* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment * www.Alan-Watson.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #666 Date: Sunday 7th June 2009 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. Income Disappearing For Magicians 3. Magic In North Korea - Dale Salwak 4. Remarkable Magic #97 - Nick Lewin 5. Life as a Magical Partner - #121 - Kyle Peron 6. Cruising With Paul Romhany #71 7. Broken Wand - Terry Burgess 8. Mountains And Rivers 14 - Day Tour Of China 9. Cecil Parkee In Concord Hospital 10. Martinka Auction 37 Is Now Online 11. The Melbourne Magic Festival 12. Fantasma News 13. British Ring Convention News 14. New England Magic Collector's Association 15. Eric DeCamps Pure Magic 16. Marvels Of Magic - Singapore 17. V Theater At Planet Hollywood 18. Superday Weekend Of Magic - Sydney 19. 'Taylor's Magic Shop' Is For Sale 20. e-zine Archives 21. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- My good friend, Bruce Kalver, also the current S.A.M. National President, phoned the other day to tell me that his son, Eric, just graduated from the Berklee College of Music and has started a business creating music for different types of acts, especially magic. He does everything from composing to arranging it, and then he records it for you to use in your shows. Bruce had Eric write some music for his history of magic website (www.tophatprod.com/magichistoryshow) I listened to it and it sounds wonderful! He has just finished creating music for Mike Miller’s new Pool Act. Eric says that his music is created to enhance an act without overpowering it. He speaks with you about your act and what style of music you are thinking of using and what tricks you are performing. Then he creates specialized music for you. He is also working on a CD of music for popular tricks and illusions that should be available soon. If you’d like to talk to Eric about music for your act, check out his website at: www.erickalvermusic.com Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. Income Disappearing For Magicians -------------------------------------------- Message by Bruce Kalver National President – The Society of American Magicians Daily News - Los Angeles Using sleight of hand, magician Barry Sokolsky can make your wedding ring disappear. Then while you're scanning the floor, it somehow ends up dangling among the keys on a chain in his pocket. It's a trick Sokolsky has been perfecting for a half-dozen years. Sadly, he's not performing it that often these days as event organizers scale back their budgets. He and other magicians find themselves digging deeper into their bag of tricks in the hope of conjuring up new gigs in the down economy.  For the balance of the article go to: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_12169936 -------------------------------------------- 3. Magic In North Korea - Dale Salwak -------------------------------------------- Message by Dale Salwak (US) Travel to North Korea is not a simple matter. One doesn't just buy a ticket, hop onto an airplane, and fly there. It took the sponsor and the organizer more than two years to sort out the regulations and logistics and receive approval from the authorities before Dale Salwak was able to fly to Beijing, join seven other magicians (Yuji Yasuda and his wife, Junhae, Domenico Dante, Mirko Callaci, Xu Qiu, Ono Michiru, and Nayu Beak), pick up their visas from the consulate, and then board Air China for the two-hour journey. All that time their emailed communications had carried the subject heading, "Secret Convention".  Given certain sensitivities with the arrangements, only now is Dale able to reveal what happened.  Read a full report, along with photos by Domenico, in the July issue of MAGIC: The Independent Magazine for Magicians. -------------------------------------------- 4. Remarkable Magic #96 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message from Nick Lewin (US) Visions of Ken Brooke. The new video of ‘lost’ Ken Brooke video footage is now available from Martin Breese and for me it was the thrill of a lifetime to watch it. I know the footage wasn’t really lost but it certainly has seemed that way. I first met Ken in the 60’s when he moved from Harry Stanley’s Unique Magic Studio and set up shop (or should I say Studio) on his own at 145 Wardour Street in the heart of Soho. Along with his partner Frank Farrow created a legendary new home for magic. 95% of the footage on this new DVD was filmed prior to my meeting Ken. It is like watching private glimpses of somebody I got to know very well. They are a rare glimpse of one of magic’s true legends having fun doing tricks. Most of the footage was filmed by Harry Stanley and shot by Lewis Ganson and features a dashing young man who reminds me a little of a young Laurence Harvey. By half-closing and squinting my eyes I can see the Ken Brooke I knew there somewhere! The short films were obviously planned as promotional tools for Harry’s magic business. Some are performance only and some involve explanations. The overall feeling is of three good friends with a new toy enjoying themselves filming magic. Little did they realize what a glorious time capsule they were creating. One thing this DVD is definitely not, is a video of ‘Ken Brooke’s Greatest Hits’ or ‘Ken Brooke Live.’ Would I have liked that—you bet! However Ken really made his living by selling magic and was fairly careful about putting his material down for everyone to see. That said, you will get to see Ken perform his classic ‘Chop Cup’ and ‘Chase the Ace’ routines all brought to you in full sound. Watch Ken’s handling of the ‘Chop Cup’ before ‘You Tubing’ Paul Daniels version of the trick. Then ask yourself whether this is one of those rare DVDs that contain a true reputation building and career making effects. However there are many other gems of handling and magic scattered throughout the DVD. While I am certainly not trying to contradict or disagree with Pat Page in his commentary, I wouldn’t be that dumb. Pat certainly does a great job putting everything into magical perspective but he seems a little obsessed with the vintage of the video and the magic that Ken performs during it. Anyone who knew Ken will realize that by the unavoidable nature of the home movie production we are mostly robbed of the joy of hearing Ken’s patter. Pat says on several occasions, “This isn’t a trick Ken would ever have performed.” Well, other than the fact that he DID or we wouldn’t be able to watch it, it was obviously Harry Stanley’s camera and he was calling the shots. Would Ken have performed some of these effects over a pint at the local pub? Probably not but how many of us were around in the 50s to spend an evening with Ken at ‘The Duke.’ Ken Brooke was one of the greatest comedy magicians ever to perform. Part of the pleasure in watching this DVD is in realizing what a very fine magician Ken actually was. The comedy that was such a huge part of Ken’s appeal rested on a foundation of magic that was meticulous and well rounded. I have every reason to love this DVD and I do. I think it adds a chance to explore a wonderful part of our magical heritage, and indeed give us some ‘Visions of Ken Brooke.’ Thank you Martin for giving us this opportunity, I wholeheartedly endorse and recommend this new DVD for anyone with a love of magic. If it isn’t now, it will very soon be available via Martin’s website Drop me an email at nicklewin1@me.com or check out my website at www.nicklewin.com -------------------------------------------- 5. Where Did It Go? - #121 - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message by Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com Where did it go? No I am not talking about your lost pocket change or the occasional misplaced sock. I have been talking to a lot of folks lately about the idea of lack of creativity in magic. Specifically where has the creativity gone and why is there not as much of it in the magic we do? I also wanted to talk about youth in magic and how has that not only changed over the years, but the influence it has had on magic and creativity. So where has it gone? Well some folks might argue that there really was not a whole lot of creativity in magic to begin with. I can agree with this notion especially when one looks at the whole concept of buying "routines in a box." How easy it is these days to go online or to any store and purchase not just an effect but an effect that tells you what to say, how to say it, how to move, patter lines, comedy lines and even a nice DVD showing you how the magician performs it? It is just too easy to buy a routine and not have to think for yourself. So in many ways magicians have become lazy. Creativity takes work and some simply do not want to put forth the effort involved. But I think there has been a big shift in the past few years with beginners and youth in magic and the tie in to creativity. Allow me to explain a bit if I may. Before I go further, I want to express clearly that I am heavily into teaching and assisting youth in magic. I have been a Society of Young Magicians co-leader for over 15 years and work as mentor to youth both locally and nationally. So what I am about to explain is more of a general feeling based on what I am seeing and an opinion only. With this said, I think it is safe to say that youth getting into magic has changed drastically over the years. I think more youth are coming into magic than in years past and this is a good thing. I think we can also agree that this influx of youth to magic has been created by this sudden growth of street magic or extreme magic. I also feel that more youth are coming to magic due to the popularity of David Blaine and Cris Angel appealing to that generation. More youth getting involved in magic is always a good thing. However, I feel the problem lies in that creativity is lost and not promoted at the beginner stage. Beginners in magic and youth are not getting taught the importance of creativity and how to routine what they do. In a way, magic has become more like an extreme sport for young beginners of our art. The deck of cards has become the new skate board. Like a skateboard, you do stunts and tricks to impress. You can see this easily with just how many YouTube videos and DVDs are out there on flourishes alone. You can also see it in the tricks and effects being produced these days. Most are selling the idea of "wow" and "fooling". It is all about the killer reaction you get instead of routining and realizing the importance of creativity and entertainment value. This is not to say that all kids head this way. It is simply an observation only on how I have seen magic change in the past few years. If this is true, then how can we address it? I think it starts with realizing that every magician had to start somewhere. We all learn through the process of trial and error. We also learn through making mistakes. Through failure, one can learn success. I think we need to embrace the youth and use our knowledge to share with them what they need to know and learn. Give back to magic what it has given to you. Allow the kids to teach you as you teach them. Though this process of sharing, I think we can start to bring back creativity to the art we all love. 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. - "Encore! Creativity in the Art of Magic" Ebook. Order online now at: http://www.magicenhancer.com/Encore.html - "Tips and Techniques on the Chair Suspension" Ebook. Order online now at: http://www.magicenhancer.com/ChairSuspension.html -------------------------------------------- 6. Cruising With Paul Romhany #71 -------------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) Secrets of A Successful Magician Part 2 We are all looking for some type of success in our magic business. I have said it before, and I'll say it again - show business is 10% show and 90% business. One of my most important rules is to never put all your eggs in one basket. For the past ten years I've been booked on cruise ships. About two years ago I could see major changes happening and so work has slowed down for many acts out there. Not one to sit around and wait for the phone to ring, I quickly secured myself contracts on land touring and working in the corporate market. I used the last year to re-build my contacts for the times ship work was slow. I am hearing stories from many friends, both magicians and non-magicians who have been on ships for a long time. Major changes are under way and they aren't for the best. The cruise lines seem to be cutting a lot of corners and now asking much more from their acts and paying less. Of course the quality of acts will drop and it will only be time until passengers start to complain. After talking to many passengers myself, I have noticed they are not happy. Things will pick up again once the lines realise that if they start to make cut backs in important areas then they will kill their business. I am preparing for a very busy summer ahead with a few festivals and also a gig that I've always dreamed about doing that finally looks like it will happen. My own one man evening show --- more about that later. The concept is fantastic and it's something many magicians - full time or part time could easily set up. I will be documenting the entire process on film as it is something we can all do. If you can perform magic then you can take my concepts and put them into practice. This project will be underway very shortly. The first thing you need to know about success is that it's an inside job. Success comes from within. It is no easy task when you want to learn to be successful, but if you have the courage to look at yourself and who you really are, then you are half way there. Know Thyself If you really want to learn how to be successful in life you're going to have to face up to who you are today in order to become the person you want to be tomorrow. You must examine your thoughts, actions, beliefs, emotions, and who you surround yourself with. Take a look at your friends are they growing or dying? Many full time professional magicians don't belong to magic clubs ... have you ever wondered why this is? In many cases they are very negative and waste far too much time talking about politics and bad mouthing other magicians. Don't get me wrong, not ALL clubs are like this. I recently did a series of lectures around New Zealand and Australia and found them to be positive people and clubs with professionals being members. They must certainly be doing something right! You can still belong to a club, but just don't get caught up in the in-house fighting that can happen. It is very negative energy that will just bring you down. Keep upbeat - surround yourself with like-minded people. We all feed off the energy around us and this is reflected in our attitude both in business and life. Pay attention to what you're afraid of because fear is the ultimate destroyer of success and happiness. How do you talk to yourself? Are you constantly criticizing yourself or are you talking to yourself in a positive manner. After you deal with everything that's stopping you... You Must Become Financially Free Freedom is your driving force in life, it doesn't matter who you are or where you came from it is your freedom that you value most. Are you stuck in a job that you hate, trading your time for money making other people rich, and sacrificing your happiness for a paycheck? Maybe you're even being paid extremely well but are you happy? If you want to learn how to be successful you must learn to work for yourself. This is where many magicians are in their lives - at least those who