* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #287 Date: Sunday 26th September 2004 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com www.alan-watson.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================   1. Editor’s Message   2. Paul Daniels Response To Bruce Chadwick’s Message   3. Paul And Debbie Daniels On Reality TV show   4. IBM International President Tony Wilson’s Magical Adventures   5. Paul Daniels Releases DVD Performance Of His Max Malini Show   6. Auction Of 500+ Magic Items Ends This Sunday   7. College Of Magic's 25 Years - Magic Birthday Celebrations!   8. 8th Annual Motor City Close-Up Convention   9. Martin Breese Re: Blaney And Stiff   10. Moved To Beautiful Bega, On The South Coast Of NSW   11. Book By Ron And Nancy Spencer   12. The Comedy of Errors   13. Gold Plated Magic Coin - Jamie-G   14. The Amazing Orchante Saga   15. e-zine Archives   16. Subscription Management ------------------ 1. Editors Message ------------------- Message from Alan Watson - The Magic One Kids Fair 2004 we’ve just returned home from this 3 day event utterly exhausted as this would have to be the busiest trade show our family have participated in. We promoted Milky Way chocolates in conjunction with Masterfoods Australia and New Zealand in a special booth which was manned by my wife, Michele and special helper Steffanie Werman (North Shore Junior Club). On the Main Stage performed our half hour family magic and illusion show twice daily with my daughter Melanie, granddaughter Aleshia and myself then back to the stand we’d go to help out with the magical promotions! Other professional magicians/clowns at the Kids Fair were Bebop and Lula (clowns) who manned the Soda Stream Stand; BJ the clown who manned Koru Care stand who also performing on Stage. Was extremely impressed with Justin Lane – Poppajack the clown (North Shore Junior Club) and he has secured a major sponsorship deal with Poppajacks and Justin certainly has a great future in this industry. --------------- Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com ----------------- 2. Paul Daniels Response To Bruce Chadwick’s Message ----------------- Message from Paul Daniels (UK) I did like the piece from Bruce Chadwick and I followed all of his reasoning. I think that one of the problems with considering this moral/ethical problem is that it focuses entirely on the props involved. Patenting a prop does give the public access to the secret of the prop and now that the patents are out there on the internet for all to see, it is even MORE public than before and comes up in search engine results. I do think, however, that it is a bit more than a ‘moral’ problem. I think that magic has a parallel in all the other forms of theatre. For me, the prop is the least part of the mystery of magic. I would far rather someone came to me with a wonderful idea than a completed method and prop. It is, I believe, MUCH harder to come up with a new scene in the play that we call our act, than to come up with a method. So, if I write a play, a song, a poem, a rap, then I am entitled to royalties every time that I give permission for someone to perform my idea. There are many court cases with successful claims against plagiarists. Surely, the routine is what is sacrosanct, not the method that brings it about? ----------------- 3. Paul And Debbie Daniels On Reality TV show ----------------- Message from Paul Daniels (UK) Because of AOL not allowing me to send more than 15 emails at a time, I am having to warn people in my address book that I would prefer it if you didn't send me any emails between the 24th September and the 17th October. No one will be manning my computer between those dates as both Debbie and I are signed up for a 24 hour Reality TV show where they do not allow any form of communication. If you are in the UK then we will be on Channel 5 every night unless we get voted off the show. Actually, I think that we have our fingers crossed that we can return to the real world sooner than the end of the run!!!! In case you have not read about it, we will be working as farmers/farmhands and mucking about in the muck.the Glamour of Show Business. If you have read about it, then don't believe everything you read the only cruelty will be to the humans. See you on the 'other side of Reality'. ----------------- 4. IBM International President Tony Wilson’s Magical Adventures ----------------- Message from Tony Wilson - IBM International President 2004 - 2005 Moira and Olive Fletcher kindly met Mary and I off the train from Inverness when we arrived in Glasgow and took us home to prepare for a meeting of the Glasgow magicians that evening. Before that function I was able to view a video tape of Olive and Duncan’s Scottish act as well as Moira’s solo Scottish act filmed at last years IBM Ring 25 Annual Convention. A perusal of Olive’s visitor’s book also was of magical interest as it noted several well known magicians who had stayed with Olive and Duncan over the last 40 years. Thanks to Olive and her organizing ability about 30 magicians attended my presentation that evening in the lounge of a nearby hotel. I even read about the scheduled event in the “smalls” of Abracadabra magic magazine when staying with Quentin