* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #558 Date: Sunday 3rd February 2008 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. Houdini The Movie Star 3. Observations As Seen By A Blind Magician 4. 39th Annual Magic Collectors' Weekend 5. Broken Wand - Stan Greer 6. Remarkable Magic #40 - Nick Lewin 7. Working Blue and Gold Banquets - Kyle Peron 8. Entertaining On The Ocean #19 - Paul Romhany 9. Teatro Olympico, Rome, Italy 10. Broken Wand - Alan Khoo 11. Murray Hatfield's Illusions Magic 'n Miracles 12. Greetings From Sunny Las Vegas! 13. e-zine Archives 14. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- The high light this week would have been spending time with two top cruiseship magicians while visiting Auckland Nick Lewin and Bernard Reid. Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com ---------------- 2. Houdini The Movie Star ----------------- Message from Richard Walls (NZ) Houdini: The Movie Star is due for release in the US on 8 April. According to editorial comment on Amazon.com, the 3-disc set is "Culled from film archives and private collections, and includes all of Houdini's surviving films as an actor, rare footage of actual handcuff and straitjacket escapes, and a wealth of historical information." The set includes: The Master Mystery (1919, 238m, Color Tinted) Terror Island (1920, 55m, B&W) The Man From Beyond (1922, 68m, Color Tinted) Haldane Of The Secret Service (1923, 84m, Color Tinted) The Grim Game (Fragment, 1919, 5m, Color Tinted) Special Features Include: Filmed records of Houdini escapes (ca. 1907-23) - Audio recording of Houdini speaking (1914) - Excerpts from the NY Censor Board files - SLIPPERY JIM, a 1910 Houdini-inspired comedy - The illusion Metamorphosis performed by Houdini's brother Hardeen and others. The set is in NTSC format (most, if not all TV's and DVD players sold in NZ over recent years are PAL/NTSC capable) and the release is 'All Region'. The listed retail price is US$39.95 with Amazon.com taking pre-release orders at US$29.99. ---------------- 3. Observations As Seen By A Blind Magician ----------------- Message from Barron Stringfellow Bob Klamm is a dear friend of mine, he has authored several great books, and I wanted to make sure you all had the opportunity to experience them! Observations As Seen By A Blind Magician Though "Fly Like a Bumblebee," memoirs of a blind magician, was written for the general public, it provides some observations that many magicians will agree with, and others need to take to heart. The book was written by R. W. Klamm, who has been nearly blind since birth. His observations from this unique vantage point provides some real food for thought, especially for those of us who take magic seriously. The introduction also offers a different slant on matters of exposure, a subject that currently pre-occupies us all. This memoir has been available long enough now to have garnered two national awards, been recorded by Library of Congress Talking Books, been made into a Braille book, and is now also a stage play. The play is scheduled for a professional reading later this year at Kansas Ditty's Unicorn Theatre. "Fly Like a Bumblebee" is available on order from most on line, or brick and mortar bookstores, or (autographed) directly from klammbooks.com. The web site includes samples of "Bumblebee," and samples of other of Klamm's writings of interest to magicians, as well as to the general public. -------------------------------------------- 4. 39th Annual Magic Collectors' Weekend -------------------------------------------- Message from Gabe Fajuri 39th Annual Magic Collectors' Weekend to Honor Harry Anderson In May, 2008, the Magic Collectors' Weekend will again be held in Schaumburg, Illinois at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield. The dates of this year's event are May 1-3. This year's guest of honor will be inimitable actor, magician and ranconteur, Harry Anderson. An outstanding lineup of speakers has been arranged for the event. David Charvet will preview his upcoming biography of Willard the Wizard. Patrick Page will discuss his lifetime of experience in magic and focus on Davenports famous Crypt. World-class mentalist Ross Johnson will lecture on the legacy of Al Koran. Max Maven will present his talk on "The First Close-Up Magician." David Ben will speak about the life and magic of Paul Fox. And that's just for starters! Stay tuned to www.squashpublishing.com for more information. First Midwest Appearance! John Carney's acclaimed one man show, Carney's Wonders, will be presented during the convention on Friday, May 2nd. This is the first time Carney's show will appear outside of Los Angeles. Contact Squash Publishing for details on securing extra tickets for this exclusive performance. Further details regarding registration for the convention can be directed to Gabe Fajuri at Squash Publishing, info@squashpublishing.com, or at www.squashpublishing.com. ----------------- 