* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * New Zealand's MagicNZ e-zine * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #120 Date: Sunday 5th May 2002 Editor: Alan Watson www.magician.co.nz www.alan-watson.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. Rare Wand Collection - Exhibited At S.A.M. Convention 3. The Salute To Magic 4. 28th Australian Convention of Magicians Update 5. A Note On Saint Juan Bosco 6. The Japan Times 7. Magic Books For Sale 8. How Do You Fit Rope Magnets To Rope? 9. Tara Okan - Fourth Child 10. The Orchante Saga #104 11. MagicNZ e-zine archives 12. Subscription Management ------------------------------------ 1. Editor's Message ------------------------------------- Message from Alan Watson - The Magic One 50 Greatest Magic Tricks For our English subscribers on Channel 4 at 9pm to 11pm on the 6th May screening 50 Greatest Magic Tricks. Participants include: Lance Burton, Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee, the Pendragons, David Berglas, Tom Mullica, Penn & Teller, Melinda, Geoffrey Durham, Gay Blackstone, Jim Steinmeyer, the Amazing Johathan, John Lenahan, Richard Cadell and Sooty, Michael Bailey, Derren Brown, Shahid Maalik aand Lisa, Paul Zenon, Marvin Berglas, Fay Presto, Peter Lamont, Marc Spelmann, Franz Harary, Ian Rowland, Stevie Starr, Nicholas Parsons, Linda Lusardi, Jeremy Beadle and Sir Richard Branson. ---------------------------------------------------- Paul Daniels Collection The entire magic collection of Britain's well known television magician Paul Daniels is currently being offered up for sale on www.timreedmagic.com The collection is certainly extensive and the items for sale covers posters, props, illusions, books, magazines, memorabilia, magic sets, Houdini clocks and automata. ---------------------------------------------------- Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com ---------------------------------- 2. Rare Wand Collection - Exhibited At S.A.M. Convention ---------------------------------- Message from George Schindler- SAM Public Relations Dr. Seram R. Ellison, member number One of the Society of American Magicians who died in 1918 donated his famous wand collection to the Society, which includes 82 items used by well known magicians of the era (1890's to early 1900's). The wands have been in storage and will be on exhibit at the S.A.M. convention July 3-6 at the New York Hilton. Included with the wands are fans used by Chung Ling Soo, and Adelaide Hermann, a hammer used by Devant (for breaking bottles),Frank DuCrot's glass wand, the leg bone of a monkey owned by Alexander, Howard Thurston's carved bamboo wand, and an unusual whip handle used by Horace Golden. Also included are pieces of the Bosco grave found by Houdini. The collection is being re-assembled into portable travel cases funded by the S.A.M. Magic Endowment Fund. The exhibit will be open at limited time periods along with other historical exhibit material at the Centennial. ---------------------------------- 3. The Salute To Magic ---------------------------------- Message from Richard J. Stuart (US) Chairman for this years show The Salute to Magic took place on April 27th, 2002. Attendance was dampened a bit by the proximity to Ground Zero, but spirits were not. Magician of the year Bill Andrews, performed a spectacular patriotic salute to the heroes of 9/11 before receiving the Magician of the year award from Parent Assembly President Ted Lee. Gay Blackstone made a charming hostess and demonstrated her skills in mentalism and magic. Ted Lee and George and Nina Schindler kept things moving with rope tricks, flower productions, and other classical magic. Finally Chuck Jones and company gave a spectacular display of illusions including Chuck's Excalibur, a substitution trunk, and of course, his famous Miss-Made Lady Illusion. ---------------------------------- 4. 28th Australian Convention of Magicians Update ---------------------------------- Message from Kent Blackmore (Aust) At April 22, almost all competitions for the 28th Australian Convention of Magicians are full. The Stage competition has a few places left, but priority will be given to Under-16 competitors and we expect the places to be filled very shortly. If you wish to put your name on a waiting list, in case some performers withdraw from the competition, please note this on your registration form, or email: kblackmore@bigpond.com Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that late entries can be included, due to the very tight convention schedule. Advertising for the convention brochure is likewise closed; sorry if you left it too