Reynolds in Manchester about ten days before! As Olive said “I will do anything for magic” and she certainly did. Thank you so much Olive. You are a wonderful ambassador for magicians who visit Scotland. After my presentation I was pleased to be able to invite Alex Proctor, President of the Scottish Conjurors Association up to receive an IBM Ring 160 Banner. The club Alex represents was formed in 1924 and is based in Glasgow. Alan Duncan, President of the Scottish Association of Magical Societies was also asked up to receive a IBM Ring 160 Banner. Olive was also presented with 50th jubilee copy of “Magicana”. Of interest to magicians around the world I found out from Olive that there are 13 Clubs in Scotland that are members of the SAMS and that a magic convention is held every year by this organization. No mean feat. Supper and a friendly chat to all those present completed a very pleasant evening. It was then time to stay up late and repack for a very full day the next morning to catch the noon train to London. Moira and Olive delivered us on time to the train station after a quick ‘tiki tour’ of Glasgow and a rushed visit to Roy Walton’s magic shop 10 minutes walk from the station. Our five and a half hour train trip on the “Flying Scotsman” to London was uneventful as we transferred from Kings Cross Station to Paddington Station at about 6.00pm and then got on the Heathrow express to get to our hotel near the airport for our 7.00am flight to Prague. We had a few hours sleep before getting up at 4.15am and transferring back to the airport. We will be glad to get to Spain after a few days in Prague and not have to lug all our luggage from point A to point B. While we plan to meet magicians in Prague we have no plans to do this in Spain (at present) but still have to carry the two 20 minute presentations for our visit to Malta. Next week, our visit to Prague, Czech Republic. ----------------- 5. Paul Daniels Releases DVD Performance Of His Max Malini Show ----------------- Message from Paul Daniels (UK) The director has asked me to tell you about this. So many people could not get to see the show and have asked if there was a record of it. I was going to keep this just as a private record but, again, the director was the one who persuaded me to release it. Paul Daniels has released a performance DVD of his Max Malini show. The story and magic of one of the greatest magical performers of all time is presented in the intimacy of a small theatre in London's West End, re-creating the atmosphere of Malini's original performances both on and off stage. This is a great opportunity to step back in time and be stunned by some of the most astonishing magic you will ever see. From the borders of Poland and Austria this Jewish gentleman travelled the world during the early part of the 20th Century, entertaining Kings and Queens, Emperors, and even the Mikado of Japan. His skill has never been surpassed, but it is now re-created by Paul Daniels. You will be dazzled by the level of Paul's expertise and dexterity. The DVD contains the full show, filmed live in the West End. The DVD is currently available exclusively at Paul's Internet Magic Store by clicking here: www.the-magic-store.com/shop/product.asp?sp=797 ----------------- 6. Auction Of 500+ Magic Items Ends This Sunday ----------------- Message from Ted Bogusta (US) The Martinka online magic auction now has nearly 600 lots online and runs through this Sunday, September 26th. There are nearly 200 books listed, some rare, some out of print and some that are just used. Most are being sold without reserve, many for $20 or less. There are also 100's of items in the other categories. As usual, you can view everything at: www.martinka.com/auction If you are not already registered and wish to bid, please fill out the simple registration form at www.martinka.com/register If you know someone else who may be interested in the auction, please take a moment and let them know about it. Thank you, Ted www.martinka.com Martinka & Co., Inc. 103 Godwin Ave. Midland Park, NJ 07432 USA (212) 279-6079 Purveyors of vintage and modern magic Formerly owned by Harry Houdini - Est. 1877 PS: We are already accepting consignments for our November auction. If you have an item, a few items or an entire collection, please contact me to discuss the options. Our rate goes as low as 10%. ----------------- 7. College Of Magic's 25 Years - Magic Birthday Celebrations! ----------------- Message from Craig Mitchell (South Africa) Some people thought it couldn't get any better . but we promised South Africa's most exciting magical event ever, and we're intending to do just that! World-renowned British magician, Nicholas Einhorn, has just been added to the line up of international stars that will be joining us exclusively for the College of Magic's 25 Years of Magic Birthday celebrations! We've now assembled the largest number of international guest stars in South Africa's history . making the 25 Years of Magic celebrations unlike anything you've ever seen . its going to be simply phenomenal! Sought after by the likes of David Copperfield, Nicholas Einhorn represents the best of British magic! FISM Close-up winner in 2003. Two time Magic Circle Magician of the Year . Nicholas Einhorn is truly a magician without compare! Check out www.25yearsofmagic.com/einhorn.htm If you haven't yet registered, hurry! The intimate theatre setting means that registrations are limited . Time is running out . the response has been overwhelming and with the latest announcement of yet another world-renowned performer joining us - it looks set to continue. Full registration info can be found online at www.25yearsofmagic.com ----------------- 8. 