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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Magic New Zealand®
* Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment Ltd (New
Zealand)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Issue Number: #1657
Date: Sunday 27th February 2022
Editor: Alan Watson QSM
www.watson.co.nz
E-mail: editor@magicnewzealand.com
================================
Hi here is the latest news
================================
1.
Editor's Message
2. Update FISM - Wendake Indigenous site
3. Vanish Magic Magazine Special Edition - Nick Lewin
4. MAGIC Live: A Clue
5. Broken Wand - The Amazing Johnathan
6. Magical Women With Connie Boyd
7. News From The Academy Of Illusions
8. No Stone Unturned - Paul Stone - Article #49
9. The Milano Prediction - John Carey #151
10. Magic Camp Scholarship
11. The Orchante Saga - Beginnings
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 HTML
format
go to: https://www.magicnewzealand.com/ezine-archive/2022-Jan-to-Dec2022/1657-Feb27-2022.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. Update FISM - Wendake Indigenous site
--------------------------------------------
Message Joan Caesar (Canada)
There
are eleven indigenous nations within the province of Quebec.
However in Wendake, near Québec City, is found the
only recognized Huron-Wendat community in Canada. High-quality
infrastructures have allowed the community to promote its
heritage and develop a cultural tourism sector.
Québec
City, the province's namesake, was built on the Huron-Wendat
town of Stadacona. Naturally and historically wealthy, the
fortified city reveals a heritage that's one of a kind in
North America. In close proximity to its center, you'll
find Canada's one and only officially recognized Huron-Wendat
people.
Established
more than 400 years ago, the village was located on the
ancestral lands of the Huron-Wendat Nation, so people referred
to it as Village-des-Hurons for quite a long time, a testament
to the vitality of this great people. Wendake boasts all
kinds of cultural and heritage attractions that contribute
to the flourishing local economy. As such it is home to
Native businesses with global reach. Wendake proudly bears
the colours of the Huron-Wendat Nation, and more broadly
all Indigenous cultures, through a whole slew of sites,
events, and local points of interest for tourists.
The
national 'Ekionkiestha' Longhouse of the Huron-Wendake people
is located a few feet away from the Huron-Wendat Museum
parking lot. Myths and legends from the pre-contact era
with the Europeans are told around a fire while sipping
a warm cup of Labrador tea, and tasting the traditional
bannock bread. A tour of the longhouse is included with
each guided tour of the Huron-Wendat Museum. You can even
spend the night under the supervision of the firekeeper.
Restaurants
within the site include The Sagamité which opened
its doors in 1999. Since then, people from all over the
world have been invited to discover Indigenous culture through
gastronomy. The place is named after the food that has nourished
the nation for centuries: the sagamité soup, consisting
of corn, squash and beans. This restaurant is located in
downtown Wendake.
The
house specialty is Yatista (fire) commonly called 'The Gallows'.
It was created to illustrate the importance of fire. They
believe their ancestors communicated with the Creator through
fire, discussion, and shared enjoyment of meals around a
fire. That is why traditions, culture and gastronomy are
a real experience at the Sagamité.
The
Nekbarre restaurant is located on the traditional Huron
Site. The menu offers authentic cuisine essentially game
based (bison, deer, wapiti - elk) and fish (salmon and trout).
All menus include traditional soup, main course and dessert.
You can enjoy the rustically decorated dining room or a
shaded terrace.
Indigenous
Hotel: Located on the banks of the Akiawenrahk River and
just a stone's throw from Old Québec, this 4-star
boutique hotel is sure to charm you. This establishment,
where tradition meets modernity, features 55 rooms and suites,
stylishly designed and inspired by First Nations culture.
The house restaurant, La Traite, boasts a gorgeous terrace
open during warmer months and offers a year-round refined
gourmet experience (some wines are exclusive to Wendake)
thanks to its First Nations-inspired cuisine. Spend some
time in the new indoor pool and then relax in the spa, set
against an enchanting natural background. After all these
discoveries, you'll understand why the hotel is the heart
of the Huron-Wendat Nation.
Museum:
Inaugurated in 2008, the Huron-Wendat Museum is an institution
created to preserve the heritage of the Wendat people and
to promote its history and culture, as well as the arts
of the First Nations. End your visit to the Museum by visiting
the museum gift shop called Ewen' (water), which offers
an impressive range of authentic products including a large
selection of arts and crafts: moccasins, necklaces, pottery
and others. There are also the books on indigenous history,
local flora and cuisine, the Huron-Wendat and First Nations
cultures and traditions.
