* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* New Zealand's MagicNZ e-zine 
* www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Issue Number: #31
Date: Sunday 30th July 2000
Editor: Alan Watson
www.alan-watson.com
================================
Hi here is the latest news
================================
1. Editors Message
2. The Bat Magic Trick
3. Wayne Rogers and his amazing props for sale
4. How does one go about performing in the U.S.A or Australia (in schools)?
5. Those little "quickies"
6. Robert Harbin books
7. A puzzle evening
8. Magic The Science of Illusion Exhibit	
9. Magician KILLED by robbers
10. FISM 2000 - Sue-Anne Webster & Tim Ellis (Part 1)
11. Gunther Gebel-Williams had a brain tumour removed
12. Best kept secret in comedy magic
13. Pat Sweeney is back in hospital
14. Diarise these events
15. News Items
16. MagicNZ e-zine archives
17. Benefit of subscribing to the MagicNZ e-zine
18. Subscription Management
19. Contact Information.

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1. Editors Message
-------------------------------------
Message from Alan Watson - The Magic One 

This week's issue of MagicNZ e-zine will feature Part 1 of two parts of FISM 
2000 by Sue-Anne Webster & Tim Ellis. It's a complete review of The Olympics 
of Magic which is very well written. THANKS Sue-Anne and Tim for taking the time 
to write this report and share your thoughts with us all and your succinct comments 
made it easy for readers to imagine what the acts were about.  
 
Check out their website:
http://www.MagicUnlimited.com 

CONGRATULATIONS to Shayne Thompson (Cookie the Clown) and Judell Ward who got 
married on the 13th July on Plantation Island, Fiji and then celebrated their 
marriage on 29th July at their home with many friends and family.  Entertainers 
who were present at their home celebration were: Sid Walker, Wayne Logue, Richard 
Webster, Brian Holland, and Michele and I.

Congratulations also to Shayne and Wayne (Logue) having passed a milestone of 
5 years with their regular double page spread in the New Zealand Woman's Weekly 
with their popular childrens colourful weekly feature -Cookie the Clown's advice, 
skits and games mixed with Wayne's cartoons.  Proving such a successful combination 
- the New Zealand Woman's Weekly have extended their contract indefinitely.  

Congratulations also to Wayne Logue and Naomi Read who got engaged - Wayne proposed 
at the Sky City Casino last week and their wedding day is yet to be announced. 
 

Cirque Du Soleil - Journey of Man is coming to the IMAX Auckland Theatre 3D. 
Michele and I enjoyed the 40-minute 3D IMAX experience featuring Cirque Du Soleil 
and would certainly recommend catching it. For me the music, costumes and photography 
are inspirational. 3D makes you feel part of the movie especially the underwater 
scenes, which were Michele's favourite. www.imaxnz.co.nz

Philippa Evans gave me a ring on Friday saying Peter has just come out of hospital 
for the second time with a nasty bout of pneumonia. If you would like to a card 
or best wishes, post to: Peter Evans, 41 Mappin Place, Chatswood, Birkenhead, 
Auckland - or give him a call as I know he will be delighted to hear from you 
- phone (09) 480 994.

Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: alan@watson.co.nz

-------------------------------------
2. The Bat Magic Trick
----------------------------------
Message from Garry MacFarlane (Aust) - macfar@primus.com.au 

Can any of your readers tell me what is the BAT MAGIC TRICK really like? Maybe 
it could be a new start for readers to comment about (New and old tricks, do 
they really work how they advertise). Going back to the Bat, I can get it for 
$80 what do you think? 

Thanks for your help. 

----------------------------------
3. Wayne Rogers and his amazing props for sale
----------------------------------
Message from Paul Romhany (NZ)

I've been searching the web and here's the types of great comments I've been 
getting about Wayne Rogers and his amazing props: This one was on Elmwood Magic's 
website.

"Wayne Rogers is one of New Zealand's busiest magicians. After meeting him at 
the SAM Convention we know why! He's extremely clever, very personable, and a 
great magician. His new QUICK DRAW STRAW not only looks great, but is made better 
than any of it's predecessors! At any time during your act, you pick up a small 
box and remove an eight inch solid plastic straw. The straw is solid and can 
even be examined. It clearly is too large to fit back in the tiny box. But when 
you open the box to try and put it back inside, out comes a five foot long straw! 
It literally shoots from the box like a speeding bullet! Truly making it the 
fastest "straw" in the west...or the east for that matter! Wayne Rogers' QUICK 
DRAW STRAW is a professionally produced prop and designed for real world performers. 
It uses thick plastic and high quality vinyl accents...not just a curtain rod 
sleeve covered in contact paper! It looks great and works even better! Very cool 
and highly recommended!"
---------------------------------------------
The Editor:
To find out more about Wayne's creative magic for sale go to: www.nzmagic.com/productpg.html

----------------------------------
4. How does one go about performing in the U.S.A or Australia (in schools)?
----------------------------------
Message from Ray Cooper (NZ) - puppetman@xtra.co.nz

I have been getting more and more into ventriloquism, holding on to magic as 
well. The main thrust is ventriloquism now. Schools and family shows are the 
main type of shows I do, but I am also performing to other groups.(This Wednesday 
I perform to a pre-school in the morning and then after a bite of lunch perform 
to a 70yrs plus group. Hope I don't get the two shows mixed up! :) )

Anyway, to get to the point... how does one go about performing in the States 
or Australia (in schools). I seem to have come up against wall after wall. I 
have some vent friends in the States and would like to go to a conVENTion with 
them, but perform to help with costs, but can't seem to get anywhere. (www.puppets.co.nz)

----------------------------------
5. Those little "quickies"
----------------------------------
Message from Peter Marucci (Canada)

This is one of those little "quickies" that are so often dismissed by magicians 
-- and loved by audiences.

I have been using this for years in my work as a bar and restaurant magician 
and have done it literally hundreds of times. And it is guaranteed to endear 
you to the audience and, in particular, the spectator involved.

As well -- if you really need more -- it gets your name into the spectator's 
hand and ensures that you will be remembered (especially for future bookings).

THE BIRTHDAY CARD
Effect: One of the people at the table where you are performing is having a birthday 
and you point out that it wouldn't be a true birthday celebration without a magician.

Take out a deck of cards and spread them face up (showing them to be all different 
but without saying so). Square the deck, turn it face down and fan it and have 
the "birthday girl" (or boy) pick a card and put it on the table without looking 
at it.