8th Annual Motor City Close-Up Convention ----------------- Message from John Luka The 8th Annual Motor City Close-Up Convention is just around the corner. Those of you who regularly attend the convention know what a great time it is. This year’s line-up is awesome! Register early and assure yourself a place at the premiere close-up convention in the Midwest. At $70, The Motor City Close-Up Convention continues to be one of the best values around. The Motor City Convention will feature Doc Eason, Whit Haydn, Kostya Kimlat, and Mark Mason. You will have an opportunity to meet and mingle with them, ask questions, and, if you wish, share some of your ideas with them. You can find out more about the performers by going to the convention website www.hometown.aol.com/johnlukamagic/convention.html and clicking on "click here to view the performers". In addition, the 2004 & 2003 1st Place Winners in Close-Up Magic at the National I.B.M. & S.A.M. Conventions, Rick Merrill and Pattrick Przysiecki, respectively, will perform their award winning acts at Motor City 8. Thank you, Rick and Pattrick! There will be four lectures, two optional workshops and three close-up shows. Both, Doc and Whit will be conducting a workshop. Doc and Whit are seasoned performers who work under "real world" conditions for a living. The workshops will fill up quickly. Sign up for the workshop of your choice as soon as possible. Some of the dealers signed up already include: Hank Moorehouse, Mint Magic, Gordon Miller, The Magic Shop, The School For Scoundrels, Rocky Mountain Magic, and more to be announced later.John Luka ----------------- 9. Martin Breese Re: Blaney And Stiff ----------------- Message from Martin Breese (UK) Whatever the legality of taking a magic trick without the inventor or owner's permission and producing it, it is completely unethical and the wrong way to behave in magic. It may be completely legal but it is completely the wrong way to act. If Rob Stiff has any sense and wants to retain a few friends in magic then, in my opinion, he should use his excellent skills in manufacturing items to produce new and original material that will gain him a reputation. He only needs to encourage a few of the magical creators and he can build a range of original magic and retain his friends in magic. It may take a little more effort but it is the ethical way to behave in the world of the brotherhood of magicians. I hope that he takes my advice. ----------------- 10. Moved To Beautiful Bega, On The South Coast Of NSW ----------------- Message from Walter Sauer (Aust) Just moved from Sydney to beautiful Bega, on the South Coast of NSW. Just wanted to try & find out if there any fellow magicians around in the area. Would be great to just get together & have some fun, exchange ideas, socialise… Anybody around or passing through, call me on 0437 506 362. ----------------- 11. Book By Ron And Nancy Spencer ----------------- Message from Martin Breese (UK) Thanks for the mention about the book by Ron and Nancy Spencer. Although we have come to an arrangement it takes a while to get a book from the manuscript form to the final published volume so we should allow about 3 months minimum before it is released. I am very excited about this project as it will be a great book and it reveals all their treasured secrets. It will be a great tribute to a great and baffling act. ----------------- 12. The Comedy of Errors ----------------- Message from Ross Skiffington (Aust) The Comedy of Errors 20 September 2004 Bell Shakespeare Company Dunstan Playhouse Until Saturday, September 25 Strings of red fezzes jostle with foreign papers and magazines in the cluttered Turkish bazaar where the magician has been keeping everyone entertained when the old traveller in the Panama hat makes his entrance – and one thinks of Graham Greene. But that is not the spirit that John Bell has in store in this production of The Comedy of Errors. It is just an elegant ingredient in what soon evolves into one of the wildest, fastest and silliest romps which ever hammed its way across the Playhouse stage. It is Shakespeare on absurdist speed. It is also young Shakespeare, his first play and his shortest. Since it is about an endless criss-cross of mistaken identities with not one but two sets of twins, suspension of disbelief is a primary requirement. With this as a given, Bell revs up the dialogue and takes the play over the top and out into a stratosphere of impeccably-timed physical comedy which has the audience erupting into bursts of spontaneous applause. At the same time, the work is so perfectly blocked and designed that at all times it is a vision of exotic aesthetic. Occasionally one wonders how it comes that twins who have never met and have grown up in different places happen to be wearing identical