I've
been there and highly recommend it. I'm looking forward
to feasting in at least one of the indigenous restaurants.
If you enjoy trying new food, this is a must.
--------------------------------------------
3. Vanish Magic Magazine Special Edition - Nick Lewin
--------------------------------------------
Message by Paul Romhany - Editor Magic New Zealand
A
free Special Edition of Vanish Magic Magazine is available
to everybody around the world to help celebrate Nick Lewin's
70th birthday and his incredible 52 years as one of the
top comedy magicians of our generation.
Diana
Zimmerman wrote a wonderful story about Nick, his career,
family and the amazing work he has done in his career.
There
are tributes by many magicians that wanted to be part of
this tribute edition.
Get
your free digital copy today at https://joom.ag/RlrI
Printed
copies available from www.vanishmagazine.com
--------------------------------------------
4. MAGIC Live: A Clue
--------------------------------------------
Message by Stan Allen (USA)
We're all about surprise. But from time to time, we do like
to offer a clue or two as to what's coming. It's like shaking
a present under the tree to tease your imagination.
This year we're producing the fifth installment of our exclusive
Documentary Live show series. Previously, we've presented:
o "Divided We Stand," the story of the most famous
illusion in the world, Sawing a Woman in Half (2011).
o "Demystified," the tale of a junior magic club
in Long Beach, California (2013).
o "Stars of Magic," a look back at how this classic
book came to be, featuring some of its most iconic routines
(2015).
o "It All Started with a Fortune Cookie," a behind-the-scenes
look at 25 years of MAGIC Magazine (2016).
In each case, we used spoken word, images, videos, and unique
performances to tell a story. This time, instead of one
story, we're telling six!
And it's all happening in Las Vegas, May 15-18, 2022.
Stan
MagicConvention.com
--------------------------------------------
5. Broken Wand - The Amazing Johnathan
--------------------------------------------
Article forwarded by Peter Jackson (US)
Farewell
to the 'Freddy Krueger of comedy': 'The Amazing Johnathan'
who performed in Vegas longer than any other comic magician
dies aged 63 after long battle with heart disease.
Comic
magician Johnathan Szeles died in his sleep aged 63 on Tuesday.
The stand-up was known for wild tricks like appearing to
swallow his own eyeball.
His
fusion of magic and comedy earnt him a lucrative Las Vegas
gigs and the nickname 'Freddy
Krueger of comedy' for his use of gore. Szeles was diagnosed
with 'serious heart condition' in March 2007, and in 2014
suggested he was 'told I have a year to live'.
On
Monday his wife Anastasia Synn made an emotional post saying
'I am losing my honey'.
Fellow
comedian Penny Wiggins praised him as an 'amazing, kind,
funny person'
To
read the balance of the article go to:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10543195/Amazing-Johnathan-magician-dies-aged-63-heart-disease-battle.html
--------------------------------------------
6. Magical Women With Connie Boyd
--------------------------------------------
Message by Connie Boyd (USA)
Be
inspired by Oscar Wilde's quote & Paige Thompson's real
Card Magic #shorts
Oscar
Wilde's magical inspiring quote "Be yourself, everyone
else is taken" is a great compliment with card wizard,
Paige Thompson's motivating magic.
https://youtu.be/jWuq6JpaWHs
--------------------------------------------
7. News From The Academy Of Illusions
--------------------------------------------
Message by Jay Scott Berry (Australia)
Magic
is one of the last Arts that is still passed on in the ancient
tradition, from Master to Student. At the Academy, we are
proud to continue that, through individual mentoring, group
masterclasses, lectures and webcasts. These last 2 weeks
have encompassed all of these.
Our
headline stories are the 3rd and 4th weekly "Spotlight
On" programs, which continue to gather fans and accolades.
The 3rd in the series featured Eric DeCamps, who knocked
it out of the park, proving that he's not only a grandmaster
magician but also a brilliant storyteller.
The
4th episode featured Jonathan Todd, the mastermind behind
the 'Magical Mystery Shows' and the first headliner, Nathan
Coe Marsh. This was the first time I've had supporting guests
on the program. These included Diana Zimmerman, Greg Wilson,
Rick Gerber, Gregg London and Rick Killion. Both of these
programs are available to watch on the Academy FB Page:
www.facebook.com/academyofillusions
Continuing
with this format, next week's "Spotlight On" will
star Diana Zimmerman, with guests Ed Alonzo, Bill Smith,
Nick Lewin and more! It will stream live across FB on March
1st at 12pm LA time, 3pm NY and 8pm UK.
