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* Magic New Zealand®
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Issue Number: #1750
Date: Sunday 4th February 2024
Editor: Alan Watson QSM
www.watson.co.nz
E-mail: Editor@magicnewzealand.com
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Hi here is the latest news
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1.
Editor's Message
2. February Issue Out Now - Digital And Printed
3. Tropicana Closure A Big Blowfor Vegas Entertainers!!!
4. Haversat And Ewing Galleries' Winter Auction
5. Magifest Reports On The Magie Word Podcast
6. Murray Sawchuck On Exposure On The Magic Word Podcast
7. No Stone Unturned - Paul Stone - Article #143
8. March 2024 - Magic & Mystery School Events
9. Magic Museum Bellachini - Episode 63
10. Tales From The Fantastic Magic Center - #75
11. Shuffle And Think - John Carey #223
12. E-zine Archives
13. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice
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1. Editor's Message
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If
you would like to read the Magic New Zealand E-zine in HTML
format go to: http://www.magicnewzealand.com/ezine-archive/2024-Jan-to-Dec-2024/1750-Feb04-2024.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
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2. February Issue Out Now - Digital And Printed
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Message by Paul Romhany - Editor Vanish Magazine
Vanish
Magic Magazine - https://digitalvanishmagazine.com/Uo0d
This
month's Vanish Magazine features an interview with the incomparable
Kyle Jarrard- a true renaissance man. Kyle has been performing
professionally on a national level for the last 20 years
and we get an insight in to this amazing performer and his
many multi-talents. Margaret Steele gives Vanish the SCOOP
on her upcoming book The Great Boomsky.
Nick
Lewin's Valentine Awards - a yearly Award for services to
the magic world.
One-on-One
with Sean Bogunia. For the first time Sean sits down and
discusses his love affair with The Dancing Hanky and his
brand new creation the Smart hanky and what makes it revolutionary
in the dancing hanky field.
The
Magnificent Six - a truly unique show and one of a kind
in the world recently performed in Thailand and about to
tour.
Fool
Us - we have the contacts you'll need to get on the hit
TV show.
FISM
- Europe 2024 - our feature on the upcoming European FISM
competition.
Sponge
Balls - relevant? - Are they just for the lazy magician
- Louie Foxx comes up with some valid points.
Un-balanced
Review - the most unique Balancing effect created.
Smart
Hanky - Review - an in-depth review on this revolutionary
Dancing Hanky by Sean Bogunia.
Banachek's
Rulles for Magicians - Banachek starts a regular series
on explaining his 'Rules For Magicians'
Illusions
In Society - Ben Robinson on Illusion. Society. Malfeasance.
Intelligence. Authority.
Magic Trick Section - A Section Of Tricks
Magic
Reviews - The Latest Tricks Reviewed
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3. Tropicana Closure A Big Blow for Vegas Entertainers!!!
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Article forwarded by Peter Newton (US)
One
of the most famous casino resorts in Las Vegas is closing,
and one of its longtime headliners says it spells trouble
for Sin City entertainers.
The
Tropicana announced this week it's shuttering in April,
and will ultimately be demolished to make way for a new
baseball stadium being built for the Las Vegas Athletics,
the MLB team relocating from Oakland.
Murray
The Magician, who has a residency at the Tropicana, tells
TMZ ... the impending closure could create major problems
for performers who've been doing their thing at the property.
As
the 'AGT' alum explains, the Las Vegas Strip is hypercompetitive
for entertainers -- there are more than 70 shows a night
on the 2.5-mile stretch, with only so much wealth to go
around ...
and the Tropicana closing eliminates 2 venues.
So,
some acts are going to be left out in the cold.
Balance
of the article go to:
https://www.tmz.com/2024/01/31/murray-the-magician-tropicana-closing-hurts-las-vegas-entertainers/?fbclid=IwAR0TbI2-HBtuo-oNkjLTSDa_Gy4ubIG6JSueQagwOr41DRNjFRzkkQo7sKk
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4. Haversat And Ewing Galleries' Winter Auction
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Message by David Haversat (US)
Haversat
and Ewing Galleries' Winter Auction will contain our usual
wide selection of photos, posters, letters, apparatus and
more.
We've
drawn choice items from the personal collections of Jon
Racherbaumer, Mel Babcock, Walter Gydesen (co-founder of
the Magic Collectors' Association Weekends), Gary Darwin,
Dick Gustafson and many others.
The
auction opens at 9:00 am February 9 and the first lot closes
at 4:00 pm Saturday February 10.
The
Winter Auction celebrates 10 years of bringing outstanding
conjuring collectibles to magicians worldwide.
