* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment * www.Alan-Watson.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #693 Date: Sunday 13th September 2009 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. The Amazing Comedy Of TC Tahoe 3. Performers On This Year's "World Festival of Magic" 4. A New Sorceror Takes Over At the Magic Circle 5. S.A.M. Offers Free Lectures to Its Members 6. Remarkable Magic #10 - Nick Lewin 7. Speeding - "Exceeding the Limit" - #135 - Kyle Peron 8. Sale of the Christian Fechner Collection 9. Fantasma Happenings 10. Latest British Ring Convention News 11. Copperfield in Melbourne, Australia 12. 15th Annual SCAM Convention 2010 13. Riviera Hotel Las Vegas - Nick Lewin 14. Celebrate The Life Of A True Grand Master of Magic! 15. The Magic Of Today Is The Science Of Tomorrow! 16. Broken Wand - Durbin Oldham of the Louisville 17. "Magicana" Magazine Number 339 18. NZ - Auckland Family Comedy Magic Show 19. e-zine Archives 20. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- I received a large response to my message in last week's e-mail about Jack White IBM International President who suffered a diabetic stroke. Most where inquiring on where they could send cards and message to. Address them to: Jack White 4288 Arguello St. San Diego, CA 92103 USA. Or his email address is prestoone@cox.net and it is checked several times a day. ------------------------------ The Magic Circle (England) Election results: President Jack Delvin Vice President Scott Penrose Secretary David Ball Treasurer Keith Cooper Voted To Council Michael Bailey Michael Carr Rupert Connell Carol Cooper Robert Cox Mandy Davis Steve Dela Andrew Eborn Alan Maskell Fay Presto Peter Scarlett Alan Shaxon Brian Sibley Chris Wood Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. The Amazing Comedy Of TC Tahoe -------------------------------------------- Message by Mike Easterbrook (NZ) Another great lecture! On Friday last I drove to Auckland (two hours) to attend TC Tahoe's lecture at the Takapuna Library. At first I thought he'd done the lecture already as when I got there everyone was standing around outside but it turned out that the magicians were locked out of the venue temporarily. Introduced by Alan once we were inside TC Tahoe got into his stride and soon had everyone, well almost everyone, on his side. He has a huge repertoire of gags and asides and call backs. A lot of the time interacting with individual audience members even if they didn't want to. I think if you did not understand 'his character', you could perhaps be a little thrown by what's said, but all in all it was a great example of what to do with not very much in the way of magic props. I asked my mate Greg what he thought: I really enjoyed the TC Tahoe lecture and before I forget, I will remind you about the only thing that (we discussed) stood out to me that you may not have already mentioned in your reply to Alan about the lecture. Which was that his performance character fit him so well and was completely convincing and natural to him. There were actually several great reminders/lessons to me about character in performance, something I think many performers take quite some time to navigate before hopefully arriving at something that fits them as well.  It was hugely entertaining. I know this for a fact because the next night I was out at a function where Richard Webster had somehow (How does he do this?) talked TC into doing his act for real people. They had so much fun. He was probably one of the funniest performer I have seen at one of these "Webster events". The audience of around 60 people laughed almost continuously as TC Tahoe riffed from one thing to another with old gags like the cracking bones thing and the bit with the cigarette lighter, loo paper and a host of other throwaway stuff in between. Of course there was the odd gasp of amazement between the laughter which goes to show (and this reminds me of the New World Supermarket TV advertisement) "It's not what you do it's the way that you do it" Well done Richard and also Margaret and your group of willing helpers including Shane Thompson who did the sound but especially to TC and let's not forget his charming Scottish wife... I wonder if we're related? Lesley... thank you both. It was a blast! See you back here soon... I hope the pills are working!!! ----------------------------- "Hey Richard, please tell TC he was absolutely genius - hands down one of the absolute best live performances I've ever seen." - Mark Joyner, Internet marketing guru. -------------------------------------------- 3. Performers on This Year's "World Festival of Magic" -------------------------------------------- Message from Gene McCarthy The performers on this year's "World Festival of Magic" for Australia and New Zealand are our Michael Boyd (Aust) and James Dinmare (Canada). James Dinmare (Canada) http://dimmare.com/ Promo Video Michael Boyd (Aust) http://www.magic2.com.au/michael-boyd.html YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM2DN8wXA2k -------------------------------------------- 4. A New Sorceror Takes Over At the Magic Circle -------------------------------------------- Message by Jack Delvin (UK) Following the death of Ali Bongo, an election by all 1500 members of the prestigious magicians club, The Magic Circle, voted Jack Delvin as its new President. Jack Delvin has been a professional illusionist for over 50 years having performed every type of