On
February 9th, I also conducted an exclusive Zoom interview
with Jonathan Todd, Nathan Coe Marsh and Curtis Cam, just
24 hours before the world premiere of the 'Magical Mystery
Show' on Maui. Jonathan shared his amazing backstory, from
growing up in LA, working at Bert Green's Magic Corner in
Hollywood, being one of the first Magic Castle Junior Members
and going on to international fame and adventure managing
Mick Fleetwood and even earning a Grammy Nomination! Both
Nathan and Curtis shared personal backstories and insights
about the upcoming run of shows. I took great effort to
edit this historical program down to a 30 minute must-see
presentation, which is now up to watch on FB.
From
Webcasting to Webtraining, I am very pleased to announce
that the second round of ZoomStorming Masterclasses will
begin on March 5th and continue for nine weeks. Each Saturday,
I will conduct a different hands-on, Intensive Training
Session, focused on different disciplines of the Art, from
Coins, Silks, Spongeballs, Reels, Thumb Tips, Finger Shells,
Topits and more! Many who attended the last Series said
that they learned more in 2 months than they had in 10 years.
These
are two hour, full-on, immersive Sessions, limited to 15
students and designed to build a solid foundation in sleight-of-hand
skills. I will do one Session of each: For America, commencing
at 3pm NY Time, and for Eurasia, at 3pm Sydney Time. All
ticket holders will receive an exclusive Recording of the
class, even if they are unable to attend. The price for
each is just $20, any 4 for $60 and 8 for $100. (USD) Those
purchasing the full package will also gain access to the
top secret 9th Session, to be held on April 30th. Head over
to www.DeVilleMagic.net for tickets and details.
Speaking
of Geno DeVille, he was back in top form for the 19th episode
of GenoMania! The 'Tech Talk' section focused on remote
control music devices. For the 'Things Every Magician Should
Know', we discussed the Classic Multiplying Bottles, viewing
2 very different presentations by Lance Burton and Tommy
Cooper. The always popular 'What Gets Your Goat' segment
focused on responsibility.
This
week's events also included a very well received Zoom Lecture
for IBM Ring 313. This 2 hour presentation covered my 'Ring
on Wand' routine, the 'Triple Lightning Bill Switch', the
highly visual 'Multiplicity' routine and my silk & reel
routine 'Circularity'. The emphasis was on updating classic
effects, with new moves, psychology and advanced sleight-of-hand.
Each routine is designed to play equally well for kids to
corporate and live to Zoom.
Finally,
we are counting down to Sunday's Magic Inn Convention, where
I will star alongside Shawn Farquhar, Suzanne, Håkan
Berg & Simon Fisher-Becker. This is a must-attend, online
event with an incredibly low ticket price! Without a doubt,
any one of the lectures is worth the entire registration
fee. Head over to www.themagicinn.com for full details.
--------------------------------------------
8. No Stone Unturned - Paul Stone - Article #49
--------------------------------------------
Message by Paul Stone (US)
The
2022 Blackpool Magic Convention is over, and once again,
in spite of the obvious difficulties posed by Covid, the
convention team are to be congratulated on another hugely
successful event.
Even
allowing for the pandemic which reduced their numbers considerably,
Blackpool is still by far and away the world's largest magic
convention with over 3000 attendees this year.
The
line-up of talent was excellent as always, and the Dealers
Hall was packed with over 100 dealers from all around the
world. I'm sure that a full convention report will appear
elsewhere but, for me, I particularly enjoyed the talk by
TV Director Paul Kirrage, who I worked with on John Fisher's
'Best of Magic' TV Shows.
Hosted
by my good friend, 'America's Got Talent' Winner, ventriloquist
Paul Zerdin, Mr Kirrage's unique experience of directing
numerous big TV magic shows was very evident, and his extensive
knowledge of seemingly every well-known magician was impressive.
And one of his stories about a disastrous 'live' TV performance
by a famous magician (he wouldn't name him!), was hilarious.
As
I had mentioned in my previous articles, I had the distinct
pleasure of bringing over to the convention Siegfried &
Roy's leading lady and 'Evil Queen', Lynette Chappell. I
hosted a talk 'My Life with Siegfried & Roy' in the
Opera House Theatre featuring Lynette, and I'm pleased to
say it was well received.
