* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * New Zealand's MagicNZ e-zine * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #42 Date: Sunday 8th October 2000 Editor: Alan Watson www.magician.co.nz ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editors Message 2. Linking Ring journals on CD ROM 3. Serious doubts about selection of date for NZ Convention 4. "Son of Simon Says" 5. Just finished filming Masters of Illusions 6. "Fireflies - Wizards of Magic" 7. Mike and Hannah Ammar are expecting a little girl 8. I'm back in Osaka for a few weeks 9. Danny Archer's lecture was excellent 10. www.gags.20m.com - collection of jokes and one liners 11. The Theory of Magic 12. The New Millennium World Tour lecture - Daryl 13. My new web address is www.charlie-chaplin.co.uk 14. Canada's oldest magic shop 15. Pocket Watches?? 16. Danny Archer Lecture - Palmerston North 17. Bizarre Magic 18. Women in Magic 19. A lovely moment 20. Super Day is here again 21. Magic programmes on NZ TV 22. "Magic 4 Morons" 23. Diarise these events 24. News Items 25. MagicNZ e-zine archives 26. Benefit of subscribing to the MagicNZ e-zine 27. Subscription Management 28. Contact Information. ------------------------------------- 1. Editors Message ------------------------------------- Message from Alan Watson - The Magic One Tommy Orchard - "Orchante" ex-pat Kiwi professional magician, living in England, is now a subscriber of MagicNZ. I'm sure we will hear from Tommy soon to let our members know what he's been up to over the years. MagicNZ e-zine membership now stands at 1,273. The New Zealand National Convention Committee are looking for professional magicians to lecture and perform at the next convention December 26th 2001 - January 1st 2002. Contact for further information, Tony Wilson: twilson@xtra.co.nz Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: alan@watson.co.nz ------------------------------------- 2. Linking Ring journals on CD ROM ------------------------------------- Message from Don Wiberg (USA) IBM National Sectary As usual, the MagicNZ e-zine is full of interesting magical news. I learn more of what's going on in the U.S. than I do from some of the local electronic magazines. One of the best developments presently is the availability of The Linking Ring journals on CD ROM. The Linking Ring, the official journal of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, on CD-ROM is now available. I bought the set and have it up and running. I searched back through many years of I.B.M. history. I've gone back through some of the Ring Reports to find the names of members who are long gone. I've read of some of the past conventions and activities of Rings all over the world. What great memories. I've always wanted to have all the John Booth columns in one binder. I should be able to do that with a little effort. I was amazed at all the Ed Marlo card effects. Someone recently asked about the creator of the great kid trick, Forgetful Freddie. I searched and think I have the answer. It's a great resource for research. Ring officers should take a serious look at this. If you're involved with your local Ring, having a set of the CD's will make it easier to put together the clubs history. I'm happy that I bought mine, I'm sure you will be too. Contact Digital Publishing, www.dparchive.com for more information. ---------------------------------- 3. Serious doubts about selection of date for NZ Convention ---------------------------------- Message from Dave Boyd (Aust) I read with interest that Tony Wilson and his team are planning to hold your next convention starting Boxing Day. I wish them all success in their efforts. But having spent a lifetime in promotions, I have serious doubts about their selection for a date. The Christmas period is one normally set aside for the family getting together? And given the opportunity of seeing their children and grandchildren I feel it would be a brave magician who said to his wife that he would prefer to be at a magic convention. Also many families leave for their annual holidays on or about the 26th of December, therefore the busiest and most expensive for your expected guests. Lastly and possibly more importantly, it is a period of the year when most professionals are flat out performing, and I could not see many who would forego a fat fee to give a lecture at a convention. Please don't think I'm pouring cold water onto their good intentions. I'm not, and would be the first to hope I am wrong. But experience tells me they are courting a disaster with the choice of dates and that would be a shame after all the hard work I know they will be putting in. As an Aussie who was born in Wellington and spent my first year of life there, I still have an affinity with NZ and all the great magicians I have met from there over the years. What ever your choice, I wish you all success and time permitting would love to join you. ---------------------------------- 4. "Son of Simon Says" ---------------------------------- Message from Simon Lovell (USA) My new book "Son of Simon Says" seems to be doing pretty well in sales. Although it's likely to receive lukewarm reviews (it's full of good commercial routines as against revolutionary new sleights!) it's getting raves from the buyers! ---------------------------------- 5. Just finished filming Masters of Illusions ---------------------------------- Message from Michael Finney (USA) I am on the road a lot these days. Just finished filming "Masters of Illusions". Will let you know the air date ASAP. ---------------------------------- 6. "Fireflies - Wizards of Magic" ---------------------------------- Message from Frances Willard Falkenstein (USA) Currently, Glenn and I are performing a theatre piece called "Fireflies - Wizards