* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #549 Date: Sunday 16th December 2007 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. Second Auction Of Jay Marshall Magic Collection Announced 3. 10th Los Angeles Conference On Magic History 4. The Indian Rope Trick 5. Magical Mary Poppins To Open In Australia 2009 6. Remarkable Magic #33 - Nick Lewin 7. Marketing Materials: Common Printer Problems - Kyle Peron 8. Entertaining On The Ocean #12 - Paul Romhany 9. Royalty-Free Music For Magicians 10. That's Entertainment Workshop - Barry Mitchell 11. Max Maven To Book All The Rooms At The Magic Castle 12. Do You Travel At All? 13. Melbourne International Comedy Festival in March 2008 14. 25th Louie Award' - Doug Edwards 15. The Amazing Orchante Saga 16. e-zine Archives 17. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- Do you want to save $100US? Are you planning to attend the joint IBM/SAM Convention in Louisville, USA July 2008? In 2 weeks time the registration will jump up from $395US to $496US. For more information on the convention go to: www.ibmsam2008.com Also refer item 2 - The day after the convention an auction of Jay Marshall's magic collection will be held at the Conventions Head Quarters Galt House Hotel. --------------------- Gene McCarthy (known as Red originally from Texas USA now living in NZ) had his 60th birthday party 'Big Event' last night. It was a well kept secret that his daughter Taucha was flown over to make this night very special. Rosemarie and daughter Chignon played a major part in organizing the proceedings. Paul Royter from Canada made a special trip to New Zealand to surprise him. Following the ceremonial dinner guests "roasted" Gene with the Best Red stories and ended the night dancing. 100+ attended. ----------------------- Michele and I really enjoyed tonight's final performance of the World Festival of Magic show that has toured Australia and New Zealand over the past 3 months - 20th Anniversary.  Performers in New Zealand were Chuck Jones, Tony Laffan & his 3 assistants, Todd Charles and Chipper Lowell. Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. Second Auction Of Jay Marshall Magic Collection Announced -------------------------------------------- Message from Gabe Fajuri A public auction of ephemera and memorabilia from the legendary magic collection of entertainer Jay Marshall (1919-2005) will take place in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - the day following the conclusion of the IBM/SAM 2008 Combined Convention. The auction will be held at the Galt House Hotel & Suites, Louisville, KY. Jay Marshall accumulated one of the world's finest collections of magic-related material in the world. Over the course of his lifetime, he amassed millions of pieces of magical memorabilia, books and ephemera. A selection of choice artifacts from his collection will be available for sale at this public auction. "After the first auction of Jay's collection, in May, 2007, we discovered a staggering amount of magic books, posters, and other rarities remained," said Gabe Fajuri, President of Potter & Potter Auctions, organizer of the upcoming sale. "Louisville was the logical choice for a follow-up auction, since a ready-made international market of interested magicians and collectors would already be assembled there. The auction will be open to the public." Rare Houdiniana - autographs, books and ephemera - will be included in the sale. Scarce books on conjuring dating to the 18th Century will also be offered, along with vintage gambling collectibles, magic apparatus, posters and ephemera related to some of the greatest magicians of the 20th Century, including Howard Thurston, Alexander Herrmann, Karl Germain, Harry Blackstone, Sr., and others. "IBM/SAM convention organizers helped arrange discounted room rates for those wishing to attend the auction ($99 or $124 plus applicable taxes, depending on type of accommodation) as well as convention attendees who wish to extend their stay at the hotel," said Fajuri. "The hotel has cautioned that there is another convention coming in on the heels of the IBM/SAM convention, and that anyone wishing to extend reservations already made should act immediately." Auction preview will be conducted at the Galt House. Location and hours of staffing will be posted at the hotel, and at the website listed below. The auction will be held in the hotel's Archibald/Cochran Ballroom. Registration will take place during previews, via mail, phone, fax, online, and before the sale immediately outside the ballroom. On or before June 15th, 2008, an illustrated catalog will be available from: Potter & Potter Auctions, Inc. 1719 W. Leland Chicago, IL 60640 www.potterauctions.com Jay Marshall entertained audiences the world over with a unique blend of ventriloquism, magic and comedy. With his renowned-gloved rabbit partner, Lefty, he performed at the Palace Theatre in New York, the Palladium in London, and guested on virtually every major TV variety program between 1945 and 1980, including 14 appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. Jay also appeared in The Ziegfeld Follies, and on Broadway. Along with his second wife Frances, he owned and operated Magic, Inc., Chicago's premiere magic shop - supplying magic tricks and books to the trade, for over 40 years. Since 1992, Marshall served as Dean of the Society of American Magicians. He died on May 10, 2005 at the age of 85. Inquiries should be directed to Gabe Fajuri, President, Potter & Potter Auctions, Inc., info@potterauctions.com, 773-263-8951, www.potterauctions.com. ---------------- 3. 