Lynette
is an extremely elegant and articulate lady, and she enjoyed
an extraordinary career with Siegfried & Roy spanning
48 years both on and off the stage, and it is virtually
impossible to cover it in only one hour, but we were at
least able to illustrate the sheer scale of the Siegfried
& Roy Shows, and the enormous role that Lynette played
in their success.
It
was nice to see her receive the accolade from the large
audience in Blackpool that she so richly deserves.
If
it was ever in doubt, I can confirm that Las Vegas is definitely
once again the magic capital of the world. If you visit
this unique city, you will now find an incredible choice
of magic performers, currently 16 in total!
They
include David Copperfield at the MGM, Penn & Teller
at the Rio, Criss Angel's Mindfreak at the Planet Hollywood,
Shin Lim with Colin Cloud at the Mirage, Mat Franco at the
Linq, Mac King at the Excalibur, and Mike Hammer at the
4 Queens.
Other
shows worth catching are The Mentalist, Piff the Magic Dragon,
Nathan Burton, Xavier Mortimer and Banachek.
Next
week I'll report on two of these performers both of whom
I saw in action a couple of weeks ago.
-------------------------------------------
9. The Carey Oil And Water - John Carey #151
-------------------------------------------
Message by John Carey (UK)
http://www.johncareymagic.co.uk/
There
are hundreds of versions of the classic Oil and Water plot
in magical literature. While revisiting the effect recently
I set myself a goal of the cleanest approach I could find.
There is a price to pay for this extremely magical version.
But I believe it's worth it.
Take
out four red spot cards and four black spot cards from a
stripper deck and turn the reds in readiness for stripping
later in performance and then mix the cards well and pop
them inside your wallet.
When
it's showtime take out your wallet and remove the packet
of cards. Turn them face-up and spread to show a mix of
reds and blacks. Turn the packet face-down and shuffle it.
Then hand the packet to a helper for mixing. Take the packet
back and hold it in a Charlier grip between the left thumb
and fingers at the long edges. Bring the palm-down right
hand over the packet and strip out all the red cards and
drop them onto the table. Then drop the remaining cards
on top. The illusion of a simple straight cut is excellent,
but we now secretly have the four black cards on
top of the reds.
"Let's
mix the colours some more." Push off two cards and
table them to your left. Then push off two more and table
them to the right of the first packet with a gap of about
three inches. Push off another two cards and drop them into
the gap you formed before and lastly drop the remaining
two cards to the far right of the row. The cards are now
in BBRRBBRR paired order from left to right. Imagine the
packets numbered one to four, from left to right. Have your
participant pick up packet one and drop it onto packet three.
Next ask them to drop packet two onto packet four.
There
are now two four card packets on the table. Have each packet
mixed and then drop one packet on top of the other. The
illusion and conviction of the above mixing sequences is
a very strong one. You are merely directing the 'traffic'
so to speak.
All
your work is done. Comment on how the red cards and the
black cards are like oil and water. Ask the spectator to
pick up the packet and hold it by a corner and gently shake
it. Then have them deal the cards face-up to conclude a
most magical rendition of a classic.
--------------------------------------------
10. Magic Camp Scholarship
--------------------------------------------
Message by Trudy Monti-Monteith (US)
For
over twenty-five years, the Society of American Magicians
Magic Endowment Fund has awarded full tuition scholarships
to promising young magicians between the ages of 10 and
18 to attend facilities focused on the magical performing
arts.
This
year scholarships are available for Tannen's Magic Camp
in Pennsylvania (June 25-July 2, 2022). Scholarships are
also available for Jeff McBride's Magic & Mystery School
in Las Vegas (June 20-26, 2022).
Candidates
must be able to demonstrate talent and dedication to the
magical performing arts discipline, as well as financial
need. Scholarship applications are available on the www.magicsam.com
website at the following link: www.magicsam.com/scholarships
Please
Note: The deadline for submitting applications for a scholarship
to Tannen's Magic Camp is March 15, 2022.
The
deadline for submitting applications for a scholarship to
McBride's Magic & Mystery School is May 1, 2022.
Please
visit the S.A.M. website for complete information.