email me. They have jobs but just aren't happy. Of course, in these economic times it might not be wise to jump in full throttle just yet, however there is no reason why you can't take your magic business to the next level. As a part time magician perhaps you can push yourself to get that extra gig, or to get that regular gig you've always wanted to try out for. Perhaps you want to move into the cruise ship market. There is still work out there, you might just have to be more patient with your efforts, but why not put together the necessary things you need and send it off. Surround Yourself With Winners "You can either dine with the dogs or fly with the eagles" If you really want to learn how to be successful, you must examine who you CHOOSE to surround yourself with and if they are not doing anything with their lives it's time to make some changes. This brings me back to something that magicians used to do years ago, and nobody seems to do it much anymore. That is, to find yourself a mentor. While in New Zealand recently Alan Watson was mentoring a young magician Jarred Fell. I am certain, that thanks to Alan, Jarred has gone ahead in leaps and bounds. The person you mentor doesn't mean they will become a clone of you and your act, but hopefully they will subconsciously pick up your winning thoughts, beliefs, and attitude which will in turn help them become a more successful person as well as yourself. -------------------------------------------- 7. Broken Wand - Terry Burgess -------------------------------------------- Message by Henry Lewis (UK) It gives me no pleasure to inform you that Stan Ripton telephoned me a few minutes ago to tell me that our member Terry Burgess MIMC passed away in his sleep lasting night. He was a fairly regular Monday night attendee at TMC and he and his wife Norma attended most of the convention and dealer shows. He was both a dealer and a practicing magician and never refused anyone who wanted help. I personally will miss him and send my condolences to Norma. -------------------------------------------- 8. Mountains And Rivers 14 - Day Tour Of China -------------------------------------------- Message by Joan Caesar IBM International President Contact Joan Caesar for further information: JCaesar@sentex.ca Depart from Toronto, Canada and New York, USA Cost of $4000.00 CAN ($3,670.00 USD) includes flights from America, internal flights, all hotel and food during the 14-day tour. Highlights: Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, Giant Panda Research Base. Some of the most beautiful scenery in the world: Huanglong Scenery Area, Jiuzhaigou Scenery Area and Yellow Mountain Scenery Area. Days filled with mountain vistas and waterfalls. Forbidden City, Great Wall, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Pecking Duck Dinner and Acrobatic Show. Itinerary: July 12-26 Day 01 - 7/12 Flight Q Beijing. Starting your tour by taking deluxe flight to Beijing, cross the International Date Line. Day 02 - 7/13 Arriving Beijing Q Grand New World Hotel (4-star) or equivalent. Arrive in Beijing - the capital of China. Transfer to Xi’an directly from Beijing airport. Nexus Holidays tour guide greets you at the Xi’an airport and transfer you to your hotel. Day 03 - 7/14  Xi’an (B/L/D) Grand New World Hotel (4-star) or equivalent. Have a free time in the morning. You may have a good rest after a long-haul flight. Xi’an is the first Chinese city to open up its doors to the world during the Tang Dynasty. Over a period of more than 2000 years, Xian was the capital for eleven dynasties. In the afternoon visit the Ancient City Wall which is one of the largest and most complete ancient military defense systems in the world. Day 04 - 7/15 Xi’an (B/L/D) Grand New World Hotel (4-star) or equivalent. In the morning you will go sightseeing of the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, the attached defending army to the first emperor of China, it is regarded as “the eighth wonder of the world” and among the top archaeological excavations of the 20th century. Visit to the Porcelain Terra Cotta Warriors Factory. Then visit the Large Wild Goose Pagoda, the symbol of the city, it is said to have been built to house and protect Buddhist scriptures collected by the Chinese monk, Xuan Zang, the key figure in ?Journey to the West?. Enjoy the Dumpling Banquet dinner and the Tang Dynasty Singing and Dancing Show in the evening. Day 05 - 7/16 Xi’an Q Chengdu (B/L/D) Water Hotel (4-star) or equivalent. After breakfast, visit the Shaan Xi Historical Museum. In the afternoon, fly to Chengdu. Upon arrival visit the Giant Panda Research Base, here is the best place to see Chengdu's most famous residents. The Museum here graphically details the panda reproductive problems and there is also a large breeding ground at the site. Visit the local silk factory. Enjoy the local cuisine dinner in the evening. Day 06 - 7/17 Chengdu Q Huanglong v Jiuzhaigou (B/L/D) Gesang Hotel (4-star) or equivalent. Fly to the Fairyland - Jiuzhaigou Valley, which is famous for its natural wonders in terms of colorful waters. Tour to the Huanglong scenic area firstly. It is famous for its magic landscape of limes formation, made up of 3400 