late. However, Convention Registrations are still open, and we hope to see you in June!! htttp://come.to/sydneymagic ---------------------------------- 5. A Note On Saint Juan Bosco ---------------------------------- Message from John Fells A note on Saint Juan Bosco. He is already considered the patron saint of magicians in Spain. This was so already when I was growing up in magic in 1960. On 4th, 5th and 6th October the XXV Spanish National Magicians Convention will take place in San Sebastian in Northern Spain close to the ferry port of Bilbao. There are ferries that run regularly from this port to the United Kingdom, making it easy and just a cruise away for English magicians. More information on http://xixka.com/congreso.asp ---------------------------------- 6. The Japan Times ---------------------------------- Message from Steve Marshall Just a quick note to let you know there was a story about me in The Japan Times today. It's the Japanese National English Newspaper. You can see the story at: www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?ft20020501a1.htm ---------------------------------- 7. Magic Books For Sale ---------------------------------- Message from Sefton Pryce (NZ) The following items I am selling 10% less of what I brought them for. If their's any interest parties contact: SPryce@xtra.co.nz or Ph: (06) 758 7841 ask for Sefton Books NZ $ The art of invisible thread by Jon LeClair $65.00 DonDrake's Blackart breakthroughs $50.00 Device & illusion by Steinmeyer; Jim $60.00 Jim Steinmeyers Two Lectures on theatrical illusions $100.00 The complete Jarrett (new version) by Steinmeyer $100.00 Illusions evolution & revolution / Paul Osbourne $100.00 Levitations & Sawing Illusion Secrets by B.Das $35.00 The Art of Close - Up Levitation "no strings" by Jon Jensen $40 .00 New make - up of Magic tips & tricks for builders $40.00 ---------------------------------- 8. How Do You Fit Rope Magnets To Rope? ---------------------------------- Message from Grant Tucker (NZ) Help. I have purchased several sets of rope magnets over the last twelve months and of course none came with instructions. Can anybody out there advise me on how to fit the magnets to rope in such a way that they are not obvious and that they do not readily pull out? The magnets that I have purchased are all reasonably strong. grant.tucker001@msd.govt.nz ---------------------------------- 9. Tara Okan - Fourth Child ---------------------------------- Message from Tara Okan (NZ) I am very pleased to announce that the fourth child of my wonderful marriage with Yara Okan will arrive on earth somewhere around October 12, 2002. I am now the father of four children. Gareth 10 years, Laurelin 8 years, Arien 2 + one coming. Our aim to have two pairs of children seven years apart is rapidly drawing to completion. I feel exhilarated. The Okan Clan is getting bigger. To all my friends and performing partners - past and present send us a good thought and Yara and I will continue to bring in another amazing and beautiful spirit to join with us in the celebration of life. ---------------------------------- 10. The Orchante Saga #104 ---------------------------------- Message from Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)(UK ex-pat Kiwi) Kids Xmas Shows and, ABE PHILLIPS - A EULOGY! Like most professional magicians etc. in New Zealand during the sixties, particularly Auckland City, most of my work was derived from local nightspots/Cabaret shows, private parties and shopping centres. Doing kid shows during December was particularly lucrative, when all the various firms/factories put on their Staff/Children's Christmas parties. I called it the 'RATRACE' TIME! Every weekend saw you criss-crossing - racing across Auckland City like a demented maniac, on a stinking hot summers day, going from one Christmas party to another, with barely enough time to get from one to the other. You could be booked for anything up to 10 - 20 shows a day, starting at 9 am and, having finished that lot, you then had your evening shows! I always had somebody else to do the driving while I, sizzling in the boiling heat, was in the back seat frantically resetting the magic gear ready for the next show. Yes, it was good money but, I hated it and, all the 'skiting' that went on - " I'VE DONE 'X' MORE SHOWS THAN YOU . MORE MONEY."Etc. etc. It made me sick! Thankfully, I gradually 'weaned' myself out of that 'Rat Race', when I moved onto the Hotel circuit (Which was the exclusive providence of POP BANDS and SINGERS), where the remuneration for just ONE show a night for TWO nights work could be worth the same as a whole day of TEN OR MORE maddening Kid shows and the frustratingly inherent working conditions! 