* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment * www.Alan-Watson.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #717 Date: Sunday 20th December 2009 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. Seasonal Greetings - Marlene And Bill Seagraves 3. TV Magician Paul Daniels' Home Burgled 4. So, Does Paul Daniels Share The Becks Magic? 5. Ali Bongo Left Cash To Help Struggling Performers 6. More Remarkable Magic #21 - Nick Lewin 7. The Gift of Giving - #147 - Kyle Peron 8. Consider A Trip To New Zealand? 9. New Documentary About John Calvert 10. Executive Producer Of ' The Innovention' 11. Steve Wyrick Magic Show Disappears 12. e-zine Archives 13. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- The World Festival of Magic has just finished a 3 month tour of Australia and New Zealand finishing up in Auckland where we saw the suave and very active Michael Boyd (Australia) and James Dimmare (yes don't forget he's Canadian but living in Las Vegas!) performing his classic dove act. Touring with their absolutely gorgeous assistants/dancers presenting a world class production. This year's show was very well structured with dance, magic and illusions and throughout the tour received a great response from their packed audiences. ------------------------------ Mandy Davis (UK), current Chair of the Young Magicians Club, recently mentioned to me that she has now completed the organisation of ten years of workshops for junior magicians at The Magic Circle. These take place almost monthly at the HQ and the numbers of participants grows constantly - last month reaching an all time high of seventy! Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. Seasonal Greetings - Marlene And Bill Seagraves -------------------------------------------- Message by Bill and Marlene Seagraves (Lake Taupo, New Zealand) May you never miss an injog nor your card forget to rise; May your mental revelations still outwit the worldly-wise. May you make the pass invisibly, the chosen card to steal; May your fingers never falter when you try to bottom deal. May your silks be sympathetic and your glassware never break; May you never find your wax used up or lose a cherished feke. May a trick be always ready when the audience asks for more; May you never lose your temper when the rope fails to restore. May your thimbles ever multiply' your spells retain their charm; May you always find the billiard ball adhering to your palm. May you float the ball unworried without a snapping thread; And always find the vicar's watch inside the loaf of bread. May you always catch the last train home, the taxi fare to save; May elastic never perish or your rabbits misbehave. May the sun and moon shine on you, your rice bowls over-flow; In your efforts, spread some happiness, as through life you go. May the magic of good will and cheer attend your Christmastide; Peace, love and joy for years to come, with you and yours abide. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year -------------------------------------------- 3. TV Magician Paul Daniels' Home Burgled -------------------------------------------- Message by Ron Calhoun I saw this story on the BBC News website and thought you should see it... Magician Paul Daniels has spoken of being targeted by a burglar who broke into his home while he was watching TV. The 71-year-old star was sitting in the living room of his Berkshire home when a thief apparently climbed in through an upstairs window. The entertainer, who did not lose anything of significant value, wrote on his blog that the incident was "more of a nuisance than anything else"......... Balance of article go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/berkshire/8413334.stm -------------------------------------------- 4. So, Does Paul Daniels Share The Becks Magic? -------------------------------------------- Message by Peter Mills Magician parodies David Beckham's famous Armani underwear advert Few men would dare emulate this pose by David Beckham. But Paul Daniels seems to be making a habit of it. The 71-year-old magician slipped into some designer underwear and copied the footballer's tattoos to recreate his stance on an advertising poster for Armani. While some of the differences are obvious - Beckham's rope is thicker, for example - Daniels claims to be pleased with the result, which appears in women's magazine Closer... To read the full article go to: Source: http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1235841/Paul-Daniels-parodies-David-Beckhams-famous-Armani-underwear-advert.html -------------------------------------------- 5. Ali Bongo Left Cash To Help Struggling Performers -------------------------------------------- Message by Peter Mills Magician Ali Bongo left cash to help struggling performers. Veteran magician Ali Bongo left £550,197 in his Will and a string of legacies to help other performers. Bongo who died aged 79 in March left his huge collection of magical apparatus, stage props and colourful costumes to be auctioned for the benefit of the Magic