* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Magic New Zealand®
* Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment Ltd NZ
* www.magicnewzealand.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Issue Number: #1074
Date: Sunday 16th February 2014
Editor: Alan Watson
www.watson.co.nz
E-mail: editor@magicnewzealand.com
================================
Hi here is the latest news
================================
1.
Editor's Message
2. Final Curtain: Aldo Colombini
3. Advertise In The 2014 Combined Convention Souvenir Program
4. Magicseen No. 54
5. The Magic Circle Close-Up Magician Of The Year
6. Remarkable Magic #338 - Nick Lewin
7. Giving Permission - #329 - Kyle Peron
8. The Magic Circle Close-Up Magician Of The Year
9. Updates So Far This Week On VanishLive.com
10. Florida State Convention
11. Sorcerers Safari - August 15-August 20th, 2014
12. Carney Lectures In Vancouver-Seattle-Portland
13. Maths Tricks And Number Magic
14. Stabbed!' A Brand New Knife Effect
15. Magic In The Rockies 2013 - 20th Anniversary
16. e-zine Archives
17. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
1. Editor's Message
--------------------------------------------
The highlight for the week was working on Marc Oberon's
new effect "Way Out". His thinking behind his
new product is a most innovative and commercial piece of
mentalism I have seen in a long time.
The
complete package includes a specially designed gimmick,
materials and an easy to follow DVD teaching the way out
principle in detail, along with six strong routines. www.marcoberon.com
--------------------------------
Great clip of an exclusive interview with David Copperfield
http://globalnews.ca/video/954818/exclusive-interview-with-david-copperfield
------------------
For all those who would like to read the Magic New Zealand
e-zine in a HTML format go to: http://www.magicnewzealand.com/ezine-archive/2014-Jan-to-Dec-2014/1074-Feb14-2014.html
Remember
if you have any magic news drop me a line:
Editor@MagicNewZealand.com
--------------------------------------------
2. Final Curtain: Aldo Colombini
--------------------------------------------
Article forwarded on by Mel Kientz (US)
by
Wolfgang Wollet
The
world of magic lost one of its greatest contributors this
Wednesday when Aldo Columbini passed away from the complications
of a stroke he suffered last Sunday.
A
lot will be said about Aldo from people who were fortunate
to call him a close friend.
My
own memories with him go back maybe 20 years when I was
very active in the European magic scene. I would meet Aldo
at almost every convention and he was always giving a lecture
or performing at the convention.
Even with him working almost everywhere all the time it
was always great to see him work as he always had something
new and fresh prepared for the audience. He was a great
entertainer and at the same time was capable of executing
the most difficult sleights seemingly without effort. He
was a great scholar in many aspects of magic and his body
of published work will be hard to match by anyone.
Equally
important, he was a nice man and you wanted to be around
him and enjoy a bottle of wine together.
His
status in our magic community was very much on top but he
never let his fame come between him and the audience. He
was approachable and made you feel important.
Our
paths did rarely cross in the last 10 years and I definitely
should have made more an effort to stay in touch.
Aldo's love for life is well documented and I find some
relief in the fact that he did not have to suffer prolonged.
Aldo
will be remembered as the consummate entertainer and his
memory will live on thru his body of published work.
I
will remember him most for one evening in Vienna at a Heurigen
(which is a sort of pop up wine cellar) where he upstaged
the live band in typical Aldo fashion. The audience and
I had tears in our eyes......
My
prayers and thoughts are with his wife Rachel and the family.
Aldo, thanks for making us laugh
Rest in peace my friend
-Wolfgang
--------------------------------------------
3. Advertise In The 2014 Combined Convention Souvenir Program
--------------------------------------------
Message by Becki Wells
publicity@ibmsam.com
Interested
in placing an ad in the 2014 Combined Convention Souvenir
Program? Contact Becki Wells at Publicity@ibmsam.com to
request the Ad Rate and Specification Sheet. The souvenir
program is an opportunity for you to advertise your magic
business, show, convention or service, promote your Ring
or Assembly, drive traffic to your dealer booth, and send
greetings of praise or congratulations.
Your
ad or message will reach 1,400 people! Previous convention
programs, like the 2008 Combined Convention Program from
Louisville, are now collector items and this year's program
will be no different. Be a part of magic history and place
your ad now!
To
register for the convention go to http://ibmsam.com/registration/
Today! See you in St. Louis, where it is All About the Magic.
