* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment * www.magicnewzealand.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #869 Date: Sunday 9th October 2011 Editor: Alan Watson www.watson.co.nz E-mail: editor@magicnewzealand.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. Three New Acts Booked For Las Vegas 3. Contributions For Magician's Survival Guide Book 4. Passing Of Burton Sperber 5. Special Offer For New Subscribers To "The Mandala" 6. More Remarkable Magic # 54 - Nick Lewin 7. Performing For Mentally Challenged Children - #228 Kyle Peron 8. Tony Brook In Conversation With Jon Racherbaumer - Part 4 9. Henry Evans Lecture At Fantasma Magic 10. The Magic Circle of Rotterdam 11. Ian Rowland Lecturing At Blackpool Magicians' Club 12. Phil Cass - 25th Year Of Working Together 13. Salon de Magie Auction Catalog Now Online 14. Wanted: "The Modern Wizard's Manual" 15. The Finsbury Park Empire Isn't The London Palladium? 16. Magic In The Rockies 2011 - 18th Annual 17. e-zine Archives 18. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- Very pleased to announce the great news that Natalie and Paul Romhany had a healthy baby boy on September 17th at 1.09am weighing 8.2 lbs. His name is Jon-Paul Leslie Romhany and he is doing very well. Natalie had a few complications and was rushed back to hospital, but she is now home and recovering well. The Romhany family will be moving back to New Zealand early December where they will set up base. Paul continues to write and has a monthly contract to write his Pro-Series books, as well as perform on cruise ships and other venues around the world. We can't wait to have them back here in New Zealand. ------------------------ Update on Michael Woolfs health by his son Tony: "Dad and his La-Z-Boy are now in a new, single room - still Ward 6, Pod F, now in bed 26. He's resting comfortably, spending more time in the new chair than in bed. Apparently he got up and went for a walk around the ward last night. He's now confirmed as being first in line for surgery on Monday of next week (again, that's Sunday in the Northern Hemisphere). We anticipate about six days of post-op recuperation in the hospital, after which he may well be cleared to come home. Full recovery is expected to take about six weeks. Again, we're assured that although the bypass operations are serious, they are also quite routine and that patients typically feel quite energetic once their blood is flowing properly. Dad's pleased to welcome visitors and asks if possible to stagger them a bit, to break up his day. There's typically a bit of a log-jam of people arriving right after the 1-3 pm rest period, so if anyone is available to visit in the morning or later in the evening, that would be appreciated. Likewise, it's possible (just not encouraged by ward policy) to visit between 1 and 3, if those are the best times for you." Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: Editor@MagicNewZealand.com -------------------------------------------- 2. Three New Acts Booked For Las Vegas --------------------------------------------- Message by George Schindler (US) (July 23-24-25-26) The exciting news from Mike Miller, producer, is that three exhilarating acts have been added to the great roster of talent to appear at the Society of American Magicians annual convention in Las Vegas next July 23 - 26 2012 Sarlot and Eyed is the impressive young magic team whom you have read about in the recent M-U-M and Genii magazines. Their Tucson show has been a hit in Arizona for many years. They will be on our opening show with Christian and Katalina, another young and talented team of magicians you may remember from their short comedy stint at our banquet last year. This time you'll see their whole hilariously funny act. Miller also happily announced a third, much in demand entertainer, John Cassidy a balloonist nut from Pennsylvania who always tears the house apart with his energetic talent. The convention at the Golden Nugget has special convention rates you will find at http://www.magicsam.com/SAM2012/register.asp Book early for best seats and our early bird registration rate. -------------------------------------------- 3. Contributions For Magician's Survival Guide Book --------------------------------------------- Message by Paul Romhany (NZ) Contributions for magician's survival guide book I am asking EVERY magician who reads this e-zine to send me a one line tip or piece of advice you would like to share with other magicians. My new book is the Magician's Survival Guide - it will be a compilation from every style of performer from close-up, stage, street, birthday party, mentalism, school shows, corporate shows, trade-shows and cruise ship performers. The idea is to collect a book of hints, tips and stories in the trenches and how you got out of them. Please email your one line or paragraph - write as little or as much as you can and include your name and web site if you have one to info@paulromhany.com -------------------------------------------- 4. Passing Of Burton Sperber -------------------------------------------- Message by Nick Lewin (US) Note from Nick on the passing of Burton Sperber. It was with great sadness last week I heard about the passing of Burt Sperber. Burt was probably best known as a magic collector of the very first order. His magic museum was one of the finest in the world. However it was as a performer that Burt made his first impression on me. I was performing on a very 'Ritzy' cruise ship and the