Turn the deck face up again, saying: "You could have picked any of these cards 
-- but you didn't. Instead, you picked that card (pointing to the one lying on 
the table) because this is a special day for you and that is a special card."

Ask her to turn the card over and show it to the audience.

When she does, it is not a normal card but a card with a birthday message (and 
the magician's name and phone number) on the face.

Leave the card with her (naturally) and wish her a happy birthday (also naturally).

Working: Very simple magic here but it plays big and -- I can assure you from 
experience -- it will be remembered.

You'll need a regular deck of card and a blank-face card with a matching back. 
On the blank card's face, put a sticker that says Happy Birthday (or whatever 
is appropriate for the occasion). These stickers can be found by the sheet in 
most stationery stores, or card and gift shops.

Underneath the first sticker, put another one with your name and phone number. 
You can get these made up at most printers and stationers in rolls or pads of 
a couple of hundred for about 10 bucks.

Put the gimmicked card in position for your most effective force. I use the slip 
force, so the card goes on top of the deck. Remember: The spectator does not 
look at the card until the end of the routine, so a Hindu shuffle force or other 
force that flashes the face of the card won't work here.

Force the card and have it placed face down on the table or between the spectator's 
palms. Spread the deck face up; show the cards to be different.

Continue, as in Effect, leaving the card with the spectator at the conclusion 
of the routine.

Second Thoughts: In a social setting (bar, party, restaurant, etc.), this routine 
can stand alone as a quick magical effect when you don't have the time, room 
or inclination to haul out your change bag, production box, or substitution trunk 
(which you just happen to have with you).

It also provides a graceful closing for a short close-up routine in the same 
type of setting (impromptu or apparently impromptu).

Most importantly, it gets you name into the hands of the spectator so you are 
not remembered only as "that magician who did the birthday-card trick."

Obviously, this can be done for almost any occasion -- anniversaries, graduations, 
bar mitzvahs, you name it. All you need is the sticker to suit the occasion. 

And, if you do a lot of this sort of thing, there are stickers that simply say 
"Congratulations" and that covers almost every sort of occasion -- saving you 
from having to carry a half-dozen different gimmicked cards.

If you want to take this one step further, craft shops sell small, microchip 
buttons that play Happy Birthday (or other songs) when you squeeze them (the 
buttons, not the songs).

Have one of these palmed (they are about the size of a half-dollar) and, when 
you pick up the card to show it around, squeeze the button and the music begins.

Have fun with this. I know your spectators will.

Peter Marucci
270 St. Andrew St. East
Fergus, Ontario, Canada
N1M 1R1
e-mail: showtimecol@aol.com

----------------------------------
6. Robert Harbin books
----------------------------------
Message from David J O'Connor (South Africa)

The South African Magical Society purchased one of the original Robert Harbin 
books, but cannot recollect the number. The Society eventually sold the book 
to Ian Adair (formerly of Supreme Magic in the U K). One of our members at the 
time, Brian Tarr, built Harbins Zig Zag illusion, which the society still uses, 
from the plans in the book. Robert Harbin was actually born in South Africa and 
his name was Ned Williams. So not only do we produce great Springbok rugby players 
to face the mighty All Blacks, but we have contributed to the world of magic 
too!

----------------------------------
7. A puzzle evening
----------------------------------
Message from Michael Chandler - CHANDMAGIC@aol.com

I have been asked to run a puzzle evening later this year for a mixed age group 
party after they have eaten but are still seated at the table. The sort of things 
that I have made are, for example, letter "T"s made out of plywood that I have 
cut up, sanded and varnished. They will be placed on each table and points given 
to the first table to finish. I do need more puzzles so that I can place a number 
of different ones onto each table at the same time. A school has offered, at 
a small charge, to make up a number of vacuum formed trays that would house the 
puzzles. I need help in the following areas-

Does anyone know of any source books that I could get this information from?

I cannot have every puzzle looking like I have made it up. Does anyone know any 
suppliers of puzzles?

I would be grateful for any help.

-------------------------------------
8. Magic The Science of Illusion Exhibit	
-------------------------------------
Message from Joyce Basch (USA)

Get into the act! At the California Science Center Opening July 22, 2000.
Mind reading, floating in thin air, a head without a body - is it magic or science? 
Or, perhaps a little of both? Visitors can find out and get into the act at MAGIC:THE 
SCIENCE OF ILLUSION, a new exhibit at the California Science Center in Exposition 
Park. Through engaging performances, artefacts, films and interactive experiences, 
Magic: The Science of Illusion reveals the art and science of entertainment magic. 

Magic opens July 22 and runs through February 28, 2001. "I saw this exhibit as 
a wonderful opportunity to build a bridge from the public's enthusiasm about 
magic to an interest in science," says Diane Perlov, the exhibit curator, who 
recruited magic luminaries such as Penn & Teller, Jade, Max Maven and others 
to create the exhibit. "Most people don't connect science wit magic, yet all 
magic is based on science principles. Performers can't do the impossible. But 
they can appear to. This exhibit is about appreciating the wonder of magic, while 
exploring basic science concepts that make illusions possible."

Magical arts and more! Science is the key to understanding what's going on in 
a magic show, but so is the art of performance. In Magic, visitors can explore 
the magical arts for themselves when they visit the Magician's Training Academy 
to learn new card tricks and mind-reading illusions that they can perform at 
home. 

In other areas of Magic, visitors can watch a live interactive magic show - learn 
about the history of magic and its most famous performers from Houdini to Henning 
- view Magic at work - see the wonder of magic in 3D larger than life in magic 
stars Siegfried & Roy's IMAX film The Magical Box. The California Science Center 
is open daily 10 am to 5 pm. Admission to the Magic exhibit is free. IMAX Theater 
ticket prices range from $3.75 to $7.50. For directions or general information, 
phone (323) SCIENCE or visit our Website at www.casciencectr.org

-------------------------------------
9. Magician KILLED by robbers 
-------------------------------------
Message from Philippe Piet van Putten 

Unfortunately, I have bad news!

Famous Brazilian card magician Markan (Ithamar de Oliveira Camasmie), who was 
50 years old, was murdered in his apartment with a shot in the head. The coroners 
suppose that he died on the 21st of July, but the correct date is not known.

Police investigators believe that robbers killed him, once his computer, videocassette 
recorder and also his car were missing.

Markan authored five books on card magic and released his own Course in Magic. 
He was a consultant for the monthly bilingual electronic bulletin Artes Mágicas 
(Magical Arts).

