* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment * www.Alan-Watson.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #715 Date: Sunday 6th December 2009 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. "Siegfried & Roy: Unique In All The World" 3. IBM Annual Convention 2010 Talent 4. More Remarkable Magic #19 - Nick Lewin 5. Magician as Superhero - #145 - Kyle Peron 6. 30th New Zealand International Magicians Convention Update 7. Las Vegas Magic - December, 2009 8. Traveling The World With Paul Romhany 9. International Magic Convention Coverage And Photos 10. The Magical Adventures Of Eric DeCamps 11. David Ben, Has Started Blogging 12. 58th Annual Blackpool Magic Convention Programme 13. Broken Wand - Harry Wise 14. www.organizationalmagic.com 15. "Magicana" Magazine No. 340 16. e-zine Archives 17. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- Sad to hear that Jim Cellini has passed away. I can still remember many years ago when he performed his cups and balls in our lounge at home. ------------------------- Whaley's Who's Who In Magic Copyright by Lybrary.com, reproduced with permission. http://www.lybrary.com/ Cellini (USA: fl.1970s-80s) Stage name of Jim Sullivan. Pro street magician in San Francisco (late 1970s-early 80s), New Orleans, New York City (1981), Europe. Works in renaissance garb with gibecière. Pet effects: Linking Rings, Cups-&-Balls, etc. Assistant is "Eileen". Rated best at street magic by Frank Garcia & Mike Rogers. Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. "Siegfried & Roy: Unique In All The World" -------------------------------------------- Message by Diana Zimmerman (US) Publication Update Dear Friends, We have some really exciting news. We have been given access to a large private collection of Siegfried and Roy memorabilia. It contains items S&R don't even have. And while the decision to include several of these items will delay the publication of "Siegfried & Roy: Unique In All The World" until the Spring of 2010, with this important find, we will nearly double the original size of the book and include even more rare items. And there's more incredible news. Paul Stone has given us permission to include a DVD of the entire "Tribute to Siegfried and Roy at the London Palladium" show with performances by such magical greats as Norm Nielsen, John and Pam Thompson, Kalin and Jinger, Vik & Fabrini, Jeff Hobson, Luis de Matos, Jason Byrne, Raymond Crowe, and Wally Eastwood with a special appearance by the "Puppet Army" from the Mirage show and, of course, Siegfried and Roy. The pre-orders for "Siegfried & Roy: Unique In All The World" www.noesispublishing.com remain extremely robust. Two, three, and, in some cases, even four orders from one collector for this one-of-a-kind book are still pouring in. And remember, a portion of all proceeds will go to the 501c3 charity, MagiCaresT. We have still not firmed up the date for the "Cutting of the Marquee" event, but are working on that, as well. Of course, everyone who has pre-ordered the book is invited to join us. If you haven't pre-ordered, do so now. It's not too late. www.noesispublishing.com will take you to the 18-page color downloadable booklet-a collector's item, unto itself-and your chance to own a piece of history. If you have not yet signed up for your copy of "Siegfried & Roy: Unique in All The World," we encourage you not to miss this unprecedented opportunity to be a part of history. Book one sold at auction in London for $3,000.00. We have no idea what the secondary market will be, but with collectors buying up to four copies at a time, it well may exceed expectations. www.noesispublishing.com Sincerely, Diana S. Zimmerman Robert Gould www.noesispublishing.com -------------------------------------------- 3. IBM Annual Convention 2010 Talent -------------------------------------------- Message from - Dale Salwak (US) The 2010 International Brotherhood of Magicians Annual Convention will be held in San Diego, California, July 6-10. It promises to be a week of sensational international talent with two gala shows, banquet and show, Gold Medal finalists competition, lectures, workshops, close-up performers, cabaret, dealer displays, and much more. Full information including registration forms is available on www.magician.org. Dale Salwak has confirmed that the following talent will appear with more names soon to be announced: Jerome Murat (France) Stage: Inspiration is the foundation of any art. Jerome Murat combines mime, magic, and extraordinarily creative characterizations into one of the most artistic acts you will ever see. David Roth Close-Up: Dai Vernon wrote about David Roth: "First let me state that David Roth has an amazing ability when performing with coins. He is truly a genius. I have been fortunate to have enjoyed the confidence and friendship of the leading exponents of coin manipulation of the past. T. Nelson Downs, Allan Shaw, Manuel and Welch Miller all specialized in this branch of the magical art. To the very best of my judgment, David's ideas and execution far surpass any one of them. I feel quite certain that if they could witness his performance they would not only be astounded but realize that they had seen the master." Lecture: David Roth is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest living coin magicians. He was an important contributor to Richard Kaufman's "Coinmagic," a widely regarded text on contemporary coin technique; and his major work was chronicled in "David Roth's Expert Coin Magic," a massive hardcover tome also penned by Richard Kaufman. David has lectured for magic enthusiasts around the world and has produced numerous instructional videos. Extra Ticket Item: Two Workshops Limited to 10 Registrants each (advance