* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * New Zealand's MagicNZ e-zine * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #53 Date: Sunday 24th December 2000 Editor: Alan Watson www.magician.co.nz e-mail alan@watson.co.nz ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editors Message 2. The season for giving gifts 3. 2000 - It was a very good year 4. Could anyone out there help me? 5. We must get her to Australia and NZ sometime 6. Register for the SAM convention at a secured site 7. Magic Cruise 8. I enjoyed reading Sam Dalal's discussion 9. Elgregoes Holiday Programme 10. Free websites for all magicians 11. Lecture for the first time at the Magic Circle 12. Boosting profits by reading Dave's marketing newsletter 13. The Orchante Saga # 9 14. Diarise these events 15. MagicNZ e-zine archives 16. Subscription Management ------------------------------------- 1. Editors Message ------------------------------------- Message from Alan Watson - The Magic One Michele, Nicole, Larissa, Melanie and myself would like to wish you all a very magical Christmas and a prosperous New Year and to our Jewish friends happy Chanukah. Received 47 e-mail messages about the HOT topic of giving second hand magic to underprivileged magicians in less affluent countries. The majority agreed with Mike Rogers's comments in item 8. Have made an editorial decision that this thread is now closed because peoples views on this issue are very polarised. As from yesterday our membership reached 2000 subscribers. DON'T miss next weeks issue of MagicNZ e-zine - Jon Racherbaumer has written an in-depth article on "THE BLAINE GAME" The Alan Watson Family Magic Show can be seen at Rainbows End Theme Park from 26th December through to 14th January on the main stage (Show times 1.00pm & 3.00pm). From the 15th January to 21st January we will then be at the Hunter's Plaza Shopping Mall, Papatoetoe on centre stage. Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: alan@watson.co.nz ------------------------------------- 2. The season for giving gifts ------------------------------------- Message from Larry White (US) Magic Editor M-U-M MOM'S BANK NIGHT INTRODUCTION: "Bank Night" or "Last Chance" is an old effect, but it is tried and true with proven audience response. Most presentations have a prize ($$$$$$) sealed in one of several envelopes. Spectators have a free selection of the envelopes, leaving one for you. Naturally, you get the bill. My objection to the normal money presentation is that it usually leaves a negative reaction with your audience. The result can be an implied "Ha, Ha, I'm smarter than you are" attitude and not everyone likes that. But, the trick IS good magic. So let's use the same magic principle, but add so much fun and foolishness that nobody will be offended. In fact, only much later might anyone remember that you did indeed "win" (or even did "magic'). The routine ends with everybody feeling good. NEEDED: Four boxes each containing a "surprise". These surprises can be bought from most dealers who sell silly joke items. (Thank God for them!) One box needs to contain a birthday cake. This can be a real one, one made of latex, a self-lighting one, or simply a cupcake that you can eat immediately. Each of the other three boxes contains one "surprise" item that will "animate" itself. A few examples are: POP BALLS - Tissue paper balls that expand and jump out of a box when it's opened. RATTLESNAKE EGGS - This is the card with a washer on it. The washer is attached with two rubber bands and is wound up. When the package is opened, the bands make the washer spin around and "whirl" against the card, making a terrible sound. SPONGE RUBBER ROCKS - These are foam rocks or bricks that look very realistic and squeeze into a very small space. Once the container is opened, it only takes a moment for the "rocks" to expand to its full size. FLUTTERING BUTTERFLIES - Gag butterflies that flutter out of a box when it is opened. POP OUT CRITTER - Critter is a wind-up fuzzy creature that leaps out of a container and races across the floor in a chaotic spin. SPRING SNAKES - Has anyone ever not seen these classic spring-out items? They still fool people, especially when contained in something other than the recognizable metal nut can. Got the idea? You can use any of the popular joke novelties that have been devised to surprise people when a box is opened in this routine. PREPARATION: Four boxes are used and one of them contains the birthday cake. Each of the other three boxes contains a "surprise". The boxes must look the same BUT, you must have some kind of a secret mark (a bent comer or something) that