'YES'!!! One of the first, if not THE first Hotel I worked, around 1968/9, was the 'Mayfair Hotel', in Hastings (On the East coast of the North Island - Hawkes Bay, 20 kilometres south of Napier), which was owned by Bill Franseen, and managed by Peter Bure - both Dutchmen. As far as I know, I was the First, and Only speciality artist to 'crack' and hold this market for years thro-out New Zealand although, I do have an old advert. From 1970, showing Silvia Sevana - fire dancer (See page52 (now p.73) 2nd paragraph) and myself together, at the 'Mayfair Hotel'! My last performance at the Mayfair in the Carousel Lounge Bar was on Monday, June the 7th, 1976 - just one month before Veronica and I left for Fiji/Australia. I was recently informed that the Hotel no longer exists. It is truly a sad thing when you discover that one of your favourite old haunts/ stamping ground, is - 'No More'! The 'Shadracks' were the band at the 'Mayfair,' actually, it's an injustice to say that they were 'just a band' - SHOWBAND is more like it, they were fantastic! Each member could play the others musical instrument and, they could all sing! I remember Tom Greening, who was the group's brilliant drummer - playing exhilarating, exciting solos that had the crowd screaming for more, as did his deep singing voice! But the chap who really brought the house down was their featured vocalist: - 'BIG' ABE PHILLIPS TO WHOM THIS EPISODE AND THE NEXT, IS DEDICATED! FOR years, various promoters had tried, without success, to 'sign' Abe up, because THEY KNEW that he, and his incredible voice, had the potential for - WORLDSTAGE 'SUPERSTARDOM'! ABE WASN'T INTERESTED IN 'FAME AND FORTUNE'! Abe was quite happy working as a slaughterman at the Whakutu freezing works with his mates, and singing with the 'Shadracks' at the Mayfair Hotel, which is how we met and became friends, not surprising really - I practically 'lived' at the Mayfair, off and on, for a time! Abe was a big, strong, well - built individual, a gentle unassuming family man - and naturally friendly, as most Maoris are. WHAT A MAGNFICENT VOICE HE POSSESSED - IT WAS PURE MAGIC!!! THE year is now 1971, IT IS NOVEMBER and Veronica and I have gone to see the 'Grand Finale' of the 'Schweppes' $2000 talent quest that was being held at the massive 'Thunderbird Valley Inn' at Glenfield (On Auckland City's North Shore - over the Harbour bridge), which was incidentally, another one of my regular gigs - Haaa, memories of the 'VOODOO GIRLS' (Remember, Sally?), I'll tell you about that one later! - CONTINUES - ------------------------------------- 11. MagicNZ e-zine archives ------------------------------------- Back issues of the MagicNZ e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html Both the User Name and Password MUST be entered in lower case to gain access. User Name: ezine Password: newzealand When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order and are coded. Eg 001nov0699.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (nov06) and the last next two numbers the year (99) If you want to print copies of MagicNZ e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/ezine-archive ------------------------------------- 12. Subscription Management ------------------------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. To subscribe or unsubscribe from the MagicNZ e-zine: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html MagicNZ e-zine is published weekly, on Sunday. The opinions expressed in this e-zine are those of the individual contributors and not those of MagicNZ. Neither MagicNZ or Alan Watson can vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via MagicNZ e-zine. Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute to it by doing so agree that they will not hold MagicNZ and/or Alan Watson liable or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed herein. We reserve the right to edit, correct or, in our discretion, choose not to publish any submissions provided to MagicNZ for potential publication. MagicNZ welcomes readers to submit timely articles or news items which appear to be of interest to our readers. Those submitting to this e-zine agree that we have permission to publish their submissions and that they have the full copyright to the material submitted. All works published by MagicNZ are fully protected by international copyright as provided by law, and articles cannot be published for profit by anyone other than the individual author without the written permission of MagicNZ. 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 2002 Alan Watson