* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment * www.magicnewzealand.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #835 Date: Sunday 22nd May 2011 Editor: Alan Watson www.watson.co.nz E-mail: editor@magicnewzealand.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. Academy Of Magical Arts, Inc.2010 Award Winners 3. Magicseen #39 Preview 4. June Issue Of Genii Magazine 5. More Remarkable Magic # 35 - Nick Lewin 6. Advertising Online - News Sites - #210 - Kyle Peron 7. Tony Brook In Conversation With Valerie - Part 6 8. 'Palladium Magic' Show 9. Charlie Zuis Aka Chazoo Passed Away 10. Tom Mullica Memorabilia At Auction In Chicago 11. "A Lifetime Of Magic" - Charles Gauci 12. FAB Magic & Abb 13. The Berglas Effects Book Update 14. Supreme Golden Fun shears: Wanted 15. Criss Angel Adds Dazzling Illusions To Believe At Luxor 16. Broken Wand - John Connolly 17. e-zine Archives 18. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- The highlight for the week for Michele and I was to see Jarred Fell's new comedy/ mentalist show 'Shock' at the Auckland Comedy Festival which we really enjoyed twice! Jarred has a natural talent in this particular facet of magic and we feel he'll go far. Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. Academy Of Magical Arts, Inc. 2010 Award Winners -------------------------------------------- Published with the permission of Milt Larsen (US) Magician Of The Year Topas Lifetime Achievement Fellowship John Daniel Masters Fellowship Lance Burton Performing Fellowship Bob White Performing Fellowship Franz Harary Creative Fellowship Dean Dill Literary Fellowship Stan Allen Special Fellowship Jules Fisher Stage Magician Of The Year Dana Daniels Parlour Magician Of The Year Andrew Goldenhersh Close-Up Magician Of The Year Suzanne Lecturer Of The Year David Regal Award Of Merit William Scott Anderson Junior Achievement Award Jeff Black -------------------------------------------- 3. Magicseen #39 Preview -------------------------------------------- Message by Chris Wasshuber (US) Issue #39 features the current magic sensation Yann Frisch, who is winning everything he enters including the recent FISM European Championships, with his brilliant 'tea-pot, cup and ball' act. He is young, French, and very cool. We talk to him, even though he may not fully understand us. We also spend some time with another cool performer - Eric Jones from the USA - and find out lots of things you never knew, in what is a really special interview. Talking of people who are special, then look no further than the UK's Chris Cross - unorthodox, unique and quirky - and that's just his hairdo. We talk to Chris and find out several things which will change your life. (But not necessarily for the better.) Put these stars together with our Magicseen on-line feature, the comedy section, magic tricks in the masterclass, along with the latest news, reviews and gossip - and you have a potentially great magazine. We don't like to blow our own trumpet (especially as we only have a clarinet) but this issue is set to be a real cracker. Subscribe now to get this #39 as your first issue in your subscription. And don't forget that you will get the 61 effect strong Masterclass ebook free of charge as bonus immediately when you subscribe. http://www.lybrary.com/magicseen-year-subscription-p-94252.html -------------------------------------------- 4. June Issue Of Genii Magazine -------------------------------------------- Message by Richard Kaufman - Editor Genii Magazine Even with finishing "The Berglas Effects" we managed to get Genii out on time. The June issue, featuring Boris Wild on the cover, is now available online and on its way to your mailbox. Featuring a beautiful cover portait of Boris by the master Zakary Belamy, David Acer interviews Boris, a FISM winner and one of the most beloved magicians from France. In addition, we have four tricks from Boris and videos of three of these are embedded in the digital edition. Dustin Stinett (writing) and Kari Hendler (photographing) bring you full coverage of the Academy of Magical Arts Awards Show. Dan and Dave Buck, and Syd Segal, put on a helluva convention in San Diego at the end of March - with a fabulous line-up of hosts and presenters, Magic-Con's second year was a great one. Genii were proud to be the media sponsor. Brad Henderson takes you there. Just as I have been obsessed with Cliff Green, so has Jim Steinmeyer been obsessed with Guy Jarrett. The cranky inventor's hand-made book from 1936 continues to provide Steinmeyer with inspiration . inspiration that he feels speaks directly to today's magicians. In "Jarrett Talks to 2011" he explains why, and Jim also does an author's reading of the article in our digital edition. And Steinmeyer is still doing tricks for kids - this