloud with it. The shadow lamp turns off and the stage lamp turns on. Little magic, but very clever work. 61 Jan-Thomas Loewe Mental Magic/Invention Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) A unique themed mental magic act. Jan-Thomas Loewe called himself a Mathematician. He said he predicted numbers the jury was going to select. They were to name six numbers, the seventh number the jury member changed from 33 to 43. A movie was played, the date of the movie being Saturday 26 Feb, 2006. The season was winter (unlike the summer the audience was experiencing at FISM, Stockholm 2006). All the numbers were correct, including the seventh number change from 33 to 43 as predicted. He even handed out photographs of the filming day to the jury for verification. A very clever performance. 62 Kenneth Chan General Magic Hong Kong, China Sponsor - Albert Tam Wing Cheun (Magician Association of Hong Kong) The act was set in a bar with no bartender. Kenneth began with a bottle that he turned into a red ball to do a multiplying ball and manipulation routine ending with eight balls. A red silk was used to produce a champagne bottle. He drank from a Martini glass and rang for the bartender to pour him another drink, but no one comes to the counter so he pours himself a drink and helps himself to a cigar. He blows smoke and his drink turns to confetti, then he did a card fan production, then multiplying cigars, produced a card fan, card fountain, and single card productions. He did a diminishing card effect, produced glasses for his eyes, took the drinks menu and a blue silk to produce a large fan of cards. He then took a picture of a drink and changed it to a real drink and used a large cloth to produce a waitress. 63 Karim General Magic Spain Sponsor - Josep Roma I Sainz De La Maza (Sociedad Espanola De Illusionismo) A neat routine to the song 'Sixteen Tons and What Do You Get' where Karim produced bottles, did a thimble routine where the thimbles disintegrated into confetti. His red tie became animated, he tied a knot with it in his hands, it untied itself and very cleverly jumped back up to tie itself back around Karim's collar. He produced a drink for refreshment, lit a candelabra, to tango music he did a paper flash to rose into nice rose productions. He then produced a card fan to confetti, cards to make a card fan, produced more bottles and more card fans. All clean productions. 64 Paulo Maderal General Magic Argentina Sponsor - Ray Francas (Entidad Magica Argentina) Paulo was dressed in what looked like a school blazer and stood next to a lamp post. He used glass and coins to start his act which were hard to see. He produced a glass, then coins and notes to put in the glass as if he was collecting money. He picked up a large coin with his foot and made it bigger, made a red ball vanish and reappear a number of times using a silk, then used a white ball for a short multiplying ball routine. He made a hat appear, a lit candle appear then went into a card production and card scaling with random flights. He ended by doing an obvious steal for a large fan of cards that turned into an accordion. 65 Jakub Kroulik General Magic Czech Republic Sponsor - Frantisek Cacc (Cesky Magicky Svaz) Jakub's act was set in a producer's casting room with an old movie style setting. He entered the stage moving in an eccentric way, knees out and bouncing around. He made a photo of an actress in a frame vanish and reappear and hung it up. He conjured a large fob watch and multiplies it. An actress entered his room and he put on some gloves. He tried to woo her and give her a flower, but she constantly rejected him even after giving her a present. She stomps out of the room, only to re-enter to get her present. He performed multiplying cigarette boxes but his eccentric movements, cluttered set and small props made it hard to see what he's doing. He continued with cigarette manipulation, produced lollies (candy) and coins at his finger tips. He produced money notes which interested the actress. She grabbed the money but it turned to plain paper. He threw more money in the air and stood in front of the lady so she could do an instant change of costume from a red dress to a red dress with money on it, they waved and left the stage. Jakub performed a completely different act at FISM 2003. 66 Mann O Mann Stage Illusions Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) The set featured a street bench. A street cleaner walked past it with a load of cleaning equipment on a trolley. As the cleaner walked past the bench, another cleaner suddenly appeared sitting on the bench reading a newspaper, then had his head twisted around by the first cleaner who then took away the newspaper, so he gets revenge by taking the first cleaner's head for an instant.. They put bottles in a 'No Bottles' box cleaned the rest of the set. One moved the bottle box and it fell apart, but there were no bottles in it. One cleaner put the other cleaner in the equipment box on the trolley and squashed the box, making it a smaller box. He puts a garbage bin through a hole in the squashed box to create a large hole so we can see the squashed cleaner wasn't there. He put cleaning equipment through the box as well (like a sword box) such as a mop, broom and shovel. He took the cleaning equipment out of the box and the squashed cleaner appeared OK, but his work clothes were in tatters. The other does an instant change into casual clothes, a 'Happy sign' was held up to cover the park bench briefly to change it into a motor bike. 67 Rolf Reiner General Magic Spain Sponsor - Paschoal Ammirati (???) Rolf performed at FISM 2003, but his act was different. He wore a red tie that played up, sticking out the bottom of his vest, then it pops out of the top of his vest and caught itself on a black satin cloth from his bag, then Rolf performed a zombie routine. We slowly realise that he's done it with his tie. The tie had a cold (known from the sound track). Rolf did a 'tango' zombie routine. He put sunglasses on the tie and gave it a lollypop, it choked so Rolf gave him some alcohol, then it burped and went to sleep. He put the tie in a bag and closed it. The tie woke up and knocked on the inside of the bag. Rolf opened the bag and the tie sat up. He turned his back and the tie appeared on his back. This was the same act but a better performance than at the last FISM. 68 Cody Stone Manipulation Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) Cody entered the stage on a skateboard. A wrist band appeared on his arm, a screw driver appeared and a drink appeared on his skateboard. The wrist band changed colour and so did his drink. He did a thimble style routine with his wristband. He made a CD appear, then took off his skateboard wheels and produced a spanner to fix them. Sunglasses appeared. Cody did flip stick moves with the spanner and did ball moves with the wheels. A wheel turned into a silk which was use to make the wheels magically appear back on the axles of the skateboard. 69 Zhao Yuying General Magic China Sponsor - Lin Jian (China Magic Art Society) The first moves Zhao made in her colourful traditional costume was to display a (real) fan with her foot in an impressive arabesque. She produced four fans on top of each other, collapsed them and split the remaining fan into two fans. She produced streamers which turned into a fan, then two more. She threw the fans away, took a green silk and made another fan. After making more fans (lots of them), she covered her face with a couple of fans to do a mask changing routine. She finished the act with a silk fountain that produced foil flowers, did a bad steal to produce two large fans and three or four extra scary arms appeared sticking out of her back also holding fans. 70 Die Zauderer General Magic Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) The 'Silk of Power' returned for the second time!!! Two knights in shining armour entered the stage holding the 'Silk of Power' followed by a third knight stooped over aided by an old person's 'walker'. They entered playing the trumpet and drums. The old knight accidentally put a third instrument resembling a large stick (maybe his sword) through the top of the drum. From inside the drum, you may have guessed, a vacuum cleaner sucked up the 'Silk of Power'. A funny piece of play with the knight's visors occurred before their big, serious swords became musical instruments: a pipe, guitar and a microphone. The vacuum cleaner in the drum was pulled out with the 'Silk of Power' stuck in the end of it. It sucked the red silk down it's 'throat', so the knights took it apart in the style of 'nest of boxes'. One knight found a balloon inside the vacuum and blew it up, popped it and the 'Silk of Power' appeared. A bird flew past and plopped on the 'Silk of Power'. They played the spoons on a knight's helmet. The bird came back and was speared by a sword. They used detergent to wash the 'Silk of Power' and decided to wash their own clothes inside their armour as well. The silk shrank and as they wrang it out, it restored. They then split the 'Silk of Power' into three 'Silks of Power'. The first two knights turned their silk the right way up to display crown emblems, the third turned their silk upright to display a McDonald's emblem. It rained and the knights turned their 'Silks of Power' into umbrellas. They received a standing ovation. Die Zauderer competed in 1997, 2000, 2003 receiving 3rd, 2nd, and 3rd places prizes in Comedy respectively. This year the Comedy category has been removed (it will be back next year) and instead awards for 'Comedic Presentation' will be given out. 71 Paolo Giua Manipulation Italy Sponsor - Domenico Dante (Club Magico Italiano) Academy Awards themed act. Paolo, dressed in a tuxedo, did an academy award production, then a card fountain. Some cards in his hand became smaller and smaller until they flashed into confetti and another Academy Award. He performed a red and yellow ball manipulation routine, a cigarette production using a silk, then produced another Academy Award that blew out a smoke pot. Paolo then did magic with a smoking cigarette, transferred the smoke into a container, produced champagne, a silver shower, glittery confetti and a confetti cannon to end with a large Academy Award. 