5. Broken Wand - Stan Greer ----------------- Message from Tony Brook (Portugal) It is with a heavy heart I have to inform you that I heard yesterday (Jan 31st) that another legend, Stan Greer has moved on to join the other greats. Thanks to my dear friend Michael Roth who was the 2007 President of SAM 59 in Portland, Oregon I had the very great pleasure of being introduced to Stan and spending quality time visiting with him in May 2007 when I was performing in Oregon and Canada. A full article on my visit with him will appear shortly on www.magicwebchannel.com Incidentally, two dates are meaningful to us. One is 31st October and the other is Jan 31st. Most of us already know about October 31st. The other is the feast day of the Patron Saint of Magicians, St. John Bosco (Don Bosco). Irrespective of creed, many magic clubs around the world commemorate this day. -------------------------------------------- 6. Remarkable Magic #40 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message from Nick Lewin (US) Remarkable Magic. A needle in the arm for comedy magic. I have the greatest respect for Harry Anderson and in all honesty have to say I think he really won the lottery in the comedy magic world. With two successful syndicated television shows he actually won the lottery twice. Harry was a comedy magician who had a very carefully developed image. From his hat to his ties and right the way through to his material onstage everything about Harry contributed to his unique persona. When I first met Harry he was working in a white suit and already a very funny guy. Billy McComb always told me I would love Harry and should get to know him and Billy was usually smack on in his opinion of magicians. However before I met Harry in person a very good friend of mine, during a visit to the Magic Castle, was deeply offended by the comedy magician in the white suit. Due to this I became rather negative about Harry and kind of snubbed his friendly overtures. Years later I discovered that it was Larry Wilson (another white suited comedy magician) who had inflicted the insult upon my pal. Oops! I was working the fledgling comedy club circuit and it was amazing how much reaction Harry was getting with his act. His wise-ass persona and strong magic were making a huge impact on the scene not to mention the incredible audience response to his delightfully icky 'needle thru arm.' It was a truly shocking piece of visual magic that left the audience screaming. What was even more impressive was the way Harry honed in on his stage character and developed a multi-dimensional creation that worked well with the very strong act he was performing. His exploration of the swindler/con man style of presentation coupled with his 'needle thru arm' slightly gory effects must certainly have been a serious influence on a fledgling Penn & Teller. Harry really clicked with the television audience and his style and attention to detail made him a very powerful TV performer. His success in 'Night Court' and 'Dave's World' allowed him to take the style and personality he had forged in nightclubs and slot them into the world of sitcoms. I have always respected the way Harry has kept his love of magic right upfront in his personal life. He always seems happy and proud of his magical roots. I really like that. Younger performers would do well to study his carefully developed stage persona and the way he created such a commercial vehicle for his skills. As always send any bricks or bouquets to nicklewin1@mac.com and check out my website at www.nicklewin.com -------------------------------------------- 7. Working Blue and Gold Banquets - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message from Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com February is almost upon us and that usually means the time when many cub scouts host their annual Blue and Gold banquets. It is also a great opportunity for the family entertainer to land a few shows, make some money and have a great time in the process. I wanted to take this week to share with you some general tips I have used over the years that have really helped. I hope they may help you as well. To start, there are a few ways to market to Blue and Gold banquets that have worked for me. 1)Go to the actual scouting councils in your area and ask them about their newsletters (placing an ad in one) or even asking them if they would be able to help you get the word out about your shows. Most of them are very helpful and do not mind helping and assisting you in any way they can. 2) Doing some internet research through search engines like Google and then "qualifying" the list and doing a mailing out to them. I use both and have worked very well for my wife and me. It is amazing the information you can obtain through simply asking for it. In regards to fees or what to charge, I have found that at least in my own area, you can probably get a standard birthday