His wife, two sons and one daughter survive him.

We'll miss him a lot!

-------------------------------------
10. FISM 2000 - Sue-Anne Webster & Tim Ellis
-------------------------------------
Report from Sue-Anne Webster & Tim Ellis (Aust) - katzkin@ozemail.com.au

(Part 1)

FISM 2000
July 3 - 8
Portugal, Lisbon

Lisbon, Portugal was the destination for over 2100 magicians from all over the 
world attending the 21st FISM World Magic Congress July 3-8, 2000.

Australian representatives were Sean Taylor and Diana Taylor from Taylor's Magic 
Shop in Sydney, Steven Penson (an employee of Taylor's Magic Shop) and his father 
Kevin, Sam Powers (President IBM, Sydney), Phil Cass and Philippa, Robert Todd, 
Timothy Hyde and The Amazing Linda, Charles Gaucci and his wife, David Jones, 
Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster.

Arriving in Portugal started us on an adventure into the unknown, with some registrants 
having difficulties getting through immigration and then on to the hotels. No 
information had been given to hotel receptions regarding times for FISM buses 
that were to take us to the Belem Cultural Centre the following day. Hotels were 
located up to 40 minutes bus ride from the event centre, which proved to be a 
little problem through the week. We all went to bed believing it would be sorted 
out... it was, so we set off early the next morning for the world magic event.

It was exciting to know we would find some fabulous talent in the competitions 
and catch up with some wonderful people. The FISM venue was fantastic. Set in 
historic Belem, Lisbon, we were treated to a riverside spectacle overlooking 
a grandiose park, Portuguese Cathedral and Convent. The venue was clean and bright, 
the theatre superb... every seat had a clear view of the stage with two huge 
screens to enhance the smaller effects performed during the acts. Balconies provided 
private viewing boxes... perfect for taking notes on the acts. The theatre and 
close up room was not large enough to hold 2100 registrants, so the Gala Stage 
Shows had to be held twice each, while the Gala Close up Show was repeated five 
times.

A big congratulations must go to the most incredible technical staff we've ever 
seen working on a convention. Delays and power cuts interfered with some of the 
events, but it took no time at all for the lighting crew and stage crew to have 
the ball rolling in a flash.

The close up room was quite small and, although a video screen was available, 
the camera angle, focus and white balancing were not adequate to see close up 
magic in detail... so there were long lines waiting well in advance to acquire 
good seats for the performances. Again, the crew whizzed the acts through quite 
diligently despite the fact that extra contestants were added at the last minute 
and competition sessions ran way overtime. All said and done, the work was accomplished 
and some wonderful performances were displayed.

People on the whole had a wonderful time, although about a thousand people were 
left stranded one night when the FISM buses took the audience from the Close 
up Gala back to their hotels at 11.40pm without waiting for the Stage Gala audience 
to come out (the show ran late) at 12.05am. It was cold, there were elderly people 
without adequate covering and some in wheelchairs, left to fend for themselves 
in a foreign city without transport of any kind... foreigners who couldn't speak 
English or Portuguese had no idea what to do. 

There were no FISM staff to look after us and taxis were virtually non existent. 
Some of the unlucky walked back to their hotels and arriving well after 2:00am. 
The only other mishap of the week was the disaster called the Closing Dinner 
and Gala Show... held in an outdoor rock concert venue with 3 barbecues and a 
few plates of salad to feed 2100 people. Most went hungry... others dialed Pizza 
Hut or visited the nearby McDonald's. There weren't even enough tables and chairs 
for everyone. The wind was blowing and technical faults abounded. A very difficult 
situation for all concerned... but again, we were all in it together and will 
never forget this adventure as long as we all shall live!

Overall, it was a fantastic experience to be with such friendly, supportive, 
professional people... grateful at the opportunity to see the experts in action. 
Guy Hollingworth, Topas, The Flicking Fingers, Eugene Berger, Juan Tamariz, Nicolas 
Night and Kinga, Paul Daniels, and Ali Bongo to name just a few.

And who will ever forget the Gala #2 show when the unfortunate accident occurred. 
Mago Anton's water tank exploded on stage. The sides shattered as Mago, tied 
to a weight that hit the sides, dived for a selected card. The water raced towards 
the front rows of the audience like a mini tidal wave, splashed over the edge 
and wet the first couple of rows. A rare sight, indeed. Thankfully Mago was out 
of his handcuffs in a flash and wasn't hurt, save for his broken heart at losing 
his $10,000 illusion. The theatre had to deal with the stench of wet carpet over 
the next day or two as well.

A shock for me was discovering that Australia is not registered with FISM. New 
Zealand is, but not Australia. I think we'll have to go about fixing this situation 
pretty quickly.

DAY ONE
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2000
As soon as the FISM bus dropped us off at the Belem Cultural Centre we set out 
to register, a surprisingly painless procedure given the 2100 people who had 
to do it. Maybe next time FISM could allow us to register when we check in to 
our "Official FISM" hotel? Then we'd have time to properly study the glorious 
112 page full colour programme and play with all the goodies in our FISM satchel.

First event was a great opening ceremony featuring some excellent Black-Art based 
on the FISM logo by Ger Copper and his 'Black & White' company, and a brief "moment" 
from Luis de Matos accompanied by Tina Lenert on harp. 

Others chose to attend one of the many lectures or events, which took place constantly 
throughout the week. Lecturers included: Anam Cara, David Acer, David Roth, David 
Williamson, Igal Mesika, Lennart Green, Mago Anton, Nicholas Night, Guy Hollingworth, 
Tom Stone, and Topas. Other events included: The Opus Experience, Ross Johnson, 
Max Maven, Don Wayne on creativity, Marvin Berglas and Michael Ammar on marketing, 
Roberto Giobbi, and Eugene Berger.

Next we were treated to the Opening Gala where we saw living legends perform 
the same acts we grew up with: Pierr Edernac, Ali Bongo, Topper Martyn, Jay Marshall, 
Richard Ross... all over 60, some over 80! The oldest by far was well over 150 
years old - Robert Houdin's acrobatic automaton presented by John Gaughan.

Next was the Close up Gala hosted by the impeccable Guy Hollingworth. Bill Malone 
did 'Sam The Bellhop' at triple speed, Tom Stone kept producing his shoe, David 
Acer wore a wig, Richard McDougal presented an interesting kitchen scene, Guy 
Hollingworth waved his aces and reformed a card, Igal Mesika didn't realise his 
invisible thread shone under the lights, Camilo did a beautiful card in bottle, 
and David Williamson stole the show with a cards across which ended up being 
"People Across".