--------------------------------------------
4. Magicseen No. 54
--------------------------------------------
By Mark Leveridge & Graham Hey & Phil Shaw
Vol.
9, No. 6, January 2014; 60 pages
Cover: David Williamson
Welcome - editor's letter
Letters
News
The Kranzilla is Here! - The Comedy Monster that is Nathan
Kranzo - interview by Graham Hey
News
Dealer Shout Outs - Special 'extra' announcements from a
few regular advertisers
The Best of 2013 - best products of the year
Envy-lope - Brandon David & Chris Turchi
Perfect Open Prediction - Boris Wild
Ace - Richard Sanders
Electric Touch + - Yigal Mesika
Inferno - Joshua Jay & Card Shark
Clarity Box - David Regal
Way Out - Marc Oberon
Syd & Fanny - Where Are They Now?
Matt Sterling: Danger Man - interview
The Christmas Show - Humour from Mark Leveridge
News
Club Land - The Magic Circle - Mark Leveridge
David Williamson: Genius - cover article/interview by Graham
Hey
Pro and Cons: It's All a Matter of Opinion - Mark Leveridge
Displaying children's show props - a valuable idea or a
waste of time?
Avoiding The Repeat Performance - How to remember which
tables and groups you've done - Mark Leveridge
Scott Pepper: Carry on Cruising! - interview
Masterclass
Chair Swindle - Andy Nyman
Card Mark - Ian Adair
Reviews
Tenyo Ghost Card - Effect - Lubor Fiedler
Fate - effect - Manuel Llaser
Tenyo Money Shock - effect - Kenichi Komiya
Envy-lope - effect on DVD - Brandon David & Chris Turche
[sic]
Tenyo Magical MRI - effect - Toru Suzuki
Isabella Star 2 - mentalist effect - Peter Turner
Smoke and Mirrors Bristol - Live Reviews
Vladimir Dimitri Kockov
23rd November 2013 - House Magicians - Richard Newman &
Mark Bennett
KISS-ing IS Good For You - Why Keeping Your Magic Simple
is the Best Way to Go - Mark Leveridge
Next Time ...
Advertisers
Listings Section
Back Issues
Magicseen:
one year subscription go to:
http://www.lybrary.com/magicseen-year-subscription-p-94252.html
--------------------------------------------
5. The Magic Circle Close-Up Magician Of The Year
--------------------------------------------
Article forwarded by William Bowers
James
Freedman is The Magic Circle Close-Up Magician of the Year.
Last
night, The Magic Circle staged the finals of its annual
competition to find the Close-Up Magician of the Year. Eight
of the club's top magicians performed sleight of hand illusions
for a specially invited audience at The Magic Circle Headquarters.
The
President of the Magic Circle, Jack Delvin said, "To
win this competition requires outstanding technical ability,
sleight of hand, performance skills and a strong personality.
James rose to the top across all these criteria." This
is the second time that James has won this award.
A
delighted James said, "I was amazed by some of my fellow
performers tonight and am thrilled to have won this very
coveted trophy and the prestigious title 'The Magic Circle
Close-Up Magician of the Year 2014?.
For
article go to:
http://www.jamesfreedman.com/the-magic-circle-close-up-magician-of-the-year/
--------------------------------------------
6. Remarkable Magic #338 - Nick Lewin
--------------------------------------------
Message by Nick Lewin (US)
Five
More 'New Rules for Magicians.'
A
few years ago I wrote a column dedicated to my old comedy
compadre Bill Maher, the creator and host of HBOs 'Real
Time with Bill Maher.' 'Real Time….' is produced by
Marc Gurvitz who was the agent that took Lance Burton to
fame and fortune in the early part of his career. Bill and
I used to work the comedy scene in Los Angeles and I have
remained a big fan of his wonderfully acerbic left-wing
wit.
One
of the features of Maher's show is his closing segment where
he lists a series of 'New Rules,' to improve daily living
for the enlightened masses. They never fail to make me chuckle
and I thought I would do an update of my previous column
in which I gave a highly tongue in cheek version of his
concept tailored to the magic world.
New
Rule #One.
Not every magician needs to jump on the mindreading bandwagon.
There is still a role for the occasional magic act that
doesn't claim to have 'special' powers and psychological
abilities that make them contenders for their own Marvel
comic book series. Committed mentalists have known for years
that many of their tricks are highly commercial combinations
of strong effect and clever methodology packaged into one
thoughtful bundle.