magic at the highest level. He has performed for some of the richest people in the world - The King of Saudi Arabia, and The Sultan of Brunei. He has performed at leading theatres - The London Palladium, Her Majesty's Theatre, The Mermaid and City Varieties Leeds. He has performed cabaret and close-up in the leading hotels and restaurants - Dorchester, Savoy, Grosvenor House, London Hilton, Grouchos, Café Royale. He has performed and advised on television shows - "One Foot in the Grave", Beadle's Box of Tricks", "Illusions", "Newman & Baddiel at Wembley Arena", and "Noel Edmond's House Party" where he cut off Phillip Schoffield's head with a giant guillotine. He had a long running radio show on London Broadcasting and has broadcast for BBC and BBC World Service. The announcement of his appointment was met with a warm reception at the Annual General Meeting held in the Circle's headquarters, The Centre for the Magic Arts, Euston. PRO, The Magic Circle. 01689 826169 -------------------------------------------- 5. S.A.M. Offers Free Lectures to Its Members -------------------------------------------- Message by George Schindler (US) The Trustees of the S.A.M. Magic Endowment Fund have recently voted to continue the popular lecture program started a number of years ago - to provide free magic lectures to those Assemblies that did not get them in the past. The purpose of the lecture program has been to assist Assemblies in gaining new members. Based on earlier results, it is the Fund's belief that in addition to membership growth, the lecture program will help to educate and assist in the development of better magicians and the performance of better magic. Several Past National Presidents have volunteered to lecture and would be available when and where their schedules permit. The list currently includes Andy Dallas, Craig Dickson, Dan Garrett, Dan Rodriguez, Bruce Kalver and George Schindler. All Associate or SYM members may attend the Assembly lectures at no charge. A paid membership card is the only ticket required. Only S.A.M members may attend. The program was initiated late in 2002 and into 2003, the Fund provided 50 Assemblies with performers. Michael Ammar, traveling in a motor home lectured in 10 states and did 36 lectures. Ali Bongo traveled to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and gave 12 lectures. Greg Wilson provided a few in California. Twenty- two states were covered before the Fund reached its allotted budget. The Society was rewarded with increased membership numbers. -------------------------------------------- 6. Remarkable Magic #10 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message from Nick Lewin (US) I see photos of magic people. I seem to have been more social this year than I have in a decade. I just attended my second (paid for, in full, by me!) conference within the past year. I am going to another event also in the near future, which is a personal best. One of these conventions was 'Magic Live' and the more recent one was an industry event for producers, buyers and performers in the corporate field. These two events were very similar and yet almost totally unalike in their ideas about the role of a performer and magician. There is a reason that I bring this matter up. It means that I have seen a lot of pictures magicians in my actual lifetime activities, between that and my dangerously high rate of Facebook addiction; this means I have seen a lot of pictures of magicians. We have reached a time when we are exposed to more photographs of a magician in a day, than we would in a year. When I look at the news feed on my Facebook site there are usually status updates from scores of magicians. Everyone has a photo alongside their updates and comments. I think it time to really rethink our public photographic policy. Maybe we should rethink our image in the community. Let's make a beginning by retiring two of the most overused and abused 'Magic' poses. We must publicly and permanently discard any publicity shot where the magician is gaping in surprise as flames emerge from his wallet or book. This was a pretty cool idea once upon a time but as Bob Dylan says "Things Have  Changed." When exposed to hundreds of magician's 8x10s, this aforementioned shot alone is enough to justify comedian's constant moaning that jugglers and magicians are all unoriginal copycats. It also kind of makes us look kind of dumb; the way we are always so shocked the way things keep bursting into flames. It seems to happen to magicians with such frequency, that they should be catching on by now. The second photograph pose that needs to be dropped like a hot thumb tip (You should know better than to use a metal thumb tip for a 'cigarette in jacket' routine.) is the 'Shhhhhhh' pose. You know, the one where the magician holds a finger in front of his pursed lips and mimes the word "Shhhhhhh" as if sharing (Or not sharing?) some amazing secret with the person looking at the photo. Besides this pose doesn't make you look mysterious, it makes you look like a Glenn Beck clone. On this secrecy thing, I believe that average 'civilians' are about 1/10th as fascinated by our 'Secrets' as we magicians are. I suspect the average magician would happily describe every trick that the masked magician will reveal in his next special. He will probably also tell you the date, time and channel when it's airing: so you cannot watch it. I will reserve my thought of magicians gazing intensely at the