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* Magic New Zealand®
* Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment
* www.magicnewzealand.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Issue Number: #981
Date: Sunday 13th January 2013
Editor: Alan Watson
www.watson.co.nz
E-mail: editor@magicnewzealand.com
================================
Hi here is the latest news
================================
1.
Editor's Message
2. "My Magical Journey: The First 30,000 Days"
3. Hollywood's 'Magic Castle' Turns 50
4. Closing Of Our Business After 20 Years
5. Washington Magical Buskers
6. Remarkable Magic #286 - Nick Lewin
7. Magic Magazine Junkie
8. Broken Wand - Bill Chaudet
9. The Best $1 You Will Ever Spend
10. The Dutch Festival of Magic 2013
11. 2013 New Zealand Lectures - Diary Now
12. e-zine Archives
13. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
1. Editor's Message
--------------------------------------------
We really enjoyed the Karl Hein and Jeff Kaylor double lecture
last night in Auckland. Both was extremely well received by
all ages and experience levels - they will be scenic touring
and magic lecturing throughout New Zealand over the next two
months.
Now
looking forward to reading "My Magical Journey: The First
30,000 Days" a truly fascinating story on the Magic Castle
by Milt Larsen.
See
review below (2) by Harlan Boll.
----------------------
For those who would like to read Magic New Zealand in a HTML
format go to:
http://www.magicnewzealand.com/ezine-archive/2013-Jan-to-Dec-2013/981-Jan13-2013.html
Remember
if you have any magic news drop me a line:
Editor@MagicNewZealand.com
--------------------------------------------
2. "My Magical Journey: The First 30,000 Days"
--------------------------------------------
Message by Harlan Boll
"My
Magical Journey: The First 30,000 Days" (ISBN: HB: 978-1-939178-00-8
SB:
978-1¬939178-01-5), by Milt Larsen, co-founder of The
Magic Castle
(http://www.magiccastle.com/), that coincides with the 50th
anniversary of the Hollywood landmark. The book is available
on Amazon
(http://www.amazon.com/) as well as The Magic Castle's website
(http://www.magiccastle.com).
In
addition to the books release, anticipation is mounting for
the pending
Magic Castle Movie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8kAdZsYPoo&feature=youtu.be),
especially
with the announcement of Director McG (Terminator, Charlie's
Angels, etc)
taking the helm of the film, Radar pictures is still keeping
things under wraps.
The
book literally takes readers through a star studded magical
journey of a family and a man that embraced and nurtured a
legacy of illusion that finds it roots long before it fascinated
the pharaohs of Egypt or became a popular past time for the
kings and queens of Europe and eventually a staple in American
entertainment in vaudeville.
In
more recent history, on Jan 2nd, 1963 the construction began
in 1908 and would be known as the Lane Mansion, and became
the world famous Magic Castle. In January, 2013 fans and fanatics
of the mystical and mysterious world of illusion gathered
to celebrate its 50th anniversary, now the mecca for all things
magical and mysterious.
The
Magic Castle has grown over the years from its original design
to include 13 performance spaces including close-up magic,
the Parlor of Prestidigitation and of course, The Palace of
Mystery. Practically every great magician of the modern era
has appeared within walls, as well as a few noted amateur
illusionists including Cary Grant, Johnny Carson, Jason Alexander,
Dom Deluise, Tony Curtis, Neil Patrick Harris, to name a few
and boasts a membership that includes many of today's top
stars such as Johnny Depp, Jane Fonda, Florence Henderson,
Carol Channing, Romi Dames, Tippi Hedren, Stephen Hawking,
and more.
The
Magic Castle is not only the showplace for some of the greatest
magicians from around the globe, it also houses one of the
largest original collections of Houdini's great tools of the
trade including his personal handcuffs, straight jacket, metamorphosis
trunk and famous milk can escape in the Houdini Séance
Room. Houdini himself used these props to mystify thousands.
The Castle also houses collections from W.C. Field, Johnny
Carson, Walt Disney and many more.
--------------------------------------------
3. Hollywood's 'Magic Castle' Turns 50
--------------------------------------------
Article forwarded on by Philip Stevens (US)
DailyNews
By Mariecar Mendoza, Staff Writer
It
was the late 1940s and a wealthy banker's home was falling
into disrepair.
Then poof!
The
Victorian house turned into an entertainment hub dubbed the
Magic Castle that has become beloved in Los Angeles for its
magic, mystery and memorable
members.