cruise director told me that there was a magician onboard who had enjoyed my show and really wanted to meet with me. I phoned the suite number he gave me and that was my first contact with Burt. To be honest, when he told me he was a magical collector I had certain misgivings about setting up the dinner date the next evening with Burt. The words 'Magic Collector' are equal only to 'Magic Hobbyist' to put a performer in dread of a deadly evening on a cruise ship - where there is nowhere to escape to! Someone who identifies himself as merely a magician is usually greeted with much more enthusiasm and interest and anticipation of an enjoyable encounter. I needn't have worried! After a delightful dinner with Burt and his charming wife, he invited me back to his suite and said he wanted to show me some tricks. I secretly breathed a deep sigh and settled back expecting to be less than enthused by what I saw. How many non-professional magician/collectors can really entertain or fool a 'snitty' pro like myself! The answer was simple - Burt Sperber could! For a substantial time Burt not only entertained me but absolutely, 100%, fooled me with some dazzling non-sleight of hand magic. It was delightfully presented and showed a deep understanding of some highly esoteric principles. Having been delighted by his performance, Burt was then kind enough to teach me (in detail) some of the great magic he had shown me. I was grateful and delighted by his action. As I later discovered, this was a typical act from one of magic's true gentlemen. He will be sorely missed by those of us in magic that were lucky enough to know him. I was honored and proud to be included as a contributor in Burt's recent book of mind reading effects. He was a wonderful man and a credit to the magic world. I was very, very sorry to hear of his passing. -------------------------------------------- 5. Special Offer For New Subscribers To "The Mandala" -------------------------------------------- Message from Shawn McMasters The Mandala - magic's first all-digital magic magazine - released their most recent issue on September 11, and in it they look back on how the terrorist attacks that shook America affected the entertainment industry in general - and the magic community in particular - and where we are ten years later. Its compelling reading told in a straightforward and edgy style not found in most magic magazines. The Mandala is committed to relevant, timely, and frank reporting covering topics and personalities that should matter to you.only you might not know it yet. A number of The Mandala's articles and essays have been picked up and reprinted in publications like MAGIC and Genii, but you can read them FIRST by subscribing to the original source - The Mandala. Here's the special offer: If you subscribe today by visiting www.themandalamag.com and insert the words "MNZ special" in the comments box when you check out, not only will you receive the thought-provoking September 11 issue right away, but you will also receive two free back issues: Volume 1, Issue 1 and Volume 1, Issue 2. Issue 1 features the very in-depth and controversial interview with Charlotte Pendragon. Issue 2 catches up with Doc Eason to find out what he's been up to during the six years since the world-famous Tower Magic Bar closed down. Don't Miss This Limited-Time Offer! The Mandala: Magic, with an attitude. Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mandala/136469346370869 -------------------------------------------- 6. More Remarkable Magic # 54 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message by Nick Lewin (US) Developing your own style. Before we talk magic, let's look at the definition of the word style that comes up on my Mac after I double click the word and then three fingers click it. Ah, I do love these new gestures that are possible with the Mac trackpad! Here is what arrived, 1 a manner of doing something: 2 a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed: 3 elegance and sophistication: 4 a rod like object or part, in particular: I think we can rule out the fourth definition, but let's look more closely at the first three. How can we apply them to magic? 'A manner of doing something' well, to me this implies a consistency of approach that unifies all the separate ingredients that blend together and create a show. It applies to what you do in the show, what you say in the show and how you execute these elements. The first step to becoming an elegant and sophisticated (see definition three) performer is to follow that great aphorism 'Know Thyself' which is most often attributed to Socrates. You cannot develop any form of individual style without looking very carefully at who you are - in particular your strengths and weaknesses. While it is possible to construct a totally separate stage persona from your real life attributes, it isn't easy. If you aren't a smooth, elegant, good looking charmer, who moves well then a silent manipulative act probably isn't your thing. Look at yourself physically and make sure that you are actually seeing yourself as an audience member will see you. Better leave that to the Lance Burton's, James Dimmare's and Jason Andrews of the world. If you aren't a skilled talker, with a ready wit and sense of humor then chances are you shouldn't be telling jokes in your show. You can't just take a bunch of stock lines and string them together and have any hope of achieving style. Maybe you should be looking at the kind of magic where the situation is