time his script for performing the Linking Rings for young folks forms this month's installment of "Conjuring." I can't think of anything more strange than pouring colored drinks out of a bottle, then pulling dry colored ribbons out of it . but evidently 125 years ago someone thought this was a killer trick. John Gaughan has one of the few that still exist, and he'll let you see it in his "Chamber of Secrets" this month. David Britland, feeling slightly out of his depth, tilts toward the front of the deck in this month's "Cardopolis". Max Maven's view from "Lost Horizons" includes a rare foray into working with billets. Jon Racherbaumer writes about the Happening in his past and also gives us an audio supplement to "On the Slant" in our digital edition. The final installment of "XCM" (Extreme Card Magic) by De'vo Vom Schattenreich appears in our June issue with an unbelievable finger-breaking flourish, and to prove it can be done beautifully we even have a video of it in our digital edition. Light from the Lamp includes Joe M. Turner reviewing DVDs, David Britland reviewing books (including a nice review of the Berglas book and Mark Lewis's Lives of a Showman), and David Oliver reviewing tricks. We memorialize the late Looy Simonoff with pieces by Allan Ackerman and Paul Harris. And of course there's Genii Speaks, and my "More Genii Speaks" video supplement (which runs about 20 minutes each month). All told, a great issue and I hope you enjoy it. All subscribers to Genii now receive not just 12 issues for their $56, but: * The current issue online, free to all subscribers, with audio and video extras. * Access to every single back issue Genii has published from 1936 through December 2008. That's almost 1000 issues! Tens of thousands of columns, tricks, illusions, and articles. And it's all absolutely free to every Genii subscriber. Of course you will have to be on the internet for access, which will be through the Conjuring Arts Research Center. The issues are simple pdf documents which can be read on most electronic devices including newer Kindles, Sony eReaders, Nook, iPhone, iPad and of course any desktop or laptop computer. (So far, unfortunately, tablets running Android cannot read pdf files embedded in a website--we're hoping a patch will be created soon.) Every subscriber will have access to an electronic version of every issue for the duration of his or her subscription. Digital-only subscriptions are available for $56 to residents outside the United States. If you are a subscriber and haven't sent us your e-mail address yet, please do so as soon as possible (to: genii@geniimagazine.com) so there's no delay in getting you access when we launch this new feature in a few months. If you want to access to all of this astounding material and you are not a subscriber, please join us as we make available to you untold magical riches at www.geniimagazine.com. Starting in the near future, subscribers will also be able to read the current issue online even before it arrives in their mailbox! All digital content is free when you subscribe to Genii. And we've got a great offer for anyone who wants to subscribe or renew: the three-DVD set "Houdini The Movie Star" from Kino is now available from us for a limited time for 50% off the retail price of $40. YOU pay only $20, postpaid anywhere in the US. (Add $5 postage for Canada and $11 postage anywhere else in the world.) This 3 DVD set includes most of the surviving films and footage of Houdini and is only marked down to $36 on amazon.com, so our price is a whopping $15 less. We don't sell it separately: subscribe today or renew your existing subscription for one year and you can receive this extraordinary value. Remember that the price of Genii drops from the $6 cover price to only $4.50 per issue when you subscribe for one year AND new subscribers get a free copy of the Harry Anderson/Jon Racherbaumer 32-page Jinx). Please visit the Genii website and subscribe today at www.geniimagazine.com. Visit The Genii Forum, the "smart" online discussion group: www.geniimagazine.com/forum Visit MagicPedia, the most complete online encyclopedia of magical information with almost 5,000 entries. It's a living encyclopedia to which you are welcome to contribute! www.magicpedia.net "The Berglas Effects," the ultimate book on the card magic of David Berglas, almost 400 pages and also containing 3 DVDs, can be preordered now at www.kaufman.geniimagazine.com -------------------------------------------- 5. More Remarkable Magic # 35 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message by Nick Lewin (US) Working On Cruise Ships (part 2) I am often asked about the best way to get work onboard a cruise ship. Curiously enough I am almost never asked about what to do when you have got your first job