lets you know which box contains the birthday cake. All of the boxes are on the table. SUGGESTED PRESENTATION: "Believe it or not, today is my birthday and my mother is a magician. I know this may sound a little strange, but I can prove it to you. Mom also happens to be a comic. In fact, she sent me FOUR birthday presents and WARNED me to be SURE to open the RIGHT ONE!!! I have no idea what she meant by the "right one", or which of these presents is the 'right' one." Bring forward the four boxes. Explain that they are the presents your mom sent. "Suddenly" discover a birthday card on top. Open and read it to the audience. (You might want to make a giant card with big black letters, so they can read what the card says.) "It says, 'LET YOUR AUDIENCE DECIDE! LOVE, MOM.' Hmm, I suppose that would be the best way." Invite spectators up to assist you with the selection of the boxes. (see handling note.) Once that is done, all that remains is to have fun with your presentation. Have each spectator open his or her box in turn. As each box "explodes", you can scream. This makes the spectators laugh at you and not at your assistants. "That's my mom for you. What a wild and crazy lady!" Finally open your box to discover the cake. "Boy, she may be a crazy lady, but she's also a great magician! Thanks for the weird birthday, Mom!" Take back the boxes and other props from your assistants. "And thank all of you for helping, my mother perform her trick for me. Let's have some applause for all these good sports." HANDLING NOTES There are many ways to "Force" the cake on yourself. I've found the easiest, and most natural, is by using a simple "magician's choice". Because of the fun, nobody will suspect anything... and even if they do suspect they won't care. Invite three people to come up on the stage to assist you. One is selected as the "helper". Ask the helper to "Pick up any two of the boxes." If the birthday cake box (I will refer to it as the BCB) is NOT one of them, ask the helper to hand the boxes to "either of the other people." This leaves two boxes on the table. Ask her to "pick up ONE of the remaining boxes." If it is the BCB say, "... and hand it to me." This leaves the last box for her. Now suppose the assistant picks up the BCB and one other box as her first choice. Say, Hand one of the boxes to me." If she hands you the BCB you are all set. Just say "Thank you" and have her freely distribute the remaining three boxes. But, if she hands you the other box, there is a simple solution. Just take the box and turn toward the other assistants and say, "And who would you like me to give it to?" Hand the box to whoever she indicates. Immediately turn back toward her and say, And give ME that one." Then invite her to take EITHER of the remaining two presents, keep one for herself and give the other to the last spectator. What could be more "fair" and "honest"???? ------------------------------------- 3. 2000 - It was a very good year ------------------------------------- Message from Jan & Steve Dacri (US) Greetings to all my fellow magicians and magic enthusiasts. I am writing this on my laptop from the balcony of my suite in sunny Mexico. Puerto Vallarta, to be exact. I performed last night for a very enthusiastic bunch of people, and tomorrow I board the Rhapsody of the Seas for 2 weeks of sinful joy and relaxation. (But not before first answering 74 emails.) With only 2 performances a week, it's hard to call this work, especially after recently completing a month of 4 and 5 shows a day in Vegas at Caesars. It's been 7 months since I was hired as the web host and spokesman for HatsandRabbits.com, and as I look back at this, our last month in the year 2000, I can tell you this has been one wild ride! Let me fill you in on the highlights of the year as this century comes to a close. Lots of travel, shows and writings Aside from my performances in Las Vegas and the Magic Castle, I have spent the best part of the entire year working on the magic web channel project, and I have watched it go from a collection of my ideas and concepts on napkins to a beautiful web site that is nearly ready to become 100% functional. Our mission today is stronger than ever - dedicated to the advancement and protection of the art of magic on the World Wide Web - by creating the world's largest magic web channel. Along the way, the growing legions of supporters within the magic community and the business community have been beyond my wildest dreams. Everyone senses that we are doing something that will ensure magic evolves into the next millennium and beyond. A place where all things magic can be found, and the