Come
and join us for a great event!
https://www.haversatewing.com/
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5. Magifest Reports On The Magie Word Podcast
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Message by Scott Wells, M.I.M.C. with Gold Star
This
week I will be attending my first magic convention of the
year, Magifest, in Columbus, Ohio, which commences on 25
January. This annual wintertime event always attracts one
of the largest gatherings of magicians in the U.S. with
around 1,000 attendees. As always, the Magic Word Podcast
will be there to give you daily reports of each of the three
days of activities featuring conversations with the talent,
organizers, registrants and dealers. It is the next best
thing to being there.
You
can listen wherever you get your podcasts. But for more
information along with candid photos of the event, please
visit:
https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/811-magifest-2024-day-one
then come back each of the following two days for new updates.
Please keep in mind that the first episode (and subsequent
post) will be late in the evening or perhaps early the next
morning giving us enough time to edit each episode.
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6. Murray Sawchuck On Exposure On The Magic Word Podcast
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Message by Scott Wells, M.I.M.C. with Gold Star
We
venture into controversy this week as we give the microphone
to Murray Sawchuck who defends his recent actions of exposing
magic on social media. For those unaware of this little
"tempest in a teapot," Murray recently released
a series of short videos on Instagram and Facebook (and
probably elsewhere) wherein he and his wife, Dani, exposed
some age-old tricks. Briefly, Murray performed them and
then Dani took them apart in front of the camera and rolled
her eyes while Murray mugged at the camera for comedic effect.
This
week, Murray tells us why he selected particular tricks
to expose, why he exposed them, and what he plans to do
in the future. This will begin the first of a three part
podcast series on this subject that will examine both sides
of magic exposure plus a little discussion about the "gray
areas," too.
You
can listen wherever you get your podcasts. But to view videos,
see photos, read the blog, leave comments, listen online,
and more, please visit the website at: https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/814-murray-on-magic-exposure
If
you are a more visual person, then you can watch our Zoom
chat on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/WthdRyToERI
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7. No Stone Unturned - Paul Stone - Article #143
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Message by Paul Stone (US)
Over
the past three years writing this weekly article for Magic
New Zealand, I've mentioned the Italian TV magic star, the
'Maestro; Silvan on a few occasions, and I make no apologies
for doing so once again.
What
an amazing career this incredible performer has enjoyed.
He has been Italy's premier magician for over six decades,
and what makes him even more unique is that at the age of
86, he is still starring on TV.
Last
week Silvan was the guest star on RAI National Prime time
appearing alongside Virginia Raffaele, a famous Italian
comedienne. This was not just a short spot but actually
lasted a full 15 minutes, as he masterfully interacted with
Virginia and the show's host, before performing a fast moving
and very well staged sawing through illusion. Even without
understanding the language, it was hugely entertaining.
The
only other magician I've ever seen in my lifetime who could
match this level of performance at an age when most would
be long retired, was John Calvert, but for me, Silvan beats
them all.
I
was happy to see that Michael Vincent was the featured magician
on the front cover of Genii magazine. Michael is a superb
magician and is someone I've always admired for his great
skill.
When
I was asked by Johnny Thompson to find 10 UK magicians to
be in the pilot show of Penn & Tellers 'Fool Us' in
London, Michael was one of the performers who agreed to
take part, and help put this show on the map.
Michael
didn't fool Penn & Teller, in fact that wasn't his main
focus, he was far more concerned with giving a flawless
performance, and he did exactly that. He did a brilliant
job and elevated the standard of the program considerably.
Michael
is without doubt one of one of the UK's most talented and
respected magical performers and he is also a top class
lecturer.
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8. March 2024 - Magic & Mystery School Events
-------------------------------------
Message by Jeff McBride (US)
8-10
- Master the Classics - Live In Las Vegas with Jeff McBride
April
2024 - Magic & Mystery School Events
5-7
- Tarot Magic Mastery - Live In Las Vegas with Jeff McBride
22-28
- 7-Day Masterclass - Live In Las Vegas with Jeff McBride,
Larry Hass, and Tobias Beckwith
September
2024 - Magic & Mystery School Events
23-25
- Medicine & Magic Seminar - Live In Las Vegas with
Jeff McBride, Larry Hass and Ricardo Rosenkrantz
27-29
- Weekend of Wisdom - Live In Las Vegas with Jeff McBride,
Larry Hass, and Tobias Beckwith
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/
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9. Magic Museum Bellachini - Episode 63
---------------------------------------------
This
time I'm as up-to-date as it gets. Tonight I arrived from
Nuremberg, the city of toys. From January 30 to February
3, the world's largest toy fair since 1950 will be held
there.
I
was a frequent visitor to the fair in the 1990s, as I was
able to present some of my magic sets there.
2011
was the last time I was in Nuremberg. In the meantime, I
have a press pass and therefore had free access to the fair.
Representatives of the press are "treated" very
well: they can park directly in front of the entrance free
of charge and have their own, very large press area with
several seats for computers and a buffet with drinks and
food. Very pleasant.