registration $100) Jeff Hobson Stage: Jeff Hobson is one of the most in-demand comedy magicians working today. His refreshing and clever mix of comedy and magic has brought him back for repeat performances all over the world. Lecture: Hobservations on magic covers stage, sleight-of-hand, close-up with cards and kid show magic. Something for everyone, in other words, mixed with Jeff's unique brand of humor. Max Maven Stage: The late Orson Welles wrote that Max Maven has "the most original mind in magic." Indeed. Using an advanced (and highly unorthodox) set of psychological principles and techniques, Max is able to discern the thoughts of total strangers. Subliminal persuasion and the power of suggestion are pushed to the limit. People magazine hailed his work as "a new form of participatory theater." Max has appeared on hundreds of television and radio programs, top talk shows and variety specials, as well as acting on comedy and dramatic shows. He's published over 1700 creations in the conjuring literature, and been an advisor to over a hundred television shows. Lecture: Most of Maven's mind-boggling feats are accomplished through psychological subterfuge that he himself has cunningly created...If mystery does indeed give magic its meaning, then the enigmatic persona of Max Maven makes us ever mindful of the art that is hidden in the mystery of magic." Joshua Jay Close-Up: Joshua's magic is up-close and personal  simple, clear and undeniable. It happens when you're watching, no matter how close you're watching. The secret is right in front of you. His main performance style is close-up. Coins, ropes, even a television remote vanishing, stretching, and defying expectations in countless other ways. But his passion is cards. These are head-turning, jaw-dropping pieces of strange that have garnered Joshua international renown as a card magician extraordinaire. Lecture: Joshua Jay is not only one of magic's brightest performers, but also one of its smartest gifted teachers. In his lecture, Compelling Close-up Magic, you will learn astonishing, artful close-up and parlor magic. For the first time in 7 years, he is presenting an all new lecture. Joseph Gabriel Stage: Johnny Carson, kingpin of American late-night television, introduced Joseph Gabriel, and what transpired on the Tonight Show stage for the next several minutes was sufficient to amaze millions of viewers and leave Carson himself visibly and vocally enthused. One of the classiest magic acts you're going to see in a long time! The best I've seen! This was Carson's reaction after witnessing Joseph Gabriel's first appearance on the Tonight Show in 1983. Over the next several years, Joseph would appear a total of seven times with Carson. Gabriel has appeared on virtually every major television variety show, most notably his televised Command Performance for President Reagan. Months later, February 1984, Joseph Gabriel made his Las Vegas debut fittingly in the most lavish show in town, the Lido de Paris at the Stardust Hotel. Shawn Farquhar (Canada) Close-Up: Shawn has performed and lectured for the world's best magic events including London's famed Magic Circle, Siegfried and Roy's and Japan's World Magic Seminars, Club Magico Italiano's 125 Anniversary, the Australian Magic Circle's Centenary and the world's largest magic convention in Blackpool, England. In July of 2009 he was named Grand Prix World Champion of Close Up magic in Beijing, China at the 24th FISM World Championships of Magic. He is also the only magician in history to win first prize in both Close Up and Stage from the International Brotherhood of Magicians and is proud to be a member of the Order of Merlin. Lecture Bread & Butter is an entertaining lecture of effects from Shawn's current performance repertoire. It includes many of the ideas Shawn has used to win magic's most prestigious awards. The lecture involves cards, CD's, photographs, poker chips and creativity. What will you learn? First and foremost you will learn your time has been well spent! The lecture is presented as a professional performance. It's fast paced, entertaining and the magic taught is clear, concise, amazing and most importantly within the grasp of everyone who attends. The magic is amazing, amazingly easy! Katalin (Hungary) Stage: This Hungarian-born beauty has taken the magic world by storm earning her the title, Europe's Premiere Female Magician in the most famous, elegant night club in Budapest, Hungary, The Moulin Rouge. Within months of arriving in Las Vegas, her striking beauty, engaging personality, and flawless sleight-of-hand skill drew the attention of many admirers. One of them, the producer of The World's Greatest Magic Show, immediately added her to the All-Star cast. From there she became one of the featured acts in "Viva Las Vegas", the longest running afternoon production show in the history of Las Vegas. Keep watching this fast-rising star as she continues living her dream and pushing the boundaries of Magical Entertainment. Marty Putz Stage: Marty Putz is one of the world's hottest and most popular exponents of bizarre and unusual comedy. Taking the label "prop comic" to new heights, Marty Putz entertains his audiences with some of his "inventions" .like the "chiropractic machine" (a device which stretches his head and neck several feet in the air), and the "rodent projectile unit" (a hand held cannon which propels a pet hamster through the air and into a waiting target). A giant inflatable "Elvis" suit, in one of its many forms, has become his trademark. Ice McDonald Stage: The words Illusion, Captivation, Enchantment describe the thrilling experience of The King of Cool -- Kenrick "ICE" McDonald. An international award-winning magician, he has established a strong