accomplishments of the magic world can be properly displayed in the Internet Magic Hall of Fame. The site first went online on July 1, 2000 as a "beta" form. This month it will become "officially open" with about 75% functionality. We are all very excited about the progress, and I can't thank my supporters enough, especially the first 3 believers (and the first 3 Magic Advisors), Milt Larsen, Mark Wilson and Gay Blackstone. So, Jan. 2000 began with performances in New York, Boston and Connecticut. Jan continued with her memory lectures for 3M and other new clients, and she joined me in Las Vegas in Feb, my 5th year of shows at Caesars. In April and May, I was creating the programming and writing magic content elements for HatsandRabbits in anticipation of the unofficial launch date in June. The web designers and technicians were working full time to get the site ready. The final week of May found me in the Close-up Gallery of the Magic Castle for my 27th year, then it was a solid month of intensive work to get the site ready. As I flew to London at the end of June, the finishing touches for phase one were being completed, and on June 30th, Jan & I found a Kinko's and logged on to look at the site for the first time. Jan and I visited the Magic Circle in London, and President Michael Bailey treated us to the fine hospitality of the clubhouse and even consented to be our first interview for the magic web channel. July 1-10 was FISM 2000, in Lisbon, Portugal, and this was the first time HatsandRabbits was introduced to the magic world. We gave away over 2,000 collector's limited edition FISM magic wands, books and magic tricks, collected email addresses and shot over 30 hours of incredible footage. Future content for the magic web channel - interviews, performances and funny bits. In Sept, we travelled to Los Angeles, Portland, Maine, and Montreal for shows and web site filming. We taped interviews in Boston, Montreal and New York, and magic shop visits in Watertown, Massachusetts and Montreal. I can't wait to begin showing this footage on the site. Beginning next month, we will have lots of movies and short subjects, and 2 weekly WebTV shows, all of which will be available for free on any computer screen. Are you dizzy yet? With less than 3 days at home in Los Angeles to empty and repack the suitcases, we were off to Minneapolis, Kansas City, Tampa and St. Martin in the Caribbean, where we rested and shot material for the weekly Magic Web TV Show, "Magic Spotlight". After 2 weeks of sun, fun, and very hard work, we returned to Tampa, the Gainesville to visit son Brent and his girlfriend during their first semester at the University of Florida. After a week in California, it was back on the road, to Boston, for Trick or Treating on a cold Halloween, celebrate Jesse's tenth birthday, and to open a new magic and comedy club called "Beantown Madness". (Great reviews, thanks for asking). It's the latest club opened by comedy legend Dick Doherty, "the godfather of Boston comedy". Featuring vaudeville-styled entertainment. Open Thursday through Saturdays in the Holiday Inn, Government Center. The magic web channel will be filming many segments there in 2001. In November it was back to Caesars Palace, Thanksgiving in Vegas, lots of fun, saw many old friends who came to the shows. And that brings me to today, as I get aboard a cruise ship for the final engagement of 2000, and a chance to catch my breath after a somewhat hectic, whirlwind of a year. We offer you our best wishes for a magical, happy holiday season and we wish all of you prosperous, fun new centuries ---------------------------------- 4. Could anyone out there help me? ---------------------------------- Message from Eric Leong (Singapore) I've been looking out for the sword swallowing effect for a long time. I don't know who carries that item. I found one that was made in India but I want a better one. ------------------------------------- 5. We must get her to Australia and NZ sometime ------------------------------------- Message from Clive Court (Canada) Juliana Chen is currently working cabaret in Germany until March. Then she has three festival shows in the U.S. followed by two months cabaret work in Japan. We must get her to Australia and NZ sometime. ------------------------------------- 6. Register for the SAM convention at a secured site ------------------------------------- Message from George Schindler (us) - Public Relations SAM If you haven't already seen it, the website magicsam.com now has a shop so that you can pay dues, renew membership, and register for the convention at a secured site with your credit card. We are