*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Magic New Zealand®
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Issue Number: #1746
Date: Sunday 17th December 2023
Editor: Alan Watson QSM
www.watson.co.nz
E-mail: Editor@magicnewzealand.com
================================
Hi here is the latest news
================================
1.
Editor's Message
2. FISM-Europe: Saint-Vincent, The Place To Be May 23-26
3. Christopher Carter On The Magic Word Podcast
4. Magic Moments 2024
5. No Stone Unturned - Paul Stone - Article #138
6. Conjuring Chronicles December Issue
7. Magic Museum Bellachini - Episode 60
8. Tales From The Fantastic Magic Center - #71
9. International Hanging Coins - John Carey #220
10. Broken Wand - Warren Kaps
11. E-zine Archives
12. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
1. Editor's Message
--------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT
NOTICE: This is the last Magic New Zealand e-zine for the
year and we will resume again in the second week of January
2024.
If
you would like to read the Magic New Zealand e-zine in HTML
format go to: https://www.magicnewzealand.com/ezine-archive/2023-Jan-to-Dec-2023/1746-Dec17-2023.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. FISM-Europe: Saint-Vincent, The Place To Be May 23-26
2024
-------------------------------------
Message by Joan Caesar (Canada)
FISM-Europe:
Saint-Vincent, the place to be May 23-26
Saint-Vincent has about 4,800 inhabitants and is the fourth
largest city in the Valle d'Aosta region. It is a city with
excellent air quality, surrounded by nature and pristine
green areas, a place where magic, relaxation, and well-being
come together. It's a memorable city that allows magic enthusiasts
to experience an extraordinary event, and for accompanying
friends or spouses who prefer to engage in other activities,
they won't be disappointed by the numerous things to do
in the city and nearby areas.
Masters
of Magic has been organizing their Conventions since 2008,
held first in Saint-Vincent. They have ushered in a new
era for the city, which is now recognized as the 'Saint-Vincent
World Capital of Magic.
It
seemed natural that Saint-Vincent was selected as the go-to
place for the 2024 FISM-Europe event for a number of reasons.
One is the ideal location. St. Vincent is small by any standard.
Located in the 21 sq km (8.1 sq. mile) Aosta Valley, it's
the least populated region of Italy. With its relatively
small population, it boasts a treasure of historical sites
and things to do and see. For those who enjoy history, the
parish church of San Vincenzo along with its museums and
archeological sites dates from the 11th century. It's famous
for its thermal baths. The temperature in May averages a
pleasant 14 C or 57 F degrees, a comfortable temperature
for walking.
Saint-Vincent,
is surrounded by beautiful Alps including the famous Matterhorn.
The preservation of the natural environment is important
to the inhabitants, making it possible to still see protected
wild life and fauna.
A
cable car can take passengers to 4,000 metres (2-1/2 miles)
where they can admire the spectacular view. For those adventurous
souls, there are also 1-hour hot air balloon rides. I couldn't
find the price, but this wouldn't be cheap.
Close
by us the Gran Paradiso National Park, Mont Avic National
Park, and botanical gardens.
In the valley there are 12 castles, 10 museums and 4 churches,
all of which can be visited through a tour or on your own.
I've
been on several Viator tours in different countries, and
they haven't disappointed. In the Aosta Valley, they offer
castle tours, cable car tours, tasting tours and many others.
All are only a day, excellent if you come a day early.
I
love food, and this area is rich with wines, cheeses and
many delicious Italian dishes.
This
adventure that happens only once every 3 years....
-------------------------------------
3. Christopher Carter On The Magic Word Podcast
-------------------------------------
Message by Scott Wells MIMC
This
week we have an in-depth discussion with the award winning
collegiate mentalist and mind reader, Christopher Carter.
He has won numerous awards for his many years of performances
across the country at colleges and universities. He is also
a keynote speaker for corporate clients as he is transitioning
away from the "younger man's game" of the grinding
college platform. In this episode, Chris shares lots of
stories, tips, and advice that can not only be applied to
anyone interested in getting started on the college circuit,
but also to any magician or variety artist who wants to
find success in their own markets. There is loads of information
in this episode.
You
can listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts.
But to view videos, see some photos, get links, read the
blog, listen online, and get more information, please visit:
https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/805-christopher-carter
-------------------------------------
4. Magic Moments 2024
-------------------------------------
Message by Trudy Harry Monti / Monteith
My
Magic Moments 2024 is now available on Amazon.com - OR from
me in the U.S. with a complimentary Limited Edition Index.