funny and it is this that makes the audience laugh. Then little by little you can add a line or two that is funny because it came from within you and is truly your style. The sad truth is that you can't borrow style, you can't buy style, and you can't steal style. If it belongs to someone else then it will never really be your style. What you CAN do is to learn about style by watching how other people have developed and applied their own style. In magic there are so many routines available in books, DVDs etc. that a magician can begin to believe that everything out there is available and it is acceptable to borrow, use or steal anything. You don't own a trick by buying it, reading it or outright purloining it. Style is something that has to come from a master game plan that you have developed. Otherwise its monkey see monkey do. I am a huge fan of Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger, I am also a big fan of the style which Jeff has brought to teaching magic to his lucky Mystery School pupils. It worries me more than a tad when I see how many of his students seem to want to become McBrides. They dress like him, perform like him and although I haven't any inside knowledge of Jeff's take on performing, I find it hard to believe that this is any part of his philosophy. I suspect/hope that it is a passing phase for these individuals though. On a very practical level (my favorite one) to fine tune your own style you can examine your act and pick it apart with a fine toothcomb and eliminate items that may work on some level but are counter intuitive to making you the performer you really want to be. First develop the vision of who you want to be - make it based on who you are, and then chip away everything in your act that stops this happening. I often hear magicians excuse the use of a hack trick or a hack line by saying, "Well, it works" or "It gets a laugh". However, ask yourself what it says about you that you haven't found a better way to express your personal style and personality. The failure to do this is one of the reasons there are so many magicians and so few artistes and stars in the magic world. You are selling yourself short if you just want to be a haphazard amalgamation of everyone else. Learn from others how to develop your own style, when you have learned everything you can from them - move on to someone else and see what you can learn from their approach. We all need teachers, role models and heroes, but at some point (to steal a key lesson from 'A Course In Miracles') "The time for learning is over". It is way tougher to learn to be yourself when performing than to execute the perfect second deal! A second deal is only perfect when you don't realize it is happening - I guess that's kinda' my theory on style. While not wanting to simplify it to the "You've either got or you haven't got style......" from the song lyric, I guess what I'm saying is work like a maniac to become a person with your own style and then learn to forget about it so it doesn't look phony. Drop me an email at nicklewin26@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 7. Performing For Mentally Challenged Children - #228 Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message by Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com There is a few things you want to remember when performing for mentally challenged children. The biggest one of all is to treat them with respect as you would anyone. Regardless of how they may appear to come across to you, they still want what we all want. Respect and to have a great time. Do NOT go into any event like this feeling sorry for them. This is the wrong attitude to take and it starts to affect your way of thinking and how you approach it. Instead think of ways in which you can better connect and relate to them and ways in which to maximize the fun and interactions. One thing you will want to do is contact the organization or person you are performing the show for. Chances are they know a LOT about mental handicaps, autism, downs syndrome etc. They can and will help you. All you have to do is pick up the phone and ask the questions. Not only can they help, they can also provide you with information to be sent to you to help you out. Sometimes this can come in the form of DVDs or books they will gladly send to you. In most cases of mentally challenged children, they love the journey more than the magic. In fact the magic may not mean as much to them as it would others. However, they love to laugh and smile and have a good time. You can achieve this through routines that are simple, visual and fun. The usage of storytelling, visual and physical comedy work really well as does puppets and puppetry. You want to stay away from routines that are overly complicated or are geared at a wow response. It just does not work well as they do not see the magic in that fashion. However, standard principles of "see don't see" and "magician in trouble" can still work very nicely. I would tend to make a show around 30-35 mins. It tends to be a good time so as to still maintain focus and allow the children to remain engaged. The key is this engagement. You want a show that reaches out to them and engages their focus through interaction. This does not mean always a helper on stage. It can mean asking a question and getting an answer back. It can mean having them all wiggle their fingers to make the magic happen. It can mean eye contact and teaching them how to clap and when. It also means you complementing