clothes. But then again, they share names – two called Antipholus and two called Dromio. And, even in duplicate, the costumes are terrific – if one forgives the grotesque short-pants concoction inflicted on young Luciana. Bell pushes the cast to an exhausting pace with business, business, business – but they're a dazzling ensemble and they don't miss a trick, each having moments in the comic limelight. In the tricks department it is Ross Skiffington, Australia's greatest illusionist, who makes the stage sparkle with magic, and doubles like the old Shakespearean pro he is, in the more serious role of old Balthazar. Blazey Best just about bests everyone as fraught, frenetic Adriana whose husband Antipholus is not her husband Antipholus. Christopher Stollery and Sean O'Shea achieve an extraordinary likeness to one another as these two characters and, similarly, Paul Eastway and Darren Gilshenan clone the comic schtick as the twin manservants. Anna Volska gets to make the best entrance any nun has ever made as Emilia, the mother not so superior. And, despite her ghastly outfit, Jody Kennedy shines with the gift of a character actress as Adriana's sister, Lucia. This production of The Comedy of Errors is beyond superlatives. It is heaven. – Samela Harris ----------------- 13. Gold Plated Magic Coin - Jamie-G ----------------- Message from Jamie-G (Canada) Effect: You take someone's coin that is silver and by making a magical pass over it, the coin turns gold. When the effect is done you can give them the gold coin to keep. I love doing this to laymen and it is very easy to do. Note: You can make a million of these. All it is the foil system. Its great for close-up. The way this effect is set up is eye catching. Isn't it weird that a coin goes from silver to gold in the blink of an eye? The person watching has no time to think about what just happened. Real Time: All you do is switch the one coin for the other one. I use a thumb pinch. Sometimes I will hold the gimmicked coin in the closed bottom fingers to do the switch. Just do the coin switch the best way you know how. Getting The Foil On The Coin: It is surprisingly easy how the foil goes on the coin. You peel the paper off one side. This is the side with the glue on it. You need to rub the foil on the coin. You need to rub it with something hard but smooth. I use the bottom of a liquid tip marker. You keep rubbing the coin until the foil looks like the coin. You are turning the silver coin into a gold coin. Take your time because if you don't it is easy to mess up and you will have to start all over again. For people that can't get the foil that would be a problem. This effect is done with that special foil, but it is gold foil. You can do the same effect with the silver foil just use a gold coin. Patter: I use a story about a genie that gave me the power that whatever I touch it would turn to gold. This was a problem because I couldn't go anywhere or touch anyone because they would turn into gold. So I asked him to change it. I asked him to change it to where if I touch a silver coin it would turn into gold. This would be great because gold has triple the value of silver.I'm going to be rich. Also with this new system you can melt coin and other objects that are pretty neat to do but it will take practice and learning how to rub the foil to match the metal that you are using this is in a do time you won't master every thing in one day and please if its give you a hard time move on to something else just don't give up that not what being a magician is all about just move on to some thing else. This next effect is for the professionals and most if not all this material is in our book if we ever decide to finish it. This system is for every one to enjoy this is how I feel I give back to magic. ----------------- 14. The Amazing Orchante Saga ----------------- Message from Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)(UK ex-pat Kiwi) Page 16 Papakura/Manurewa 1959-1960 Looking back, I’m amazed how much I learned and perfected in those two years. I’d never forgotten ‘The White Yoga’, whom I had seen at the Wairoa Carnival. I bought a book called ‘Memoirs of a Sword Swallower’, (pub. 1951). An autobiography by Dan Mannix, an American journalist who was given the assignment to expose the tricks of the ‘fake’ carnival stunts, and discovered that they weren’t tricks or fakes after all – i.e. that the Sword Swallower’s blades don’t fold up, etc; and wound up becoming a performer himself. This gave me the ‘kick start’ I needed, and I started by poking a finger down my throat, which resulted in the usual reaction - floor decoration! The idea is to persevere until the back of the tongue and throat gets used to the feel of a foreign object, but it was taking too long. How do I speed it up? “Use Self-hypnosis, you silly bugger”, I told myself. Then I smacked myself right across the ‘kisser’ - I don’t take that kind of talk from nobody! Well, self-suggestion stopped the gagging - now I needed something longer than my finger (‘you dirty buggers, I know what you’re thinking - get your minds above your belts’). Got hold of an old bayonet and cleaned it up, more or less (there was a hell of a lot of rust that just refused to move) and started in earnest