We ended up squeezing in a quick visit to the 70+ dealers at the Magic Fair before 
seeing the Guy Hollingworth lecture at 9.30 and catching the 11.00 bus back to 
our hotel. 

DAY TWO
TUESDAY, JULY 4, 2000
We had to arrive early today, because at 9.30am the competition began!

The Categories (143 Contestants)
 
GM = General Magic (37)
GI = Great Illusions (8)
MAN = Manipulation (21)
COM = Comedy (14)
MM = Mental Magic (6)
IN = Invention (10)
CU = Close Up (24)
CD = Cards (20)

1: DER HEXER - Germany - GI.
T: The competition opened in a really big way with this grand illusion act featuring 
a black jeaned, white shirted magician presenting a Columbus-themed act beginning 
with an interesting flash appearance on an empty stage, a little box which changed 
into a big box which then had a girl step out of it, a head and body twist, a 
bizarre 'Columbus Egg Slicer' illusion, the production of eight flag-waving showgirls 
and the final appearance (reveal) of a boat at the back of the stage. He made 
good use of sound effects blended with his music and the act was action-packed 
and very spectacular... but I couldn't help thinking that we've all seen this 
type of eye-candy too many times before. He also suffered a little by choosing 
not to use a follow spot, which left the stage a little too dark at times.
S: Huge production act, themed Columbus performance... pizzazz, ritz, glitz, 
flags from all nations, colourful and celebratory... spectacular finish - but, 
lighting was very poor and illusion performance was the usual old assistant in 
the box - out of the box routines that go nowhere.
 
2: KEIKO MUTO - Japan - MAN.
T: After a false start, due to a tech problem with her music, Keiko returned 
to the stage to begin her act again. She presented traditional Japanese effects 
with fans and umbrellas combined with manipulation with modern items including 
bells, wands, and her earrings. Highly skilled, but let down by one or two weaker 
effects mixed in with some truly magical moments.
S: Beautiful piece, elegant, cultural and themed. 'Traditional' props, moves 
and poses. Cleaner moves would have helped the performance.
 
3: RUI MORGADO - Portugal - GM.
T: An interesting idea we saw done better at the last FISM in Dresden. Rui began 
miming as Elvis performing the colour-changing records, and then switched to 
a tap-dancing Sinatra miming 'New York, New York' as he performed the multiplying 
microphone heads. Nice ideas for 20-30 seconds, but not 8 minutes. He finished 
producing a picture of, what appeared to me to be, Signourney Weaver. I was puzzled.
S: Too much singing and dancing... not much magic. Very slow.
 
4: KATIA - Russia - MM.
T: This was a truly bizarre presentation of mental magic. Katia was so abusive 
towards her volunteers "Come here now! Throw it down! Go there quickly!" that 
she should have been dressed as a dominatrix. She began demonstrating her powers 
by handing her first volunteer a series of breakaway props, then went into an 
incomprehensible series of events where sticks were chosen, props caught fire, 
and predictions were revealed. I had no idea what was going on. She did have 
one classic line due to her heavy Russian accent though: "This trick was created 
long before Jesus and Buddha" came out as "long before cheeses and butter." Well... 
you had to be there...
S: I have no idea what this act was about. Funny and terrible at the same time. 
No sense at all... but, what a crazy girl! Quite funny.
 
5: LUIS MANUEL - Spain - MAN.
T: A more traditional manipulation act featuring balls, cards etc. Very clean 
with a very high skill level. He got a huge response when he began producing 
jumbo cards both singly and in fans.
S: Difficult manipulation..... Very clean, very skilful, clever, endearing. Great 
applause cues.
 
6: ANATOLI KIRITCHENKO - Russia - GM.
T: The classic Russian act featuring the production of lots of "wooden" dolls. 
It's interesting to note that almost all of the acts at FISM have featured motifs 
of their countries somewhere in their acts, whether it be in the music, costume, 
or theme.
S: Russian cultural act with spinning dolls. Not magical at all.
 
7: VALERIE - Switzerland - GM & IN
T: I really enjoyed this act where "the magician" leaves the stage in disgust 
when his assistant is late. Valerie, playing the assistant, turns up and has 
to play both the magician and the assistant. The act included some very funny 
and innovative moments including a solo sub trunk.
S: Quite a clever little act... unusual. Unbelievable costume changes. Wonderful 
performer with lots of potential.
 
8: ROY DAVENPORT - England - MAN.
T: Roy has performed this act at FISM before (tied for 3rd place in Manipulation 
at Dresden) and it keeps getting better. Themed as a British soldier highlights 
include a very aggressive ball routine and a high-risk linking rings which includes 
spinning the rings on the palms of his hand and a mid-air crash link.
S: Highly skilful and very entertaining. Colourful and patriotic.
 
9: HILBERT GEERLING - Nederlands - GM.
T: This act looked completely different as he played a professor trying to create 
life in a lab. Unfortunately he suffered from too little magic and poor acting.
S: Scientist who magically produces animals then turns into the red bird he was 
trying to bring to life. Interesting and different... didn't quite make it as 
a riveting piece of magic, but has potential.
 
10: JORGOS KATSAROS - Germany - GM.
T: Jorgos played with the theme of size and scale. He began the act as a midget, 
and ended and a giant. Unfortunately his choice of props - magnifying glasses, 
weights, etc - were simply not interesting enough. Tighten the act up, change 
the props, and it'll be great! 
S: Very different act with an interesting premise... but didn't hit the spot 
magically.
 
11: TORKOVA - USA - MAN.
T: Lots of classics (old standards like Miser's Dream, 20th Century Silks etc) 
did well, but FISM demands excellence and innovation. The choice of music (Scott 
Joplin) also left us feeling we've seen it all before.
S: Standard act. No appeal.
 
12: MAGIC MAGDI MARY SHOW - Italy - IN.
T: The curtains opened revealing an Egyptian setting complete with cut out pyramids, 
a sphinx and a camel (on castors). The wanderer from the desert came in, dying 
of thirst, and proceeded to "act" for an extraordinarily long time. He pulled 
six swords out of a basket, each sword more slowly than the last, and finally 
- just as he was about to open the basket - a huge puff of smoke came on from 
side stage completely covering both he and the basket - and when it finally cleared, 
there was a girl. He then levitated her on the camel.
S: No magic, excruciatingly long piece of over acting, nothing was happening... 
except the agonising yearn to quench thirst.
 