reputation with his grand illusions including doves and the spectacular spectacular out of thin air of his Mighty Macaw. Recent appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and in his own production, The African-American Master of Magic testify to his artistry. Lecture: Learn some of the tools of the trade when working with doves from one of the best in the business. Mickey Mak (China) Stage: Mickey Mak is a rising star in China whose most recent competition in Shanghai netted him a silver medal for his artistic, rapid fire magic with white parasols. Energy, youth and surprise are all in store for the audience as Mickey makes his North American debut. Eric Buss Stage: Tremendous, Sensational, Beautiful... I've never seen anything like it! said David Letterman of Eric Buss. His innovative and high energy brand of comedy has earned him some of the industry's top awards, and a reputation as one of the funniest acts working today. Eric is an imaginative performer with a knack for funny. Eric Buss invites the audience into his world where hysterical antics are brought to life. Kenji Minemura (Japan) Stage: FISM World Champion Manipulation 2000 & 3rd Prize Manipulation 2003 (Japan) brings to the stage an entirely new act that combines dance, illusion, and mystery using a sketch book. Kenji is one of Asia's most talented and imaginative magicians performing today. Rich Bloch Stage (finalists competition night): Rich's love of theater, and his position as magic consultant to the Folger Shakespeare Theater at the Library of Congress, led Orson Welles to tap Rich as his writer for a TV special, "Time and Chance". Rich and Welles collaborated on that as well as numerous Welles appearances on the Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin shows. Rich is also an inventor of illusions, with magicians all over the globe utilizing his techniques and apparatus, including David Copperfield, Siegfried and Roy, and during their lifetimes, Harry Blackstone Jr. and Doug Henning. Orson Welles called Rich "An Edison of Magic." But magic performing is never far from the center of Rich's heart. He performs regularly as a featured guest in reviews at Las Vegas Golden Nugget, Sahara, and Flamingo Hotels, with appearances, as well, at the Tropicana, Rio, Monte Carlo, Venetian and Mirage hotels. -------------------------------------------- 4. More Remarkable Magic #19 - Susan Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message by Susan Lewin (US) Nick Lewin is on a ship in South America without Internet satellite connection. This is a guest post by his wife Susan. "Magicians are like kittens: They all do the same things." I've made this statement time and time again to explain the oddity of living with a magic man. It has now been shortened to "kittens." I'll flash a look at Nick and say "Kittens," and he knows exactly what I mean. Magicians have a lot in common and I suspect that their significant others do as well. Let me illustrate the point. On Friday I received a lovely call from Lupe Nielsen. I had ordered Nick a set of Chinese Sticks for Christmas to add to his ever growing collection of Chinese Sticks sitting in his magic cupboard. He desperately wanted the ones with Norm's specialized stickers on them and I thought, "Why not? What's another set? It will give him something to play with and critique on Christmas Day." When Lupe called I feared that she was going to tell me that our credit card was over the limit. (This brings me to an aside: Why have I given our credit card carte blanche to another magician? I must be crazy? Heck I know I am: I'm the spouse of a magician. "Kittens.") Instead she said that the "sticks" were not going to be remade by the original crafter, but instead the new ones would be produced by Norm himself with various improvements and stickers. "Hey, so much the better I thought. If Norm is making them there's a chance Nick might perform them." However, she said, there is one problem. I intently listened. "It's the tubing. We can't find the correct tubing." "Oh my god," I said, "Nick is always looking for tubing" (and tassels and yarn and green Coca Cola bottles and USA Today newspapers, and chewing gum with silver wrappers, and Crown Royal bags and the list goes on). I very excitedly said to Lupe, "If Nick is home comatose on the couch from a road trip and I say I'm going to Ace Hardware or Home Depot he is up and dressed in a matter of seconds saying, 'I have to buy tubing'." "Kittens!" He then purchases a bag of mysterious items and has a big smile on his face as he says, "Do you know how much this bag would have cost in a magic store? Probably five hundred dollars." I must add that once home the said tubing it is never the correct tubing. He then proceeds to slice it on a record album balanced on top of his legs with an Exacto knife into misshapen pieces. Whatever project Nick is working on he proudly says, "I can make this prop myself and then I can sell it. This is just a prototype." Yeah, sure. Every magician I know wants a small plastic box with black duct tape and misshapen tubing. They probably do. "Kittens!" Over the years I've learned a lot from living with a magician and this December marks our 36 year of married life. Hey, who's counting? That would be me (and Nick). Nick is on a trip in South America on various five star ships, and we are meeting up in Miami for a couple of days of R & R before he heads back down to Limon. Fearing a "Trains, Planes and Automobiles" holiday if he ventured to come back to Las Vegas for 24 hours, I opted to use frequent flier miles and meet him at the Airport Marriott. Perhaps on our day off we can venture to Home Depot for another tubing adventure or to South Beach to pick up some sand. Let me end this