still working on the gadgetry and will add it to the cart. If you wish to purchase jewelry or gadgetry, visit the site and you can use your credit card by informing www.paypal.com. They will pay the S.A.M at no charge to you. New members can join online, subject to approval. Take a look. Three cheers for Richard Robinson & Dick Blowers ---------------------------------- 7. Magic Cruise ---------------------------------- Message from Don Wiberg (US) IBM International Secretary On the recent Commadore Cruise line Magic Cruise, the I.B.M. team of Roger Miller, David Sandy, Jerry Schnepp, Joyce Wiberg and Don Wiberg won the magic trivia contest. The contest consisted of questions dealing with the history of magic. Roger is the International Treasurer, Sandy is a Board member, Schnepp is the immediate International Past President, Joyce Wiberg is the spouse of Don, the International Secretary. In addition to the trivia contest, there were lecturettes and performances by Jon Racherbaumer, Darryl, Alicia, Luciano, Dan Garrett, Joe Harrison & Lisa, Glen Ghiradi, Paul Diamond and Dan Stapleton. Dan Stapleton, cruise director hosted this event as well as the other magic activities on the cruise. According to Don Wiberg, Stapleton is probably one of the most entertaining magicians performing, anywhere. He has excellent rapport with his audience and really knows who to keep the audience laughing and fooled at the same time. ---------------------------------- 8. I enjoyed reading Sam Dalal's discussion ---------------------------------- Message from Mike Rogers (US) I enjoyed reading Sam Dalal's discussion regarding magicians living in 3rd world countries. Years ago Sam and I exchanged letters on a regular basis and I always found his views to be informative and pleasant to read. For some reason, probably because of my many moves around the world, Sam and I sort of lost touch with one another. Anyway, I encourage everyone to take a good look at what Sam had to say in Issue Number 52. I also received the post from the Bulgarian student requesting magic. As with many others I noticed a familiar tone to the request. Yet it also had a sincere ring. I responded in an email post and received a nice reply. Scam or no scam, the young man has a better than average working knowledge of magic. He enjoys stage magic more than close up magic, and he has a keen interest in rope magic. Hence, I lean in the direction of Sam Dalal on this one. ---------------------------------- 9. Elgregoes Holiday Programme ---------------------------------- Message from Greg Britt (NZ) Elgregoe Christchurch Magician presents stage shows in January 2001 EYEPOPPERS Hornby Mall January 13th to 21st, 1130 & 1pm daily Tricks that are a little different, that will make your eyes pop out and your hair stand on end! ILLUSIONS Eastgate Shopping Centre January 22nd to 27th 2001. Mismade Lady, Lester Lake Guillitine, and a host of amazing illusions many from our season at Science Alive. If visiting Christchurch do make contact love to catch up with other Magi. ---------------------------------- 10. Free websites for all magicians ---------------------------------- Please let everyone know that we offer free websites for all magicians at: http://www.partydirectory.com/pages ---------------------------------- 11. Lecture for the first time at the Magic Circle ---------------------------------- Message from Jan Dacri (US) Steve Dacri will be presenting a lecture for the first time at the Magic Circle May 14th. If any magic organizations are interested in arranging his lecture in UK or Europe for their group, we are now assembling a short trip. (May 10-26) while on the finer side of the pond. Interested clubs should contact Jan (jan@hatsandrabbits.com) for details. ---------------------------------- 12. Boosting profits by reading Dave's marketing newsletter ---------------------------------- Message from James Sparks (US) My friend David Paul, has a great new site geared just for magicians that many magicians are just incredibly boosting their profits by just simply reading Dave's newsletter. I'm the Webmaster for David's sites and I also do my best to help out all of his readers in their web site design, copywriting skills, making offers, and capturing email addresses for future solicitation. Visit Dave's site at: http://OutrageousMarketing.com ---------------------------------- 13. The Orchante Saga # 9 ---------------------------------- Message from Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)(UK ex-pat Kiwi) At Last! The Wairoa College Incident! Hello everyone, I'm delighted that so many of you are taking the time to read and enjoy