13: JULIUS FRACK - Germany - GM.
T: He played a mad tailor and had a lot of fun stuff with thimbles, cloths, and 
scissors as he created a dress and, ultimately, a girl inside it.
S: Different, offbeat, crazy. Great to watch.
 
Time for a lunch break, but we moved to the Close up Theatre to line up for seats!
 
14: GREGORY WILSON - USA - CD.
T: A very tight act themed around the close-up table as his office. He crammed 
lots of eye-popping magic into his 10 minute set including multiple card and 
box vanishes, a card fountain from an office time clock, and lots of very high 
skill cuts and flourishes.
S: Impressive. Very clever, very clean, very good... and he knows it! Theming 
was refreshing. A hard act to follow.
15: ASHORD KNEITEL - USA - CD.
T: A pity he had to follow Gregory, but that's the luck of the draw. He was young 
and nervous but did well with some standard finding lost cards and lots of fancy 
cuts and flourishes. 
S: Clever, but not so entertaining.
 
16: ROBERT WOTTSCH - Austria - CL.
T: An entire act themed around McDonald's fast food. Nice idea but suffered from 
poor technique and corny jokes.
S: It was nice to see he included audience in balcony seats. Not an eye opener.
 
17: ATINOKOV - Russia - CD.
T: He did a great sequence where he took the cards out of the case about 6 times, 
but Gregory had done a similar effect earlier. A standard act lifted by an amazing 
instant costume change from a black to white suit as the finale!
S: Act was hard to understand, moves were obvious. Great kick... costume change 
to finish.
 
18: HERMAN KOSTER - Nederlands - CD.
T: A fairly standard card act with the novelty aspect that the last portion was 
performed blindfolded.
S: Average act except for the card manipulation done blindfolded.
 
19: ANATOLI KARTASHKIN - Russia - CD.
T: This was one of the most talked about acts of the convention. He came out 
dressed as Zorro and did ten minutes of 'Tai-Chi' with cards to the Bolero. Apparently 
he was shuffling the cards while keeping them all in order, but it was done so 
slowly our minds all turned to mush as we watched.
S: I'd wear a mask too, if I presented an act like that at FISM!
 
20: RAMON RIOBOO BUJONES - Spain - CD.
T: Very good signed cards to pockets, I have no idea how he did it, but he had 
virtually no presentation.
S: Very clever. Should have used the microphone... he hardly looked at the audience 
and performed with no presentation.
 
21: CARLOS VAQUERA - Belgium - CL.
T: This act was sensational! After a mime opening where he attempted to produce 
all four aces, but only got three, his "helper" confessed to having forgotten 
to set the fourth ace. Then began some great interaction as the two attempted 
to top each other with increasingly impossible versions of card effects and matrix. 
They had to stop before the act was completed as they ran overtime were disqualified 
but the act combined incredible skill with an entertaining and original presentation. 
The "helper" turned out to be Jean Pierre Vallarino wearing a false moustache!
S: Fantastic! An absolutely wonderful presentation... very different. 
 
22: SIMO AALTO - Finland - CL.
T: Another act we've seen at previous FISMS and again Simo keeps improving it. 
He produced budgies, ice, and performed a lovely cups and balls with bells and 
chimes. Very polished and well rehearsed with interesting props.
S: Wonderful presentation, amiable personality, easy to watch, some great productions.
 
23: THOMAS FRAPS - Germany - CD.
T: One of my favourite acts of the whole convention. Thomas began innocently 
enough, producing a glass of orange juice, but then was rudely interrupted by 
a Mr. Punch hand puppet (performed by Gaston) from behind the close up table. 
The interaction between the two was absolutely hilarious, so much so they had 
to talk over the laughter and applause at the end to finish the act within the 
time limit. There were too many gags and bits to mention here but, after Thomas 
broke Punch's neck for stealing material, the act ended with Punch being stabbed 
and the selected card being found. They could have scored better in the close 
up category (they really only did one card trick) but the audience loved it!
S: Absolutely hilarious, brilliant, different, totally entertaining, fantastic 
presentation! A+++
 
24: MARIO BOVE - Italy - CD.
T: Clever but confusing card tricks with a gambling theme. He cut to the kings, 
aces etc, all while keeping the entire deck in order.
S: Good material, no presentation and hard to understand.
 
25: MR DANNYMAN - Sweden - CU.
T: Mr. Dannyman performed in rhyming patter and themed his act by producing cards, 
then coins in varying sizes.
S: A clever, poetic piece. Technique and presentation were not so good. 
 
26: DAVID REGO - Portugal - CU.
T: David had a full bar as his table. He performed to music as a dull, depressed 
character and strange "magical" things happened to him. Many effects where too 
repetitive and slow, a little variation in pace would have helped a lot.
S: Slow performance, but he moved too prescisely for a 'drunk'. Confusing.
 
27: JUAN VARELA - Chile - CU.
T: He performed at a chess board and told a story using the pieces as characters. 
The pieces appeared, vanished and changed sizes... some moves were more deceptive 
than others.
S: Interesting, but not riveting.
 
28: ARISTON - Argentina - CD.
T: Dull tricks, dull presentation.
S: Just a bunch of average close up tricks that I find hard to remember... except 
for the fact that he was hard to understand and unimpressive.
 
29: RAFAEL BENATAR - Spain - CD.
T: Good personality and he performed his card effects with an office theme ("faxing" 
signed cards, for example). Very nice, but cut the act short to avoid running 
overtime.
S: Brilliant technician, nice personality.
 
30: GUSTAVO BARRETO - Brazil - IN.
T: Gustavo presented and explained an interesting coin gaff for 'International 
Matrix', and a move for Cups and Balls which was really innovative.
S: Good invention... no personality and uninteresting to watch.
 
31: DIDIER LADANE - France - CD.
T: Didier presented his act in French and, with a portrait of Dai Vernon looking 
on, performed signed card effects, travellers, twisting the aces and various 
flourishes climaxing with a signed card appearing underneath the glass of Dai's 
portrait. The act was nicely themed as a "tribute" to the Professor.
S: Brilliant technician and a kicker of a finish. Spoke French but he was understood..
 