post by stating "Kittens!" You know who you are so why fight it? Let's all enjoy the fun. P.S. Please don't mention that I've ordered the Chinese Sticks from the Nielsens. He can be emailed at nicklewin1@me.com. -------------------------------------------- 5. Magician as Superhero - #145 - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message from Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com It's a bird..it's a plane...it's Magic Man!!??? Able to find a chosen card in a single cut. More powerful than a 5 year old kid on a sugar rush. Ok this is a bit silly and I hope you are at least laughing. But I wanted to mention it as a segue into the notion of the magician as seen as a superhero type. Let's think about this for a minute. As a magician we make the impossible seem possible. We change fantasy into reality and we defy the laws of physics. Like a superhero, we can make people float or fly. We can walk through solid objects and seem to have the power to read people's minds. Sound a lot like a superhero to me. But do we often see ourselves this way? Do we fully understand just how important it is to know this and how to use it properly? Like a superhero, we also become one when we perform as this metamorphosis comes over us. We often change from our daily persona into this new character that the audience is seeing and experiencing on stage. Now each superhero is very well defined. They know who they are and who they are not. What they are able to do directly ties into their character. Their abilities and how they use them stems also from knowing their character. The character will act and react based on knowing exactly who they are and what they are about. A magician can learn from this. If we are like superheroes, then we to should have a well defined character on stage. We should be able to know who we are when we perform and what we are trying to convey to the audience. But this also means we should also know what we cannot do. We should immediately know that an effect simply would not be good in the show simply because your character would never use something like it. Likewise, how we talk and the patter we use should also reflect who we are on stage. As a magical entertainer, we all have abilities or powers to make it appear that we can do things others simply cannot. But like any superhero, we also have strengths and weaknesses. Every superhero you may have seen or read about always seems to have something that gives them their power. They also have something that makes them weaker. It is fascinating to think that magicians also have this strength and weakness. Interesting enough our main strength and weakness comes from the same source... the audience. Think about it for just a second and reflect back on the many shows you have done. When we experience a great audience, a strange thing happens to many of us. A wonderful audience we feed off of. We get better and stronger through feeding off of their reactions. The more they like what we are doing, the better we become. We give them even more of ourselves. However, the same audience can also be our superheroes' weakness. A bad or dead audience can often drain our energy and make us perform a bit more hindered. Suddenly our facial expressions may not be as expressive. Maybe our patter changes and our adlibs or improvisation stop. We seem to over think situations trying to figure out how to win the audience back. Like Kryptonite, we feel weak and sometimes helpless. So what does this all tell us? I think it is first important to understand the role we play to an audience who sees and watches us. To many, we are something special. They may have never seen a live magician before and what we do is fascinating to them. We have this amazing gift that many do not have and even more have never experienced up close before. With this power comes great responsibility. It means we need to be true to ourselves and to our characters we represent on stage. Like a superhero is also means being humble. Having this amazing ability serves you no purpose if you are going to have an ego and not use it properly. It also means that we can have an amazing impact on people that come across us. We need to be a professional at all times and not just when we feel like it. If we have the power to do the impossible, we also have the power to place a smile on someone's face and leave them with an experience they will remember for a long time. 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 -------------------------------------------- 6. 30th New Zealand International Magicians Convention Update ------------------------------------------- Message by - Mick Peck President SCMC More exciting news from the Incredible 30th New Zealand International Magicians Convention: We're proud to announce that New Zealand's own Paul Romhany will be performing his full Charlie Chaplin act in our "International Stars of Magic" public shows! Paul got his start in magic many years ago as a junior member of the Shore City Magicians Club and is now an in-demand professional who performs all over the world. His famous PCAM Gold Medal winning Chaplin act is regarded as one of the most original and entertaining shows in magic today, all delivered in the silent film star's formidable style. PLUS: Join us at our banquet for the rapid-fire comedy magic of TC Tahoe! He's performed for Hollywood's elite including Pierce Brosnan, Jane Seymour, Steven Seagal, Minnie Driver, Sean Penn and Josh Brolan. TC is one of the most in-demand cruise ship magicians in the world and has twice been named Academy of Magical Arts Parlour Magician of the Year. We're delighted that TC's busy schedule has him in New Zealand during the time of the convention and he has agreed to appear