10th Los Angeles Conference On Magic History ----------------- Message from Mike Caveney (US) The 10th Los Angeles Conference on Magic History was judged by all in attendance as the best ever. The magic world is still buzzing over John Gaughan's performance of Dr. Hooker's legendary Card Rise. Reviews of this extraordinary weekend are starting to show up in most of the major magazines. Coinciding with this event was the release of two new books by Mike Caveney's Magic Words. The first was the long awaited companion volume to Kalush and Sloman's Secret Life of Houdini. Here are 333 pages of footnotes, sources and additional material relating to their ground-breaking Houdini biography. This deluxe set is packaged with a first edition of the Houdini biography in a beautiful slipcase. The second book was Burton Sperber's A Checklist of Conjuring Catalogs. This comprehensive bibliography contains all the known magic catalogs published in the English language between 1843 and 2006. There are 3,801 listings representing more than 900 magic dealers plus eight pages in full color depicting 64 rare catalog covers. A limited number of copies were produced for attendees of the Magic History Conference and now the remaining copies are being offered by Mike Caveney's Magic Words. You can read more about both of these books at mcmagicwords.com. -------------------------------------------- 4. The Indian Rope Trick -------------------------------------------- Message from Walter Blaney (US) Put your thinking cap on and tell me how these guys did this famous trick. Walter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_cJ8FwBdaI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUym18rbEAc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuUyoMP1BW4&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XG8XaXAN98&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsmM7nONSzE ----------------- 5. Magical Mary Poppins To Open In Australia 2009 ----------------- Message from Blackmore (Aust) West End and Broadway hit, "Mary Poppins", featuring incredible magic and special effects designed by Jim Steinmeyer, is coming to Australia. According to http://www.aussietheatre.com/news.htm#mary :- It has been confirmed that Mary Poppins, which has been a hit on the West End for three years and is in its second year on Broadway, will open in Australia in two years' time. The tuner will open at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney in October 2009. The musical is based on the 1964 American film produced by Walt Disney, which in turn is based on the Mary Poppins series of children's books written by PL Travers and illustrated by Mary Shepard. The Capitol Theatre is currently housing blockbuster musical Billy Elliot, which producers hope will run for more than a year. "We are overwhelmed by the outstanding success of Mary Poppins in New York," Producer Thomas Schumacher said in a statement. "The audience response to this timeless tale has been tremendous and we are honored to have the opportunity to now take the show into its next life on the road and around the globe." -------------------------------------------- 6. Remarkable Magic #33 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message from Nick Lewin (US) Remarkable Magic. The one and only Jay Marshall. I have always thought that the best comedy magicians have tended to be easily divided into two separate groups. There are those who are influenced by Billy McComb and the remainder who are under the spell of Jay Marshall. This may not be a totally accurate or fair but I think it is certainly true to say that these two gentlemen have been the two most influential forces in comedy magic within my lifetime. I wish that I had been able to grow up in magic with Jay as a role model and inspiration. I discovered Jay too late in my comedy magic learning curve for me to have absorbed everything I would have liked too. However just visiting with Jay and chatting across the glass counter at Magic Inc. was always a chance to listen and learn. Jay taught me a great deal about the choice and performance of the tricks that could be added to my act. Never once was his advice influenced by any of the tricks that his shop sold. I'm sure you knew that though. Jay saw my act on several occasions and he was very flattering in his comments. He almost always gave that little smile that could have been shy if it hadn't been so quirky and said: "You're a real comedy magician." Coming from Jay that always seemed like as good a compliment as I could ever want to hear. This was where Jay