them throughout the show showing positive reinforcement. Now every child is different and every condition has its own unique traits you need to understand and educate yourself with. However, there are some similar traits each tend to share that we can learn from. Many will have a physical strength far greater than their mental age. This simply means a child aged 15 may have 15 year olds strength but a mental age far lower. This means they want to express themselves more emotionally in the way of handshakes and hugs are a big thing. They just often do not know their own strength. However, they mean well. Loud noises and sudden movements can often frighten certain children. You may want to be a bit conscious of this as you build your routines. Another trait is the inability to focus attention or remain still. This is not because your show is bad. It simply is the fact that the condition they have makes it harder. You can maintain focus through the usage of things I mentioned above. When you arrive at the event, make sure to ask that the teachers or parents sit with their child. It really helps you by allowing them to help their children and be able to watch the show as a family. Most of all, remember that they may not be able to express themselves and say thank you to you verbally. However, know that you ARE making a difference in the life of a child. 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. -------------------------------------------- 8. Tony Brook In Conversation With Jon Racherbaumer - Part 4 -------------------------------------------- Message by Anthony Darkstone Brook - Europe/USA ADB: You just blew me away Jon .. Those are the most magical words I have ever heard . thank you. Let's now get back to card magic for which, you are quoted as saying, " I have a fatal attraction." This led you to Ed Marlo. Tell me a little about your time with him. JR: Well, Tony, I had the good fortune and privilege of knowing Ed Marlo for almost 30 years, during which we shared many sessions, telephone conversations, and letters. He had a profound influence on my approach to the technical aspects of card magic and how important it is to be passionate and deeply involved in all aspects of it. This was part of Ed's genius and unlike many of his peers, he wrote down most of his findings and kept detailed notes. Spending time with him was indescribable. From an energy standpoint, it was like getting jolts of high voltage, surges of pure dream-stuff. When Ed died, I thought that my magic-connection died. There is, alas, still a "black hole" of emptiness, a dead zone, a disconnect. Marlo was my magical godfather, my dragoman, my mentor, my friend. ADB: You are 6 foot, 1 inch. You weigh in at 260 pounds. You have long hair and a long beard. Is this a deliberate image or something that just evolved? JR: Well.. I no longer have long hair now. In fact, I'm lucky to have hair.period. In the past, I never cultivated a particular "image." in fact, because of my eastern religious leanings, I have strived to eliminate or at least minimize anything "ego-aic." what one ends up looking like, if one simply lets it naturally evolve, is often surprising. I initially grew a beard because I looked too "immature" and could not enter nightclubs or adult establishments. The long hair is a holdover from the 60s. Someone once said, "at age 50 one has the face they deserve". ADB: He! He! He! There's a few punch-lines as a response that are forming rapidly but I shall resist..! Jon, New Orleans home and you have a special feeling for it. Apart from the jazz music, what's the special attraction? JR: My father moved from Chicago to New Orleans in 1958 and I worked for him during the summer of 1959, falling in love with the exotic, dreamlike, old-world ambiance of the city. When I returned to New Orleans for a Mardi Gras celebration in 1963, I stayed, or as I like to put it, ".and I'm still trying to recover!" There is a strong sense of things being transitory in New Orleans. Everything is in a state of dramatic transformation. Decay and decadence coexists with tropical lushness and fresh beauty. The Big Easy is also a place of escape and recovery. Many people come to "chill out", have a "breakdown" or start a "new life". I enjoy the tension between surrendering to the Southern-Gothic, laid-back lifestyle and dealing with pressures to succeed in a fast-track, big-city way. I lived for a while in the French Quarter and soon realized why writers such as Sherwood Anderson, William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and others chose to live and work here. New Orleans is truly a Dream State, and to put it another, more relevant way, a "magical" place that that tolerates diversity and eccentricity. End of Part 4 -------------------------------------------- 9. Henry Evans Lecture At Fantasma Magic -------------------------------------------- Message by Mark Shakhman 3-time magician of the year Henry Evans is heading to New York City's Fantasma Magic to demonstrate his latest creations. A world famous lecturer who has traveled around the world since winning FISM 2000 in card magic, Henry has amazed both laymen and magicians with his devious mind, producing miracles with cards, silks and coins with his particular twist. If you have already attended Henry's previous lectures you know why he has achieved the prestige of an original and charismatic performer. If you have never seen him lecture before, you are invited to peek into the mind of a magician with an