camera through a set of Linking Rings for another occasion. I am starting to post a whole series of original video, and highly coveted audio bites, on my blog. The link is http://nowmagic.info/nowmagic/ why not bookmark it or better still RSS it and check out what's going on there, or check out my website www.nicklewin.com -------------------------------------------- 7. Speeding - "Exceeding the Limit" - #135 - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message by Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com If you have ever driven a car, played a video game or watched NASCAR, then you know there is something to be said about the "need for speed." There is something exhilarating about going fast and feeling the power and adrenalin rush that comes from it. In many ways it becomes a drug and becomes habit forming. You experience it, enjoy it and crave more of it. But in the world of magical performance, speed doesn't always mean a good thing. As a performer, teacher and contest judge, one of the things I see so often of performers is the tendency to talk too fast, move too fast and have the show paced at a higher RPM than is really needed. It happens to all of us and in many cases we are not even aware of it unless it is pointed out to us. However, most of us do know it is happening even if we are not always certain as to why. If you have ever done magic to music, you will notice that in some cases when you perform the act on stage, you are ahead of your music but it was timed perfectly in rehearsal. So what is it that causes us to "speed up" during shows and how can we learn to control it? The first step in learning to control speed is simply being aware that is does happen and will happen to every performer. Making yourself aware of it is the first step in learning to control it better. But why control it? How can speed be seen as a negative thing? Well what happens when a performers speeds up is that the audience never gets a chance to fully enjoy what is being presented. Keep in mind that we are there to entertain an audience through the usage of the magical arts and its tools. It is very hard for an audience to hear what the performer is saying if he or she speaks too fast. It is difficult to enjoy a routine if the audience is never given a chance to rest and absorb what is taking place. We can say in essence, speeding up causes a hindrance to the entertainment experience. One of the most common areas of "speeding" is when a performer talks too fast during the act or addressing the audience or helper. As a performer you know the script of every routine so well that you can probably recite it in your sleep. I know many of you probably have found yourselves on auto pilot during some shows and not even realize that you are half way through the act. Sound familiar? Because we are so accustomed to knowing what we have to say, we do not have to consciously think about it much. When you are forced to think about anything, the body and mind automatically forces oneself to slow down. So first take time to be in the moment and to think about what you are saying even if you have done it 1,000 times before. Remember that your audience is experiencing it for the very first time. Then learn to breathe properly. This sounds crazy but there is much to be said about learning to breathe properly when on stage. It slows down the metabolism and keeps you calm. Another reason why performers speed up is simply out of fear and anxiety. There are many reasons why one can be nervous during a performance. It can come from trying out a new routine or act for the first time. It could be because the client is very important. Whatever the reason, anxiety and fear will make a person move and talk faster. It is the body's natural reaction to try and escape from what it fears and get itself into a safe place. So what you can do to combat this is to take time to get to any event early. Give yourself not only proper time to set up the show, but also proper time to set YOURSELF up. If you are rushing too much to get the show ready, you are not allowing enough time to get your body and mind into the moment. Always take time to yourself before every show to simply relax and rest and get yourself in a relaxed state. When you are more relaxed and properly prepared, you will not feel the need to speed up. You can relax knowing everything is as it should be. Speed is also something you can actually work on and counter attack by adding breaks into the routines and acts you perform. Too many performers do not manually place pauses into what they present. Every routine I create, I take a look at and place pauses into the routine. These are actually thought out long before the routine is ever shown to an audience. The pauses allow me to take a quick break but more importantly it gives the audience a chance to take in what just happened. All it takes it adding in a simple 3 second count at various logical spots in routines. But speed does not always happen just to the performer alone. Speed can also come from poor pacing of the show in general. In many ways how your show is set up is very much like a movie. Your entire show cannot be like a 45 minute car chase. If everything is paced at the same speed, then the audience simply has no way of keeping up with it or having a chance to applaud you. Like a good movie, you need to be aware of the pacing of your show. Take time out to see how one routine is backed up to