as a special guest. He'll be performing at our banquet and also in our International Close-up Show alongside Whit Haydn and John Carney. If you intend to travel to Auckland for the convention you're in a great position with the current price-wars on air travel. Companies are advertising super cheap flights and price-matching to try and get your business. Flights across the Tasman are currently being advertised for around a hundred bucks each way! Take advantage of the situation and book your flights well in advance to get the best deals, there's never been a better time to visit. For full event information, video clips, guest biographies and more: The Incredible 30th New Zealand International Magicians Convention, June 5th-7th 2010: www.scmc.co.nz/convention.html "Inside the Mind of Paul Daniels", the NEW Paul Daniels Master Class, June 4th 2010: www.scmc.co.nz/masterclass.html Thanks! - Mick Peck President SCMC mick@mickpeckmagic.com 09 238 5167 or 027 404 8981 International Calls: +64(9)2385167 -------------------------------------------- 7. Las Vegas Magic - December, 2009 -------------------------------------------- Message compiled by David Neubauer - www.dnmagic.com Magic Production Shows: Amazed Mike Rayburn, Tim Gabrielson, Buzz Sutherland 2:30 pm - Planet Hollywood. Amazing Johnathan 9 pm (Dark Sun. & Mon.) - Planet Hollywood. Criss Angel - Believe 7 & 10:00 pm (Dark Sun. - Mon.) - Luxor. www.cirquedusoleil.com/crissangel David Copperfield through Jan. 20. 7:30 & 10 pm (also 4:30 Sat.) MGM Grand. www.mgm.admission.com/cgi/guide.cgi?l=EN Dixie Dooley - Master Mystifier 7:00 pm (Dark Sun. - Tue.) - Royal Resort. www.houdiniexperience.com 2 for 1 Tickets: www.vegas4locals.com/coupon_dixie_dooley.html Gerry McCambridge - The Mentalist 7:30 pm (Dark Wed.) - Planet Hollywood. www.mentalist.com Comp. Tickets: www.mentalist.com/_images/Ticket.pdf Lance Burton, Master Magician 7 pm (Dark Sun. - Mon.) - Monte Carlo. www.montecarlo.com/entertainment/lance.aspx Special Discount: Mention you want "The Special" at the box office to receive a 25% Discount. Mac King Comedy Magic Show 1 & 3 pm, (Dark Sun. & Mon.) - Harrah's. www.mackingshow.com Free tickets (buy 1 drink) are usually available at the concierge desk or handed out occasionally by showgirls. Mental Luke Jemay - 7 pm (Dark Sun. & Mon.) O'Shea's. www.harrahs.com/osheas/entertainment.html 2 for 1 Tickets: www.vegas4locals.com/couponmental.html Nathan Burton Comedy Magic Show 4 pm - Flamingo. www.nathanburton.com Special: Buy Flamingo Buffet from Box Office for $19.95, get free ticket to show. www.vegas4locals.com/couponnathanburtoncomedymagic.html Penn & Teller 9 pm, (Dark Thurs. - Fri.) - Rio. www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/rlv/entertainment/entertainment_detail_00.html Super Duper Show B-Rad & Bill Robinson 4:00 pm., Sat. & Sun. - Royal Resort. http://www.superdupershowlv.com Superstars of Magic 7:30 & 9:30 (Dark Tues.) Steven Best and Cassandra, Vegas Club. www.vegasclubcasino.net/entertainment/superstars_of_magic.php 2 for 1 Tickets: www.vegas4locals.com/couponsuperstarsofmagic.html Steve Wyrick 9 pm. - Planet Hollywood. Dec. 20-27, 7 & 9 pm. Jan. 3-10 Dark www.stevewyrick.com The Magic and Tigers of Rick Thomas 7 pm. (Dark Mon.) - Sahara. www.saharavegas.com/shows/magic-of-rick-thomas The Todd Paul Show 7 pm. (Dark Fri.) - Hooters. www.hooterscasinohotel.com/entertainment/the-todd-paul-show/ Vegas Wonderground 3rd Thurs. each month - The Olive (3850 E Sunset Rd). Hosted by Jeff McBride and featuring Guest Stars from around the World. www.vegaswonderground.com Xtreme Magic Starring Dirk Arthur 4 & 6 pm (Dark Sun. - Mon.) (6 pm is an expanded show) - Tropicana. www.tropicanalv.com/ent_dirkarthur.asp 2 for 1 Tickets: www.vegas4locals.com/couponxtrememagic.html Magic In Production Shows: Crazy Girls Tony Douglas - 9:30 pm (Dark Tues.) - Riviera. www.rivierahotel.com/entertainment_crazygirls.asp 2 for 1 Tickets: www.vegas4locals.com/couponcrazygirls.html Haunted Vegas Show and Tour Jac Hayden, Robert Allen 9:30 pm, picks up at the Royal Resort. www.hauntedvegastours.com $10 off Tickets: www.vegas4locals.com/couponhauntedvegas.html Matsuri TamBa provides magic between acts. 4:00 pm (Dark Tues.) & 8:00 pm Fri. - Imperial Palace. The Las Vegas Seance Robert Allen, Jac Hayden, Arian Black, Samina, Victora Wayne 10:00 pm, picks up at the Royal Resort www.LasVegasSeance.com V, The Ultimate Variety Show Jason Byrne (most Tues. - Sat.) & various others. 7 & 8:30, Planet Hollywood - www.vtheshow.com Variety Showcase Christopher Karpiak & S. Frank Stringham Tuesdays, 9 pm - FREE - Sam's Town. Other Vegas Magic: Craig Keith performs bar magic at various times - Dick's Last Resort, Excalibur. Jamie Porter's Radio Side Show Sat @ 5 am, KLAV FM 1230. Las Vegas Magic Organizations Fantasma I.B.M. Ring #257, 7 pm 1st Monday each month. Clark County Library, 1401 E Flamingo Rd (1 block E of Maryland Parkway). Children's Classes at 5:45 www.ibm257.com. Darwin's Magic Club, meets 10 pm Wednesdays. Boomers, 3200 Sirius Ave. KIDabra Las Vegas, 7 pm every 3rd Monday. Amazing Clowns, 3525 E. Flamingo. www.kidabralasvegas.com November, 2009 November 27-29: Variety Live. 7:30 pm. Featuring: Joseph Gabriel, Juggler Kris Kremo, Hula act Yelena Larkina, The Rolla Bolla Balancing Act and Singer Ben Stone - Suncoast. December, 2009 December 7: Peter Reveen has been named Magician of the Year by the Fantasma Ring #257 Las Vegas chapter of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. On the bill (so far) to honor "Reveen, The Impossibilist" is Fielding West as MC, Lance Burton, Johnny Thompson, Anthony Rais, Mike Bent, Jon Stetson, Scarlett, David and Dania, (with their new Austin Powers style act), and many surprise