to get the blade down. No Way! My throat just clammed up – all I got for my troubles was a sore throat, so I left it for about two or three months, and then tried again. This went on until March/April 1961, by which time we had moved into the new home/ police station at Manurewa). One night, in my bedroom after dinner - dragged the bayonet from the wardrobe, wiped off the dust, and, tried yet again for the umpteenth time to get it down past my throat – which I swear, had a mind of its own. It just refused to open up! Then from the kitchen (where my father was washing-up) issued a mighty roar: “GET IN HERE AND DRY THE DISHES!” My concentration was totally distracted, the throat muscles relaxed, and – ZZZIP! – Down went the blade. I stood there in shock for what seemed an eternity, then stomach convulsing, whipped the blade up and out, and just made it to the loo (it was right next door, thank God!) Elated, I staggered out to the kitchen and proudly announced to everyone “I’ve just swallowed my sword” (and lost my dinner); expecting cheers of congratulations, hand clapping etc. Instead, it was “don’t be so bloody stupid”, or words to that effect. Unfortunately, encouragement was not forthcoming as far as my ‘show biz’ activities were concerned. It was more like “About time you stopped this silly nonsense and got a ‘real job” .How I’ve envied magicians I’ve met around the world, whose parents ‘backed’ them all the way, once they realised that their youngster(s) was serious about THEIR chosen profession – within the entertainment industry! If ever there was an example of positive thinking in the face of adverse negativity – I’m it! Believe in yourself, persevere, and eventually, success will be yours! Towards the end of 1959, around October, I’m on the main street of Papakura when a Volkswagen beetle, sign-written from top to the bottom, drove slowly down the street; announcing to the world “JOE BROWN’S NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR STARS TALENT QUEST – GET YOUR ENTRIES HERE!” It pulled up outside the Rose-Marie Milk Bar (the local Juke-box, milk shake, hamburger hang-out for the local youth). Before the driver had time to turn off the engine, I was there, and the first entry was mine! Then out came the owner of the ‘Rose-Marie’ – a Mr Lou Clauson, who I found out later, ‘side-lined’ as singer/compere for various local functions around the region. He talked a ‘blue streak’, which got him the job of Compere for all the Talent Quest heats in the Auckland area, and re-named himself ‘New Zealand’s Singing Compere!’ (In 1961 he teamed up with (the late) Simon Mehana - a Maori singer. They became nationally famous as the Comedy Duo ‘LOU AND SIMON’). The Joe Brown talent quest ran throughout New Zealand around May/June the following year – 1960. Page - 17 Also in 1959, November/December, I met Trevor Hodson, (stage name - Jon Zealando) at the ‘Karaka Hall’ (Karaka - a small town near Papakura). Trevor, who is at least 4/5 years my senior (HA!), had just turned ‘Pro’; I, was just a young, ‘sweet sixteen’ year old! Trevor invited me to the ‘New Zealand Society of Magicians’ at the ‘Fabian Club Rooms’ in Auckland, early 1960, and I was initiated into the Society, June 1960 - as reported in the July issue of the club’s newsletter, number 4. The Editor was - Tony Wilson. ------------------ 15. Magic New Zealand e-zine Archives ------------------ Back issues of the Magic New Zealand 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: magic Password: kiwi When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order and are coded. Eg 001 Nov06 1999.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (Nov06) and the last figures the year (1999) ------------------- 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 Magic New Zealand e-zine: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html Magic New Zealand e-zine is published weekly, on Sunday. The opinions expressed in this e-zine are those of the individual contributors and not those of Magic New Zealand. Neither Magic New Zealand or Alan Watson can vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via Magic New Zealand e-zine. Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute to it by doing so agree that they will not hold Magic New Zealand and or Alan Watson liable or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed herein. We reserve the right to edit, correct or, in our discretion, choose not to publish any submissions provided to Magic New Zealand for potential publication. Magic New Zealand welcomes readers to submit timely articles or news items which appear to be of interest to our readers. Those submitting to this e-zine agree that we have permission to publish their submissions and that they have the full copyright to the material submitted. All works published by Magic New Zealand are fully protected by international copyright as provided by law, and articles cannot be published for profit by anyone other than the individual author without the written permission of Magic New Zealand. >>This publication may be freely redistributed (but not sold) to other magicians if copied in its ENTIRETY including the copyright notice below and the above disclaimer.<< © Copyright 2004 Alan Watson