working on a luxury liner. It is a very different world out there on the high seas, and it needs to be approached carefully and systematically to ensure that you get booked back again. I wrote a very tongue in cheek column for the Linking Ring a couple of years ago on this topic. I got some wonderful reactions from pros that were involved in this kind of work. They appreciated how much real information I delivered between the lines in the article and enjoyed the way I turned the topic on its head to achieve my goals. However, I suspect that I may have been a little oblique for others reading the piece so I decided to remove my tongue from my cheek and retackle the subject in a more straightforward manner. There have been several books published on this topic but I can't help feeling that they often stressed the obvious at the expense of the practical. I will give you the 'Nick Lewin Crash Course' in the next few paragraphs. Cruise ships are the nightclubs of this era of entertainment. In the old days a performer would schlep around the country to different cities so that he would be able to work to different audiences. Now the ship does the schlepping and the audiences change because of the itineraries. The performer still has to get to his venue of course so sign up for your frequent flyer clubs. I performed on my first cruise ship in 1969 and have continued to embrace this arena of work ever since. The business has changed greatly recently and the working conditions have improved vastly. The larger cruise ships now contain showrooms that rival your local Performing Arts Center. The sound, lighting and stages are very sophisticated and if you know how to, can be used to dramatically improve your show. Generally speaking to get a booking on a ship you are going to need to travel two 45-minute shows. It doesn't mean you will actually get to perform two 45-minute shows but you might. I am writing this column in the Grand Lobby of the Queen Victoria where I was booked to do one show. On a ship your show is usually repeated twice so that early and late seating dinner guests can catch them with ease. At least, that is how it should have been on this particular three day run. However nothing runs quite that smoothly in real life. As I was going through my tech rehearsal the Production Manager informed me that there had been a magician who had already performed that cruise. He had featured a Torn & Restored Newspaper, which is the closer to my show. I immediately adjusted my show and changed my closing effect to the one from my second show. No problems. After I finished my shows I was told that in fact they would need me to perform 15 minutes the next night in a variety show. No problem-I can dodge bullets for 15 minutes! However the next day at my tech rehearsal I was informed that the singer had lost her voice and could I do 35 minutes to close the bill. It worked out very well, but the entire business required a great deal of flexibility. I described this episode in some detail but in verbal shorthand I could just have said, 'Prepare to be flexible." Drop me an email at nicklewin@me.com -------------------------------------------- 6. Advertising Online - News Sites - #210 - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message by Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com There was discussion the other day from a friend asking if it was beneficial to advertise at an online news website. For a small fee you could have a banner ad placed on their site and direct traffic to your own site. It seems like a good idea when one looks at it. However, there are some things to consider if you are looking to head down this road. Here are some issues you may want to think about: - Joe Consumer is not going to go to the news site looking for an entertainer. They usually will go wanting to search for news and information. So this effectively is not target marketing. A consumer buys based on a need they have and then they go to find a solution for that need. The consumer may go there and click your link on impulse possibly. However, impulse shoppers do not account for very much in regards to traffic that will go to your site. - Your ad on their site is also not target marketed. It is not reaching folks that you specifically want to work for in the areas and markets you work. If you are a children's entertainer, you have to ask yourself if mom's with kids are going to the site enough times to see your ad and then clock to proceed forward in the sales process. There may be a better way. - I fear the money paid for most online news style ads will not turn into enough paid gigs that will make it worthwhile for you. It can, but it is more of a long shot to make it pan out for you. A targeted marketing approach may end up a better solution