72 Grupo De Teatro Magico Da Api Stage Illusions Portugal Sponsor - Fernando Maques Vidal (Associacao Portugesa De Illusionismo.) A parody act about magicians. Two boxes on stage were part of an illusion. Dressed in 'typical' magician and assistant garb, the magician produced spring flowers. His cane was wrapped in newspaper, vanishing as he unrolled it. He is confused. His assistant acts overly happy and excited, looking like they're made the act up on the spot. They put one box inside the other and produced another lady. Two audience members (part of their team) yell out and came to the front of the theatre, protesting that the magic was old and the magic props could be bought at the supermarket. They asked to see the illusion done from behind. So, the performers prepare the act again. A cleaner came on and tried to sweep up the mess as they prepared to do the illusion again. The same effect was seen from behind. The magician produced a feather duster instead of his cane this time, his assistant got in the box, but in the end the two protesting audience members were found inside the box and the assistant ended up in the audience. 73 Caesaral Magic Mental Magic/Invention Spain Sponsor - Vicente Rafaeles Riera (As. Catalana De Mags Ill. Prof. Y Empr.) The act began with three small tables on stage. The performer tried to mentally make something happen to things on the first two tables, but failed. Two pre selected volunteers took two watches from the judges. Mentalist asked for a torch and a ball. He performed an experiment of 'energy exhaustion'. He transferred light from the torch to the ball while the volunteers were holding the items. He had to exchange a judge's watch because the watch was too complicated. A volunteer changed the time on a watch and the mentalist changed the time on the other for his prediction.. He took a volunteer over to the third table to show the time was the same: 11:25. 74 Fujimoto Manipulation Japan Sponsor - Maki Kitami (Japanese Professional Magicians Association) Fujimoto, with red eyeglasses and orange hair, took off a white glove, threw it to the floor and it became a ball. He took a cigarette out of his mouth and put it in a silk to vanish and reappear. He produced a small drink from the silk, drank it and doused out the lit cigarette he put inside his mouth. He blew smoke rings and pulled a white band from one of them with which he did some magic. He blew a bubble with smoke in it, then did a card production with card fans. From another smoke bubble he produced a silk, and another, wound them up and they turned into a cane. He used a rose as a microphone and sang into it for a while. He performed a rose manipulation, then a ball manipulation routine, turned a ball into a silk, then produced four red balls on his fingers and proceeded to do a thimble manipulation with balls, then a coloured CD production and manipulation. He drew a radio that became real and donned a head set to listen to the radio. A fire started in the radio and fire tried to run up the wire (flash string) to his ears, but it broke. An explosion in his ear pieces happened regardless and blew half of his orange hair blew half off. Fujimoto competed with different acts in FISM 2000 and 2003. This time his technique was marginally better. 75 Marc Dosetto General Magic France Sponsor - Jean Claude Crispon (Cercle Francais De L'illusion Jules Dhotel) Sirens in the sound track started the act. Marc appeared on stage looking futuristic for a dove act. He took a CD which changed as he threw it into a bird. His bird flew off it's perch and into the back curtains, but Marc was too concerned to do his act to notice. He produced sunglasses that transformed into a dove, poured liquid into a cocktail shaker and the contents transformed into another dove as he threw it into the air. He poured more liquid into the shaker which changed to yellow streamers, and from it another two doves. He threw a dove into the air transforming to streamers. Finally, Marc took out a huge gun and fired it. A Sulphur Crested Cockatoo came out of it and flew into the audience to stay. The doves in the cage on stage transformed to become a lady and her overly excited dog which jumped about the stage. The animals were not very well trained and Marc attracted whistles from the audience protesting that Marc didn't stop to look after his birds. 76 Duo Mira-Cool-X General Magic Switzerland Sponsor - Ralph Kundig (Magischer Ring Der Schweiz) Quite an entertaining and deliberately silly act. The magician in top hat and tails changed a cane to a red silk and calls for his assistant who didn't come for a while. When she did, the assistant was a man in drag with great legs who wanted nothing better than to change the magician's old classical music to modern hip music she could enjoy dancing to. The assistant grabbed the magician's hat and pulled props out of it, gave it back to the magician who put it on, water splashing on his head. The magician left the stage to clean up, the assistant changed the music and turned up the volume. The magician returned, changed the music back, the assistant falls over the 'sword' stand, took a sword and scratched her back with it. She was given money as a bribe to perform, so she went to get into an origami box, slipping on the stairs. She tried to elegantly get into the box but her foot crashed right through the base of the illusion and she broke the side of the box. The magician accidentally pulled off her wig and her dress came off as he pushed her down into the box, folded up the box to make a small one, pushed swords through the illusion, went to display the illusion but two of the legs broke off, embarrassing the magician because it exposed a photo of a naked girl. He pulled out the swords, lifted the small box to the floor and reconstructed it, covered it with a black cloth and the assistant appeared behind it but wouldn't get out until the magician gave back her dress. They bow and go to leave the stage as one of the swords she was wielding broke and the hilt gets stuck between the her legs in a revealing display. 77 Chad Findlay General Magic South Africa Sponsor - Christine Tait (South African Magic Council) The set was darkened to reveal a screen that projected images of South Africa. Beside it stood a large lamp stand, a lit candle, a table and a mirror. Chad entered the stage singing. The magic echoed the sentiments in the songs he sang. He pulled a scarf out of an empty bowler hat which he flung onto the screen. He produced another silk and passed it through the mirror, then did a floating lit candle zombie routine. He took the silk away from the candle, still floating. Then the candle vanished. He covered the table with a cloth and produced a bowl of blue water. Blue was echoed in the screen behind. He went over to the lamp shade and the light goes out, he took the globe and poured water from the globe into the bowl. He picked up a top hat and pulled streamers out of it, then produced a silk. The white scarf came into view on screen and he plucked it out of the screen. Unfortunately, some of Chad's props failed to work. 78 Alex Ryazanov General Magic Russian Federation Sponsor - Vladamir Rudnev (Moskovskiy Klub Fukosnikov) Alex was dressed in shiny black tails with bright red trousers, lapels and hat. His assistant was dressed in yellow and black tails. Together they performed a light and happy routine. He produced two large fans of cards and performed a strange card manipulation until he showed the cards were strung together. They did a colour changing cane routine, the cane changed into two silks. The lady accidentally knocked him in his private parts, a red ball appeared in his mouth. The lady changed a silk to flowers, the magician pulled off the lady's shirt (her coat was still on). Alex poured a drink for himself and his nose turned red like a clown, then pulled the lady's tuxedo off, but she ended up in a dress doing elegant tango moves. Alex's black jacket turned into a glittery red jacket. He pulled a silk from the lady, but accidentally pulled off her dress, she ran off stage. She ran back in a little tails jacket, threw a cape over his face briefly to reveal him in a monkey mask, he carried her off. 79 Keiko Muto Manipulation Japan Sponsor - Junichiro Sejima (Society of Japanese Magicians) Keiko dressed in an elegant black and purple Kimono style outfit. To upbeat music she produced a fan, vanished it to produce a bell, then two silks and three (real) fans. The music changed as she performed a ball manipulation routine. The balls turned into earrings. She produced another bell, a wand with which she did flip stick moves, very clean and sharp. She produced mini fans, then a larger fan, colour changing fans, more fan productions, ending in a snowstorm and confetti cannon, then produced an umbrella as confetti fell. Keiko has competed with this act at FISM 2000 and 2003. 80 Illusionista Pedro III Stage Illusions Spain Sponsor - Francisco Duaso Val (Asociacion Magica Aragonesa) This act began with a lady switching channels on the TV to the magic programme, showing the act was about to begin. The TV flickers and turns off, then the words "PedroIII" appeared on the screen. As this happened, PedroIII appeared from an illusion. He then built the next illusion in front of the audience. It was a frame with two sides to it with a very thin base. Pedro III sat on one side of the illusion as his assistants erected the panels around him. As his assistants constructed the other side of the illusion, Pedro III seemed to vanish from one side and appeared on the other before they finished covering him up. Then Pedro III was tied up and put into the TV set. A lady gets on top with a large cloth and they do sub trunk exchange with the clothed being whipped away from the middle by Pedro III. It looked very fast. At FISM 2003 these performers presented an act with a haunted mansion theme so this was quite different. 