32: MIGUEL GOMEZ - Spain - CD.
T: Miguel spoke Spanish but, unlike Didier, I couldn't follow his effects. They 
seemed very skillful based on audience reaction, but he did seem to make one 
or two technical errors.
S: Not gripping, hard to follow. I don't think language barrier was a real problem 
here.
 
After a quick dinner break we headed back into the Theatre for Gala Show #1.
This was a mixed bag of a show, way too long (what a surprise) but Mike Caveney 
handled the job of MC quite well. We saw Nicholas Night & Kinga, Hans Klok, Anam 
Cara, Mac King, Juliana Chen, Junge Junge, Shintaro, Tina Lenert (no, not the 
mop act, her harp and feather piece!), and Ge Qui Ha from China.
During the show Mike Caveney joked that we'd missed our 11pm buses, but not to 
worry, we could catch the 12am buses! Unfortunately, when we got out of the theatre, 
the buses were gone. According to one source, when FISM President Marques Vidal 
heard about this (he was partying at the official FISM late night venue) he allegedly 
said: "Not my problem." Some apologies were offered the next day though... and 
it didn't happen again!

DAY THREE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2000
 
33: RUNE STEIRO - Norway - GI.
T: Rune presented one effect, a pseudo-broomstick suspension, which turned into 
a levitation. Neither exciting nor well-presented, especially when compared with 
Der Hexer.
S: Potential to be interesting, but totally missed on entertainment.
 
34: MAHKA TENDO - Japan - COM.
T: A toilet themed comedy act, which included lots of toilet paper and multiplying 
urinals. I guess the Japanese have an entirely different idea of comedy to the 
rest of the world. 
S: No magic, the multiplying urinals were presented so poorly it was embarrassing.., 
especially when one of them ended up on his face.
 
35: STEPHAN VON KOLLER - Germany - GI.
T: Beginning with the production of a girl from a perspex pyramid, Stephan moved 
through the Origami to a type of levitation. The act was good, but not great.
S: An average illusion act. Unimpressive.
 
36: KOHEI - Japan - MAN.
T: Interesting ideas as he manipulated with balls, a sheet of black paper, and 
various shapes. Some moves worked, some didn't. Performing with black paper, 
while wearing black, against a black curtain wasn't a good idea though.
S: Better with more thought to colour and contrast so we could SEE the act. Some 
good moves... overall, not bad.
 
37: GEORGE SATERIAL - USA - GM.
T: We saw this act a few weeks earlier at The Magic Castle. It's a nice dove 
act set against a grandfather clock. The dove work was very clean, and he multiplied 
giant size silver balls.
S: Opening was good, when he stops the grandfather clock. A nice little act.
 
38: JUST ALAN - USA - GM.
T: Beginning with a slide show of India and a voice over narration to set the 
scene (which, after a few minutes got hisses from the bored non-English speaking 
portion of the audience) Just Alan presented an authentic looking Indian version 
of 'Sands of the Desert'. 
S: I liked this act, although all the taped talking was a bit much for a FISM 
audience. The Indian character looked authentic and he presented his trick quite 
well... clean and clear, but very long.
 
39: RICHARD GRIFFIN - England - MAN.
T: A nice act featuring thimbles (a little hard to see), billiard balls and cards. 
Richard was the only card act who "plucked" the cards from the air instead of 
having them pop out from behind his hands.
S: I have a real gripe about the lack of understanding on card manipulation... 
specifically plucking cards magically from the air. Richard Griffith was the 
only magician this FISM who came close to what it should look like... far more 
magical than even the 'professional' guests who performed this kind of manipulation 
on the Gala shows, where a demonstration of circus skills were the rage.
 
40: FUMIO - Japan - COM.
T: Not funny.
S: Terrible... not worth writing about.
 
41: INDIANER POW HOW - Germany - GM.
T: Germans as American Indians? This act was as camp as the teepees that formed 
the backdrop. But it was so corny you had to love it! Better still, it featured 
some tricks that were real foolers, though the creation of 'Rain' (a la Copperfield's 
'Snow') didn't please some portions of the audience. Warning: You WILL get wet!
S: A relief to see something different even though it was silly... you had to 
laugh.
 
42: THE TRAMP - Switzerland - GM.
T: His set looked great (though a little too dark) with a city skyline, park 
bench and flickering street lamp. His poor tramp character has great appeal and 
some of the effects, especially the floating light globe, are excellent. Needs 
a little more strong magic and variation of pace.
S: Magical, beautiful little piece. Original and entertaining, although lighting 
was a real problem.
 
43: ROXANNE - Germany - GM.
T: Roxanne appeared as a well dressed, confident, slightly gothic looking character 
and presented effects with roses, chocolates, and even colour changing lipstick. 
Some were too small to see, others a tad obvious, but all quite interesting. 
Her final effect was a spinning self-levitation.
S: Interesting piece. Roxanne looked lovely in her outfit and her magic was nice. 
Although most of it was quite small for distant spectators, it was presented 
well.
 
44: MATTHIAS RAUCH - Germany - MAN.
T: Very clever manipulation, but a little too fast. His card work was especially 
good.
S: Unclear idea, but his manipulation was very good.
 
45: KATALIN CZEKMANN- Hungary - MAN.
T: After a good start, the act petered out quickly. The dove pan and ghost tube 
won't score very well in the Manipulation category.
S: Nice blue trousers, very neat, clean outfit but not much happening on the 
magic side of the act.
 
46: CHARLES GAUCI - Australia - MM.
T: After a dramatic, well presented start where various numbers were added up 
by the audience, the only real problem Charles had was that his prediction turned 
out to be wrong.
S: Charles has a strong presence and a controlled manner. He spoke well and carried 
himself with dignity to the end of his presentation.
 
47: ZAUDERER - Germany - COM.
T: We saw this act at the last FISM where they came 3rd in Comedy, but they have 
really cleaned up the ending and tightened the whole thing. Three guys in matching 
suits (attempt to) perform magic in unison, with truly hilarious results. The 
use of sound effects, bizarre imagery, and totally unexpected moments won over 
the crowd as soon as they walked on.
S: Quite funny and entertaining. Very refreshing!
 
48: DUO DNS MAGIA - Argentina - GM.
T: This act was a sketch about a robber breaking into a house. They had a whole 
set and a well thought out storyline, and they were only 17 and 19 years old! 
A little more homework and they've got something here. A good start.
S: Very entertaining. Very clever. Concentrated on transformations... a bit of 
a slapstick cops and robbers silent movie type of performance.
 