my memoirs - I thank you. Sorry that last week's episode was not forthcoming, just couldn't get my head 'into it' - thrown completely by false statements in e-zine number 51. Thankfully, after several lengthy and expensive phone calls to Sydney, Australia, my good friend Derek Metzger reported the true facts - I've been vindicated! Thanks, Derek! Several fads started up at College - one was the 'staring without blinking' contest; teachers wondered what the hell was going on, classrooms full of 'zombies' trying to 'outstare' each other - of course it was my fault; everything was - admittedly I started it - part of my hypnotic lessons - nobody beat me! Another 'craze' started by the 'tough boys', to prove they could 'take pain' like Tommy Orchard, was to apparently smash at full force, their knuckles on the top edge of tables; the resounding 'SMACK' made everyone not 'in the know' cringe; they should have been crippled - for life! The secret - just before your knuckles hit the table, you open your hand; it is your palm and fingers which hit the table thus creating the awful 'CRACK!'; as your arm swings on down, you quickly close your fingers. The illusion is perfect - try it some time - it doesn't hurt! My answer to the 'toughies' - actually DO IT! But in the centre of the table; looking back, I must have been bloody mad - even though I'd 'kill' the pain, I could still have done some permanent damage. Very lucky! Very stupid!! The other fad, which I DIDN'T start (honest) - was, to get someone to squat down, take 10 deep breaths --on the tenth one, they had to hold their breath and stand straight up. You, standing behind them, place your arms around their middle and squeeze tightly. Within 30 seconds they will go limp and totally unconscious. You lower them gently to the ground, and they will lie there twitching like mad for a few seconds, then slowly come round. I can only describe the sensation as going 'under anaesthetic' - your brain whirls like a pin-wheel - then nothing. The next minute you come round and find yourself lying on the ground. Everyone was at it, taking turns to knock each other out. These fads all started in response to my hypnotic antics. Then the 'proverbial' starts hitting the fan. I've got some excellent hypnotic subjects, and I'm now into post-hypnotic suggestions - that is, giving your hypnotised subject a suggestion to carry out a particular action, at a signal from you, some time after they have woken up - and they have no conscious memory of having received any instructions from you.. I've also acquired a brand new, hot off the press, book 'The Eyes Have It' by my hero "Franquin", an Auto-biography published 1957. (If you haven't read it, try and get it from a Library. I promise you, you won't be disappointed.) In it, he describes how, as a schoolboy at Wellington College, he got 'Stuffy' Logan to throw his ink-well at the black-board. Methinks "I can do that!" I don't remember who my hapless subject was, but we did have ink bottles so........., at my signal, he stood up, bottle in hand, and fired it straight at the blackboard! It took off across the classroom like a rocket, heading for outer space. "BANG!!" An eternity of shocked silence - then, everybody, every eye, every finger, was pointing in my direction. When the 'bizarre' happened, you could bet that Tommy Orchard was behind it, somehow! I'm marched off to the Headmaster's office, a call was put through to my father in Raupunga!!!!!!------------ For several weeks I'm a model pupil - but, I' ve now been 'bitten' three times - the magic, fakir, and now hypnotism bugs. My very soul has been infected for life!! I'm an ENTERTAINER!! One day after school it happens! Somehow, an impromptu demonstration of hypnotism starts - just outside the school gates, on the footpath. .My audience swells, spills out onto the road - now, the traffic has stopped. Tommy 'The Great' is 'buried' in the middle of a huge 'bull-ring' blissfully unaware of what's happening outside. Then the headmaster, the teachers are all there "What's causing all the commotion?" "OH, NO - IT'S THAT TOMMY ORCHARD AGAIN!!!!!" I'm marched yet again to the Headmaster's office, again Dad is called - this time IT'S SERIOUS! EXPULSION hangs in the air. It's "Toe the line, young man - or else!!" The incident hits 'The Wairoa Star' the local newspaper, and my name is in print - for the very first time. Don't remember much after that - do know I earned me one hell of a reputation and, one hell of a sore arse from my father.. The girls were wary of me - the result of schoolboy imaginings, and 'lurid talk' of things you could 'make a girl do' while under