for your investment. - Folks going to the news site may have a certain demographic that is not the types of people that usually hire you. Most news site should have an area that you can look at to find out the demographics that their site targets. If not, you can call them to find out as their advertising dept. should be able to give you that information. This is very helpful in deciding if a site brings in the types of consumers your show is after. I think there are much better ways to utilize your money and to better target market via active style marketing approaches. A qualified mailing list followed by a postcard marketing mailing will generate much more business for most at a fraction of the cost. With digital online printing being so low these days, it makes it very cost effective to do powerful and quality mailings out to your target markets based on a lead list that you have qualified ahead of time. Follow up with these folks after the mailing and you have a much better active approach that can and will land you gigs. You can also utilize the money to redo the website or to really find someone who knows a lot about Search Engine Optimization to get your site more traffic coming to it. 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 am proud to announce the launch of my new product website: http://www.kpmagicproducts.com. I hope you find it of help to you. Please stay tuned to the site for sales, news and upcoming product launches. - "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. http://kpmagicproducts.com/Blue_and_Gold.html - "Encore! Creativity in the Art of Magic" Ebook. Order online now at: http://kpmagicproducts.com/Encore.html - "Tips and Techniques on the Chair Suspension" Ebook. Order online now at: http://kpmagicproducts.com/Chairs.html -------------------------------------------- 7. Tony Brook In Conversation With Valerie - Part 6 -------------------------------------------- Message by Anthony Darkstone Brook - Europe/USA TB : Wonderful! How very fortunate that you were able to fuse all those elements together to create unique Magical Entertainment. V : Yes Tony, I am indeed fortunate. TB : You spoke earlier about the Magic Club in Geneva. Tell us a little bit about your "audition" for the Club. V : Back then as you said Tony, a person had to audition before being accepted as a Member of the Club. I had to give a mini-performance and so I "invented" some unusual effects using some unusual items as props. As I didn't know very much about existing magic effects or the secret methodology I actually made everything from scratch and truly invented my effects. It was only later that I found out that similar effects already existed. TB : Yes, I know what you mean. Many of us have had similar experiences. As most of us know, because Lennart Green didn't have any contact with the world of Magic or other Magicians for many years, he actually came up with interesting ideas and moves. So there is a lot to be said in favor of working in a kind of non-conventional unknowing environment on one's own. It is a great spur to creativity. In my view, I really think it doesn't matter if we come up with something that is already in existence; what is of paramount importance is that we came up with it and actually thought of a way of doing it and thus it doesn't matter if someone else had thought of it before. This is what you did right ? V : Yes Tony. Very much so. I used ping-pong balls that I painted. I cut them and made shells. I used a plastic bucket that I adapted. I used a set of sugar tongs to produce a blooming flower at my fingertips. Isolation tubes for electrical wiring were painted and stacked for my rendering of what I discovered later was known as " Rollers Excelsior"! Oh ! Mon Dieu ! If only I knew how much easier it would have been just going out and buying the already made props! ? ? But seriously Tony, knowing what I know now, I still, I suppose, would not have traded that experience. It was very hard work but it was also a useful lesson and I learnt many things that would stand me in good stead for the rest of my professional life. TB : In my introduction I referred to you as a Lateral Thinker. As I happen to be very fond of Lateral Thinking myself, I have come to admire and respect all those who possess this ability. It is also more than that. On another level, it is an acquired skill. In English we have a saying, " Necessity is the Mother of invention". V : Yes Tony. I think that very much applies to me. There was so much I didn't know and so I had to think of ways to meet my needs. I took whatever experience and knowledge I had from my other areas and adapted them to create the Magic I needed. Nowadays, it is a very natural process with me. I just find ways to come up with the results I need. My extensive