49: ELENA AKATOVA & VICTOR VOITKO - Russia - GM.
T: With an interesting opening which appeared, at first, to be "Multiplying People", 
this was really more a costume change act than a magic act. Victor was never 
seen on stage, so we can assume he was the secret helper behind the backdrop 
of life size Russian dolls.
S: Very clever costume changes. Not a FISM magic act.
 
50: DINA - Argentina - MM.
T: Dina had a volunteer on stage and asked him to choose the colour of a sheep 
(turned out to be a "ship", I guess I wasn't listening very carefully. I only 
realised when she said "So you're on your sheep in the middle of the ocean".) 
Dina had correctly predicted the colour, the accessories, and the price of the 
ship. Then she did an exploding lightglobe.
S: Mentalism acts can be a little tedious to watch sometimes, but Dina (although 
hard to see for the black on black on black problem) was amusing in her own way.
Lunch break.
 
51: KONSTANTYN - Mexico - GI.
T: I couldn't see what was going on in this act at all. It used threads, so they 
chose to use virtually no lighting.
S: I couldn't see a thing.
 
52: ALBERTO GIORGI - Italy - GM.
T: A standard act featuring small effects like the smoke appearing in the glass. 
He had two columns on stage that looked nice. 
S: Small effects. Average act..
 
53: THE MAGIC PLUMBERS - USA - COM.
T: These guys have a lot of fun on stage presenting a vanishing toilet, signed 
toilet seat to wallet, and other crazy plumbing themed tricks. Unfortunately, 
the audience didn't seem to enjoy it nearly as much, and technical mishaps with 
their music didn't help either.
S: Amusing.
 
54: DUO MAGIC DIAMOND - Italy - GM.
T: Small magic, too little light on stage didn't help as his props were black, 
on black costumes, against black backdrops.
S: Can't comment, couldn't see it. Any performer serious about showing an audience 
some magic should note colour and lighting.
 
55: YUNKE - Spain - GI.
T: Now this is how I think Grand Illusions should be presented. The curtains 
opened on a grand mansion: fireplace, curtains blowing from the wind of a storm, 
and a terror stricken girl ran in looking for somewhere to hide. We were immediately 
engaged in the story! She climbed into a cardboard box and the madman chasing 
her entered (coincidentally dressed in the black pants/white shirt uniform of 
all illusionists!) and plunged sharp rods through the box in order to kill her. 
(At last, a motive!) After removing the sticks, she slipped out without him seeing 
and hid under a cloth. Unfortunately for her, when he pulled the cloth away, 
she'd hid inside an Andre Kole 'Head Mover' illusion. The madman pierced her 
head with spikes, then removed the bloody head from her body and took it away 
as a trophy. His mission accomplished he was drawn to a very cut down version 
of Interlude (no box, just sticks and a few cloths) and a life size demon emerged 
from his chest, leaving him writhing in pain, and finally dying, centre stage. 
Great act! Loved it! 
S: FINALLY... people who understand how to work with illusions. A gripping act 
with great acting. A psycho scene... the punch comes at the end when we find 
out why the man was so hell bent on killing the girl...he was demon possessed! 
Most illusions are sadistic forms of punishment, or killing devices. To stick 
a girl in a box (that looks flimsy and is treated as if it's flimsy), stick a 
few hundred blades in her body (that look as if they wouldn't hurt a flea), pretend 
to be gone and come back to life again is stupid. They were designed for effect 
many years ago... it doesn't have the same effect today for many reasons, unless 
the performers create reason and direction... which these performers have accomplished. 
FANTASTIC act!
 
56: JOB GRANELL - Mexico - GM.
T: Dressed in a white suit made it hard for us to see his doves as they were 
produced. He was a young guy, and it was reflected in the way his magic contained 
too much movement and confusion. The switch at the end with a clown character 
was a little too obvious.
S: Disjointed.. but a good try..
 
57: DANNY COLE - USA - MAN.
T: Nice act, but looked very small on the big FISM stage. His effects, all themed 
around him getting dressed, were great but seemed to lack the really strong finish 
the act deserved. 
S: Red suit enhanced sharp image. Nice, neat, clean moves... smooth, suave, sophisticated.
 
58: THE MAESTRO - USA - COM.
T: I hadn't seen this act since Yokohama but it has definitely improved. The 
Maestro is a conductor who is constantly harassed by magic as he's trying to 
do his job. Highlights include card productions where the cards are musical notes; 
each card produced is accompanied by a note, and each fan by a chord. Lots of 
crazy, but skillful, magic. Very well received.
S: Imaginative, mostly original, themed and clever. Interesting to watch, very 
good skill level.
 
59: JORGE BLASS - Spain - GM.
T: Very well constructed act with three framed portraits of Frakson, Cardini 
and Vernon. After his dove dies, the magician is "taught" by these three masters 
who eventually combine to bring his bird back to life. Very well received despite 
an early mishap where he accidentally knocked one of his own props over.
S: Very interesting act. A tribute to three masters of magic. Jorge Blass tripped 
over one of his props, but went on with his act (after walking off stage, having 
his prop removed and came back on to continue). Impressive save. He performed 
a cigarette routine in honour of Frakson, cards in honour of Cardini and Symphony 
of Rings in honour of Vernon... all, no doubt, his heroes.
 
60: MARIO DANIEL - Portugal - MAN.
T: Mario produced candles and cards (some cards appeared with confetti, which 
was a nice touch). His jumbo card productions went down particularly well.
S: Not bad.
 
61: VOLKCANE & CIA - Brazil - GM.
T: A truly enchanting act where a puppet, operated by three people dressed in 
black, performed the magic. Tricks included the vanishing cane, a dove production, 
blammo box, bubble manipulation, and the zombie.
S: Three puppeteers brought a banraku to life. The banraku dreamt of being a 
magician as he leafed through a magic book... turning to his operators to plead 
for his cause (they were like 'guardian angels' who looked after him) they allowed 
him his wish. A beautiful, magical story and a clever performance.
 
62: ARAM ASYRAM - Russia - GM.
T: Using the premise that "Father is ill, his son is performing for him" Aram 
(about 8 years old) entered in an oversize tuxedo and performed with oversize 
props. He was utterly charming and extremely gracious to his volunteers (a lesson 
many acts still desperately need to learn!) His effects included the hat and 
purse tear, pom pom poles, rings, colour changing discs, a huge change bag he 
got inside, and finished with him playing the violin, then changing his table 
into a scooter and scooting off stage.
S: Delightful performer, courteous to his volunteer. Endearing and confident.
 