party fee and perhaps a little bit higher but your birthday fee is probably about the norm or a good place to start. They do have budgets but not always a large one. As an example, if your birthday fee is about $200, then I would start your B and G fee range at around $175-$225 and go from there. A few contacts will determine for you what the range is in your own area. If you find that you are facing the problem of too many packs not having the funds for your show, a great idea is to suggest to them to combine with another pack and do a larger banquet together. This way they can pull resources, help each other out and have a bigger budget for things. In regards to buying magic specific to blue and gold banquets, I do understand that paying a large fee for a trick you may only do once, is not to your advantage. However, if you are booking on average of 3 or more blue and gold banquets a year, then adding a blue and gold themed effect works well and you pay it off in one show easily. It then adds value to your show from that point on. If you do many blue and gold banquets then this becomes a nice investment. A few things you will want to keep in mind when working a Blue and Gold: - Try and keep your show to either 30 minutes or 45 minutes. In fact, be able to do either. Ask them in advance what works best for them. Now my fee does not change regardless of how long I do. The reason to have your time length set like this is because most Blue and Gold Banquets have a lot of stuff going on that day. You are up against award ceremonies which take time to do. Asking them what works best for them is a value add and they will appreciate you asking them in advance. - Keep in mind that because they usually want to do awards and a ceremony at the banquet, that you will want to try and go on first if you can help it. Once again, simply asking them usually works great here. If you do not ask, then be prepared to wait and go on later than your scheduled start time. - Get the cub master involved in the show. The scouts absolutely love it if you get the scout master involved in the show in some way. Use your imagination on what will work best for you. This can be anything from an Instant Magician routine to having the scout master help you with a "Do as I Do" style effect. - Yes your goal is to entertain the scouts. However, keep in mind that this is a family event and if you can gear your show towards having entertainment for all ages in attendance, you will do much better. - Get used to asking what is on their schedule for that evening. Most follow a very similar plan but some like to mix it up and have the awards at a different meeting. I usually ask upfront so that I can determine when the dinner will be and the proper order of things. This allows me to better tell them where my show will fit best. - Remember that this is a golden opportunity to market yourself before and while you are at the event. Blue and Gold banquets usually always have a program that someone does. I always ask if I might be able to be listed in it and I then give them my information to be included in the program. This is free advertising for you so feel free to ask them about it. I have never had any problem with it and they are more than happy to assist you. While at the event, having some sort of marketing material the kids will like to keep is a great way to give something out that they will hold on to. Also have your business cards with you because you will be asked by folks after the show if you present a good performance. I hope this is of help to you as we enter into the Blue and Gold season ahead. 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. -------------------------------------------- 8. Entertaining On The Ocean #19 - Paul Romhany -------------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) Here is a story by my two good friends who were at the Monte Carlo Hotel during the fire. I have written about them in my previous articles. LAS VEGAS-Australian Entertainers, Gavin Skinner & Lydia Lim aka Soul Mystique, were amongst the evacuees of the Monte Carlo Resort-Casino, that burst into flames in Las Vegas yesterday (26 Jan 08), at 11am. The large fire that raged across the top of the 32-story hotel sent thick plumes of smoke across the Vegas Strip, forcing guests out from the 3000 room hotel. Staying close to the top floors at the time the fire broke out, Gavin and Lydia woke up to the smell of smoke and alarms, forcing them to abandon everything except their cell phone. They escaped safely. Soul Mystique, the celebrated Australian team who danced and quick changed their way to the Grand Finals of Australia's Got Talent last year, are in Vegas performing in "Variety Live! Direct from the London Palladium" which opens next weekend. They were escorted back into the Monte Carlo by security and safety officials to retrieve their costumes and props late last night - despite the building being closed off