another. Perhaps a fast moving illusion number should be followed up next by a slower audience participation number in front of the curtain. I hope some of these tips and ideas will be of help to you. I know many of them are not new and certainly was not created by myself. However, I think we all can benefit from being reminded of these important things from time to time. Sometimes simply printing out these reminders, so we can see them, help us to realize the things we should always be doing. As always, I encourage you the readers to let me know your thoughts. So if you have any thoughts on my articles or suggestions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me directly at magic4u02@aol.com. I would love to hear from you. - I would like to let everyone know that I just released a NEW book and E-Book to the magic Community. "Blue and Gold! The Complete Guide to Working the Scout Market!" is now available as a soft cover printed book as well as an ebook download. - "Encore! Creativity in the Art of Magic" Ebook. Order online now at: http://www.magicenhancer.com/Encore.html - "Tips and Techniques on the Chair Suspension" Ebook. Order online now at: http://www.magicenhancer.com/ChairSuspension.html -------------------------------------------- 8. Sale of the Christian Fechner Collection -------------------------------------------- Message by Peter Schuster (Germany) The auction sale of the German section of the Christian Fechner-Collection will be held in Berlin on October 4th, 2009. A richly illustrated and annotated catalogue with 155 pages (online and printed) is ready and may be ordered at the auction house Hauff & Auvermann: www.hauff-und-auvermann.de Badensche Straße 29, · 10715 Berlin. The Magischer Zirkel Berlin will at this occasion organize a collectors and historians meeting the day before the auction, on October 3rd, in his club-rooms. The schedule is under preparation. Have a look at: www.magischer-zirkel-berlin.de Schöneberger Ufer 61, 10785 Berlin. Please drop a line when you like to participate. The sale-objects are mainly part of the former Adolphe Blind-Collection which passed to Christian Fechner in the eighties of the last century. The Fechner-collection also includes several other German items stemming from various sources. There are many very rare objects. The 469 books beginning with the "Karten-Künste" (1676) are nearly all listed in the bibliography of Clarke and Blind (1920). The catalogues and lists of magic dealers around 1900 as published in the illustrated bibliography "Horster, Willmann & Co." (2007) that Christian Fechner offered to the participants of the 2nd European Conference in Berlin. Periodicals including the first German "Magische Briefe aus dem Zauber-Reiche" (only this one is known) and the rare "Zauberkünstler" by Suhr. Documents like Photos, letters, post cards, handbills and memorabilia by Bellachini, St. Roman, Willmann, Horster, Kratky-Baschik, Ernest Thorn, Adolphe Blind, Kalanag and many others. 87 posters from Chambly, Cumberland, Hugos, Kalanag (the earliest of 1918 !), Kassner, Kratky-Baschik, Fischer-Marteau, St. Roman, Ernest Thorn, Weyer and others. -------------------------------------------- 9. Fantasma Happenings -------------------------------------------- Message by Jim (US) The spirit of Doug Henning lives on at Fantasma! Those of you who have been to the shop know that Doug Henning is one of our favorite magicians of all time. In fact, in order to get into our private party room one must pass one's hand over Doug's picture in the Magic Show poster we have on the secret entrance. We are also proud to have a pair of Doug's original boots and costume from one of his World of Magic television specials as well as a bunch of one of a kind posters, photos, show cards etc. So it will come as no surprise that when we heard about John Harrison's new bestselling biography Spellbound, The Wonder-Filled Life of Doug Henning we said you must have your book signing and party here. Well, last night was the event and it was an even more magical night than we expected. Not only was it an enlightening evening, with a nostalgic video look back on some of Doug's most classic TV moments and then talk from John Harrison, but it also included a Q & A with Doug's good friend and magic consultant Charles Reynolds. It was Charles' birthday, so we threw him a surprise party and boy was he was surprised, but not nearly as much as our other special guest who we surprised and honored with the Fantasma Lifetime Achievement Award, Mr. Tony Spina. It was so good for all of us to see Tony again. He looked great and his magic was as good as ever. He answered questions about Doug Henning in the Q & A with Charles Reynolds and John Harrison and then performed Slydini's Cut & Restored Rope routine to perfection! Tony has a new wife, Nancy, who helped him with a wonderful American flag/change bag routine that brought the house down. The evening was great and we will have lots more special evenings like these in the coming weeks. Save the Dates Tuesday September 15th - 7pm Rafael Benatar - Lecture - #4621 His lecture at Fantasma will include commercial and practical items from his professional repertoire such as the color-changing silk, stand-up and table card magic and by popular request his e-cups routine, with new insight on the cups and balls. General admission $25.00, $30.00 day of event, $35.00 VIP Thursday September 24th - 7pm Paul Gertner- Lecture - #4622 In this