"Today
the Magic Castle turns 50, which is the new 40, which in Hollywood
is the new 20," cracked actor/magician and academy member
Steve Valentine, who served as master of ceremonies at the
50th birthday celebration of the Magic Castle.
The
mansion on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood is the official private
clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts, a nonprofit organization
that aims to promote the magic arts. It's still an exclusive
club - with dinners and shows
Niel
Patrick Harris was among the celebrities on hand Jan 2, 2013,
for the 50th anniversary of Hollywood's Magic Castle. (John
McCoy/Staff Photographer) open only to members or guests of
members.
The
academy and the Magic Castle were founded by writer, actor,
magician and
entrepreneur Milt Larsen and his late brother William Larsen
Jr. in 1963.
What
started with a handful of magicians, illusionists and enthusiasts
like Cary Grant and Johnny Carson now boasts more than 5,000
members during the
year.
Balance
of article go to:
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_22301048/hollywoods-magic-castle-turns-50
Video
clip: Go to:
http://www.edgeonthenet.com/entertainment/culture/videos/140326/hollywood%E
2%80%99s_%E2%80%99magic_castle%E2%80%99_turns_50_
--------------------------------------------
4. Closing Of Our Business After 20 Years
---------------------------------------------
Message by Zauberhandlung Manipulix (Germany)
I
am closing our business after 20 years at the end of this
year.
So
we offer to our clients / customers a special deal of 50%
off on all stocked products.
You
can see that at http://www.manipulix.com
--------------------------------------------
5. Washington Magical Buskers
--------------------------------------------
Message by George Schindler (US)
Washington
Magical Buskers To Raise Funds For Wounded Warriors
When
you tip the magical buskers by throwing some money into their
hats you will help the wonderful "Wounded Warriors Project".
All of the funds the "street magicians" will earn
at the Society of American Magicians national convention in
Washington, DC (July 3-4-5-6) will go toward bringing aid
to warriors with every type of injury from the physical to
the invisible wounds of war.
Street
performance or "busking" is a special talent and
the best magical and juggling artists in this field will demonstrate
their expertise on July 6. throughout the convention hotel
and its environs. Bob Sheets, Bobby Maverick and Hilby the
Skinny German Juggler are featured for this event. See their
bios and register for the convention at www.magicsam.com
Take
advantage of the current rate before the February 1 increase
For information on the WWP go to http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
-------------------------------------------
6. Remarkable Magic #286 - Nick Lewin
--------------------------------------------
Message by Nick Lewin (US)
50
years of Magic Castle and Counting. Part Two.
Well
the first rush of celebration for the Magic Castle's 50th
year is over. What a great party it was, but there will be
lots more events and surprises throughout the year. However,
the Founders Day party on January 2nd was a smash, the Castle
looked great and was filled with many familiar faces for her
party.
I
arrived at 3:30 for the 4:30 official start of the event,
and was very pleased to have made this decision; I understand
that parking was tougher as the time went on. At 3:30 I just
dropped my car off and went right into meet and greet mode
with the stellar crowd who were already assembling around
the front of the Castle. It was as prestigious bunch of folk
as I have seen gathered there.
I
took the opportunity to catch up with many old friends including
Milt Larsen, Erika Larsen and Liberty Larsen, Mark and Nani
Wilson, Max Maven, John Lovick, Shawn McMaster, Bob Zabrecky,
Pam Thompson, Dale Hindman, Chuck and Jan Jones, Jonathon
Pendragon, Jon Armstrong, Jack Goldfinger, and many more.
I waved at Irene Larsen and Siegfried, but by the time they
arrived the gathering was getting pretty big!
A
special seating area had been constructed in front of the
Castle and it looked very festive, decorated elaborately with
an intriguing selection of balloons. A large representation
of the LA press had gathered to cover the event, which began
promptly at 4:30. Taking his place at the podium was Steve
Valentine, who acted as Master of Ceremonies for the evening's
events, and did a superb job throughout the evening.
If
one celebrity was invoked the most during the party, it was
the late Cary Grant, and it was obvious what a spell he had
cast on everyone who was lucky enough to meet him. Count me
firmly amongst this group! However, my 25-year old daughter,
Katrina, was pretty darn excited to be rubbing shoulders with
Steve Valentine and Patrick Neil Harris. It was very nice
that they added their multi-generational appeal to the proceedings.
One of the key elements to the Castle's success is its appeal
to youthful visitors.