and Billy shared a very special quality, they both truly loved comedy magic with an amazing fervor from the very center of their being. Once when I was performing in a club in the outskirts of Chicago I had an emergency moment. The airline had lost my hanging bag, which contained not only my suits but also and much more importantly my 'jumping stool.' I am not joking about the emergency status of my baggage as I can count on one hand the amount of shows in the last 24 years that haven't finished with the 'jumping stool.' I am very much a creature of habit. The first thing I did was call Magic Inc. and see if they had a jumping stool on their shelves. They did, so I told Jay that I would come in the very next morning to purchase it. "Don't you need it tonight though?" asked Jay. Suddenly before I even knew it had happened Jay had arranged to stop by the club and hand deliver the stool to me prior to showtime. I couldn't believe that one of magic's living legends was going to make a house call for me! Needless to say Jay stayed for the show and we sat chatting afterwards in the empty showroom. During the show the thread in my 'Gypsy Thread" had become tangled. Jay seemed ecstatic at this minor hitch in my show and exclaimed, "That bastard McComb always did get it wrong!" He then instantly converted me from the figure eight to the chopstick school of gypsy threading! He really seemed to enjoy finally teaching me a practical performance tip. What a sad thing that both Jay and Billy are no longer with us to share their knowledge and insight. I am pleased and proud that each of them has left their mark upon me as a person and a performer. As always send any bricks or bouquets to nicklewin1@mac.com and check out my website at www.nicklewin.com -------------------------------------------- 7. Marketing Materials: Common Printer Problems - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message from Kyle Peron (US) I thought I would take this week to answer a few questions that I am most often asked as I design business cards, logos and other marketing materials. These are common pitfalls that I find most people running into with the advent of online printing. It is my hope that some of this information may be of help to you and may also serve as a way to help ensure you get a quality product the next time you have business cards etc. printed. Q: How come when I get my business cards back, they are slightly smaller than the standard business card size? A: All online printers have their own systems and processes set in place. This is one reason why I always make sure I check with that online printer first to see what the final trim size is going to be. When working with any online printer, you can never assume anything. You must go in with a set of questions and double check all those questions before deciding to go with them. Final trim size is an important one. Also, many online printers have a specifications section that will list a lot of this information and also provide you with templates so you know ahead of time you are setting your files up correctly. Some online printers use a digital printing system format. Because of this they also have to allow for proper bleed. Bleed is anything on the card that goes off on any of the sides. You have to bleed the color or art off the side so that it gets trimmed correctly. Some printers have to trim in an extra 1/16th or more to allow for this bleed tolerance. The best advice I can give you is to always ask them what the final trim size will be on your card? Q: Why is the color slightly off or different when I get back my final business cards from the printer? A: What you are experiencing is color shift. This color shift can be caused by several reasons. I will try and explain them below as things to look out for. - Always set up your colors to match exactly how the online printer will run them. If you go from RGB and they print in CMYK, then you will experience a color shifting. The first thing I do is always go to the printer's website and make sure I read up on how they print the files, what systems they use and how they like to receive the files. This can save a lot of headache down the road. - Color shift caused by lack of color calibration. Sometimes you will notice color shift that takes place between your monitor and your own home printer. You will also sometimes notice a color shift from what you see on your monitor to what is printed. The reason is that each system and monitor displays colors differently. The biggest way to try and adjust this is to make sure your monitor is properly calibrated for print. As a graphic designer and Illustrator, I have my monitor calibrated for the standard industry print settings. This allows me to get as accurate a display on my monitor as I can. I also can color calibrate in the applications I use most. In Photoshop, they allow you to select a color calibration to match most industry print standards. - Bad digital presses. This is a big one. Sometimes it is just the fact that the digital system or printing process the online printer uses