Bookers
and buyers alike are beginning to sense that the trend is
being overdone. Some mental effects can be just as effective
if added to a traditional magic show. At its worst this
trend is imposing a new form of 'I'm smarter than you…'
magical/mental one-upmanship on the audience.
New
Rule #Two.
Quit whining about the residual effects of the Magic Castle
becoming so popular! After 50 years the world's most successful
magic club/venue has become a genuine mainstream LA institution
and the strengths and weaknesses of this are becoming fairly
apparent. A highly polished and popular magic 'specialty
restaurant' runs side by side with a cool private magic
club. If you think this isn't enough, count how many others
have succeeded in actually achieving this goal.
Every
now and then members can't get into the club due to a surfeit
of guests who pay a premium to be there. This may not be
the case for too long as nothing changes faster than a trendy
club, so be happy that it is happening at this point in
time. How many times have you personally been turned away
from the club, or are you bitching in general in case it
might? Joe Furlow, the general manager, has done a great
job of re-vitalizing what was becoming a seriously endangered
magical center.
New
Rule #Three.
Get over the whole Houdini thing and put it in perspective.
Lay people (and several generations of magicians) just aren't
as crazy about Houdini as they once were. Putting a 'Harry-centric'
twist on anything magical doesn't suddenly make it fascinating
and irresistible. Time moves on, learn to live with it.
New
Rule #Four.
Let's lose some of the Victorian trimmings and trappings
associated with magic props. A casual glance at any magic
catalogue will be enough to remind you that a large part
of the magic world is living in a different century from
their audiences. Wooden billet collection boxes, change
bags on sticks and hokey looking wooden boxes are items
that belong in museums or collections and not in the average
magic show.
Contemporary
is much more appealing and infinitely more convincing when
it comes to props unless there is a very good reason for
it. However, by contemporary, I do not mean something that
is supposed to look futuristic but actually looks like a
badly realized item from a 1960s 'Dr. Who' set.
New
Rule #Five.
Deceptive bases are not always that deceptive, sometimes
it is only the magician who is fooling himself. There is
a built in limit to the amount of deceptive bases that you
can wheel out without 'the law of diminishing deceptive
returns' kicking in. Also there is a huge difference between
the deceptive base that Johnny Gaughn builds and the ones
that are knocked out in the garage by an ungifted amateur
carpenter.
Well,
have I pissed off enough people this week! If I haven't
then I might continue with the next five items in my 'top
ten list' of New Rules in another column. I haven't even
started to talk about magician's photographs or manipulative
acts that dress as if they have been shopping in Jeff McBride's
reject closet.
My blog is at www.remarkablemagic.com
My web site/online store is www.nicklewin.com
--------------------------------------------
7. Giving Permission - #329 - Kyle Peron
--------------------------------------------
Message by Kyle Peron (US)
magic4u02@aol.com
http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com
http://www.kpmagicproducts.com
http://www.Facebook.com/perondesign
If
you have ever performed even a few shows, you probably have
experienced a situation of a child acting up or even a child
having to go to the bathroom. You may have witnessed a kid
shouting out things they should not or a child wanting your
props more than you.
The more we perform as entertainers, the more situations
we end up seeing. These situations often make us have to
deal with them the best way that we can. We each have antidotes
for handling various problems as they come up and that certainly
could be a topic for another time.
However, have you ever been shocked or surprised when a
situation comes up and an adult or parent does nothing about
it? Have you ever driven home shaking your head wondering
what that was all about? Why did no one do anything at all
and left you to handle it?
When situations like this occur, it often causes you as
an entertainer to wonder why the adult or client is not
taking care of it. Most of us end up with the conclusion
of bad parenting. Like father like son.. like mother like
daughter.
In some cases, this may very well be true. Kids tend to
mimic from their parents and people around them. However,
there is another possibility that is very much true but
many never fully grasp or take into consideration. It actually
is eye-opening for those who take the time to look at it,
test it and find out for themselves.
When a situation comes up, the helper, the parent or the
client immediately has to make choices and decisions and
they have to do so quickly. They must come to a conclusion
and that conclusion is "should I take action?"
and "how do I act?" Sounds weird but put yourself
into the minds of them and not yourself for just a second.
Basic psychology has shown that most people are waiting
for you to give permission that it is OK to handle the situation.
It sounds weird, but often times that is the case. The client
or parents feel it is your show as does the child or helper.
Because of this, they feel weird interrupting even if you
feel it is obvious for them to do so.
