*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Magic New Zealand®
* Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment Ltd (New
Zealand)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Issue Number: #1404
Date: Sunday 8th October 2017
Editor: Alan Watson QSM
www.watson.co.nz
E-mail: editor@magicnewzealand.com
================================
Hi here is the latest news
================================
1.
Editor's Message
2. Couple Locked In Las Vegas' MGM Theatre
3. Important Update For Vanish Magazine
4. Vanish Magic Magazine October 2017
5. The Magic Word Podcast - Orson Bean
6. Paul A. Lelekis - How Do I Control My Spectators?
7. Who Are You? - #464 - Kyle Peron
8. Monday Night Magic November Schedule
9. Philip Morris, Businessman And Magic Entertainer
10. New Editor For M-U-M Magazine
11. UK's Champions Of Magic Is Touring The USA And Canada
12. E-zine Archives
13. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
1. Editor's Message
--------------------------------------------
If
you would like to read the Magic New Zealand e-zine in a
HTML format
go to: http://www.magicnewzealand.com/ezine-archive/2017-Jan-to-Dec-2017/1404-Oct08-2017.html
If you would like to write a regular column for Magic New
Zealand or
have some magic news drop me a line:
Editor@MagicNewZealand.com
--------------------------------------------
2. Couple Locked In Las Vegas' MGM Theatre
--------------------------------------------
Message by Phillip Peters
nzherald.co.nz
Couple
locked in Las Vegas' MGM theatre with illusionist David
Copperfield during shooting
Honeymooners were forced to stay in a Las Vegas theatre
where they had been watching David Copperfield's live show
for several hours longer after concertgoers were targeted
in a mass shooting nearby.
Christchurch
woman Meg Hawkins and her Australian husband Michael were
watching the illusionist at the MGM Grand when they noticed
the security guards running towards a door yesterday (Sunday
night US time).
With
only about 10 minutes of the show to go, Meg said the magician
was among the crowd trying to pull someone up to the stage
when they saw this happening.
The
23-year-old said Copperfield tried to distract the audience
and pull their focus back to the stage.
"I
thought it was a bit weird at the time. He did this massive
finale and then he came back out on stage and he did just
about 10 or 15 minutes of little stunts."
Copperfield
then told the audience to stay seated because there had
been a shooting outside and the hotel was in lockdown.
"People
were laughing and he was like 'no, no, no - it's not a joke.
Please stay in your seats'."
For
the balance of the article go to:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11929231
--------------------------------------------
3. Important Update For Vanish Magazine
--------------------------------------------
Message by Paul Romhany
Brand
new feature just added: You can now get every issue of Vanish
delivered direct to your e-mail each month - so you never
miss an edition again.
Simply
log on to the latest free copy (October 2017) and click
on Subscription - you can do this on your phone or computer.
This is a brand-new feature we have just added and makes
it so easy now for you to get your favourite magic magazine
delivered directly to you.
To
get the latest copy visit www.vanishmagazine.com and click
on the latest edition.
--------------------------------------------
4. Vanish Magic Magazine October 2017
--------------------------------------------
Message by Paul Romhany
The
latest copy of Vanish Magic Magazine is out now - and it's
our Halloween Edition featuring Bundy & Morgan. Two
of the greatest character acts in magic today.
Magic
Routines by Wayne Rogers, Wayne Fox, Colin Underwood and
Louie Foxx and Diamond Jim Tyler
Nick
Lewin talks about Video and Sales of Performance and Magic
Product
highlight includes brand new release by Juan Tamaris and
another by David Penn & Wayne Fox
Harrison
Carrol shares his story about performing for Mahammad Ali
Charles
Bach interviews Matthew Fallon on going from an illusionist
to a hypnotist
Ventriloquist Mark Wade talks about using puppets for kids
shows
Ben
Robinson introduces us to world champion knife thrower Adam
Celadin
Magic
Reviews
and so much more
.
www.vanishmagazine.com
--------------------------------------------
5. The Magic Word Podcast - Orson Bean
--------------------------------------------
Message by Scott Wells, M.I.M.C. with Gold Star
This
week's episode is a bit of a diversion from our normal chats
with well-known and lesser-known magicians. This week we
visit the home of celebrated television legend, the iconic
comic story-teller, Orson Bean. Joining us on the podcast
is his lovely and talented actor/wife, Alley Mills (best
known as the mother on the hit TV show in the U.S., "The
Wonder Years"). We visited their home while in Los
Angeles this past June and this podcast wraps up this year's
"Castle Chronicles".
