* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #579 Date: Sunday 18th May 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. Joint IBM/SAM Competition Update 3. I.B.M./S.A.M. 2008 Convention Souvenir Program 4. 2008 DRAGON Award 5. Martin Nash - Diagnosis - Bone Cancer 6. Remarkable Magic #51 - Nick Lewin 7. The Art of Applause - Kyle Peron 8. Merlin Awards For 2008 9. S.A.M. Presidential Citation To Be Presented To Vince Carmen 10. Great News!!! A day with Bev Bergeron 11. Guest Artist In The Le Grand David Spectacular Magic Show 12. Enigma The DVD Has It All 13. Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala 14. The Harriett Himmel Theater At City Place Presents 15. 29th New Zealand International Magicians Convention 2008 16. e-zine Archives 17. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- We hear that the joint I.B.M./S.A.M. has now over 1,900 registrants and they plan to close it off at 2,000. If you are planning to attend I would urge you register NOW. See you there! For more information on the convention go to: www.ibmsam2008.com Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. I.B.M./S.A.M. 2008 Competition Update -------------------------------------------- Message from Joan Caesar (Canada) The closing date for Combined Convention competition applications to reach Joan Caesar is approaching quickly. On June 2 she will send the final group of DVDs to the preliminary judges. She predicts that the stage competition will be full as soon as a few promised DVDs arrive. Close up could allow another 4 contestants, but this is not necessary for a solid close-up competition. We are delighted by the quality of acts from around the world. There will be 11 countries represented at the competition: 28% from Asia, 21% from Europe and 51% from North America, including Canada. This is going to be a not-to-be-missed, exciting competition! For more information regarding the competitions please e-mail me: jcaesar@sentex.ca -------------------------------------------- 3. I.B.M./S.A.M. 2008 Convention Souvenir Program -------------------------------------------- Message from Mona Morrison, (US) The Convention of the Century brings the opportunity of a lifetime The first ever I.B.M./S.A.M. Combined Convention Souvenir Program of the 21st Century will certainly become a collector's item for magicians around the world. Be sure to reserve your place in history by purchasing an advertisement in this extraordinary publication, produced by the editorial staff of Genii Magazine All ads are in color Size measurements (inches) Back cover. 8.5" x 10.875" $600 sold Inside front cover-sold Inside back cover-sold 8.5" x 10.875" $500 Full page, 8.5" x 10.875" $350 Half page, vertical 3.75" x 10.875" $225 Half page, horizontal 7.6" x 5" $225 Quarter page 3.7" x 5" $140 Calling card 3.5 " x 2" $ 50 Patron listing: your name with others $ 25 DEADLINE: June 1st, 2008 All ads must be furnished print ready. Submission details, specific ad size and other technical specs can be found at: http://geniimagazine.com/advertise/index.html Make checks payable to "IBM/SAM 2008 Convention" for the full amount (sorry, no deposits accepted). Mona Morrison, Advertising 645 Darien Court Hoffman Estates, IL 60169 847-519-9201 mona@monamorrison.com -------------------------------------------- 4. 2008 DRAGON Award -------------------------------------------- Message from Jane R. Stuart, President www.dragonaward.org The President of the J.Marberger Stuart Foundation, Inc is pleased to announce that the 19th DRAGON Award will be awarded at the SAM/IBM joint convention in Louisville, Kentucky. Join us to congratulate the winners and meet past winners who have confirmed their attendance, Lee and Helene Grabel, Norm Nielsen and Lupe, Fantasio and Monica and Alan and Michele Watson and others as we work together to bring the art of Magic to new heights. -------------------------------------------- 5. Martin Nash - Diagnosis - Bone Cancer -------------------------------------------- Message from Maria Ibâņez National President Society of American Magicians Subject: Martin Nash Reply-To: Cherie Kay For those who are fans of Martin Nash, not enough can be said about his contribution to card magic. For those who don't know Martin Nash he is arguably one of Magic's treasures and an icon to any "card guy" out there. I met Marty while "serving time" performing as a magic assistant back in 1996 at the Magic Castle. He has a great sense of humor and is an amazing person. We have lost too many of our beloved icon's over the past couple years and it is with a heavy but very hopeful heart that I send this notice. Martin has been diagnosed with bone cancer. For this week he is staying at a hotel in Canada having tests done. The current number there is 250-388-7861. Ask for "Marty Nash"....he will be most happy to hear from you. Cards and get well wishes can be sent to his home address: Martin Nash Apt. 203-155 Cheney St. Parksville, B.C. V9P-1P2 For after this week: Home number is 250-954-1671 Please feel free to pass this on to your magic friends and groups. I am sure Marty would love to stay busy hearing from his friends in magic. -------------------------------------------- 