celebrity guests! www.IBM257.com. December 11-13: World Stars of Magic 7:30 pm. Featuring: Kevin James & Company, Paolo Giua, Richard McDougall, Victor & Diamond, and Juliana Chen. - Suncoast. January, 2010 Jan. 18-24: Magic & Mystery School - Extended Master Class Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger, Tobias Beckwith. www.magicalwisdom.com March, 2010 Mar. 5-7: Magic & Mystery School - Master Class Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger, Tobias Beckwith. www.magicalwisdom.com April, 2010 Apr. 19-25: Magic & Mystery School - Extended Master Class Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger, Tobias Beckwith. www.magicalwisdom.com May, 2010 May 18-19: Magic & Mystery School - Focus on Stage Magic & Manipulation Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger, Tobias Beckwith. www.magicalwisdom.com June, 2010 Jun. 28-Jul 4: Magic & Mystery School - Extended Master Class Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger, Tobias Beckwith. www.magicalwisdom.com August, 2010 Aug. 23-29: Magic & Mystery School - Extended Master Class Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger, Tobias Beckwith. www.magicalwisdom.com September, 2010 Sept. 14-15: Magic & Mystery School - Focus on Stage Magic & Manipulation Jeff McBride. www.magicalwisdom.com Sept. 18-19: Magic & Mystery School - Focus on Magic and the Martial Arts Jeff McBride, Bryce Kuhlman. www.magicalwisdom.com Sept. 24-26: Magic & Mystery School - Sisters of Magic & Mystery Abbigail Aft McBride, Jeff McBride. www.magicalwisdom.com October, 2010 Oct. 9-10: Magic & Mystery School - Focus on Street Magic Jeff McBride. www.magicalwisdom.com Oct. 20-23: Magic & Mystery School - The Magic and Meaning Conference - A distinctive, annual small-group conference that focuses on creating meaningful magic routines, effective scripts, and new venues for performance. Featuring keynote addresses by Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger, Robert E. Neale, Lawrence Hass, and a number of short talks by experts on subjects relating to the themes of the conference. www.magicalwisdom.com -------------------------------------------- 8. Traveling The World With Paul Romhany -------------------------------------------- Message by Paul Romhany (NZ) Wow, what a very busy time we are having here in Asia. I knew it would be busy and Natalie and I would need to be in peak condition. There are nights where we are performing three to four shows in different venues and for different companies. This is no easy task. We have been working out at the gym keeping ourselves in shape so we can handle this hectic performance schedule. It's often something we don't think about as performers, our health. It's one of the most important parts of our job when we get busy - we forget how to eat right and stay in shape. The only reason I am aware of how important it is, is because I have done this type of schedule before and know to do the best we need to be mentally and physically capable of doing it. Tonight we have another four corporate gigs - fortunately I have a great team helping me. The schedule is very tight with the first show at 7.45pm at one hotel. As soon as the gig is over, I have to go offstage and have about 2 minutes to re-set my show and head to the next hotel. En route I will re-apply my make-up and when we arrive we head to the stage area where my stage hand will set up my bag - and before I know it I'm on stage again. This will happen four times tonight. By the final show I am completely exhausted and you would have thought I just stepped out of a sauna. The audiences here in Asia are also very different than you would find anywhere else. Don't expect people to stop and listen to what you say, as they are busy eating and getting up and down. You are usually one of many different acts and things happening during a long evening for them. Fortunately my act works well as I don't need to worry about language barrier - I am able to perform my Chaplin act and it's visual enough for them to watch. These are not theatre shows, but corporate shows where people are seated in groups of ten. They can range from 300 people up to well over 1000. Your show needs to be able to pack small enough so you can walk off stage pretty much and it's ready to go again - not have to worry about language issues, a lot of your standard magic one liners just wouldn't work, and play to the largest audience. It certainly isn't an easy gig, however I have to admit we are really having a great time and my agent here is doing a wonderful job. Yesterday was one of the highlights for me as I performed and lectured for an event put on by magician Jeremy Pei. It is called Redefine Magic: The Gathering and is a one day convention held in Singapore. What a great job he did with almost 100 magicians in attendance. There were various magic dealers, myself included and performances from some well known Singapore magicians. I missed the evening gala show because I had a gig myself, however I did get to open the convention with a short version of my Chaplin Show. What a great chance for me to meet so many magicians and see some friends I haven't seen for some time. My hat off to Jeremy for pulling off such an event and his amazing team of helpers. This week celebrates my 100th BLOG and over 80,000 readers. If you click on you will find photos of the convention and reviews of the latest effects. Visit http://romhanyreport.blogspot.com/ to read and see the photos. -------------------------------------------- 9. International Magic Convention Coverage And Photos -------------------------------------------- Message by Andrew Webb You read all the coverage of the 38th International Magic Convention in London this weekend