This
may seem like a wild left turn from our usual chats with
magicians, but it was actually carefully planned for many
months. The chat itself was a long time coming. I remember
seeing a copy of a 1963 cover of a comedy album with Orson
Bean standing alongside a newspaper "fir tree"
(or, as we erroneously called it throughout our conversation,
a "Joshua Tree"). I though Orson had a relationship
to magic and perhaps some roots in the art. I was right.
He is a member of the Academy of Magical Arts and through
them, I was able to make a connection and arrange a chat.
We
have a delightful conversation talking about magic but also
many of his celebrated friends and places where he has worked
down through the years including, of course, his numerous
appearances (88) on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,
which he hosted on a few occasions.
You
can enjoy our chat plus hear an excerpt of the new two-person
play ("Alright Then") that they (Orson and Alley)
performed live for me on the podcast. You can watch a video
of his complete one man act "Safe At Home" that
was presented at the Pacific Resident Theater (in its entirety),
see some candid photos taken during our chat, read the blog,
listen online and download the MP3 file at: https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/387-orson-bean
If
you enjoy the podcast and want to help us continue with
broadcasting this kind of material, then please consider
becoming a Friend of The Magic Word and helping us with
a donation or a monthly pledge. With your monthly pledge,
we have added new "perks" that help make your
contribution worth even more. For information on how you
can help, please visit: https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/fotmw/
--------------------------------------------
6. Paul A. Lelekis - How Do I Control My Spectators?
--------------------------------------------
Message by Paul Lelekis (US)
How
Do I Control My Spectators?
(Part 2)
Paul
A. Lelekis
Below
is a list of ideas I have employed over the years!
I)
The children are your primary concern! Children love to
have fun and they love to see magic! Children provide easy
access to tables for performance.
When
I approach a table with a child or children, I first acknowledge
the adults there with eye contact and a quick "Hi!"
and then I immediately address the children.
Children
will be very interested in you and what you are doing. I
address only the children at this point and pretend as though
the adults are not even there! Trust me - the adults will
love the attention that you give to their children!
II)
Many times, you'll see a table with people who are drinking
a lot. They may even seem in control of their faculties
- but don't let this fool you! Imbibed patrons can be a
Nightmare! Stay Away From Them! Remember - the spectator(s)
will become be even more inebriated and bolder as you perform!
Spectators
under the influence will often have only one goal - to make
your life miserable! This is not always the case, but you
and I can't tell which! Do NOT try to make these types of
spectators, your project - it's a "no win" situation!
Sometimes
a table of inebriated patrons will ask the waitress to get
me to come over and perform magic for them! O.K.! Sometimes
you can't avoid them!
First
figure out who the "head drunk" is and get him
or her directly involved in your performance! Don't perform
anything complex or anything that will allow the person
or persons to become "grabbers".
Example
of 'Grabbers": You don't want to (let's say) perform
a double turnover and then place the top card (supposedly
the selection) onto the table! Why? Because they will try
to turn the card over and look at it! Get the idea?
If
you keep your cool and play the right effects, you will
often be surprised at the tip you'll get! One time a table
of inebriated spectators asked the waitress to bring me
over to their table. I couldn't say 'No!' so I performed
a simple effect.
One
of these patrons was a heckler and interrupted me throughout
my performance. He tried to "explain" every move
I made along the way! I kept my cool and performed the trick
with a smile on my face.
When
I left that table the heckler approached me and gave me
a $48.00 tip and then said, "Man! I have NO idea how
you did that! That was great!" True story! This tip
wouldn't have happened had I lost my cool or if I, too,
became verbally combative!
Another
method that I've employed as soon as a heckler starts "running
his/her mouth", is to say (sparingly and very tactfully)
"Thank you for your candor sir, my mind needed the
rest!" This will get laughs but must seem like a "joke"!
I've
even been known to say to a heckler before (with a big smile
on my face!) "Oh! You're a heckler! I haven't seen
one of you guys in a while!"
This
a harsh way to deal with a spectator - but it absolutely
works! This type of response should only be administered
in a cabaret setting - Not close-up!
III)
If you see a table where people are engrossed in their conversation
- Stay Away! They might be discussing important business,
discussing something that is important to them, or they
may even seem to be perturbed about something!
Let
me give you an example: This is a funny story about Senator
Clark Crandall, a comedy magician with amazingly sharp wit!
One time he was table-hopping in a restaurant with several
magicians. Sen. Crandall walked up to the table where a
man and a woman were apparently having a "subdued"
argument.