one of a kind lecture Corporate Magician Paul Gertner will have you taking a second look at magic that you have purchased, played around with and then placed back on the shelf. Paul also performs an opening Close-Up Show which includes a performance of his classic routines including among others The Cups & Steel Balls, Unshuffled and that's Ridiculous. General Admission $25.00, $30.00 day of event, $35.00 VIP Thursday October 8th - 7pm Alex Pandrea- Lecture - #4634 Underground magician and co-star of the hit DVD AM/PM, Alex Pandrea will lecture on effects from the AM/PM DVD as well as some hot new material that has never been published before. Alex will share his unique take on magic with cards and money as well as household objects such as cigarette lighters and sugar packets. Don't worry, even if you're not a smoker or a sugar junkie you'll still love this lecture! A FREE printout of a un-released effect will be given to everyone in attendance. General Admission $20.00, $25.00 day of event, $30.00 VIP Coming Soon Friday November 13th - Michael Ammar Show & Lecture - TBD Saturday November 14th - Michael Ammar Workshop - TBD Jim Fantasma Magic 421 7th Avenue - 2nd Floor New York, NY 10001 212 244-3633 -------------------------------------------- 10. Latest British Ring Convention News -------------------------------------------- Message by Bob Hayden (UK) PRO to the British Ring Immediately after the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday 23rd September the Convention gets off to a cracking start with a magical curtain raiser. Hosted by Paul Ray it blends together the talents of Mark Shortland with his zany comedy magic, Jonathon Shotton with his Shield winning 'Clocks' act and the illusions of Sean Heydon. Paul is a comedy entertainer with a big difference. He supplements his magical talent with his uncanny impressions as we saw when he won the Tom Harris cup for Comedy in the Eastbourne Shield competition of 2004. There could be no better combination of contrasting magical ability to whet your appetite for the non-stop magic that will occupy the next four days. This year's Thursday Night show is an all British one, provided you accept John Lenahan as such. Well he came to this country in 1964 and has never left. Your compere will be Tony Stevens. One thing Tony can be relied on is to keep the show moving. He always has a non-stop stream of gags and jokes making him the king of offbeat observational humour. He has also been known to show off his vocal talent. How many of you remember, on a previous occasion, his excellent rendition of Frank Sinatra's 'Come fly with me'? As well as John Lenahan Tony will be introducing John Kimmons the magical ventriloquist and Guy Barrett & Company with their startling illusions. There will also be Tony Parx who we have not previously told you about. Tony is a polished skilful slick card manipulator. Watch out for his final surprise production, it's something completely different. Tony gleaned his initial magical skills as a junior of The Northern Magic Circle, who over the years have been responsible for nurturing many of today's magical stars. The Fringe at Southport. We have had it confirmed by Fay Presto that a Fringe Club bar will be open at the Southport Arts Centre in Lord Street until 2.00am with food being available and will be open from Wednesday to Saturday. If there is a demand, Fay will try to have this time extended. You therefore will be able to buy a drink until the early morning without having to produce a hotel key and still be able to watch the show. How many of you will be foregoing sleep when there is the chance to see helpings of Fringe magic? Quite a few it is predicted. Two people we always look forward to meeting at our Convention are the International President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and his lady. This year would have been no exception especially after reading about Jack White's long and interesting involvement with magic which appeared in the July Issue of The Linking Ring. He and his wife Lynn were particularly looking forward to meeting members of the British Ring, a Ring held in high esteem by the parent organisation. Regretfully Jack has been hospitalised and although it is expected he will be discharged before the 23rd September, his medical advisors have forbidden him to fly under any circumstances. We are sorry Jack that you are prevented from joining us and we wish you a speedy recovery to full health and sincerely hope you and Lynn will find it possible to visit us in one of the forthcoming years ahead as we would love to meet you both in person. We are fortunate that there will be at least one past International President attending in the person of John R Browne III who will be accompanied by his wife Jan. You will remember that John and Jan were planning to come to Eastbourne last year but Jan unexpectedly developed a serious and dangerous eye ailment which precluded them from travelling. Jan has now considerably improved and both are looking forward to meeting up with old friends just as much as we are looking forward to having them with us once again. To prove that the British Ring Convention is highly regarded in the world of magic the President of F.I.S.M. Eric Eswin is joining us for a second consecutive year. We congratulate Derek Lever on securing the nomination to organise and host the 2012 F.I.S.M. Championships in Blackpool. Derek, with his vast experience and