background with tools, upholstery, furniture repair, woodworking, fabric etc etc, just automatically comes into play. TB : Would I be right in saying that it helped lead you to your raincoat vanish? V : Absolutely, I can tell you that because of that background, my signature piece of vanishing my raincoat came about. It is obvious when you know how it is done, but please follow my sequence of logic. I come on in a raincoat and umbrella and the raincoat has to vanish in a blink of an eye. But where? And how? Well, Tony, you know how and so do those who have attended my lecture and so you will see that the solution is the result of my combination of lateral thinking and background. Having said that I can tell you that it took many years to perfect the effect and to reach the standard that it is today. Well, you know how the creative process works. A lot of trial and error and of course as often happens in Magic, just when you think you got it another idea comes to mind to develop things further. Then again we have what I suppose we can call lucky accidents. We are busy doing one thing and by chance something else happens and a completely new idea comes about. End of Part 6 tbrook47@gmail.com) -------------------------------------------- 8. 'Palladium Magic' Show -------------------------------------------- Message by Paul Stone (US) I'm pleased to announce a very special limited time offer only available to magicians for the 'Palladium Magic' Show taking place at the world famous London Palladium Theatre on Monday 19th September. Until 1st June, any magician supporting our MagiCares Charity initiative by buying either a £25 or £50 ticket for us to donate to a local London Cancer related Charity or Children's Hospice for their patients, families, careers and nurses, will receive a ticket of equivalent value absolutely free. There is no limit to the number of tickets that can be ordered whilst there is availability. This will help us to give many very deserving people a magical night out! Buy the tickets NOW as this offer is only valid until 1st June. To order Charity tickets go to www.palladiummagic.com/charitytickets.html and to receive your free tickets please email confirmation of your donation to info@palladiummagic.com There are still a few places available for Close-up Magicians to experience the rare opportunity and thrill of performing at this superb entertainment venue before the 'Palladium Magic' Show at the London Palladium and to take a bow on stage at the Palladium in front of a packed audience of over 2000 people. For full details contact producer@palladiummagic.com -------------------------------------------- 9. Charlie Zuis Aka Chazoo Passed Away -------------------------------------------- Message by Carroll I Chapman Jr. For those of you who might not know me, my name is Carroll Chapman aka magician Conjuring Carroll from Maine. I have been asked to inform you, if you haven't heard, the founder of The Hall of Famous Unknown Magicians and Clowns, Charlie Zuis aka Chazoo passed away over the weekend in Upstate New York. His annual convention scheduled for June 4th this year is still going to happen. It was his last wish that the convention would continue. Please inform other magicians that may not be on this email list and excuse me if you get more than one email as we are trying to report to everyone that Charlie has contacted in the past. There has been discussion of a broken wand ceremony at the convention for Charlie. The guest lecture is Society of American Magicians Dean of Magic: George Schindler. Please plan to attend for a wonderful convention and to remember a wonderful person! For more information you can contact Alan Drew 207-664-8077 magicwithalan@prexar.com -------------------------------------------- 10. Tom Mullica Memorabilia At Auction In Chicago -------------------------------------------- Message by Jason Byrne (US) In the 1970s and 80's, The Tom-Foolery was a haven for celebrities, magicians, and fun-seekers of every description. It's proprietor, Tom Mullica, performed behind the bar nightly, and developed a legendary reputation as a world-class clown, comic, and magician. Among Mullica's most famous routines was his "Nicotine Nincompoop" act, in which he ate an entire pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes - while they were still lit. The routine brought thousands of patrons to the Tom-Foolery bar, and put Mullica on dozens of international TV shows, among them Late Night with David Letterman. Now memorabilia from the Tom-Foolery will go up for sale on May 22nd at Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. The sale will include the cigarette cases and tricks Mullica used night after night, as well as many of the framed photos, posters, and souvenirs from the walls of