They hesitate. If you watch your audience, you can actually
see this happen. As a deaf person I read lips all my life.
I have taken time to read body language simply because I
have to. It is amazing how the body language changes when
a person is put into a situation where they have to decide
what to do during YOUR show.
Now you may say, "Well it is their house and their
child and they should just do it." Well yes, one would
say that sounds obvious. However, I have found that even
in this context, a person is hesitant to react. 1) Are they
interrupting your show? 2) When is the right time to go
up there? 3) Should I say something or walk on stage and
take care of it? 4) Am I going to look foolish doing it
in front of people I know or strangers? 5) Am I drawing
too much attention to myself and away from the entertainer?
6) What will I do when I get there or even 7) is the magician
going to get upset with me?
ALL this races through their minds and you can see it clearly
in body language and in the mannerisms.
In this light, it then makes sense to acknowledge the situation
at hand and by doing so, giving permission to the adult/client
and to the helper that it is more than ok to help handle
the situation. They feel that you stating it gives them
the permission they need to act.
It sounds so simple but try it. I have actually seen a child
on stage doing the Pee Pee dance and the child was old enough
to handle things himself and the parent was standing by.
Now I see it and the adults in the room see it and neither
the child on stage nor the parent knew what to do and they
both stood there.
Now this may sound crazy but it really is not. It is psychology.
As soon as I "gave permission or acknowledgment",
the child took care of it and off he went calmly. The client
then walked calmly over to help the son. Everything was
cool and no problems.
So it appears that sometimes (not always) it is not the
fact that a person is acting like a jerk by not reacting.
In a lot of cases, they are waiting for you to acknowledge
(in some fashion) and give permission. This permission can
happen in many forms and that has to fit who you are as
a performer. I choose to stay in character and to handle
it easily, calmly and get on with the show.
Give this a try. Study this the next time it happens. Watch
the body language and give permission or acknowledgement
and then see what happens from it. I think you will be surprised
the more you try and test this and use it.
As always I would love to hear from you. Please feel free
to contact me at magic4u02@aol.com. I look forward to it.
--------------------------------------------
8. The Magic Circle Close-Up Magician Of The Year
--------------------------------------------
Article forwarded on by William Bowers
James
Freedman is The Magic Circle Close-Up Magician of the Year
Last
night, The Magic Circle staged the finals of its annual
competition to find the Close-Up Magician of the Year. Eight
of the club's top magicians performed sleight of hand illusions
for a specially invited audience at The Magic Circle Headquarters.
The
President of the Magic Circle, Jack Delvin said, "To
win this competition requires outstanding technical ability,
sleight of hand, performance skills and a strong personality.
James rose to the top across all these criteria." This
is the second time that James has won this award.
A
delighted James said, "I was amazed by some of my fellow
performers tonight and am thrilled to have won this very
coveted trophy and the prestigious title 'The Magic Circle
Close-Up Magician of the Year 2014?.
For
article go to:
http://www.jamesfreedman.com/the-magic-circle-close-up-magician-of-the-year/
-------------------------------------------
9. Updates So Far This Week on VanishLive.com
--------------------------------------------
Message by - Mick Peck
Online Content Editor
www.VanishLive.com
Updates
so far this week on VanishLive.com include:
-
Broken Wand: Aldo Colombini, biography and videos
- The American Museum of Magic - On Stage!
- Asheville Magic Shows Support Disabilities Non-Profit
- Michael Grandinetti Creates Basketball Magic
- National Geographic Acquires Magic Shows
- Deceptive Practice: Review by Nick Lewin
- Magic Man Plans to Make Statue Disappear
- Six Tips for Tackling Nerves by Collin Stover
- 'Masters of Illusion' Live Tour
Daily
magic news, articles from around the world and reviews from
working professional magicians.
Visit
us today at:
http://www.VanishLive.com
-
Mick Peck
Online Content Editor
www.VanishLive.com
Also:
your FREE copy of Vanish Edition 12 is now available for
download, visit the site to download.
--------------------------------------------
10. Florida State Convention
--------------------------------------------
Message by Ben Mason - USA
Orlando,
Florida State Magic Convention (Orlando) Close-up Performers
We are pleased to announce the eight (8) Close-up performers
who will performing in the two different Close-Up shows
during the 50th Anniversary Florida State Magic Convention,
Orlando, Fl. May 23-26.