When
Senator Crandall reached the table, the man looked at Clark
and said, "If you don't leave now
I'm going to
kick your ass!" Without saying a word, the Senator
calmly retreated and re-joined the other magicians. When
one of the other magicians sarcastically asked him, "What
happened Clark!?" Crandall retorted, "Oh, they
asked for you!" The rest is history!
IV)
Tourists are pretty easy to identify. When you find a table
of tourists, approach them confidently because they very
probably want to be entertained! They're on vacation! They're
out of their element, so to speak, and are very amenable
to fun!
As
a side note, this is the kind of situation where you want
to perform your best magic! You'll probably never see them
again and they are often big tippers!
V)
Finding a table of people having an enjoyable time (like
performing for children) is a good indicator that these
people want to have fun! When you find a table of people
who are having fun, wait until they stop having a good time!
You
do NOT want you to interrupt their fun! When there's a lull,
approach them with a big smile, introduce yourself, and
ask everyone their names.
VI)
There are some people who hold the notion that you are there,
only to fool them! I personally think this is some sort
of social or mental disorder - but I'm not here to analyze.
Often these types will be stand-offish and it is unlikely
that they want to participate. This is good!
I've
learned how to eke these types out by watching their behavior.
This is not an easy thing to do and you certainly don't
want to alienate your spectators by ignoring the wrong people!
So
just leave these types alone until you figure out how to
handle them. There's no one way, and most times they'll
be quiet and just let you finish.
VII)
The above type of spectator is one of the main reasons why
I never (well almost never!) use the words "trick"
or "fool" when I perform.
I
use the words "effect" and/or "experiment"
when setting the spectators up for whatever scenario that
I am providing.
If
you use the above words, this may cause these particular
types of spectators to make a comment. It's best to avoid
these types of unnecessary stimuli!
VIII)
if you are new to table-hopping, let me give you this basic
and very important tip - do not approach a table and ask,
"Hi - would you like to see a magic trick?" They
will say, "No!" - well, at least most of the time!
When
I see a table that I'm sure I can approach, I walk up and
say "Hi!" and proceed! This is a bold approach
but will put spectators at ease! You are taking charge!
X)
I would also like to address when to approach tables at
restaurants. I've heard a lot of different opinions on this
subject, but I've tried them all and I think I know best
- well, at least for me! I've table-hopped for many years
in every possible type of restaurant - from Hot Dog stands
to 5-Star restaurants.
Wait
until the spectators have finished their main course! A
good waitress will notice when her customers are finished,
will come over and clear some of the dishes and then ask
if they want dessert. This is your "cue"!
There
will be a break in their conversation, the table will have
more room on it and you will be less likely to get in the
waitress' way! You do not want to impair the waitresses
job! Stay out of their way!
XI)
Alright, for my last rant, whenever you start performing
at a restaurant - have an informal meeting with the wait-staff.
If you don't they will resent you!
I
tell the waitresses that I will try to stay out of their
way because I know their job is a tough one and is primary
in this restaurant!
Then,
and most importantly, I tell the waitresses that, "I
will not take your tips - in fact I guarantee that you will
make bigger tips because of what I do!"
This
is a bold statement - but it is absolutely true! Soon the
waitresses will "sell you" to their patrons because
you are putting more money in their pockets!
Heed
the above advice because it will make life much easier!
You don't want the waitresses against you! They will make
you lots of money if you befriend them!
Table-hopping
will provide many opportunities for other work! Plus, you'll
have woman after woman asking you "
do you perform
for children's birthday parties?" Then it's a Bonanza!
Once,
I even performed six children's birthday parties in one
day! I made a lot of money
but I'll never do that again!
I was bushed! But my point is
I received all those
jobs from table-hopping!
I
have performed well over 1,000 birthday parties over the
years, but almost all (not all) of those birthday jobs came
from table-hopping!
I
have performed in many restaurants over the years
and
most of them were owners or managers from restaurants who
asked ME to perform at their restaurants!
This
is absolutely true
so always be on your very best professional
behavior - and money will "rain down" on you!
I
hope I have provided some insights and ideas for your future
ventures into this wonderful, lucrative world!
Go
out there and entertain the world!
Paul
A. Lelekis
NOTE:
Paul has written 45 e-books at Lybrary.com with some of
the most insightful and provocative magic imaginable. Click
on link below to check them all out! Improve your game!
http://lybrary.com/paul-a-lelekis-m-163788.html
--------------------------------------------
7. Who Are You? - #464 - Kyle Peron
--------------------------------------------
Message by Kyle Peron (US)
magic4u02@aol.com
Kylekellymagic@gmail.com
KPmagicproducts.com
Who
are you? Not the first thing you want to hear upon arriving
at any gig. However, too often this becomes a common statement.