"My
Magic Moments 2024" is a unique journal, i.e. in addition
to having space for your own notes, there are 700+ Historic
Magic Events listed regarding 600+ Different Magicians.
Because
there are so many magicians listed, I have prepared a complimentary
Limited Edition Index which I will be providing free to
the first 200 who order the Journal from me.
Back
cover praise from Lance Burton, Gay Blackstone, Michael
Finney, and Jay Sankey!
Available
from TTMstlBOOKS, $18.99 + $4.00 media postage, includes
Journal, Limited Edition Index, and autograph (if requested).
To order a copy, please respond to TTMstlBOOKS@gmail.com.
Also
available (without Index) at Amazon.com
Note:
I have already begun working on the 2025 Journal so I hope
you will want to purchase the first in what I anticipate
as a series.
-------------------------------------
5. No Stone Unturned - Paul Stone - Article #138
-------------------------------------
Message by Paul Stone (US)
Roger
Blakiston is a magician probably better known in his native
England than in USA where he has lived and performed for
over thirty years.
I
first met Roger Blakiston in 1973. OMG, I've just realised,
it was over 50 years ago! At the time, he was appearing
in a Summer Season theatre show in Cliftonville, in Kent
in the South East of England, at the same time as I was
starting out my career in Show Business at a Butlins Holiday
Camp nearby.
Called
the 'Amazing Penny Whistle Show', Roger's act wasn't the
usual magic fare, it was very theatrical, which won't surprise
anyone who knows Roger! My main recollection is of Roger
on stage with a full sized skeleton pronouncing Shakespeare's
immortal words 'Alas Poor Yorick'!
Before
he moved across the Atlantic to reside in Phoenix, Arizona,
Roger had built a successful 'Jolly Roger' Children's Entertainment
Agency in UK.
A
wonderful Children's Entertainer, Roger can also hold his
own as a Close-Up magician, and for a few years presented
illusions on several cruise ships.
But
it is as a Children's Entertainer that he has made his name.
Roger has proudly maximised his unmistakable British character
and, combined with his patriotic costume and eccentric performance,
he has always been in huge demand.
A
few years ago, together with his lovely wife Artha, Roger
moved his home to Sedona. An extremely spiritual and sensitive
person, this Vortex proved to be the perfect base for him.
And
that was when Roger began writing poetry. Undoubtedly inspired
by his surroundings - he even designed and built a labyrinth
in his garden - his poems are incredibly uplifting. All
Roger's poems have a positive slant and, like Roger himself,
exude a great love of life.
I
now happily refer to him as my local MP - Magical Poet!
(For any readers not from UK, a local MP normally stands
for Member of Parliament!)
Roger
has just recently completed his fifth book of poems, 'Universe
of Whispers' which, like his four previous books, is available
from Amazon.
All
Roger's books are beautifully produced, each one with a
superb cover illustration, the work I believe of Roger's
talented wife Artha.
And
another big plus factor about Roger's poetry books, the
font size is large and easy to read!
So,
if you are struggling to find that elusive Christmas gift,
'Universe of Whispers' would fit the bill perfectly.
-------------------------------------
6. Conjuring Chronicles December Issue
-------------------------------------
Message by Jay Scott Berry (Australia)
Abracadabra
and Sim Sala Bim, Holiday Magic is in the Air! The December
issue of Conjuring Chronicles appeared in the wee hours
on the 1st, chock full of exclusive stories, inspirational
content, photos, book review, lecture review, convention
calendar, quotes and more.
In
this month's issue, John Kippen pays tribute to a living
legend, the one and only, Bob Fitch. For this in-depth,
12 page article, we restored many classic photos, some of
which even Bob had never seen!
In
the lead story, John details another in his 'Making the
Impossible, Possible' Series, describing how he managed
to get a signed spectator's card in their take-out bag from
In and Out Burger, hours after the show at The Magic Castle.
Talk about going the extra mile!
Next
up are details on 'The Art and Science of Wonder' Zoom Lectures:
December 12th was Linking Ring Columnist and renowned magician,
Michael Breggar. Kyle Purnell is scheduled for January 9th,
Paul Draper on February 12th and Doc Eason on March 12th.