of Magic" at Actors Forum Theatre, in North Hollywood. The show runs on weekends through November, and we opened Aug. 4th to good reviews. We are doing most everything that was on the L&L tapes, plus a Floating Spirit Table and a "Psychic Piano" where the audience thinks of a tune, and the pianist plays it. ---------------------------------- 7. Mike and Hannah Ammar are expecting a little girl ---------------------------------- Message from Frances Willard Falkenstein (USA) Tonight, Michael Ammar is conducting a special week workshop at the Magic Castle. Its sounds interesting in that he has given each student "homework" and starting tonight they will come prepared to perform and also to be video taped for analysis, etc. Then Michael will perform the late parlour, which should be crowded with some of his family like myself. Falkenstein is attending a Castle Board Meeting this evening, so I will join Michael & Hannah for this special week at the Castle. As you may have heard, Mike and Hannah Ammar are expecting a little girl in December, hopefully on Dec. 12th, which is my birthday, and my father's birthday. They may name her Arabella. Hannah and Mike are leaving for Sweden, and a month tour of Italy this month with his mom and two nieces. My little granddaughter to-be is going to be exposed to a lot of foreign magicians before she even comes in to the world. Maybe she will come out waving a wand! ------------------------------------- 8. I'm back in Osaka for a few weeks ------------------------------------- Message From Jonathon Acorn (NZ) I'm back in Osaka for a few weeks I'm doing the cups and balls in the street here and I'm having a ball! I spent the last two weeks in England visiting my Brother and generally lounging around! So it's great to be working the show. The Japanese are wonderful audiences and are also incredibly busy so the shows have to be short (easy when you are a shorty like me!) Its one of the scariest routines that I have done of late..ie I know the moves and see them so why don't the audience?? Well they don't it seems and that is very comforting but still nerve -racking. The hardest part is the Vernon wand spin. I love it but it aint so easy! I finish the routine with a Kiwi fruit (naturally!) and the other day I went to load it and it had decided to ripen overnight and my finger went right vinto the fruit so I just left it there and produced my kiwi with figure attached!!!! Got a good laugh ...don't think I'll use it again though! Well it's been a good season for me and I'm looking forward to getting home again, Ill be back around the 20th this month. Sorry to be missing the Danny Archer lecture. ---------------------------------- 9. Danny Archer's lecture was excellent ---------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) It was fun, polished and above all, very practical for the working magician. There was certainly something for everybody. Some of the high lights for me included his amazing 'shuffle', which was one of the most deceptive false riffle shuffles I've ever seen and the 'dating game' routine, which was worth more than the price of the lecture. I would recommend this lecture to every magician, as they will certainly get a lot out of it. ---------------------------------- 10. www.gags.20m.com - collection of jokes and one-liners ---------------------------------- Message from Geoff Payne (Aust) I thought you might be interested in a website that I have launched at www.gags.20m.com. It is a collection of jokes and one-liners with a particular bias towards magicians. Although the site is still in its infancy, it is my hope that magicians will use the site a source of ideas and inspiration for their acts, and that they will contribute to the site, making it bigger, better and funnier. If you think that it would be of interest to your readers, then I would appreciate you letting them (us) know about it. ---------------------------------- 11. The Theory of Magic ---------------------------------- Message from Paul Critelli (USA) I wanted to pass along a new site by Al Schneider, which has, as its first gift, an entire book (he calls it a "paper") on misdirection called The Theory of Magic. I had a chance to look at it before it went on line, and he has really given a gift to the Magic world. Anyway, I hope our Kiwi, Aussie, and worldwide friends will visit it and both enjoy and learn from a truly wonderful magician and friend. The site is: www.worldmagiccenter.com ------------------------------------- 12. The New Millennium World Tour lecture - Daryl ------------------------------------- Message from Daryl & Alison (USA) My wife Alison and I are now in Australia and we will be presenting the New Millennium World Tour lecture in the following cities: September 30 Perth October 3 Adelaide October 4 Melbourne October 8 (Magic Day), Brisbane October 15 (Magic Day), Sydney October 22 (Day of Magic), Auckland We look forward to seeing you and the whole Australian and New Zealand gang! ------------------------------------- 13. My new web address is www.charlie-chaplin.co.uk ------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) I am back in Singapore for a few days this week, then back to Auckland, New Zealand for a few shows before heading off to Singapore for several months work. In January I have been booked back in New Zealand to work at a theme park in Auckland then will head back to London via LA in February. My new web address is www.charlie-chaplin.co.uk There is a newsletter on my website now which I will update on my travels around the globe so keep checking regularly for the latest news and schedules. ------------------------------------ 14. Canada's oldest magic shop ------------------------------------- Message from Jack Poulter (Canada) A>Message from Steve Dacri (USA) A>The next day we drove to Montreal, (who's idea was THAT?), taped magician A>interviews, and visited Canada's oldest (22 years and still going strong!) A>and finest magic shop, Perfect Magic,..... Just to set the record straight, Morrissey Magic, in Toronto, Canada, celebrated its 41 anniversary last June. Herb Morrissey started with a shop in Montreal but moved to Toronto about 20 years ago. In addition to running a large retail operation, Morrissey is a manufacturer/producer of many mental magic props, and publishes a number of booklets on magic topics. He is also wholesaler to many retail shops. Perfect Magic also operates a shop on the West Coast of Canada, with Phil Matlin's son, Brian as proprietor, in case anyone is visiting that area. ------------------------------------ 15. Pocket Watches?? ------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) Help!!?? I am looking at working on routines using Pocket Watches for Charlie Chaplin. I have heard that Supreme used to manufacture pocket watch tricks and also a company in Japan. Does anybody out there know of where I might find these items?? Please email me at: comedy@comic.co.nz ------------------------------------ 16. Danny Archer Lecture - Palmerston North ------------------------------------- Message from Bill & Mandy Reid Mandy and I along with 5 other members of the Hawke's Bay Magician Society, attended Danny's lecture in Palmerston North on Tuesday night. It was well attended with 21 persons in total. We found the lecture very entertaining and practical (nothing too difficult to do). Most peoples pockets ended up being lighter by the end of the night. We would like to thank Danny for stopping off in Palmerston as this makes travelling to lectures only a 4 hr trip in total. For those that couldn't make it, you missed a great night-and lots of good ideas. ------------------------------------ 17. Bizarre Magic ------------------------------------- Message from Peter Marucci (Canada) Lecture Notes By award-winning magicomedian and Linking Ring columnist Peter Marucci. Meet the OTHER side of funny man Peter Marucci as he takes you on a tour of the occult world with seven fully scripted routines of bizarre magic: How are gargoyles born? What is the curse of The Monkey's Paw? What is in the Message from the Titanic? Who is singled out by the Finger of Fate? What is the tragic story of the Witch of Glastonbury? What is the awesome power of Bell, Book, and Candle? Who is the witchfinder-general and what is his power? Be prepared to shock the socks off your audience as you relate these supernatural tales from the beyond. These 16 spine-chilling pages are the advance copy of the notes for Peter Marucci's 2001 lecture tour; bookings are now being made for that tour. The notes are $8 (U.S.) and that includes postage and handling. Make checks payable to Peter Marucci. Order the notes from: Peter Marucci 270 St. Andrew St. East Fergus, Ontario, Canada N1M 1R1 Or inquire about booking the tour by e-mailing: showtimecol@aol.com ------------------------------------ 18. Women in Magic ------------------------------------- Message from Bev Bergeron (USA) Sue-Anne Webster is asking why women do not get involved more into the magic arts is a good question. True that we men have built a wall around the magic profession and the club meetings. I can remember as a teenager asking to join my first magic club - I was welcome, but not the ladies. Being that the ladies have taken my name, Bev, as theirs in recent years, I have a wee bit of an insight to their problems. By the way, the name Beverly (and the many different spellings of it) is a very old male first name. But since the ladies have taken it over - I have had problems which I can relate to the prejudices in magic involving ladies. Many times I have been greeted with a big smile, a happy hello and "Oh, you're a man," after being refused service, a loan or a membership into a club. Yes, there are prejudices. I've help several lady magic acts, by designing and building props: Paula Paul and Rebeka Yen, though neither will admit to it, are two of them. Both these ladies have done very well in the professional field. But concerning women performing magic without the sex part, we can go to a great lady performer, Dell O'Dell. I've watched Dell perform many times for the general public and was a guest at her home. She performed magic beautifully. I love to watch her shows. She was a lady on the stage, but could grab big laughs from the audience while doing the head chopper or cutting-the-tie effects. Been told that she had three set-ups of her club act when working in New York City, and on any given night, all three sets would be working with just her going from one meeting place to another. When she moved to Los Angeles and opened a magic shop and local television show she had accumulated a very large bank account. She was truly one of the top magicians of our time. ------------------------------------ 19. A lovely moment ------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) This happened to me this week and I thought it was a lovely moment. I was working at Rainbows End theme park. During my Charlie Chaplin Act I perform a 'misers' dream and produce 20 cent coins, one of which I give to the child helping me. At the end of the show, the boy who helped came backstage and asked me how I produced all the money. I told him it was magic and then asked why he wanted to know. His reply was "because I need another $1.80"!! ------------------------------------ 20. Super Day is here again ------------------------------------- Message from Mozzie (Aust) It's not too late to attend either the Brisbane or Sydney sessions. Superday Brisbane is this Sunday 8th October with