Trudy
Monti, A.I.M.C. Trustee, The Society of American Magicians
Magic Endowment Fund, Inc. Trudy Monti-Monteith
-------------------------------------
11. The Orchante Saga - Beginnings
-------------------------------------
Written by the late Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)
Neither
Veronica nor I can remember who, how, what or why we started
playing backgammon but, we became completely hooked OK,
let's be honest - fanatical, playing the game! It was demanding
almost every spare moment (apart from 'you know what') we
had. Although you can play it just for fun with matchsticks,
it is, essentially, a gambling game played on a board with
thirty checkers or 'men', two pairs of dice and a doubling
cube; where you can start off modestly betting as little
as 50 pence (half a dollar) and in a very short space of
time, lose or win thousands!
The
doubling cube is a special dice used to double the betting
stakes. The lowest Number is 2, the next is 4, then 8, then
16, followed by 32, and the last is 64. Each player has
the opportunity to double the stakes when it is his turn
to play, and before he throws the dice. A double may be
accepted or declined, but the player declining loses whatever
the stakes were before the double was offered. You can see
now how a small 'pittance' can quickly escalate into quite
a hefty bundle.
World
famous players/gamblers like the actor Omar Sharif, whose
primary passion is 'bridge' and is recognised in card-playing
circles as a bridge expert, is also an acknowledged master
of backgammon. The games he gets involved in can easily
start by betting a 'measly' thousand dollars, and doubling
it! The final stakes on the table can quickly run into the
millions! Several
boxes of matchsticks suit us fine!
Though
the history of backgammon is incomplete, we do know it is
definitely one of the oldest games known to man. The oldest
known source of backgammon dates back to some 5000 years,
however it is believed that the present form of the game
evolved in the 10th century. In 1743, the famous Edmond
Hoyle codified the rules and strategy and since then, the
only change recorded has been the addition of the doubling
cube, which has added to the challenge and stakes of the
game. Backgammon has remained alive throughout these many
years probably because of its continual intrigue and challenge.
Even when defeat seems certain the tide can change and even
the underdog may win. It is said that you can learn the
fundamentals of the game in thirty minutes; it is a life's
work to learn the secrets of the strategy of backgammon.
Why
is it that when I go off the trail I somehow finished up
in the next county? One minute I'm writing about our parrots
and cockatoos - which I haven't finished with yet, then
somehow it's about Judy Stone and the gang, then it's Neil
Diamond; next, I'm writing a history about backgammon! Could
it be true; the mind tends to wander with 'old' age? Wander
on, who cares!!!
Delving
into some ancient photograph albums, I discovered a heap
of Polaroid photographs taken with my old SX70 fold-up camera.
Several were taken whilst on tour with Judy - Oh, the memories.
One shows the complete cast crammed into our motel room,
intently watching a backgammon game in process. I don't
why it was, but everyone seemed to congregate to our room
after shows. Another group photo was taken outside the motel.
On the left of the group was the compere/comedian who, on
this particular tour was - Johnny Holmes, a very funny and
popular comic on the Sydney club circuit.
It
wasn't until after the tour, when Veronica and I were going
through the photos, that we noticed something odd. Using
a magnifying glass we could see that Johnny, smiling and
standing causally, had quietly pulled his 'dick' out for
the photograph. Nobody had noticed 'it' before; and everyone
had seen the photograph after it had been taken - being
a Polaroid. The next time we ran into Johnny at one of the
clubs, we told him that we had discovered his 'naughtiness';
he laughed and said that he didn't realize at the time that
I was using a Polaroid camera, and expected everyone to
spot his 'manliness' there and then. He stopped laughing
when I told him we needed a microscope to see it!
Most
times on the Judy Stone tours, we were the only specialty/sight/variety
act on the show but occasionally another act, the 'Duo Angelos'
would come out as well. They were a brother and sister Adagio/Acrobatic
act. Billy and Angela, hence the act's name, were a very
likable couple. Angela, who was a most extremely stunning,
and beautiful young woman - with a body to dream for, just
happened to be the girlfriend of John Doyle, who ran his
own agency, 'Jon Doyle Promotions'! John, an ex-wrestler,
also had his own, very successful bodybuilding studio and,
apart from being a singer in his own right, was Judy Stone's
Personal Manager! He ran all of Judy's tours, and had many
others out on the road as well. Billy and Angela, as well
several other similar types of dancers/acts/artistes, worked
out at John's studio, keeping fit for their physically demanding
act(s).
Continues
next week
--------------------------------------------
12. E-zine Archives
---------------------------------------------
Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e- zine go to:
www.magicnewzealand.com
Click
on the red button centre 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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© Copyright 2022 Alan Watson QSM
www.magicnewzealand.com
http://twitter.com/#!/magicnewzealand
www.watson.co.nz
www.balloon-twister.co.nz