interesting point of view on how to combine methods, fiction and clean conditions to produce strong magic. From clever uses of gaffes to effects with nothing else than a borrowed regular deck, Henry´s approach to magic is something not to miss. Date: October 12, 2011 Time: 7 pm Location: Fantasma Magic 421 7th Ave, 2nd floor New York, NY 10001 Henry Evan's accomplishments include: Magician of the year 1995, 2000, 2005 1st Prize FISM 2000 in Card magic MVP Award FFFF Convention 2002 2 Nominations for best lecturer at the Magic Castle, 2001, 2004 Guest of Honor FFFF Convention 2009 Lecturer in more than 40 countries around the world Recently hired as performer and lecturer at FISM 2009 in Beijing Cover of Linking Ring magazine April 2009 issue. Thank you, Mark Shakhman Fantasma Magic 421 7th Avenue - 2nd Floor New York, NY 10001 212 244-3633 ------------------------------------------- 10. The Magic Circle Of Rotterdam -------------------------------------------- Message by John Anders (Holland) First let me introduce myself a bit. My name is John Anders and I'm from the Netherlands, Chairman of the Magic Circle of Rotterdam. Professional magician and several years ago I marketed "'the Direct-Link TM" and beside that I was one of the organizers of the FISM 2003 in the Hague. The Magic Circle of Rotterdam is a circle with around 50 members and a small youth department (12). We meet each other every first and third Thursday of the month in our club building, in a small village near Rotterdam, called Bergschenhoek. We love to meet magicians from abroad and we are always looking for lecturers. So if there is a magician, anywhere in the world, who wants to visit us please let me know and if English is a problem, I speak French and German! We are looking forward to meet friends from all over the World. If you want to visit our club meetings, please send me an email; johnanders@versatel.nl or call me + 31 10 46 77 984 0r +31 6 53 60 26 10 Or visit our website www.goochelclubrotterdam.nl I hope that this is information you like to have for the newsletter and perhaps mister Loch David Crane (chapter 15 in your latest letter) will be happy. Best wishes always, John Anders, Beethovenstraat 28 2651 VJ Berkel en Rodenrijs www.johnanders.nl + 31 10 46 77 984 + 31 6 53 60 26 10 -------------------------------------------- 11. Ian Rowland Lecturing At Blackpool Magicians' Club -------------------------------------------- Message by Peter Eldin (UK) Ian Rowland will be lecturing at Blackpool Magicians' Club on Tuesday 18th October. Ian is a top mentalist who has performed all over the world. His lecture at the Blackpool Convention this year was universally well received and his spoon bending was amazing - even more so when he explained how he did it. Ian has written the definitive book on the art of 'cold reading' and writes a regular column for The Magic Circular and the Italian magazine Magia. His show of amazing mind-reading, psychic-flavored effects and intriguing impossible events, peppered with plenty of laughs, receives critical acclaim wherever he performs. In addition to performing in cabaret and private events Ian is considerably busy in the corporate field as an entertainer, motivator and teacher. For a thought-provoking lecture with a difference Ian Rowland is your man. ------------------------------------------- 12. Phil Cass - 25th Year Of Working Together -------------------------------------------- Message by Phil Cass (Aust) Philippa and I have entered our 25th year of working together. Our first performance of working together was at Seagulls RLFC on the Gold Coast 2nd Aug 1987 in a 2 hour show comedy & illusion show called the Magician & The Mimic, with Danny Mc Master, Australia's top impressionist. The older you get the better you get they reckon . well 25 years later we're still at it and working stronger than ever. The cruise industry is thriving in Australia and New Zealand. Bookings for me next year are almost full. It seems the whole Australian variety industry has moved out of the club scene and gone cruising. Each cruise has several entertainers on board and one of the very real side benefits of cruising is the friendship, camaraderie and quality time that we share with the other entertainers. -------------------------------------------- 13. Salon de Magie Auction Catalog Now Online -------------------------------------------- Message by Potter & Potter Auctions Catalog Now Online The catalog for our October 29th auction of magic apparatus and memorabilia from Ken Klosterman's Salon de Magie is now online. The auction features a wide array of apparatus, including many rare Thayer-made props, as well as automatons (old and new), posters, books, Houdini memorabilia and props, a Professor Hoffmann manuscript, and selected ephemera. Go to: http://www.potterauctions.com/Catalog/CurrentCatalog/tabid/949/Default.aspx to browse the digital edition or purchase a catalog. -------------------------------------------- 14. Wanted: "The Modern Wizard's Manual" -------------------------------------------- Message by Max Blake Wanted: "The Modern Wizard's Manual" by Don Boles, printed in the USA c.1972. Payment preferably by PayPal. Max Blake - maxblake@talktalk.net -------------------------------------------- 15. The Finsbury Park Empire Isn't The London Palladium? -------------------------------------------- Message by Jamie Bentley In the latest NL there's a mention that the Finsbury Park Empire isn't the London Palladium. Ah, but it is! So is the