just does not handle color accuracy as best as it should. In some cases you will see more color shifts in the lighter and more pure colors such as yellows and greens and such. So how can you fix some of this? - I always ask for printed samples from various printers before ever deciding to go with them. I check for overall quality and I look closely to the colors in each sample. I want to see how the yellows look and the greens and see if they are pure or muddied in color. I can often find out a lot by requesting samples from them. - Always ask for a proof if you can. A color proof may cost you a little bit more, but if color shift is an issue, this is your chance to ensure the color you want is what you get in the end product. They will give you a proof and will not run your print run until you sign off on it that it is ok. Once you sign off on the proof, they must match it exactly. If they do not, then you do not owe them anything. If they offer color proofs, use them. - Use a reliable printer. I have an online printing company I use now for most every design client. The reason is that they have surpassed my quality checks time and again and the color has been dead on. Even tough color they have nailed and matched what I am seeing on screen. - Do not fear talking with the printers. I often times will call up an online printer and request to speak to a designer or their prepress dept. The reason is that I can talk to them upfront on any issues that I am worried about. If they are made aware of my concern for a color matching what I need it to match, then they can be on the lookout for that as the print run is running. As always, I encourage you the readers to let me know your thoughts. So if you have any thoughts on my articles or suggestions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me directly at magic4u02@aol.com. I would love to hear from you. Kyle Peron Magician and Illusionist Graphic Designer and Illustrator (Specializing in Logo creation) www.kyleandkellymagic.com Chair Suspension Ebook Author http://www.magicenhancer.com/ChairSuspension.html -------------------------------------------- 8. Entertaining On The Ocean #12 - Paul Romhany -------------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) This weeks article might be a little short, it is due to the fact that I have not been well. In the past eight years or so of being on ships I have never really been that sea sick, however when Natalie and I left Southampton a little under a week ago we hit some very bad weather ... force 10 which is incredibly rough. Actually it was so rough that we were the last ship to leave before they had to close the port. We spent the past five days bouncing up and down and sideways as the ship heading towards land in Portugal. I have been in storms before but for some reason I was hit very badly this time. Being sea sick has to be one of the worst feelings, simply because there is nothing you can do. I tried to stay in bed, without rolling out, but every time I moved I was vomiting. This lasted for two days, the best thing was to take some of the tablets they were offering but that makes you very drowsy. Thankfully I did not have to perform, that's tomorrow night. I am still feeling under the weather but a little better. As they say, the show must go on! It was so rough that the captain confined everybody to their cabins, we`ve never experienced that before. You can try using all the patches and gimmicks on the market but the only real cure is to be on land!! We are here for a day then at sea for another SIX days ... or should I say SICK days! I would like to mention a rather new project for me that I am proud to be a part of, and that is LYBRARY.COM. It is an amazing resource for magicians who want to get ebooks of some classic plus brand new books on the market. I have a few of my own books there for sale and the great thing is that everything is instant. When you order and pay for a book you get it straight away ... thanks to the Internet. In my opinion it is one of the best resource Internet sites for magicians today. Everybody should check it out and I know you will find something you will use. The website is http://www.lybrary.com/ I hope to write more next week, if I miss out it is only because we are at sea and I am still not feeling 100%. Paul Romhany www.chaplinmagic.com -------------------------------------------- 9. Royalty-Free Music For Magicians -------------------------------------------- Message from Steve Saunders "The Conjuror's Composer" Sleight-of-Sound.com is happy to announce a special Holiday Discount! From now through December 31, every song in the Download Shop is only $3.95 -- a 20% saving off the regular $4.95 price. The mp3 downloads are in ultra-high 320kbps for superior sound quality. Visit Sleight-of-Sound.com -- the premium source of royalty-free music for magicians! -------------------------------------------- 10. That's Entertainment Workshop - Barry Mitchell -------------------------------------------- Message from Al Jensen Las Vegas Magical Entertainment President - Fantasma Ring 257 