81 Marc & Alex Stage Illusions Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) This was an energetic act with plenty of girl dancers and lasers. Marc and Alex appear from the same illusion to begin the show. Marc and Alex wasted no time as they launched into their next illusion. They performed the sub trunk with the Pendragons' tear apart cloth, then immediately performed a fire cage illusion with another rip apart cloth revealing two girls dressed as leopards, who ended up attaching themselves to the illusionsists. Fire sticks were twirled as one illusionist graffitied a picture of a girl on a large piece of paper on one side of the stage, a glass box illusion was covered briefly on the other side of the stage to reveal the girl. A girl was forced into another box illusion shown empty at first, rods were poked through the box, then the screen was burnt to nothing revealing the girl had vanished. The same illusion was covered briefly with a cloth and she returned, but then another girl appeared from the same box, then two more girls (one inside the box and one on top of the box), then a very large cloth made that illusion vanish and in it's place yet another two girls appeared. I guess it's almost every man's fantasy. 82 Gustavo Raley General Magic Argentina Sponsor - Rene Oscar Hernando (Centro Magico Platense) Gustavo began his act playing the ultimate dag with weird stylized movements to the music of 'The Entertainer'. He did a double colour changing suit, a bad version of the torn and restored newspaper, floated an old music box then changed it behind a cloth to a ghetto blaster, changed his costume to a red glossy shirt behind the same cloth and also changed his face to look like a hip magician with spiky hair with blonde tips. He produced a coke can and a glass to drink it from. A silk was crushed into the glass and vanished, reappearing out of the same coke can. He immediately poured another drink from the same coke can. Very clever. He pulled cards off his card tie, took a 70's vinyl record and changed it to a CD, playing easy music. Gustavo crushed a sheet of aluminum foil that changed into long running silver streamers. He bunched up the streamers and from it produced a microphone and a large mirror ball. The stage went dark, two torches were used to parody the 20th Century Fox sound track movie spot lights, then Gustavo did a shadow routine in front of a projector. He formed with his hands Woody Woodpecker (the cartoon character), the Pink Panther, Bart Simpson, 'Thing' form the Adam's Family, produced a playing card, a chicken, a kitten and two people dancing. Lights went up, he picked up a large cloth and instantly changed into roller skates, picked up his ghetto blaster and his coke and skated off stage. 83 Nana Hitomi General Magic Japan Sponsor - Junichiro Sejima (Society of Japanese Magicians) Japanese set. Nana produced red silks and changed them to masks, then to an umbrella, then produced another mask and did a zombie routine with it.. She vanished the mask and made it appear in a picture frame. She took large paddles and did paddle moves (as in close-up paddles but much larger), using silks to help. She produced shuttlecocks and batted them with the paddles. She made pictures appear on the paddles, then multiplied the paddles and produced a really large paddle. She juggled with something pink, dropped it, changed it to streamers at the same time produced another umbrella. Nana did a slow instant change behind the umbrella, then produced more streamers and confetti. She performed a silk fountain, produced more long streamers, gathered and folded them to produce a cape. She picked up her paddles and did more paddle moves, produced more pink streamers and four large floral bouquets. A very colourful act although the moves were fiddly and not very deceptive. It was good to see her doing a different act from her past two FISM performances. 84 Simon Pierro General Magic Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) Simon performed as a 1950's kitchen hand (dressed in a blue/green washer's outfit and white apron) who wished for a wealthier lifestyle to attract an 'uptown girl'. He magically produced an uptown girl at the doors of the restaurant. She walked in to the song 'Uptown Girl'. She passes right by him, he does 'the lean' to kiss her (but of course doesn't). He tried to impress her by juggling some dishes and instantly cleaning the dirty dishes. He played the plates like a guitar to woo her. He changed a white plate to one with a red painted heart. She left, then he started to dream of a different life he could have. He changed something kitchen-like on the wash bench into a small Statue of Liberty. He did 'Miser's Dream' with a clear cylinder, produced a model of an expensive car, threw up a checkered cloth for an instant costume change to a black suit (he had changed professions). He manipulated cards, changed a Time Magazine cover to show his photo on the cover, produced a cigar, produced fish from his fist and put them in water. Then everything he touched turned to gold. He had the Midas touch - the statue turned to gold, his vest, his wallet, a bag. Things started to go weird and there was thunder. Everything started to turn back to normal The girl walks back in the restaurant, he held up his checkered cloth and the girl changed from an uptown girl to the 'girl next door' and they live happily ever after. (He performed this act in FISM 2003 where he received 2nd Place in General Magic). 85 Nikolai Dmitriev General Magic Russian Federation Sponsor - Vladamir Rudnev (Moskovskiy Klub Fukosnikov) A picture on an easel and a music stand and sheet music were on stage as Nikolai entered in white tails, took a note off the sheet music and began a manipulation act with the black music notes. He multiplied them with a bit of fiddling and exposure. He picked up a stick and turned it into a rose by magically adding leaves and a flower. He produced a very long lit white candle and placed it on a stand. He produced silks and various objects to place on the picture, he made a frame for the picture and turned it upside down. He had made an outdoor scene, magically making a red ball rise representing the sun.. He took a ball from behind the painting and did a large multiplying ball routine, except some balls were so obviously smaller than others. He juggled some balls, rolled out a Stockholm FISM 2006 banner and stood behind it with the ball on top. 86 Florian Zimmer Manipulation Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) Florian presented a different approach to producing the usual items used in manipulation by using a white spray can. He sprayed white spray onto his hand, the spray forming a white ball that he was able to manipulate. He used a cloth to squash the ball to form a smear of paint on the material, so when he slapped the cloth with the smear onto his T-shirt, he transferred the paint to create his name. Florian sprayed more white balls into existence before he changed the white spray can to red, threw a white ball into the air, sprayed it and it turned into a red ball. He then sprayed more red balls into existence. Florian lights a real fire on the barrel that made up his set. He sprayed the fire to douse it out, simultaneously his spray can turned white. He sprayed a white card onto the barrel, peeled it off to do a card manipulation routine with white cards. He tossed a white card into the air and it turned green. He sprayed cards into his hand, sprayed the air and plucked cards from the air then sprayede fans of cards. He covers his eyes with a fan of cards to produce sunglasses on his face. More card manipulation, white turning to green, he wiped green cards across his glasses so they turned green, too. Florian did a green card manipulation as well as manipulation at the tips of his fingers. He sprayed a red can into existence, his glasses turned red. He heard a police siren, so he sprayed himself a green hat, picked up a board and sprayed the letters "BMX", a flash pot exploded, a real BMX bike appeared and he rides off the stage. A clever idea using a spray can to produce items. 87 Dai Binchun Manipulation China Sponsor - Lin Jian (China Magic Art Society) Dai did an act reminiscent of Bin Lin. He began his act sitting on a chair, produced sunglasses, vanished a cane and produced card fans to music from "Riverdance". He scaled cards, manipulated and produced cards at his finger tips, more card fans and single card productions, produced large card fans, then back to small card fans, flung a card to catch it, did a little dance while producing more cards and scaling them. Dai then went to his chair to produce a large pop up card pyramid, produced a cane and sat back on the chair in his original starting position. 