Milt
Larsen was introduced and spoke about the conception and early
days of the Castle, before being awarded a plaque by LA City
Councilman Tom LaBonge. The proclamation declared the day
to be official designated "Academy of Magic Arts and
Magic Castle Day." Irene Larsen also made a very touching
speech that reflected both her continued involvement in the
Castle history and of course invoked the absent, but never
forgotten, influence of the late Bill Larsen.
An
unveiling of a wall plaque from the brotherhood of the Ancient
and Honorable Order of E. Clampus Vitus followed. There were
a couple more speeches and then the party moved inside. By
this time the numbers had swelled considerably and I was glad
to have had a chance to chat with so many of my friends before
the official 'kick off'.
There
was a great assortment of complimentary food and drink available
throughout the new wing of the Castle - or the 'garage' as
some of us veteran members still like to jokingly refer to
it. I particularly enjoyed the gigantic ice lounge that had
been constructed for the party and flowed with Patron tequila.
All of the many guests present enjoyed the beautifully thought
out festivities and the chance to mingle.
I
spent a very happy time catching up with members that I had
missed outside, including Dante and Blaire Larsen, Norm and
Lupe Nielsen, Steve Mitchell, Joe Monti, David Regal, Gay
Blackstone, Whit and Nancy Haydn and James Dimmare. Other
friends present that I wanted to chat with were Luna Shimada
and Amazing Johnathon, but I will have to wait until my return
to Las Vegas next month.
Sheer
numbers kept me out of the Palace for the final presentations,
but the spirit of the party was not in the awards or speeches.
What was made palpable by the event was the camaraderie and
sense of community that the Magic Castle has created in the
magic world, a place to relax amongst like-minded friends
and associates. The first 50 years have been a blast--- here
is an icy Patron tequila toast to the next!
Congratulations
to everyone who made the event such a success.
--------------------------------------------
7. Magic Magazine Junkie
--------------------------------------------
Message by Chris Wasshuber
I
am a magic magazine junkie. I love magic magazines, primarily
because in magazines one can discover things that have been
forgotten, overlooked or otherwise fallen through the cracks.
That is why I have been buying up magazines like The Magic
Menu, The MINOTAUR, Club 71, Zauberkunst, Oracle, and others.
It is also the reason why I have been able to sit through
2000+ work hours to digitize the Sphinx and many other historical
magic magazines. I am also lucky that Martin Breese has for
many years acquired the rights to several of the most important
British magic magazines which are now part of Lybrary.com.
The
primary reason why magazines make for such good hunting grounds
is that they are for the most part completely unorganized.
Meaning, every issue is an amalgam of articles, effects and
commentary of all sorts and kinds.
Books
are for the most part centered around one subject. The title
often tells us what we can expect to find inside, which makes
finding and locating material of interest much easier. However,
with magazines there is no such guidance. That is part of
why digitized magazines are such a blessing. It is the tool
that allows one to penetrate that sheer mass of magazine pages
and to start pulling out bits and pieces of interesting stuff.
Lybrary.com
offers by far the biggest collection of digital magic magazines
anywhere in the world. You can find my complete offering of
digital magazines here http://www.lybrary.com/magic-magazines-comics-c-21_36.html
The
ones that are still actively in circulation today are:
-
Magicseen
- Card Shark
- Gimmick Magizette
- Online Visions
The
historical important ones are:
-
Club 71 / Magician
- Gen
- Hugard's Magic Monthly
- Jinx
- Magic Menu
- Magic Wand
- Magigram
- Mahatma
- Minotaur
- New Conjurors Magazin
- New Pentagram
- Pabular
- Pentagram
- Sphinx
- Stanyon's Magic Magazine
- Swami & Mantra
The
lesser known but equally interesting ones are:
-
Blueprint
- Cardiste
- Chap's Scrapbook
- Chicanery Magazine
- Cramp
- Derek Lever's Magic Magazine
- Magical Arts Journal
- Max Andrew's Magic Magazine
- Mojo
- Mystery Magazine
- Oracle
- Other Stuff
- Sorcerer
- Spell-Binder
- Sticks and Stones
- Trixy Magazine
- Wizard Magazine
The
ones in German are:
-
Circus Gestern Heute
- Innovator
- MUK Journal
- Zauberkunst
At
some point I am hoping we can markup these magazines to further
facilitate findability of articles, photos, ads and news items.
For the time being we are working on detailed table-of-contents
for all of them and some come with indexes like the 500+ page
index we compiled for the Sphinx.