multi-colored, different sized ponds. Calcareous fluid with bottom paving with golden line deposit, plus five waterfalls, four stalactite caves and three ancient temples, all of them gather in the same place, which look like a dragon surging down from snowcapped peaks of Mountain Min. Ref.: http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/huanglong.html Day 07 - 7/18 Jiuzhaigou(B/L/D) Gesang Hotel (4-star) or equivalent. Today you will spend the whole day exploring the fantasy of Jiuzhaigou. Visit the Mirror Lake in the early morning, you may see the bird fly in the quiet water and the fish swim in the sky. Then take the sightseeing of the Virgin Forest, the Grass Lake and Swan Lake. Walk along the Panda Lake, you may have a chance to meet the lovely giant Panda. Visit the Five Flower Lake and Pearl Shoal Waterfall and Nuorilang Waterfall. The water here appears to be either magically peacock blue or emerald. All those who encounter it are overwhelmed by the breathtaking beauty of both of its landscape and lakes, springs, waterfalls, streams, rivers, and shoals. Ref.: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/637/ Ref.: http://www.chinapictures.org/type/nature-scenes/jiuzhaigou-valley/ Day 08 - 7/19 Jiuzhaigou(B/L/D) Gesang Hotel (4-star) or equivalent. Today you will continue your tour in Jiuzhaigou. Visit the Long Lake which is 3103 meters above the sea level. 8 kilometers in length, 103 meters in depth and 3100 square meters in area, it is the largest lake in Jiuzhaigou Valley area. Then visit the Multicolor Lake, the Rhinoceros Lake, the Tiger Lake and the Shuzheng Waterfall. You may also visit the local Tibetan Village and select your favorite souvenirs. Day 09 - 7/20 Jiuzhaigou Q Chengdu Q Hangzhou (B/L/D) Xiang Yuan Hotel (4-star) or equivalent. Fly to Chengdu in the morning and transfer to Hangzhou directly at Chengdu airport. Check-in the hotel and have a free time in Hangzhou. Day 10 - 7/21 Hangzhou v Mt. Huangshan (B/L/D) International Hotel (4-star) or equivalent. After breakfast take a coach to Mt. Huangshan in the morning. Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is the most famous mountain in China and the rich heritage of mankind. It has been famous for thousands of years for its unique pine trees, stones of strange shapes, the sea of clouds, and hot springs. Day 11 - 7/22 Mt. Huangshan (B/L/D) Shilin Hotel (4-star) or equivalent. Take a cable car to the top of the mountain. Explore the famous peaks. From the summit the neighboring peaks look dwarfed and in the distance the whole scene gradually merges into one shade of color. Stay overnight at the hotel on top of the mountain. Day 12 - 7/23 Mt. Huangshan Beijing (B/L/D) Jade Palace Hotel (5-star) or equivalent Rise early to catch the breath-taking view of the sun rising from the horizon with mountain peaks shrouded in the sea of clouds. Continue the excursion on the Mt. Huangshan. Descend by cable car and tour the Hongcun Village, which has been recognized as the World Culture Heritage of mankind. Visit the local market. Fly to Beijing in the evening. Day 13 - 7/24 Beijing (B/L/D) Jade Palace Hotel (5-star) or equivalent. Beijing served as the capital of 5 dynasties over a period of 800 years. Start your city tour with a visit to the Forbidden City. This complex, the largest and most intact conglomeration of ancient structures of the imperial palace ever built in the world, features more than 800 buildings with 9999 rooms, resplendent golden-glazed roofs, red lacquered pillars and vermilion walls. Next stop is the Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world. Then tour to the Temple of Heaven, which was used to offer sacrifices to heaven and pray for good harvest in ancient times. The next stop is the Summer Palace, the largest ancient preserved garden in China and a former summer resort for Emperors and the chosen few. Visit the local silk carpet factory. Enjoy the famous Peking Duck dinner in the evening. Day 14 - 7/25 Beijing (B/L/D) Jade Palace Hotel (5-star) or equivalent. The highlight today is a trip to the astonishing Great Wall at Juyong Pass. The Great Wall is the most famous image of China throughout the world. It is the only man-made object visible from the moon, and one of the Eight Wonders of the world. It is also a symbol of Chinese traditional culture and the pride of the Chinese nation. Later visit the Sacred Path of Ming Tombs, where 13 of the 16 Ming emperors have their tombs. This is an attractive destination as much for the natural scenery of the area as for the tombs themselves. Visit the Cloisonné Factory and the biggest Jade Exhibition Center in Asia. Enjoy the famous acrobatic show in the evening. Day 15 -7/26 Beijing (B) Take part in the FISM WCM2009. 