88 Timo Marc General Magic Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) Timo began his act in a blue suit, lit flash string that didn't work but produced a paint brush regardless. He went over to a blue screen (rear projection) and 'painted' orange letters on the screen which fell off into his bag. He wrote "Hello" to the audience, then painted an orange spot which he plucked off the screen to become an orange ball. He slapped his trouser pocket with it and his pocket turned orange. He painted a wriggly line on the blue screen so he could off a rope to do some rope tricks. He produced a blue rope, painted an orange spot on the screen, slaps the rope to the screen and the orange spot attaches to the rope as a knot. He untied the rope and an orange section on the blue rope remained. Timo poured orange paint from a cup into his hand and an orange ball appeared and turned to confetti. He then played a mock game of soccer with a little figure on screen. As Timo turned away, the little figure went to follow him but bumped into the side of the screen and fell down. Timo held a cloth up to the screen and it 'broke' (a crack appeared across the screen with the little figure incapacitated). Timo then went behind the screen to do some shadow work with a few tricks then he pulled off his head and held it on top off the screen for all to see, his arms came off his body, then a flash pot exploded as Timo did an 'instant' costume change into an orange suit. 89 Eun-Gyeol Lee Manipulation (re-categorised by the Jury into General Magic) Korea Sponsor - Richard Dooley (Society of American Magicians) Many people, including myself, believed Eun Gyeol should have won the Grand Prix award. He performed this act at FISM 2003 and came equal 2nd in Manipulation. His exceptional ability and skill in magically producing, vanishing and manipulating objects, cleverly and seamlessly segueing from one trick to another and his incredible ease and confidence in being able to entertain an audience, all with a charming demeanor and beautiful smile made him stand out in the competition. Eun Gyrol produced a fan of cards that transformed into a dove, produced a ball that turned to a silk to produce a glass. A flash appeared in the glass that turned to a silk that produced a dove. He produced a candle and lit it but it turned to confetti. He produced another candle that transformed into a ball which disintegrated into a puff of smoke. Another ball turned into a candle, a flash then two candles, back to a ball to a silk then a dove. A fan of candles, then card manipulation and vaporised the cards to smoke. Card productions to silk to another dove, more card fans and card productions then card manipulation at his finger tips that he made looks so easy! He scaled cards, card to dove, kept a 'feather' from the dove, lit it to transform it to cards and did an upside down riffle shuffle. Eun Gyeol then produced a flash and confetti to produce two hats, one with a card fountain. He took his bird cage and lit it, when it sparked all over the cage it exploded to produce another two large bird cages with doves, a huge fan of cards, another two large bird cages with doves, then a third with a lot of streamers to finish the act. A true winner. 90 Magic Wave General Magic Netherlands Sponsor - Ronald Moray (Nederlands Magische Unie) Magic Wave performed a very similar act at FISM 2003 where a 'surfer' and a skateboarder have a 'friendly' duel. The act began to music from the 'Beach Boys'. The surfer did an instant change into casual clothes. The skateboarder pointed his finger at the surf board on stage and magically broke it in two, then produced sunglasses and put headphones on to listen to his music. The surfer fired a flash and the head phones exploded. They both produced a never ending stream of sand from their empty hands (3 kg in total - 6.6 lbs of sand!) all the while transferring the pouring of the sand seamlessly and effortlessly between each other. The sand turned to a 'snowstorm'. The skater spray painted a girl on large paper the surfer was holding, he draws a cigarette and the surfer had a cigarette materialize in his mouth. The skater tears up the paper and restores it. The surfer peels off the bird in the picture and it becomes a toy bird that flaps its' wings. The skater produced a full scale surfboard from behind the paper. The surfer produced and multiplied bottles then they both juggled them around each other's body. A clever act. 91 Kazuma General Magic Japan Sponsor - Junichiro Sejima (Society of Japanese Magicians) This act featured a projector to highlight Kazuma's act. Kazuma did a (pink) ball manipulation to begin his act then produced white confetti. The balls instantly multiplied to eight balls between his fingers. His movements were very smooth and almost robot like. He did a green and pink ball production before he used the projector screen to form shadows, like producing a ball. His own shadow turns a negative of itself then multiplies himself into three, where one of his shadows answered a mobile phone. He opened an umbrella because it started to rain on screen and did an impressive back bend before he came back out from behind the screen to produce a CD to CD manipulation and production (all choreographed especially to the music) then the CDs vanished to confetti. He produced a silk then did more CD productions with befitting screen images to match. A voice was heard "Welcome to the next level". His CD turned green and so did his shirt, he produced a card fan (to music that confused the senses), floated a glowing ball that changed to glowing confetti 92 Junge Junge & Der Romer General Magic Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) Junge Junge (without Der Romer) won 1st place in General Magic at FISM 1997 for a completely different act. This time, they did very little magic and a lot of chapeaugraphy and projector screen work. To music (like Yello and the Beatles), they began twisting their felt hats with a Western theme, then Spanish, rap style, Chinese, a Star Wars Stormtrooper (or Darth Vader), Madonna, herding cows, accident victim, Nuns, babies and a Titanic scene. Then the three of them did the most incredible and impressive choreography and interaction with a screen projection I've ever seen. They multiplied themselves, so there were two of each performer, making six. Each performer had himself reflected of the screen behind and beside themselves (totally six 'people'). They interacted with their doubles on screen, doing a kind of levitation where the middle section of one performer floated upwards, higher than his head and legs. They jumped on and off screen with the most amazing precision and perfect timing. The extremely clever finale had them, with their three doubles on screen, take their clothes off and swap them with each other, ending up in the same clothes they started with in the first place. They all threw their clothes back and forth to each other and their doubles, transferring them through the visuals on screen and back to real life. You have to see this act to believe it! 93 Malin Nilsson General Magic Sweden Sponsor - Dag Lofalk (Svensk Magisk Cirkel) Marlin dressed and acted like an Oliver Twist type character. She wore a black top hat and black dress with stockings and boots reminiscent of a street urchin. Her bushy blonde hair added to the affect. Malin is a strong performer and her moves were well rehearsed and choreographed. She began with a rings routine, some of the moves were very clever. She performed fabulous hat juggling and played with her wand, making it appear from it's usual place in her right boot to her mouth. She produced a small mirror and a lipstick, although something went awry at this moment she recovered without a beat. She pulled out a rope tied like a rabbit from her hat (after she had proven her hat empty by juggling it) and pulled out scissors to do a good rope routine. Her moves were sharp, metered, deliberate and dramatic and performed to plucking notes on a piano. The rope ended back up like a rabbit. A very good performance. 94 Aaron Crow Mental Magic Belgium Sponsor - Olivier Prestant (????) Aaron performed a "genuinely terrifying" act at FISM 2000 and won the 2nd place award for Mental Magic. This time, he performed another crazy act in the Mental Magic category. It was a mental act, not a Mental act. Dressed in a futuristic cloak, Aaron wielded a green laser gun (or arrow). He then went into the audience for two volunteers (partners), brought them up on stage and acted as 'cupid'. A target was set up on one side of the stage. He took off the lady's (wedding) ring, sat her on a chair, placed the ring inside a green apple, balanced it on a cushion and placed the cushion on her head, kept in place by her partner. On the opposite side of the stage to the target, he picked up his large red arrow and stung it on his bow, stood on a spinning plate, prepared the arrow for firing and spun himself in circles, aiming for the ring in the apple. The laser pointed at many people in the audience as he spun around on his disc a few times before he finally let go of the arrow. There was a second or two delay before the apple fell off her head and the arrow landing in the target. Her ring was found attached to the arrow, Aaron took it off and performed as a minister at a wedding as he had the lady's partner put the ring back on her finger, asking them to kiss. 95 Yasu Okai Manipulation Japan Sponsor - Maki Kitami (Japanese Professional Magicians Association) Yasu is a very skilled performer with a lovely smile and clear moves. He performed card manipulation, coin magic to a large coin, produced a card fan by 'warping' the coin over his hands, did a another multiplying card routine to finish. 96 Ben & Alex Stage Illusions France Sponsor - Guy Lamelot (Federation Francaise Des Artistes Prestidigitateurs) Ben and Alex played a policeman and a driver with a traffic infringement. The scene opened to traffic noises and a policeman writing out a ticket for a parking fine. The driver stole the policeman's infringement pad and the policeman punched him. The policeman took cover in a large metal box labeled 'radioactive' that was sitting on four red and white striped legs (like the water poles in Venice). The driver pulled out his gun and shot the box and bullet holes appeared. The box became a sword box, so the driver shoved speeding signposts through the holes, pyros exploded and the driver went to leave but he heard crying coming from the box and a white 'surrender' flag waiving from one of the holes. A letter was pushed through a hole tied up with ribbon. It turned out to be a speeding fine. The driver lit a stick of dynamite and stuck it through a hole, exploding inside the box. A weak whistle was heard from inside the box, the policeman found his way out of the box (after the sign posts were taken out), his uniform in tatteres and ran after the driver who was trying to escape. 