6. Remarkable Magic #51 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message from Nick Lewin (US) Remarkable Magic #51. Michael Skinner, a very special magician. There are some magicians that are just special to watch perform; something about them that sends a little thrill through you as you watch them. You remember what it was that made you want to be a magician. High on this short, sweet list of performers was the late, great Michael Skinner. There was a sheer elegance of motion about Mike that made him different from other sleight of hand performers. Never an extra move in a routine that wasn't needed to make the effect as strong as it could be, never an unnecessary word or action to distract from the magic. Magic pure and simple. Skinner was a magician who made his tricks look like magic by allowing his actions to speak for themselves. A purist through and through he was one of those rare performers from whom one could learn just by watching the way he moved his hands. One of my greatest thrills was the first time I saw Skinner at the Magic Castle performing his version of the Cups and Balls. He used three teacups, three kumquats and a drinking straw to replace the customary magic wand the elegance of these unusual props in Mike's hands was a lesson in breathing fresh life into a classic effect. Before the routine seemed to have begun he casually removed the paper wrapper from around the straw and used it to perform a torn and restored effect that took your breath away. He got more reaction from his torn and restored prelude than most performers got from the finale. The Magic Castle wasn't the only place you could watch Michael perform. He worked at Hollywood Magic's shop on Hollywood Blvd. It was a rare treat to be able to drop by and spend a few minutes chatting with him. Even more fun was watching him demonstrate an item to an enthusiastic youngster standing in front of the counter. These beginners realized that what they were seeing was good but they had no idea how good! What a way to start an interest in magic by buying a Svengali Deck from Mike Skinner. Skinner eventually got spirited away to Las Vegas by one of his biggest fans Steve Wynn. Wynn has always had an eye for quality and he installed Michael in the Golden Nugget Casino in downtown Vegas. One could order gourmet Chinese food from the menu and gourmet magic from Mike's 'Trick Menu.' Michael took the whole idea of restaurant magic and turned it into the classiest concept in the world. Of all the Magic Castle events that I have missed the one I truly wish I could have attended involved Mike. For an entire week he performed his twenty-one shows in the Close-Up Gallery and never repeated a trick! How much knowledge and performing skill does that take? I am willing to bet his twenty-first show was just as good as his first one. Michael Skinner was a very special magician indeed. As always send any bricks or bouquets to nicklewin1@mac.com -------------------------------------------- 7. The Art of Applause - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message from Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com Why do we do magic? Why do we go on stage and present illusions hoping that the audience accepts us? There is no single answer to this question. We all do it for different reasons. However at the very heart of most answers comes this overwhelming feeling you get from a simple word... "Applause!". There is nothing quite like the empowerment and energy you get when the audience burst into applause. That instant gratification of acceptance from them fills every fiber of who we are like a good drug .. only natural and not harmful. It is this emotional high that simply cannot be explained until you have witnessed it yourself. But why is it then that so many magicians simply do not allow the audience to applaud them? Sounds odd doesn't it? Now in most cases this is not intentional in the least. However it is the way and manner in which the magician conducts him or herself on stage, that simply does not allow the audience a chance to respond at all. I hope to explore this a bit and give some insight on why this happens as well as what you can do to remedy it. One thing to note is that as a magician you need to also learn that you have the power to manipulate an audience. You can directly control what they do and how they react to you much more then you may realize. The problem is that audiences are not always sure when to applaud you. They get uncomfortable not knowing if they are interrupting etc. The single best thing you can remember is that you can direct their applause and train them without them realizing it. Too many magicians simply do not give their audience a chance to respond in the first place. This is the single most overlooked aspect to why magicians do not get the reactions they seek. You are simply not giving them a chance to. When you perform you are so locked up in the moment that 1 of 2 things happen. 