Combined
with the full text search engine that the Magic Knowledge
Base provides you should be able to find a lot of hidden gems
before deciding what to purchase.
--------------------------------------------
8. Broken Wand - Bill Chaudet
--------------------------------------------
Message by Kerry Ross (US)
It
is with much sadness that I report the passing of a dear friend
- American Magician Bill Chaudet, after a recent battle with
Alzheimer's. He was 91.
Most
notably, he was Charter Member #8 of the Magic Castle (later
made an Honorary Life Member), past president of S.A.M. Assembly
#22, and was elected to the S.A.M. International Magic Hall
of Fame in 2003. He was also a member of both the Screen Actors
Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio
Artists.
Bill
always attributed his life-long passion for magic to his "Uncle"
Harry Blackstone (Sr.), who later named him as his chosen
successor. Much later, when Harry Blackstone Jr. decided to
carry on in his father's footsteps, Bill Chaudet graciously
returned the title to the Blackstone Family.
Chaudet
was a contributing editor for The Conjuror's Magazine, Genii
and others, and he graced the cover of many magic magazines
through his career. He's also the creator of several magic
effects, including the Air Mail Silk Production and his famous
Microphone Suspension.
Bill's
incredible history as a professional entertainer, as well
as his work both in front of and behind the television camera,
is much too long to present here. However, much has been written
about him through the years.
Above
anything else, those of us who knew him simply called him
"Friend." Aloha, friend.
--------------------------------------------
9. The Best $1 You Will Ever Spend!
--------------------------------------------
Message by Paul Stone (US)
I
have come across what I believe to be one of the most valuable
promotional and publicity ideas for any performer or entertainer
that I have seen for many years! Its impact is long lasting
and the results that it can achieve for you are simply amazing!
Best of all, it is incredibly cost effective.
I
would be happy to share the details with any Magic NZ subscriber.
Just send an email to me at qualityevents@aol.com and attach
a couple of your promo photos, as high resolution as possible,
and a brief description of your show - no more than 50 words
- and include your mailing address. I'll send you in the mail
everything you need to give it a try. The reaction you will
get will blow you away!
But
DON'T send me the $1. Instead, please donate it to a local
Children's Charity in memory of the victims of the Newtown
tragedy. Thank you.
--------------------------------------------
10. The Dutch Festival Of Magic 2013
--------------------------------------------
Message by Cornelis Ros
Secretariat NMU, Holland
Friday
10 May & Saturday 11 May 2013
Theatre
and Convention Centre De Reehorst in Ede, Holland
The Dutch 'Open' Championships of Magic (close-up, stage and
Magic For Kids;
foreigners are also invited to compete!)
Friday
10 May
Opening
with the Dutch Champion of Youth Showbands 'Irene'
Lecture by world champions Soma about stage magic and Jan
Logemann aboutcards. Competition and dealers.
Unique
Friday evening show "World's Greatest Magic Show"
Hosted
by: Rob & Emiel. With World Champions Prince of Illusions
(NL) and Soma (HU) and a.o. Krysti Melnik (Belarus), Huub
Cooijmans (NL), Brady (NL)
Saturday
11 May. Competition, lectures, dealers, Magic For Kids
For applying as visitor or competitor: www.denmu.nl
Or contact Mr. C. Ros: festival@denmu.nl or +31-6-23901160
Organised by the Nederlandse Magische Unie (NMU), the Dutch
Association of
Magicians.
More
information on: www.denmu.nl
The
Nederlandse Magische Unie: recognized platform for the art
of magic
since 1951 and member of the FISM.
--------------------------------------------
11. 2013 New Zealand Lectures - Diary Now
--------------------------------------------
Message by Alan Watson (NZ)
Karl
Hein with Jeff Kaylor (US) Lectures:
Wellington
- Saturday 19th January
Dunedin - Monday 21st January
Palmerston North - Saturday 2nd February
------------------------------------
Matthew Wright (UK) Lectures:
Auckland
- Wednesday 6th February 2013
Christchurch - Saturday 9th February
------------------------------------
John Kaplan (Canada) Lectures
Wellington
Tuesday 12th March 2013
Auckland Thursday 14th March
--------------------------------------------
12. 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)
---------------------------------------------
13. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
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or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your
privacy.
You
can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand®
E-zine at:
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Magic
New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday.
The
opinions and statements 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
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Readers
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All
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Notwithstanding
the foregoing, this publication may be freely redistributed,
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including the copyright notice below and the above disclaimer.
©
Copyright 2012 Alan Watson
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