Paul Gertner
IBM Gold Cups winner
Oscar Munoz
IBM Gold Cups winner
Giovanni Livera
IBM Gold Cups winner
From Cuba
Omar Ferret
From New Orleans
Michael Dardant
Cameron Francis
"close-up extraordinaire"
From another dimension
Geoff Williams
From Cuba
"Anabel
--------------------------------------------
11. Sorcerers Safari - August 15-August 20th, 2014
--------------------------------------------
Message from Mike Segal
Thank
you so much for once again supporting youth in magic, and
magic camps in particular. We really do appreciate this
a great deal.
Unfortunately,
the dates you have mentioned for our 2014 season in the
press release are incorrect. Those were our last summer's
dates.
Sorcerers
Safari is running this year from August 15-August 20th,
2014.
Thanks
again for all the support, and look forward to working with
you again, and hopefully seeing many of you at the combined
convention this summer.
--------------------------------------------
12. Carney Lectures In Vancouver-Seattle-Portland
--------------------------------------------
Message by John Carney (US)
Carney
Lectures in Vancouver-Seattle-Portland
More
details:
http://www.carneymagic.com/instruction_seminars_schedule.html
Vancouver,
BC
Tuesday, March 25
Lecture 7:00pm
Vancouver
Lecture sponsored by Magicana, the Canadian Magic Arts Organization
Douglas
College
Lecture Hall #2203
New Westminster Campus
700 Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC
$25
for Lecture
Advance Tickets:
http://www.magicana.com/conferences/john-carney-lecture-workshop/
Or Cash at the door
Seattle,
WA
Monday, March 31, 2014
Lecture 7:00pm
$25 Cash or Check at the door, no advance orders
Hale's
Palladium / Brewery
4301 Leary Way NW
Seattle, WA 98107
Portland,
OR
Tuesday, April 1
Lecture 7:00pm
Zimmermand
Community Center
1542 NW 14th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
$25
Cash or Check at the door, no advance orders
--------------------------------------------
13. Maths Tricks And Number Magic
--------------------------------------------
Message by Chris Wardle
Maths
Tricks And Number Magic - New book from Chris Wardle.
Chris
Wardle's new book has just been released and is now available
on Amazon. This is a collection of 60 number-based tricks
and effects involving hidden mathematics. Follow the instructions
and the book appears to be able to read your mind!
However,
you won't find 'grey elephants in Denmark' or the number
1089 anywhere here, as these effects encompass a wide range
of methods which have all been given some subtle and new
twists. Although aimed at the general market, magicians
will love this useful collection of varied number principles
gathered together in one volume. Use these baffling tricks
over the phone, in an email or text, in your publicity material
or on the radio, as well as in more obvious performing situations.
They have many uses for the creative performer. 96 pages,
paperback.
Chris
is an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle and has contributed
to numerous magic magazines. He has a regular column in
'The Magic Circular', the magazine exclusively for members
of The Magic Circle.
--------------------------------------------
14. 'Stabbed!' A Brand New Knife Effect
--------------------------------------------
Message by Simon Drake (UK)
'Stabbed!'
a brand new knife effect by Secret Cabaret star Simon Drake
It's rare a whole NEW magic effect with a prop is produced
and this certainly is that.
Simon
Drake has just released 'Stabbed!' which is an effect where
the performer or assistant can be stabbed by multiple daggers
with absolutely no risk of injury. 'Stabbed!' has options
for blood and an intriguing adaptation of being stabbed
in the top of your head which produces blood flowing down
the performer's face very realistically.
Click
this link to Simon's House of Magic shop page and don't
miss the hyperlink button to the amusing video of Simon
casually demonstrating the effect: http://www.houseofmagic.co.uk/shop/stabbed
This
brand new effect is also a very handy utility item to incorporate
into other routines as well as for theatre/TV/film consultancies.
--------------------------------------------
15. Magic In The Rockies 2013 - 20th Anniversary
--------------------------------------------
Message by Lindsay Smith
Magic
in the Rockies 2013 - 20th Anniversary
October 3, 4, 5, and 6, 2013
IBM Ring 250, The Presto-Digitators
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Magic
In The Rockies 2013: Twenty Hits, No Misses
A
Review by Lindsay Smith
No matter who writes the reviews of the Magic in the Rockies
convention, it always includes a phrase like: "What
a great convention! How can they top this next year?"
But top it they do, year after year, and their 20th annual
convention in Fort Collins, Colorado, October 3-6, was no
exception.