7/31 Beijing Q Toronto Tour guide will transfer you to the airport and fly back to your home airport. -------------------------------------------- 9. Cecil Parkee In Concord Hospital -------------------------------------------- Message from Steve Walker (Aust) Our old mate Cecil Parkee has been in Concord hospital for a few weeks with a bad foot. He can't stand now so it makes things difficult. You may like to spread the word. He is in ward 11 bed 20 at the moment, if you can visit him. -------------------------------------------- 10. Martinka Auction 37 Is Now Online -------------------------------------------- Message from Ted Bogusta (US) Martinka’s Auction 37 is now online, you will find many items listed including rare books, apparatus, paper and some great Houdini pieces. This auction will include items from the collection of Sam Schwartz as well as a nice grouping of selected apparatus, posters and books. Please check the site often as we will be adding over 100 more items over the next week. The auction ends on June 14th. As always, all items will be posted online at www.martinka.com . Martinka & Co., Inc. 103 Godwin Ave. Midland Park, NJ 07432 201-444-7576 -------------------------------------------- 11. The Melbourne Magic Festival -------------------------------------------- Message from Tim Ellis (Aust) The Melbourne Magic Festival kicks off in three weeks with a big magic auction with Graham Etherington. Monday June 29 - Bar opens 7.00pm, doors open 7.30pm. Northcote Town Hall, 189 High St, Northcote. Free Admission - and everyone is welcome - but we only have 100 seats so arrive early. The first half of the auction list is now online http://melbournemagicfestival.com/auction/list-of-items/ There are very few reserves so come along and grab a bargain! Take a look at the line-up for the Festival at www.MelbourneMagicFestival.com We have over 70 performances of 20 different shows plus classes, workshops, and the Australian Junior Magic Championships! It's going to be a massive two weeks so come along and share in the magic! See you there! -------------------------------------------- 12. Fantasma News -------------------------------------------- Message by Roger Dreyer (US) Fantasma wants to thank our good friend Gazzo for his great work over the last few days. Gazzo’s lecture was a huge success and all of us now want to become street hustlers. That’s where the real money is:) His public show was equally as successful and a real honor to see, but the real pleasure was watching him in the street at the South Street Seaport! Street performing is an art and Gazzo is the Michelangelo of the craft! We have videotaped everything, so expect to see FDD’s as well as other digital surprises from Gazzo coming real soon! Jeff McBride will be here soon. His June 12th lecture and show are each just about sold out. We also have only a few spaces left for his Master Class (Secret Sessions) on Saturday June 13th. Friday June 12 – Jeff McBride – Public Show 7:30pm- $35.00 Gen Adm. $45.00 day of event, $50.00 VIP http://shopping.fantasmamagic.com/proddetail.php?prod=1810 Friday June 12 – Jeff McBride – Lecture 9:30pm - $35.00 Gen Adm. $45.00 day of event, $50.00 VIP http://shopping.fantasmamagic.com/proddetail.php?prod=1804 Friday June 12 – Jeff McBride – Show/Lecture Combo - $50.00 Gen Adm. $90.00 VIP Seats for both events http://shopping.fantasmamagic.com/proddetail.php?prod=2245 Saturday June 13 – Master Workshop from 1-5pm- $125.00 http://shopping.fantasmamagic.com/proddetail.php?prod=1811 Jim Fantasma Magic 421 7th Avenue - 2nd Floor New York, NY 10001 212 244-3633 Please visit our website to see the latest magic items. www.Fantasmamagic.com Thank you for your support! Check out our Fantasma Digital Downloads (FDD's) See the very best in magic perform the very best! -------------------------------------------- 13. British Ring Convention News -------------------------------------------- Message from Bob Hayden PRO to the British Ring This year, particularly, for the Children’s Entertainer there will be not one but two specialist lectures and who better to deliver them than Terry Herbert and John Kimmons. Terry Herbert is acknowledged worldwide as the Crowned Prince of Children’s Entertainers with a lifelong experience for doing so. It started in 1956 when he applied to and was appointed by the Butlins Organisation as a Redcoat Children’s Entertainer at their Cliftonville Hotels. This gave him the great opportunity of finely honing his already considerable magical skills and to engage with a young audience on a daily basis. It was a venture that proved to be invaluable. He was to stay with Butlins for the next nine years working his way up the ranks to be Resident Compere and finally Entertainments Manager. During the latter period one of the Redcoats working under him was as then an unknown but up and coming comic Jimmy Tarbuck. Following his marriage to Averil in 1965 (she was his Redcoat Secretary) he left the organisation to become the assistant and promotions manager at the Streatham Ice Rink in South London. It was there he presented Howard Peters, his enduring friend, escaping from a block of ice in the middle of the rink. Another change in career was to take Terry into the toy business where he remained for the next 12 years combining it with working as a semi-pro magician until deciding to become a full time professional. It was a wise decision to do so and one that Terry has never regretted. Over the next three decades plus Terry established himself not only as the countries foremost Children’s Entertainer but an International Comedy Magician gaining a host of prestigious awards along the way including the