Circle. His Will also left his 700 magic books, to the organisation's library and his trophies, medals, photographs and records to its museum.... Balance of the article go to: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6743807/Magician-Ali-Bongo-left-cash-to-help-struggling-performers.html -------------------------------------------- 6. More Remarkable Magic #21 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message by Nick Lewin (US) A baptism by fire. Usually when people ask me what was my first television appearance in America I tell them it was the Merv Griffin Show back in 1979. This isn't actually true but I have only recently come to my own ease with the real answer. Like many frightening experiences it has seemed to find a way to hide itself away in a dusty, hidden corner of my brain. The very first television show that I ever appeared on was 'Wonderama,' the highly revered children's show filmed in New York. The show was hosted by Bob McAllister and produced by Dennis Marks and it was a New York legend. Just like attending the 'Bozo the Clown' show in Chicago (I believe!) kids had to apply for their free tickets so far in advance that they could sometimes become teenagers before receiving them! I arrived in New York and stayed at the Mayflower Hotel. I stayed there for two reasons; because it had a vaguely 'Englishy' title and because it was incredibly inexpensive. When I saw it I understood the incredibly inexpensive thing, it looked like a cross between a grimy 'Film Noir' from the 30's and an episode from the 'Twilight Zone.' I'm not actually saying that there were little twin girls prowling the corridors saying; "Play with us FOREVER" but there certainly could have been. Even more alarming was the pre-show meeting at the studio the next day when we discussed what effects I would perform on the taping that afternoon. I had packed a massive amount of material and was sure that we could find something suitable. After a brief consultation with Dennis, I discovered that every trick that I had brought with me; had already been performed by someone before. Someone, I may add who had a lot more 'street creeds' than me in the TV World. Eventually Dennis steered me towards two tricks that I had recently received from Ken Brooke and were basically unseen in the general magic world. I had certainly never performed them in public before! The tricks we chose for my two short segments were 'The Kornwinder Car' and a curiously bastardized version of Maurice Fogel's 'Second Spot,' which involved the 5 kids choosing a plastic toy and then getting to keep it, if my 'psychometric powers' proved correct. I found a quiet spot in the studio and feverishly began working on that damn little red car that Dick Kornwinder had created. If you did everything correctly with it, then it stopped its movement on a previously selected card. For me, at this point, it sometimes did and sometimes didn't, which was a rather worrying state of affairs two hours before taping a television set. Then came the scariest moment of all, they let the kids into the studio! They were the loudest, roughest, toughest and most frightening bunch of youngsters I had ever seen. It looked like middle school production of 'West Side Story' that had got seriously out of hand. The 'Wonderama' crowd knew exactly how to deal with this overexcited bunch of kids though. While they didn't actually (to my knowledge) use cattle prods, they got them into place and the filming began. I would like to give you some more details as to how the event played out, however my memories of the occasion are as blank as the business side of a 'Mental Photography' deck. I am told it went very well and my tricks were well received. The kids got their selected toys and that little red card stopped on the right card. I however have absolutely no memory of a single thing that happened....and that is why I generally refer to the 'Merv Griffin Show' as my first television show! I have restarted/revamped and generally upgraded my magic blog, which is now housed at www.remarkablemagic.com and would love it if you checked it out! Email me at nicklewin1@me.com -------------------------------------------- 7. The Gift of Giving - #147 - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message by Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com Whatever happened to childhood innocence? Whatever happened to ability to see magic in a child's eyes? Somewhere between childhood and becoming an adult, we lose a very special gift. We lose the ability to see magic and experience magic in the way it was meant to be experienced. We lose the gift of simply allowing ourselves to be entertained and to simply enjoy the wonderment of it all. As we break out of childhood, somewhere something happens to us. We get brainwashed into thinking magic is "for children only". We get this false idea that a magician is there to fool me and embarrass me if I go up and help him or her. We start to put up defenses and view magic as something that is supposed to be figured out like a puzzle that needs to be solved. It becomes anything but entertainment. Entertainment is lost in many layman's eyes.  