Las Vegas IBM President - KIDabra Las Vegas World renowned and highly acclaimed Family Entertainer, Barry Mitchell to present his "That's Entertainment Workshop" Wednesday January 23, 2008 in Las Vegas. Las Vegas, NV, December 12, 2007: Barry Mitchell helps performers all over the world learn to become better entertainers. Magicians, Clowns and Family Entertainers of all types will enjoy and learn from this lecture, slated for 7:00 PM on Wednesday January 23, 2008 at Boomers. Attendees will discover creative new ways to share the fun of magic with a family audience. Family friendly magic is one of the most popular forms of entertainment available in today's marketplace. Barry Mitchell will share many of his creative comedy magic routines. Along the way attendees will learn simple and creative ways to improve their performances. Don't miss this opportunity to open your mind to a new world of creative magic. Barry will focus on children's entertainment with some close up and a small number of card effects. Many of the effects will use the art of storytelling to enhance the magic. The full Barry Mitchell Products shop will be made available after the lecture. Doors open at 6:30, lecture begins at 7:00 PM. Advance discount tickets available until December 31, 2007 from Pat Barry at 702-944-0357. Seating is limited. Tickets at the door, if available, will be higher. Boomers is located at 3200 Sirius Ave. in Las Vegas. -------------------------------------------- 11. Max Maven To Book All The Rooms At The Magic Castle -------------------------------------------- Message from Dale Salwak (US) Dear friends, As you may know, since May 2006, at the invitation of President Gay Blackstone and the Board of Directors, I have had the pleasure and privilege of serving as Entertainment Director for the Magic Castle's Palace Theatre and lectures. I have thoroughly enjoyed the past twenty months and would have loved to have continued, but after long deliberation the Board has selected one individual to book all of the rooms: Max Maven. I wish him well and I know he'll do a great job. I would like to extend my profound gratitude to both Gay Blackstone and the Board for their trust and confidence in me, as well as to the many people who helped me along the way with their encouragement, advice, and wisdom. It's been a great pleasure working with all of the performers, therefore this letter. As I have shared with Max and others concerned during this transfer of responsibilities, I have booked the Palace through April 2008 with a few acts into May and even a couple in the fall and have sent him the full schedule with addresses. It is my full expectation that Max will honor these commitments, but if you would like to get in touch with him then his address is maxmaven@aol.com. To all the performers that I have booked into 2008 please be assured that I'll stay fully involved with you in a behind-the-scenes sort of way. I put my heart into the job with each week's bookings - I have great affection for all of you as well as for the Castle - and I would feel badly if I were to cut off that connection before your runs are completed. To all of the overseas performers please know that I will keep my personal commitments to you. Nothing will change in that regard. This letter is also addressed to all of those aspiring performers who sent me DVDs over the past twenty months. Many of you I have been advising and working with in an effort to bring you to Castle readiness. I'll be pleased to continue with this, for after all one of the missions of the Academy of Magical Arts is to offer a place where up and coming artists can be seen and can develop. I will continue to book the IBM convention as I've done for the past thirteen years, tour with my International Stars of Magic, operate the Chavez Studio of Magic, and travel and perform. Because I am full time in magic I have the hours and desire to continue serving the Academy should an occasion develop. Please don't hesitate to write or call (909/838-5021) if you have any concerns whatsoever. Hereafter please use my Chavez e-mail address, which is salwak@roadrunner.com Warmest regards and thanks for making my job so enjoyable, Dale Salwak ---------------- 12. Do You Travel At All? ----------------- Message from Maria Ibanez National President Society of American Magicians Greetings, It isn't often that I would send a warning such as what is below. In this day of frequent travel by all of us, and of the diseases and pathogens out there, one cannot be too careful. PLEASE do yourself a favor and visit the below link and watch the video....it is terrible what is happening with the drinking glasses at hotels. My family and I for one will start carrying our own glasses and/or a travel size bottle of bleach after seeing this expose. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/12/11/beware-about-drinking-out-of-your-hotel-room-glasses.aspx ---------------- 13. Melbourne International Comedy Festival in March 2008 ----------------- Message from Tim Ellis Tim Ellis & Sue-Anne Webster have two brand new shows lined up for next years Melbourne International Comedy Festival in March 2008. Advance tickets will go on sale late January. If you'd like to be kept up to date with this and more Ellis & Webster news you can subscribe to their monthly email list just by emailing tim@magicunlimited.com with 'Subscribe' in the header. You can also stay informed on their blog, updated almost daily, at www.MagicUnlimited.Typepad.com Merry Christmas everyone! ---------------- 14. 25th Louie Award' to Doug Edwards ----------------- Message from Doug Edwards Tannen's Magic Presents their '25th Louie Award' to Doug Edwards "For Outstanding Achievement In The Art of Magic 2007" On Saturday, December, 29th at 12 noon Doug Edwards will receive the '25th Louie Award' followed by a meet & greet opportunity at Tannen's Magic: 45 West 34th Street, Suite 608, New York, NY 10001 We are pleased to present this years' Louie Award to Doug Edwards. Doug has been a fixture to our establishment since the mid 1960's. We published his first book 'Cardmania' back in 1978 and have offered many of his original effects throughout the years. Our company sold more of his Wonder Pen-A-Tration than any other effect in its history. His Really Haunted, in our New Stars of Magic series, continues to be a top seller. When we told Doug we were honoring him, he was ecstatic and stated that of all the awards he's received, the Louie Award would mean the most to him. He stated that if it weren't for Tannen's Magic Shop he would never have entered into the magic world. Doug Edwards has been in magic 45 years. He is a recognized icon with vast contributions to our art. He has published effects in the Linking Ring, Genii, Magic, MUM, Labyrinth, Mr. Gadfly, etc. He was the most prolific contributor to Harry Lorayne's Apocalypse magazine in which more of his original concepts were published than any other individual since its inception in 1977. His 'Really Haunted' effect is in the Tannen's Stars of Magic series and continues to be a top seller. Doug's first book, 'Cardmania,' was published in 1978. His next book, Doug Edwards Packs A Wallop, was published by L&L in 1997. His new book, Brass knuckles, was released on October of last year and contains over 60 original items. Dan Garrett featured him in his World Class Magic column in the January and February issues of M-U-M magazine in 2003. The Tenyo Magic Co. put out their rendition of his famous effect 'Wonder - Pen - Doug is not only an inventor, but a performer and collector as well. He has performed on the Regis Philbin show, the Joe Franklin Show, the Matt Lauer show, acted on the Guiding Light Soap Opera, Good Day New York, and many others. Doug currently boasts a two million dollar magic collection. In 1994, Doug sold the largest Cardini collection in the world to David Copperfield. In 1996, Doug sold Copperfield his Roy Benson and Arthur Lloyd collections. In October of 2001, Doug put up one of the largest Houdini collections for sale at Swann Galleries. It was a huge success and he is now a consultant for the firm. When asked what the favorite items currently in his collection are, he was quick to mention Al Flosso's expanding Bow Ties, Houdini's extension lock pick he used to escape the Bean Giant handcuff, and 55 rare prediction chests. His favorite non-magic collectible is the Pittsburgh Pirates cap worn by baseball legend Roberto Clemente in the 1971 World Series and right up to his untimely death in December of 1972. In the September/October 1983 issue of Tannen's Magic Manuscript, Frank Garcia made mention of Doug in his New York News column: 'Performing regularly at nite clubs and private functions is magician/collector Doug Edwards. Clever chap Doug has been in the magic scene for 20 years and today is considered a walking compendium in the Art of Magic.' WOW..that was written over 23 years ago! ---------------- 15. The Amazing Orchante Saga ----------------- Message from Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)(UK ex-pat Kiwi) Page 28 Robert Gennari, having made a huge name for himself in New Zealand during the 60's, and with several recording hits under his belt, decided that it was time to cross the Tasman (sea), thus adding to the kiwi performers' invasion of Australia, as had so many other N.Z. entertainers' before him. My old friend Alison Durbin (she used to baby-sit my son Jason - he's in his thirties now, Oh dear - that dates us all, doesn't it!), another 'Top of the Pops' Recording Star - had already made the journey. Maria Dallas, Dinah Lee, and Bill and Boyd were also amongst the earliest of kiwis to exodus to 'Aussie'. Robert, as had my late pal Peter Taylor, did his damnedest to persuade me to go with him to Australia as well. He failed to sway me too. By the time we arrived in Australia, they, and many others, had all become well-established 'Names' on the club/ entertainment circuit. Robert was no exception. Apart from our respective entertainment businesses, Robert and I had a very hungry and money-consuming hobby - Stereo/Hi Fi; it drove our wives to distraction and despair! Veronica more