British Ring Comedy Cup in 1980, the British Champion of Comedy in 1986, The Magic Circle ‘Carlton’ award for Comedy magic in 1992, and the David Berglas award of the British Magical Society in 2008. On television he has been a guest artiste on numerous light entertainment shows and made over 50 programmes that were screened on the Children’s Channel on Cable and Satellite Television plus a series of children’s programmes on Thames Television called Five Magic Minutes. He has produced a number of very successful instructional Videos/DVDs. His video Children’s Magic – the Herbert Way was a runaway bestseller and became a standard work of reference for the newcomer to entertaining children as well as for experienced performers. His latest DVDs Magic for Under 5’s and The ‘Kidabra’ Kidshow Superstars Volume 1 are also bestsellers. In the former you see a live show with some of the tricks Terry regularly uses and those most all important ‘bits of business’ which children loved. Next he explains the tricks and what effect he is trying to achieve. This and more will be the basis of the lecture Terry is delivering in Southport and so that you can bear witness to the impact that his work has on a young audience he is arranging for such a group to be present. John Kimmons is a Magical Ventriloquist. As Kimmo he has been performing professionally for over 25 years delighting audiences with his unique blend of magic, comedy and ventriloquism. At the Blackpool Convention in 2008 he was awarded the title Children’s Entertainer World champion and became the first ever children’s entertainer to pick up the highly respected Ken Dodd award for Comedy. A large number of you will remember John from the days when he could always be found behind the stand of Supreme Magic. How he came to be there happened in rather an unlikely way. The first magical Convention he attended was at Blackpool when he was aged 15, and where like many others he was immediately drawn to the Supreme stand. He was already in procession of the Supreme catalogue, a catalogue he had studied with meticulous care and intimately knew every effect it contained. As usual there was a large crowd surrounding the stand, such was the magnetism and pulling power of Supreme Magic’s proprietor Edwin Hooper. However Edwin when demonstrating his vast range of effects was not giving the cost of any individual item. So without reference to the catalogue John, from the front of the stand, informed the crowd of each effects price. Edwin was stunned by this young man’s daring interruptions but instead of rebuking him, invited him to come behind the stand and assist. Thereafter John was to accompany the Supreme and later the Edwin’s Magical Arts team to all major Conventions and he was to become a most popular member with the customers. Coincidentally John had performed his first children’s show at the same age and has since gone on to work at almost every conceivable type of venue from parties in private houses to large theatres and large festival audiences. John firmly believes that the contents of any children’s show should be aimed at a family audience rather than being just merely a distraction to keep the children occupied. He keeps his shows devoid of repetitive filler material instead packing them with stunning magic and hilarious ventriloquism routines. So in his lecture ‘Talk to my Hand’ he will not only be stressing the importance of performing visual magic but emphasising the attention that must be given to ensure it is entertaining. He will also be exploring and showing how the use of ventriloquism with hand held animal figures can add to and enhance your children’s show as well as detailing the skills required to master this art form. It is one that is increasingly becoming popular as an alternative to ballooning modelling and one you may well want to adopt. If you are a children’s entertainer these are two lectures you cannot afford to miss. In all, spread over the period of the Convention, there will be eleven lectures/workshops. These lectures alone make the registration fee of £125 per person (£100 for British Ring members and their partners), excellent value for money. For Juniors of 18 years of age or under there is a reduced registration fee of £65. So why not make your Registration now and enjoy four packed days of magic and be in the company of and mingle with many of the world’s Stars of Magic. -------------------------------------------- 14. New England Magic Collector's Association -------------------------------------------- Message from General Grant Nemca Summer Gathering Sunday June 28, 2009 Doubletree Boston/Westborough Hotel Westborough, MA (by Invitation only) Show Featuring Charles Cambra - The Boudreaus - General Grant -------------------------------------------- 15. Eric DeCamps Pure Magic -------------------------------------------- Message from Eric DeCamps (US) Just a friendly reminder that the fifth performance of the 2009 Edition of Eric DeCamps Pure Magic – A Performance of Contemporary Conjuring is scheduled for this Sunday June 7, 2009. The production directed by Bob Fitch, has returned to the popular Metropolitan Room located at 34 West 22nd Street in New York City (212 