In
four days, here's what the Presto-Digitators (Ring #250)
put together: Eleven (count 'em) diverse lectures…two
first-rate public shows…close-up magic and bar magic
sessions (it doesn't get much better than Doc Eason and
Bob Sheets)…a five-person Headliner Close-Up show…Paul
Gertner with his one-man show "Braindrops"…a
Junior Showcase show with six talented kids…a wonderful
90-minute Q&A with Doc Eason interviewing the legendary
Walter "Zaney" Blaney, complete with film clips…a
well-stocked dealers' room with 20 dealers…add to that
two lunches and a dinner in the hotel's outdoor pavilion
included as part of the registration fee. Post-convention
there was an optional extra, The Insider Sessions III, for
an additional fee: several quality hours with Peter Samelson,
Gene Turner, and Michael Weber. All of that nicely packaged
into four fun-filled days.
The weekend started Thursday afternoon with a lecture by
Anthony (Tony) Miller, the first of the 11 lectures. Tony,
perhaps best known for his leather work,
performed some clever card routines and explained his take
on various controls (the Miller Variable Placement), a palm,
and an easy classic force.
Duane Laflin, who, with his wife, Mary, has a magic theatre
in Custer, South Dakota, followed. Is there any convention
attendee anywhere who hasn't seen Duane perform or lecture?
He uses standard dealer items and adds his own ideas. He
is experienced, totally professional and it shows. He talked
about warm-ups, patter ideas, his signature silk effects,
and ended with a great Nest of Boxes. He urged everyone
to go beyond the tricks. "You can't just fool people,"
he said, "You have to make them care."
Asi Wind, originally from Israel and now living in the U.S.,
knocked many of us down with a delightful display of miracles.
It wasn't so much what he did but how he did it and, yes,
he made us care. He is a firm believer in memorized deck
work and urged everyone to learn a memorized deck - any
one. He virtually guaranteed that we could learn one in
one day. He advised us that "Laymen care about details"
and provided examples. Asi demonstrated ACAAN techniques
and a clever bill switch. At the conclusion of his lecture,
he received a standing ovation.
When
you hear the name Losander, your first thought is Floating
Table. He's definitely known for that, of course, but he
also demonstrated proficiency with thread work and other
levitation ideas during his lecture. As he told us, "Use
the simplest method and you'll have fewer problems."
We were treated to demonstrations and explanations of a
floating bill, a unique Japanese paper ball, floating bubbles
that morphed into a Zombie, and a captivating floating book
ala Zombie.
Among
numerous convention highlights was the late night interview
by Doc Eason of the legendary Walter "Zaney" Blaney.
Walter performed his classic birdcage, and then delighted
us with remarkable stories of his early life, meeting Blackstone
Sr., and being friends with Mark Wilson since he was nine
years old. The first levitation he ever saw was The Levitation
of Princess Karnac. That eventually led to Walter creating
his own Ladder Suspension, a trick that fooled magicians
for 21 years. He talked about its early development, beginning
with balsa wood models, and explained the working of his
hoop.
There
were some great video clips of Walter on the Johnny Carson
show, David Copperfield performing his suspension, Walter's
own Sawing in Half and much more. Since everything is bigger
in Texas, we even got to see a clip of "Zaney"
producing his 22-pound rabbit. When NASA moved the Mercury
astronauts to Houston, Walter was the first entertainer
they saw. Years later they brought him back for a reunion.
Thanks for the insightful questions, Doc, and for the wonderful
recollections, Walter. It was a glued-to-your-seat 90 minutes
and even as the clock ticked past midnight, no one wanted
to leave.
Friday morning started early (if you were up past midnight
with Doc and Walter as most of us were), but Autumn Morning
Star's lecture was worth getting up for. Autumn, a Native
American of Choctaw and Blackfeet heritage, talked about
her early development and some rules within her culture.
Her lecture, "One of a Kind," is about creating
your unique stage character by harnessing the tremendous
power of archetypal characters. She defined the term, offered
numerous examples of archetypal characters and, most importantly,
showed how all magicians could find and develop their own
archetype.
When
I tell you that her magic consisted of the Pom Pom Pole,
the Gene Anderson Newspaper Tear, the Rice Bowls, and the
Cups & Balls, I hear you saying, "Yeah, I've seen
all those." Actually, no you haven't. Not the way Autumn
performs them with her Native American twist. The newspaper
tear is hilarious with an audience volunteer tearing his
own smaller paper. The Rice Bowls are highlighted by her
captivating Native storytelling abilities. And the Cups
& Balls? Well, you must see the performance.