Hackney Empire, the Kingston Empire, and the Ilford Empire, as well as other Empires ringing London suburbs. Name magicians were there all through the 1914-1918 and 1939-45 war years. These were all built to the same design as the Palladium by Frank Matchem at the turn of the 20th century. I went to the Palladium many times, but for all my London life, the Hackney Empire was my home music hall (perhaps from age 3 to 22). To be in one means you had been in one of the others. Edger Bergen with Charlie McCarthy appeared at the Palladium (who ?) in 1948 and a theatre critic wrote ".......remarkably unremarkable....." I agree. Most magic societies had a better vent than Bergen. The history of magic doesn't seem to interest those calling themselves magicians, and funnily enough even some clubs are not interested in their own history when offered historic material. Keep the NL's coming.... I know they are a 'labour of love'. Regards Jamie Bentley -------------------------------------------- 16. Magic In The Rockies 2011 - 18th Annual -------------------------------------------- Message by Edward Hurtubis Magic in the Rockies 2011 - 18th Annual September 8, 9, 10, and 11, 2011 IBM Ring 250, The Presto-Digitators Fort Collins, CO Magic In The Rockies Does It Again A Review by David Goodsell, Satisfied Customer Every year, the first weekend after Labor Day, Tim Pendergast, Ed Hurtubis, and Lew Wymisner, key figures in the I.B.M. Ring 250, The Presto-Digitators of Fort Collins, Colorado, throw a party for magicians (they are quick to list a dozen others who really make this possible, especially Dave Miller who supplies close to $100,000 in video and stage equipment and musters a crew to set up and take down several truckloads of this hi-tech stuff). It's called Magic in the Rockies. I suppose technically it is a convention, but while the magic performed and shared is definitely cutting edge, the feel of the gathering harkens back 40 years or more to the early days of Abbott's Get-Togethers in Colon, Michigan and Stevens Magic Seminars in Wichita, Kansas, because of the camaraderie and friendships that are forged here, and have been for 18 years, now. It really is like one big party. So what? Well, consider why the Presto Boys, Lew, Ed, and Tim, do this year after year. Lew put it this way. "I fell in love with magic when I was ten years old. Why do I do this? One reason is because I want other ten-year-old kids to experience the wonder of magic." And the Saturday Junior Showcase show and Sunday youth workshop (facilitated by Merritt Sammons - Martin) are ways to do this. "Because I want this community [Fort Collins] to have the opportunity to see world-class magic." And they do. Tim and Ed add that everyone who attends is a friend. If they weren't before, they are as soon as they walk in the door. "It is gratifying," they tell me, "to have our friends say "Thanks for a great convention." Consider why we attend this gathering. It is that same love of magic. It is as simple and perhaps as corny as that. The ratio of the famous to the rest of us at these gatherings is about 1 to 10, and the odds of visiting with these notables is as high as we decide to make it, because, this is the gathering the professionals love. They come here whenever they can, whether they are performing or not, because of the laid back, low key, sense of fellowship. They are here to "enjoy the moment" just like the rest of us. They are "one of us" and it's a good feeling to have Doc Eason or Rick Maue or Eric Jones say, "Good to see you Mr. Goodsell (in deference to my great age)." This happens all the time to many, many attendees who frequent Magic in the Rockies. It is fun! These icons of magic seem to become kids in magic again themselves, and are likely to say or do zany, goofy things to one another, and by association we become a part of that fun. Part of the charm of the Rockies gathering is the impromptu nature of the late night events that add the spice to this magic stew - the "An Hour at the Tower" or the ninety minutes plus at the hotel bar, or the "Saturday Night Soirée". These venues are where the famous and not so famous perform for one another, and the rest of us who are lucky enough to be present. And it is not unusual to be treated to extra antics even at the Saturday night public show! In the "An Hour at the Tower" we listened to Doc Eason, Eric Mead, Bob Sheets, and Alex Rangel swap stories, hilarious and at times irreverent, about their time as magic bartenders at the famous Tower Comedy Magic Bar in Snowmass Village, Colorado. Doc was there a remarkable 27 years! A few of us had witnessed some of these antics in person over the years. Most had not and, now that the Tower is closed, would never share that unique experience - but Thursday night we lived it a little through those wonderful reminiscences. And. this was a great introduction to the Friday night of Bar Magic in the hotel bar! The upside of that experience was the unique ambience of bar magic with talent such as Doc Eason, Daniel Garcia, Eddie Goldstein, Eric Mead, Alex Rangel, and Bob Sheets. It is definitely worth getting there early for a bar-side seat. Since we're talking late night, we'll go ahead and tell you about the Soirée Saturday night. This was perhaps the best event of the whole gathering. Gene Turner did a fast 15 minutes of watch steals and pick pocketing. He is great, and has a special ability of taking a watch off one person and placing it on the wrist of a second person, both none