ability in organising large Conventions, F.I.S.M. 2012 is bound to be highly successful. Many other overseas visitors have already registered are coming from Denmark, Holland, U.S.A, Belgium, Ireland and South Africa. Soma, who will be performing his F.I.S.M Grand Prix winning act in the Late Late Show on Friday evening tells us that a 45 minute interview between him and Magic Newswire has been posted on magicwewswire.com The interview includes his experience at F.I.S.M., his feelings about the competition and the Convention and the development process of his award winning Phone act. The link, if you have time to listen to this interview is http://www.linkingpage.com/magicnewsfeed/2009/8/6/mnw-127-soma-fism-world-champion.html Each year The Welfare and Benevolent Fund, through the Chief Welfare Officer the Rev Alan Clarke and his nationwide network of Welfare Officers send comforting gifts and cards to those members of the British Ring who are sick or have been involved in an accident. Likewise many a member has received help when they have found themselves in a distressed circumstance or are suffering a severe hardship. To enable the Fund to be vibrant and continue its valuable service it has to be adequately funded. In the Ring's formative years this was done entirely by voluntary donations. As the Ring grew donations alone were insufficient to meet the demand on its services. In 1952 at the 24th Convention, to raise money to supplement the fund Tombola was organised, the prizes being donated by the members. It succeeded in achieving its aim and has been continued ever since to become a substantial annual fund raiser. At the same time a Welfare Stand was established by the late Eddie Dexter for the purpose of selling novelties being gifts from generous Ringers together with running a mammoth raffle for bottle prizes at 1p per line. The stand initially manned by Eddie was subsequently taken over by Cynthia Neptune who with a loyal band of helpers have run it ever since. As the Ring grew donations alone were insufficient to meet the demand on its services. In 1952 at the 24th Convention, to raise money to supplement the fund Tombola was organised, the prizes being donated by the members. It succeeded in achieving its aim and has been continued ever since to become a substantial annual fund raiser. At the same time a Welfare Stand was established by the late Eddie Dexter for the purpose of selling novelties being gifts from generous Ringers together with running a mammoth raffle for bottle prizes at 1p per line. The stand initially manned by Eddie was subsequently taken over by Cynthia Neptune who with a loyal band of helpers have run it ever since. Cynthia makes an appeal before the Convention for members to donate memorabilia, gifts, jewellery and novelties especially those with a magic motif to be sold to the Conventioneers from the Welfare Stand which is open throughout the Convention as well as prizes for the Tombola. Any unwanted magical props or books find their way to the grand Auction. So please support the Fund by bringing your contributions to the Welfare Stand as early in the Convention as possible. If you are not attending this year please arrange for a friend to bring them or forward them to Cynthia Neptune 30 Ivanhoe, Monkseaton, Whitley bay NE25 9Aw telephone: 0191 252 9151. Your contributions will be most thankfully received and all the money raised will be used to benefit those sick or in need. It was in 1999 that the Auction of props and books donated by members to be sold became a listed event in the Convention programme. It is expected this year's Auction will attract great interest as it includes the entire collection of props, library and manuscripts of our late respected member Fred Hughes aka John Fox. His whole collection has painstakingly been sorted and collated by Donald Bevan and will be auctioned by the formidable team of Derek Lever and Michael Shepherd at 1.15pm on Saturday 26th September in the Waterfront Suite Room. Be advised. This is not a 'junk' sale as it contains a number of props which could be of great interest to the discerning collector. A list of the props available can be seen by going to the Announcements page in the Members Area of this website. If you are not a member you can receive the list of what's on offer by making an e-mail request to me at bobring25@aol.com To be able to make a bid you must be registered for the whole Convention or have a Saturday day ticket. It is now just two weeks before the 73rd Annual Convention of the British Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians starts so there is still time for you to make your registration. All you have to do is press the Register button and follow the instructions. Nothing could be simpler. You know you want to do it. So do it .now! -------------------------------------------- 11. Copperfield In Melbourne, Australia ------------------------------------------ Message by Patrick McCullagh (Aust) I have to agree with Ron Gallagher, I thought David Copperfields show was way too short had no real buzz to it and was lackluster. For the price of the tickets I was highly disappointed. As you know I have seen many Vegas style illusion shows and this was a half hearted effort in comparison to most. I also went a saw the Slava show here in Melbourne (both independent of Ron) and it was exciting inspiring and fun and not expensive. Last Friday I went to see Amazing Jonathan, who I have seen many times and he is still very funny but above all entertaining. These qualities did not come through with Copperfield. I am not a whinger but it really was bad. -------------------------------------------- 12. 