just gone. http://www.magicconventionguide.com/category/international-magic-convention-2009/ Many thanks to the MacMillan family for allowing me to take photos, video and report the convention live throughout the entire weekend. -------------------------------------------- 10. The Magical Adventures Of Eric DeCamps -------------------------------------------- Message from Eric DeCamps (US) Well it's been a while since my last email and it's been way to long since I've updated my website (www.ericdecamps.com) with some new content. As some of you already know, 2009 has been an incredible year for me. I have had the opportunity to travel quite a bit, perform my magic in new venues and make a lot of new friends. In the last few months I've been to Montreal, Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Vancouver, Charlotte, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago. Not to mention regional trips to Philadelphia, New Haven, Carlyle and Boston. Whew. I racked up a lot of air, road and even nautical miles! In September, I was inducted as the new Dean of Parent Assembly # 1 of the Society of American Magicians. It's difficult for me to express how honored I am that this prestigious organization has entrusted me with this extraordinary title of distinction and lifetime position. Next to being the National Dean of the organization, it is the highest distinction that the organization can bestow on a member. The Board of Directors of Parent Assembly # 1 said that they wanted a Dean that is active not just in the magic community but who is active in sharing the art of magic with the general public and the community at large. A person who embodies the ideas and principles of the assembly and who would serve as our ambassador of good will for our fraternity and our craft. In succeeding my dear and old friend Sam Schwatrz as Dean, I know I have some very big shoes to fill. Additionally in September, I managed to make my life-long dream of performing at the world famous Hollywood Magic Castle a reality. Not only did I manage to perform at the Magic Castle, they allowed me to perform the entire program of my one man show, Eric DeCamps PURE MAGIC - A Performance of Contemporary Conjuring. Not just a single time but three times at the Peller Theater. To say it was a thrill for me is a huge understatement. I would like to personally thank Max Maven for this amazing opportunity. I would also like to thank Matt Patton and Ben Roman for all of their help and for making the experience such a wonderful one. I would be remiss if I did not also recognize all of the Magic Castle members who supported my show, thank you! I've updated the Photo Gallery section of my website (www.ericdecamps.com) with a lot of new pictures chronicling my adventures. Please take a moment to go there and check them out. If you have any comments please feel free to share them. -------------------------------------------- 11. David Ben, Has Started Blogging -------------------------------------------- Message by Julie Eng (Canada) Just to let you know, Magicana's Artistic Director, David Ben, has started blogging! He is a bit new to all this technology but hopes that his blogs impart some useful information to those who may be interested: www.davidben.com/blog. -------------------------------------------- 12. 58th Annual Blackpool Magic Convention Programme ------------------------------------------- Message by Derek Lever (UK) Organised by Derek Lever on behalf of Blackpool Magicians' Club has just been announced: Friday 19th February 2010 10.00am- 10.00pm Registration Desk Opens 1.00pm - 10.00pm Dealers Super Showcase Opens 4.00 pm - 5.00pm Star Lecture 6.00pm - 7.00pm Star Lecture 6.00pm - 7.30pm Junior British Magical Close-Up Championships 8.00pm - 9.45pm British Magical Close-Up Championships 8.00pm - 9.30pm An Audience with Wayne Dobson 10.00pm - Dealers Super Showcase and Registration Desk Close 10.00pm - Presentation of the British Close-Up Awards 10.30pm-11.30pm Star Lecture Saturday 20th February 2010 8.30am - 5.00pm Registration Desk Opens 9.00am - 5.30pm Dealers Super Showcase Opens 9.15am - 10.15am Star Lecture 10.00am - 11.45am Children's Entertainers International Championships 10.45am - 11.45pm Star Lecture 12.30pm - 1.30pm An Audience with "The Comedians" 1.00pm - 2.00pm International Close-Up - First Session 2.00pm - 3.00pm Star Lecture 2.15pm - 4.30pm Two Kidz 'R Uz Lectures 3.00pm - 4.00pm International Close-Up -Second Session 3.30pm - 4.30pm Star Lecture 4.30pm - 5.30pm International Close-Up -Third Session 5.00pm - 6.00pm Star Lecture 5.00pm - Registration Desk Closes 5.30pm - Dealers Super Showcase Closes 7.00pm - 10.30pm Intercontinental Stage Magic Championships plus Cirque du Magie 11.00pm - 12.00am Star Lecture 11.00pm - 12.30am "Beat the Wand" Competition Saturday Registration Fees: Adults £35.00, Juniors £20.00, Intercontinental Stage Championships Show onlv £17.00  Sunday 21st February 2010 8.30am - 5.00pm Registration Desk Opens 9.00am - 5.30pm Dealers Giant Super Showcase Opens 9.15am - 10.15am Star Lecture 10.45am - 12.45pm Two Kidz 'R Uz Lectures 10.45am-11.45am An Audience with "The Illusionists" 11.00am - 12.15pm International Close-Up - First Session 12.15pm - 1.15pm Star Lecture 1.30pm - 2.30pm International Close-Up - Second Session 1.45pm - 2.45pm Star Lecture 2.00pm - 3.00pm Ladies Event 3.15pm - 4.15pm Star Lecture 4.00pm - 5.00pm International Close-Up - Third Session 5.00pm - 6.00pm Star Lecture 5.00pm - Registration Desk Closes 5.30pm - Dealers Super Showcase Closes 7.00pm - 10.45pm International Gala Show 10.45pm-1.00am After Gala Show Party (Price £12.00. Choose in advance either the Spanish Hall for Stage Magic and Cabaret or Theatre Bar for Close-Up Magic. Each