Aided
by two cast members who sing and drum, Autumn uses three
huge pots and a delightful story in her routine. Her final
large load consisted of gourds, pumpkins, and squash. Her
double-load production of even more pumpkins and squash
caught a lot of well-posted magicians off-gourd, sorry,
off-guard. At the conclusion of her lecture, Autumn received
a heartfelt standing ovation.
For
the kid show performers in the audience, and I spotted more
than a few, we were able to learn from one of the best:
Danny Orleans, assisted by his longtime partner and wife,
Jan Rose. This is first-rate material that the alert kid
show performer can put to immediate use. With 40 years of
performing experience, Danny knows the secrets of presenting
magic to children, and he shared many of them with us.
An
entertaining, informative hour passed too quickly, loaded
with warm-ups, tips, ideas, strategies, audience management
techniques, tricks and the importance of positive reinforcement.
Add some of Danny's excellent suggestions to your act and
you'll be way ahead of entertaining those "beady-eyed
little moppets" (as "Senator" Crandall used
to call them) and their moms and dads.
The
next lecture featured John Mendoza who performed and explained
first-rate close-up routines with cards and coins with the
skill and precision you'd expect from someone named John
Mendoza. There were silver-Chinese coins, tricks with gaffed
(read: expensive) coins, a Coins Across routine, John's
take on the classic Ramsay hanging coins, some red-black
card separations ala Out of the World and more.
Magic
in the Rockies featured two public show this year, one on
Friday night, followed by the second on Saturday afternoon.
Friday night's show was mostly, but not entirely, focused
on mentalism. Capably emceed by Eric Mead, the performers
included an impressive lineup of talent: Peter Samelson;
Christopher Taylor; Becky Blaney, daughter of Walter "Zaney"
Blaney; Jan Rose & Danny Orleans; and Asi Wind. The
audience was a blend of magicians and the lay public. Both
groups were entertained and, on several occasions, more
than just the lay public group were scratching their heads
in disbelief.
Following
the public show, magic was still going strong in the Fort
Collins Marriott lobby and Marriott bar. In the lobby, David
Elstun and Eddie Goldstein were performing "Street
Magic," followed by roaming close-up magic performed
by Mysto the Magi, Dave Neighbors, Mathew Brandt, Timothy
Cripe, Gene Gordon. Doc Eason, Ryan Eason, and Bob Sheets
entertained behind the bar.
Saturday's activities began with lecture #8 of 11, by Arthur
Stead. Arthur hit a positive note (pun intended) with his
lecture on using music with magic. As he emphasized several
times, adding music to your magic can help you "Make
More Moolah." Arthur explained the four rules for adding
music to your act, and provided wonderful video examples
of how the right kind of music can enhance and improve your
timing and presentation.
The
many examples included Tina Lenert, Arthur Trace, and David
Copperfield, among others. "Music can make your act
more professional and memorable," he said. When you're
marketing your show, music can help there too. To begin,
Arthur suggested working on one routine at a time.
The Junior Showcase show followed, emceed by everyone's
favorite, Steve Spangler, featuring six talented youngsters
who made you wish you had practiced more when you were their
age. Performers included Brooklyn Brewer, whose dad, Paul,
presented a Youth Lecture on Sunday morning; Liam Kearney;
Max Andrews (Davidson); Gerald Robinson; Anthony "AJ"
Perea, and Chase Hasty. The young magicians entertained
an appreciative audience with cards, coins, ropes, manipulations,
Linking Rings, a costume change, and more. During and after
the show, audience members agreed that the future of magic
is in good hands.
Saturday
afternoon's public show was emceed by Lew Wymisner with
his low-key hilarity and featured a diverse, talented group
of performers. Leland Faulkner opened with a series of fascinating
hand shadows, delighting the audience. John T. Sheets, assisted
by Corrine, followed with a beautiful display of candles,
canes, doves, silks and ropes, production of a huge parrot,
finishing with the transformation of a cage full of doves
into his assistant Corrine.
Walter
Blaney made a cameo appearance with his signature vanishing
birdcage, assisted by audience helpers. Fort Collins own
Lauren Miller, formerly known as the Mighty Mini, performed
a well-received thought-reading experiment.
Gene
Turner followed and changed the pace with his pick pocketing
routine, amazing both audience members and volunteers with
his techniques. If there was something he wanted and it
wasn't nailed down or hard-wired in, Gene got it. Dirk Losander
captivated the crowd with his routine with bubbles, a Zombie,
a beautiful salt pour and his famous floating table that
vanished at the conclusion of his act.