to the public due to unsafe conditions. In the meantime, Gavin and Lydia say, "the show must go on". Vegas Journal - Soul Mystique Evacuates Monte Carlo http://www.lvrj.com/news/14450897.html More Links: USA Today - 17 hurt in fire at Vegas' Monte Carlo http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-01-25-vegas-fire_N.htm?csp=34 LA Times - Monte Carlo Fire Under Control http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-montecarlo26jan26,1,6014534.story?track=rss Paul Romhany paul@chaplinmagic.com www.paulromhany.com www.chaplinmagic.com www.magicmasterclass.com -------------------------------------------- 9. Teatro Olympico, Rome, Italy -------------------------------------------- Message from Jeff Lee Supermagic 5, Remo Pannain of Rome Italy ,continues to promote, produce and dazzle the public with his love of Magic and Theater, a charming and first class approach, annually he provides the theatre goers with a wonderful surprise of international magicians and performing artists. Held at Teatro Olympico, Rome, Italy, February 26 - March 2, 2008, Performers Include: Cerchietti-Italy, Amos Levokovitch-US, Gianni Mattiolo-Italy, Jerome Murat-France, Pilou-France, Arthur Trace-US, Carlo Truzzi-Italy, Directed by Marini Dettina For further information, videos, photos and more link to: www.supermagic.it http://www.supermagic.it/ ---------------- 10. Broken Wand - Alan Khoo ----------------- Message from Edwin Khoo (Malaysia) Sad News...Illusionist Alan Khoo of Penang (Malaysia) passed away peacefully yesterday's morning in the hospital after a heart attack on Sunday (27-1-2008). Kindly send all messages, condolences, directly to his son: Edwin Khoo H/phone: 012-398-9892 Email: ttkhoo@yahoo.com ---------------- 11. Murray Hatfield's Illusions Magic 'n Miracles ----------------- Message from Ray Parker I would have posted this sooner but due to a rather involved move to a new residence I have not had full use of the internet. On January 9th I was fortunate enough to attend a show recently mentioned in a previous issue of Magic New Zealand, Murray Hatfield's "Illusions' Magic N Miracles" at the Royal Theatre, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. This tour which covers 5 provinces has been produced and headlined by Murray for the last 20 years and amazingly every years production seems to top the previous years show. This year was no exception, Murray and Teresa amazed and amused a captivated audience, an old friend of mine, Juliana Chen displayed the talent that has gained her World acclaim, the multi talented David Kaplan had 'em rolling in the aisles (an act that proves Vaudeville will live forever) and the talented young Darcy Oake giving a polished performance that ensures he will be a name to watch out for in the future. Add to this, spectacular dance routines by 4 exceptionally energetic and skilled dancers, partnered and choreographed by Teresa Hatfield, first class staging and costume and not forgetting Cody the Wonderdog, the result, a show that will not only be remembered but have you eagerly awaiting next year's tour. Congratulations Murray you did it again. Ray (The Madhatter) Parker -------------------------------------------- 12. Greetings From Sunny Las Vegas! -------------------------------------------- Message from Jeff & Abbi McBride "Illusion is the first of all pleasures." -- Oscar Wilde Greetings from sunny Las Vegas! Jeff & Abbi here. It seems like we're skipping stones on a giant ocean. We just skipped back to Las Vegas from China, and this week, Jeff is off to England for a show and a lecture tour. So, here's a shout out to all of our UK friends and fans; Jeff will see you soon! All of us here at McBride Magic would like to formally introduce you to the newest member of our team, Jordan Wright. Jordan began studying with us here at the Magic and Mystery School several years ago and now is touring with us as our opening act. Jordan is a perfect example of someone who has applied his passion to his art and is making great progress! He is also an accomplished film-maker, and I will include a link to one of his recent pieces. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjUzEO09hQ Here are a few words from Jordan: ------------------------------------------- Greetings Museletter friends, Jordan here, saying hello and sharing with you one of my favorite inspirational quotes: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." -- Henry David Thoreau I work toward  everyday, especially on my recent trip to China. Jeff, Abbi, and I have just returned from performing Jeff's full evening illusion show in beautiful Sanya, China. Sanya is located on the island of Hainan, which happens to be China's smallest province. It was there that we provided the evening's special entertainment for the executives of Viasystems. While on the long plane ride to Sanya, I had time to reflect on my journey to this point in my career. I cannot believe