venue includes Hot Pot and Apple Pie. No tickets available on the day.) Sunday Only Registration: Adults £50.00, Juniors £20.00 (Includes Gala Show, but NOT After Show Party) Sunday Gala Show Only: Seats Adult/Junior £25.00. All Registrations Purchased On The Day Will Cost £2.00 Extra A Gold Card Registration At £70.00 Will Save You £27.00 On The Cost Of Booking Each Event Individually Plus You Receive A Free Book "Las Vegas Magic" Worth £25.00 If You Book Before 3lst December 2009 The Convention Headquarters is the Ruskin Hotel, Albert Road, Blackpool, Lanes FY1 4PW, England. Phone: 01253 624063, But Is Already Fully Booked. For hotel bookings contact The Blackpool Conference Team - Phone: 01253 478216 or www.conferencebookings.co.uk/delegate/BCTmagiciants2009 -------------------------------------------- 13. Broken Wand - Harry Wise ------------------------------------------- Message by Dan Stapleton (US) Famed Spook Show magician Harry Wise (Orlando-Sanford, Florida) passed away this week a victim of stomach cancer. He was 75. Harry toured the USA in the 1950's with a show of flying ghosts, stage monsters walking into the audience, and a stage filled with magic that goes bump in the night...not to mention corny pun filled jokes. He was honored three years ago in An Evening of Recognition, telling of his adventures while the audience sat on the edge of their seats. In the early '60's Harry was television's "Mr. Magic" and was quite a celebrity around Central Florida. To walk inside of his house one had to walk sideways in fear of knocking over his collection of magic, magazines, newspapers and "junk". His front porch was a year round shrine to Halloween, his favorite time of the year. More about Harry can be read in a recently published book, Weird Florida. With Harry's passing goes another chapter in the history of Florida as well as the colorful era of Spook Shows. -------------------------------------------- 14. www.organizationalmagic.com ------------------------------------------- Message by Tim Wright I have been a professional magician for nearly 30 years. However, I have always "Kept My Day Job" because it was a decent gig and it paid the mortgage, paid for a daughter's college, etc. You know the drill. Well my life changed in April of this year when my employer of 24 years eliminated my position. I am supposed to say I was devastated but I actually said, "It's a relief". The "gig" was old and after some soul-searching, I felt fate was telling me to go after the act. Everyone has told me to go into magic over the years, so here was my opportunity. But, I also realized I needed tools to get the job done. One thing I needed was to get organized. While working for the company, a girl in the Training Department developed a database to keep track of all the meetings. This was a complex task. It was similar in some ways to a magic business in that you were sending many letters, getting people booked, sending confirmations, keeping track of flights, billing them, archiving their participation with scores, etc. I decided I needed software to run my new full-time magic business. That's when I called Paul Hinkelman, a great friend that I had worked with who always encouraged my magic and happened to be in business for himself as a consultant and developer of business system software. His business' name is BIZassist, LLC. He actually taught Patsy how to develop her database. I asked for his help to develop software that would not only help me organize my magic, but would also help me with the hard stuff. the business of magic. With Paul's knowledge of business systems and my experience in magic, over a six month period and several lunches, we crafted a software package called Organizational Magic. This unique custom software program addresses a magician's need for structure. It provides the tools to help manage customer and networking contacts; provides date-sensitive To-Do's linked to the contact list; imports and manages contact lists for preparing direct mail and email blasts; catalogs tricks with respect to Audience, Participation, Venue, Length, Music, Props and Notes; groups the tricks into logical "show" packages with common traits; helps manage customer event planning; and even keeps track of billable expenses. And it's easy. I open it every day. I told Paul I would get the word out and offer it to my magic friends. That was the deal, my help customizing for his programming work. Now that I am finally on my way to a "magical" success story, Paul is making a free 14-day trial of Organizational Magic available to other magicians via the internet at www.organizationalmagic.com. A simple test run costs nothing. Get the demo and play with it for a few minutes each morning. Organizational Magic has helped me address the business of show business. -------------------------------------------- 15. "Magicana" Magazine No. 340 ------------------------------------------- Message by Michael Woolf (NZ) "Magicana" Magazine No. 340 is in the mail.  We feature major coverage of the recent Mini-Convention in Palmerston North New Zealand, the gathering in Timaru, information about next year's Auckland Convention, pictures from Jon Zealando's 70th birthday, the Award of Grand Master of Magic to Ken Bates, a review of the new John Calvert DVD plus a superb pencil portrait of Calvert by Jon Zealando. This in addition to our regular features by Bernard Reid, David Ginn, Wayne Rogers, Ken Ring,Terry Seabrooke and Roderick Mulgan There's also a book test from Richard Webster. "Magicana" is available from Editor Michael Woolf at mail@michaelw.co.nz -------------------------------------------- 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.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