It is a shame that so many lay people view magic in this fashion. It often feels like an uphill climb every time we do a show or have to try and convince a client that what we do has value. It is almost as if these folks forgot what it is like to be a kid. They forget what it is like to have that feeling of opening a gift they really wanted on Christmas morning. Recently I experienced an audience that completely made me see magic in a different light. This audience made me realize that the innocence is not lost. They made me realize that magic is very much alive in the way they view it. My wife and I had the pleasure of performing for Challenger Little League. This is a group of folks who have formed an organization so that children who are mentally challenged or autistic could play and enjoy the game of baseball. These kids ranged in age from 5 to 21 years of age and every one of them gets involved and helps support each other. There is no hatred or fear. There is only love and support and friendship. As I began to perform I started witnessing something VERY special. Something I had thought was lost forever. Something I thought I would never really see or get a chance to witness. Although these kids were mentally challenged and autistic, they had a special gift. Even though many could not talk well or express themselves like you or I, they had a power that many of us only wish we had or could get back. As I performed I realized that these kids were seeing and watching and viewing magic the way magic was meant to be experienced. They simply have never lost the wonderment of magic. They had not lost the gift of laughter or the fun of simply being entertained. There was no "figuring it out". There was no "you can't fool me". There was simply smiles and laughter from allowing themselves to just be have fun with what they were seeing. I was really taken back by this. It was an amazing experience to know that somewhere in this world, magic can be viewed as it should be. It also made me realize that we as performers have a rare gift. Instead of always wanting to receive something, we can give a gift of a smile. We can share the gift of joy or make someone forget about a problem even if just for a few moments. If these autistic children can enjoy magic on the level they do, then we can learn from this. We can strive to push our art form in a positive direction. We can work towards making what we perform a part of who we are. We can make sure we are never satisfied with doing the same old thing. We can strive to change perceptions through our actions. We can give the gift back that so many have lost. 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. - I would like to let everyone know that I just released a NEW book and E-Book to the magic Community. "Blue and Gold! The Complete Guide to Working The Scout Market!" is now available as a soft cover printed book as well as an ebook download. - "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 -------------------------------------------- 8. Consider A Trip To New Zealand? ------------------------------------------- Message by Timothy Hyde, Sydney Australia 30th New Zealand Magic Convention June 2010 Don't flick past this item if you are not in NZ or Australia. This is going to be a seriously GREAT event with an incredible line up and you may want to consider a trip to NZ just to take part in this! I've seen almost all of these guys lecture and perform and without a doubt they are the real deal and are all great Convention Guests. Paul Daniels - the ultimate showman, Whit Haydn - wow .. I still perform stuff I learnt from him years ago, John Carney - Brilliant, classy, funny, classic, and TC Tahoe, Paul Romhany, Darren Carr - all hard working pros who have carved out a niche in this business that we love. Sure, you could see most of these guys at the Castle or at a huge USA convention, but what about getting up close and personal with them at the well run, friendly NZ convention???? Full Details here - http://www.scmc.co.nz/convention.html I'll be heading to LA around that time, but if I can swing it I'm hoping to stopover for some of the time. -------------------------------------------- 9. New Documentary About John Calvert -------------------------------------------- Message by Fred Calvert (US) The news in the magic community travels fast, so you might have heard that a new documentary about John Calvert has been released recently. Produced over the course of nine years by John's nephew, Hollywood filmmaker Fred Calvert, it's the first in-depth, feature length film about this legendary magician and adventurer, and is now available at www.johncalvertmagic.com John has entertained the entire world for over eighty years, and at ninety-eight years of age, he vows he's not through yet. He wants the whole magic fraternity to see this film, and we need your help in getting the word out. If possible, please