63: KOJI KISHIOKA - Japan - MAN.
T: Entering in a black mask, with black clothes against a black backdrop... he 
did some average card work, and billiard balls while trying to break dance. No 
real sense of routining or presentation.
S: Not overly entertaining.
 
64: MASK - France - GM.
T: A truly magical, beautiful routine featuring bubbles, marionettes, amazing 
tricks, emotion, and a killer finish where the puppets came to life. Standing 
ovation!
S: What an act! The success ran in the ability to reach the hearts of the audience. 
Very skillful bubble act. The magic occurred when objects appeared inside the 
bubbles and the bubbles lit up on a candelabra. The act was a story and themed 
like a Geppetto scenario. The puppets coming to life was the killer finish which 
forced a full house standing ovation. INCREDIBLE act!
 
65: SATORU FURUKAWA - Japan - MAN.
T: High skill level, but nothing really stood out in this act... with the exception 
of the sheer volume of cards which shot out from behind his hands. He was a card 
producing machine!
S: Lots of skill. not much magic.
 
66: MARIO CANTO - Brazil - GM.
T: A ballet dancing florist attending to her flower cart while on points at all 
time. The magic was mostly mechanical but what kept our interest was the question... 
"Is it a woman or a man?" Then some pyros caused a plastic bush to catch fire 
in the last moments of the act. It's just not FISM if someone's props don't burn... 
S: Crossdressing? A man in a tutu? Ballet moves were wonderful... no magic, though!
 
Next was a real treat as Juan Tamariz was interviewed by Stan Allen. Keep your 
eyes out in MAGIC for a transcript of this chat, it was great! Tamariz is truly 
up there with Vernon!

After the interview, we headed into the huge dinner tent next to the Theatre 
for a night of, as usual, too little food, lots of drunk magicians dancing about 
to a band, and no formal entertainment.

Part 2 Next week

-------------------------------------
11. Gunther Gebel-Williams had a brain tumour removed
-------------------------------------
Message from Bev Bergeron (USA)

Was told this a few weeks ago by TV manager in San Diego, but could not get it 
confirmed until today. No one was talking in Sarasota. In our Orlando Sentinel 
Animal trainer recovering

Legendary animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams is recuperating at his Venice, 
Fla., home from surgery to remove a brain tumour and is undergoing radiation 
treatments.

His Family said the 65-year-old superstar for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey 
Circus fell ill at a practice in San Antonio. His wife, Sigrid, said Gebel-Williams 
realized something was wrong when he lost his peripheral vision during a training 
session with two tigers. He felt dizzy and weak and walked into one of them. 

-------------------------------------
12. Best kept secret in comedy magic
-------------------------------------
Message from Bernard Reid (NZ Ex-Pat)

I had three days in London on my way to Russia and Scandinavia and quite by accident 
saw an article in a newspaper raving about a comedy magic act of whom I had never 
heard - Jerry Sadowitz.

He was playing a one man show at the Soho Theater so I called the theater to 
be told that the entire season was sold out and that not only were there no tickets 
available, but the box office did not buy back tickets. It was suggested that 
if I came down early anyone that had spare tickets usually hawked them outside 
the theater.

I got to the theater two hours early, explained to the girl at the ticket box 
who I was and she got me a ticket although there were none available.

Jerry Sadowitz hails from Glasgow, Scotland and is probably the best kept secret 
in comedy magic.

He is absolutely filthy, BUT hysterically funny. He also happens to be one of 
the finest close-up workers I have seen. Yes, you read that right close-up in 
a theater!

It appears that Ricky Jay has started a trend and shown to the world how it should 
be done. The Soho Theater seats about 300 and is an experimental theatre with 
wonderful facilities. It also has a very steeply raked auditorium whih means 
that none of the 300 occupants are far from the stage. Even the last row can 
clearly read the value of a playing card. Thus it lends itself to close-up performance 
a la the Close-Up Gallery at the Magic Castle but much larger.

Jerry came on stage in a very battered top hat(part of his sense of humor as 
he does continuous put downs-justified-of amateur magicians) and a brief case. 
On stage is a card table and nothing more. He then holds a sophisticated audience 
spellbound and in hysterics for nearly two hours.

I mentioned above that he is filthy-yes-and four letter words and other innuendos 
have no place in regular cabaret entertainment UNLESS the material is very funny. 
Too many so-called comedians overuse four letter words for shock value and they 
are not funny so it is embarrasing rather than entertaining. With Jerry Sadowitz 
his usage of very suspect material is handled with incredible finesse and the 
audience he attracts knows what to expect.

Two hours of strong close-up material is a lot so I will not even attempt to 
list it all here suffice to mention a couple of routines that hit me-as a professional 
performer-between the eyes.

His handling of "Chink-a-Chink" using four large and clearly visible dice was 
the best handling that I have ever seen and elicited audible gasps from the audience. 
Absolutely brilliant.

His "Signed Card to Wallet" was used as a very, very effective running gag right 
through the show with the laughs getting bigger every time. Add to that that 
a second persons signature appears on the reverse side of the signed card as 
the climax of the show and elicited shouts and screams.

A very strong show and interesting in its staging and format. Ricky Jay started 
it all, but out there are some amazing unknown talents that can take the principle 
and make it work.

My hat off to Jerry Sadowitz. For those that havn't seen him, if you hear of 
him working somewhere make the effort to go see him. Don't attempt to see him 
after the show. He absolutely detests magicians and will not mix with or talk 
to them. 

That said, he doesn't need to!"

-------------------------------------
13. Pat Sweeney is back in hospital
-------------------------------------
Message from Burns Scandrett (NZ)

Just a quick note to say that Pat Sweeney (aka mentalist Paul Marcus) is back 
in hospital. At this stage I don't know the details but shall forward them when 
I hear.

-------------------------------------
14. Diarise these events
-------------------------------------
Sunday 22nd October - IBM Ring 160 Day of magic - Auckland
Thursday 12th - 16th April (Easter) 2001 - 26th New Zealand Magicians' Convention 
- Christchurch
If you require more information about the above events go to: www.watson.co.nz/ezine-archive 
to research for more information.

-------------------------------------
15. News Items 
-------------------------------------
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at the top of that item.

If the news is of major importance I will send them out immediately as a Newsflash.

-------------------------------------
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When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order and are coded.

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-------------------------------------
19. Contact Information
-------------------------------------
Alan Watson
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