Of
course, I didn't get to see EVERYTHING, I just concentrated
on the magic. The reason for this visit to the fair was
to meet the renowned game inventor Mark Setteducati. We
have known each other for many years. Mark is an extremely
creative mind. Many will probably be familiar with his wonderful
book "The Magic Show". An interactive magic book
that he published together with Anne Benkovitz in 1999.
This
year he presented new ideas for the Hanky Panky company
(based in Thailand). I have never met anyone who has done
so much work on the art of magic, especially on the subject
of magic boxes. Mark is a genius.
Back
in the 1990s, he came up with a revolutionary idea for magic
tricks that were marketed by the Milton Bradley company.
Mark invented the first talking magic tricks. Yes, magic
tricks that talk to the magician or the spectator. Ingenious.
I'm
publishing a book about this series from MB in the next
few weeks. It's going to be great.
I
also visited the stands of Marvin's Magic and Eddy from
Hong Kong at the fair. The last time I met Marvin was in
Nuremberg in 2011. He wasn't there this year. Well, he is
now President of the Magic Circle ... ;-)
But
I didn't discover anything "new" with either Eddy
or Marvin.
When
I returned to Hanky Panky and Mark Setteducati, two people
came to the stand who Mark knew well: Roxanne and George
Miller. They are from the USA, but have been living in Italy
for some time. They bought a castle there. Why? They own
the largest collection of PUZZLE games in the world: over
100,000 sets. When I think about how much space my 2000
or so magic boxes take up, I can well imagine the castle
with the puzzles.
When
I asked her about the oldest jigsaw puzzle in her collection,
she answered: 3000 BC. It is a coin that can be put together
from several pieces.
You
can get an impression of my visit to the fair here:
https://youtu.be/8Qi4heTO-SE
See
you next week
Wittus
www.hamburger-zaubermuseum.com
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10. Tales From The Fantastic Magic Center - #75
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Message by Kent Cummins, Director (US)
More
Circus Magic!
I
have traveled with the Mighty Thomas Shows carnival, but
I have never performed in a circus. Once, while promoting
the Shrine circus at Westgate Mall in Austin, I was going
to saw their promotional clown in half…but he was so
fat that I just sawed off his legs with the Jack Hughes
Jigsaw illusion.
I
also had the opportunity to ride an elephant in the opening
parade of a circus. It was during National Magic Week, and
Austin SAM Assembly 206 was promoting the fact that there
was a magician in the circus.
I
have worked lots of events with Rik Gern, better known as
Bonzo Crunch, Fool at Large. Rik graduated from the Ringling
Brothers Clown College, and worked for the circus for many
years before he became, in his words, "a home town
clown."
I
would sometimes get calls asking me if I could perform magic
with a circus theme, but I would usually refer them to CJ
Johnson, who had a wonderful show called, "CJ's Magic
Circus."
I
finally got to create my own Magic circus a couple of years
ago, when I was still performing with my granddaughter,
"The Amazing Adele." We had school clients where
we would be performing multiple times for the same kids,
so we created two different shows. My favorite was our Magic
Circus!
I
dressed as a ringmaster and Adele dressed as a clown, and
we incorporated circus-themed magic and juggling into an
exciting show. Adele made an elephant disappear (Backstage
Vanish), and I reenacted the sword swallowing trick that
I had created when I was in the 4th grade, in my backyard
circus.
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
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11. Shuffle And Think - John Carey #223
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Message by John Carey (UK)
http://www.johncareymagic.co.uk/
'Think
A Card' is such a strong effect. It's one thing finding
a taken card, but the perception of the discovery of a card
just thought of is much greater in the minds and eyes of
the public. Shuffle and Think was inspired by my friend,
Dani DaOrtiz's work. Dani has a great method
using a deck that is dribbled face-up. My method uses a
very fair overhand shuffle action and is based on restriction,
but if your words, timing and attitude are in sync it doesn't
appear so. Execute a face-down overhand shuffle and square
up. Then flip the deck face-up.
"Jason,
as I shuffle these cards just look at one. But don't look
at the bottom card as that's too obvious." As you say
this, execute a face-up overhand shuffle, your spectator
seeing the faces. Once you've shuffled off around half the
deck chop off about 12 more cards on top as you say just
look at one. Make a mental note of this card and throw the
remaining cards on top, as you say "but don't look
at this one as it's too obvious" and gesture to the
face card of the deck. Then hand the deck out for shuffling
as you state they are just thinking of a card. Use your
secret information as you see fit to frazzle their minds!
Notes:
I sometimes do this with my head turned away. The only difference
in handling is that the last packet is slightly injogged
as its dropped on top of the deck. This enables me to secure
a pinky-break above the mental selection before I look back
to my participant. I can then easily access the card a few
moments later as I casually spread the face-up deck in the
hands. It's all about timing and attitude and confidence.
Have fun with it! You can also apply the concept to hand-to-hand
face-up spreads, the Hindu shuffle and cutting face-up packets
to the table...
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E-zine Archives
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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)
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www.magicnewzealand.com
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www.watson.co.nz
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