announce this release to your friends and members through your website and other means. For use in newsletters and news articles, there's a news release at the bottom of this email. Banners can be found at www.johncalvertmagic.com/banners.html Also, if you would like to join us in this effort as an affiliate and make some money, there is an affiliate program on the website, www.johncalvertmagic.com -------------------------------------------- 10. Executive Producer Of ' The Innovention' -------------------------------------------- Message by Paul Stone Exciting News - Hot off the press! On October 5th, 6th & 7th, 2010, I will be producing a very different Magic Convention in Las Vegas. It is called 'The Innovention', and will include many new ideas never before seen at any Magic Convention.  The venue is the beautifully appointed Suncoast Hotel & Casino in Summerlin, one of the nicest areas of Las Vegas, just 15 minutes from the Las Vegas 'Strip'. Full details will be available when Registration opens on 2nd January 2010, but I can tell you that there will be world class Close-up Shows, three International Cabaret Shows and several Workshops aimed specifically at substantially increasing the earnings of any performing magicians. The Presenters will be covering Close-up, Cabaret, Tradeshows, Speaking, Children's Magic and also Marketing & Promotion and Show Production. Performers and Presenters booked so far include Johnny & Pam Thompson ( The Great Tomsoni & Co ), Joseph Gabriel, Kevin James, Jeff Hobson, Lennart Green, Bob Kohler, Richard McDougall, Andy Nyman, Michael Close, Seth Kramer, Shep Hyken, Graham P. Jolley, Al Garber ( Magic Al ) and Kris Kremo. More performers, including a couple of BIG surprises, will be added in the New Year. The venue is excellent and offers a superb and intimate Las Vegas style Showroom, a Cabaret Room and four dedicated Close-up Rooms. The Hotel accomodation is excellent, with spacious rooms at a fantastic, locked-in guaranteed room rate. Our aim is to produce a Magic Convention celebrating excellence in all aspects, featuring world class performers and technical production allowing attendees to learn and be entertained in a superb venue offering unique and intimate facilities. At 'The Innovention' you'll find several new presentation ideas which we believe are long overdue. These include Close-up sessions presented the way they should be, and Workshop sessions that will dramatically increase your earnings from Magic, featuring many of Magic's top earning performers. Numbers will be carefully limited to ensure that everyone attending will be guaranteed a 'best seat' and will also have unrivalled access to all the Performers and Presenters. All the Shows and Workshops will be produced by a highly experienced professional technical team under the direction of Executive Producer, Paul Stone. And best of all, 'The Innovention' is great value for money! Not only are we keeping the Registration fee at an affordable price, October is a great time to travel as flights are much cheaper than in the summer, and the weather is perfect, normally around 75-80 degrees! Full Registration details will be available on 2nd January, so keep watching this space! If you only plan to attend one Magic Convention in 2010, make it 'The Innovention'! -------------------------------------------- 11. Steve Wyrick Magic Show Disappears -------------------------------------------- Message by Ron Calhoun Magician Steve Wyrick is doing a disappearing act for good at a Las Vegas resort. http://www.ktnv.com/global/story.asp?s=11669091 -------------------------------------------- 12. 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) -------------------------------------------- 13. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to any other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. You can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand® E-zine at www.Alan-Watson.com Magic New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday. The opinions expressed therein are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of Magic New Zealand®. Neither Magic New Zealand® nor Alan Watson vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via Magic New Zealand® E-zine. Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute to it by doing so agree they will not hold Magic New Zealand® or Alan Watson, jointly or individually liable or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed therein. Magic New Zealand® reserves the right to alter, correct or disregard any articles submitted. Readers are encouraged to submit timely articles or news items which may be of interest to subscribers. By submitting articles to this e-zine, the authors grant Magic New Zealand® the right to publish such articles and such authors confirm their copyright of the material submitted. All works published by Magic New Zealand® 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 Zealand®. 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. © Copyright 2009 Alan Watson