the wiser! Joe Givan and Carol Massie followed with a clever two-person adaptation of the magic square principle. This creative, new routine has great promise. Fresh from Magic Live, Giovanni gave us a pom-pom stick routine with a gambling theme and a prediction of license plate letters, numbers, and state, selected by the audience, apparently at random. The tricks were good, but his energy is fantastic. What a performer! Paul Draper followed. Although thoroughly blindfolded with coins over his eyes held in place with duct tape, Paul was able to discern the identities of three different objects borrowed from the audience. Paul showed great skill at handling potentially difficult spectators in this routine. The Soirée closed with Bob Sheets finding five selected cards lost among the other 47 face down cards on a table by stabbing them with a large knife, while blindfolded. That reads good as is, but the entertainment value because of Bob's comedic abilities is beyond description. The Soirée show ran just over an hour, and every act, and they all could have been headliners, worked for the fun of it! The public show earlier Saturday night at the Lincoln Center was extremely well received by the general public and most of the attendees. A few die-hards complained that there was not enough magic, and it did, indeed, have a variety show feel; but it was very entertaining. Steve Spangler (The Science Guy who has appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show more than a dozen times) opened the show by sending large smoke rings across the theater using a clever home-made device consisting of a plastic trash barrel with a hole in one end and a plastic membrane over the large end. These traveled with enough force to knock plastic cups off the heads of spectators in the audience. Magic, no. Great fun, yes! Keith Fields repeated his human xylophone comedy bit we saw during his lecture. Assemble eight kids banging tunes on wind chimes with wooden spoons. Magic, no. Great fun, yes! Young Derek McKee performed card manipulations and a cups and balls routine. Emcee Peter Samelson treated us to two dramatic story routines using the Gypsy Thread for one and the Chinese Snow Storm in the second. Peter has long been known for theatrical magic. "Stage janitor (manager)" Paul Draper surprised and pleased the audience with his rich baritone voice as he sang Pure Imagination while performing his two-ring Linking Ring routine and Asleep In The Deep, the song used by Houdini during his Water Torture Cell. John Archer, who stole the show with his great British wit and his surprising talent with the Ukulele (Beethoven, followed this? Yes!), not to mention two items he is noted for: swallowing an inflated balloon and the trick that fooled Penn & Teller. Closing the show were Stoil & Ekaterina with a colorful, fast-paced act filled with costume changes, feather flowers, color-changing silks and canes, a multiplying bottle routine where the new bottles were a splash of color. It was reminiscent of closing acts of the seventies amped up several notches. The other public show was the Saturday morning "Kids Performing for Kids" show, also held at the Lincoln Center featuring a half dozen young acts, teens, and pre-teens, including Timothy Cripe, the Zerger Kids, A.J. the Great, Justin Bosco, Tyler Grossman, and Lauren Miller & Co. Our favorite was Max Andrew, aka a young Houdini, who was tied, shackled, stuffed in a mail bag, dumped into a locked trunk, but not only managed to escape but did a costume change while he was at it. Pro Eddie Goldstein emceed the show admirably and two adult acts provided an entertaining change of pace: Lloydini and Linda with the classic Temple of Benares and Joe Givan and Carol Massie performing their Falkenstein & Willard Rope Tie. The lectures at Magic in the Rockies are a big part of the gathering, providing both close-up magic entertainment and instruction. Lew Wymisner brought in Ms. Adrienne Zoble, a national expert in marketing for businesses and corporations. For those who rely wholly or in part on magic shows for their livelihood, or who might one day, this was superb. To simplify the main message, the secret to increasing bookings is to spend 80% of your marketing time and budget working your existing base by keeping your name at the tops of the minds of your former satisfied customers. Referrals are the life-blood of success! Derek McKee, one of the teens featured in the Lance Burton documentary Beyond Belief, gave his first-ever lecture at Magic in the Rockies. One day we'll say, "We saw him way back at." Derek has already figured out that the chances of success go way up if you gather around you as advisors and mentors the best resource people you can, and that success carries with it an obligation to give something back to magic. Keith Fields was great fun, his British humor reminding us of how much we miss the late Terry Seabrooke. Keith told us he had heard about Magic in the Rockies from his friends in England, and he found it everything they said it was. Fields' routines are clever and highly entertaining. His blank cards Ambitious Card routine is a masterpiece, as is his simple two-paddle routine with 14 magical happenings in 90 seconds. This lecture was one of the high points of the convention. Closing out the first-day lectures was mentalist - cultural anthropologist Paul Draper, a young man who has emerged as a confident, dynamic psychic entertainer of real merit. His handling of the Looy Simonoff matching