15th Annual SCAM Convention 2010 -------------------------------------------- Message by Henry A Pettit, Treasurer, SC Association of Magicians Convention henryapettit@att.net 803-730-3391 S. C. Association of Magicians 15TH Annual Convention January 15, 16, 17, 2010 The Clarion Hotel, Columbia, SC www.scamcon.org There will be Great Lectures, Workshops, a close-up show, a stage and close-up contest with cash prizes and awards, a special magic auction, a Cabaret Show and a Gala Show followed by a special after party. The Talent Michael Ammar is known throughout the world of Magic and beyond as a living legend. His credits are extensive and his talent is second to none. You may have experienced his lecture, perhaps witnessed the performance of his one man show and maybe attended one of his workshops. However, you can never get too much of Michael Ammar. Michael will lecture; perform in the close-up show and the Gala Show. He will also conduct a Workshop on Sunday. Michael will also have a booth in the Dealer's Room. Hannah Ammar, the charming and lovely wife of Michael will be joining him as they perform the classic effect "The Willard Spirit Cabinet", handed down for over one hundred years from her grandfather, James Frances Willard. Harry Anderson is an accomplished actor, writer, director and magician. But we love him most when he is sharing that special brand of magic that he is known for. He started out as a street performer and found his way to the Magic Castle where he was "discovered" which led him to Las Vegas then to Saturday Night Live and beyond. His more than 70 major credits include: Cheers as Harry "The Hat"; Judge Harold Stone on Night Court; and as Dave Barry on Dave's World. There were many more. Harry will Lecture, perform on the Gala Show and will conduct a workshop on Sunday. Kenrick "Ice" McDonald: Illusion Captivation Enchantment. From the Magic Castle to the Magic Convention, all who witness the magic of "ICE" have been amazed by the exceptional talent of one of magic's Master Magicians. SCAM 2010 is the perfect place to watch him in performance. You will see him lecture; perform in the Cabaret Show and also the Gala Show. Gene Anderson! You give him a newspaper and he will create a miracle of magic. Let him take the stage and perform his own style of magic and humor and you will have an entertainment experience that you will not soon forget. You will also be inspired to work harder on your own show. Gene will be giving a lecture, performing in the Cabaret Show and MC and perform on our Saturday Night Gala Show. Eric Jones: Armed with cunning sleight-of-hand and a charming personality. Eric has made a name for himself in the world of close-up magic with a dedication to hard work and intense practice. Eric will be lecturing; performing in the close-up show and the Gala Show and will have a booth in the Dealer's Room. He will also be conducting a late night workshop Friday night. Tom Craven created his own brand of entertainment which he calls VIP Magic because his audiences are Very Important People, both on a personal and business level. His personable and devilishly clever brand of magic entertainment combined with his skill as a lecturer is just what magicians are looking for in the complete and balanced magic convention. Tom will lecture, MC the Cabaret Show and perform in the close-up show and the Gala Show  Tommy Johns. Tommy is a veteran performer of Children's magic who produces educationally significant school programs that inspire children to read and excel in their education. Based in Roswell, Georgia and performing over 500 shows a year in school libraries, assemblies and other institutions, Tommy covers a wide range of state mandated curriculum and testing including: science, geography, social studies, character education, writing, and of course reading. The interdisciplinary approach allows him to creatively teach a variety of topics in a fun way. His use of magic, music, interactive storytelling and puppetry produce highly successful programs that are a model for education through entertainment. Tommy's appearance at SCAM 2010 offers the opportunity to learn from one of the best, even if you don't do Children's Magic. Tommy will lecture, perform in our Cabaret Show and be in our Gala Show. Harry Allen. Harry is known for many things, among them an accomplished magician with over 42 years of magical performances all over the world, Co-Owner of Daytona Magic, Producer of Daytona Festival of Magic and Author of books and DVD's. We welcome him back and look forward to learning from his lecture on comedy and enjoying his performance in the Cabaret Show Friday night. And, of course, he will be in the Dealer's Room. The Complete Magic Experience with Great Southern Hospitality, you are sure to renew old friendships and create new ones. Come experience the Magic of SCAM 2010! www.scamcon.org -------------------------------------------- 13. Riviera Hotel Las Vegas - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message by Nick Lewin (US) Date: September 14th, 2009 @ 8:30pm to September 20th, 2009 @ 10am Location: Riviera Hotel Las Vegas Address: 2901 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, NV 89109-1931 (702) 734-5110 For further info