the bar, and his personal library of books on magic tricks. Among these is his own copy of The Encyclopedia of Cigarette Tricks, the book from which he learned many of his greatest tricks. The auction will also feature vintage magic tricks, illusions and apparatus from other consignors. Among them are antique trunks and illusions from the Will Rock/Thurston illusion show which toured America in the 1930s and 40s. One such item is the "Glass Lined Trunk" used by Rock. The trunk is still in the bright orange packing crate Rock used, its lid emblazoned with the words "Will Rock/Thurston Show." Another highlight is a pair of "Bean-Cobb" handcuffs owned by the best-known magician of all time, Harry Houdini. Other magic props in the auction include an elaborate Vanishing and Appearing Lamp set, stainless steel and Lucite props manufactured by Merv Taylor (who also operated one of the first concessions at Disneyland), and "devices of wonder" built by many well-known American craftsmen. Rounding out the auction is an assortment of collectible books, stone lithographs (posters), and ephemera. For more information, contact: Potter & Potter Auctions, Inc. 3729 N. Ravenswood Ave. Suite 116 Chicago, IL 60613 info@potterauctions.com www.potterauctions.com -------------------------------------------- 11. "A Lifetime Of Magic" - Charles Gauci -------------------------------------------- Message by Charles Gauci (Aust) Hi Everyone, I am very pleased at the positive response to my recently published book, "A Lifetime of Magic. This is a limited edition and will never be reprinted as I purposely want to restrict it to the serious collectors or professional magicians. Below are some comments received so far. A number of video clips of some of the effects from the book are on YouTube. Search under Charles Gauci. Testimonials: "A Lifetime of Magic" Charles Gauci available at Joe Stevens Magic Emporium Banachek "This may be redundant, but I think Charles Gauci is one of the most creative, entertaining and professional psychic entertainers in the world. His output of killer mental effects constitute some of the most powerful material any mentalist could perform. Most important of all he is a true gentleman and I are proud to call him my friend." -------------------------------------------- 12. FAB Magic & Abb -------------------------------------------- Message by Rick Fisher (US) The Magic Capital Of The World, Colon Michigan - is once again hosting a fantastic week of pure magic! Between FAB Magic & Abbott's you won't see this much magic anywhere in the world! FREE lectures by Michael Finney, Paul Romhany, Silly Billy, Bobby Maverick - 1 Trik Nite - 8th Annual Mad, Mad, Mad Auction + FAB Magic hosting two evening shows Friday and Saturday night at 6pm - starring: Michael Finney, Paul Romhany, Silly Billy, Bobby Maverick, Michael Baker, Riley Rabbit, Tony Dowell, Kyle Jerrard, Baffling Bill & Company, Kesler & Company.....Tickets are only $12.00 for the evening shows under the big circus style tent downtown Colon - 6pm sharp - and afterwards head on over to the high school and see MORE magic as Abbott's host their shows at 8pm. FREE seminars, FREE close up, FREE magic on the streets, Curly's 20th Annual Close Up Competition! You better catch up on your sleep before you get here because you won't have time to rest! Check out the info at www.colonmichiganmagic.com TODAY! -------------------------------------------- 13. The Berglas Effects Book Update -------------------------------------------- Message by Richard Kaufman The printer made an error and put the color plates in the wrong spots. They are redoing everything and the book will ship toward the end of next week. -------------------------------------------- 14. Supreme Golden Fun shears : Wanted -------------------------------------------- Message from Wayne McEwan (NZ) Looking for a pair of Supreme Magic Golden Fun Shears. Must be in good order. Fair price paid. Not interested in any other brand. Wayne McEwan magicguy@xtra.co.nz -------------------------------------------- 15. Criss Angel Adds Dazzling Illusions To Believe At Luxor -------------------------------------------- Article Forwarded on by Mel Kientz (US) Las Vegas Weekly - by Robin Leach The string of achievements and accolades that superstar magician Criss Angel has racked up in his career is simply amazing. But he's proudest of all with the raves he's now receiving from audiences, celebrities and critics for his revamped Believe from Cirque du Soleil at the Luxor. The most-watched magician online with more than 100 million YouTube views literally pulled off the impossible when he turned around the original production, which was hit by critics, into the bestselling magic spectacular in the world, with 3,600 seats sold nightly. Celebrities, from