space still available. Just added a great workshop with John Taylor of Taylor and Pearson who will also appear as one of the 7 acts on the gala show. Superday Sydney is on the following Sunday 15th October with spaces still available. Just added two great speciality acts to the gala making 8 in total, it promises to be a night to remember. $99 gets you a ticket for either event and includes three great lectures (Daryl, Danny Archer and Richard Paddon) lunch, dinner and the evening show. Email sales@taylorsmagicshop.com.au Tel (02) 9411 6233 After the event Danny Archer will be lecturing in Melbourne (16th), Adelaide (17th) and Perth (18th) Check with your local contacts - Graham Etherington (03)9786 5481 Gerry Macreanor (08)8333 2858 Vince Stribley (08) 9443 9524 ------------------------------------ 21. Magic programmes on NZ TV ------------------------------------- Message from Edward Hall (NZ) Friday 20th October. 9.55pm TV3 World's Most Dangerous Magic 2 Saturday 21st October. Discovery Channel - Australia and NZ (NZ times, Aus 2 hours earlier) 10pm Magic's Greatest Illusions. Don't try this at home. 11pm Magic's Greatest Illusions. Nothing up my sleeve. Midnight Magic's Greatest Illusions. Now you see it. The discovery channel then repeats the individual episodes over the 24th to 27th October at 8pm and 2am timeslots. Details on each episode at http://www.aunz.discovery.com/dsc/oct/episodes/epi_magicsgreatest.html And its not magic, but I see that the British version of 'Whose line is it anyway' is back on Thursday nights at 8:00pm. Looking forward to catching up with some of you in Auckland on the 21st. http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~edhall/magic/ ------------------------------------ 22. "Magic 4 Morons" ------------------------------------- Message from The Pamplin Fisher Company "Magic 4 Morons" video to premiere on The Home Shopping Network October 8 (ORLANDO) . . . The Pamplin-Fisher Company located at Universal Studios, Florida, has announced "Magic 4 Morons," their comedy-magic video, will debut on The Home Shopping Network in The United States on Sunday, October 8 at 1:00 AM (EST). The video features "Police Academy" star Michael Winslow and magician Lyndel, both of whom will appear "live" to sell the $19.95 video. Producer-writer Robert W. Fisher says, "The 60 minute video is aimed at children and frustrated magicians, and teaches the viewer how to master 10 amazing tricks that are deceptively simple." On the video Michael Winslow hosts a live magic show for an audience of over 300 people and afterwards Winslow is taught how to do each of the tricks by Lyndel. Director Rick Pamplin adds, "Previously magic videos have been poorly produced, over priced and available on a limited basis, or they have been TV specials that exposed centuries old magic secrets and enraged the magic community. We have produced a mainstream commercial video that teaches respect for magic and promotes the traditions of the art." The producers have also pledged a percentage of the profits from "Magic 4 Morons" to benefit the Kissimmee, Florida-based non-profit organization "Give Kids the World," which provides free Central Florida vacations to terminally ill children and their families from around the world. ------------------------------------- 23. Diarise these events ------------------------------------- Sunday 22nd October - IBM Ring 160 Day of Magic - Auckland If you require more information about the above events go to: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html to research for more information. ------------------------------------- 24. News Items ------------------------------------- If you have any news items that you feel the majority of our subscribers Would be interested in please e-mail me so I can include them in the next e-zine. The magician who e-mails me a particular news item FIRST will receive full credit at the top of that item. If the news is of major importance I will send them out immediately as a Newsflash. ------------------------------------- 25. MagicNZ e-zine archives ------------------------------------- Back issues of the MagicNZ e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html Both the User Name and Password MUST be entered in lower case to gain access. User Name: ezine Password: newzealand When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order and are coded. Eg 001nov0699.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (nov06) and the last next two numbers the year (99) If you want to print copies of MagicNZ e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/ezine-archive ------------------------------------- 26. Benefit of subscribing to the MagicNZ e-zine ------------------------------------- You will now be informed well in advance of coming events and kept right up to date with the latest news. MagicNZ e-zine is published weekly, late on Sunday night. ------------------------------------- 27. Subscription Management ------------------------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. To subscribe or unsubscribe from the MagicNZ e-zine: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html The opinions expressed in this e-zine are those of the individual contributors. Neither MagicNZ nor Alan Watson can vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via MagicNZ e-zine. We reserve the right to correct any errors or omissions as we see fit. >> This publication may be freely redistributed to other magicians if copied in its ENTIRETY << (c) Copyright 2000 Alan Watson ------------------------------------- 28. Contact Information ------------------------------------- Alan Watson Ph. (9) 483-9274 Fax. (09) 483-9274 Mobile 025 95-7070 e-mail alan@watson.co.nz www.magician.co.nz www.magicianz.com