97 Park Min Soo Manipulation Republic of Korea Sponsor - Eun-Sung Chung (Korean Magic Society) Park Min Soo started the act by throwing out streamers. He produced silver cards and performed fast moves with something shiny. Small shiny objects are very hard to see. The silver cards turned into a dove. His assistant (a man) stood behind Park Min Soo to give the impression that he had four arms doing card productions. The props were now white alongside both performers dress in white making everything hard to see. He produced doves (which were white), card fans, single cards, card scaling and money notes (but hard to tell). He climbed into a glass pyramid and severely misjudged his vanishing act. What the audience saw was Park Min Soon climbing into the illusion and then into the trapdoor in the base. Then nothing happened. After a while the curtains closed. 98 Manuel Muerte (Replacing Wave who was listed in the programme) Manipulation Germany Sponsor - Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland) Manuel performed a parody act of a Las Vegas performer, or a magician trying to be a Las Vegas performer but most of the audience misunderstood the aim of the act and felt it to be a 'lost, vague-ass' performance. A lady announces "Manuel Muerte". She adjusts the tuning on the radio (that was receiving signals through coat hangers). He came on to do some (deliberately) bad tricks and announce "The End". His hand then got caught in the microphone stand, then two fake hands were caught in the microphone stand. The lady did an instant costume change, Manuel pulled out a broom from his jacket and gave it to her to clean up. He did multiplying silks, thinking he was a great performer. During his act, the lady brought on table after table of props and for somewhere to put his used tricks. He shot a bird and many of the tables started to wheel away from him. He went gun crazy, scaring away his props. The humour fell flat. 99 Bravo Nakaya General Magic Japan Sponsor - Maki Kitami (Japanese Professional Magicians Association) Bravo came out in a blue tails coat with gold trim, white shirt, black pants and a Spiderman mask. After tossing a few throw streamers (webs?) he produced a silk which read 'The End'. He made some food appear, took off his mask and held a small black screen in front of his chest and a hand came through his stomach. This was followed by several odd objects climaxing with a small stuffed white tiger. He took two battery operated dancing hula dolls which he placed on tables on either side of the stage and told us how amazing it was that they danced but didn't fall off the tables. He announced he would perform the "Human Body Exchange" and tried to hypnotise his assistant, but fell asleep on the floor himself. She held a large silver hoop of fabric over the two of them, lifted the cloth then, when it was dropped, he was holding the cloth and she was sleeping on the floor. He then displayed a cage, not an 'Illusion Cage, but a pet cage for a large dog. His assistant climbed inside and he covered it with a cloth. After a moment or two he pulled the cloth off the cage revealing a tiger. well, it was his assistant now wearing a tiger suit. This was pure Japanese comedy magic and the audience laughed a lot. 100 Huang Zheng Manipulation China Sponsor - Lin Jian (China Magic Art Society) The scene opened with a beautifully dressed Chinese lady standing next to a full-sized autumn tree. A leaf fell from the tree which she picked up and crushed to sand, then produced a yellow silk. She produced flowers, confetti and cards very elegantly, and did a series of card fan manipulations. She changed a plume into a paper bird which span when she blew on it. She produced some red cards and another yellow silk from which a large number of flowers appeared. This was followed by card scaling, silk fountains and more confetti. For the climax she took a flute and brought on winter. As she played it snow fell from the ceiling and the leaves all fell off the tree revealing bare branches in the shape of a heart. The final section of Sue-Anne Webster report on FISM will be in next weeks issue. -------------------------------------------- 5. Meetings With Remarkable Magicians # 23 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message from Nick Lewin (US) Meeting Mr. Fellows. Back in the very early days of the comedy club circuit I met Bob Fellows. I was performing at the Laugh Stop in Newport Beach for a special magic night. As was usually the case in these clubs there was a tiny, primitive stage with neither wings or curtains. In fact there wasn't even a backstage area. Much to my amazement when I arrived at the club I discovered someone setting up illusions onstage. Illusions in a comedy club! I introduced myself to the performer and met Fellows for the first time. I was very dubious about how any performer could perform illusions and a levitation on this stage, there just wasn't enough room and the sight lines were impossible. I needn't have worried the show went perfectly. After the show I chatted with Bob and told him how impressed I was at the way he incorporated the illusions into the show. We joked with each other about our shows with me stating I would never, ever want to travel a big show. Bob looked at my tiny working case and said that he could never work with so few props. How wrong we both were! The next time I ran into Bob was when Dick Foster was mounting his first production of "Spellbound" at Harrah's in Lake Tahoe. The show was just about ready except for the addition of a mind reader. Dick had looked at every mind reader in the business and didn't think any of them were suitable. When he heard about the gap in the line up, Bob almost literally put together a mind reading show overnight that Foster thought was perfect. No wonder it was perfect for the show it had been designed for it! The mind reading was a huge success and opened a new chapter in Bob's career, I had graduated meanwhile to producing and performing magical extravaganzas for the corporate market. I acted as MC and then added an illusionist and a manipulative act to complete the bill. Before too long I was thinking about adding an illusion or two to my repertoire. One day, out of the blue, the phone rang and on the other end of the line was Bob Fellows who asked me if I wanted to buy his illusion show. He was now performing his mind reading show as the heart of a highly successful corporate seminar. The idea behind the seminar was to expose cults and the way they were constructed. In order to demonstrate how this was done Bob created a cult from the audience using his psychic powers. I thought about the offer for a second or two and said yes. Two days later I was the owner of a full illusion show. The props were delivered to my garage and the deal was done except for one thing, I had no way to transport them. Two days later Bob phoned up saying he didn't need his van anymore would I like to buy it? You bet I would! In a flash the transposition was complete and I had a van full of props and Bob was traveling with a wireless microphone and a tiny working case! Please send bricks or bouquets to nicklewin@eartlink.net -------------------------------------------- 6. British Ring Convention News -------------------------------------------- Message from Bob Hayden PRO to the British Ring 14th August Here's news of the two Convention events that each year are devised and presented by Eddie Dawes, the Friday Afternoon Show and the Collector's Seminar, together with the speaker at the Ladies Afternoon and advance notice of the Fringe. Back in 1985 Eddie took over what had been become known as the Friday Afternoon Show. It was in 1960 that Peter Warlock devised the format of the show and successfully presented it for the next 25 years establishing it as one of the highlights of the Convention. Under Eddie's direction it has not lost any of its appeal or popularity. This years theme centres on 'A Century of Classics' in which Eddie introduces modern-day versions of some of the styles of magic that have endured over the last hundred years. Ladies of magic have been associated with Scotland ever since 1906 when the famous illusionist Vonetta embarked on her career, and succours such as Alice Maclay, Ray Silver and Shirley Ray, have carried the torch of colourful magic that will be represented by Moira Fletcher's delightfully patriotic Scottish act. Comedy magic and droll humour were to the fore in the first decade of the 20th century with performers like Imro Fox and Fred Culpitt, while today, in the same tradition, Peter Greenwood brings pleasure with his comedic deadpan Yorkshire presentation of favourites. The 19th century had witnessed new mysteries of the séance room that astounded the general populace, some of which were quickly adopted by conjurers, and the new century found the famous magicians Harry Kellar and Karl Germain both exploiting the Dancing or Floating table. To bring an international flavour to the show, Malta's famed Man of Magic, Vanni Pule, will feature in his act a modern version of this evergreen mystery. Manipulative skills have always been appreciated and admired by audiences and, representing the great tradition of Clement de Lion, Lewis Davenport, Cardini and Channing Pollock, will be Brian Sefton, the leading present-day exponent of the genre. Although a century ago in Britain there were illusionists aplenty, by the second half of the century the loss of theatres had severely depleted their ranks. Happily, today a new generation of the breed has arisen ensuring survival of this branch of the art and, to prove the point and close the show, Martyn James will present his latest illusion act. 