It results in an awkward moment between you and the person
you are meeting. It also wastes time as you try and explain
and get the details straight. Even then you often end up
having to tell the story to a few more people as they pass
you around to others.
I call this the "hot potato" principle. No one
wants to take responsibility for having to talk and coordinate
with you, so they pass you off to someone else as quickly
as they can.
So why does this happen? Well for starters, it can happen
simply because the person who booked you is not at the event
yet. It also occurs because of total miscommunication. No
one knows anything about you being there except the client
you coordinated with. Furthermore, the person who booked
you may not even be attending the event in the first place.
Whatever the reason may be, it is safe to say that as a
performer, you need to address issues like this before they
become bigger problems.
There are several things I try and make a practice of doing
so that I can avoid unpleasant situations like this.
- The first thing you have to realize is never to assume
that the person you are dealing with to book the show is
the same person who will be your contact at the event. In
most cases, they will be. However, we can never assume this.
Always ask ahead of time who will be your contact at the
event. Will it be this person you are dealing with now,
or will there be another person?
- When I ask for the contact person, I always ask for a
cell phone number or phone number that I can use on the
day of the event. This is so that I have it in the event
I need to contact them. Having this information can be so
valuable.
- I can also call the contact as I am approaching the venue.
This lets them know that I am arriving on time and also
gets them in the general area so they are ready upon my
arrival. In the event that the person is not around, I can
use this phone number to make contact with the person to
iron out any changes of plan and to keep things running
smoothly.
- If the contact at the event is not going to be the same
person who booked you, I always will ask for the contact's
name, email address and phone number. This way I can make
contact with the person prior to the show. No one likes
to be barraged on the day of the event. By contacting them
ahead of time, I can introduce myself and go over any details
with them. This saves you both time and ensures things run
smoothly upon your arrival at the venue.
- Always get things in writing. This means to get the contact
information and all arrival details down on paper ahead
of time. It means having that contract and agreement signed
and approved by the client long before you actually do the
event itself.
- It also is a good idea to always make a confirmation call
or send a confirmation email to the client a week prior
to the event date. I always do this because I know details
for events do change and this is my opportunity to double
check all my facts with the client. I will list what we
had agreed upon and ask them to verify it and any changes
that may have come up. This is the time to double check
your contact.
- Always ask where your contact will be upon arrival at
the event. Many events have the client running around trying
to tackle numerous issues that come up. Trying to find them
is often not easy and you simply do not want to waste time
trying to locate them. So, I will always ask them where
I should go to meet them upon arrival. I can also ask them
this if I make my phone call to them as I am arriving at
the venue. It saves a lot of time and makes things run smooth.
- You can also make things easier on yourself by never assuming
the people who meet you know you are the entertainment.
You may even be dressed to a point where you think it is
quite obvious. However, you can never assume they know.
When greeting anyone at the event, I will always state my
name and that I am the magical entertainment for the event.
By doing so they immediately will at least know why you
are there and more chance to 1) assist you themselves or
2) hunt down the proper person who can.
A lot of these items above are simple tips that can be utilized
to really help you to have an event run the way both parties
intend it to run. It also makes you perceived as a professional.
After all, it is this professional level that you want to
carry with you all throughout the client relationship.
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 kylekellymagic@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.
--------------------------------------------
8. Monday Night Magic November Schedule
--------------------------------------------
Message by Peter Samelson (US)
(All
Performers Subject To Change)
November
6th: Torkova, Anthony Blake, Harrison Greenbaum; MC David
Corsaro;
Close-up: Noah Levine, Matias Letelier
November
13th: Ines la Maga, Rafael Benatar, Camilo Vázquez;
MC TBD;
Close-up: Patrick Davis, Eric Brown
November
20th: Mike Patrick, Throwdini, Chris Capehart; MC Todd Robbins;
Close-up: Richard Cohn, Peter Samelson
November
27th: Alexander Boyce, Francis Menotti, Harrison Greenbaum;
MC Ben Nemzer;
Close-up: Jason Suran, Eli Bosnick
--------------------------------------------
9. Philip Morris, Businessman And Magic Entertainer
--------------------------------------------
Message by Dennis Phillips
Philip
Morris (Philip Morris Smith) died Sunday September 24th,
2017, in Charlotte, North Carolina after a long illness.