cards routine using ESP symbol cards was excellent, as were his demonstrations of cold readings with cards and his personality readings. But the real lesson to be learned from Paul Draper comes from observing how he has created a professional career using his twin loves of magic (and mentalism) and cultural anthropology. He follows his dream through studied analysis of his own work and potential markets, creative application of what he knows and learns, enthusiasm, and rock-solid confidence. Most magicians have heard of Christian Schenk's Phoenix cards and his company, Card Shark. Like Paul, Christian has attacked his career with force and creativity, and it was interesting to hear his history and to learn how he has applied his skills as a graphic designer to his knowledge of how playing cards are made to develop his unique collection of gaffed cards and card tricks. Yes, it was a dealer demonstration lecture, but that was okay. We were both edified and inspired. By the way, his parlor-sized cards are great for stand-up work. What a treasure Barrie Richardson is. This is his favorite convention, as he tells everyone. He returns each year and can be counted on for a 15-minute mini-lecture, which in many respects, must register as a highlight of the gathering. Barrie's metaphors carry deep and applicable meaning. and then he stuns us with a demonstration of Quartet, from his latest book, Curtain Call. No one is more revered than Barrie Richardson. He is old like me. He is my hero! Mark Mason is perhaps the most dynamic dealer demonstrator around today, and always draws a good-sized crowd around his booth. He is also a first-rate comedy close-up magician, as we witnessed during the first 15 minutes of his lecture. But with all the great tricks he shared, such as Stuck-up Monte and his Coin in the Bottle routine, it was his non-classic classic force that drew the attention. What a great way to force a card! Forcing without tears, is how I look at it. I encourage you to Google all of these performers. Take a look at their websites and take a look at any performance clips you can find. The beauty of modern technology is that you can read about these performers here and then find them on line to see why we enjoyed them so much. By the way, apropos of what we emphasized early in this review, we enjoyed sitting with Christian Schenk at dinner on the Marriott's outdoor pavilion. (Magic in the Rockies provides two lunches and one dinner with registration - who else does that nowadays) Christian is here to earn a living, to sell his products. It is his business. As we sat in balmy weather, surrounded by pleasant landscaping and 200 other magic enthusiasts, Christian said, "I love this. This is like a vacation!" The Buck twins opened Friday night's lecture with their own mini-lecture. These young phenoms showed a couple of relatively simple but effective card flourishes and a nifty way of seeming to flip a coin while controlling the position of the head and tail. The one and only Wayne Dobson followed them. As most of you know, Wayne has MS, which has not diminished his love of magic and performing. His emphasis now is on magic where he simply instructs the spectator, who does all the work. Admittedly, we cannot match Wayne's quick wit and creative line of patter, but there are ways to apply what he does to what we do. His invisible deck is a thing of beauty. Can something be beautiful and hilarious at the same time???? I think so. One of magic's most personable phenoms is Eric Jones - hip, talented, gracious, and charming. That combination of traits is a bit rare among today's young lions. From the clever turnover pass force reminiscent of Horace Goldin to his stunning coins across routine to his use of a clever gimmicked card, this young man represents the best of magic's future. As an aside, Eric is always, always, first to volunteer to work with kids interested in magic. That is both remarkable and admirable. Max Krause, a magician with a remarkable mind, followed Eric. He has created an app that will make your head swim, and a trick deck to end all trick decks. Yep, this was almost entirely a dealer demonstration lecture, but if you want to be impressed, check out his website. We could have gone home happy Sunday morning, but no, we still had two more lectures, the first by David Regal and the second by John Archer. David's ambitious card routine called "Puppy" is brilliant, and his card handling takes the routine out of the realm of skilled puzzle and into that of pure storytelling magic. John Archer is the preeminent diamond in the rough. He is loud, funny, gregarious, but so, so brilliant. Every routine is carefully studied. This was especially clear as he described the bank note - envelope routine that fooled Penn and Teller. Wow! I was mightily impressed at how well read and thoughtful this man is. He is one of magic's best thinkers! That's it. The feast was over. Satisfied to the full, it was time for a nap. I dreamed about going back next year. I can hardly wait! -------------------------------------------- 17. e-zine Archives -------------------------------------------- Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to: www.magicnewzealand.com click on the red button center right "Archives" When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order in folders for each year 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) -------------------------------------------- 18. 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