that only five years ago I moved to Las Vegas to start college and enrolled in my first Master Class. I look back and realize that I have come a long way from that first class having now opened for Jeff's show in Atlantic City, Taiwan, and China. Of course I am also busy creating my own material and performing my own show in various venues. I attribute a lot of my growth thus far to continually observing a man whom I consider to be a master of the art. As Virgil once said, "Follow an expert." If we want to be excellent at what we do, I truly believe we must learn from those who are the best at what they do. ------------------------------------------ Thank you Jordan! And, thank all of you that keep in touch with us through these Museletters. It's great to stay connected with you, and I enjoy getting your feedback emails. We are exploring new ways to bring our magic to you, and to create a source of inspiration and magic for all of our friends, like you! In the next few months, we hope to be giving you more news from our friends and faculty here at the school. Tobias, Eugene, Bryce, Abbi, and Jordan will be sharing more of their magical insights and inspirations with us! Yours in mystery, Jeff, Abbi, and all of your friends here at the McBride Magic and Mystery School ------------------------------------------- News From Tobias: Not only is Jeff on his way to the UK this week, but he and Eugene will be traveling there again in April to conduct another special performance (April 3) and master class in Cornwall (April 4, 5 & 6), followed by two one-day Intensives in Brighton (April 9 & 10). The classes are filling fast, so be sure and register early. You can find further information on the Cornwall classes now at http://www.magicmasterclass.co.uk/, or by contacting Kenny at Kernow Magic: maverick7@tiscali.co.uk, or, for further information on the Brighton classes, contact Romany at romany@romanymagic.com. This will just be the first leg of a tour in Europe for Jeff... more on that in an upcoming Museletter! We've just completed our first classes of the New Year here in Las Vegas. Jeff's "Focus on Manipulation" was well attended, as was our first 3-Day Master class of the year. We're experimenting with a new schedule for the 3-Day classes, as well as making use of Jeff's newly installed home-theatre / lecture space that allows us to use Powerpoint and Video to enhance some of our presentations. What's more, Bryce Kuhlman, our Internet Wizard joined the class again for the first time in quite a long time, and delivered a terrific presentation on web-sites for magicians. Bryce intends to be at all our future classes, as his schedule permits. We're very excited to be able to include what he has to offer to our students once again! That said: We still have a few spots available in our March classes -- but they won't last much longer! If you're a serious student of magic, now is the time to register: www.magicalwisdom.com. If you're new to the Magic & Mystery School, we've recently added some videos to the site to give you a better idea of just what you can expect. Best wishes for a magical February! Tobias Beckwith Upcoming Events February, 2008 7 - 10 Magic Fest Show - Blackpool 11 Lecture - Birmingham 12 Lecture - Blackpool 13 Lecture - Manchester 20 - 24 Twist & Shout Balloon Convention 3 - 9 Extended Master Class 11 - 13 Master Class for Balloon Twisters April, 2008 3 The Secret Art - Cornwall 4 - 6 Master Class - Cornwall 10 - 13 McBride Magic - London 25 - 27 World Magic Seminar Teen Weekend -------------------------------------------- 13. 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) -------------------------------------------- 14. 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 ZealandŽ E-zine at www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html. Magic New ZealandŽ E-zine is published each Sunday. The opinions expressed therein are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of Magic New ZealandŽ. Neither Magic New ZealandŽ nor Alan Watson vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via Magic New ZealandŽ E-zine. Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute to it by doing so agree they will not hold Magic New ZealandŽ or Alan Watson, jointly or individually liable or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed therein. Magic New ZealandŽ 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. By submitting articles to this e-zine, the authors grant Magic New ZealandŽ the right to publish such articles and such authors confirm their copyright of the material submitted. All works published by Magic New ZealandŽ are protected by international copyright legislation and articles must not be published for profit by anyone other than the individual authors without the written permission of Magic New ZealandŽ. Notwithstanding the foregoing, 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. Š Copyright 2008 Alan Watson