Autumn
Morning Star, assisted by husband Brian and cast members
Reina Shadow Dreamer and Michael Soaring Eagle, closed the
show. They performed the classic Hindu Basket with a unique
and hilarious Native American twist where Brian, dressed
in a U.S. Cavalry uniform, goes into the basket followed
by the swords. Autumn closed their well-paced act with a
U.S. mailbag escape, concluding with a costume change. It
was a great finish to a great show.
Saturday's
public show definitely proved there was enough first-rate
talent at the convention for two public shows.
Was it a flawless convention? Sadly, no. Seriously, is any
magic convention ever flawless? No again. In MITR's case,
there were significant problems with the lights and, in
particular, the sound system. Sound cues and music cut in
and out at random moments, often at the worst possible moment.
But to a person, the on-stage professionals worked through
the problems and made the best of a bad situation, even
when it was delaying their start or throwing off their timing.
After
dinner on our own, we were treated to a five-course dessert
by the appropriately named Headliner Close-Up Show featuring
excellent performances by R. Paul Wilson, Arthur Stead,
John Mendoza, Jason England, and Suzanne. There was too
much good at-the-table magic to recount here but it was
all good, all special, all rewarding.
Saturday
night concluded in mind-boggling fashion with Paul Gertner's
one-man show, "Braindrops." Do you know Dai Vernon's
"The Trick That Cannot Be Explained?" That's pretty
close to what "Braindrops" is all about. Yes,
it's about magic and technology, but you really can't explain
it to someone who wasn't there. You have to see it. And
if it's anywhere near you, do so. At the end of his show,
I was leaving the room at the same time as my friend, Frank
Klein. We looked at each other and both said simultaneously,
"Wow!" That pretty much sums it up.
Sunday morning began bright and early with a Youth Lecture
by Paul Brewer. Paul's approach to entertaining kids was
informative and entertaining. After he performed and explained
an effect, he gave each volunteer the magic props. His high
energy and caring really created a very special magical
event!
Paul
Gertner followed with his lecture, "What I Wish I Knew
in '72," or 16 Tips on How to Build a Career…That
Won't Disappear! This is a lecture he presented at the I.B.M.
convention in Norfolk last year. His 16 tips are all gems,
meant to be studied and applied if you're serious about
"finding a way to use magic to make your life and your
job, even work you might do in your community more interesting,
exciting and effective." During his lecture, Paul also
demonstrated five of his favorite effects to perform. Those
were five more gems.
Finally,
late Sunday morning, we arrived at lecture #11 of 11. Nobody
spent less time in Fort Collins but made more of an impact
than Michael Weber. He was definitely well worth waiting
for and a great convention closer. Here's the back-story:
The day before, Michael was in Spain. He arrived in Denver
late Saturday night on a red-eye flight, was picked up there
and driven to Fort Collins. He did his Sunday morning lecture,
spent the afternoon as part of the optional "Insider
Sessions III," then flew back home. Amazing. How does
he do all that without showing any signs of jet lag?
During
his all-too-brief visit, he performed and explained several
tricks, including the Ring on Stick and his version of Three
Cards Across. Like Asi Wind and others who realize the miracles
that can be accomplished with a memorized deck, Michael
spent some time explaining his own stack, which he said
could be learned in minutes, not days. He called it The
Card Kindergarten Stack and, indeed, some in the audience
were well on the way to learning the stack before he concluded.
With
that, the 20th annual Magic in the Rockies convention ended
on another high note and came to a conclusion. As always,
many of the members of Ring #250 were involved in the detailed
planning, organizing and on-the-scenes work, aided by others
who worked tirelessly behind-the-scenes on another successful
convention. They were assisted by volunteers from Ring #131
in Denver who, among other things, picked up headliners
arriving at the Denver airport and brought them to Fort
Collins, and then took them back for their return flights.
Will
there be a 21st annual convention? At this writing, it's
too soon to tell. But not too soon to tell you that everyone
attending the 20th certainly hopes so!
--------------------------------------------
16. e-zine Archives
--------------------------------------------
Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to:
www.magicnewzealand.com click on the red button center right
"Archives"
When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order
in folders for each year and are Coded, e.g. 001 Nov06 1999.txt
first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the
date (Nov06) and the last figures the year (1999)
---------------------------------------------
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