so, because Robert was making twice what I was earning - all bloody 'Pop Star' singers do; it's not right. Speciality Artistes, work just as hard, if not harder than singers, and most have of us have a 'ton' of gear to cart in and out of venues as well, not just a bloody suit-pack and some sheets of music. Unfortunately, agents, promoters etc, and all the rest of the 'wolves', don't see it that way - bloody 'Show-Biz', don't you just love it! Anyway, Robert and I were forever trying to outdo the other with the 'latest' equipment; speakers, amplifiers, tape decks - both reel to reel and cassette - turntables, cartridges, tone arms etc. and so it went on, and on and.! I remember buying what was the very latest at that time, 'Shure V15' Magnetic cartridge; 'Was it expensive?' Just replacing the needle - magnetic, not ceramic, cost more than most would want to spend on an entire stereo system! I remember one time when Veronica and I were working cruise ships; Robert gave me a bundle of cash to buy him the very latest, all singing, all dancing, top of the range, 'Nakamichi Cassette Deck', in Hong Kong for him. It was yet to be been released onto the Australian market, but Robert found out what it was going to cost when it did hit the shops. Even buying it in Hong Kong at around half price, it still cost several hundred Australian dollars and, what made it worse, I couldn't afford one for myself! That put Robert ONE up on me, but hey, he was my mate - and you help your mates. All this talk about 'New', 'The Latest' and Robert Gennari, reminds me of a brand new nightclub that opened up in downtown Auckland City, back in the late 60's. It was called - 'The Mocambo'. Situated somewhere behind Shortland St., possibly Fort St. I think - c'mon, it was one hellava long time ago! I can't remember now who the principals were behind it, but they spent a small fortune on it. The décor and furnishings were way beyond anything else in Auckland at the time. Quite simply, it was pure plush, chic, and elegance. Robert got a permanent residency there and I, after performing my fakir show a couple of times, talked the management into employing me as the resident close-up magician. Come to think of it - that may have been my first professional booking, working close-up magic. The club had been up and running for almost two months, when it mysteriously burnt down. Rumour had it that it was deliberately torched by jealous rivals, but then again, many looked at me sideways for a while because, only a few days before, I had performed my fakir show onstage, which included of course, my fire-eating act - "Perhaps a stray spark from Orchanté's fire.?" Bollocks! Back to Sydney Australia; one day Robert comes around home to listen to some 'sounds', and to criticize my stereo system as, to be fair, I did with his; all very friendly you understand. He says, "I've got something to show you both", and with that, he opens his coat and hauls out - a kitten! It was a pure-breed Siamese. Well, Veronica and I go all gaga over this gorgeous bundle of fur that was only a few weeks old. I have always wanted a Siamese cat, so I told Robert that there was no way in hell he was taking the kitten with him when he left. He didn't! I have a sneaking suspicion that was his intention all along. His 'gift' made two people very happy and, dare I suggest it, the cat also. Robert, and his wife Sue (a former Miss New Zealand runner-up), had a young son at the time; I don't think a very young kitten would have gotten much peace, if you know what I mean, and I'm pretty sure that they both realized that also. So that is how 'Sheba' came to join our 'family'. A bit of a diversion, but I got there in the end. Of course, with Sheba growing up with the cockatoos, she never considered them as 'food'; they all played and had fun together, just as a family should. Sheba was very special to us. -------------------------------------------- 16. Magic New Zealand e-zine Archives -------------------------------------------- Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/fezine.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) -------------------------------------------- 17. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to any other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. You can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand® E-zine at www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html. Magic New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday. The opinions expressed therein are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of Magic New Zealand®. Neither Magic New Zealand® nor Alan Watson 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 they will not hold Magic New Zealand® or Alan Watson, jointly or individually liable or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed therein. Magic New Zealand® reserves the right to alter, correct or disregard any articles submitted. Readers are encouraged to submit timely articles or news items which may be of interest to subscribers. 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