He is survived by wife Amy, son Scott and daughters Terri
and Sandie and many grandchildren. Morris was influential
and encouraging to countless magicians and performers, as
well as one of the creators of modern Halloween business.
Phil was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan on June 5th, 1935.
He became interested in magic and ventriloquism as a boy
and performed with his dummy "Smitty" on radio.
Soon he moved to magic and with his young girlfriend, Amy,
began doing larger magic illusions and "Ghost Shows",
which were popular in the 1950s. They would fill the seats
in a downtown movie theater and use spooky magic tricks
to set the mood and then shut off all the lights. By using
theatrical scare tactics, they would frighten the crowd
into seeing ghosts and goblins.
Soon
local circus promoters and booking agents invited Philip
and now wife, Amy, to join them. That led them to travel
all over the country and eventually his agent brought them
to Charlotte where his ghost show was popular with Southern
rural audiences and the circus and carnival outdoor business
had a longer playing season.
Morris
returned part time to broadcasting and worked at WBTV television
doing a live and local Saturday Night Horror show based
on his "Dr. Evil" stage character. On TV, he was
also "Captain Phil" and on Bozo's Circus.
In
addition to providing circuses with costume spectaculars,
Phil also was a frequent ringmaster for the Royal Hannaford
Circus. Lacking a source for gorilla suits, he began manufacturing
them and one was secretly bought and used in the infamous
and well-known Bigfoot footage.
In
the mid-1960s he began producing family fantasy themed magic
shows. His first was The Wonderful World of Fantasy which
he toured with 6 people. Later came a series of family themed
shows. Tickets were sold and theaters filled by an innovative
telephone marketing campaign in every town.
In 1965 Amy was busy raising their children while Phil was
on the road. She wondered what else they could do with their
basement and attic full of costumes. At Halloween, people
who knew them wanted to rent costumes and buy makeup. So,
she began a small rental business out of their house. Within
a couple of years, they bought an empty building in a business
district and Amy added ballet and dancewear as well as theatrical
makeup and Morris Costumes was created. That business grew
to fill a massive warehouse complex and become one of the
world's largest suppliers of costumes, magician's supplies
and theatrical needs.
In
1979 Philip and Dennis Phillips co-wrote a textbook, which
is still in print, on "How to Operate a Financially
Successful Haunted House". It continues to be the reference
manual for the Halloween Haunted House industry.
As
Phil's health declined from Alzheimer's, his wife Amy and
son, Scott, and daughter Terri took over the family business.
One
of Phil's legacies is he is known as one of the fathers
of the Modern Halloween Holiday as we know it. The well-stocked,
one-stop Halloween party store was his creation.
---------------------------------------------
10. New Editor For M-U-M Magazine
---------------------------------------------
Message by George Schindler (US)
The
Society of American Magicians has selected Alan Howard to
succeed Michael Close as the Editor of the M-U-M magazine.
Mr. Howard was previously the editor of Juggle Magazine
and associate editor of MAGIC Magazine.
After
a rigorous two-month process, Mr. Howard was selected from
the six applicants and has been contracted to begin in October
2017 to assemble his staff and work with Mr. Close to transition
the publication's editorial responsibilities. Mr. Close's
last issue will be the December 2017 issue, with Mr. Howard's
first issue the January 2018 issue.
The
Society cannot thank Mr. Close enough for his over 9 years
at the helm of the M-U-M, bringing interesting features,
diverse informational columns, tricks and magic product
reviews to our compeers. Mr. Howard will work to assemble
his design team and columnists. He expects to continue the
longstanding high-quality magazine that the members expect
from our flagship publication.
Welcome
aboard Mr. Alan Howard.
Dick
Bowman
National President (2017-2018)
The Society of American Magicians
---------------------------------------------
11. UK's Champions Of Magic Is Touring The USA And Canada
---------------------------------------------
Message by Mandy Davis (UK)
Just
to let you know that the UK's Champions of Magic is touring
the USA and Canada from this week onwards!
Check
out their website to see some of the best of UK's Magicians
including: award-winning double act Young & Strange;
Ed Hilsum (who some of you will have seen at one of the
SAM National Conventions when he was a teen performing in
the Stars of Tomorrow Show) and the amazing and incomparable
Fay Presto!
The
link for the dates is:
http://www.championsofmagic.co.uk/Champions-of-Magic-Tour-Dates-North-America.html
it's
a great show!
---------------------------------------------
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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You can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand®
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Magic New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday.
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Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, this publication may be freely
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the above disclaimer.
©
Copyright 2017 Alan Watson QSM
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