More details and Tickets can be found here: https://www.johnkippen.com/lecture
A
flip of the virtual page and Trigg Watson, Armando Lucero,
Paul Draper and Bill Bentz share their thoughts on the 'Meaning
of Magic'. These are a few of the 50+ top magicians who
have submitted videos discussing this topic. All of these
can be seen at: https://www.johnkippen.com/mom
Next
up is 'Inside the Magician's Studio', which last month featured
Rod Chow, Trigg Watson and Todd Goldman. December artists
include Ed Ellis, Mark Benthimer, Michael Granoff and Jeff
Jenson. The show Zooms every Friday at 10am PST. There is
no entry charge for these, simply sign up here to get the
Zoom Link: https://www.johnkippen.com/studio
In
his monthly Book Review, Theron Trowbridge takes a close
look at Michael Feldman's, "The Pages are Blank".
Digging deeper into this virtual treasure trove, you'll
discover Joey's gems and a Spotlight on Joshua Jay's upcoming
show at Carnegie Hall.
In
another new column, Lou Entin gives a detailed review of
my Excelsior lecture, which kicked off the Art and Science
of Wonder' Series on November 14th. This is followed by
a peek at Kyle Purnell's new WOW Magic Shop.
As
icing on the cake, this month's 'Words of Wisdom' are by
Ricky Jay, Jim Steinmeyer, David Copperfield and Dunninger.
The 34 page issue wraps up with the Conjurer's Calendar,
which gives accurate Dates and Links for upcoming Conventions.
Conjuring
Chronicles is a full color E-Magazine, with slick, eye-popping
graphic design, unlike anything else out there. You can
read it online as a Flipbook, or download as a pdf. And…
it's free of charge! You can check out the December magazine,
and past issues, Here: https://www.conjuringchronicles.com/
--------------------------------------------
7. Magic Museum Bellachini - Episode 60
---------------------------------------------
Message by Wittus Witt (Germany)
--------------------------------------------
8. Tales From The Fantastic Magic Center - #71
--------------------------------------------
Message by Kent Cummins, Director (US)
Magic
Misogyny
When
I fell in love with magic in 1949 at the age of 6, most
of the beginning magic books that I enjoyed were called,
"Magic for Boys" or something similar. Even the
promotional paragraph on my first A.C. Gilbert Mysto Magic
Exhibition Set had this:
"A
fascinating Collection of the tricks, sleight of hand, illusions
etc. of world-famous magicians - with Illustrated book of
instructions. A set for boys and grown-ups too." It
obviously was not for girls.
When
you think of a magician, the image of a man in cape and
top hat (like the cartoon character, Mandrake) is most likely.
And the magician probably has beautiful assistants whom
he floats in the air, saws in half, and put into a box with
swords. Who are the most famous magicians? Thurston, Blackstone,
Houdini, Mark Wilson, David Copperfield.
With
these cultural images, why would a girl ever want to be
a magician?
When
I started Fantastic Magic Camp (www.MagicCamp.com) in 1993,
I noticed that we were getting far more boys than girls
as campers. So, I worked with Girl Scouts and other organizations
to demonstrate that the camp was just as much fun for girls
as boys.
My
friend Trixie Bond has been a magician all of her life…and
a very successful one at that! But she has some nearly unbelievable
stories of being discriminated against because of her gender.
(Although sadly, they are all too believable.)
If
you would like to explore this topic further (and I hope
you do!), check out my "Marketing Magic" column
in the December 2023 issue of "The Linking Ring"
and check out a recent episode of my podcast.
The
Fantastic Magic Center is dedicated to preserving and sharing
the art of magic. But I can't do it without your help. My
Patreon account is the same place as my free weekly podcast:
www.FantasticMagicCenter.com
kent@magichotline.com
-------------------------------------------
9. International Hanging Coins - John Carey #220
-------------------------------------------
Message by John Carey (UK)
http://www.johncareymagic.co.uk/
I
will never forget the first time I watched David Roth perform
his classic Hanging Coins. It truly felt like real magic.
I performed his routine for many years, but as I've got
older I've found the edge grip technique he uses more and
more difficult unfortunately. Damn hands! Some time back
I put the following variant handling together using the
venerable finger palm. It's not at all difficult and the
angles are very good. You will require three different coins.
A Chinese style coin, a half dollar and an old English penny.