1) you tend to race the routine because you are trying to recall 2 steps ahead of where you really are and 2) you are wrapped up in the performance that you forget to pause. A simple solution that has been taught to me many times over the years is a simple method in which you BUILD into the act pauses. Just like any part of your act or routine, you build in and script pause on purpose. This forces you to slow down and it also gives the audience a moment to 1) catch their breathe and relax 2) absorb the magic that they have just seen and 3) give them a chance to applaud you for it. It is a deep psychological thing amongst humans that if an entertainer is pausing for even a 3 second count, that the audience just feels this need and desire to applaud. Try it and you will see what I mean. If after a segment you simply look up and smile and pause for even 3 seconds, watch what happens. You will be pleasantly surprised. Another tip is the ability to strike an applause pose. Now this does not mean every 30 seconds you stand there with arms outstretched looking like some crazy lunatic. It simply means that there are ways in which you can hold your body that really tends to say to the audience "this is a time to applaud". This can be as simple as a slight bow and nod of the head. But what about the end of the performance? Why do so many magicians run off stage so quickly or have the curtains close so fast? I never quite understood that. I was talking to a famous magician at a convention once. As we were gathered around someone asked how he always got great applause and standing ovations. His answer floored everyone but made perfect sense. He simply said, "I demand it of them and I go out there and ask them for it!". What he meant was so many magicians think their act is done when they finish the end effect. That is simply not the case. If you want applause, do not be in such a hurry to run off stage. Stay out there and bow. If you simply stay out there afterwards and bow the audience will clap for you. Give them a chance to do so. 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. NEW PRODUCTS: - I am very proud to release my newest E-Book "Encore! Creativity in the Art of Magic!". It is a 21 page E-book based off my full lecture by the same title. This E-Book is about learning how to be creative, think creatively and how to apply direct exercises and techniques to allow your own creativity to grow with the magic that you perform. Every single person possesses the ability to be creative. These notes teach you direct techniques and exercises that you can use to unlock the doors to your own creativity. I discuss the reasoning behind why creativity is so important, why people have a hard time being creative and how to break down those barriers. I then go on to show you a few brainstorming techniques (derived from also being an artist) and walk you through how these techniques can be used as creativity tools. A wealth of information is shared that anyone can freely apply immediately to the magic that you do. You can order directly by going to the "Encore!" page at: http://www.magicenhancer.com/Encore.html - I am also still excited to be offering my first E-Book, "Tips and Techniques on the Chair Suspension". This has been doing very well and remains one of the only books that really covers off on so much information, tips, techniques and safety tips on the presentation of this fine illusion. You can order this e-book directly by going to: http://www.magicenhancer.com/ChairSuspension.html -------------------------------------------- 8. Merlin Awards For 2008 -------------------------------------------- Message from Maria Ibâņez National President Society of American Magicians Just received word that the recipients of the Merlin Awards for 2008 have been named. Receiving the award this year will be: Sony Fontana, Brett Daniels and Stoil & Ekaterina. Due to a prior commitment at The Magic Castle, Stoil and Ekaterina have already received their trophy, the other two recipients will receive theirs on May 28th in Las Vegas. The Merlin Award is a beautiful trophy presented to outstanding acts each year by Tony Hassini, President, International Magicians Society. The list of past recipients reads like a who's who of the magic world and includes David Copperfield, Doug Henning, Penn and Teller, Harry Blackstone Jr., Sorcar, Criss Angel, Silvan, Channing Pollock, Paul Daniels, Jeff Mc Bride, Franz Harary, Juliana Chen and many, many more. If you would like to know more about this award or the organization, visit www.magicims.com Congratulations to the recipients and thanks to Tony Hassini for all he does for magic. -------------------------------------------- 9. S.A.M. Presidential Citation To Be Presented To Vince Carmen -------------------------------------------- Message from Maria Ibâņez National President Society of American Magicians Illusionist Vince Carmen to receive Presidential Citation from Society of American Magicians President, Maria Ibanez on Saturday, May 17, 2008, in recognition for his decades of bringing magic joy to audiences worldwide. The presentation will take place during his show at Houdini's Showplace Dinner Theatre, 7150 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Cesareo Pelaez and David Bull of the longest running magic show in the world, Le Grand David and His Own Spectacular Magic Company, flew in from Beverly, Massachusetts to attend the presentation. -------------------------------------------- 10. Great News!!! A day with Bev Bergeron -------------------------------------------- Message from Charles (Chazoo) Zuis Bev Bergeron World Famous close up, stage and parlour Magician, Clown and Actor has agreed to be our MAIN MAN during the Parlour Magic Foray weekend of June 6 and 7, 2008 at the Hall of Fame of Famous Unknown Magicians and Clowns near Cooperstown NY. Bev is well known as a super-star beginning with his touring with the old Willard the Wizard show and as Rebo the clown in the old TV program Magic Land of Allakazam. Among his credits are a 16 year run in Walt Disney's Diamond Horseshoe Review in Florida and many years at Sea World in Orlando Florida. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award from the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle, elected to the SAM hall of Fame and was a past President of the IBM. Bergeron will be honored at the Hall of Fame of Famous Unknowns for his many accomplishments in the Magic and Entertainment business. He will lecture about his many experiences at 11:00 am and perform many of his famous feats of magic during the parlour magic segment in the afternoon as well as in the big Barn show at 5:00 PM. The Next Parlour Foray is on Saturday, June 7, 2008, but on Friday, June 6, 2008 we will have a special close up show at the Lake House, a prominent restaurant across the lake from Chazoo's place. Volunteers will perform during the cocktail hour from 4:00 to 5:00 PM followed with an early bird dinner for those who trek up Friday evening (Dutch treat). A mini informal round table discussion of restaurant and bar magic will be held after the formal dinner with everyone participating by telling his or her stories on this type of magic. A swap, sell and exchange meet will be available in the yard beginning on Saturday at 8:30 am during registration. So bring that magic you want to get rid of! Then a lecture by BEV BERGERON at 11:00, Parlour Magic at 2:00 PM, the Big Show at 5:00 PM plus food & beverage and fun and good fellowship all day and night for $35.00. There is even a rumor that Gimmick Man might show up! WOW! There are motels nearby for those who may want to come early and/or stay late. (Mention the Magic Convention for better rate) Registration Form for Saturday June 7th 2008 Only $35.00 Includes lots of food and drink and good magical comradeship Name(s):__________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________Phone:_______________ City: _____________________State:________ Zip: ______________ Stage Name(s)_____________________________________________ Choice of venue if performing: Parlour___Stage___ Please enclose donation of $35.00 per person and make checks to: CHARLES ZUIS or CHAZOO MAGIC HALL OF FAME Mail to: Magic Hall of Fame, Box 72, Schuyler Lake, NY 13457 or Call 315-858-2576 or Phil Messina at 607.427.7241 or Alan Drew 207.244.0538, Ray Eyler 410.798.1677 -------------------------------------------- 11. Guest Artist In The Le Grand David Spectacular Magic Show -------------------------------------------- Message from Henry Lewis MIMC with Gold Star Emeritus Curator The Magic Circle I am pleased to inform you that I shall be appearing as a guest artist in the Le Grand David Spectacular Magic Show at the Cabot Street Theatre, Beverly MA by the invitation of Cesareo Pelaez M.I.M.C. on the 13th June 2008 presenting 'It's in the mind". This will be my 5th performance on the Cabot stage for a paying audience. -------------------------------------------- 12. Enigma The DVD Has It All -------------------------------------------- Message from Chuck "Stylesmith" Smith Teaching - Profiles - Tours - Conventions - Performances - Interviews - Magic Shops ENIGMA the DVD has it all Hi, If you haven't heard by now, the complete collection of ENIGMA - the DVD magazine created exclusively for magicians - is now for sale, and is available by individual issues or as the complete set. For information on the collection and ordering, visit us at www.enigmathedvd.com Each DVD in this six issue set has a half hour teaching segment by master card manipulator Ed Ellis and various guest instructors like Joshua Jay, Tom Jones and Tomas Medina, teaching everything from mentalism to silk and coin magic. ENIGMA the DVD is also packed with interviews and profiles of such magic luminaries as: Mark Wilson John Calvert Jeff McBride Ali Bongo Terry Seabrooke Bev Bergeron . . . and the list goes on. The information they divulge is worth the price of the DVDs alone. Every issue of ENIGMA the DVD also covers a magic performance happening somewhere in America. From Magicopolis in Santa Monica to Monday Night Magic in New York City and beyond, we show you segments from the show and go backstage with the magicians who make it happen. ENIGMA the DVD goes on location to conventions in each issue, bringing you timeless experiences from the Abbott's Get Together the S.A.M. convention Ohio's Battle of Magicians the Daytona Festival of Magic and more. If you haven't been to any of these conventions, this is the perfect way to see what they're all about and maybe find a