call 702-521-9102 nicklewin.com -------------------------------------------- 14. Celebrate The Life Of A True Grand Master of Magic! -------------------------------------------- Message by Michael S. Chaut (USA) Come out to celebrate and remember the magical life of "Professor" Bobby Baxter at Seppi's Restaurant, 119 West 56th Street (at the Parker Meridien Hotel - between 6th & 7th Avenue) on Wednesday, September 16th at 7PM. Bobby was a legend in the New York magic scene and all over the world. He was a great close-up technician and stage performer. He played all of the great supper clubs, the London Palladium, the Ed Sullivan Show, with the Great Ricciardi many times, and in NY, he worked at the Magic Towne House, Mostly Magic and in his later years, Monday Night Magic. He was 89 years old. His real name was Edwin Ziegler. Let's not forget him. Please help us spread the word so that everyone who knew and loved Bobby can come out and join us. This evening has been planned and organized by Bobby's longtime friend and confidante (in his later years), Ingrid Spangler and will be hosted by Seppi's Restaurant http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat2.php Beer, wine and some food and will be supplied (complimentary) by Seppi's Restaurant. As we will need to alert Seppi's as to the amount of people to expect, please RSVP to info@magicalnights.com or call 718-575-1349. Michael Chaut 718-575-1349 (Office) -------------------------------------------- 15. The Magic Of Today Is The Science Of Tomorrow! -------------------------------------------- Message by Brad Zinn (US) Scientists have now levitated mice using magnetic fields. Other researchers have made live frogs and grasshoppers float in mid-air before, but such research with mice, being closer biologically to humans, could help in studies to counteract bone loss due to reduced gravity over long spans of time, as might be expected in deep space missions or on the surfaces of other planets... Balance of article go to: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,548482,00.html?test=latestnews -------------------------------------------- 16. Broken Wand - Durbin Oldham of the Louisville -------------------------------------------- Message by Bill Oldham Magical Bill's Balloonacy in Melbourne, Australia This is to let you know that my dad, Durbin Collins Oldham, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at the Episcopal Church Home in Louisville, Kentucky. He was 89 years old. Dad began his magic career at the age of about ten years old. During his career, he was the President of the IBM chapter in Louisville, Ky. I believe that Dad influenced some of the more famous magicians to come out of Louisville. But since I am uncertain of the details, I will simply leave it at that and hope that others may fill in the gaps for me. I still remember Dad performing a new routine for me after he had it down. Sometimes I would simply say, "That was really good, Dad." And sometimes this had the desired effect when he would say, "Do you want me to show you how to do it?" My answer was always, Oh yes please!" However, just as often he would say, "Can you keep a secret?" And I knew what that meant when he would not even wait for an answer and jump in and say, "So can I!" Wherever he wind up, he will be looking for someone to whom he can show a Tree of Hearts and a Fortune Telling Fish. And then passing them on to them and asking them to show it to someone else. He really did believe that laughter was the therapy to make people happier. Regards, Bill Oldham -------------------------------------------- 17. "Magicana" Magazine Number 339 -------------------------------------------- Message by Michael Woolf (NZ) "Magicana" Magazine number 339 is in the mail to subscribers. In this issue are full reports from the IBM and SAM Conventions plus information on the upcoming NZ Palmerston North Magical Weekend Convention. There's a great cover picture of guest lecturer Terry Herbert, details of the World Festival of Magic tour plus regular columns from Bernard Reid, Ken Ring, Wayne Rogers, David Ginn, Terry Seabrooke, Richard Webster and Roderick Mulgan. Subscribe now to "Magicana" - the flagship magic magazine published in New Zealand since 1953. Published bi-monthly. International Subscription (air postage included) $NZ60 or your local equivalent. Details at "Magicana" website www.magicana.co.nz New Zealand subscription $NZ50. -------------------------------------------- 18. NZ - Auckland Family Comedy Magic Show -------------------------------------------- Message by Mick Peck President SCMC NZ - Auckland Family Comedy Magic Show The "Shore Is Magic!" family comedy magic show features performances by some of the top magicians in New Zealand, illusions, ventriloquism, special guest performers, and is hosted by a comedian. Join us for a family-friendly show of comedy, magic and fun! Four Shows Only: Friday September 18th, 7:30pm Saturday September 19th, 1:00pm Saturday September 19th, 4:00pm Saturday September 19th, 7:30pm The Rose Theatre, School Road, Belmont Adult $15, Child $10 Special Family Concession (2A3C) : $50 More information at www.scmc.co.nz -------------------------------------------- 19. 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) -------------------------------------------- 20.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.Alan-Watson.com 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 2009 Alan Watson