'A Century of Classics' continues the fine tradition of excellent shows in this long running series of shows. For 34 years Eddie Dawes has been arranging and chairing the Collector's Seminar. It was during Eddie's Presidential year in 1973 that this event was first incorporated in the Convention programme and over the 34 years, in excess of a 100 distinguished speakers has spoken on a diverse and fascinating range of subjects to a captivated audience. So often a lively discussion ensues at the conclusion of many of the talks benefiting both speaker and audience in their quest for a more informed knowledge of the History of Mystery. This year the subjects will be as interesting and varied as ever. Eddie has assembled four speakers, David Hibberd, Tony Josolyne, Tim Cockerill and Paul Freeman. David Hibberd, Archivist of The Magic Circle, has delved into the treasure store over which he presides to select some of the gems from this century-old collection of material. Sidney Josolyne, noted as the man who sold the Walking Through a Brick Wall illusion to Houdini in 1914, was a magician who partnered his wife La Celeste to present one of the most impressive second sight acts to be seen in Britain in the 20th Century. Their son, Tony Josolyne, will share recollections of his parents and their lives as performers. Throughout the ages the devouring of fire, red hot coals and molten metal has awed and fascinated laymen and scientists alike, and one of today's young exponents of the art, Tim Cockerill, will talk about these ancients skills. Three years ago Paul Freeman recounted at that year's Seminar his researches into 'The Die Box and Adalbert Frikell. His researches did not end in 2003. He continued to delve further into the history of this Victorian Magician whose tragic career led from his role of Royal Entertainer to that of a penniless performer. It is these up to date researches that he will be detailing at this year's seminar. If you have an interest in 'The History of Mystery' why not join Eddie Dawes on Saturday afternoon in the Gold Room of the Winter Garden complex for this years 'Collector's Seminar'. Ladies Afternoon. The speaker at this year's Ladies Afternoon is Beryl Maile a formally trained artist from Oxfordshire and a well-known After Dinner Speaker. Audiences are captivated with her light-hearted, witty entertainments and sparkling demonstrations. Her talk has the intriguing title of 'How to Paint a Picture While Your Buns Are in the Oven!' Who else, other than Beryl, can transfer blobs of paint into a landscape, flowers or seascape in minutes, or turn Doodles into amusing drawings in seconds? All these activities are enlivened by hilarious anecdotes and highly idiosyncratic recollections on an eventful life. Many of her paintings reflect her extensive world travels and include canvasses for offices in London and New York, relief panels for a Hotel in Saudi Arabia, murals, Inn Signs and book illustrations etc. Beryl has had two television series and can often been seen popping up on programmes from time to time. Ladies, your afternoon with Beryl Maile will be most interesting and entertaining. Tea will be served prior to Beryl's talk and so that numbers who wish to attend can be accurately known do urge your partner to reserve a ticket for you when making their Registration. Yes, Fay Presto is arranging a Fringe in Eastbourne this year. Negotiations are in progress to secure a suitable venue for this popular event and you will be informed here as soon as details are finalised. One certainty is that a Fringe Banquet will be held on the Friday evening. So watch this space! So have you made your registration for this exceptional extravaganza of magic? No? Then you should do it straight away by going to the Payment On Line Page of the Website or contacting the Registration Officer Neville Johnson on 01202 873234 or by e.mail at Nevillejohnson25@aol.com Do it today! -------------------------------------------- 7. 2007 Society Of American Magicians Convention -------------------------------------------- Message from Maria Ibáñez Society of American Magicians National President Elect Texas, the lone star state...let us not allow that star to be lonely during next Fourth of July; come one, come all to the 2007 Society of American Magicians convention. Referred to often as the world's friendliest convention, it will be one you won't want to miss, in fact, you may want to come a day early and stay a day late just to be able to take in some of the wonderful sights in the area. Medieval Times, Dallas Attraction type: Dinner theater Part of a group of dinner theater's located in several cities in the US, this is a meal you won't soon forget. Complete with knights, horses, damsels and more, it is a very enjoyable time reminiscent of the days of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Bishop Arts District, Dallas Trendy neighborhood featuring galleries, shops, antique stores and restaurants. Attraction type: Neighborhood Knox-Henderson, Dallas Neighborhood north of downtown Dallas known for its unique items, handmade jewelry, expensive antiques and a lively restaurant/club scene. Attraction type: Neighborhood Renaissance Tower, Dallas Attraction type: Landmark/point of interest Winfrey Point, Dallas This popular starting point for runners at White Rock Lake Park was where German prisoners of war were kept in barracks during the 1940s. Attraction type: Historic site Texas Discovery Gardens, Dallas Features gardens, a two-story tropical conservatory and a waterfall. Attraction type: Nature center; Garden; Natural history museum The Lone Wolf Lounge, Dallas This lounge will be in the Crescent hotel and is going to look like Cuba in the Fifties and Sixties. Attraction type: Bar/club Western Heights Cemetery, Dallas The final resting place of Clyde Barrow, of "Bonnie and Clyde" infamy. Attraction type: Cemetery Fountain Place, Dallas Romantic area of 172 small water fountains and streams. Attraction type: Fountain Tenison Highlands, Dallas Located about 3.5 miles from downtown Dallas, this 18-hole course features five new lakes, 32 bunkers, Tif Bermuda 419 fairways and Tif Eagle putting surfaces, making it one of Dallas' upscale public golf course. Attraction type: Golf course And, after the First Installment sent out last week, Luciano from Orlando reminded us that we can't forget the following: Not to mention visiting the Southfork Ranch from the Ewings of Dallas. There is so much that families can see and do in Dallas that it is a perfect family vacation spot to combine with attending the S.A.M. Convention. Can't let the cat out of the bag, but I've spoken with R.G. Smith who books the talent for the conventions and this year is going to be incredible. Don't be left on the outside wishing you could be one of those who had been there, register today by contacting John and Virginia Apperson at sam@appsmagic.com or by registering on line at www.magicsam.com. -------------------------------------------- 8. National Magic Week 2006 -------------------------------------------- Message from Maria Ibáñez Society of American Magicians National President Elect National Magic Week Chair Greetings: It's hard to believe but National Magic Week 2006 is already under way. Individual letters went out to all Governors on August 2nd and we have already started receiving not just replies, but proclamations as well. Some of the Governors are asking for in-state sponsors for the Proclamations and I may contact you to see if you'd be willing to serve as in state sponsor and request the proclamation on our behalf. If you were asked last year, it means your state requires one and I will probably be contacting you again this year. During the year the members of the S.A.M. perform for Senior Citizens in nursing homes, plus in VA Hospitals and for schools and libraries for children who cannot afford the luxury of live entertainment. The free shows are part of the service programs by its members. Magic Week is when the magicians can take their bows. Public magic events and exhibits will be taking place all over the country. Thank you for your support and for making National Magic Week so successful in the past. Let us try to make 2006 an even better and more successful one. Please feel free to contact me at 786-258-8762 on my cell or merlina17@aol.com or skype me at merlinamagic if you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance. As in the past, please send me photos of events, copies of your proclamations received and any publicity received or anything having to do with Magic Week for you and your assembly. Remember, now is the time to contact your Mayors and other local officials to have it proclaimed at local level as well. -------------------------------------------- 9. Tribute to Michael Martin -------------------------------------------- Message from Ben Vang (Aust) On the 31st July a very good friend and fellow magician passed away just 50 years old. Despite only having been into magic for about 8 years, Michael Martin was an enthusiastic addition to our fraternity and his bubbly personality will be sorely missed by the friends he made amongst magicians both here and in New Zealand. His wife asked me and another magician friend if we could do something magic in the church on the morning of the funeral. You will appreciate that it was with mixed feelings and some apprehension that we should present magic, in the church, and at a funeral. The trick chosen was the Six Card Repeat presented as the 5 Card Repeat, and in memory of Michael I have put together a 6 page booklet on the presentation, routine and patter used. The PDF booklet is available FREE of charge although a voluntary contribution to cancer research will be greatly appreciated. Read the full story and get the booklet here: http://magic.cameracheckpoint.com.au/index.html -------------------------------------------- 10. Australian Society of Magicians Inc. Centenary Convention 2007 -------------------------------------------- Message from Charles Gauci (Aust) Australian Society of Magicians Inc. Centenary Convention on the 7-8-9th July 2007 Update I am pleased to announce that the following top acts have agreed to perform and lecture at our convention. Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger, Shawn Farqhuar, Gaetan Bloom, Shoot Ogawa and the inimitable Lennart Green. This has to be the biggest line-up of top magicians from all over the world to perform at an Australian Convention. Some of Australia's top corporate magicians and illusionists will also be featured including Ray Crow, Ross Skiffington and Phil Cass just to mention a few. More local talent to be announced later. Please visit our website at http://www.magicians.org.au for more information. The website will be updated on a continuous basis. The registration costs for adults is AUS$280 and $140 for university students or juniors under 16years of age at time of registering. We have set-up Visa, MasterCard and PayPal facilities to make your payments. We ask Australian registrants to please pay by cheque as this will save the cost of bank processing on credit cards, No overseas cheques will be accepted. To help to ease the payment burden you can pay your registration over four payments. Bonus for early bird registrants. All those who register and pay $70.00 deposit by the 1st October 2006 will be eligible to go into a raffle. Five names will be drawn at the October ASM meeting and those five lucky people will have no further amount to pay - a saving of $210! This applies to all registrants including overseas visitors. This offer does not include the Banquet cost which is $100. The balance to be paid in 3 equal payments of $70.00 due 1st Jan, 1st March, and 1st May. After 1st March registration will cost AUS$330 for adults and $190 for University students and juniors. Those who wish to register for the banquet can still make payments by installments in Jan, March and May. In recent conventions, the majority of registrations did not take place until approximately three months prior to the convention date. This makes it extremely difficult for the organizers to set the convention budget. By registering early, and knowing how much we have to spend, it enables us to give you better value for money and engage more talent. We invite top class competitors from all over the world to compete in our close-up and stage competitions. Surely, the winners and place getters adding our prestigious award to their CV is a good enough reason to compete apart from the cash prizes.. Please send payments to the Australian Society of Magicians Inc. C/0 Mr. Nick Morton 78 Alpine Way Kilsyth Victoria 3137 Australia We look forward to meeting you all Charles Gauci President -------------------------------------------- 11. MAES 2007 Convention -------------------------------------------- Message from Phil Milstead (US) There is still time to register for the 2006 Convention of the Magicians' Alliance of the Eastern States, but hurry! The hotel rooms are quickly filling. Location: Trevose (Philadelphia suburb), Pennsylvania, USA Hotel: Trevose Radisson (http://www.radisson.com/trevosepa) @ $99/nite & up (mention MAES) Dates: September 7 - 9, 2006 Registration Info: www.maesonline.org Performers: Alain Choquette - Canadian superstar Joshua Jay - USA superstar Andy Dallas - SAM National President Richard Gustafson - SAM Past National President Glenn Strange - With his unusual full evening show Tim Sonefelt - Multiple-award-winning magic Richard Hughes - Classical and colorful Tom Jones - IBM "Magician of the Year" Mike Snyder & Donna - Award-winning illusionists Ken Scott - Atlanta "Magician of the Year" Shari Nelson - Teen superstar Danny Archer - Noted performer & lecturer Give & Take Jugglers - New Vaudeville at its best . & More! Dealers: 15 very willing to take your money Competitions: You bet! See www.maesonline.org Auction: September 7th - See www.maesonline.org This convention is great for youth and adults alike! Formed in 1938, this is one of the oldest regional conventions in the country and has always maintained its reputation for friendliness. See you there! -------------------------------------------- 12. Lost Luggage And Other Bits And Pieces -------------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) Update on Lost Luggage and Other bits and pieces ... My wife spent weeks phoning both United Airlines and Scandinavian Airlines and finally we were told they found it in Chicago but couldn't release it because it had 'chemicals' in it. Now I don't carry any type of chemicals, but they said, "is this a magicians bag?" ... My wife said yes. More phone calls upon my return and it turns out to be another magicians luggage which they found .. not mine. After being home and making constant calls to the airlines and airports, the response was always the same, can't locate it! Finally I called United Airlines in Vancouver (where I left originally) and the guy who answered the phone remembered me. He said, "you're the magician who works on ships" .. he was the same guy who checked me in. I asked him to look in his computer to see if the report had come in for my luggage as promised by United Lost Luggage. Just as I thought, nothing in the computer system as was promised by the airlines! He said he would go and look in lost luggage himself ... about 2 hours later he phones back and said he found it!! It had NEVER LEFT VANCOUVER. After it was tagged I guess all the luggage labels had come off and it was just sitting there in Vancouver airport. I couldn't believe my luck to find it and actually find somebody who was willing to get off his butt and go and look for it. What an ordeal .. I had already started to order new props for the show. I had to cancel work because it was lost. If anybody has looked at www.hocus-pocus.com they will notice my new line of magic effects. Hocus-Pocus now has the exclusive rights to all my line of magic so if you want to see what I am producing take a visit to their website and type my name in the Search part. I am also co-producing products with TC Tahoe and Andrew Gerard (consultant for Chris Angel). I am pleased to report that I now have my bookings on ships up until December 2007, mostly on RCI and Holland America. I am trying to slow down on the ship work so only accepting shorter contracts which gives me more time to work on the products and also concentrate on work on land including various gigs booked in Paris and Europe next year. Looks like I'll be making a very brief appearance in New Zealand in February next year. Will nice to go home after all these years! Regards Paul Romhany www.paulromhany.com www.chaplinmagic.com www.magicmasterclass.com -------------------------------------------- 13. Thinking Past The Common Objects Of Manipulation -------------------------------------------- Message from Kyle Peron (US) I kind of like to look at developing a manipulation act by thinking past the obvious and going beyond the norm in regards to the props we use. Who says a manipulator must use billiard balls, coins, cards or thimbles? The only people who say this are the magicians ourselves. We tend to hinder our own personal growth by always trying to contain ourselves to what we feel we have to do because that is what manipulative magic is all about. I say simply.. WHY? Why hinder yourself and your creativity by forcing your mind into a funnel that will only limit your results? So what happens when we look beyond the norm? Well failure can certainly happen and that scares so many people that they come running back to what they consider "safe". That is the life of a manipulator trying to tread on new grounds. However, I say, sure you may fail but isn't failure a learning tool? To me failure is not failure at all unless you fail at really learning from it. If you do learn from failure, then isn't failure just a stepping stone to success? I say yes! So strive to break out of this box that tells you a manipulator has to think a certain way or move a certain way or perform with certain objects. Now I am not saying give up on the foundations of manipulation. I want to be clear on that. A good manipulator must study and learn the building blocks of the manipulative art. This means learning, reading, watching videos and really understanding the moves and fundamentals of the manipulative art. An architect can not begin to build a new and different building until he learns to study the foundations that will hold it all together. The same applies to the manipulator. Learn these fundamentals of manipulation but do NOT force yourself into searching your magic videos or DVDs for inspiration on coming up with creative ideas for your own act. This is what so many of us do wrong. We go searching to latch on to what we feel has already been done, tested and know works. We do this because it is the safe way out. It is easy to follow what another has done. The heat is off us. If it fails, it is not our fault, but the fault of the person whose routine we may have used. Go beyond this. Do not force yourself into taking the easy way out. No one said creativity for a manipulator was going to be easy. It is not, but I can tell you that creativity and your own mind can create some of the most imaginative manipulation you have ever seen. You just have to try it and train your mind into thinking in creative terms. The magician Topas