new convention that's right for you. We all know that the internet is filled with online magic shops, but we haven't forgotten the brick and mortar stores and what they mean to the both the aspiring young magician and the seasoned pro. We've crisscrossed the country to take you to some of the best stores out there, places like Williams' magic shop in Tucson, AZ; Fantasma in NYC; Mr. G's in Jacksonville, FL; and Denny & Lee's in Las Vegas. ENIGMA the DVD also allows you to visit and tour some of the most famous and infamous places in magic, all from the comfort of your own home. Come with us as we visit Norm Neilsen's poster collection Houdini's gravesite - complete with broken wand ceremony Haines House of Cards Colon's celebrated cemetery magic's own FUN, Inc. . . . and so much more. With over two and a half hours of magic on every disc, there's something for everyone. ENIGMA the DVD is more than just another teaching video, it's like having a TV channel devoted to magic! As always, you're invited to learn even more by visiting our website at... www.enigmathedvd.com  ...to find out more than you ever wanted to know about the ENIGMA video collection. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to email me at: stylesmith@enigmathedvd.com Thank you for your time and enjoy our DVDs, Chuck "Stylesmith" Smith -------------------------------------------- 13. Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala -------------------------------------------- Message from Cath Jamison (Aust) Cath Jamison Appeared on TV in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala I was invited to perform on the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala where the "Best of the Fest" were viewed by more than 4500 in the Vodaphone Arena and broadcast around Australia on Channel Ten. It was an amazing experience and challenge to keep that many people focused with comedy and dove magic. The Comedy Festival show, "Dolls, Doves & a Diva" (staring Cath Jamison, Katie Underwood, Erin Walsh, Kelly Anne Doll www.myspace.com/dollsdovesandadiva) was a fabulous success with sellout shows during the festival and an offer of a Tour in the near future. So there will be another chance to catch this hilariously sexy show. Here is an excerpt of a review of the show. Karla Dondio The Groggy Squirrel "If someone had fore-warned me that this show had a magician in it, the contemptuous adult fool in me would've taken a running jump. But I am now, officially, in love with Cath Jamison. She is a confident, sassy, engaging performer who is naturally funny and a really bloody talented magician. It's worth seeing this show just to witness a glass levitating and to hear your own inner child squealing uncontrollably. This woman is pure, unadulterated entertainment." To read more, go to: http://www.thegroggysquirrel.com/articles/2008/03/20/2008-melbourne-comedy-festival-reviews/dolls-doves-and-a-diva/ -------------------------------------------- 14. The Harriett Himmel Theater At City Place Presents -------------------------------------------- Message from Gary Goodman The Harriett Himmel Theater at City Place Presents Gary Goodman Master Illusionist Friday, June 6 at 7PM Dinner and Show Tickets are $60 Order today: 866.449.2489 Completeticketsolutions.com Office: 561-558-8033 Cell: 561-302-9139 Fax: 561-558-8233 www.garygoodman.com (Corporate and Private Parties) www.excellentmagic.com (Family Events) -------------------------------------------- 15. 29th New Zealand International Magicians Convention 2008 -------------------------------------------- The 29th New Zealand International Magicians Convention will be held in Auckland, New Zealand from the night of December 27th 2008 to January 1st 2009, 1.00am. The venue will be the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre in Mount Wellington where we last ran a successful Convention in 2001-2002. Bookings can be made for convention accommodation by contacting: Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre, 58 Waipuna Road, Mt.Wellington, PO Box 14 164, Panmure, Auckland, New Zealand. Phone: +64 9 526 3000 Fax: +64 9 527 1937 Toll Free Reservations (NZ): 0800 924 786. http://www.waipunahotel.co.nz/ We have been able to secure a very attractive room rate of $NZ110 per night (Incl GST) for single or double rooms with registrants being able to book direct with the hotel. *************************** PLEASE NOTE that 79% of the ALLOCATED rooms have already been booked by conventioneers. If you are planning to attend best to book NOW! This convention will be a SELL OUT! *************************** Seven Confirmed Headliners John Shryock (USA), Marty and Brenda Hahne (USA), Ross Skiffington (Aust), George Schindler (USA), Steve Walker (Aust) and Sean Taylor. The official registration form for the convention can be downloaded from: http://www.ibmring160.com/ If you don't have internet web access contact Ross Harlick, Secretary, 91 Panapa Drive, Meadowbank, Auckland 1072, New Zealand Or by: Phone: +64 (09) 521 3327 Fax: +64 (09) 521 3327 -------------------------------------------- 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 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