Performing
this style of routine with different coins makes it particularly
visual and effective. Bring out the coins and hand them
out. Upon return hold them in a stack at the fingertips
of the
palm up right hand. "Three coins from around the world
and a little bit of magic!" Toss the coins into the
left hand which closes into a fist, but hold the top coin
of the stack back with the right thumb. This is the Al Baker
steal. The left fist turns palm down and shakes a couple
of times allowing the coins inside to jingle. The right
hand which has a coin now in finger palm approaches it and
it's thumb and first finger pull out two coins from the
fist. Wave them over the left hand and then raise that hand
into the air and mine hanging an invisible coin into the
air on a skyhook.
Transfer
one of the right hand coins to the left fingertips. The
Ramsay subtlety conceals the finger palmed coin very nicely.
Now for a simple clink pass. Allow the left hand coin to
drop into the palm up left hand. Then bring the right hand
and it's coin over the left hand. Allow the right hand coin
to drop on top of the finger palmed coin. A nice clink is
heard as the left hand closes again into a fist and moves
away a few inches. "One down and two to go." Turn
the left fist palm down and reach into the thumb hole and
take out a coin at the right thumb and first finger. Wave
that coin over the left first and then crumple that fist
gently and then raise that hand in front of you and 'hang'
that coin into the air like before.
"Number
three is a mystery!" Bring the right hand over the
palm up left hand and allow its coin to drop into the left
hand, landing at the base of its second and third fingers.
We will now use a beautiful move of Gary Kurtz, called the
rebound pass. The left hand makes a slight upwards tossing
action towards the palm down right hand. It finger palms
it's coin and the right hand makes a catching action at
the fingertips. Bring the right hand forward and upwards
and separate the first finger and thumb about an inch and
mine hanging this coin next to the first two. Once again
the Ramsay subtlety conceals the two finger palmed coins.
"All
we have to do now is take them off their skyhooks."
The palm down left hand raises and makes a plucking action
in the air. Shake this hand quickly three times and on the
third shake push the finger palmed coin to the fingertips.
This is a beautiful visual production of Larry Jennings.
Transfer
the coin to the fingertips of the partially palm up right
hand. "In fact all I have to do is scoop up the others,
throw them in the air and you won't believe your eyes."
As you say this the left hand reaches into the air and makes
a grabbing action and then closes into a fist. It then opens
as it makes a tossing action into the air. The eyes follow
the flight upwards and then down as the right hand moves
briskly forwards and sharply closes into a fist, allowing
all the coins to clink together. Pause a beat and then open
the hand to reveal that three coins from three countries
have magically rematerialized and allow them to tumble to
the table. This final phase comes straight from the Roth
routine.
Notes:
Don't
be in a rush as you perform this. Put the pauses in at the
appropriate moments and it will amplify the magic. What
also makes this piece nice is that you can even do it with
any different coins, such as pocket change.
---------------------------------------------
10. Broken Wand - Warren Kaps
---------------------------------------------
Message published in Facebook by Bruce Kalver (US)
A
very giving magician who not only shared his knowledge,
but also helped many. He was filled with magic history and
was fascinating to listen too.
Proud
that I knew him. Sorry to hear of his loss.
---------------------------------------------
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)
--------------------------------------------
Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
Our subscriber list is NOT made available to any other companies
or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your
privacy.
You can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand®
E- zine at: www.magicnewzealand.com
Magic New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday.
The opinions 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 QSM vouch for the accuracy or reliability
of any opinion, message, statement, or other information
reported via Magic New Zealand® E-zine.
Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute
to it by doing so agree they will not hold Magic New Zealand®
or Alan Watson QSM, jointly or individually liable or responsible
in any way for the opinions or statements contained therein.
Magic New Zealand® reserves the right to alter, correct
or disregard any articles submitted.
Readers are encouraged to submit timely articles or news
items which may be of interest to subscribers. By submitting
articles to this e- zine, the authors grant Magic New Zealand®
the right to publish such articles and such authors confirm
their copyright of the material submitted.
All works published by Magic New Zealand® are protected
by international copyright legislation and articles must
not be published for profit by anyone other than the individual
authors without the written permission of Magic New Zealand®.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this publication may be freely
redistributed, but not sold, to other magicians if copied
in its entirety, including the copyright notice below and
the above disclaimer.
© Copyright 2023 Alan Watson QSM
www.magicnewzealand.com
http://twitter.com/#!/magicnewzealand
www.watson.co.nz
www.balloon-twister.co.nz