is a perfect example of this. Here is a man who obviously understands the foundations of manipulative magic but refuses to use the common props of the trade and refuses to do the same old thing. He has charted new grounds and territories by expanding upon what is possible if we just reach out. Why does a card have to always be a card? Break it down to simple terms and it really is a mere shape. A billard ball is also just a round circle. When you learn to break down the barriers that hinder us, you learn to realize that there are so many objects out there in our everyday world that can be adapted to moves and the foundations of which you already know. The idea is to go out there and find them and study them and work with them. Once you do that then you can really start to think in a creative fashion. Now your magic becomes as unique as you are and the character you play on stage in your manipulative act. If your act starts to use different and unique props, then these props could very well factor into a story being told by your character as you are doing the manipulations. Now you start to add and build in "layers" to your act. "Layers" to me is a term referring to what you as a manipulator can personally add to your act that is above and beyond a mere showing of skill alone. Sure a manipulator has to have skill, but should that be the only thing the audience has to latch on to? I say no way. Give the audience so much more then that. These layers can be anything such as themes, character, style, pacing, transition effects and emotional response to just name a few. Each of these starts to give the audience so much more to get excited about. Soon the manipulative act is not just a guy showing off some killer skill and me expecting to clap for it. The manipulator, using these layers can develop responses in the audience that are emotional in nature just based upon character or theme of what he or she is presenting on stage. So I say go and reach for creativity. Seek and study different objects that are not the norm for a manipulator. Learn from them and build upon them. Go away from your videos for inspiration for your act and learn to look at culture and the arts and music to give you ideas that have not been done before or even thought of. There is so much more where manipulative magic can go if we are willing to not be afraid of trying. Kyle Peron Magician and Illusionist Graphic Designer and Illustrator (Specializing in Logo creation) www.kyleandkellymagic.com -------------------------------------------- 14. 28th New Zealand International Magicians Convention -------------------------------------------- Hosted by Palmerston North Magic Circle (Inc) Palmerston North, New Zealand. 20th to 23rd of October 2006 For the registration html form to print off Go to: http://www.joel.co.nz/convention/reg_form.htm Information on the convention Go to: http://www.watson.co.nz/convention.html The Schedule of events Go to: http://www.joel.co.nz/convention/timetable.htm Convention headliners: David Williamson (USA) Lisa Menna (USA) Duane and Mary Laflin (USA) Joel Howlett (Aus) Alan Martell (UK) If you are planning to attend and have not booked - BOOK NOW - as seats are NOW VERY limited. ----------------- 15. The Amazing Orchante Saga ----------------- Message from Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)(UK ex-pat Kiwi) Page 114 Trevor King - Q S M 'The Game's On, Master'! 'The Game's on Master' was the famous saying that originated from the colourful entrepreneur from Invercargill, the late FRANK STAPP, who was a close friend of Trevor King's. Those legendary words have been stolen and used by countless entertainers, for years! The one person who really does have the 'unofficial' right to use them today is, Trevor King - 'THE MASTER'! I have an excellent newspaper article (one of several) about Trevor, which was written up by a Brian Cowley, a news reporter from Christchurch. It is so good in fact - I'm going to repeat some of it here. Unfortunately, I have no idea which paper it came from, or the date it appeared. 'Now that he is retired, Trevor King thinks he might take it easy - go to the movies, that sort of thing. Well, it's hard to break the habits of a lifetime! Trevor has been going to the movies for 45 years, matinee performances, afternoon showings, evening screenings. Trevor has seen them all and his work has never suffered as a result. Somehow, he has ALWAYS managed because, 'MANAGING', has always been his business - well nearly always. There was a time, back in 1938, when he hawked his ice-cream tray up and down the isles of the old 'Metro' Theatre in Colombo Street, Sydenham Christchurch, for 10 bob a week (a bob is a shilling in the old money). Then there were the days when he distributed promotional leaflets, advertising the vaudeville shows at the 'St James's' in Tuam Street. There was also a period when he pedalled his bike around 14 suburbs, slapping up posters advertising coming attractions. "PASTE TO ADVERTISE', didn't they say? He's been a doorman too. but nearly always Trevor King has been a theatre manager. He has done it well too. They would not have trusted him with so many theatres if he hadn't! Rather proudly, Trevor says he has managed every theatre in Christchurch - a total of 12, by his reckoning. His first manager's job was at the 'Liberty' Theatre (now the 'Savoy') when he was only 18 - that made him - 'THE YOUNGEST THEATRE MANAGER IN CHRISTCHURCH'! They were the days when people looked up and watched the 'Movie Stars' in wonderment. The 'Stars' at which Trevor gazed most intently were: Humphrey Bogart, Claude Raines, Larry Parks, Bette Davis, and Ingrid Bergman. To Trevor, their lustre will never diminish. If you were to ask him today which are his favourite screen personalities, you would get a repeat of the names listed above. If he had a cent in his pocket for every film he has viewed, his pants would fall down - and the 'Mammy' of them all is 'The Jolson Story'! He saw it nine times. Some movies are like that. They improve with every viewing. Not all dramas witnessed in Movie Theatres are enacted on the screen. Trevor recalls with amusement - although he did not smile at the time - an occasion when his telephone rang at 2 o'clock in the morning! 'Was that the manager of the Tivoli theatre', the caller inquired. Indeed he was quoth Trevor, but before the voice at the other end could continue, he offered him some cautionary advice. "I'm not coming down at this time the morning to open the theatre just because you lost something, come and see me at the Theatre later in the day and we'll look for it." However, lost property was not the man's problem; there was a greater urgency for Trevor's presence. "I need you come down now", the voice said, plaintively. "I fell asleep in the back circle and they've locked me in!" Wearily, Trevor obliged the anxious Patron. It was all in a day's - and a night's - work. A few years ago, his managerial talents were employed in a different capacity. He was charged with organising the New Zealand tour of a visiting troupe of Danish gymnasts, and escorting them around the country. They were travelling by bus when a tyre on one of vehicles' dual wheels punctured. Such was the heat generated by the deflated tyre, as it seared and scorched itself against the road - it caught fire! A rear window had to be smashed to extract the troupe's luggage but before all of it could be removed, the fire spread and the bus' fuel tank exploded! The Danes' Wellingon performance had to be postponed but worse. Trevor tore a gaping hole in his trousers as he clambered over a farm fence in search of assistance. Fortunately, they were no casualties. The gymnasts escaped, BY THE SEAT OF TREVOR'S PANTS! "It was awfully bad luck", Trevor said - then with a mischievous grin he added: "But it was the best publicity we could have hoped for - right across the front page!" Continues next week! -------------------------------------------- 16. Magic New Zealand e-zine Archives -------------------------------------------- Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/fezine.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) -------------------------------------------- 17. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to any other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. You can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand® E-zine at www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html. Magic New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday. The opinions expressed therein are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of Magic New Zealand®. Neither Magic New Zealand® nor Alan Watson vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via Magic New Zealand® E-zine. Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute to it by doing so agree they will not hold Magic New Zealand® or Alan Watson, jointly or individually liable or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed therein. Magic New Zealand® reserves the right to alter, correct or disregard any articles submitted. Readers are encouraged to submit timely articles or news items which may be of interest to subscribers. By submitting articles to this e-zine, the authors grant Magic New Zealand® the right to publish such articles and such authors confirm their copyright of the material submitted. All works published by Magic New Zealand® are protected by international copyright legislation and articles must not be published for profit by anyone other than the individual authors without the written permission of Magic New Zealand®. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this publication may be freely redistributed, but not sold, to other magicians if copied in its entirety, including the copyright notice below and the above disclaimer. © Copyright 2006 Alan Watson