206 0440). With the ambiance of an intimate 1940’s jazz club, the Metropolitan Room was voted New York Magazine “Best Cabaret” for 2008. A limited engagement, the show will be repeated every Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm through June 28, 2009 (except for June 21). The cover charge is only $25.00 with a two drink minimum. Those who experienced the last edition all agreed that this show is not to be missed. For tickets and more information please go to: www.ericdecamps.com or www.metropolitanroom.com More surprises to come! -------------------------------------------- 16. Marvels Of Magic - Singapore -------------------------------------------- Message from Barry Khoo Come and share in the truly magical experience of watching some of the Singapore’s best professional performing talents of magicians & illusionists presented by the Singapore Association of Magicians (Assembly 90 of the Society of American Magicians USA). Featuring: Jeremy Pei, Alex T, Mystfying Imran, Gician Tan, Daisy Ho, Andrew Kong, Danny Koh & Nique Tan, Jeremy Tan and Kiki Tay Venue: Raffles Hotel, Jubilee Hall. Time: 7.30 pm Date: 18 July 2009 (Saturday) One Night Only. Limited Seats. Tickets are at $25 available online www.singaporemagicians.org & at our Official Magic Shops. Early Bird 20% discount at only $20 before 20 June 2009. -------------------------------------------- 17. V Theater At Planet Hollywood -------------------------------------------- Message from Gerry McCambridge (US) We moved the show to the V Theater at Planet Hollywood 3 weeks ago. Since it was a brand new showroom and I was the first performer to perform on the new stage, I knew the room might have a few growing pains. We are now up and running 100% and we are very proud of the show. Quite a few friends and fans wanted to come see my show in the new venue, and I asked them to wait until we got all the kinks worked out. Well the kinks are out and we invite anyone who wants to catch the show to come on down and see the new, beautiful showroom David built. No need to contact us for tickets. Just go to my web site www.mentalist.com any time to receive two complimentary tickets to the show for any night that works best for you. This Thursday on the 11th, I will perform my 800th show here in Las Vegas extending the world record for the "Longest running Mentalist show" in Las Vegas history. Steve Friess from the "Las Vegas Weekly" recently complied his list of Top 10 shows in Vegas you "absolutely have to see" and I was #7 on the list. There were only 2 magicians on his Top 10 list. Me and Mac King (an awesome show). Mac came in at #9 and I was #7 which means I was named the top magic show to see in Vegas!!! Read the entire list go to: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2009/may/21/winners/ Have an awesome weekend, and see you soon... I hope ;-) -------------------------------------------- 18. Superday Weekend Of Magic - Sydney -------------------------------------------- Message from Sean Taylor (Aust) David Regal, Pat Fallon, Dean Atkinson, Chuck Fayne, Sean Taylor, Kent Blackmore and more to come...Announcement of another show act coming this month! Superday is coming up really really fast. We have just 3 months to go now. The trend with all of my corporate events currently is that people are leaving things later and later. This seems to be the same with Superday too. Many of you who come each year and have told me you are coming have still not signed up. Half of the people registered so far come from interstate and New Zealand which means it’s the Sydney people who are lagging behind. Come on guys and make the move so we can plan the days properly! I mention this every year but the seats for the shows always fill up and they are filling up. Saturday is looking very healthy and Friday is starting to sell rapidly now. If I were you, I'd think about booking right now! To book go to: http://taylorsmagicshop.com/category17_1.htm -------------------------------------------- 19. 'Taylor's Magic Shop' Is For Sale -------------------------------------------- Message from Sean Taylor (Aust) Sale of the Business As most of you will know by now, I have recently made it known that the business 'Taylor's Magic Shop' is for sale. There is nothing sinister behind this; after 15 years we are simply ready to let someone else take the reigns. I have no idea how rumours start, but I have fielded dozens of calls asking when we will close. To clarify this in the simplest language I can. Taylors Magic Shop is NOT closing. We have a busy and successful business here in Chatswood. If anything, too busy, which is one of the reasons I have decided to concentrate on some of the other things I do. Superday will continue, there will be more lectures coming through this year, we will have catalogues and mail order, help and advice and all of the things you have come to expect from our full service magic business. The sale could take some time so I will not be gone next week or even next month! -------------------------------------------- 20. 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) -------------------------------------------- 21. 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