your 'power', obeying your every wish and whim! Thankfully, I did have some moral values in my youth. Many years later in Sydney, Australia, I was going through some very old 'Abras' from the library of the I.B.M. Maurice Rooklyn Ring 102, and came across a report in one, (can't remember what year or month but around 1957-58) about the Wairoa incident, and pooh-poohing the whole thing - "whoever heard of a 12 - 13 year old kid being able to hypnotise. What a load of rubbish". (or words to that effect). How wrong they were, whoever wrote it up. Wish I'd taken the details then - perhaps someone out there has copies of these old Abras, and would perhaps be kind enough to take the time and search this article out. I personally would be extremely grateful, and I'm sure the exact wording would be of interest to the readers of this e-zine. The fact that it was written up at all means that the information must have come from the 'Wairoa Star'. ADDENDUM What I'm about to relate many of you will find difficult to swallow, nonetheless, it's true. There was one male teacher (today I'm convinced he would be diagnosed as having psychotic tendencies) who delighted in ' thrashing' misbehaving boys, with the cane. He had a particularly nasty technique - he made you bend over, with your head under a table. Consequently, with each 'WHACK' on your backside, your head automatically jerked up and SLAMMED into the underside of the table. Today, that man would be arrested for assault! There were two pupils he never caned - a Maori boy named Charlie - he was huge, like two Jonah Lomus (famous New Zealand rugby player) rolled into one!, and he towered over everyone - and me. Only once did he try to cane me - as I started to bend over, I thought 'NO!', straightened up, turned around and 'fixed' my eyes right on the bridge of his nose -held his gaze without blinking - and mentally willed him not to move. (This was Franquin's mesmerism technique in action.) He stood there, flexing his cane, his mouth opening and shutting like a fish out of water, not a sound coming out. Then, my eyes not wavering a fraction from his, I quietly said in an authoritative and positive tone, "you will never, ever, attempt to touch me again". I held his gaze for a few more seconds, mentally enforcing my suggestion, then turned and walked out, and that was that! I know many of you will say ''what a load of bull' - but a psychologist would clearly understand how and why it happened. In simplistic terms, he (the teacher) was in a heightened state of excitement - about to indulge in his malicious caning - then suddenly his 'psyche' was caught unawares by the unexpected, by someone he knew could hypnotise (the whole school knew - I'd already been in trouble because of it), who 'fixed' him with a well practised 'hypnotic stare' and his 'fired up' imagination did the rest - with some help from me - he had NO CHANCE! If at the time I had been more experienced, I would have known that he was 'ripe' for instantaneous hypnosis - more's the pity - my moral values would have gone right out the window where that sadistic bastard was concerned!!! Today most people know that hypnotism is a science (and an art), but in the fifties, hypnotism was thought by many as the 'evil eye', diabolical, a supernatural power - that some sort of 'electricity' flowed from the hypnotist's eyes. When one has the notorious reputation of being able to put people to 'sleep', it was the 'eyes' that did it and rumours are rife about one's 'powers' ! - I've said this before, but it's important -you must have total, absolute confidence - you know you can hypnotise - influence, it is this assurance that reaches out and has its affect on your subjects - they WILL react as you wish, but you MUST believe. Remember, imagination is the most powerful force in the world - POSITIVE THOUGHT gives POSITIVE RESULTS!! WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WISH EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS, AND AN AMAZING NEW YEAR!! ALL THE BEST FROM TOM AND VERONICA ORCHARD (ORCHANTE & KIM) ------------------------------------- 14. Diarise these events ------------------------------------- New Zealand National Magicians Convention - Auckland 27th - 31st December 2001 ------------------------------------- 15. 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 ------------------------------------- 16. 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 MagicNZ e-zine is published weekly, late on Sunday night. The opinions expressed in this e-zine are those of the individual contributors. Neither MagicNZ or 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