Gary Oldman to Chris Tucker, and other magicians including Lance Burton have become part of the now-nightly ovations. "Not only the best magic show in Las Vegas but the world!" Lance said. Siegfried & Roy added: "Greatness is he who reminds of you no other -- such a man is Criss Angel." Oprah Winfrey, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez and Paula Abdul have raved about Criss after seeing Believe, with Jay Leno saying: "The greatest illusionist in the world!" "It's an entire 100 percent change, a brand new show," Criss told me. "There's not 5 percent of the original left. I started over from scratch doing the writing and directing myself with the amazing support of Cirque and MGM Luxor. We now have over 40 illusions inside an incredibly entertaining show, and these illusions you won't see anywhere else in the world." Lance touted, "There's so much great original magic in Believe." "People wanted to see live what I did on Mindfreak, so now we have many of those Mindfreak illusions integrated, but Believe takes it even further and shows people a different side of me, as well. It's amazing, sexy, funny, scary, dangerous, exciting and, most important, an experience -- that's a good, fun time for everyone. I love performing this show!" Cirque officials told me that the new look of the show and its newest illusion -- The Phenom, making an audience-selected motorcycle appear instantly onstage -- is "beyond their wildest imagination." You are blown away by what Criss has achieved. It is truly remarkable. This far surpasses the word 'good' -- it's totally brilliant and beyond what we ever thought was possible for him to create and execute. Our audiences are totally blown away by what they're seeing." Even some hard-boiled critics are now giving raves to Believe. The Toronto Star headlined: "The most exciting thing now onstage in Vegas! Absolutely knockout illusions. . Heart-stopping exciting." This week, BBC critic Alex Beifield described Believe as "A+. By far the most spectacular and amazing magic show in Vegas -- and I've seen them all." Criss told me: "I'm proud we could take a show and change its perception. But I'm not stopping there. I'm still working on new material and illusions. Now I'm working on a brand new levitation, which I've been developing for years that is insane, but I can't say anymore about it yet. Believe is a living organism that is constantly changing and evolving. "I love that we can keep on developing new illusions, and the show can evolve, and it will until my very last performance. Ultimately, I just want to be the best I can be and provide the most entertaining experience to the public and my Loyal fans worldwide that are the best!" Criss Angel's Secret Warehouse The latest illusion has audiences amazed. "There are more than 10 motorcycles that we have on display in the lobby. They have all appeared on Mindfreak. The custom-made choppers include The Skeleton, The Phantom, The OCC Bike and The Phenom. I throw a T-shirt into the audience, and then whoever catches it throws it again, so it's a completely random member of the audience who gets to come onstage. They yell out the motorcycle of their choice, and instantaneously under impossible conditions, it appears in a split second on the stage beside them. People rush out to the lobby to check, and, sure enough, it's not there!" Criss has two projects that are hidden up his sleeves, although I can tell you there will be big news about Mindfreak soon and the debut this summer of MagicPlace.com -- including the Magic Broadcasting Network with 13 weekly shows launching for anybody interested in magic. Siegfried & Roy, Jeff McBride, Lance and more have taped segments for the Web site. "Everything magic will live here, and it's free," Criss summed up. Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world's premier platinum playground. -------------------------------------------- 16. Broken Wand - John Connolly -------------------------------------------- Message by George Schindler (US) The Society of American Magicians regrets the passing of John Connolly, who for many years was Treasurer of the S.A.M. John was a member for 63 years, an Honorary and a Life Member. He died at age 93. No further information is available at this time. -------------------------------------------- e-zine Archives -------------------------------------------- Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order and are Coded, e.g. 001 Nov06 1999.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (Nov06) and the last figures the year (1999) -------------------------------------------- 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.magicnewzealand.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. 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